Once they were seated in the upstairs private room, Ah Fu brought over the tea, filling the space with a lingering fragrance. Shen Ruo sat by the floral window, the bright sunlight filtered into small fragments through the lattice, softening the coarse earthiness of his rough hemp clothes and lending him a faint air of nobility.
Ah Fu nearly spilled the tea. He had been a shop assistant for over four years and had never seen anyone like this, entering a jewelry store in hemp clothing yet completely calm, not the slightest hint of embarrassment. Had he known how common gold shops like Zhou x Fu or Zhou x Sheng were before Shen Ruo came, he wouldn’t have been so impressed.
And up close, it became clear, the young country-born man was genuinely good-looking!
Pressed by his own master to apologize, Ah Fu had felt some lingering resentment, but now he stammered, “Th-that… I’m sorry. Before, I… I was shortsighted and offended you.”
Shen Ruo gave a soft “hmph.” No matter who you looked down on, you couldn’t look down on a farmer! Although he wasn’t exactly a field-working farmer, the blood of one ran deep in his bones, and a sense of pride welled up naturally.
Ah Fu’s face was full of respect. After serving the tea, he quietly stepped out.
Lan Fan picked up his teacup and sipped lightly, then said slowly, “Can you tell me about that method now?”
“No rush. First, I want to show you two things,” Shen Ruo said, teasing a bit.
“Young Master Lan must have seen countless exquisite embroidery pieces, and your standards are naturally very high,” Shen Ruo began with a compliment, then took two folded handkerchiefs from his chest. “I have two embroidered pieces here. They may not be extremely delicate, but they are certainly unique.”
“Oh?” Lan Fan was intrigued by his words.
He glanced and said, “Cotton handkerchiefs? Those won’t sell for much. Exquisite embroidery requires high-quality materials, silk or brocade at the very least.”
“That’s true. But embroidery on silk or brocade takes a long time to complete and isn’t very durable. These handkerchiefs, however, are very durable, and the colors aren’t unattractive either,” Shen Ruo explained. He knew a young master accustomed to gold and silk would surely dismiss cotton embroidery, but his goal was to change Lan Fan’s perception.
After all, cotton, as the most common, comfortable, and affordable clothing material of the twenty-first century, had already been tested and refined by the currents of time. Although cotton textile production in this era was not yet fully developed, compared to modern cotton, the only real difference might be slightly less absorbency.
“Take a look first,” Shen Ruo said, placing the handkerchiefs on the low table of the [1]Luohan bed is a traditional piece of Chinese furniture that functions more like a wide wooden daybed or couch rather than a bed used only for sleeping. It is typically made of wood and has three … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1842812_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1842812_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });Luohan bed.
Lan Fan was initially indifferent. The moment he saw cotton handkerchiefs, he had already lost interest.
But then his gaze lazily flicked over, and was instantly captured by the plump carp embroidered in a gradient of golden yellow, commanding his full attention.
“This… this carp already looks so prosperous.” Lan Fan picked it up and examined it carefully, nodding to himself.
Having not looked closely before, he now felt a rising anticipation for the other handkerchief.
When he picked it up, he realized it was made with appliqué embroidery, stuffed with cotton, shaped like a cat’s paw with the flower pattern on the pad.
White fabric and soft pink pads made even this grown man unable to resist squeezing it several times.
“This design is clever! Who came up with this? I’ll buy it!” Lan Fan’s eyes lit up. Although it wasn’t directly related to his own business, he immediately recognized the commercial potential.
He had seen countless jewelry items in his life, what hadn’t he encountered? But a handkerchief stuffed with cotton that you could knead and squeeze? That was a first. It looked cute and felt satisfying to touch; he found himself reluctant to let it go.
Feeling so pleased was natural. After all, in the twenty-first century, stress-relief toys were all the rage: slow-rebound, squishy, kneadable dolls were immensely popular with young people. In this ancient world, where life was stressful but there were no ways to relieve it, such a handkerchief would certainly be in high demand!
Shen Ruo had already thought ahead, not only would he make handkerchiefs in the future, he would also make toys!
First, he would make a whole bunch for Xiao Yuntun, so he could be the child everyone envied.
“The design isn’t for sale,” Shen Ruo said lightly.
“You made this?!” Lan Fan was surprised, but thinking it over, he understood. “You want to place it in my jewelry shop for consignment?”
“That was the original plan,” Shen Ruo nodded, then shifted the topic. “But I said it can make your business better, even surpass ‘Jinzhu.’ So I’m not consigning it. I just want mutual cooperation.”
“Mutual cooperation?” Lan Fan asked.
Seeing that he was interested, Shen Ruo smiled. “You help me advertise, and I’ll sell you the handkerchiefs at cost. The first order, you get a fifty percent discount.”
Shen Ruo had never intended to take a commoner’s path.
As Li Shantao had said, no one in this town sold embroidered handkerchiefs, poor families wouldn’t use them, any scrap of cloth would do. Slightly better-off families would embroider them themselves rather than spend money buying one. So the buyers for these aesthetically pleasing but not particularly practical “artistic” handkerchiefs would be the wealthy ladies of town, those who had money and loved to compare themselves to others.
Therefore, placing them in a jewelry shop was the perfect choice.
But Shen Ruo didn’t just want to sell his products, he needed a market, he needed to build a reputation.
And because his handkerchief embroidery pieces were displayed alongside jewelry hooks, people would instinctively equate them in value, assuming the handkerchiefs should be as expensive as the jewelry.
This was a marketing tactic.
Even after years of doing business, Lan Fan had never heard of the kind of “advertising” Shen Ruo was talking about.
Shen Ruo had accidentally used a modern term, but in the ancient world, he didn’t really know how to express it. He explained, “It’s a way of promoting something, ‘making it known widely.'”
Before Lan Fan could ask, “What do you mean by ‘promotion’?” Shen Ruo quickly added, worried the discussion would drag on: “Young Master Lan can purchase my handkerchiefs at half price. For the first batch, five of each design can be given as gifts to customers alongside your new jewelry items. Afterwards, we can set a threshold: customers receive the handkerchiefs or other embroidered items only after spending a certain amount.”
Scarcity increases value. Limiting the first batch to just ten was a carefully considered number.
This is called a “hunger marketing” strategy.
Some customers who bought jewelry but didn’t receive a handkerchief would come asking about it, creating free publicity for the shop.
Or if the handkerchiefs were genuinely loved and someone came specifically to buy them, that would also be free advertising!
Lan Fan nodded, understanding Shen Ruo’s intent.
“Your handkerchiefs are indeed exquisite, but even without giving them away, customers would still buy. Why spend extra money?” Lan Fan countered. “If you mass-produce them, I imagine you could make a lot of quick money.”
“Exactly, Young Master Lan, you know that only earns quick profits. The method I’m suggesting creates lasting value for both you and me,” Shen Ruo said with a confident smile, his eyes curving slightly. “You don’t really think I have only these two designs, do you?”
His mind was full of countless designs, all ready to be drawn. Before coming here, he had been a well-known illustrator in an online art community. Although amateur, he had already developed and showcased this talent, enough to have tens of thousands of fans calling him “madam.”
Only then did Lan Fan fully regard Shen Ruo seriously.
If Shen Ruo’s embroidered handkerchiefs could continuously produce new designs, the value of his jewelry would rise alongside them, creating a mutually reinforcing relationship. Some customers might even fall in love with a single handkerchief and spend lavishly to take home older jewelry that hadn’t sold!
Lan Fan’s eyes immediately shone like polished gems. It felt like he had discovered a treasure. But his business sense warned him not to show too much excitement, otherwise he could be taken advantage of.
He calmed himself and, with a restrained cough, said, “If we cooperate, you cannot disclose these embroidery designs or sell them to anyone else.”
“Of course,” Shen Ruo nodded.
“What about the price?” Lan Fan asked.
Shen Ruo thought for a moment. “Good work takes time. Right now, only my mother and sister-in-law can embroider these handkerchiefs, so the price will be a little high, fifty wen per piece.”
“So expensive! And it’s just cotton!” Lan Fan protested, clearly unwilling to accept it.
“That’s why I said the first order gets a fifty percent discount. That makes it twenty-five wen each,” Shen Ruo said calmly.
Fortunately, he had a way to give old fabric a new life. Selling it directly might not work well, but as a gift, it was perfect.
“Why do I feel like you’re digging a trap for me…” Lan Fan muttered, a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Shen Ruo, in a good mood, squinted and smiled, his lips curling. “Well… will you jump in or not?”
Lan Fan knew this method would definitely bring more profit to his shop, yet he felt like he might be the one being taken for a ride, after all, how could a handkerchief be sold so expensively? And it was cotton!
But he couldn’t let go of the idea, it really could make money!
Yet the pricing for these handkerchiefs really seemed unreasonable!
Yet…
Lan Fan took a deep breath and held up three fingers.
“Give me three at your original price. And any new, creative, beautiful handkerchiefs you make in the future, I’ll take them all!”
At the original price of thirty wen, that first order meant each handkerchief would cost fifteen wen. Lan Fan decided this was the highest limit he could accept.
“Deal!” Shen Ruo immediately agreed.
Lan Fan: “…” Why was he so quick to say yes? He definitely should have haggled more!
Shen Ruo smiled and reassured his wealthy client: “My family won’t just make handkerchiefs. In the future, we’ll also have stress-relief toys, cloth dolls, pillowcases, fan covers, and other items. I also have some other innovative ideas waiting to be realized, but the pricing for those will definitely be different from handkerchiefs.”
Lan Fan choked a little, so if they cooperated in the future, he still had room to negotiate.
“Phew… fine, then make me a hundred of each of these two designs first,” he said, placing the order quickly.
Shen Ruo shook his head. “No. We’ll start with just ten of each.”
“So the fifty percent discount only applies to ten pieces?!” Lan Fan was so angry he jumped up in frustration.
“That’s not it. For long-term cooperation, I’ll definitely give you more discounts,” Shen Ruo said, giving him a meaningful look and explaining the concept of “hunger marketing.”
Lan Fan nodded as he listened, he was completely impressed now.
This Shen Ruo really was a business genius!
Author’s Note:
Cover Mini Scene
Shen Ruo: What does goat milk taste like? Let me try.
Yuntun: Waaaah! Papa’s stealing my milk! (crying)
References[+]