Chapter 39

Chapter 39

After Gong Laosi left, Zhong Yizhu continued arranging the ointments.

The bamboo stands had two boards in front and a pole at the back. He placed the ointment jars on the boards and hung the sachets behind them, making it easy to browse without having to rummage through them.

He had also made some incense pellets this time, but not many. They were stored in a newly crafted small bamboo basket placed on the table. The carefully tied cloth flowers were scattered casually on the dark blue base fabric. In no time, he had set up a completely new stall.

These bamboo items were made by Pei Mu yesterday, and he had also asked Pei Mu to craft many small bamboo slips, each the size of a little finger, placed in a tiny bamboo tube.

After everything was arranged, he welcomed his first customer of the day.

The customer had bought incense pellets from him on his very first day selling. Recognizing Zhong Yizhu, the customer came back to buy more. Zhong Yizhu wrapped the two pellets the customer selected and handed them over to him, listening as the man complained.

"My sister liked the scent last time and said she wanted to buy some from you, but she ended up at the wrong stall by mistake. What she bought was completely different. She wasted her money and is quite distressed."

The customer was a married man. He gestured with his chin toward the previous stall and asked, "You don't know them, do you?"

Zhong Yizhu shook his head and explained, "No, we don't. That spot was rented out, so we had to move here. I'm sorry your sister went to the wrong place."

The man was straightforward. He replied, "How could that be your fault? Those scoundrels will get what's coming to them sooner or later."

As he spoke, he glanced at the ointment jars Zhong Yizhu had opened and took a light sniff. "Where's that osmanthus scent coming from here? How much are these ointments, young man? I'll buy a jar to cheer up my sister."

Zhong Yizhu had set a relatively high price for the ointments, partly due to the cost and partly because they are long-lasting when used.

Instead of quoting the price right away, he picked up a bamboo slip and smiled at the customer. "I have samples for the ointments. Would you like to try one first?"

The customer was intrigued and nodded. "Alright, I'll give it a try. Sorry to trouble you."

"No trouble at all," Zhong Yizhu said, scraping a bit of ointment onto the bamboo slip and applying it to the back of the man's hand. "Please rub it in and have a sniff."

The man spread it with his fingers. A rich osmanthus fragrance filled the air, blended with a hint of something else. Though strong, it wasn't overwhelming, and the scent lingered even after he lowered his hand. He liked it so much that he nearly forgot it was for his sister.

Zhong Yizhu opened another jar. "There are other scents too. Would you like to try them?"

"Yes!" The man had already forgotten the two pellets he had chosen earlier, his face lighting up with surprise as he reached out.

Zhong Yizhu's ointments were not primarily for moisturizing; just a little, the size of a pinky finger, rubbed onto the desired area and rubbed in would release a lasting fragrance.

Though he didn't have as many scents as the pellets, he had covered both light and rich, warm and cool scents. After trying several, the man was torn, liking each one. With Zhong Yizhu's recommendation, he finally settled on two.

At eighty wen per jar, plus the cost of the pellets, Zhong Yizhu made two hundred and ten wen from this single sale.

A good start. He glanced at Qian Jinbao, who was watching him warily with shifty eyes from a distance. Raising his voice, Zhong Yizhu began to hawk his wares.

"Get your free samples! Try before you buy, buy with confidence!"

The word "free" had an instant effect even in the bustling market. Soon, a crowd gathered around Zhong Yizhu's small stall.

Though most were drawn by the prospect of free samples, even a small fraction of actual buyers would be a profitable outcome for Zhong Yizhu.

To prevent people from taking too much ointment with the bamboo slips, he kept them by his side and scraped the ointment himself for those who wanted to try it.

In no time, the small stall was packed with girls, young men, married women, and married men, all surrounded by a mix of fragrances in the air.

Young girls and lads chattered excitedly.

"So fragrant! Just like the osmanthus tree in our yard!"

"Mine smells nice too—a fresh scent, not at all cloying."

"Sister, let's buy a jar to share! I'll use my savings to pay for it..."

Zhong Yizhu had prepared many bamboo slips, discarding each after one use. Some fastidious customers saw this and felt reassured, then reached out to test the scents.

The ointments on display were only for sampling. If someone wanted to buy, he would fetch a new jar from the basket. Despite the crowd, everything remained tidy and organized.

Later, Pei Mu returned after selling his game and helped out. With his assistance, Zhong Yizhu worked even more smoothly. By midday, he had sold most of his prepared ointments!

His first batch of porcelain jars was small, so he had made only a limited quantity. Excluding the samples, there were forty-three jars in total, and by noon, he had sold twenty-six of them.

The white porcelain jars had no markings—otherwise, the cost would have been higher—so he cut small square labels from oil paper, stamped with a bamboo motif, and stuck them on the side of the jars. This instantly distinguished his products from others and helped build his brand.

While Zhong Yizhu was bustling with business, Qian Jinbao grew restless. He went to the incense pellet stall owner who supplied him and was his partner, urging him to quickly procure some ointments.

"Where am I supposed to find stock at this hour? Give it a couple of days. They live far away and can't come by every day. No matter how well they sell now, it'll all be in vain for them, and we'll reap the rewards," the stall owner said.

Qian Jinbao let out a sinister chuckle. "Fine, get the stock ready. I've noted the new layout of his stall. I'll find someone to replicate it. Those two fools are just throwing money our way. Let's see what other bright ideas they come up with."

The incense pellet stall owner's creased face broke into a grin. He lowered his voice. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Brother Qian. After we close up tonight, let's go have some fun—my treat! The earnings these days sure feel good."

"I won't say no to that." Qian Jinbao rubbed his hands together with a lewd grin, lost in thoughts of the evening ahead, and returned to his stall with a smug look.

He paid a copper coin to a neighboring stall owner to keep an eye on his stall for a while. When he came back, he checked all around meticulously, worried something might be missing, which only irritated the bamboo-weaving stall owner who had helped him.

It was common for nearby stall owners to keep an eye on each other's stalls for free, but Qian Jinbao had ruined that goodwill by offending Gong Laosi to his right and by generally being unpleasant. Without payment, no one would pay him any attention.

After checking his goods, he resumed staring at Zhong Yizhu's stall from a distance. The cloth flowers looked a bit fuzzy from afar, so he thought about finding a chance to have someone snatch one...

Just as he was mulling this over, a voice suddenly rang out beside him, followed by something crashing onto his stall with a bang, making him jump.

Qian Jinbao turned around menacingly. "Which bastard is tired of living, daring to smash your grandfather's stall!"

"I'm the one smashing it!" A fiery young man stood before him, flanked by two burly men. The young man slammed the stall hard with his hand and shouted even louder.

"You sold fake incense pellets to my little sister and cheated her out of her money! Either you give me an explanation today, or even if you call me your grandfather, I'll still tear this crappy stall apart!"

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Author's note: Thank you everyone for the thunderbolts and nutrient fluid~ mwah