Fang Wentian.
He became an apprentice at Shengyuanxiang when he was eleven or twelve years old, and started working as a street vendor when he was eighteen or nineteen.
Despite his outstanding abilities, he has been slow to get promoted.
These past few days, I've been secretly tormented by the head manager of Shengyuanxiang's Jizhou branch, which has left me somewhat disheartened.
When He Youyou mentioned that there was an opportunity for him to work as a manager elsewhere, his eyes immediately lit up.
What young people need most is a space where they can make a difference.
Moreover, in addition to promising a salary, He Youyou also promised shares.
This is something that can generate dividends on schedule. Even the Cheng family's Shengyuanxiang Trading Company did not distribute shares to its managers.
Only those who have accumulated enough seniority to become the head manager can receive a share.
He Youyou successfully won over Fang Wentian.
The technology is there.
Management is in place.
The next steps are to address logistics, supply chain, and sales channels.
When He Youyou suggested to Shen Huaiyu that she wanted to dye the fabric a light yellow color, Huaiyu immediately felt the pressure.
“Mrs. Han, it’s not that I’m making excuses, it’s just that the raw materials for this color are not easy to obtain.”
What material is it?
Gardenia.
"Gardenia? Doesn't gardenia produce gardenia yellow dye?"
"Gardenias are dyed with alum to produce a gardenia yellow color. But if other dyes are added, the hue can be changed. Using our Shen family's unique formula, we can dye a pale goose yellow color."
"I see."
He Youyou immediately understood what Xiaoyu meant by "the raw materials are hard to come by".
Gardenias are a plant that can only grow in the south due to climate constraints.
If it were the bitterly cold Jizhou in the north, to use this raw material, the gardenia needed for dyeing cloth would have to be transported all the way over a thousand miles.
Therefore, the gardenia yellow cloth is generally southern cloth, which is dyed by dyeing local materials in the south.
If a northern dyehouse wanted to dye this color, the cost would be much higher.
The higher the cost, the fewer people will use it.
The less people use it, the higher the cost.
To solve the raw material problem, we must first solve the logistics problem.
"Minzhi."
He Youyou placed a box of pastries in front of Cheng Tingrui.
"I just bought some mugwort rice dumplings with red bean filling on the street. I thought I'd give them to you to try, so I bought a box and brought them back. You can have them as a snack if you get hungry later."
She sat cross-legged on the armchair opposite Cheng Tingrui, her eyes sparkling.
Cheng Tingrui found it amusing.
But he didn't say much.
He reached out and took the box, opened it, and inside was a neat box of eight green rice dumplings.
He picked one up, brought it to his mouth, opened his teeth, and took a small bite.
The bright green dumplings, paired with the red lips, are truly beautiful.
He Youyou asked, almost as if possessed, "Minzhi, did you go to a brothel fifteen or sixteen years ago?"
Cheng Tingrui froze, his mouth still clenched around the dumpling.
He slowly raised his eyelids, casting two emotionless glances at him blankly.
"Fifteen or sixteen years ago, I was only ten years old."
He Youyou thought about it seriously: "Ten years old? If they develop early, ten years old isn't impossible...maybe..."
For the first time, a crack appeared on Cheng Tingrui's usually gentle and refined face.
“Madam, please be careful with your words.” Cheng Tingrui swallowed the half-eaten glutinous rice ball he had just taken a bite of. “Tingrui never goes to brothels.”
Okay.
"Sorry, it's just a bold guess," He Youyou chuckled.
Cheng Tingrui put down the half-eaten green rice dumpling in his hand: "If you had nothing to do, you wouldn't have come looking for me. So, what brings you here today?"
"Hehe, you know I've been very busy with the dye house business lately," He Youyou said. "There is indeed something I need your help with."
Cheng Tingrui gave her a knowing look and looked at her casually.
"My dye shop needs to buy a batch of raw materials from the south. Your Cheng family business has many connections in Jiangnan, could you help me with that?"
When it comes to logistics, the Cheng family's caravans are the most stable and reliable logistics carriers.
Cheng Tingrui lowered his eyes, concealing his gaze.
"If I help you, how will you thank me?"
He Youyou pouted: "Between the two of us, why are we talking about thanks? Minzhi, you're not an outsider."
Cheng Tingrui was taken aback, but then smiled knowingly.
"I can help you with this, but not by using the Cheng family's caravan."
"Huh? Not the Cheng family? I don't trust other small businesses, are they reliable?"
Cheng Tingrui looked at her meaningfully, a smile hidden in his eyes: "This month, Youruitang just opened a new business route."
He Youyou immediately understood.
She jumped up from her chair excitedly, leaned half her body on the table, and got close to Cheng Tingrui's face.
"Going to Jiangnan?! My goodness, Master Cheng, you're so capable! In just two months, you've already made connections in both the north and south!"
Cheng Tingrui smiled without saying a word, his eyes fixed on her face so close to his.
He got up, took a porcelain jar from the antique shelf behind him, and handed it to He Youyou.
"This is the first batch of pre-Qingming spring tea from Jiangnan, the first shipment from Youruitang on Jiangnan Road. I specially reserved a jar for you; it's all made from carefully selected tea buds."
"This deserves a celebration! Come on, let's go to a restaurant tonight and I'll throw you a celebratory banquet."
He Youyou held the tea canister, beaming with joy.
The decision was made on the spot, and the dinner was arranged.
"Just the two of us?" Cheng Tingrui asked. "Why don't we order a table of food and drinks to be delivered from the building? It'll be quieter for us to eat at home."
"Let's go to a restaurant. Ah Li will be back from the academy this evening, and I promised him I'd take him to Yuqing Restaurant. We can eat and listen to music there; it's very lively."
“…Okay.” Cheng Tingrui opened his mouth, but ultimately did not express any objection.
Yuqinglou is a restaurant that combines drinking, dining, and entertainment.
Therefore, this place is crowded and lively.
It has a wide audience, including both men and women, and is suitable for all ages.
A stage was set up in the center of the building, where people would sing or perform acrobatics. The performances continued during mealtimes.
How strong is He Youyou's business acumen?
I immediately sought out the waiter at the restaurant to learn about the profit model of these performers.
It turns out that although these people perform at the restaurant, they do not receive wages from the restaurant.
Their income depends entirely on tips from customers.
Because Yuqinglou is a popular restaurant with a large customer base, the amount of tips they receive is naturally substantial.
If the performance is poor, or if the rules are broken, damaging the restaurant's reputation, the person will be forcibly evicted.
After all, without you, others will be scrambling to get in.
Who wouldn't want a good platform?
He Youyou, along with Cheng Tingrui and Ali, found a table in the lobby, ordered a meal, and sat down to listen to music.
Ah Li used to live in Cuihua Tower, where songs were sung every day.
However, the mindset is different when you're a waiter and when you're a guest.
With so many people around and so many eavesdroppers, it wasn't convenient for He Youyou and Cheng Tingrui to discuss Youruitang's affairs.
So He Youyou pulled him aside and asked him about his experiences in Jiangnan and some business anecdotes.
The cheers from the guests in the hall were so loud that the two people could only talk head to head, whispering in each other's ears.
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