Chapter 102: Lingering Ghost
A few days later. With the crackling sound of firecrackers, the shop opposite opened for business.
Su Yaoguang and the others heard the firecrackers and hurried over to scout the enemy situation.
By now, many people had gathered, crowding the place so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through. They squeezed for a long time before pushing their way in, then saw the signboard in front of them and the mother and daughter standing at the shop doorway.
“Dear neighbors, please excuse our humble shop. We opened in a hurry, so it’s a bit simple. Please don’t mind it,” Zhong Lanhua said. Dressed up glamorously, she waved her scented handkerchief and smiled flirtatiously with boundless charm. “Our shop is called Fenghua Pavilion. We mainly sell cosmetics, various new styles of ready-made clothes, shoes and socks, women’s intimate items, and a wide variety of goods. Today for the opening, everything is fifty percent off. This opportunity won’t come again—don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
Jiang Yihuan said softly from the side, “Our shop’s opening will have a three-day discount—fifty percent off for three days, then back to original price afterward. But everyone can come in and take a look. Our shop has fair prices; there absolutely won’t be any shop cheaper than ours.”
The onlookers immediately became interested.
This new shop not only promised cheap prices but also had a complete variety. Look, they had ready-made clothes, shoes and socks, women’s intimate items, cosmetics—all of it, which could save them a lot of trouble.
Most importantly, not only were the shop owner and her daughter beautiful, but even the shop assistants they hired were pretty young ladies and handsome young men. Who doesn’t like good-looking people? Men like pretty young ladies, women like handsome young men. Now, buying clothes or cosmetics comes with such good-looking people serving them, making everyone want to browse a bit longer.
Zhang Zhaodi glared with red eyes, angrily looking at Zhong Lanhua. “Damn it, this lingering bitch. I clearly scouted and it wasn’t her—why is it still her?”
“We’re guarding against her, so of course she’ll guard against us too. If we’d known beforehand that the shop opposite was rented by that mother and daughter pair, we absolutely wouldn’t have let them have the chance to open. She knew that, so she deliberately kept it hidden. By the time they officially opened, we couldn’t do anything about it. Mom, after all these years of losses at her hands, you’re not wronged at all.”
Whether Zhong Lanhua or Jiang Yihuan, this mother-daughter pair’s schemes were far deeper than Zhang Zhaodi’s. Zhang Zhaodi was just recklessly fierce in a straightforward way, unable to touch their core.
“They’re doing it on purpose. Whatever we sell, they sell. They’re not leaving us any way to survive at all.” Zhang Zhaodi was nearly furious to death.
Zhong Lanhua spotted the Zhang mother and daughter and laughed shrilly, “Oh my, look who it is. Isn’t this the shop owner of Peach Blossom Workshop across from us? How do you have time to come support our shop? Could it be no business? Sorry about that—we didn’t want to steal your customers, but really, customers have eyes and know whose goods are better.”
“Zhong Lanhua, don’t get smug.” Zhang Zhaodi turned angrily and left.
Jia Chunni glared furiously at Zhong Lanhua. “Bad woman, your stuff must be terrible. Just wait for the day you can’t keep going.”
Su Yaoguang didn’t leave, nor was she angry. Instead, she looked thoughtfully at Zhong Lanhua and her daughter.
“You’re not leaving—could it be you really want to buy something from our shop?” Jiang Yihuan raised her eyebrow, looking at her provocatively.
“You’ve chased from the village to the city. If I don’t come support you, how could I live up to your deep affection? Since you want me to go in and take a look so much, then I’ll go in and take a look. Consider it charity for you mother and daughter.” Su Yaoguang said this and started walking into the shop.
Jiang Yihuan hadn’t expected her to really enter, and immediately became displeased. She blocked Su Yaoguang, not letting her step foot into Fenghua Pavilion.
“I think you’d better not come in. Who knows what scheme you’re up to?”
“So afraid of me going in? If you have a clear conscience, why be so scared?”
“Our shop is open for business—what’s there to feel guilty about? I’m just worried you’ll use some trick to harm our mother and daughter. Su Yaoguang, you and I can’t coexist like two tigers on one mountain.”
“Jiang Yihuan, you’re really lingering like a ghost. Still, I’m quite curious what tricks you mother and daughter are playing this time.” Su Yaoguang went back.
Su Yaoguang and the others returned to Peach Blossom Workshop.
Peach Blossom Workshop, which had never lacked customers these past few days, faced an empty shop for the first time.
“I can’t figure it out, really can’t. Zhong Lanhua and that Jiang Yihuan only know needlework; their embroidery skills are just so-so at best. I’ve never heard they know how to make cosmetics. How did they open a shop like this to compete with us? Could it be while we were away from the village these days, that mother-daughter pair found someone to learn from?” Zhang Zhaodi paced angrily back and forth in the room.
“That mother-daughter pair doesn’t need to know how themselves—they can just hire a master to do it. They only need to run the shop.” Su Yaoguang said, “The shop opposite is very large—twice the size of ours. They sell a wide variety too. Except for gold and silver jewelry, they have complete outfits from head to toe. If you want to buy clothes, you walk a circle inside and not only get clothes but also other things. As long as they pick up one or two extra items, business won’t be bad. Have to say, they do have some skills.”
“No, I need to scout their goods. If their goods aren’t as good as ours, those old customers will come back soon.” Zhang Zhaodi said.
“Ying’er has already gone out to handle this. We’ll know how the goods opposite are when she returns.” Wang Huanzhi said from the side, “Big sister, don’t get yourself so worked up.”
Zhang Yingdi came in from outside, carrying a basket with all sorts of bottles and jars inside.
“This is what I bought from a customer at double the price.” Zhang Yingdi said, “Even at double price, it was only five taels of silver total.”
Zhang Zhaodi took out those things and laid them on the table, opening and trying each one, disdainfully saying, “Far inferior to what our Yaoguang makes.”
“Yes, far inferior, but cheap! All these bottles and jars together make ten bottles, and they only sold for two taels five mace of silver.” Su Yaoguang said, “Plus, these cosmetics, though not as good as ours, are much better than other shops’, and the price is so much cheaper. For ordinary people, that’s the price they’re willing to pay.”
“We sell expensive because we use good materials. Those face creams even have several kinds of medicinal herbs for scar removal and fading marks! If used long-term, wouldn’t that make you look several years younger?” Zhang Zhaodi said unconvinced, “The stuff opposite is cheap, sure, but barely usable at best.”
“Ordinary folks don’t care about that—they just buy where it’s cheap. Those willing to spend big are always a minority.” Su Yaoguang said.
