Chapter 113 The Golden Period of Tea Mountain Development
"Mom! It needs to be bright! Big glass! Like a crystal palace! The light needs to be warm, so that the fragrant soap looks like a gem! And there need to be huge flowers and mountains painted on the wall!"
Fubao's voice is full of aesthetics that transcend the times.
Shen Lingning was touched by the scene her daughter described. She had seen such a store in Shanghai. All the high-end luxury stores in Shanghai used to be decorated like that.
But she calmed down immediately. This was too much!
In this era dominated by gray, blue and green, such "luxurious" decoration can easily be labeled as "bourgeois hedonism".
She patiently whispered to Fubao in her arms: "Bao, your idea is very good. But we can't be too advanced. Glass windows are allowed, but not all of them; the lights should be bright and practical, but not too dazzling;
We can have paintings, but they can’t be too big or too ostentatious… We want something clean, bright, and tidy, something that makes people feel comfortable and thinks our work is good, but not something that’s too garbled or that makes people think we’re wasting money.”
The final design is a delicate balance between the constraints of the times and Fubao's forward-thinking suggestions:
The street-facing wall boldly uses large but not excessive glass windows, replacing the common brick walls or small display windows, ensuring sufficient lighting and product display.
The interior walls are painted snow-white, and students from the Academy of Fine Arts were asked to paint elegant and freehand pictures of osmanthus branches and tea mountains in the distance on the walls. The paintings are not heavy in color, but elegant and fresh, similar to fine brushwork, exuding a cultural atmosphere.
The walls are simply lined with dark green tones inspired by the aesthetics of the 1970s, combined with wall paintings of tea mountains and osmanthus flowers, giving the overall style a unified and elegant feel.
The lighting does not use crystal chandeliers, but a combination of ordinary chandeliers and wall lamps with soft and bright light to ensure that every corner of the store is clear and bright.
The shelves are made of good wood, polished smooth and not painted, retaining the original wood color, looking simple and clean.
The floor was clean cement, but it was swept spotlessly.
Even so, in Changan in the late 1970s, such a store design was shocking enough!
During the construction period, countless passers-by stopped to watch and talk about it.
"Hey, what kind of store are they opening? It's so bright!"
"Look at the painting on the wall. It's so beautiful! Is it osmanthus?"
"How much does this cost? It's really impressive!"
Half a month later, the store was completed.
On the eve of the opening, Shen Lingning stood alone in the store.
Moonlight streamed in through the glass windows, illuminating the brand new shelves and the products that were about to be put on the shelves. The air was filled with a faint smell of wood and lime.
She looked at this store, which was the result of her and Fubao's hard work and was both in line with the times and slightly ahead of the times, and her heart was filled with anticipation and a hint of imperceptible uneasiness.
On the opening day of the "Songtaogou Military and Civilian Service Center Chang'anmen City Branch", there were no loud gongs and drums, no firecrackers, only an opening notice written on red paper posted at the door.
However, people who heard the news had already surrounded the door and made it impossible to get in.
The bright glass windows, the clean environment, the elegant paintings on the walls, the golden osmanthus soap and black tea jars that look particularly tempting under the lights... everything makes people who walk into the store feel an unprecedented sense of novelty and comfort.
In the store, Shen Lingning arranged two articulate and trained military families to serve as sales clerks. Wearing uniform clean aprons and with proud smiles on their faces, they patiently introduced the products to customers and told the entrepreneurial stories behind the military families.
"Mom! There are so many people! Money! So much money!" Fubao was held by Shen Yuchuan at the door, watching the excitement, and his excited voice echoed in Shen Lingning's mind.
Business is even more booming than expected!
People not only come to buy soap and tea, but also visit this bright and clean, unique store as a "landscape" itself.
Word of mouth spread like wildfire again: "Go check out that store owned by a military family! The products are great, and the store is incredibly beautiful!"
Because of the newspaper interview, many people knew about Songtaogou Jingui Tea Seed Soap. On the opening day, many people flocked to the store and sales continued to rise.
The base leaders who had originally had concerns about the renovation costs were completely relieved and turned to strong support.
Shen Lingning and Zhou Weiguo talked on the phone that night. Listening to his wife's description, which sounded a bit tired but full of a sense of accomplishment, Zhou Weiguo chuckled, "It seems that your idea of 'half a luxury store' was right. Well done."
The pride and support could not be hidden in his words.
But amidst the grand occasion, Shen Lingning was not lost.
She remains sober and strictly controls product quality and service attitude.
She knows that no matter how beautiful the store is, it is just icing on the cake. What can really retain people's hearts is always the excellent product quality and reputation for honest business operations.
Occasionally, foreign trade companies or curious foreign buyers come here through introductions and see this simple but vibrant "display window".
Shen Lingning's unassuming and clearly structured product introduction only strengthened their confidence in the product's quality. Orders actually began pouring in through this small window.
When the news reached Songtaogou, everyone was delighted.
The shadow of spies that once shrouded the base was completely dispelled.
The base held a commendation meeting. Zhou Weiguo was awarded the second-class merit for his calmness and secret cooperation in the anti-espionage struggle. Because of his outstanding command ability and political awareness, he was appointed by his superiors as the deputy regiment commander in charge of combat training, with heavier responsibilities and a brighter future.
Shen Lingning and her tea mountain team were also solemnly commended and awarded the title of "Advanced Collective".
Her tea seed soap and golden osmanthus black tea have been designated as special gifts for the base's external exchanges and condolences.
With the Songtaogou Jingui Tea Seed Soap store in Chang'an booming and orders pouring in from the foreign trade department, the development of the tea mountain has entered a real golden age.
The stubborn old man held the certificate of "Technical Contribution Award" in his hands, tears streaming down his face as he muttered, "It's worth it! It's worth it! This life is worth it!"
Core members such as Aunt Sun and Liu Jinfeng were all proud and full of energy.
The dust has settled, and everything is waiting to be done. It is now time to show your talents.
Shen Lingning did not indulge in the joy of victory for too long.
With the support of Zhou Weiguo and the new base leaders, she began to make drastic plans for the future of the tea mountain.
First, expand production scale.
Fifty acres of mountain land were newly reclaimed and planted with cold-resistant tea seedlings and spice plants such as osmanthus and jasmine.
The soap factory and tea factory were expanded and necessary equipment was added. Although they were still simple, they were more standardized and had strict production standards and hygiene systems.
Secondly, deepen the product line.
Based on osmanthus soap and black tea, she successively developed a series of products including jasmine soap, mint soap, and mugwort soap.
In terms of tea, in addition to golden osmanthus black tea, jasmine tea and "daughter tea" made from camellia flowers and young leaves are also trial-produced. They have a sweet taste and unique flavor.
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