On the fifth day of the eighth lunar month, Lingyun Pavilion's branch in Qionglin Prefecture opened smoothly, just before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Fucheng branch has a small area and a very limited capacity. How can they make more money without increasing sales volume? Cheng Ruyi and Zhou Yin discussed it for a long time before finally deciding to adopt a membership system.
The so-called membership system is somewhat similar to a referral system where acquaintances bring in newcomers. This is because the Zhou family's influence in the prefectural city is limited, and they came up with this method in order to make money quietly and discreetly without attracting attention.
These "acquaintances" were actually long-time partners of the Zhou family in Fucheng, and they were all trustworthy. These people were the initial batch of members, and then they were allowed to bring their own acquaintances to join as members, gradually expanding the number of customers step by step.
Others must be introduced by a member or receive an invitation to enter the spa, and non-members can only enter and consume three times. If they want to continue, they need to become members.
Becoming a member is simple: just spend money!
Make a purchase or recharge of 100 taels and you will immediately become a Silver Member. You will enjoy a 10% discount on every subsequent purchase and receive a free afternoon tea set.
If you make a single purchase or recharge of 1,000 taels, you will become a Gold Member, enjoying a 20% discount on every purchase, a private afternoon tea room, and priority access to new product launches.
A single purchase of 100 taels might be possible, but spending 1,000 taels is a bit unbelievable. What could a hot spring spa possibly sell for 1,000 taels?
This brings us to the business that Cheng Ruyi valued most when she opened her spa: peripheral products.
After several months of exploration, the spa now earns half of its revenue from weekday entrance fees and the other half from related products in Huaishan County.
For example, there are sleep-aiding products such as lotus-scented pillows, lotus-scented sachets, and lotus-infused fragrances made from lotus petals, as well as nourishing and health-preserving teas that regulate the body, skin-beautifying creams that whiten and beautify the skin, and calming incense that helps to clear the mind, and so on.
These peripheral audiences cover people of all ages and genders, ensuring that every customer can find a product that suits them.
In addition, the spa often offers free samples and tastings. Anyone who has tried them knows that these products are really effective. Over time, almost all customers who come to the spa buy some souvenirs to take home.
Of course, due to limitations in raw materials and labor, the quantity of these peripheral products is not large, so a purchase limit policy has always been adopted. However, because the price is not low, they can still make a lot of money.
In fact, these tricks are all common marketing tactics used in modern times. Cheng Ruyi is just taking advantage of the information explosion era. That's why she told Zhou Yin that these were all mentioned in the miscellaneous books left by her deceased husband, and not that she came up with them herself.
Although Zhou Yin was very suspicious, he did not intend to investigate further. He just thought that it was probably the same as those prescriptions, and that it must be Cheng Ruyi's secret.
This time, besides Ruyi herself and You Sanniang, she also brought Cheng Yunping with her to the prefectural city.
Recently, the furniture shop's business has gradually gotten back on track, and the newly hired craftsmen are basically able to complete the shop's orders on their own. As a result, Cheng Yan and Yun Ping's workload has been greatly reduced, so Ru Yi plans to take them out in turns.
On the one hand, having a man standing next to them when they're out and about can reduce a lot of prying eyes. On the other hand, I also want them to broaden their horizons and interact with more people outside.
After spending more than a year together, she finally understood that both of the registered heads of the Cheng family were typical homebodies!
Cheng Yan spends his days dealing with timber and has no other hobbies except for occasionally going to teahouses to drink tea and listen to opera. He can be considered a tech geek. As for Cheng Yunping, although he also deals with timber with his grandfather every day, his mind is not really on it. He usually hides away and secretly reads those martial arts novels, fantasizing about roaming the world and doing good deeds. If he were in modern times, he would definitely be a two-dimensional otaku.
So since the shop no longer needed him to stay there all day, they simply brought him along. It was impossible for him to venture into the martial arts world, but he could certainly venture into the business world.
Cheng Yunping was overjoyed to learn that he wouldn't have to spend all his time doing carpentry in the shop. He had heard that there were many martial arts schools and escort agencies in the prefectural city, but he hadn't been able to visit them during his last trip there!
Upon arriving at the spa and seeing so many strangers, his social anxiety instantly kicked in. He wished he could hide somewhere so no one could see him. However, he had promised his wife, Xiaoman, that he would protect his mother, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and stay close to her side.
He never expected to run into an unexpected "old friend" in the shop, and the other person was also startled when he saw him.
"It's you? The guy in charge of transporting the fish!" Cheng Yunping exclaimed, a mix of surprise and delight in his voice.
"You... look familiar? Where have we met before?" Zhou Shouyi was a little confused. He knew Cheng Niangzi; his father had introduced her to him before. But he couldn't remember the person in front of him at all.
The conversation between the two caught the attention of Cheng Ruyi and Zhou Yin, who were discussing something nearby. Upon hearing it, they both walked over.
Ruyi patted her son on the shoulder, gesturing for him to step forward, and then said, "I haven't formally introduced him to Master Zhou yet. This is my son, Cheng Yunping, he's seventeen years old." She then turned to her son and gestured for him to greet him: "Yunping, this is Master Zhou, the owner of Zhiwei Restaurant and Lingyun Pavilion. Quickly pay your respects to Master Zhou."
Although Cheng Yunping usually stayed at home and didn't concern himself with worldly affairs, he was still aware of the Zhou family's reputation. Meeting such an important figure for the first time, he nervously bowed deeply, performing a perfect 90-degree salute, "Young Cheng Yunping greets Master Zhou! May Master Zhou be well!"
This was the first time Zhou Yin had met Ruyi's family. Looking at the tall and strong young man in front of him, it was hard to believe that the two were mother and son. They actually looked more like siblings.
After a long silence, he nodded and said calmly, "Yes, get up."
Then he asked how the two of them met. At this point, Zhou Shouyi finally remembered, and the two of them recounted in great detail the whole story of their encounter at the dock more than a year ago.
"So it was Steward Zhou who helped us back then! What a rare coincidence! Speaking of which, those fish were a rare treat for us during the lockdown. Steward Zhou, at such a young age, was so calm in the face of danger and has such a helpful heart. He will surely become a valuable asset to the Zhou family in the future!"
"You flatter me, Madam Cheng. It was nothing, just a small favor." Zhou Shouyi was only in his early twenties, still a young man. Although he tried his best to appear calm in the face of such straightforward praise, he couldn't hide his happiness.
With familiar faces around, Cheng Yunping finally calmed down a bit. Ruyi noticed this and decided to let Yunping learn from Zhou Shouyi.
Her daily schedule is too full. Each trip to the prefectural city takes at least two days, which makes her already limited time even more difficult. Therefore, she hopes that Cheng Yan or Cheng Yunping can help her share the work in the prefectural city so that she will have enough time to deal with other things.
After that day, Ruyi handed over almost all the work in the prefectural city to the two men in her family. Fortunately, these were not complicated matters. The two men were happy to take on the task, as they could visit relatives and broaden their horizons in the prefectural city.
Time flies, and it's already mid-August.
Since July, Huaishan County has not received a single drop of rain. The river level is getting lower and lower, and the ground is starting to crack everywhere. Coupled with the rising temperature, it is making people feel increasingly uneasy.
That day, Cheng Yunping had just returned from the prefectural city, but contrary to his usual behavior, he not only did not share his experiences in the prefectural city with his wife and son, but also remained sullen and silent.
After Lin Xiaoman noticed something was wrong, she asked him, but he wouldn't say anything. So she went to her all-knowing mother-in-law and asked her to help her ask.
So Cheng Ruyi took advantage of dinner to ask her son, "By the way, Yunping, did your trip to the prefectural city go smoothly? Were there any problems at the shop?"
Yunping, who was deep in thought, was suddenly asked a question by his mother and was a little slow to react. "Ah? Oh... The shop is doing very well. Manager Zhou does everything personally. With him looking after things, you can rest assured, Mother."
Ruyi observed her son's expression and found that he didn't seem to react much when he talked about the shop. She guessed that nothing had happened at the shop. Could it be that he saw something on the road?
So she subtly continued to probe: "Hmm, that's good. What's the situation in the prefectural city now? Is the weather as hot as here? Has it been raining there lately?"
Sure enough, as soon as Ruyi finished speaking, Cheng Yunping's hand, which was about to pick up some food, froze in mid-air. He put down his chopsticks, pondered for a moment, and then asked in a soft voice, "Mother, the drought outside seems to be very serious. I heard that the entire northwest has not seen a drop of rain since the beginning of summer this year, and there are even refugees outside the city gates of the prefecture, just like in Huaishan County last year... No, I feel it will be even more serious!"
"Is it really that exaggerated? How is your great-aunt's family? Do they have enough water? Has it affected them in any way?" Cheng Yan's first reaction after hearing this was to worry about her sister's family, after all, they were relatives who had been found with great difficulty. "No, I have to go and see for myself tomorrow!"
Cheng Ruyi calmed Cheng Yan down, who was in a panic. "Father, calm down first. Let's not even talk about how your uncle and cousin have connections in the prefectural city. The prefectural city is the most prosperous and wealthy place in the entire Chongzhou. Moreover, it is right next to the source of the Jinshui River, the Sujiang River. Even if our water supply is cut off, the prefectural city will not be cut off. There is no need to worry too much."
After listening to his daughter's analysis, Cheng Yan gradually calmed down, but he was still a little worried, so he turned to her and asked, "Yunping, what is the current situation in the city? Tell me in detail!"
"The prefectural city... the prefectural city is decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and there's singing and dancing everywhere. There's no problem at all." Cheng Yunping said sullenly, "You all don't know, Lingyun Pavilion is doing very well. Those rich people spend hundreds or thousands of taels at a time. The restaurants on the main street are also packed with people. Especially the Baizhen Pavilion we went to last time. They recently launched some kind of Summer Night Peach Banquet. I heard that they actually spread ice blocks all over the courtyard, and then everyone enjoys a sumptuous feast on the platform built on top. It's simply too luxurious!"
Wow! Gu Jia really knows how to have fun! The happiness of the rich is beyond our imagination.
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