Chapter 144 Busy
After everyone finished lunch, they stayed together for a while before some people left.
Lu Yao and Rong Yanhui hurriedly saw the two people off and gave them their gifts of thanks.
The man didn't expect to receive a thank-you gift, and was very happy no matter what it was.
Seeing that the other party did not refuse, Lu Yao breathed a sigh of relief and the smile on her face became more obvious.
After everyone left, Lu Yao whispered to Rong Yan, "Do you think they'll like the return gift we've prepared?"
Rong Yanhui nodded in the affirmative without any hesitation. The gift prepared by his wife can be said to be unique here. Anyone who doesn't like it must be short-sighted and don't know its value.
In fact, it was just as Rong Yanhui said.
When the people who received the return gifts returned home and opened the gift boxes and saw what was inside, they were all a little puzzled. What was this?
Fortunately, in order to prevent people from being caught off guard, Lu Yao and the others thoughtfully placed a small note introducing the name and purpose of the gift.
"Mom, come and see what it is." The child next to her was also very curious and urged her to come and see.
The woman took out the slip and read it carefully, then quietly explained, "The small one is soap. It can replace bath beans and is used for cleansing hands, face, and body. The large one is called bar soap and has a better cleaning effect, especially on stains on clothes. And this square one is facial soap."
As she spoke, she picked up the soap and examined it carefully. A burst of fresh flower fragrance came to her nose. She sniffed in a very unpresentable way and then said in surprise, "This soap is really fragrant."
After saying this, she immediately ordered the servants to fetch some water so that she could wash her hands.
In addition to the soap, Lu Yao also prepared a porcelain bottle of hand cream and face cream.
Hand cream and face cream were packaged from large bottles in the space.
Lu Yao designed the porcelain vase herself and had it custom-made. She put a lot of effort into the shape and pattern. Although it was a very ordinary porcelain vase, it looked very elegant and classy.
Regardless of what's inside, this bottle is just so lovely.
"When did such rare things become available for sale outside?"
The woman was secretly curious, but she hadn't tried the effect, so she didn't say much. When the maid brought her some clean water, she wet her hands and applied soap according to the instructions on the note, gently rubbing her hands together. Delicate bubbles with a floral fragrance wafted into her nose, which was richer than before, but not cloying at all. Instead, she felt refreshed.
After scrubbing it for a while and washing it clean in water, she took it out again. She was shocked and delighted.
She felt that her hands had never been cleaner.
She wiped off the water stains with a cloth, picked up some hand cream with her index finger and spread it evenly on her hands, rubbing gently. After the cream was completely absorbed, she felt her hands again, and the smile on her face became more obvious.
Her gaze fell on the bottles of facial cleanser and cream beside her, her eyes burning with passion.
She thought that no woman could withstand such temptation.
"The return gift from the Rong family's younger generation is too precious."
The woman sighed at last.
Her family is Liu Manyun's younger brother's wife, and was once a close friend of Rong's mother. Even after they got married, the two of them still have a deep relationship.
Later, something happened to the Rong family, and the child was taken care of in the backyard, so she couldn't go to their house. She had to ask her family to help take care of the child. However, the people in the Shen family were not easy to get along with. In addition, she and her husband were sent to another place. Although she asked someone to bring things to her every year, their relationship was distant.
When they finally returned to the capital, the Shen family was exiled due to another incident. Now that they were reunited in the capital, they started to move around again.
When we went to the greenhouse today, they brought a lot of gifts, intending to help out a little, but unexpectedly, they ended up taking advantage of us.
Liu Qingyun carefully examined the item in his hand: "Such a good thing, I wonder where they got it from."
Tian Xinyi rolled her eyes at him. "What does this have to do with you? Let me tell you, this has nothing to do with your government office. If I give you something good, just use it. There's no point in getting to the bottom of it."
Liu Qingyun chuckled and said, "I'm just curious. If such a good thing were sold outside, it would definitely attract a lot of attention and make the whole city famous."
But so far, no news has been heard.
As a woman, Tian Xinyi naturally knew the benefits of these things. No matter which one was released, it would probably attract countless women to scramble for it.
"I'll go ask my elder sister-in-law some other day," she said.
There are many women in the family. If there are some to sell, she will buy more to give to others or use for herself.
At night, the whole family used this thing called soap and shampoo.
You don’t know until you use it. You’ll be surprised when you do.
They were really shocked by how useful this thing was.
Even the little grandson, who never liked taking a bath or washing his hair, didn't make a fuss for the first time.
Tian Xinyi decided to go to her elder sister-in-law's house tomorrow to ask and find out the situation.
It's not an isolated case.
What happened in Tian Xinyi's home also happened in the homes of several other families who received return gifts.
Without exception, everyone was full of admiration, curiosity and yearning for the gift box.
The next day, Liu Manyun received the hostesses of these families. After seeing them off, she couldn't help but sigh, "Yaoyao is so amazing."
These people have always had contact with the Rong family, but their vision is not low. The fact that they rushed to their house in such a hurry to inquire about the situation proves that this thing is really good.
Qin Tianxiao nodded: "Anything can make women fight for it."
She is quite knowledgeable and was amazed when she used it for the first time.
Ye Jiayue and Lan Xin couldn't help but sigh:
"I've always known Yaoyao is amazing, but I didn't expect her to be this amazing."
"I used to think I was pretty good, but compared to Yaoyao, ugh."
"That's right. Now when they praise me, I blush and feel ashamed."
"Sister-in-law, do you feel the same way?"
“…”
Liu Manyun was amused by their words: "You are all good children."
Qin Tianxiao nodded in agreement: "Everyone is an independent individual with their own strengths and advantages. You are all very good, very good."
"It's an honor for our Rong family that the eldest and second sons can marry you two," Liu Manyun said seriously, "After so many years of getting along, we are all very familiar with each other. You are really great, and we are all very satisfied and like you."
Qin Tianxiao nodded: "Yaoyao is very good, and you are not bad either. Well, I wouldn't trade her for ten Yaoyaos."
When Ye Jiayue and Lan Xin heard what the two said, they both laughed, and the slight tension and pressure in their hearts disappeared.
They shouldn't be too harsh on themselves just because others are better than them.
certainly,
They cannot just go with the flow, but must continue to learn and improve, striving to become better themselves.
Liu Manyun and Qin Tianxiao smiled at each other. A harmonious family brings prosperity. This is the best.
That day, when Rong Yanhui finished his class and was about to leave the Rong Mansion and go home with his elder brother-in-law Lu Mingxiu, he was stopped by Liu Manyun.
After hearing her purpose for looking for him, Rong Yanhui grinned: "Sister Yao will definitely be very happy if she knows."
"When will your store open?" Liu Manyun asked, "So I can tell them."
"Soon," Rong Yan replied, "Sister Yao said we just need to wait for the goods to be stocked before we can open."
Liu Manyun nodded. Knowing the plans and arrangements here, she also knew how to tell others.
She had a feeling that someone would ask her more questions in the next few days.
As expected, many people heard about the gifts sent by the Rong family and were asking about the origins of these things. They all wanted to buy them.
At the door, Mo Zhu was already waiting there in a carriage. After the two of them got in, they started talking. "Are you all ready?"
Rong Yan nodded: "Ding Da and his men are busy on the farm."
For convenience, they called Ding Chunsheng Ding Da and Ding Wansheng Ding Er.
"Is the Ding family okay?" Lu Mingxiu was a little worried.
Rong Yan nodded: "This family is all capable. With them around, Sister Yao feels a lot more relaxed."
"Even though we have their indentures, we still have to be on guard." It's not bad to be cautious, as you can only judge a person by their appearance.
Rong Yanhui also understood this principle. "So far, it seems to be working well."
Ding Da was practical and introverted, so Lu Yao arranged for him to go to the farm to supervise the production. Ding Er was smart and outgoing, so Lu Yao arranged for him to be in charge of the shop and contact other materials and tools.
Although there were many large bottles and even barrels in Lu Yao's space, Lu Yao still did not choose to repackage them directly. Instead, she sorted out the formula and hired people to produce it in the farm. This way, there was a source and safety could be guaranteed to a certain extent.
That's right, at this time, they bought another group of servants, who mainly went to the farm to make soap, perfumed soap and other products.
After a month of hard work, they have accumulated a lot of inventory and several of their shops have been renovated.
Speaking of the shop, we have to mention that they went to collect the account books and check the situation of the shop.
Ever since the shop was returned to Rong Yanhui, the people above him have not interfered with the affairs here anymore. The shopkeeper was diligent and cautious at first, but after more than half a month, no one came to check on him, and after finding out about the situation of the person who had taken over the business, he gradually became bolder.
As the saying goes, "What goes around comes around." A good shop went from bad to worse. When Lu Yao and Rong Yan returned to the shop, they even encountered customers being driven away.
They stepped forward to stop it, but were ridiculed by the waiter. Not only did the shopkeeper not deal with it, he also spoke rudely to them, even more arrogant than their boss.
Lu Yao really wanted to ask at that time, who gave them such courage? Did they really think that this was their shop and they could do whatever they wanted?
Rong Yanhui immediately revealed his identity. The shopkeeper still wanted to call a spade a spade and was unwilling to admit their identities. Only after he produced the house deed to prove his identity did he behave himself.
To say that one is honest is actually just a superficial attitude. Once a person's appetite is developed, it is impossible to go back to the past.
Lu Yaorongyan replied that they ignored the shopkeeper and asked about the current business situation of the store. When the answer they got was very different from their actual visit, they ignored the other party's panic and took the account book directly.
The shopkeeper had been in charge for many years and was very experienced in accounting. It would be difficult for ordinary people to detect the trickery, but who was Lu Yao? She had absorbed the essence of thousands of years of Chinese history and mastered the crystallization of various knowledge. How could such a small trick escape her eyes?
Not only did she find out the problem, she also taught on the spot, demonstrating and explaining it to her husband and brother.
Rong Yanhui and Lu Mingxiu were both enlightened and said that they had learned a lot. What Yaomei/Xiaomei said was very practical. If they could successfully enter the court in the future, it would not only be a skill to be reused, but also prevent people below from fooling them.
Seeing this, Lu Yao decided to tell them something she knew every day.
After hearing that they would have an extra hour of study time every day, Rong Yanhui and Lu Mingxiu did not feel upset or complain. Instead, they were eager to try it out. What Yaomei/Xiaomei said was different from what Rong Dajiu and the others said, but they were both very useful.
So, the shopkeeper failed to steal the chicken and ended up losing the rice. Rong Yanhui reported the matter to the authorities directly. Only then did he regret his decision and begged for mercy.
Lu Yao and Rong Yanhui are not cruel, but they are not the kind of people who will soften their hearts just because of a few nice words. Everyone must be responsible for their own choices and actions.
Because the effect of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys was too shocking, the shopkeepers of other shops did not dare to do anything.
None of these shopkeepers were truly clean, but they did not want to be sent to the yamen like the previous shopkeeper. In order to get a lighter sentence from their boss, they took the initiative to come forward and confess.
Lu Yao and Rong Yanhui were not the kind of people who would not let go even if they were right. They simply asked them to return what they had embezzled and to resign from the shop voluntarily.
At this point, all the shops were taken back.
Rong's mother's dowry included a total of five shops and two farms. Two of the shops were sold when Wang Yalan was in charge. The remaining three all had good locations, but the businesses they had previously done were very average, so Lu Yao decided to close them down and make new plans.
After several days of observation and research, and after discussing with Rong Yanhui, they decided to have one of the shops sell daily toiletries such as soap and facial cleanser, and the other two shops, one of which would sell the traditional catering business, and the other jewelry.
These can be arranged as long as there are enough people.
For this purpose, they specially bought another group of people.
This group includes not only those who work in the farm, but also those who work as shop managers and do odd jobs. The requirements for the people who do the work are not high, but the person in charge of running the shop needs to be carefully selected.
Zhongren has been friends with Lu Mingxiu for many years. After knowing their needs, he has been keeping an eye out for them. What's more, he has picked out quite a few suitable ones.
So, Lu Yao simply started to do everything.
Now, the three shops have entered the final preparation stage, and they can start business immediately as soon as an auspicious day comes.
The carriage went straight to the Rong residence. Lu Mingxiu and Rong Yanhui were going to follow Lu Yao to learn various practical knowledge for an hour.
But before that, they had to have dinner.
After dinner, the group went to the study.
There are two little tails beside the three of them.
When Xiao Yunhao and Xiao Xinyue heard that their mother was going to give lessons to their father and uncle, they both looked shocked, and then expressed their desire to attend the lessons as well.
The two children were still young, and Lu Yao didn't want to let them follow. Later, she thought that they might not understand, but it would be good for them to learn these things by seeing and hearing.
Thus, Rong Yanhui and Lu Mingxiu had two more "little classmates".
Not only the two little guys, but Mo Zhu was also attending the class.
Mo Zhu was surprised and delighted to be able to attend the class together. In addition to being grateful to Lu Yao and Lu Mingxiu, he was even more determined to take good care of his young master.
What Mo Zhu didn't know was that Lu Yao and his sister had already treated him as a family member. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken him with them in everything they did.
The group arrived at the study, and Rong Yanhui and the others went to their respective seats.
Lately they've been learning, well, all sorts of scams.
It’s no wonder that everyone found it very interesting and eye-opening. Xiao Yunhao and Xiao Xinyue became more vigilant.
Lu Yao was not embarrassed to talk to her closest people. After they sat down, she continued her story from yesterday.
"Yesterday we talked about being lured by huge profits and following investment scams. Today we will talk about ensuring your personal safety before doing good deeds."
She paused for a moment and began to talk about cases of abducted women and children and extortion.
Lu Yao's father is a policeman. Under the influence of her father, she is full of sense of justice since she was a child. In addition, she is kind and enthusiastic. Whenever she sees someone in need, she will help to the best of her ability. However, many bad people take advantage of people's kindness to achieve their own goals. She does not want her relatives to be forced into difficulties because of this.
Whether in past lives or this life, there are too many examples of people with good intentions being betrayed and harming themselves. It is not that people are becoming more and more indifferent, but that bad people have eroded that kindness. Therefore, many people choose to protect themselves. Even when doing good things, they will first ensure their personal safety and interests are not harmed.
People are selfish, and she, who came from the end of the world, does not think that this choice is wrong.
Lu Yao cited many examples in one breath, each one was different, but the endings... were not so wonderful.
There are those who, after helping others, were blackmailed into bankruptcy and even criticized by the world;
Some were kidnapped to the mountains for helping others and locked in rooms to be used as tools for sexual gratification and reproduction;
Some people lend money to friends for emergencies and end up getting themselves into trouble;
There are those who help guarantee but end up being burdened with huge debts;
…
Of course, Lu Yao also talked about many other tricks, such as taking a child out on the street, only to have someone forcefully claim the child as their parent and snatch the child away in public; pretending to be a relative and sending messages with various excuses to ask for money transfers; and having a relative or neighbor take the child out to play, only to sell the child off and then disappear after saying the child was too naughty...
There were endless stories like this, which made the people present exclaim in amazement and their worldviews shattered.
"How can there be such a person in this world?"
“Those people are so bad.”
“Who still dares to believe that people can help each other?”
"God has his own way, these people deserve to go to hell!"
"I will never talk to strangers again."
“…”
Lu Yao looked at everyone's reactions and felt very relieved. At least, her efforts were not in vain.
After finishing today's lesson, she took out two more books and handed them to them.
These are the inventory in the space. One is the traditional Chinese version of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, and the other is the traditional Chinese version of "The Art of Thick Black" that she printed in the space.
Each of them took a copy and after reading only two pages, they felt like they had found a treasure.
Lu Yao smiled and said, "It's getting late. Let's go back and rest."
She repeatedly emphasized to them that good health is the foundation of everything, and they really took her words to heart. They immediately put their hands away carefully, ready to watch it when they had time.
But before that, they talked about the shop again.
"You really don't need our help?"
Lu Yao shook her head. "Ding Da and Ding Er are both very capable," she assured them not to worry. "If there's anything we really need, we'll definitely tell you."
"Have you set a time for opening?"
"Three days from now is a good day. I plan to open this store first while everyone is interested in toiletries."
In fact, the three shops were decorated in a similar way, but Lu Yao did not plan to open them on the same day. With the help of the return gifts, she felt that the shops could create momentum.
Seeing that she was full of confidence and not at all nervous or worried about the upcoming opening, Rong Yanhui and Lu Mingxiu felt relieved, but they had already decided to go to the store to help on the opening day.
That evening, Lu Yao asked Ding Er to arrange publicity matters.
Ding Er's work efficiency was quite high. The next day, a shop selling toiletries and care products that had been closed on the main street was about to reopen in two days.
Everyone was curious about what kind of store this was, but no one explained it, which left the crowd scratching their heads and feeling very uncomfortable.
Another day passed, and there was further publicity.
When the people arranged by Ding Er were asked again what washing and nursing care was, someone pointed mysteriously at a group of children.
The person asking the question was puzzled. What did these children have to do with what he was asking?
The man explained the question to the person who asked: "They are all small beggars in the city."
"Little beggar? How is that possible!" The person asking the question was incredulous.
Who doesn't know that beggars are dirty, smelly, and annoying? Besides their tattered clothes, what's so special about these kids that they're beggars?
Others also looked at the little beggars with suspicion.
The little beggars who were paid to help promote the business were not at all nervous. They pointed at themselves and said: Look at our hair, look at our faces, then look at our hands and our clothes, are they clean?
Everyone nodded. It was indeed very clean, even much cleaner than theirs, but what did this have to do with the question they wanted to ask?
The little beggars nodded: Of course it does.
Do you know why it is so clean?
Everyone shook their heads, quite curious and eager to know the answer.
They knew how dirty these little beggars were, but now they had become completely different people. How could they not be curious?
The little beggars raised the signs in their hands: The answer is here.
Everyone saw that it was written “Rongji Fengya toiletries and care products store will have a grand opening tomorrow, big discounts on that day”.
Everyone was still a little confused, but some of them were smart enough to react, which was to say, when the shop opened tomorrow, these things would be available for purchase.
After figuring this out, I immediately decided to come and have a look tomorrow.
But some people looked at the little beggars with suspicion: "Are you telling the truth? How can there be such a magical thing?"
But what if you don't believe it? Facts speak louder than words. The little beggars were clean from head to toe, even their tattered clothes were clean.
"The shop opens tomorrow. If you're interested, you can come and see it in person. I heard there will be discounts and a chance to win gifts."
Arrange people in the crowd to speak at the right time.
"Is this true?"
"Whether it's true or not, just go and see and you'll know. It's not a loss anyway."
"Yeah, what time tomorrow? I have to go check it out. If they really sell things that can be washed very clean, I can buy some."
“…”
Having achieved his goal, the man exchanged glances with the little beggars and moved on to the next place.
Just like that, in just one day, most of the capital knew that a shop would open tomorrow, selling things that were even better than bath beans and soap. They were all very curious and decided to go and take a look.
Whether to buy or not is another matter, but the excitement of the new store opening is something you have to see.
Come to think of it, wasn’t that shop sealed off before?
Someone sneered: Your information is out of date for several months and now it has returned to its original owner.
What's going on? Tell me quickly.
Come on, let me tell you...
The news outside was spreading like wildfire. Lu Yao, Ding Er, and the owner and waiter of Rong Ji Fengya were making final preparations in the shop.
Nowadays, shelves and goods are placed in the expected locations in an orderly manner, and the categories are marked above the shelves. Even if it is your first time entering the store, you can see at a glance where the things you need are placed.
Ding Er now looked at his wife with eyes full of admiration. He didn't expect that she was such an amazing person. Not only could she make such magical things, but she could also design beautiful cabinets and boxes. Even her ideas were so novel and effective.
It seemed to him that there was nothing his wife didn't understand.
The most popular thing outside right now is the rumors about the shop that is about to open. As the person in charge, he naturally pays attention to it at all times. Thinking about the effects of these things, he looks forward to tomorrow even more.
His eyes fell on the items already arranged on the shelves. Putting aside the appearance, the colors themselves were truly beautiful. He was sure many people would be interested. He just didn't know how much the customers would accept at the price.
Seeing Ding Er's dazed look, Lu Yao couldn't help but ask, "Are you worried?"
Ding Er shook his head: "Our products are so useful, we will definitely have no trouble selling them."
Lu Yao smiled and touched the logo on the soap. "I hope so."
These toiletries took her a lot of effort. She even researched several colors. If they didn't sell well, she would cry.
"Madam, this price..." Ding Er hesitated, "Isn't it too cheap?"
The bath beans and soaps sold here are not cheap. Their products are so good. Madam, won’t you lose money by setting such a price?
Take soap for example. The khaki one is a basic model with nothing added, and it costs 25 cents a piece, which is the cheapest one. In addition, the pink one has acidic substances such as lemon juice added, and there are blue, green... Different colors have different flavors. These are chosen according to personal preference. The price is a bit more expensive, 40 cents a piece, which is cheaper than the price of soap. Can't it be changed?
Lu Yao smiled and said, "We're not just doing business for a day or two. We need to look at long-term development. Besides," she pointed to another shelf, "we have other things."
They not only have cheap and easy-to-use ordinary items, but also relatively high-end products, such as soap.
As for face creams and hand creams, she has no plans to launch them so soon. Firstly, the technology is not mature enough and needs to be adjusted slowly. Secondly, she cannot take too big a step, otherwise things may go wrong.
In addition to soap, Lu Yao also prepared a large gift box packed in an exquisite box.
The big gift box includes soaps of various colors and scents. The workmanship is more exquisite and beautiful than ordinary ones. It not only has logos, but also beautiful patterns. Each piece is individually wrapped in oil paper of different colors and then placed in the box, which looks high-end and classy.
This was something they decided after discussing for a long time.
The main targets of these are not ordinary people, but wealthy families. Whether they use them for themselves or give them as gifts, it is quite prestigious.
Presumably, they will like it.
In addition to soap and perfumed soap, Lu Yao also set aside an area specifically for related supporting products, such as soap boxes, cloth towels, etc.
Soap boxes are made of wood, ceramic, and bamboo. The materials and workmanship are different, and the prices are also different.
The cloth towel is very different from the ones we usually use, and it is purchased from Ye Jiayue.
Because it was made under Lu Yao's advice and guidance, Ye Jiayue gave her a very favorable price.
Similarly, when Lu Yao’s three shops are opened, Ye Jiayue and Lan Xin’s shops will also start other cooperation with her.
In Lu Yao's words, this is called helping each other and getting rich together.
As for how to cooperate specifically, how to cooperate, and what to cooperate on, that will need to be determined after detailed discussions at the time.
certainly,
These are all later stories, so let’s not talk about them for now.
It was getting late, so Lu Yao and the others confirmed that there was no problem before closing the door and leaving.
Everything is just waiting for the opening at noon tomorrow.
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