"Sir, Officer Feng, Village Chief..."
Ruan Qian said humbly, "Regarding seafood and business, my younger sister has thought things through much further than we have. How about this? Let's hear my younger sister's plan first?"
Deng Zisong nodded.
Ruan Mengchao nodded and asked Deng Zisong first.
"My lord, before I offer my suggestion, I would like to know whether most of those who come to the temple to pray for blessings are from our Nan County, or are there also people from other counties?"
Feng Da readily answered, “That’s easy! Although every county has temples of varying sizes, the temple in our county has the most revered abbot and the most popular incense offerings.”
"Therefore, in addition to the villagers of this county, even more pilgrims come from the other three counties."
Ruan Meng nodded gratefully, and then said:
"Understood, sir. The business I'm about to discuss is related to the stalls in front of the temple."
"These days, the villagers are just earning hard-earned money by picking seafood and selling it to He's restaurant."
"Fresh seafood, sold cheaply by villagers to restaurants, can be sold for dozens of times more after cooking..."
"Do you think it's more cost-effective to collect seafood or to cook it?"
Deng Zisong raised his eyebrows and smiled; anyone could do the math in this business.
Feng Dahe, the village chief, had a brighter look in his eyes.
I heard that the recipe for seafood with dipping sauce was given to me by Ruan Meng?
The new menu for He Family Restaurant was also provided by Ruan Meng...
Since the seafood was found in the village and the cooking method was taught to them by the Ruan family, why can't they earn the money for cooking the seafood?
Ruan Meng changed the subject, "My lord, I've been to the city several times and noticed that the vendors in front of the temple aren't actually doing very well..."
"They are able to set up stalls in front of the temple thanks to your efforts and the temple abbot's kindness, but even so, it's probably still very difficult for them to do so given their impoverished circumstances..."
Deng Zisong: "Does the young lady have any good suggestions? Please speak freely!"
Ruan Meng smiled and said, "Personally, I think people who come to the temple aren't necessarily there to buy groceries. Although the adults and the temple are kind, setting up stalls at the temple entrance is actually a bit wasteful..."
"What do people come to the temple to pray for? They pray for blessings, children, and peace. If the products sold meet their needs, wouldn't it be possible to sell more?"
"Praying for blessings? Wouldn't selling peace charms, peace characters, peace locks, and peace buckles at the entrance be more appealing than buying groceries?"
"If you're looking to have a child, wouldn't it be better to team up with businesses and sell health supplement packs that help regulate your body and aid conception than to buy groceries?"
"Those who come to the temple, whether on foot or by carriage, will take an hour or two to travel to and from the temple. Won't they be thirsty? Won't they be hungry?"
"If we sold herbal tea, starter, and easy-to-carry snacks at the entrance, such as the seafood in broth that sold very well before, would that attract people?"
Deng Zisong, unable to conceal his interest, raised a question:
“Miss Ruan, what you said is indeed very good, but there are two problems…”
"Firstly, I've seen and witnessed these amulets, safety buckles, and safety knots on land, and they do sell quite well. But can they really sell in our impoverished area?"
"Secondly, if the vegetable stalls in front of the temple are shut down and replaced with stalls selling these local specialties, how will the original impoverished people be resettled?"
Ruan Meng's eyes were clear and bright as she answered logically and clearly:
"Let me answer your first question, sir. Is seafood with a sauce more expensive, or are items like peace knots and peace buckles more expensive? In our Nanxian County alone, how popular was seafood with a sauce when He Family Restaurant launched it?"
"This shows that although there are many poor people in Nanxian County, there are still some who can afford to spend money. In addition, what kind of people usually come to the temple to worship?"
"It's women, ladies and young women. Do you think it's easier to make money off them or men?"
"Since the temple is popular and has a steady flow of people, as well as a consumer base and pilgrims from other counties, what we need to do is to find ways to make the items on these stalls more exquisite and attractive."
"If it were them, they could buy it from the other side of the strait, or they could buy cheap and rough stuff. Even if they set up a stall, they probably wouldn't get many customers."
"But if these things are ingeniously designed and will attract attention wherever they are placed, and they also happen to have certain functions and are affordable for the buyer, why can't they be sold?"
Deng Zisong nodded repeatedly, but his brows were furrowed, as if he still had doubts.
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