Chapter 38: Our Yanli is the best
Lu Tingwan bowed and saluted, her voice melodious, revealing the calmness and sophistication of a veteran. Lu Tingwu looked at her with pride, and her eyes almost told others that this person was her sister.
"Yan Li has specially brought the Jade Dew Cream for you all." Lu Tingwan waved her hand, and the maid behind her brought a wooden box. When the wooden box was opened, ten jars of water blue ice celadon bottles were placed inside, and there seemed to be a faint fragrance coming from it.
"Because the remaining goods will be delivered later, Yan Li has also specially prepared a bottle of rejuvenating cream. I hope you will not despise this gift."
Shopkeeper Xie had looked slightly embarrassed, but Lu Tingwan didn't care. He simply said, "Shopkeeper Xie, Yan Li will personally deliver the remaining forty jars to Changqing Street. The color of your new rouge matches my skin tone, and I've been enjoying it lately. Please save a few boxes for Yan Li when the time comes."
Lu Tingwan gave enough steps and face, and Shopkeeper Xie finally felt relieved: "Shopkeeper Jiang, you are too kind. Mutual benefit, mutual benefit, hahahaha."
Lu Tingwan approached Luo Yunchu and leaned over to whisper something in his ear. Luo Yunchu glanced at her sideways, not knowing what she meant, but nodded and told her not to worry.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the shopkeepers, Lu Tingwan went to the guest table of the young ladies from the official families and bowed again, "You ladies have been very generous today. Yanli will accept this silver first. The goods will definitely not be less."
The daughter of the Minister of Rites was the first to speak: "I see that Shopkeeper Jiang has flawless, fair skin, so smooth it could be blown away. It's obvious that he has a knack for skincare, otherwise he wouldn't have developed such skin-rejuvenating creams and jade-dew ointments that are so perfect for women. We are so happy to have such a clever lady like you in Kyoto. From now on, I will choose Zhichunli as my first choice for all the rouge, powder, facial creams, and hairpins for the concubines and sisters in the mansion."
"Miss Liu really thinks highly of Yanli. Yanli is flattered. I will come to your house in person in ten days. I will give you the Jade Dew Cream. If Miss Liu doesn't mind, Yanli will teach you some tips on how to protect your skin." Lu Tingwan regained her ladylike agility and catered to her wishes.
Miss Liu was very happy when she heard this, and responded quickly after hearing the tips for protecting her complexion.
Lu Tingwu sat aside and felt jealous when she saw her sister chatting happily with others, so she kept a straight face and didn't look at her.
After Lu Tingwan noticed it out of the corner of his eye, he quietly moved to Lu Tingwu's side.
"Miss Lu is here today too," Lu Tingwan said in a calming voice, "I gave you the rejuvenating cream I gave you earlier. If you run out, Yan Li will give it to you."
"Oh," Lu Tingwu took out a handkerchief and wiped her fingertips, then stood up. "Manager Jiang is so busy preparing for the launch of Yulu Cream that I can understand why he forgot about me. There are so many distinguished guests at Zhichun today, so even if the hospitality is not good enough, I can't say anything else. Since Manager Jiang gave us a jar of Huanyan Cream and prepared a small gift for us, I am grateful for what I have received. What else can I say?"
Lu Tingwan prepared gifts for everyone who came into Zhichunli today, such as a handkerchief custom-made by Zhichunli, a red hairpin, a box of rouge, or a stick of black ink. Although the gifts were small, they were exquisite. Each gift bag was also stuffed with sachets of different scents, all of which were items sold in Zhichunli and made by farmers.
"Miss Lu, please stop teasing me." Lu Tingwan smiled and whispered in her ear, so that only the two of them could hear, "Sister, please give me some face. I am exhausted today. If I have neglected you, I will give it to you another day.
Apology."
"That's about right." Lu Tingwu put away her pride and said to the sisters who were traveling with her, "I think it's almost time. I got a good thing today. If you know there are new products coming out in the spring, don't forget me and the sisters."
"Of course I haven't forgotten." Lu Tingwan waved his hand, and the maid behind him made way.
The young ladies from official families left Zhichunli one after another.
Luo Yunchu also saw off the shopkeepers and chamber of commerce staff.
She stood upstairs, looking at the scene downstairs. After Luo Yunchu sent the last person away, he turned around and stood still. Looking up, he saw Lu Tingwan looking at her. She smiled knowingly at him from a distance, her eyes filled with gratitude and trust.
After Luo Yunchu paused for a moment, he moved upstairs.
Lu Tingwan found a place to sit down, and Feng Xin prepared new tea and pastries.
Only two people were left upstairs.
Luo Yunchu asked, "What was the meaning of the message you just asked me to leave with the shopkeepers?"
Lu Tingwan's eyelids drooped, revealing fatigue and sleepiness. She stretched her waist and propped up her head. "These shopkeepers are buying so much Yu Lu Cream. Didn't you say they wanted to raise the price and sell it in their own stores? Or maybe they're taking it back home to develop a Yu Lu Cream with similar effects to the one in Zhichunli, and then trying to gain a price advantage. They'll definitely steal a lot of Zhichunli's regular customers. It's already difficult for Zhichunli to retain regular customers in just a few months."
"And if they had such thoughts, they could indeed deal a heavy blow to me."
"Then you asked me to tell them that if they are interested in selling the Jade Dew Cream, they can send me a visiting card within seven days. Why?" Luo Yunchu handed her a teacup.
After Lu Tingwan finished drinking, he continued, "Let them become the second-level agents of Zhichunli, so there won't be another Yulu Cream."
There is depth in her bright eyes, who knows what else is going on in her head.
Luo Yunchu is quite knowledgeable in house leasing and selling, and has seen all kinds of business tactics.
But why couldn't he guess what Lu Tingwan meant by what he said?
Lu Tingwan was no longer tense. She dropped her usual dignity in front of him and became playful. "It seems there is something our Master Luo doesn't know."
Luo Yunchu smiled and said lovingly, "Our Yanli is the most powerful. You talk, I'm listening."
Lu Tingwan slowly explained, "If we let these rouge shops become my Zhichunli agents, they won't have any second thoughts about replacing Yu Lu Cream, at least not in the short term. Before that, Yu Lu Cream will become famous in Kyoto and even in the several states adjacent to Kyoto. Even if other similar facial creams enter the market later, they won't be able to compete with my Yu Lu Cream in a short time."
Luo Yunchu supported his head with one hand and looked at her carefully, his admiration clearly visible in his expression.
"So how do you plan to get them to act as agents?"
"The Jade Dew Cream has become famous overnight. If people from Kyoto come here for its reputation, the small shop in Zhichunli won't be able to support so many people. I'll have all the shops on the streets of Kyoto set aside a dedicated area on the counters of the Jade Dew Cream from Zhichunli. I'll buy it from them at 70% of the market price, and they can sell it at the same price as in Zhichunli. They're not allowed to raise or lower the price without permission. Otherwise, it will disrupt the market price and become a kind of cannibalism. Killing one thousand enemies will cost you eight hundred of your own. The rules must be clearly written down."
"If they take 70% of the purchase price, there is only 30% profit left. The price of Yulu Cream is affordable, so they can only make a small profit." Luo Yunchu felt that although the idea was good, it was not practical.
"I won't accept anyone to be my agent. I have conditions. Their shop must meet the qualification requirements before they can become the agent of Yulu Cream." Lu Tingwan stood up and said seriously.
"If the big shops in Kyoto don't like this deal, there are other shopkeepers who want to be agents for Yu Lu Cream. They don't need any costs, the product is ready-made, and they don't need to open a new store. They can just buy the product from me and make a 30% net profit. They can do it in Zhichunli. As long as it sells well in Zhichunli, they can take the Yu Lu Cream back to their own shops and sell it at the counter. It won't be bad either. Why wouldn't they do such a good thing?"
"Then are there any requirements for the qualifications you mentioned?" Luo Yunchu asked with a smile.
Lu Tingwan said, "The shop must have been open for at least one year, with an annual profit of no less than 5,000 tonnes. It must also not have a history of bullying customers. The shops cannot be too concentrated, but must be dispersed throughout the main streets of Kyoto, with no more than two candidates selected from each street. These are the requirements I want for the Chamber of Commerce's first round of screening."
"If many shops submit applications, the Chamber of Commerce will only reserve 20 spots. After screening, the Chamber of Commerce will draw up a shortlist of candidates."
"You only want ten." Luo Yunchu pondered, "Do you want to choose the rest yourself?"
"No," Lu Tingwan twirled the scarf with his fingertips, "Let the people choose the rest."
“Let the people choose for themselves?”
"That's right. The reason they chose to spread out the shops in different locations around Kyoto is definitely because they want to make the Jade Dew Cream available to all the people of Kyoto, eliminating the need to travel all the way to Maple Forest Lane in the west of the city. Otherwise, they'd choose something closer instead of farther away. Jade Dew Cream is a necessity after all, so they could just settle for second best. That's not what I want."
Lu Tingwan continued, "I want people from all walks of life in Kyoto to be able to use the Jade Dew Cream."
"Whether a store is good or not is truly judged by the people. This is what we call taking from the people and giving back to the people. The stores I choose myself, when they become agents for Yulu Cream in the future, will have a higher audience and recognition than expected."
"I want to try out the first batch of shops chosen by the public for three months. If they don't perform well or fail to achieve the expected results, they will be eliminated and new shops will be selected."
Luo Yunchu's thoughts became clearer as she followed her. "According to what you said, we can indeed select shops that match the Jade Dew Cream as agents."
"But your concerns are not entirely unreasonable. Thirty percent profit really cannot satisfy a shop with a big appetite." Lu Tingwan's almond eyes sparkled, and Luo Yunchu knew that she had another idea.
"We can offer a variety of agency options. One is what I just mentioned, 70% of the price, and the other is 50%. This way, the shop's profits will be higher, and no matter how much you sell, it all depends on your ability. However, the amount is still under discussion, and I haven't estimated it yet. Once I draft the documents, I will add this clause. Regardless of the amount of goods you buy, Zhichunli will not accept it. You will be responsible for any price increases or losses. If the goods cannot be sold, Zhichunli can buy them back on your behalf, so the price will naturally be lowered."
Luo Yunchu suppressed his laughter and said, "Manager Jiang is really a careful and calculating person. The 30% profit you gave me was calculated by you."
"So, does this 30% interest offset the 20 taels of rent now?"
With the revenue from Zhichunli, the profit increased by 30% every month, and it was already offset countless times. Luo Yunchu had never counted it, because at the beginning of each month, Feng Xin would send the calculated silver to Luo Mansion on Changqing Street. Luo Yunchu never cared how much Lu Tingwan gave him, because she was not a person who did not keep her word.
Besides, Luo Yunchu didn't really want her money now, and he had mentioned it to her several times, canceling the 30% interest. Lu Tingwan was unwilling to do so. When she signed the lease agreement, it was written for a one-year term, and it hadn't even been a year yet.
"Not only is it enough to pay for it, I can also buy half of the shop in Zhichunli." Luo Yunchu opened the fan and waved it.
As for the purchase amount of goods from the shops, she had to think about it carefully and could not just make a decision out of thin air. She had to investigate and weigh many aspects before she could determine the most appropriate amount, which required Luo Yunchu's cooperation.
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