Chapter 103: Sneaking Around
Zhang Pandi said worriedly, “Sister Yaoguang, they’ve taken all our business from across the street. What are we going to do?”
Although they’ve earned some silver during this time, and if used frugally, it could provide for food and clothing without worry for several good years, but letting such good business go just like that felt as painful as digging out their heart’s flesh.
“Where have they taken it all?” Su Yaoguang said, “They just opened, and customers are going there for the novelty. It’s normal for them to go there these few days. Once these few days pass, knowledgeable people will still know that our things are the good stuff and will naturally be willing to spend this money. Anyway, we can’t lower the price. Once we lower the price, what will the previous customers who bought our things think? If there are no customers these few days, we’ll take a good rest and continue making the next batch of new goods. Right, I originally wanted to brew wine myself, but didn’t have time before. Now that I have time, I’ll handle this matter first.”
“Didn’t you just say that people willing to spend money are only a minority? If we don’t lower the price, we can’t keep those ordinary customers and can only go after the minority of customers.” Zhang Yingdi said.
“People willing to spend money are indeed only a minority, but the purchasing power of this minority can match dozens or even hundreds of ordinary customers. In short, our things have already built a reputation. We can’t lower the price, and we can’t lower our product’s appearance. In the future, we need to improve in a better direction and not devalue ourselves, thinking about fighting a price war with them or snatching those ordinary customers.”
The few were still worried.
Chun E came in carrying big and small packages of things and shouted, “Sister Yaoguang, I bought some things from across the street, including clothes, shoes, and socks. Across the street really is cheap, and customers are all running there.”
“Sister Chun E, how do the clothes, socks, and shoes from across the street look?” Su Yaoguang asked.
“To be honest, they’re pretty good, anyway better looking than the ones in our shop.” Chun E handed the bought things to the others, “My shop finally had a bit of popularity, and now it’ll be deserted again.”
“Did you ask where their goods come from?” Zhang Zhaodi asked.
“I asked. That shop owner was all mysterious, only urging me to buy things, and wouldn’t reveal any important information.” Chun E said, “Sister, do you have any way to take the business back?”
“My way is to stay put. With so many customers, it’s impossible for them to take them all. There will always be people who like our Peach Blossom Workshop’s things. As long as Peach Blossom Workshop keeps its original intention, we’re not afraid of their competition.” Su Yaoguang said, “Sister, you can also take this time to properly set up your own shop, best to renovate it again, then bring out those old goods of yours and redesign them.”
With so many shops in the entire city, Fenghua Pavilion’s appearance was suppressing not only their business, but other shops’ business would also be affected. Whether they could snatch customers afterward would depend on each one’s ability.
Zhou Wangshu came back from the gambling house and saw Su Yaoguang fiddling with those large jars in the storeroom, and asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m planning to brew wine myself and clean out these things needed in advance to dry them. You came back a bit late today. Did you eat at the academy?”
Zhou Wangshu walked over, took out a sachet, and dangled it in front of her eyes.
“What’s this?” Su Yaoguang took it and opened it, seeing silver ingots, her eyes full of surprise, “Where did it come from?”
“I earned it by copying books.” Zhou Wangshu finished saying and answered her previous question, “I’ve already eaten at the academy. In the future, if I come back to eat, I’ll definitely return before mealtime. If I don’t come back, then don’t leave food for me.”
“Wangshu, this is three taels of silver. How many books do you have to copy to get this much silver?” Su Yaoguang frowned, “Your task now is to study well. The family doesn’t lack silver anymore, so you don’t need to distract yourself.”
“My handwriting is good, so the books I copy sell for a bit more than others.” Zhou Wangshu said, “Others get only fifty or sixty copper coins for copying a book, but I can get one hundred copper coins. If I can also copy the annotations from the books, then I can sell for two hundred copper coins. Anyway, I have to review my schoolwork, so reviewing while copying books to earn money isn’t killing two birds with one stone?”
Su Yaoguang had seen Zhou Wangshu’s handwriting and knew he wasn’t exaggerating. His good handwriting was indeed valuable. If adding those annotations, which were the knowledge taught by the teachers, of course it would be even more valuable. Most importantly, up to now, there were no books on the market that came with annotations. His way was the first of its kind, so of course it was even rarer.
Su Yaoguang’s heart was touched once again.
It turned out that different people really led to such big differences in results. In her previous life, Xiao Yanci never appreciated their mother and daughter’s efforts, and with her love-struck brain, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. Now with a comparison, she realized that an ungrateful person like Xiao Yanci didn’t deserve her paying so much. It was her in the previous life who was too stupid and didn’t wake up early. If she had been even a bit awake, she wouldn’t have died so miserably.
After rebirth, she didn’t want to have any entanglement with Xiao Yanci. She also hadn’t thought of revenge against him. After all, it was her in the previous life who wanted to buy him; that was the cause she planted, and later reaped a bad result, so she had to bear the responsibility herself. Heaven gave her the opportunity to relive a life, not to waste on that scum man, but to properly cherish the truly important people.
Zhou Wangshu saw her spacing out and waved his hand in front of her.
“I’ll take this money.”
“When I came back, I saw a shop opened across the street, and I also saw Jiang Yihui’s mother and sister. They wouldn’t also be opening a rouge shop, right?” Zhou Wangshu asked.
“Not just that! Besides cosmetics, they also sell ready-made clothes, shoes and socks, embroidery, and I heard they even have Xiao Ci’s calligraphy and painting. Inside it’s all sorts of things, quite lively.” Su Yaoguang said, “They’re doing this to snatch our business and make our shop unable to continue. Don’t worry, their goods are average. At the start, everyone goes for the novelty and cheapness, and will definitely patronize their business. After a long time, knowledgeable people will still come back to our shop. Our shop goes the boutique route, so we’re not in a hurry to snatch customers from them.”
Fenghua Pavilion. Zhong Lanhua and Jiang Yihuan were counting silver and silver notes. After counting the third time, they finally verified the accounts clearly.
Zhong Lanhua pressed her head and said, “I can’t do it, I can’t calculate this.”
“Let’s hire an accountant too. This is too much trouble.” Jiang Yihuan said, “Today is only the first day. If every day after takes this much time to settle, how tiring would that be?”
“Alright, tomorrow we’ll go buy an accountant.” Zhong Lanhua said.
“Buy one? That kind of literate servant is expensive.”
“Only buying one puts my mind at ease. If we hadn’t gone to buy servants this time, we wouldn’t have met such a money tree. Right, what is that boy doing now?” Zhong Lanhua pointed to the backyard.
