Even so, because there are so many customers and Ruyi doesn't plan to increase the investment of spiritual energy, the average effect for everyone will actually be reduced again.
Of course, no one else knew about these things except her. After all, she made each medicine pack for the hot spring by hand, and she had crushed the most important ingredients into pieces. The rest were just auxiliary ingredients and for mixing. In short, each medicine pack contained dozens of items, and it was impossible for an ordinary person to easily tell the ingredients.
Besides, the medicine packets were placed in relatively hidden places. Unless specifically searched, ordinary people might not know where they were hidden. Moreover, the maids and servants in each room would keep an eye out and would speak up to warn people if they saw any suspicious behavior.
By the end of the month, Lingyun Pavilion's operations had gradually gotten back on track, and the customer base had become relatively stable. People who didn't have urgent needs, didn't have enough money, or were simply there to follow celebrities wouldn't come too frequently. The remaining customers were the store's ultimate target customers.
When all the procedures were proceeding smoothly, Cheng Ruyi no longer needed to stay at the shop every day. Huang Youcai, on the other hand, was running back and forth between the two places almost every day. According to Zhou Yin, he planned to bring in people from a restaurant in the neighboring county, but that person would not arrive until June.
Throughout May, Ruyi was extremely busy, especially in the first ten days or so after the store opened. She barely had time to eat. Fortunately, the business was better than expected. Whenever she was so tired that she didn't want to move, she would rely on imagining the sales revenue for the month to keep going.
However, all your efforts will pay off, and money will never let you down!
When Cheng Ruyi received her hefty bonus, she almost burst into tears, feeling as if she could work for another hundred years!
"Wipe your drool off, it's really an eyesore!" Zhou Yin couldn't help but complain when he saw Cheng Ruyi holding the silver notes with both hands and grinning foolishly. Although the business of the spa had indeed surprised him, compared with the other pillar industries of the Zhou family, this profit was nothing.
He took out a thin notebook and handed it to Ruyi. "This is Lingyun Pavilion's business ledger for May. The total turnover for the month is 4,520 taels. As agreed before, the 20% commission is 904 taels. Count it carefully here. I won't recognize it once you leave!"
The main currency of Dai Viet is, of course, copper coins. In fact, even the Cheng family has always used copper coins. If they have silver, they will keep it as a reserve and will not use it easily except in emergencies.
Especially now that the country is in a state of chaos and war could break out at any time, silver has more potential for appreciation and is more space-efficient than copper coins, making it the most popular currency among the middle class.
Compared to silver, banknotes are less popular. Although the largest denomination is one hundred taels, theoretically they should be more convenient to use. However, in this day and age, who knows when the bank that owns the banknote might suddenly close down, making the banknote worthless. At that time, there would be no way to even cry!
Of course, the nine one-hundred-tael silver notes that Zhou Yin gave him were all from Wantong Money Shop, the largest money shop in the capital. It had branches in major cities all over the country, and it was said that the owner behind it had an extraordinary relationship with the imperial court, so it was more reliable than other silver notes.
"Mr. Zhou, you really love to joke. Your Zhou family has always been the most trustworthy in business. Who in the whole county doesn't know that? If I can't even trust you, then who in the world can I trust?" Cheng Ruyi replied with a smile, but her hands didn't stop counting money at all.
Zhou Yin frowned slightly upon hearing this. "You don't need to put on such a glib and obsequious act. A woman should be more reserved."
"I was just telling the truth, so how did I become a smooth talker?" Cheng Ruyi was a little surprised. She could tell that the other person's tone was not one of disdain or nitpicking, but rather one of reproach and concern, so she asked directly.
Seeing the other party's sincere question, Zhou Yin was a little confused. He thought about it carefully before speaking: "Although we are business partners, we are still men and women. A woman should not act so casually in front of a man. She should be humble, polite, and respectful of her place. That is the right way."
"Just like when you went to Zhiwei Restaurant to discuss something with Huang Youcai, you should have chosen a place like the main hall, where people come and go, to appear aboveboard, instead of following him into the back room. If someone with ulterior motives saw that, the gossip would be enough to crush your whole family!"
“In the past, you only dealt with ordinary people and didn’t harm anyone’s interests. But now it’s different. In the past month, many people have been openly and secretly trying to find out the true strength of Lingyun Pavilion. Naturally, they wouldn’t dare to target our Zhou family, but it’s different for your Cheng family. So you need to be even more careful with your words and actions during this period!”
Yes, this is ancient times, and she always forgets it without realizing it.
In this male-dominated region, survival is a hellish struggle for all women. And as Zhou Yin said, countless people are secretly watching her, so she really should keep a low profile.
However, being cautious in speech and action does not mean compromising and swallowing one's anger. Zhou Yin's words were spoken according to the thinking of people of their time. Although he was unaware of it, Ruyi could still feel the sexism between the lines.
“Mr. Zhou is right. I will be more careful and remind my family.”
When Zhou Yin saw that the other person had lowered their head and their tone was no longer as casual as before, the awkwardness in his heart immediately disappeared. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "That's very good. Actually, I'm also..."
"However, there is one point I don't quite agree with."
Zhou Yin was interrupted by Cheng Ruyi before he could finish speaking. He saw that she had already raised her head and was looking directly at him without any hesitation. She said firmly, "Why are women only required to be humble, polite, and dutiful? Why are women only required to speak to men in a certain tone? Why are all these requirements only directed at women?"
"Whether it's Manager Huang or Mr. Zhou, we are business partners, and we should be equals, without any distinction of rank or status. Besides, although I may be direct in my speech, I haven't said anything impolite!"
"As for avoiding suspicion, it was indeed my oversight before. But I don't think we need to be too deliberate about this. A generous attitude is more natural than being overly cautious. As the saying goes, if you are upright, you have nothing to fear. I do things right and act with integrity. If I have a clear conscience, there is nothing to be afraid of."
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