After loading the goods and seeing the merchant off, He Jianxia watched the merchant's retreating figure and quietly asked, "Shopkeeper, we ourselves have trouble selling those gift boxes. He's taking them with him, so they probably won't sell well either, right?"
“Selling at the original price is obviously not easy, but if we lower the price, we won’t have to worry about sales.”
He Jianxia asked curiously, "But didn't the shopkeeper say that lowering the price would affect our shop's reputation?"
Meng Zhao patted her shoulder gently, his tone carrying a hint of meaning, "If we lower the price, it will affect the shop's reputation, but this item wasn't sold through us, was it? Our shop has always maintained a uniform price. How they sell it after they get the goods is their business, we can't interfere."
Upon hearing this, He Jianxia's eyes lit up, and she suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! This way, even if a customer comes back, we'll have a way to explain, since our prices have never changed."
Meng Zhao nodded in satisfaction. "That's right. So you have to maintain good relationships with these merchants. If there's any stockpiled inventory or unsellable items that we can't lower the price for, we should clear them out for them. If there are any in-demand items, we can also leave them some inventory. They'll only help us if they can make a profit. That's called mutual benefit, understand?"
He Jianxia nodded repeatedly, his face showing admiration. "The shopkeeper is truly brilliant! This way, we can clear out our inventory, maintain the shop's reputation, and win over these merchants. It's a win-win situation."
Meng Zhao smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "Doing business is all about flexibility and adaptability."
After spending a day at the Treasure Pavilion, Meng Zhao drove a donkey cart to the county school to pick up Shen Qing, who had just finished his exams, and they went home together.
Meng Zhao finally understood the mindset of parents during the college entrance examination period. They were afraid that he would get cold or hungry, or that something would happen to him on the way. For five consecutive days, except for the third day when she was busy with the teahouse and did not stay at home, she personally went to pick up Shen Qinghe and take him home whenever she was home.
That day, Meng Zhao was busy working with Gu Shi at the braised pork shop when suddenly a noisy commotion came from outside, so the two of them went out together.
Just as he stepped out the door, he saw a group of constables walking towards him, led by Wu Rongzhou.
A few days ago, he was promoted to head constable, and Meng Zhao even went to give him a gift. At this moment, he was wearing a brand-new head constable's uniform, with a sword at his waist, and a smile on his face, looking exceptionally energetic.
"Madam Gu, Madam Meng, congratulations!"
Meng Zhao asked curiously, "Officer Wu, what is this matter that has brought you here to offer your congratulations?"
Wu Rongzhou cupped his hands and smiled, "We came here specifically to congratulate Young Master Shen. From now on, he will be a scholar!"
What?
A scholar?
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's eyes widened immediately, and her voice trembled slightly, "This...this...you're not joking with us, are you? Wasn't it said that the results would be posted at 1-3 PM?"
Wu Rongzhou explained with a smile, "How could we joke about something so important? The results of the county examination have already been released, but they haven't been posted yet. We've come to congratulate you because Young Master Shen not only passed the exam, but also ranked first! We've come in advance to offer our congratulations so you can be prepared."
Wow! Not only did he pass the exam, but he also topped the list! The people in the shop were in an uproar when they heard this. They all put down their bowls and chopsticks and looked towards the door, wanting to see who this top scholar was.
When Aunt Suyun went back to report the news, Shen Qinghe was washing dishes at home. When he arrived at the shop, he was still wearing the most ordinary coarse cloth robe.
His sleeves were rolled up to his arms, and there were still water stains on the hem of his clothes. He was slightly thin, but his features were exceptionally delicate. The more ordinary his clothes were, the more they accentuated his extraordinary handsomeness.
By this time, a crowd had gathered at the shop entrance, chattering amongst themselves, "This is the county's top scholar? What a handsome man!"
"Wow, this county magistrate looks quite young. I wonder if he's married yet?"
"Such achievements at such a young age, he's destined for great things! I have to go to this braised pork shop and buy something, to bask in the glory of being the top seller!"
Compared to the excitement of others, Shen Qinghe appeared remarkably calm, as if he had known all along. However, his slightly clenched hands betrayed his inner tension and excitement.
Finally, he achieved official rank and was no longer a commoner.
Shen Qing was surrounded by people congratulating him, while Madam Gu was completely stunned and couldn't say a word.
Meng Zhao, having anticipated this, calmly took out a few pieces of silver and handed them to Wu Rongzhou, saying, "Officer Wu, thank you so much for making this trip to tell us this good news. This is just a small token of my appreciation, and I hope you will accept it, sir."
Wu Rongzhou hadn't come here to ask for a reward, so he naturally refused and reached out to refuse. Meng Zhao stopped him, smiling as he said, "Brother Wu, this isn't just for you, it's for your brothers. You've made a special trip, consider it a little money for drinks, so everyone can share in the joy."
After thinking about his brothers behind him, Wu Rongzhou accepted the silver. After seeing the constables off, Meng Zhao said to the customers in the shop, "Today is a big day for the shop. In order to close up shop as soon as possible, all braised meat will be sold at 20% off. While supplies last."
The people who had been drawn here by the congratulations of the constable stopped when they saw the shop was having a discount. They turned around and lined up in front of the shop. After all, the braised meat was not only cheap, but they could also benefit from the reputation of the county magistrate. Why not?
Madam Gu was so busy that her feet barely touched the ground. She relied entirely on muscle memory to collect money and cut meat. Finally, after the shop sold out of all the ingredients she had prepared and closed the door, she began to laugh out loud. But after only a couple of laughs, her eyes suddenly reddened and her voice choked up. "Qinghe, it's so wonderful that you passed the imperial examination and became a scholar... It's just a pity that your father and your elder brother can't see it."
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