1959Siheyuan, a Turnaround

Li Weiguo, his father Li Dajiang and his second uncle Li Dahe set off for the trust store with full expectations.

They hope to find some satisfactory and affordable furniture there to add a bit of warmth to their new home.

Li Weiguo and the other two had never been to a trust store before and had no idea what was going on inside. As they walked around and asked around, they gained some understanding of the trust store.

Trust stores, later generations called them pawnshops; before liberation, they were called "pawnshops", and now their shadows can be seen in many places in Beijing.

It turned out to be an industry that "exploited and oppressed" the poor people in the old society.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many cities across the country resumed industries similar to "pawnshops", but the names became better-sounding - "trust shops", but their functions were still to pick up the missing, save the poor and provide emergency relief.

Unlike pawnshops, trust banks’ business is mainly agency-based, serving as go-betweens and bridges between the consignment and purchase parties.

Trust stores are generally divided into two parts: the sales department and the purchasing department. The sales department is responsible for display and sales, while the purchasing department is responsible for purchasing and consignment.

When people want to sell new or used items that they are not using anymore, the trust store will purchase them based on the market price and the condition of the items.

If it is an item on consignment, the price at which the "entrusted" store sells it is also determined by negotiation between the two parties, and the store has no right to change it.

If the item is sold, a certain handling fee will be charged; if it is not sold, you can take it back intact without paying any fees.

Trust stores usually have two approaches to second-hand goods:

One is that customers send their used goods to a trust store and entrust the store to sell them on their behalf.

The price of goods is based on the principle of "old is not higher than new", negotiated by both parties and determined by quality.

After the goods are sold, the store charges a certain percentage as a handling fee and returns the remaining payment to the entrusting customer.

The other is that after the store receives the goods, it will directly purchase them at a price based on the conditions of the goods or the wishes of the customer and sell them as its own goods.

Nowadays, there are trust stores in Dongdan, Dongsi, Beixinqiao and other places in the east of the old city.

There are trust stores in Xidan, Xisi, Xuanwumen and other places in Xicheng.

There are also trust stores in the flower market, Qianmen and Guang'anmen in the south city.

There is also one in the north city after Di'anmen.

The trust stores mainly sell second-hand goods, and conduct secondary exchanges of goods to adjust surpluses and shortages.

According to the different business scopes, the original trust stores can be roughly divided into three categories:

One category is those who buy and sell miscellaneous items, ranging from cameras, handicrafts, watches to clothing, leather shoes, hats, clothes, etc., such as Dongsi, Caishikou, Tianqiao, Qianmen, etc.

The other category is those who collect furniture, including beds, tables, chairs, boxes, wardrobes, etc., such as Donghuamen.

There is also a category of companies that buy and sell bicycles, including complete vehicles and bicycle accessories, such as Beixinqiao Trust.

People sell things in trust stores for a variety of reasons:

Some people are short of money and want to get some cash to spend; some are getting married and want to sell their old furniture to buy new ones; some are moving and have no way to deal with old things...

Of course, where there is selling, there is buying.

Nowadays, visiting trust stores has become a hobby for many people, sometimes not for buying anything, but just for browsing.

Some people with sharp eyes can often find "treasures".

The sales clerks in trust stores of this era may have a rather cold attitude and ignore customers. Customers will often just buy what they like, and if they ask too many questions, they may get a response of "I don't know anything".

Moreover, the identities of the owners or persons in charge of trust stores vary.

Some may be businessmen with business experience. Such people understand market demand and commodity value and can buy and sell commodities faster.

Some may be ordinary operators or managers who are responsible for the daily operation and management of the store and know nothing about the things bought and sold, so they will encounter different treatment when they go to a trust store.

It is common for someone to know nothing about anything.

Li Weiguo had a clear purpose and went directly to the Donghuamen Trust Store. The appearance of the store showed signs of time.

The mottled walls and faded signs seem to be telling stories of the past.

Li Weiguo and the other two stood at the door of the store, looking up at the wooden door with some peeling paint, feeling both expectant and a little nervous.

They took a deep breath and walked through the door.

The store was filled with an old-fashioned atmosphere. Under the dim light, various items were displayed, appearing a bit messy.

The salesman was a middle-aged man wearing a washed-out work suit and had a tired look on his face.

When he saw them coming in, he just asked them indifferently: "What do you want?"

Li Dajiang said quickly: "We want some wooden furniture, and we need quite a lot at one time. Could you please introduce some to us?"

The salesperson took them to the backyard without saying anything, pointed randomly and said, "This yard is full of them, just look around, take whatever you like, the prices are all on them."

After saying that, he turned around and prepared to leave.

Li Weiguo and his companions were stunned. Li Dajiang quickly grabbed the salesperson and said, "Please help introduce them to us. There are so many. How can we choose?"

The salesperson waved his hands impatiently: "We don't understand these things either. Most of them come here on consignment, and some sell directly to stores. But I only collect money, I don't understand anything else."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

The uncle, nephew and his two brothers stared at each other and shook their heads helplessly. The service attitude of this salesperson was really terrible.

Rumors are indeed different from personal experience. At least now that Li Weiguo is personally there, he is quite shocked.

"He's leaving now?" Li Dahe asked with wide eyes.

Li Dajiang said helplessly: "Yes, he's gone. Since he doesn't care, let's just watch it ourselves!"

After all, they have come here and cannot return empty-handed, so they can only pick and choose by themselves.

Some of the furniture in the yard was neatly arranged, while others were piled together randomly.

Some are still intact, while others have some bumps and blemishes.

Li Weiguo frowned, feeling a little overwhelmed by the pile of furniture.

Fortunately, he also has the invincible mall produced by the system. Every time he picks up a piece of furniture, the mall will give a string of price and material information.

He moved around the yard, looking focused and cautious.

Since people said he could watch as much as he wanted, he might as well watch more reluctantly!

In fact, he was quite excited, as if he was shopping on Taobao.

Li Weiguo picked up a small carved stool and pretended to knock on it gently. He listened with his ear tilted, silently feeling the material in his heart. In fact, he could not feel anything.

When the Invincible Mall in his mind gave the price and material description, he shook his head, put down the stool and continued to choose.

He could tell from the price that this small stool was not only made of shoddy materials, but was cheap in every way.

He picked up a small wooden box that looked old and plain, and looked at the patterns on it carefully, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

When the message from the mall came, a satisfied smile appeared on his face and he put the wooden box aside.

This wooden box is good and the price is very high, especially the material. The words "Huanghuali" made Li Weiguo smile with satisfaction.

Although this wooden box is not big, only 40 cm long and 20 cm wide, it is made of exquisite materials, so he must get it.