Chapter 157 Business Opportunities Come to Our Doorstep, Why Not Take Them?
He put down his teacup and requested in a gentle tone:
“Miss Jiang, your shop may be small, but it has a unique style and the goods are quite novel. This is my first time here, and I am curious. May I take a look around?”
"Please go ahead, Young Master Fang." Jiang Ling nodded generously.
She opens her door to do business, so naturally anyone can watch.
Fang Shijie got up and began to slowly stroll between the shelves.
He picked up a bag of cookies, looked at the words on the transparent packaging, and frowned almost imperceptibly. He had never seen such handwriting before, and it was written so small and precise.
He walked over to the rice bin, bent down to look at the rice inside. The grains were plump and uniform, much better than those on the market.
Finally, he stopped in front of the row of bottles filled with colorful liquids.
Actually, he had been keeping an eye on Jiang Ling for a while. He had been to the shop many times, but each time he was unlucky enough to not see Jiang Ling open the door.
A few days ago, we received a secret report that when the border troops passed through Ping'an County, they specially sent a small team to Jishui Village with fifty empty grain carts, but when they left, they were loaded with goods from one hundred grain carts.
One hundred cartloads of grain!
It's not unusual for ordinary shops to provide food to the army, but with many states in the Great Yu Dynasty suffering from disasters and food shortages, the fact that a small grocery store in a remote village could produce so much grain made him suspicious.
Since that Mid-Autumn Festival night, he had noticed that Jiang Ling and the courtesan Hongxiu under the peony flowers had a close relationship.
So he deliberately approached Hongxiu, speaking softly and tenderly, showing her great care, and even spending a lot of money to book her for a period of time, openly and secretly inquiring about Jiang Ling and the general store, and promising to redeem her from her servitude in the future.
The naive and inexperienced Hongxiu, who longed for someone to rely on, quickly fell for his tender advances and developed deep feelings for him.
I came here today under the pretext of placing an order with Hongxiu.
While Fang Shijie was touring the shop, Jiang Ling lowered her voice and asked Hongxiu:
"When did you become so close to Young Master Fang? And why did you come here together?"
Upon hearing this, Hongxiu's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes revealing a girlish shyness, and her voice was so soft it could melt water:
“Sister, to tell you the truth… since the Mid-Autumn Festival, Young Master Fang has often come to take care of me since he knows that I am on good terms with you. Several times the madam in the brothel has forced me to entertain difficult guests, and it was Young Master Fang who stepped in to help me out. He… he treats me very well, respects me, never forces me to do anything, and even said that he would find an opportunity to help me redeem myself and let me live a peaceful life… He is a truly good person.”
Jiang Ling understood when she saw how completely absorbed she was.
This is just a typical hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario; it seems Fang Shijie is quite the ladies' man.
Given the current situation, Hongxiu is probably already deeply entangled and unable to extricate herself.
Jiang Ling smiled and said gently, "As long as he treats you well, that's fine. But Hongxiu, you've been in the world of pleasure for a long time, so be careful and don't trust people too easily."
Hongxiu nodded, but didn't take it to heart, still immersed in Fang Shijie's gentleness: "I know, sister. Young Master Fang is different from others. I can feel it. He is genuinely good to me."
At this moment, Fang Shijie returned, holding a bag of chocolates in his hand, and asked with a smile, "Miss Jiang, these cookies look exquisite. I wonder what they are made of? They smell very sweet."
"This is made from a type of bean called cocoa in the West. If you like it, young master, I'll have Xiao Ran pack two bags for you to take back and try."
Fang Shijie smiled and thanked her, "Then thank you very much, Miss Jiang."
"I've traveled all over the country and seen quite a few strange things. But I've never seen anything like what you have in your shop before, which has piqued my curiosity as a merchant. May I ask where you source all these things?"
Jiang Ling's inner alarm bells went off slightly, but she maintained a polite smile on her face.
“Young Master Fang is joking. They are just some clever little trinkets, collected sporadically from some merchants who travel by sea in the south. They are nothing special. They are just things to eat, play with, and use when they are new. They are not worthy of being presented in a refined manner, unlike Young Master Fang who is knowledgeable and experienced.”
Fang Shijie was as shrewd as he was; how could he not realize that these words were an evasion?
A barely perceptible hint of inquiry flashed in his eyes, but his smile only grew more gentle:
"I see. The things brought by the sea merchants are indeed rare. It's quite an achievement that Miss Jiang has such connections."
He casually put the chocolate back on the shelf, naturally changing the subject.
"Speaking of which, Hongxiu just mentioned wanting to order some rouge and face powder. I wonder if Miss Jiang has any other novel items suitable for a young lady's household? Perhaps I can also select a couple for the women in my family."
When Hongxiu heard Fang Shijie's curiosity, she chimed in, pulling Jiang Ling's hand and saying, "Yes, sister, have you had any new or interesting items lately? Show them to us!"
Jiang Ling understood that Fang Shijie was not planning to give up testing her so easily.
Business is offered to us, so why not take it?
"Just a few days ago, a few bottles of Western-made floral water arrived. The fragrance is long-lasting and unique; a single drop can keep the scent going all day, longer than ordinary scented soap. Let me show you."
She went to the warehouse and found the mosquito repellent she had bought last time.
The supermarket was having a buy-one-get-one-free promotion, so I got two bottles in total.
The transparent glass bottle contains a clear liquid with smooth lines, and it appears exceptionally crystal clear under the light.
"Wow! Is this a glass bottle? It's so exquisitely crafted and transparent!"
Hongxiu was first drawn to the exquisite bottle. She carefully took one, unscrewed the cap, and gently sniffed it. Her eyes lit up immediately.
"This fragrance... is so unique and rich! It's like the essence of a hundred gardens has been condensed into this small bottle!"
Fang Shijie's gaze was immediately drawn to this thing he had never seen before.
He took the other bottle and immediately noticed that the glass bottle was of uniform quality and its craftsmanship far surpassed any glass products he could see at the time.
He imitated Hongxiu's gesture and unscrewed the bottle cap. A delicate and fragrant scent wafted out, its rich and lasting aroma far surpassing that of ordinary floral fragrances.
No matter how far he traveled across the country, he had never heard of or seen anything like it.
Having been in business for many years, he deeply understands the principle of hoarding rare goods.
Such an exquisitely crafted item, with its extraordinary aroma and unusual packaging and usage, could not possibly be easily obtained by a few scattered overseas travelers.
The words spoken by this Miss Jiang were clearly meant to evade him.
His doubts deepened, but a smile of great admiration appeared on his face: "This thing is indeed magical! The fragrance is elegant, and the bottle is an exquisite work of art. Miss Jiang, I'll take both bottles of floral water, along with the rouge and powder that Miss Hongxiu wanted. Also, please pack a few packets of those cocoa biscuits from earlier."
He was generous, just like a lavish customer.
"Thank you, Young Master Fang." Jiang Ling said with a smile, and gestured for Xiao Ran to pack the goods.
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