Ultimately, seizing the initiative is important, winning the approval of established families is even more important, and raising the reputation and brand of Jiuzhenfang is of utmost importance.
As the ancients often said, "After the darkest hour comes the dawn," and Jiang Sheng truly experienced that today.
With the help of Aunt Zhang and the guidance of Chang Yan, the idea, which was not yet fully formed, finally found a breakthrough.
Jiang Sheng's eyes were bright, and other thoughts even began to emerge.
For example, finding the best carpenter to carve an exquisite mold can both delay others from imitating it and reduce the sophistication of the imitations.
For example, have the eldest brother, Xu Mo, personally design the pastry molds, striving for novel and beautiful patterns that will catch people's eye.
Let's get right to it.
That evening, Xu Mo returned from the Imperial Academy and saw his youngest sister, carrying a sheet of Xuan paper, rushing over and stopping in front of his desk.
"What's wrong?" He chuckled, his eyes slightly upturned. "Going to practice your scrawled handwriting again?"
Jiang Sheng's face immediately fell.
Xu Mo quickly corrected himself, "You started learning calligraphy at eight and began practicing at nine. It's already quite good that you can write like this; even your older brother isn't as good as you."
"Besides, you don't need the imperial examinations. It's enough to broaden your mind and learn about the world outside yourself through reading."
Jiang Sheng then placed the Xuan paper in the corner of the desk and pleaded softly, "Big brother, I would like to trouble you to draw a picture for me."
"Painting?" Xu Mo was taken aback. He had studied literature since elementary school, could recite the Four Books and Five Classics fluently, and had a unique handwriting style, but his painting skills were only average.
If we're talking about someone who truly knows how to paint, then Wang Fufeng is the one.
The exceptionally talented young master of Fufeng was not only a gifted writer, but also a skilled painter, making him a master of both calligraphy and painting.
But the more this happens, the more one feels sorry for his health.
Xu Mo sighed softly, took out a thick stack of envelopes from his desk drawer, opened the top one, and inside was a drawing of the scene of the brother and sister in the courtyard with flowers in their hair.
The younger siblings laughed and played, Fang Laosan brandished a long stick, Zheng Ruqian fiddled with an abacus, Xu Mo read quietly, and Aunt Zhang skillfully sewed shoe soles.
What a vivid painting! With just a few strokes, the artist captures the character's features, as if he had sketched the image a thousand times in his mind before putting it on paper. It's as if that vivid scene has always lingered in his mind.
"What is this?" Jiang Sheng peeked out. "Is it us? Who drew it? It's really beautiful."
"It's us." Xu Mo picked up his pen, pondered for a long time, and then boldly added a figure to the doorway.
A young man, delicate and graceful, yet refined and noble.
Xu Mo's drawing skills are not outstanding, but I always feel that the picture is more complete and vivid with this figure added.
He put down his pen and turned around. “My painting skills are not as good as Fufeng’s. If you can wait, I will write to him and ask him to paint a few pictures for you.”
“I can’t wait,” Jiang Sheng said honestly. “But you can paint two for me first, and then have Brother Fufeng paint a few more. I can’t have too many.”
The little rascal is trying to have it all.
Xu Mo carefully put away the painting after blowing away the ink, then picked up his brush again. "Tell me, what do you want to paint?"
I thought at the very least it would be a landscape painting or a figure painting.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Sheng's rosy little mouth opened and closed, "Draw some flowers, or small animals, the more novel the better, the rarer the better."
Half an hour later, she left satisfied, carrying a stack of Xuan paper.
Aunt Zhang was cooking. The kitchen lights were bright, and the mother and daughter huddled together looking through the photos, picking out the best and most suitable ones.
"I'll go find the craftsman who ordered the mold last time tomorrow and ask him to finish it as soon as possible." Zhang Xianglian estimated, "It should take about three days."
Jiang Sheng nodded, her gaze fixed on the flowers on the Xuan paper, and suddenly felt it was a bit monotonous.
If you switch places with the customer, and she goes to buy Jiuzhenfang pastries herself, a single pattern won't be enough to stimulate a strong desire to buy, because everyone's preferences are different.
Just as Aunt Zhang likes sunflowers, she prefers wildflowers.
If she absolutely had to buy something, only pastries with the words "Jiang Sheng" printed on them would likely catch her eye.
The little girl was taken aback, but then grasped the key point again.
She looked up, pointed to the unusual flowers on the paper, and said urgently, "Auntie, Auntie, I've got it! We're not only going to carve flowers, but we're also going to carve words on them."
Whoever you sell it to, you engrave their surname or even just their name on it.
Not only is it unique, but other pastry shops dare not imitate it casually.
This idea is absolutely brilliant! Jiang Sheng was so happy she almost jumped for joy.
Zhang Xianglian hesitated and asked, "Then who should we sell it to?"
Without a confirmed customer, a mold cannot be carved.
You can't make pastries without molds.
Without pastries, why would customers be willing to buy them?
This is a vicious cycle, and the only way to break it is to find a family guest who is willing to try blindly.
"Leave this to me." Jiang Sheng clenched her fist. "I will find it."
the next day.
Jiang Sheng squatted at the entrance of Jiuzhenfang and began to wait.
Whether it's the Qi family, the Zhu family, or the Jiang family, as long as a familiar older brother appears, she shamelessly goes up to recommend him, trying to exchange "free" for the first cooperation between the two parties.
But to their surprise, after waiting and waiting, it was Zhao Yuan who appeared.
The seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy shuffled to the entrance of Jiuzhenfang, seemingly about to go in, but then stopped at the entrance as if remembering something.
Jiang Sheng rushed up to him with a fawning smile, "Brother Zhao Yuan, it's been so long! Why don't you come in and take a look at the shop?"
"I...I want to eat pastries, but my mother doesn't want any. She said she'll beat me if I eat any more." Zhao Yuan swallowed hard, remembering the little girl's fierce look last time, and then looking at her smiling face now, he became very wary. "What do you want?"
"It's nothing." Jiang Sheng put away her smile and became serious. "I just wanted to ask Brother Zhao Yuan if he wanted some pastries, the kind that's just for you."
Zhao Yuan's eyes lit up instantly.
“This pastry will not be sold to anyone else except you, no matter how much you offer,” Jiang Sheng emphasized. “And I won’t charge you any money.”
This is why she didn't ask her older brother for help, but instead worked hard on her own.
Most people would be tempted by the allure of "free" and "unique".
Zhao Yuan was no exception and quickly nodded, "Okay, where is it? Let me try it."
“Three days from now,” Jiang Sheng said seriously. “Come to Jiuzhenfang in three days. The pastry placed in the very center of the shop is just for you.”
After seeing Zhao Yuan off, she immediately asked her elder brother to write the character "Zhao" and sent it to the carpenter along with hibiscus flowers.
Three days later, the chestnut and lotus seed paste cake, exclusively for the Zhao family, was ready.
The chestnut and lotus seed paste filling was a new creation by Zhang Xianglian. The hibiscus flower design was also colored with fruits and vegetables and paired with her surname, making it quite unique.
Jiang Sheng let out a long breath, placed the pastries in the highest position facing the main entrance, and then took out the four words "Never for Sale" written by her elder brother and pasted them below.
Having done all this, she opened the gates of Jiuzhenfang and officially accepted the test from the people of Fengjing.
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