Chapter 203: Grudges
The shop assistant agreed and went to get medicine for Shang Wan.
Shang Wan took advantage of the time to chat idly with the youth, extracting quite a bit of information.
The youth’s surname was Mei. This apothecary was originally opened by Doctor Mei’s father, and he had inherited the family business.
Shang Wan asked him about the other two medical halls.
Doctor Mei had a mild temper and only thought Shang Wan was newly moved in, so he told her quite a lot.
Shang Wan noticed that this Doctor Mei used fairly objective wording when speaking of those two medical halls; at least he didn’t badmouth them.
However, according to what he said, if Shang Wan wanted to open an apothecary nearby, she probably wouldn’t get much business.
Doctors get more popular the older they are, and the same goes for medical halls and apothecaries. Things like “century-old medical hall” or “century-old apothecary”—once the sign goes up, customers flock in droves, and they never worry about lack of business.
Reputation is built through operation. In this line of work, a new apothecary is bound to be no match for an old one, especially when the old one has such a patient, skilled, and handsome doctor inside.
Shang Wan could almost envision the scene of her apothecary sitting empty after opening.
·
Coming out of the apothecary, Shang Wan picked up her things and went to meet Shi Tou.
Things had gone smoothly for Shi Tou and Chu Xu. The two had divided the work: Chu Xu pretended to have a stomachache, while Shi Tou gathered information.
The two coordinated seamlessly and used their acting skills to identify one quack doctor.
Shang Wan listened to them while driving the ox cart toward north of the city.
“Sis, I’m afraid we can’t open an apothecary here.”
Shi Tou looked at Shang Wan’s back. “I asked around. Someone rented that shop to open an apothecary before. Besides a few customers on opening day, no one ever went there. The apothecary only lasted half a month before closing.
The shopkeeper switched lines overnight, turning the apothecary into a general store. But even the general store had no business. When the lease ended, the shopkeeper didn’t renew, and the shop has been empty for over half a year.”
This matched what Shang Wan had heard.
She turned to look at Shi Tou. “Don’t you think that shopkeeper had issues with his management?”
Opening an apothecary and blaming too much competition is one thing, but what about the general store? There are no other general stores on this street.
Shi Tou scratched his head. “Isn’t it bad feng shui for the shop?”
“Feng shui is something that exists if you believe in it and doesn’t if you don’t.” Shang Wan said, “If you believe, believe in what’s beneficial to you. Have you heard of the law of attraction?”
Shi Tou: ?
What the heck??
·
The group met up at the restaurant. It was about time for lunch, and Xiao Huan had ordered dishes according to everyone’s tastes.
The meals at the restaurant were much pricier than those at the eatery—same dish names, but prices two or three times higher.
Xiao Huan’s heart ached as she ordered. With every dish served, she mentally calculated the cost, then felt even more pained.
She could make these dishes herself!
“Alright, eat without pulling that face.” Shang Wan amusingly patted her. “When we can afford it, we’ll open a restaurant too, and you can earn this money.”
“Sis, you mean it?”
Shang Wan nodded. “Yeah, would I trick you?”
Xiao Huan immediately said, “Once the restaurant opens, I want to be the head chef.”
“Naturally.” Shang Wan said, “Who else but you for head chef?”
Hearing this, Xiao Huan immediately beamed and didn’t feel as heartbroken about the new dishes.
She’d earn it back someday!
Everyone ate while exchanging information, each recounting what they’d learned.
There was nothing wrong with the shop north of the city itself. That small medical hall was indeed about to close, but not because it couldn’t stay open—it was because the medical hall’s doctor had died, and they couldn’t find a good resident doctor for the time being.
What’s a medical hall without a doctor?
With the Border Pass at war, the medical hall’s owner had gotten word from somewhere that the war situation was grim. Dongning County was close to the Border Pass, so the owner worried about getting caught up in it and planned to take his family north to join relatives, wanting to sell off the medical hall.
Lu Chengjing had sounded out the shop assistant. The shop belonged to that owner, and it would be sold along with the furniture inside the medical hall for around six hundred taels.
Shang Wan understood Lu Chengjing’s implication: buy the medical hall outright. Though more expensive than renting a shop, it was a one-time deal with no future rent, making it more cost-effective.
Plus, the medical hall came with ready-made medicine cabinets, desks, counters, and other furniture, saving a lot on decoration.
But the shop was too small—not only without a courtyard, it didn’t even have a storeroom for medicinal herbs. They couldn’t just pile the herbs in the shop, right?
After discussion, buying the medical hall wasn’t feasible.
Shang Wan looked at Lu Chengjing. “Is there a problem with the shop Chen Cai recommended?”
If not, Lu Chengjing wouldn’t have suggested it knowing the medical hall was too small.
Lu Chengjing glanced around. It was mealtime, and more customers were arriving at the restaurant; half the tables in the lobby were occupied.
The shop assistants were rushing back and forth, too busy to notice them.
He lowered his voice. “The restaurant owner and the owner of the shop across the street don’t get along. Previously, the shop across had a thriving eatery, so the restaurant people used some shady tactics to deliberately drive them out, leaving the shop empty.”
Shang Wan: “……”
The two owners have a grudge, so just fight it out—why drag innocents into it?
“Then we can’t rent that shop. Who knows if their feud will spill over onto us.” Shi Tou said worriedly, suddenly finding the food in his mouth tasteless.
Xiao Huan agreed with him.
What if their own apothecary opened and the restaurant people sabotaged them from the shadows? That would be too frustrating.
“Don’t boost others’ morale and dampen our own.” Chu Xu swallowed his food and chimed in.
The battle hadn’t even started, and their own side was already losing morale—that was a major military taboo.
“Well said.” Shang Wan encouraged Chu Xu by putting a chicken leg in his bowl. To avoid Yuan Yuan getting jealous, she also fed the little baby girl a spoonful of steamed egg custard.
It wasn’t like only the restaurant knew dirty tricks—who’s afraid of playing dirty?
Lu Chengjing: “So, shall we go for it?”
Shang Wan nodded, glancing at Shi Tou and Xiao Huan. “What do you two say?”
The two exchanged looks, and Shi Tou said, “We’ll follow your lead.”
Xiao Huan nodded along.
“Alright, after lunch, we’ll go find Chen Cai.” Shang Wan smiled. The two shop owners’ feud might let her negotiate the rent down further.
Saving a little is still saving.
·
Chen Cai exclaimed, “Even lower? Do you even want to rent or not?”
“Calm down, keep it down.” Shang Wan rubbed her ear. “I’m just discussing with you, right? It’s not like I’m shorting you your money. Help me ask the shop owner if he’s willing.”
Chen Cai snorted coldly. “Knocking off a hundred taels for nothing—would you be happy about that?”
“I’d definitely be happy.” Shang Wan blinked. “That shop is sitting empty anyway; renting to me still nets four hundred taels.”
Chen Cai: “……”
“If you piss him off, I won’t refund your ten-tael deposit.”
“Consider it drinks on me.” Shang Wan waved him off. “Hurry and talk to him. Emphasize the feud between the two owners—I’m counting on you.”
Chen Cai: “……”
Want this great responsibility?
He sat without moving, took two sips from the tea cup at hand, then said, “The guy’s not in Dongning County. I’ll ask for you when he gets back.”
