As time passed and the days went by, Anqing Prefecture remained outwardly calm and peaceful.
This facade led Zhen Wanwan to mistakenly believe that the war outside was real.
She started her department store business step by step, and through Qu Huaiyuan's introduction, she hired a manager for five taels of silver a month.
This person is called Zhang Qiaozui. As his name suggests, Zhang Qiaozui is very eloquent and seems to know how to manage a business.
According to him, he used to be a manager for a wealthy family. When that family moved to another prefecture, he resigned and returned to Guangling County with his wife and children.
A teacher at the county school who was on good terms with Qu Huaiyuan was his brother-in-law, and he inadvertently mentioned this matter to Qu Huaiyuan.
After seeing that the department store was also looking for a manager, he introduced Zhen Wanwan and Zhang Qiaozui.
As a result, the department store gained some fame under his management.
On the opening day, Zhen Wanwan did not show up, but instead disguised herself as a tourist and acted as a patron for the staff.
The first floor of the department store mainly sells grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as various seasoning packets, etc.
The second floor sells stationery and books, plus a bar that sells drinks and coffee.
The third floor contains maternity and baby products, as well as products in the women's section, such as diapers, formula, baby scents, sanitary napkins, and shower gel.
Because of the county magistrate's influence, many wealthy families who wanted to curry favor sent their wives and children over to play.
At the waiter's strong recommendation, the women with children went up to the third floor.
Looking ahead, all they saw were new and interesting things, and the children were instantly drawn to the novel toys.
Zhen Wanwan also brought her children to warm up the atmosphere. She took her child directly to the play area and placed the child on the mat.
Seeing this, a woman frowned and whispered a reminder: "This lady is probably taking care of a child for the first time! The child is weak, and you can't just put him on the ground in this cold weather!"
Zhen Wanwan glanced at the woman who was speaking and knew that she was the owner of the cloth shop in Guangling County.
She explained with a smile, "Thank you for reminding me, Madam. There's a heated floor here, so the place where the child is lying is warm and won't get cold!"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look. One of the servants even touched the floor and stared at Zhen Wanwan in shock.
What she said was actually true!
Earth dragons are nothing unusual, but they're on the third floor right now!
No wonder they felt a warm, cozy feeling as soon as they came in.
"Mommy, I want to go inside and play with my little sister!"
The cloth shop owner's daughter tugged at her clothes, looking at Tianbao with anticipation.
Hearing her daughter's request, the shop owner gently patted her head and whispered, "Then be careful, okay? Don't touch the little girl!"
"Okay!" the little girl replied loudly, and pattered her way through the railing.
At this moment, a middle-aged woman approached the group, curtsied to them, and said with a smile, "Welcome, ladies, to the Pleasure House. I am the housekeeper here. Please feel free to ask me if you need anything."
"Butler? Pleasure House? That's an interesting name."
The butler smiled and introduced, "Our Fun House has a children's play area and a shopping area. This is a special area for children, selling everything for kids—food, clothes, toys, and more..."
The wealthy people listened to the steward's words in a daze, but as she explained, they understood what kind of business this place mainly did.
The purpose and price of each product are clearly marked, eliminating the need to ask for prices.
Most people have never seen diapers or baby formula.
"This was purchased by our family from outsiders. It's called diapers, suitable for children from birth to three years old. They're clean and hygienic, keeping the baby's bottom dry all day, better protecting their health..."
The ladies present didn't care about the high price; they were all thinking about whether the thing was as good as the butler had said.
It is important to know that even though wet nurses take care of children in winter, they cannot always keep an eye on their excretions, especially at night, when urinating can easily lead to catching a cold.
So, wealthy ladies with children under three years old would all carry a bag first.
Seeing that diapers were selling like hotcakes while baby formula was going unsold, Zhen Wanwan asked, "Housekeeper, could you please introduce this baby formula?"
The housekeeper glanced at her, then, understanding her intent, began to sell. Through a series of persuasive sales pitches, only two or three people actually made a purchase.
Zhen Wanwan raised an eyebrow, pointed to the most expensive milk powder, and shouted, "Give me three cans! I have a child in school at home, I'll take them back to help him get some nutrition!"
The butler smiled and packed it for her, saying softly, "Madam has excellent taste! This milk powder is a royal product of a foreign tribe. It is said that princes do not drink their mother's milk when they are born, but only drink this milk powder!"
Therefore, most of them were two feet tall, as strong as oxen, and many times healthier than us!
Zhen Wanwan glanced at the housekeeper and said nonchalantly, "It's not that magical! Their strength is mostly due to their diet later on. This milk powder is just laying a good foundation for their health!"
Before the butler's smile could fade, he quickly apologized, "Yes, yes, just as Madam said. But this milk powder is truly a wonderful thing."
Children who grow up on this formula are much smarter than others…
Boasting, the butler held up three fingers and proudly boasted, "I saw it with my own eyes. My master's aunt's young master, who was not even three years old, could not only recite the entire Three Character Classic, but also write it down without making a single mistake?"
If Zhen Wanwan hadn't known the truth, she probably would have been fooled by the housekeeper's confident demeanor.
She glanced around at the ladies and saw that they all looked tempted, which told her that this approach had captivated them!
Zhen Wanwan used her ruthless tactic again, asking casually, "Do you have hot water in your shop? It's getting late, and my two children are getting hungry. This is a good opportunity to try out your formula to see if it's really good!"
"Yes! Madam, please wait in the rest area for a moment, and I will go down and bring you some hot water!"
As she spoke, the housekeeper hurried downstairs, while Zhen Wanwan went to the rest area and sat quietly on a chair to wait.
The ladies present, whether they believed it or not, all tacitly followed Zhen Wanwan, wanting to see how the formula tasted and whether it could actually replace breastfeeding.
The housekeeper returned shortly after, bringing not only the formula but also a complimentary baby bottle.
"Since we just opened today, the manager has instructed that every customer who buys milk powder will receive a free baby bottle..."
The housekeeper deftly opened the bottle, scooped out two spoonfuls of formula, added hot water, and shook it a few times.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com