Aunt Yun felt a headache coming on as she listened to Ashu's indignant words.
In the past few days, thanks to the Dong family's affair at the banquet at the Marquis of Anding's mansion, Baoxiangfang has attracted many customers, thus avoiding the tragic situation of having to close down.
But this good business didn't last long before Yan Yuege made its move.
Qiu Niang clearly wanted to kill Bao Xiang Fang.
When Jiang Yimian and Liu'er came to Baoxiangfang, this was the scene they saw.
Two heads, one big and one small, were leaning together, staring at the people in the lobby on the first floor. There was no joy in their eyes, but rather a deep worry.
It's as if many of the customers who come to buy lipstick in the shop now are about to drift away with the wind and never come back.
Jiang Yimian found it amusing and walked up the stairs, saying helplessly, "I thought something terrible had happened to the shop, but it seems there's still some business going on. It shouldn't be closing down."
They weren't this desperate when there was no business at the shop last time.
However, after only a few days away, the people from Baoxiangfang seemed to have suffered another heavy blow, even more so than last time.
Their faces were ashen, and even the smiles on the faces of the waiters serving customers seemed forced.
Jiang Yimian's gaze fell on the few scattered guests in the lobby on the first floor, and she also felt somewhat incredulous.
When I left the capital a few days ago, Baoxiangfang's business was much better than it is now. How could it have changed so much in just a few days?
It seems like we've gone back to square one overnight.
Liu'er asked curiously, "What's wrong? Didn't you say Baoxiangfang was doing well lately? Why are there so few customers?"
The girl had just returned to Pingjiang County and had the people at the mountain resort rush to produce a batch of goods. Business seemed to be doing well. It's only been a few days, and she's already in such a predicament. She's quite surprised.
Upon hearing this, Ashu immediately frowned and said angrily, "Shopkeeper, Miss Liu'er, you don't know what has happened these past few days."
A few days ago, Baoxiangfang's business was not only good, but its customer traffic was also a quarter of what it used to be. Now, however, you can count the number of customers on one hand.
It's all Yan Yuege's fault.
Just a few days ago, our business was picking up, and Yan Yue Ge immediately followed suit by making a calming incense, and they even gave away lipstick with the purchase of the incense.
Isn't this clearly targeting us?
"Qiu Niang has really gone too far. We used to work together, I never imagined she could be so heartless."
The thought that most of the customers Baoxiangfang had worked so hard to attract had now gone to Yanyuege made her furious.
Many people probably still think that the lipstick was made by Yan Yue Ge.
Aunt Yun said helplessly, "Yimian, this is my fault. It's all my fault for not discovering it sooner."
She only realized something was wrong when she noticed that there were far fewer people in the shop today. After inquiring, she learned that Yan Yuege had done something to humiliate Baoxiangfang.
It was obviously done on purpose.
Jiang Yimian, however, remained calm and composed, asking, "What is the new calming incense that Yan Yue Pavilion has made?"
Ashu thought for a while before saying, "I heard it's a modified version of the old 'Spring River Moon' design, and it's become quite popular recently. As for the lipstick, it's just ordinary lip balm made to look like a lipstick. Because it's given away for free, it has attracted quite a few unsuspecting people."
If Aunt Yun hadn't stopped me, I would have gone to the entrance of Yan Yue Pavilion and snatched those guests back.
The thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl was thin and small, and her face was full of anger. She seemed to have the urge to go to Yan Yue Pavilion and cause trouble at Jiang Yimian's command.
Jiang Yimian suddenly laughed out loud, and after a while she suppressed the smile on her lips and comforted them, "It's alright, don't worry about Yan Yuege, just do your own thing."
I'll go check on the newly made face cream.
After saying that, he went straight downstairs.
Ashu was completely bewildered, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Aunt Yun, what's wrong with the manager? How can he still be laughing? If this continues, Baoxiangfang's business will be snatched away by Yanyuege sooner or later."
You should quickly go and ask the shopkeeper for a solution!
It's so late, and the shopkeeper isn't worried at all. She's so anxious!
The shop's business had finally started to pick up, but this has wiped out Baoxiangfang's fortunes overnight.
In a few more days, even these few scattered guests will probably disappear.
Yunniang didn't know what Jiang Yimian meant, but considering her personality, she knew that Jiang Yimian would never do anything without certainty, and her calm demeanor must mean she had her own reasons.
Thinking this, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and patted Ashu's head. "Don't worry, the shopkeeper has his own plans. Go and get busy."
With that, he left, leaving Ashu standing there, completely bewildered.
Is Aunt Yun furious?
They were so worried before, but after hearing the shopkeeper's unreliable words, they were actually relieved. How come they are all so carefree?
If it weren't for the fact that it would be too humiliating for her to try and snatch someone from the entrance of Yan Yue Pavilion while she was working as a shop assistant at Bao Xiang Fang, she would have gone there directly. Sigh, she's really worried to death.
At this moment, inside the inner room on the second floor of Yan Yue Pavilion.
A young woman, adorned with a gold hairpin and dressed in fine silk, leaned against a couch, listening languidly to her maidservant's words.
"Manager, Baoxiangfang has lost a lot of customers. Yunniang must be really worried right now! You're amazing. With just a casual move, Baoxiangfang has lost more than half of the customers it had worked so hard to attract."
A few days ago she was worried that Baoxiangfang would come back to life, but now it seems that it was just a last gasp before it was completely closed down.
Qiu Niang just chuckled, raised her hand to smooth the hairpin in her hair, and with a wave of her hand, the maid immediately helped her up.
"It's just a shop that's about to close down. What can it have to compare with me? If you had known this would happen, you wouldn't have done it in the first place."
Qiu Niang's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction.
If it weren't for Yan Yuege, she wouldn't have known that the person behind Baoxiangfang was the Eldest Princess.
But Yunniang knew all along but didn't tell her, only caring about pleasing the princess.
Mingming Baoxiangfang has been able to stand tall in the capital for so many years because of her, because of her incense-making skills.
Not only did she not gain any benefit, but she was also warned by someone sent by the eldest princess not to have close contact with those ladies and young misses. Wasn't this deliberately targeting her?
Those ladies and young women are all her customers. If she doesn't maintain good relationships with them, where will Baoxiangfang get so many customers?
Now that Baoxiangfang is without her, its business has plummeted, and the Princess must be regretting letting her go.
I heard that Baoxiangfang has a new manager, who is just an ordinary person. It's obvious that the Princess has given up on this shop.
What can an ordinary person like me do to compete with her?
However, she would never go back; she would only look for an opportunity to take over Baoxiangfang as well.
Now that Baoxiangfang has lost the Princess as its backer, it can forget about fighting her. Sooner or later, it will be hers for the taking.
Just then, a respectful voice rang out from outside, "Shopkeeper, Madam Sun, the wife of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, has arrived."
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