A glimpse of the whole
On the first day of the fourth month, a servant from the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce delivered a visiting card to the medicinal cuisine restaurant.
The fourth day of the fourth lunar month is the birthday of Bi Gan, the God of Wealth. The Liuyun Chamber of Commerce will hold a worship ceremony at the ancestral hall.
Having learned her lesson from the embarrassing situation of having no clothes to wear when she invited Mu Chuan last time, Wang Pan'er bought a lot of currently popular clothing styles.
She usually wears the same few outfits over and over again, but when she goes to an event, she can always find a decent look.
After tidying herself up, she drove to the Chamber of Commerce to verify the visiting card.
Upon entering the inner courtyard, it was already bustling with activity.
At the Xu residence, Manager Xu was extremely polite to her, and Madam You kept her close by, so the women naturally became very friendly.
As for the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce, ever since Wang Pan'er entered the inner courtyard alone, no one had ever given her a second glance.
Although she had prepared to network and meet business partners, after observing for a long time, everyone was talking to themselves, giving her no chance to join the conversation. Some even mocked her after she entered, suggesting that the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce was in decline.
People like medicinal cuisine because everyone is pursuing health and longevity.
This trend is even more pronounced among the powerful and wealthy. Many seek immortality and alchemy, some even poisoning themselves to death, and the pursuit continues unabated. The fact that the powerful and wealthy crave immortality doesn't mean that others will respect her.
Unable to find a starting point, Wang Pan'er didn't bother to force herself on anyone and became annoying. Instead, she stood quietly in the corner, eavesdropping on the conversations around her, waiting for Su Yuanwai to come out and hold the ceremony.
After listening to it for a while, it became boring. It always came down to the same three things: nostalgia, bragging, and vying to be the father.
A bunch of bloated, fat guys, most of them caught a lucky break and made their fortunes overnight; or they were just born into wealth, and it doesn't matter if they're uneducated or incompetent, as long as they don't squander their money, they can still live a rich life. The more they love to pontificate, the more ignorant they are, probably because she was standing in the back row. In the end, it turned out that there were very few bosses with real skills.
Master Su arrived late, smiling as he reminisced about the hardships of the year before lighting candles and incense.
The offerings were lined up neatly, and the statues and memorial tablets were also cleaned separately and were spotless.
The crowd lined up in front of the statue, holding incense sticks in their right hands and raising sandalwood incense to their foreheads with their left hands, bowing in reverence.
The servant boy beside the incense burner was also a shrewd fellow. He was a stranger to Wang Pan'er and didn't recognize her, but he knew how to treat people differently and didn't even light incense for her.
After all, we're worshipping the God of Wealth; we can't act out of spite.
Wang Pan'er took out three incense sticks, lit them on the candle flame, shook them to extinguish the sparks, and then respectfully bowed three times to the statue of the deity.
Next came the chanting of scriptures and prayers.
Each servant handed out a copy of the "Welcoming the God of Wealth Memorial," but Wang Pan'er couldn't read all the ancient characters, so she could only recite it along with the others, making a few incoherent sounds.
Finally, the petition and paper money are burned in the treasure basin, and the ritual of three kowtows and nine prostrations is performed to complete the worship.
It seemed simple, but with so many people, Wang Pan'er stood in the stance for over an hour, and her back and legs ached and went numb.
After finally managing to move to the auditorium for a meal, there were no more seats available.
Wang Pan'er laughed in anger. Most of the people in this room were good-for-nothings who looked down on others but were very familiar with the ways of the world.
Very good, this has successfully ignited her fighting spirit. If even such rotten wood and dung can be turned into something strong and big, then she is more capable than them and has stronger backing than them, so she will definitely be able to sit at the table and eat.
Wang Pan'er stood smiling at the entrance of the auditorium. If the servant didn't come to greet her, she would stand there openly to see if she lost face or if the Chamber of Commerce had lost its dignity.
Master Su noticed the person standing at the entrance of the auditorium and was startled. He had originally thought Wang Pan'er was a talented but gentle person, but he hadn't expected her to be so ambitious.
He quickly summoned a servant and arranged a seat for Wang Pan'er.
People who lack ability but have ambition are prone to being unrealistic and having unrealistic expectations. For people like Wang Pan'er who have real skills, ambition is their catalyst.
Master Su quickly grabbed Su Lingzhao's ear: "Where are you trying to run off to again? Stick close to Wang Pan'er."
Su Lingzhao was unconvinced and couldn't shake off her father's hand. She shouted indignantly, "She's just a second-rate female merchant with mediocre looks. Why should I fawn over her?"
"You idiot!" Without hesitation, Master Su grabbed Su Lingzhao's forehead with his other hand. Su Lingzhao felt the pain and dared not resist anymore, but he still stubbornly stood still.
In public, he couldn't afford to make a scene. Su Lingzhao was already looked down upon by those covetous merchants; if she lost face in front of everyone today, it would be even harder for her to maintain her authority in the future. He could only resort to a more conciliatory approach: "You only look down on her for her rural background, but you've overlooked the fact that she established herself in Jinzhou Prefecture in less than a year and even successfully joined the Chamber of Commerce. On the day I saw off the noble lady, I personally witnessed her being adopted as a goddaughter by that nobleman from the capital. Don't let her plain appearance fool you; her methods must be extraordinary. If it weren't for the timely suppression of the news by Prefect Zhao and me, few people would know about it now, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get close to her even if you wanted to."
With the stakes clearly laid out, Su Lingzhao began to weigh the pros and cons in her mind.
Master Su continued, “Today, she is being neglected, which is your chance to win her favor. Marrying a principal wife means marrying resources and connections. Her medicinal cuisine recipe is unique in the entire continent, and its profits are immeasurable when it is promoted to other places. Most importantly, you are dull-witted, and she is an orphan, so there is no need to worry about her stealing the Su family's wealth. You only need to know that a virtuous wife brings prosperity to three generations, which is the foundation of the family. As for feelings, once you are married, you can have as many concubines as you want, as long as they don't cause any scandals that damage the reputation of the Chamber of Commerce, it's all up to you.”
"But she doesn't seem like the type to allow me to take a concubine! Father, you didn't see it for yourself. Apart from praising my good looks when I joined the association, she was never cold to me and had no intention of currying favor with the Su family. Among those well-known merchants, any daughter you pick out would be more useful than her."
"She's cold to you, but have you reflected on your attitude? A good-for-nothing playboy like you dares to covet a wealthy merchant's daughter? If you actually marry into the family, the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce will probably be renamed before you even have a son. If you can't get close to Wang Pan'er, I'll find your sister a live-in son-in-law who can manage the family business, and have her give birth to a grandson so he can directly inherit the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce!"
Perhaps it was because Master Su's threats were effective, or perhaps it was because the weight on the scales was increasing, that little bit of face that couldn't be exchanged for a few taels of gold was being hoisted high.
Su Lingzhao no longer had the courage to refuse his father's order. He broke free from Su Yuanwai's grasp, his face ashen: "Son understands."
Seeing that he had regained his composure, Master Su nodded in satisfaction: "After this is over, you can take her home in a carriage."
As the banquet drew to a close, the merchants, having eaten and drunk their fill, greeted Master Su and began to leave one after another.
Wang Pan'er followed the crowd, greeted Master Su, and then turned to walk towards the inner courtyard gate.
"Miss Wang, please wait!"
A clear, youthful voice came from behind her. Wang Pan'er turned around and saw Su Lingzhao walking towards her, following her every step.
Wang Pan'er bowed slightly in greeting: "Young Master Su, what can I do for you?"
"I would not presume to offer guidance. My father and I were very busy today, leaving you alone. I apologize for any inconvenience caused."
"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Su. I know that businessmen are driven by profit, and my small medicinal cuisine restaurant is not good enough for others to look at me with respect."
Su Lingzhao followed Wang Pan'er and walked out with her. As they walked, she tried to get closer to her: "That's not the case. Although the medicinal cuisine restaurant is not large, it has grown to such a scale in just one year. How could you, young lady, be an ordinary person?"
Wang Pan'er replied, "I originally thought that with such a large and powerful family, Young Master Su would never have noticed a small family like ours. I never expected him to be so thoughtful and meticulous."
Su Lingzhao leaned back slightly after being praised, pursed her lips, and looked a little embarrassed: "Everyone's shop is built up little by little from small to large."
She gets shy easily when praised, whether it's her nature or because she rarely receives affirmation. Wang Pan'er is keen to get close to Su Lingzhao, and since praise gets positive feedback, she'll continue to praise him in various ways.
Following on from what I just said, accumulation is a very good topic.
Even if Su Lingzhao is an incompetent fool who has never eaten pork, he has at least seen pigs run. He must know the history of the shop's development, and regardless of right or wrong, he can always tell you the story.
Wang Pan'er asked, "I come from the countryside and have limited knowledge. I don't know what kind of process Mr. Su was referring to when he mentioned accumulation?"
Once the bait was thrown out, Su Lingzhao took the bait and spilled everything he knew. The two talked as they walked, and soon arrived at the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce shop.
There were many carriages outside the gate for picking up and dropping off the boss. Su Lingzhao pointed to a particularly exquisite one and said, "How about I take you home, and we can talk on the way?"
Wang Pan'er nodded, the coachman set up the ladder, and Wang Pan'er followed Su Lingzhao into the carriage.
The carriage was extremely spacious, and the driver had already prepared pastries and tea, which were placed on a small table in the middle.
Su Lingzhao poured a cup for Wang Pan'er, who accepted it with a smile.
Sipping tea, Su Lingzhao continued the conversation: "Most successful merchants don't confine themselves to just one small shop. Miss Wang now owns three shops; I wonder how their respective revenues are?"
Speaking of this, Wang Pan'er looked somewhat troubled: "Pastry shops are limited in variety and the process is complicated, so the profit is not high; the medicinal cuisine restaurants in the East Market, although not cheap, have a rental cost that is almost half a month's income. I'm keeping them open for now, just to make friends; the earliest medicinal cuisine restaurants are the best, with stable income and relatively high profits."
Su Lingzhao pondered for a moment: "Miss Wang, if you want to accumulate wealth, you can consider opening a branch. Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant is famous for its high quality and low prices. Not to mention the surrounding cities, even people in towns and villages can afford to eat there."
"Young Master Su is absolutely right. If I were to open a branch, would you have any suggestions?"
"I wouldn't presume to offer advice, but consider this a discussion with you, young lady. If you don't have much money left, I suggest you start with the surrounding towns. You can't get fat overnight. Shops in small towns are cheaper. Although the customer flow is less than in the prefectural city, it's easier to turn around a small boat. Not only is it easier to recoup your investment, but if something goes wrong, you won't lose everything. Especially since Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant already has a good reputation in Jinzhou Prefecture, opening branches in the surrounding towns will save you the trouble of building a good reputation."
This was exactly what Wang Pan'er had thought. As expected of a merchant's son, he had been exposed to the ways of the world since childhood. Although he didn't seem very smart, he was still very knowledgeable.
She propped her head up with her hands, blinked her eyes, and looked at Su Lingzhao with admiration: "Hearing your words is better than reading books for ten years."
The praise was so sincere that Su Lingzhao's face flushed suspiciously: "Miss Wang, you flatter me."
"This is not an overstatement. I originally planned to open a branch in the neighboring town. If it weren't for Young Master Su's reminder, even without any mishaps, the effort I would have had to put in would have been far greater than with Young Master Su's suggestion."
She poured Su Lingzhao a full cup of tea: "I'll offer this tea in place of wine to Young Master Su."
Su Lingzhao was shy and a little guilty. These opinions were just casual remarks, and he really had no idea whether they could help Wang Pan'er.
He scratched his hair: "I... I was just expressing my opinion. If Miss Wang thinks it's reasonable, I'm very happy. I don't have the same courage as my father. The Chamber of Commerce is very large, and there are many people who want to take my place. My father is not satisfied with me, and I am now walking on thin ice."
Su Lingzhao hesitated, and Wang Pan'er immediately switched to a psychological approach. She interrupted Su Lingzhao and said with great certainty, "That's not how it is. Young Master Su is very special, unlike any other merchant I know. Master Su is judging you by worldly standards, but he doesn't see your pure and kind nature. Even I, a female merchant who has only met you a few times, am willing to lend a helping hand. Young Master Su was just discussing accumulation with me, saying that you can't get fat in one bite. I see that Young Master Su is clever and insightful; what he lacks is experience. If Master Su gives him enough opportunities to gain experience, in time, managing the merchant guild will be a piece of cake for him."
Wang Pan'er's words, which were both persuasive and reasonable, brought tears to Su Lingzhao's eyes. He downed the tea in his cup in one gulp: "No one has ever understood me like this before. I'll finish it. Miss Wang, please feel free to drink as you please."
Wang Pan'er also downed her tea in one gulp, thinking to herself: It's all about technique, no emotion involved, it's a piece of cake.
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