Chapter 7: Unheard of Opening

Ten days later, Zhichunli officially opened. Lu Tingwan hid his name and identity and opened a shop in Fenglin Lane. He did not dare to invite relatives and friends to watch the ceremony.

Furthermore, she had just arrived in Kyoto and had few close friends. As for her relatives, she didn't want the Lu family to know about it. If the Lu family knew about it, Cheng Xianzhi and the Queen Mother would know about it sooner or later.

The flower farmers delivered the flowers needed for the opening to Zhichunli before the city gates were locked last night. Lu Tingwan did not return all night, so the flowers that had just been delivered needed to wake up before they could bloom the next day. Feng Xin was also busy inside and outside.

Lu Tingwan only invited one person, and that was Luo Yunchu.

Luo Yunchu had considerable influence in Fenglin Lane and Changqing Street, and she had initially negotiated with him to give up 30% of the profits in Zhichunli, one of her goals being this. As the saying goes, leaning against a big tree provides shade, and with Luo Yunchu's reputation, no one in Fenglin Lane dared to embarrass her, allowing her to focus on her business.

Thanks to Luo Yunchu's reputation, many merchants came to support the business. A few days before the opening, Lu Tingwan distributed a lot of leaflets in Fenglin Lane, which even had a small portrait of Luo Yunchu printed on them. She had a craftsman cut out cardboard based on Luo Yunchu's outline, and then had it printed on the leaflets.

Luo Yunchu crouched low in the crowd and whispered to Lu Tingwan, "Manager Jiang, without my consent, privately printed a small portrait on the leaflet for everyone to enjoy. Did you ask for my permission?"

"Miss, please take a look inside. Today we're having an opening promotion. Anyone who brings the receipt and spends two taels of silver or more will receive a special sachet from our shop. There's only one of its kind in all of Kyoto."

"Come, Feng Xin, take the distinguished guest to the second floor."

Lu Tingwan was greeting the guests to go in while distractedly dealing with the situation. She had known that Luo Yunchu would say this and had even thought of her words.

He turned to Luo Yunchu and said, "Mr. Luo is at least half the owner of Zhichunli. This little statue is your investment. You don't need to spend any money or effort, so you won't suffer any loss."

"Dear guests, please don't worry. All the flowers in our shop are the freshest. Our florists will select and trim them for you," Lu Tingwan shouted loudly as he walked around Luo Yunchu and stood on the high platform. "If you have a leaflet with a small portrait printed on it, you can use it to exchange for another bouquet worth twenty cents."

The crowd outside the hall was getting more and more crowded. Upon hearing this, those holding leaflets could not help but stop and squeeze over to watch. Suddenly, it became clear that Chunli's business was booming, and the beads on the account desk were constantly turning. Feng Xin wiped the sweat off his face as he sent away one group after another and welcomed them.

"Shopkeeper Jiang, is this statue really so valuable?" one of the big customers asked, holding up the leaflet in his hand.

The aunt next to him nudged him, laughing at his ignorance, her voice drowning out the crowd, "Everyone knows about Maple Forest Lane. This is a small statue of Mr. Luo, so it's naturally valuable. But, shopkeeper, who would dare to take this empty banknote?"

Lu Tingwan took a step forward and saw a surging crowd in front of her, which was far better than she had expected. As expected, the people in Kyoto were wealthy and had no shortage of money, but they lacked novelty.

"Don't worry, everyone. If I, Jiang Yanli, want to establish myself in Fenglin Lane, I will definitely need the support of you all in the future. Everyone here is my bread and butter, so why would I destroy my reputation? Besides, I have Young Master Luo as my guarantor. If you don't trust me, does that mean you can't trust Young Master Luo either?"

What a Jiang Yanli! Luo Yunchu originally felt that he was cheating her by asking for the 30% profit, but now it seems that it is still unclear who is getting the better deal.

"Mr. Luo is naturally trustworthy." Aunt Miao supported it, and three or five of the other spectators began to agree, and then more and more people poured into the store.

Lu Tingwan was nearly squeezed into the crack of the door, and her hair crown was almost crooked. She breathed a sigh of relief and straightened the crown. Luo Yunchu appeared from behind her, his face cold and grim, and said: "Shopkeeper Jiang, you are quite good at deceiving people."

Lu Tingwan frowned. What did she mean by deceit? She was doing business seriously and sincerely.

"Mr. Luo, you and I are in the same boat right now, so why are you saying that? I've just opened Zhichunli, and reputation is paramount. As long as we can spread the word about Fenglin Lane and Changqing Street, I won't have to worry about the business from Kyoto's distinguished guests. Just sit back and wait for your 30% profit."

"Really?" Luo Yunchu chuckled, and had stood in front of her calmly without making a sound. People entering the store could only brush against Luo Yunchu but could not touch Lu Tingwan at all.

"The lady just now is a waitress at Shilipu in Fenglin Lane. She has a nickname 'Gossip' in Shilipu. Everything she says will be known to everyone in Fenglin Lane within three days. How much silver did you give her?" He looked at Lu Tingwan as if he was taking something out of his pocket.

Lu Tingwan's plan was discovered, and she felt uneasy. She glared at the man, "You, how do you know..."

"Three taels?" Luo Yunchu held up three fingers. Lu Tingwan didn't answer, so he asked, "Five taels?"

Suddenly, Lu Tingwan smiled cunningly, as if he had won a round, and said proudly, "One or two."

Luo Yunchu raised his eyebrows, revealing an admiring look. "Being able to handle Aunt Miao, it seems that Shopkeeper Jiang is indeed quite capable."

"Mr. Luo, do you want to know?" Lu Tingwan moved closer to him.

Luo Yunchu's gaze enveloped her, and the two of them stared at each other. After a long moment, he glanced away and said, "Manager Jiang is quite capable. I have learned my lesson."

Lu Tingwan arched his eyebrows, smiled, and moved his gaze to the guests behind him, passing Luo Yunchu and stepping forward to greet them.

"Sir, please come to the second floor. We are opening our shop to thank all our guests. We have a wide variety of flowers to give to your close friends and elders. You can choose from any of them."

There are several layers of Yager counters on the first floor of Zhichunli, three rows on each side.

On the left are sachets and handmade spices made from dried flowers, all made by the villagers on the farm; on the right are handkerchiefs printed with various flowers. The petals are pressed through a mold to extract the juice, which is then dyed on the silk handkerchiefs and printed into various patterns, leaving a fresh fragrance.

These are all customer attraction items and are not sold individually, but only as gifts. If you like them, you must purchase a certain amount of items or prices according to the store's regulations in order to receive the corresponding gift items.

The originally ordered load of flowers was sold out in half a day, and all varieties were sold out. The waiter removed the price tags and hung up a sold-out sign.

However, people continued to enter the shop with flyers. Lu Ting tried to appease them before the evening, "Dear guests, all flowers in Zhichunli are sold out today. The shop will open at 3:45 tomorrow morning. If you enter the shop and purchase a bouquet before 9:00, the shop will give you a silk handkerchief. Anyone who collects ten different silk handkerchiefs will receive a premium seat in the shop for one month."

"Shopkeeper Jiang, what is the top class seat?" Aunt Miao asked in a hoarse voice.

The guests around were also curious when they heard this, "Yeah, what is a top-class seat? I've never heard of it."

Tianshu leaned aside and asked Luo Yunchu, "Sir, have you ever heard of the upper position?"

Luo Yunchu shook his head, his eyes fixed on the person on the high place. Her voice was loud and clear, like the rising sun, attracting people to her.

"Manager Jiang's moves are unpredictable. He is in the spotlight today. However, a big tree attracts the wind, and there might be trouble." He couldn't help but feel worried. The methods used in the business world are no less than those in the officialdom.

Lu Tingwan was heard saying on the stage: "The top seats are for our top customers. They can buy 80% of the price of all the goods we sell with this."

"In other words, if you collect ten silk handkerchiefs of different styles, you can become a distinguished guest of our store." Lu Tingwan raised her hand, and Feng Xin came forward with a tray. She took out several wooden signs that had been customized in advance on the tray and showed the golden wooden sign to everyone.

"However, this is limited to the first thirty guests. Those who collect ten handkerchiefs afterwards will only receive this silver wooden plaque. They will be considered superior guests and will enjoy 90% of the price of all the goods sold in this store."

"Then how many people are allowed to sit in the premium seats?" Aunt Miao was the first to speak up.

"There's no limit on the first-class seats." Lu Tingwan smiled. "The handkerchiefs in this shop are sold out as soon as they are sold out, so it's first come, first served."

"Then I will come early tomorrow." Aunt Miao raised her hand and vowed.

The guests around agreed and gradually left Zhichunli. "Then I have to come early tomorrow too."

"My wife loves flowers. If I get a good customer, she will come to Zhichunli to buy flowers from now on, and we can save a lot of money."

"I'm coming too."

“…”

As dusk deepened, everyone in Zhichunli dispersed, and Lu Tingwan sat alone in the elegant room on the second floor. It was a room that the carpenter had specially left as a study during the renovation.

The hustle and bustle of Fenglin Lane outside the window seemed isolated from the world. Feng Xin gently brought the teacup, the aroma of tea filled the air, and there were only two people left in the room.

After a busy day, she felt like her limbs were falling apart, but she still managed to stay awake and finish the accounts before returning home.

Lu Tingwan stretched his waist and shook off the laziness. "Opening the store is really tiring, but seeing how the store was sold out today, I feel more energetic."

Feng Xin asked with concern, "Second Madam..."

Lu Tingwan frowned slightly and raised his hand to stop her from talking. "Feng Xin, you can call me shopkeeper or master here, but you must never call me Second Madam. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir, Feng Xin has remembered your teachings."

When Lu Tingwan was serious, although she was not angry, she had a sense of majesty. Feng Xin always thought she was kind and amiable, but now seeing her running Zhichunli and dealing with guests with ease, Feng Xin suddenly realized that he did not understand Lu Tingwan at all.

There seemed to be endless unknowns about this person that had not yet been revealed to others. Even Feng Xin looked at her with a bit more respect inexplicably.

"But sir, today's load of flowers sold out early. We agreed with the village chief this month to only sell one load per day. This flower isn't enough to sell. Would you like to ask the village chief for more?"

Lu Tingwan smiled leisurely, "No hurry, no hurry."

Feng Xin didn't understand. He could obviously sell more flowers and make more money. If he increased the amount every day, the flowers in the village chief's hand wouldn't rot in the ground. Why not do something that would kill two birds with one stone?

Lu Tingwan understood Feng Xin's doubts, put the pen back on the pen pillow, looked up at her, and said, "Don't understand?"

Feng Xin poured more tea and said, "I don't understand, but you must have your own reasons."

Lu Tingwan's eyes were still on her while he was drinking tea. Suddenly, he felt that Feng Xin was different too, with a faint smile on the corner of his mouth.

Feng Xin didn't notice. She retracted her gaze and picked up the pen, moving the beads with it. She said slowly, "You just need to understand that scarcity makes things valuable. Our flowers are not rare treasures. Kyoto has countless flower growers, and flower vendors are everywhere in the streets and alleys. If you simply open a flower shop, you will lose all your money in less than a month."

"Customers may come to Zhichunli to buy flowers because of the low prices, but I can barely keep the shop going without making a lot of money. Furthermore, if another flower shop in Fenglin Lane offers lower prices than ours, these customers will eventually leave. If we can't keep them, how can we maintain long-term business?"

Feng Xin suddenly understood and clapped his hands, saying, "So that's how it is! Is this why you set up the upper and superior seats today, sir?"

"Our Feng Xin is quite smart." Lu Tingwan did not hide his smile this time.

"Those who didn't buy flowers today will definitely come back tomorrow, and they'll be scrambling to buy them. If we let them all buy today, the excitement will wear off and the novelty will fade. Within half a month, Zhichunli will be deserted. Now, do you understand why I only asked the village chief for one load of flowers?"

She looked like she was planning a strategy, and she had already thought about the next ten steps before taking one step. Outside the window, the sounds of cars, horses, and people came and went.

Feng Xin suddenly understood. "Well, Feng Xin, I understand. Business is indeed a profound subject. Where did you learn all this, young master?"

Lu Tingwan pretended to be profound and said, "There is still a lot you don't know. I still say the same thing, if you follow me and learn, you will definitely become more than just a little maid in the inner chamber."

"Feng Xin listens to the Master."

Lu Tingwan took out the drawing and handed it to Feng Xin. There was a pattern drawn on it. Feng Xin took it and looked at it for a long time, not understanding its meaning.

"Sir, what is this pattern?"