As Qin Chuan's instructions were issued, the previously quiet clothing stall buzzed with activity.
Nimble workers immediately climbed ladders to take down banners and red paper. Others rushed to prepare necessary items, shedding their earlier panic and dejection.
Even though everyone except Li Ya had no idea what Qin Chuan was planning, they felt an inexplicable confidence in this young man who had suddenly appeared. They believed he might be able to create another miracle!
At nine o'clock in the morning, people who had finished breakfast began to return to the trade fair. Whether out of habit or curiosity, many people's first stop was the Butterfly Clothing Factory's stall. Even though many had already bought clothes, received grain and oil, and had enough to last for months, they still wanted to browse the Butterfly Clothing Factory's stall.
To their surprise, the Butterfly Clothing Factory's stall had undergone a significant transformation. The piles of grain, oil, detergent, and salt were gone. In their place was a table with a transparent glass case filled with small spherical objects, resembling traditional Chinese medicine pills wrapped in plastic. The large red banner at the top had also changed, now reading: "Butterfly Clothing Factory Grand Lucky Draw Sale, Everyone Wins, Guaranteed Prize!"
"Hey, what's going on? What's a lucky draw sale?"
"Aren't you giving away flour and sunflower oil anymore?"
"Explain it to us!"
More and more people gathered around the stall, like curious children eager to learn.
Inside the stall, seeing the growing crowd, Qin Gang, at Qin Chuan's signal, placed a large wooden board covered in red paper at the entrance. It was more like a door panel, nearly two meters high and one and a half meters wide. The bright red paper clearly displayed the prizes in bold calligraphy:
First Prize: One hundred yuan!
Second Prize: Fifty yuan!
Third Prize: Ten yuan!
Fourth Prize: Five yuan!
Fifth Prize: One yuan!
Lucky Draw Rule: One draw for every ten yuan spent. Spend more, draw more. No blank prizes!
The announcement of the prizes caused an uproar, with the surrounding crowd buzzing with discussion.
"The first prize is a full hundred yuan, that's like half my salary!"
"Exactly! The second prize is fifty yuan! The third prize is still ten yuan!"
"And you get a draw for every ten yuan spent. If you win the first prize, you'll be set!"
"I don't need a hundred yuan, fifty would be enough!"
"Forget fifty, I'd be happy with the third prize. It's like getting the clothes for free!"
"This seems even more exciting than yesterday's free flour and oil!"
"It says 'no blank prizes,' which must mean there are no empty prizes!"
The discussion grew more heated. Almost everyone was captivated by the generous rewards. This lucky draw sale was far more sensational than the previous giveaways of flour and oil. The prizes were incredibly substantial, and every draw was guaranteed to win!
"Even though I only bought clothes here yesterday, I feel like I can buy again!"
"Me too! I also bought clothes yesterday and spent a hundred yuan, but now I want to buy again..."
Inside the clothing stall, Li Ya couldn't help but cast a glance at Qin Chuan standing beside her, her beautiful eyes drawn to his profile. She was filled with curiosity about this man, wondering what kind of mind could come up with so many ingenious ideas.
"Fellow villagers!"
Seeing the crowd grow larger, Qin Chuan felt the moment was right. He skillfully climbed onto a long bench, picked up a loudspeaker, and announced, "I believe most of you are familiar with me. I am your old acquaintance, Qin Chuan!"
"To better respond to the government's call, to benefit the people, and to bring happiness to countless families, after our factory's sleepless night of intensive discussions, we have specially revised our previous activity of giving away flour and oil!"
"Because, as you all know, while grain and oil are good, if a family accumulates too much, it can spoil over time!"
From the bench, Qin Chuan's voice boomed, reaching a large portion of the trade fair and drawing more onlookers. The excited crowd didn't notice that as Qin Chuan spoke, Li Ya, Chun Tao, Xiao Li, Qin Gang, and the others behind him were twitching at the corners of their mouths.
Sleepless night? Meeting? They had all slept soundly until morning...
"This third brother of mine, when did he become such a smooth liar..." Qin Gang muttered to himself, watching his younger brother's back. He realized that his days of playfully tricking his brother might be numbered.
Qin Gang wasn't the only one with such thoughts. Li Ya shared them. They had encountered a crisis, forcing them to change their sales strategy out of necessity. Yet, Qin Chuan presented it as if it were all for the benefit of the people.
"This guy, while capable, has a mouth I'll have to be wary of in the future!"
"He lies so effortlessly. He's the kind who can cheat people to death without batting an eye. Look how he's fooled everyone..."
"And yet, the people are all so excited and trusting..."
By this time, Qin Chuan had finished explaining the specific rules. His voice was passionate and stirring, his words igniting the people's eagerness to draw prizes.
"I guarantee that our event is genuine and effective, with no blank prizes, and every draw guarantees a win!"
"Now, who wants to be the first lucky winner of a grand prize?" Qin Chuan shouted into the loudspeaker.
"Me!"
"Me!!"
"Let me go first!!"
The long-awaiting crowd erupted with excitement, raising their hands. Ten yuan was a small price to pay. Even if they didn't win the grand prize, they would still get clothes, so it wasn't a big loss.
"Excellent, your enthusiasm makes me very happy. This proves that our change in sales method is correct."
"Let's have this beautiful lady here. I hope she brings us a great start!"
Qin Chuan pointed to a woman in her thirties in the crowd. She had slightly darker skin and freckles, appearing quite ordinary. But Qin Chuan called her a 'beautiful lady,' which delighted her. She eagerly squeezed through the crowd and came up to the stall.
"Madam, what style are you looking for? Let me introduce you..." Chun Tao, the saleswoman, greeted her with a warm smile. However, before she could finish, the woman interrupted, "I don't need an introduction. I'll take this white shirt. How much is it?"
"Uh..." Chun Tao's smile faltered slightly but she quickly recovered. "This white shirt is fifteen yuan!"
"Then I'll take it!" The woman was quick and decisive, immediately pulling out two "Da Tuanjie" (10-yuan banknotes) and handing them to Chun Tao.
"Madam, the checkout is over here!" Chun Tao led her to pay. The woman, clutching her receipt, excitedly approached the lucky draw area, her expression a mix of thrill and nervousness.
"Very good, let's invite our first customer of the day to draw!" Qin Chuan picked up the loudspeaker. "Beautiful lady, just reach into this glass case and pick out any white ball."
"Be careful, don't cut your hand!"
The woman nodded and, with nervous anticipation, reached into the glass case. Under everyone's gaze, she pulled out a white ball.
"Alright, let's see how lucky our first beautiful lady is today!" Qin Chuan took the white ball from her hand and slowly unfolded it, revealing a folded slip of paper. To heighten the suspense, Qin Chuan's movements were exaggerated, like he was playing a card game, peeling it open bit by bit. This captivated the audience below, who craned their necks, desperate to see the result.