Chapter 195: The Structure of the Character “Tū” (Second Update)

Chapter 195: The Structure of the Character "Tū" (Second Update)

The owner of the umbrella is now at the Jixi Workshop.

Chen Jianfang instinctively avoided the traces of Old Lady Qu and circled around to the back of the water tank shacks. Upon lifting her gaze, she saw seven or eight old colleagues from Jing County gathered around Xianjin, laughing and chattering—Aunt Zhong had tousled Xianjin's hair into a messy nest, Zhou Ergou was shrieking, while Zheng Da and Zheng Er were trying to lift Xianjin up on either side.

Yes, literally lift her up.

Xianjin was halfway lifted when they paused in mid-air.

Zheng Er let out a sharp cry, "Down! Down! The boss looks skinny but has some meat on her bones; I can't lift her anymore!"

Immediately, he was met with a heavy blow from Suo'er, the chubby girl, "If you can't lift the boss, find the problem within yourself! What does it have to do with the boss?"

Chen Jianfang quietly leaned against the brick wall outside the shack, a smile unconsciously forming on her lips as her eyes remained fixed on the young lady at the center of the crowd.

Her eyebrows were like distant green mountains, her elongated eyes brimming with genuine and clear laughter. Her skin was fair and delicate, her jawline refined, her upper lip thin, and her lower lip full and rosy like a ripe cherry.

Amidst these people who genuinely cared for her, she stood tall, straight, and beautiful, like an elegant orchid.

His favorite orchid.

How beautiful.

Chen Jianfang gently placed the basket in her hand down and quietly turned to leave.

After the excitement subsided, Zhou Ergou noticed something, "There's a basket next to the shack!"

Sauzhuo ran over, picked it up with both hands, and showed it to Xianjin.

The basket was covered with a layer of damp fine gauze.

Xianjin gently lifted the gauze, revealing a solitary orchid with yellow stamens and white petals.

This flower must have been well-cared for; each long, curled leaf was polished like wax, and three or four orchids bloomed intricately among the grass, resembling snow in the forest and clouds in the sky.

Sauzhuo excitedly slapped Zhou Ergou's left leg, "Ah-ah-ah—Who sent it! Who sent it! Who sent it!"

It sounded like a mountain song, with the last three words breaking into a high pitch.

Zhou Ergou responded in kind, "Ah-ah-ah—Why did you—hit my—left leg—again!"

His voice was shrill, conveying the despair of a cripple.

Aunt Zhong laughed like a pig beside Xianjin.

Xianjin gently touched the orchid with her fingertips, feeling the warmth and a lingering fragrance. She turned her head to Suo'er and said, "Remind me to water it every day."

Suo'er smiled and nodded.

...

Xianjin won.

Zhao Dezheng handed over the keys, account books, inventory lists, supplier names, and bank deposit slips of the Mulberry Paper Workshop to Xianjin in a large wooden box, "As promised, I admit defeat. You will surely thrive here. I am old and can now return home in glory, living comfortably with my wife."

Xianjin pushed the wooden box back, calmly saying, "You continue managing it; I trust you."

Manager Zhao is one of the few honest people left in Chen's.

Anyone who has worked for twenty years would go mad if suddenly controlled by a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl from nowhere.

Xianjin took out a deed and pushed it towards Manager Zhao, "Take a look—it's the same deed as what Manager Dong and Master Li have—one-third share, eight days off per month, flexible working hours, free schooling for children, tutoring for those who pass exams, year-end bonuses, and eighty percent coverage for medical expenses."

Aunt Zhong, standing behind Xianjin, wanted to drool at the sight of the deed.

Her remaining dignity stopped her.

Manager Zhao read through the deed in disbelief: Wait, are you telling me that Old Dong and Old Li eat this well?

Xianjin continued, pulling out a soft brush pen, speaking calmly, "I take over the Mulberry Paper Workshop, and you continue as manager. With you and Manager Dong overseeing things, I have nothing to worry about."

Xianjin smiled reassuringly, "You've dedicated your life to this shop. Rest assured, even if I have some small ideas, they will only be minor changes."

Manager Zhao blankly took the pen and signed his name, then asked, "What minor changes?"

Xianjin stood up, tucked the deed away, and said, "First, we need to change the shop's name."

"Second, we need to change the shop's decor."

"Third, we need to adjust the types of Xuan paper we sell."

Manager Zhao was confused.

Mi... mi... minor changes?

Are these minor changes?

Whose minor changes involve changing the shop's name?!

Manager Zhao wanted to speak but found himself speechless, still holding the ink-soaked brush: Accepting favors binds one, indeed!

Xianjin wasted no time and organized people to cover the Mulberry Paper Workshop with oilcloth that afternoon. The original team from the Jixi Workshop moved in immediately to start renovations.

All eleven workers of the Mulberry Paper Workshop, including Manager Zhao, were temporarily relocated to the Jixi Workshop.

Eighteen new apprentices, led by Aunt Zhong, returned to Jing County for a bitter memory and reflection session: Most of these apprentices came from Heng Kee and Baiji, and caution was necessary. Xianjin needed to ensure that any risk of leaking information about the silk-threaded Xuan paper would be nipped in the bud.

Li Sanshun, puffing on his water pipe, squinted at the two rows of new houses and the seven or eight large pots set up beside the Jixi Workshop shacks, deeply sighing, "Xianjin, tell your Master Li honestly, did you always know exactly what each of Chen's shops should do?"

Xianjin smiled but didn't say anything.

One move and the whole board comes alive.

Business starts with goods, then people, and finally resources.

Whoever secures more resources wins.

Chen's has been in business for several decades, starting small in Jing County to make a modest profit. Old Lady Qu made a decisive move, bringing Chen's out of Jing County to open a branch in Xuancheng and earn silver. However, these three shops operate independently, with overlapping yet complementary businesses, each sourcing materials in their own way.

These three shops all bear the Chen name, yet they fight alone, failing to form a united front. During tough market times, the other two shops rely solely on the Mulberry paper workshop for support to survive.

This business model is akin to limping.

The longer leg can travel thousands of miles, while the shorter leg enjoys the ride, creating an imbalance that eventually leads to the same situation as before—Jixi Workshop lagging behind, Lantern Xuan Workshop struggling, and the Mulberry paper workshop carrying the load.

Doing business with a "convex" structure will eventually lead to collapse.

These three shops could collectively dominate the paper industry, covering all levels of paper usage, achieving a monopoly on Xuancheng's Xuan paper with the Chen family's strength, which is not an impossible dream.

Xianjin naturally wouldn't elaborate on these plans to Li Sanshun; let the old man enjoy his water pipe.

She only instructed Master Li to work with Zhou Ergou and Manager Zhao to oversee Zheng Da in Jixi Workshop, pushing them to produce carved silk-inlaid Xuan paper, with both teams occupying four water troughs working in tandem.