"Reliable, reliable, I'm very reliable, Youyou, don't abandon me. You're my lucky charm... no, my lucky charm grandma..."

He Youyou laughed and urged him on, "Hurry up, hurry up, I'm still busy."

Watching Ma Xiuyuan scurry away, He Youyou dusted off her clothes and prepared to go back to continue the banquet.

As soon as she reached the second gate, she saw a person standing under the corridor waiting for her.

Cheng Tingrui prefers plain colors.

Today, however, she wore a light ochre jacquard brocade dress.

It's quite fitting for this festive occasion.

His clothes, set against the red and ochre pillars around him, seemed to blend into one with the surrounding landscape from a distance.

Seeing He Youyou walking towards him, her eyes were full of gentle smiles.

"Minzhi, what are you doing here?"

“I was waiting for you. I saw you chatting with Brother Zicheng, so I didn’t go up to disturb you.”

"Oh, you've been waiting for a long time, haven't you? Did you need something from me?"

Cheng Tingrui seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly lowered his head, hiding the smile on his lips: "It's alright. I've prepared everything you asked for."

He Youyou immediately understood what he was talking about.

The people who came today are all prominent figures in the area.

The circles they belong to are not easy to break into.

Since we have this great opportunity to get in touch with this circle, how can we not make good use of it?

He Youyou had Cheng Tingrui prepare a gift for each person beforehand.

The gift bag was printed with the large logo of Yuruitang.

The exquisite boxes contained goods sold by Youruitang.

The finest tea, exquisite silk handkerchiefs, and a small pot of fruit wine transported from afar.

He Youyou's plan is to first promote the brand among the upper class.

As the person of the highest status in the entire event, Prefect Xie naturally received special treatment.

To show how much she valued him, He Youyou added an extra gift in addition to the original gift.

Lord Xie has always cultivated an image of being refined, elegant, and talented in poetry and literature.

When giving gifts, one should not use vulgar items.

He Youyou specially asked Cheng Tingrui to customize a set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The materials were of high quality, but the packaging was simple and unpretentious.

"I am deeply grateful for the Prefect's efforts in this matter of commendation. I heard that the four characters 'Righteousness Benefits the Village' on the plaque were personally inscribed by the Prefect. I do not understand calligraphy, but I am very impressed by these words. This set of writing materials was carefully selected by me. It is not worth much money, but I hope that the Prefect will find it convenient to use."

Xie Zhihong's hands trembled slightly as he borrowed the set of writing implements.

"Thank you, Madam Han. Well then, I will gladly accept it."

On the way back in the carriage, I opened the package and took a look.

The brush is a Huzhou brush, the ink is Huizhou ink, the paper is Xuan paper, and the inkstone is a Duan inkstone.

The materials and quality are both top-notch, making it quite valuable.

A warm feeling immediately welled up in my heart: she treated me differently from strangers.

He then picked up the Duan inkstone and examined it closely.

The inkstone is square.

The inkstone is decorated with cloud patterns, and on the cloud patterns is carved a wild goose with outstretched wings, which is lively and beautiful.

Prefect Xie's heart was once again filled with excitement.

Of all the countless patterns in the world, why did she choose the wild goose?

Since ancient times, wild geese have represented letters and longing.

Wild geese carry messages, and when the geese return in formation...

Xie Zhihong held the inkstone in his hands, stroking it back and forth, a satisfied smile on his face all the way.

She treated me differently from others.

After the guests left the Han family home, the courtyard was left in a mess.

There weren't enough people in the manor, so Steward Qian specially hired a few helpers to clean up.

Ma Xiuyuan was preoccupied with the matter of the two hundred and fifty taels of silver, so he left early and didn't wait for the banquet to end.

Cheng Tingrui, however, had not yet left.

He Youyou led him to the small hall at the back, where they drank tea, chatted, and enjoyed some quiet time to sober up.

"Minzhi, is the set of writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone you prepared substantial enough? I'm not an expert and can't tell the quality. But he's the prefect, so we can't be stingy with our gifts."

These gifts were all arranged by Cheng Tingrui, and He Youyou had no idea what he would prepare beforehand.

Cheng Tingrui said confidently, "Of course. Lord Xie is an expert. He can tell at a glance that this set of writing implements is very valuable. Even the carving on the inkstone was done by the best craftsman in the area."

Speaking of this, He Youyou had another question: "Other people carve dragons, turtles, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums, and the like. Why did you have a bird carved for you?"

Cheng Tingrui chuckled: "Those are geese. Geese are gentlemen. Every year, geese fly south and return north, traveling thousands of miles, yet they never abandon the old and weak, showing their benevolence. Giving him geese is a way of thanking Prefect Xie for his compassion for the elderly and weak and for protecting the people as a local official. Furthermore, geese symbolize lofty aspirations, and it is hoped that he will rise rapidly in his career and have a smooth official path."

"A single wild goose can imply so many meanings? You can't understand so much without over-interpreting it. Are you sure he can understand?"

"Lord Xie has passed the imperial examination and is a learned scholar; it is not difficult for him to guess the meaning behind this."

"Yes, I hope so. If he can't guess, all your hard work will have been wasted."

From that day on, the name Youruitang began to gain recognition among the local upper class.

Moreover, a rumor has spread among the civil servants in Jizhou City.

"I heard that Prefect Xie carries his inkstone with him whether he's going to or leaving get off work."

"Is it because the government offices are incompetent?"

"Surely it can't be that bad? Even if it's difficult to use, would it be so difficult that you have to carry your own? It's kind of heavy..."

"What's so strange about that inkstone? Has anyone taken a closer look at it?"

"I heard that the clerk in the yamen once secretly observed it. It looks nothing special on the outside, but the three small characters 'You Rui Tang' are engraved on the bottom of the inkstone."

"Youruitang? So the Prefect likes things from Youruitang..."

Later, it was discovered that the prefect even brought his own tea and didn't drink the tea provided by the government office.

Moreover, they only put in a tiny bit each time, and they're reluctant to share it with others.

Those with good eyesight will see that the tea canister also bears the name "Youruitang".

Everyone was amazed: The Prefect's love for Youruitang runs deep!

In an instant, in order to keep up with the prefect's taste, the officials all bought themselves a set of Youruitang stationery and Youruitang tea.

Once it became popular among officials, it was quickly noticed by outsiders with keen senses.

The wealthy and powerful suddenly realized: so this is what the officials like.

From then on, there was a direction for gift-giving.

Youruitang has successfully broken out of its niche.

In a society based on personal connections, one circle always encompasses another.

Thus, this unique taste began to spread virally.

With the help of Cheng Tingrui, a business prodigy, working behind the scenes, and He Youyou coming up with clever ideas from time to time, the Youruitang brand finally gained a foothold in Jizhou.

After entering June, the weather became increasingly hot.

In the evening, He Youyou took Zhao Wenqi to cool off in the courtyard.

Suddenly, I saw a large bird fluttering away from the treetops in the neighboring yard.

"Old Qian, why have I been seeing big birds flying around all the time lately?"