At the crossroads of Yuanhe Town, the gold-lettered signboard of Jinxiu Fragrance House looked particularly impressive against the winter landscape.
It was the largest rouge and cosmetics shop in town, and everyone who came and went was wealthy.
Lin Erniu stood nervously at the entrance with the bamboo basket on his shoulder, not daring to go inside.
“Brother-in-law, perhaps we should try another shop?”
Lu Yuan, however, remained completely calm.
“Second Brother, remember this: we’re here today to bring them a way to make money. Hold your head high and come in with me!”
With that, Lu Yuan strode confidently across the high threshold of Jinxiu Fragrance House.
As soon as they entered, a rich fragrance of cosmetics immediately filled the air.
A shop assistant was dusting the shelves with a feather duster. When he caught sight of the two men from the corner of his eye, his brows immediately knitted together.
“Shoo, shoo! Where did these beggars come from?”
The shop assistant waved his hand disgustedly, as though chasing away flies.
“Are you blind? This is Jinxiu Fragrance House, not a soup kitchen! Go beg somewhere else!”
Lin Erniu’s face flushed red. He shrank back and was about to retreat.
Lu Yuan, however, stood perfectly still.
He didn’t get angry. He merely glanced coldly at the shop assistant.
“Emperor Taizu, the founder of the Great Jing Dynasty, once said that merchants under heaven should open their doors to welcome guests from all directions.”
Lu Yuan clasped his hands behind his back. His voice wasn’t loud, but every word carried weight.
“My clothes may be shabby, but I am at least a licentiate recognized by the county examination office. And yet a mere shop assistant like you dares to drive a scholar out of the shop as though he were a beggar?”
“If word of this gets out that Jinxiu Fragrance House looks down on people, what will happen to your shop’s reputation?”
The shop assistant immediately became much less arrogant when he heard the word “licentiate.”
Although Lu Yuan was dressed in worn clothing, his bearing was exceptionally refined and dignified.
“This gentleman, please calm down. I was blind and failed to recognize your status…”
Just then, a sharp crash suddenly came from the back room, as though some expensive porcelain had been smashed.
Immediately afterward, an extremely angry woman’s voice rang out.
“Is this how Jinxiu Fragrance House does business?!”
“This Suzhou-embroidered cloak of mine is made from material presented as tribute from Jiangnan! It only got a little grease from bird’s-nest chicken soup on it, and you’ve already washed it three times with soapberries, yet the stain still won’t come out!”
“Now the grease stain is still there, but you’ve actually ruined the luster of the silk threads! Manager Ye must give me an explanation today!”
Hearing this, the shop assistant trembled in fear. He immediately abandoned Lu Yuan and hurried toward the back room.
Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered slightly. He gave Lin Erniu a meaningful glance, and the two followed at an unhurried pace.
Inside the back room.
A richly dressed woman was sitting on a chair, angrily venting her frustration.
Beside her stood a middle-aged, chubby man with a worried expression.
It was Manager Ye of Jinxiu Fragrance House.
Manager Ye was sweating profusely as he held the luxurious brocade cloak in both hands and repeatedly apologized.
“Madam Qian, please calm down. The bird’s-nest chicken soup was simmered with an extremely rich beef marrow broth. Once that grease seeps into Suzhou embroidery silk, even an immortal couldn’t remove it…”
“Shut up! If you can’t wash it out, that means your products are worthless!”
Madam Qian slammed her hand against the table angrily.
“Madam, please don’t be anxious.”
Just as Manager Ye was at a complete loss, a clear and gentle male voice suddenly sounded from inside the room.
Everyone turned around.
A young scholar dressed in a worn blue robe walked in calmly.
“A stain that even an immortal can’t remove—perhaps this item in my possession can solve your immediate problem.”
Madam Qian sized up Lu Yuan.
Although his clothes were shabby, he was handsome and carried an extraordinary air about him, so she didn’t immediately lose her temper.
Her personal maid, however, frowned.
“What could you possibly have that’s useful? Even the most expensive soapberries in this shop couldn’t remove the stain!”
Lu Yuan said nothing.
Instead, he turned to Lin Erniu and took an elegant old elmwood box from the bamboo basket.
Click.
His long fingers gently pushed open the sliding wooden lid.
In an instant, an exceptionally cool, elegant fragrance filled the room, as though everyone had suddenly been transported into a wintersweet grove in the depths of winter.
Unlike the overly sweet and cloying scents of ordinary cosmetics, this fragrance carried a refreshing, refined coolness that seemed to penetrate straight into the heart.
Madam Qian’s eyes immediately lit up, and she instinctively took a deep breath.
Lu Yuan didn’t approach her.
Instead, he respectfully placed the wooden box on a nearby tea table and stepped back two paces.
“This is called ‘Fragrant Jade.’ It is an ancient secret formula passed down through my family.”
“Whether it truly works or not, you will know after trying it. Why don’t you have this young lady bring a basin of clean water and test it on the stain?”
The maid looked uncertainly at Madam Qian.
Madam Qian had already been captivated by the fragrance and immediately lifted her chin.
“Go. Bring a basin of warm water and test it!”
Soon, a basin of clean water was brought over.
The maid took the piece of soap from the wooden box.
It was translucent like white jade, with tiny golden fragments of flower petals scattered throughout.
“Oh! It feels so smooth, almost like jade!”
The maid couldn’t help exclaiming.
She soaked the grease-stained section of the cloak in the water and gently rubbed the “Fragrant Jade” against it twice.
Then she simply rubbed the fabric between her hands.
“My heavens!”
The maid’s eyes widened in astonishment.
The clean water in the basin immediately became faintly cloudy, while the stubborn grease stain on the cloak miraculously disappeared.
Even more astonishingly, once the cloak was wetted, it released an exceptionally pleasant fragrance of wintersweet.
“Madam! Look! There’s not even the slightest trace left!”
The maid excitedly spread the cloak out for Madam Qian to see.
Madam Qian abruptly stood up and snatched the garment over, examining it carefully with an expression of disbelief.
“It’s miraculous! Truly miraculous! Not only is it completely clean, but the fragrance is absolutely incredible!”
Madam Qian lovingly touched the piece of “Fragrant Jade” before turning toward Lu Yuan with eager eyes.
“Sir, how much do you want for this treasure? I’ll pay you in silver. Pack everything you have for me!”
Behind Lu Yuan, Lin Erniu nearly fainted from happiness when he heard the word “silver.”
He was just about to agree.
But Lu Yuan beat him to it.
He smiled slightly and made an inviting gesture.
“Madam Qian, you’re too kind. As the saying goes, a treasured sword should be given to a hero, and fine cosmetics to a beautiful lady.”
“Although this ‘Fragrant Jade’ is precious, to receive the favor of someone as refined as Madam is itself a blessing for it.”
His tone was sincere and completely natural.
“This piece, therefore, I shall give to Madam for free. Consider it a gesture of goodwill.”
Everyone present was stunned.
Even Manager Ye’s eyes widened.
Was this poor scholar crazy?
He didn’t want silver and was actually giving it away for free?
Madam Qian was stunned as well.
Then, hearing herself praised as a “refined person,” she was delighted.
The more she looked at Lu Yuan, the more pleasing he seemed.
“How could I accept this? Just from its fragrance, I can tell that extremely precious ingredients must have been used to make it.”
Although Madam Qian spoke politely, her hands remained firmly wrapped around the wooden box, with no intention of letting go.
Lu Yuan seized the opportunity to reveal his true objective.
“If Madam truly finds it useful, then whenever you gather with the other ladies of the town for tea, a few words of praise from you would be the greatest favor you could possibly give me.”
Lu Yuan slowly turned and glanced at Manager Ye, who was already completely captivated.
“I am merely a crude scholar who knows only how to read and study. I don’t understand the tedious matters of retail.”
“So, if the ladies wish to purchase ‘Fragrant Jade’ in the future, they can simply come to Jinxiu Fragrance House and purchase it from Manager Ye. I will only supply the goods here.”
Madam Qian immediately understood.
This scholar certainly knew how to conduct himself!
“Of course! Of course!”
Madam Qian was delighted.
“Such a wonderful product is something those shallow-minded ladies have never even seen before. Rest assured, sir. Within three days, I guarantee that every wealthy lady in Yuanhe Town will know the name ‘Fragrant Jade’!”
Satisfied, Madam Qian left in a hurry with her maid and cloak.
Only Lu Yuan and Manager Ye remained in the back room.
Manager Ye was no fool. He had spent most of his life navigating the world of commerce.
He had personally witnessed the miraculous cleaning ability of the soap, and he had also seen Lu Yuan’s clever strategy of using gifts to pave the way for business.
How could he possibly fail to see the opportunity?
Once this product spread through the circle of wealthy women, the entrance of Jinxiu Fragrance House would probably be trampled flat!
“Oh my! Sir!”
Manager Ye’s attitude changed completely.
He personally poured Lu Yuan a cup of fine Biluochun tea and smiled warmly.
“I sincerely apologize for the offense caused by my shop assistant earlier. Please forgive us! Come, sit, sit!”
Lu Yuan picked up the teacup and gently brushed aside the tea leaves floating on the surface, but he didn’t drink.
“Manager Ye, let’s speak frankly. How do you intend to handle the business of ‘Fragrant Jade’?”
Manager Ye rubbed his hands together and cautiously asked,
“May I ask how much of this miraculous product you have? I’d like to buy everything!”
Lu Yuan put down his teacup and raised one finger, gently shaking it.
“‘Fragrant Jade’ is made by extracting the essence of wild wintersweet blooming in the depths of winter, then using an ancient method to process it for forty-nine hours before it can take shape.”
“The ingredients are extremely difficult to obtain, and the process is exceptionally complicated.”
Without even blinking, Lu Yuan employed one of the most classic modern marketing strategies: scarcity.
“My family has been working day and night, yet we have only managed to make twelve pieces. After the one I just gave to Madam Qian, only eleven remain.”
“Scarcity creates value. Manager Ye, if we could produce as much as people wanted, those wealthy ladies wouldn’t cherish it.”
Manager Ye sucked in a breath.
Clever!
This scholar’s business tactics were even more ruthless than his own!
“Exactly! Exactly!” Manager Ye nodded repeatedly. “Then what price are you asking?”
“One hundred copper coins per piece. That’s my exclusive wholesale price for you.”
Lu Yuan didn’t budge.
“As for how much you choose to sell them for in your shop—one tael of silver, two taels, or more—I won’t interfere.”
One hundred copper coins per piece!
Lin Erniu’s legs nearly gave out behind him.
Yesterday, nobody had even wanted those yellow chunks for five copper coins.
Today, after adding some flower petals and a wooden box, the price had increased twentyfold?!
Manager Ye rapidly calculated the numbers in his head.
If he bought them for one hundred copper coins and sold them for one tael of silver each using Madam Qian’s influence, those vain wealthy ladies would probably fight over them!
This was practically a guaranteed-profit business!
“Deal! Excellent!”
Manager Ye slapped his thigh.
“Sir, I’ll take all eleven pieces! And I’d also like to place an order for another fifty!”
“Deal.”
Lu Yuan nodded readily and had Lin Erniu take all the wooden boxes out of the basket.
Manager Ye immediately called the accountant to count the money in front of them.
Eleven pieces of current stock, plus the earlier piece given to Madam Qian as a goodwill gift—which Manager Ye insisted on paying for anyway to build a relationship—made twelve pieces in total.
That came to 1,200 copper coins, or one tael and two qian of silver.
On top of that, there was a deposit of two taels of silver for the fifty additional pieces.
“Sir, that’s a total of three taels and two qian of silver. Please accept it.”
Manager Ye respectfully handed Lu Yuan three heavy pieces of silver along with two strings of copper coins.
After leaving Jinxiu Fragrance House, a cold wind swept over them.
Lin Erniu held the more-than-three taels of silver tightly against his chest, feeling as though he were floating among the clouds.
Three taels and two qian!
For an ordinary farming household in ancient times, a whole year’s expenses amounted to only two or three taels of silver after working themselves to exhaustion.
They had been inside for barely half an hour, yet they had already earned enough to cover an entire year’s household expenses!
“Brother-in-law… am I dreaming?”
Lin Erniu’s hands trembled as he pressed the silver tightly against his cotton-padded coat, terrified that it might somehow fly away.
“You’re this happy over such a small amount of money?”
Lu Yuan couldn’t help laughing.
“Once we make a fortune in the future, Second Brother, I’m afraid you won’t even be able to sleep at night.”
“Let’s go! Let’s hurry home and tell Mother and Qingyue the good news!”
Lin Erniu was so excited that he wanted to sprint all the way home.
Lu Yuan, however, remained standing where he was.
His deep eyes narrowed slightly.
Through the bustling crowd, his gaze locked directly onto a discreet shop at the street corner bearing the character “Pawn.”
The shop was called Wantong Pawnshop.
It was also the black-hearted pawnshop where, ten years ago, the original owner’s stepmother, Zhao Shi, had secretly pawned the belongings left behind by his biological mother.
“Second Brother, there’s no need to hurry home just yet.”
Lu Yuan patted the silver pieces inside his robe, a bone-chilling smile curling at the corners of his lips.
“Come. Let’s buy something first.”
“Buy what? It’s freezing cold out here. What could possibly be more important than going home to look at our silver?”
Lin Erniu looked at him in confusion.
Lu Yuan strode toward the pawnshop.