Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Zhong Yizhu and Chen Xiaorong got off the cart first to open the door. Pei Mu drove the cart to the backyard and, together with Wang Pingan, began unloading the goods into the house. The two young men also came to help.

After unloading, they proceeded to clean and dust the place.

Wang Pingan and Chen Xiaorong had never been here before. They had assumed Pei Mu and his husband had probably rented a small shop, which would have been impressive enough. They never expected the shop they rented to be so large and beautifully arranged.

Chen Xiaorong had been amazed since Zhong Yizhu unlocked the shop door, and continued to be astonished as he saw the spacious backyard and the warehouse with shelves already set up.

Everything before him exceeded his imagination. Chen Xiaorong exchanged a glance with Wang Pingan, both feeling that Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu were truly remarkable.

The shop's furnishings were all based on Zhong Yizhu's ideas. After entering, they shut the door behind them, shutting out the gazes of passersby.

Chen Xiaorong quickly wiped down the counter, looking at this beautiful shop—one they had previously felt too intimidated to even enter—and felt as happy as if it were their own.

Zhong Yizhu was caught up in his genuine joy and couldn't help but smile. The shop was about to open.

The four of them worked together to polish every corner until it was spotless and tidy. Then, under Zhong Yizhu's direction, they gradually filled the shelves with goods. Everything was ready, and they only had to wait for the opening the next day.

On the third day of the third lunar month, it was an auspicious day for settling down and for business openings.

On Fu'an Street, near the main road, a new shop had hung up its signboard early in the morning, covered with red cloth, clearly waiting for its grand opening.

Everywhere has its idle people. Some passersby gathered when they heard about a new fragrance shop opening. Some stayed, while others walked away uninterested. However, perhaps thanks to Zhong Yizhu's painstakingly crafted floral note papers, by the auspicious hour, the place was packed with people.

Zhong Yizhu was wearing something really festive today. Sun Yunniang had made him a new outfit in her spare time—a pomegranate red color that made him stand out immediately in the crowd.

Naturally, Pei Mu wasn't going to be left out, but he absolutely refused to wear such a color; it wouldn't look right on a man. So Sun Yunniang made him a dark outfit, the kind he usually wore, but embroidered a belt for him using leftover fabric from Zhong Yizhu's clothes.

In dark robes with that belt, his tall frame stood out just as much next to Zhong Yizhu.

Those in the know thought the two bosses were just trying to bring good luck to their opening. Those who didn't might have thought they were celebrating a wedding.

The auspicious hour arrived. They looked at each other and reached out together to pull down the red cloth covering the signboard.

Firecrackers went off at the same time. The crowd covered their ears and looked up at the sign.

On the wooden sign, four characters were neatly carved: "Bamboo Fragrance Shop."

Someone who could read called out the characters. Others who were illiterate quickly asked what characters they were. The literate person, seeming to have had some schooling, explained softly, "It's the character for 'bamboo.' 'Under the bamboo, savoring fragrance'—what an elegant name."

Many of the surrounding people were regular customers who had bought from their stall before. They found the name clever, too. All the fragrance products at the stall, whether in paper bags or wooden boxes, had a bamboo logo. This consistency felt familiar and welcoming.

Many people from Willow Village had also come today. Apart from Wang Pingan's family and the village head's family, several other households whose members had embroidered sachets for the shop had also shown up. They were worried the shop might not be lively enough when it first opened and wanted to help fill the crowd. They had arrived early and were first surprised by the shop's prime location and spaciousness. Later, as more new and regular customers slowly gathered, the villagers realized their worries might be unnecessary.

Indeed, without such confidence, how could they have promised them the work of embroidering sachets?

The villagers didn't rush off. They squeezed into the crowd, waiting to see the excitement of the opening. Some who had learned embroidery had also come, wanting to rush into the shop after it opened to see if the sachets they had embroidered could be sold.

But before the shop even opened, they were surprised a second time.

When they heard people around them talking about the name of the fragrance shop, the villagers started murmuring. After all, in this society, once a woman or a young wife marries, her husband's family takes precedence. If the shop had been called "Pei Family Fragrance Shop," they wouldn't have been surprised at all. But the name was entirely associated with Zhong Yizhu, without a hint of Pei Mu.

The villagers were still stunned when Zhong Yizhu struck a gong, his clear voice cutting through the noise: "The Bamboo Fragrance Shop is now open! All fragrances, regardless of price, are 20% off! New and old friends, please come in!"

Behind him, Pei Mu and Sun Yunniang pushed open the shop doors. The enthusiastic customers had barely stepped inside when they let out an "Oh!" of surprise.

Simply put, this shop was truly different from any fragrance shop they had ever been to.

Any customer who had visited Zhong Yizhu's fragrance stall would remember his display skills. Now, applying those skills to the shop, he had much more space to work with, and people finally understood what "dazzling" truly meant.

Though it was only a two-bay shop, at first glance it seemed full of surprises. Every corner had a different arrangement, yet upon closer inspection, everything harmonized and nothing seemed cluttered.

Different fragrances were displayed separately, paired with beautiful hanging fabrics. Delicate sachets hung up, serving both as display and decoration.

Many regular customers had come specifically for the 20% opening discount, intending to stock up on expensive, long-lasting items like scented balms and beads. But once inside the shop, they couldn't help themselves. They wanted to buy this, they wanted to buy that, and on top of that, Zhong Yizhu had taken the opportunity to launch a new product—fragrance oil that could be used for bathing or applied directly to the skin.

The price was higher than any of his previous products, but all who loved fragrance couldn't resist wanting it. Zhong Yizhu's craft had them completely hooked. They sniffed the free samples and knew their wallets were doomed today.

Still, looking on the bright side, today's 20% discount meant they'd have to pay 20% more later if they didn't buy now. So buying today was more economical.

As for the new customers who entered the shop, it was almost impossible for any fragrance lover to leave empty-handed. This shop was so different from others that some people even grumbled about not finding it earlier, whining at their friends for not bringing them sooner.

The young husband who brought him rolled his eyes: "Before, you said the stall's goods weren't as good as the shop's. I offered to give you some, but you refused."

That was the truth, and the complaining young husband couldn't argue. He grabbed his friend's arm and smiled apologetically: "I was blind. I'll give you a bottle of fragrance oil to make it up to you. I just smelled one that suits you perfectly..."

Zhong Yizhu, his family of three, plus Wang Pingan and his husband—even that wasn't enough. Finally, Liu Mingtao had to step in temporarily to help, barely managing to handle the flow of customers.

Even the seasoned city customers were amazed by this new fragrance shop, let alone the people from Willow Village.

They rarely came to Songyun County, and even when they did, they wouldn't set foot in such shops.

The place was full of fragrance. The displays were gorgeous, nothing like they'd ever seen. Many of the customers were well-dressed, making the villagers feel even more out of place.

The Willow Village folks huddled together. They went inside for a quick look and then came back out. With so many people buying stuff, they didn't want to crowd the place. After all, they could still watch the excitement from outside.

Just then, Qian Jie'er in the crowd spotted something and exclaimed, "Mother! Look, that customer is holding the sachet I embroidered! Ah, she bought it!"

Qian Jie'er was beaming with joy, and everyone around her was happy too. If the shop was doing well, the villagers who had learned embroidery could earn money. It was great news.

Not long after, someone else brought a string of firecrackers and set them off, attracting a new wave of customers.

The newcomer was a man in his thirties who clearly knew Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu well, but he was too busy to exchange more than a few words. A little while later, someone else sent firecrackers.

The villagers had planned to leave after showing their support, but they ended up staying to watch more of the excitement. As they watched, Qian Jie'er's mother suddenly spotted a vaguely familiar figure in the crowd. She quickly whispered to the person next to her, "Brother Zhang, take a look at the west side, near the fried sugar cake stall. The man in blue—isn't he from the Wu family in Riverside Village? A younger member. I think I've seen him before, but I'm not sure."

Qian Jie'er's mother was originally from Riverside Village, but she had married into Willow Village over twenty years ago. She wasn't very familiar with the younger generation born there, especially since the Wu family was known for having many children—a huge clan that was hard to keep track of.

She called over Zhang Gensheng, who frequently visited both villages and might recognize the man.

Zhang Gensheng looked where she indicated, and sure enough!

The villagers had previously wondered whether Zhong Yizhu's mother and son would face any trouble from the Zhong family's third branch now that he was in the fragrance business—especially since it was about their jobs. Now, seeing a member of the Wu family here made them uneasy. Perhaps sensing their gaze, the young Wu man glanced back at them and then darted off.

...

The Bamboo Fragrance Shop's opening was ablaze with success. Business was booming with crowds of customers. However, the fragrance stall owners who had been secretly watching the situation were starting to panic.

They had originally agreed not to send any firecrackers, hoping to make the opening totally dead. But who'd have thought the shop didn't need them at all.

After noon, one stall owner couldn't sit still any longer. He snuck someone over to send firecrackers. When the others found out, they looked at him like a traitor, but they all hurriedly sent their own firecrackers, afraid to miss this chance to butter them up.

Doing business is a mysterious thing. Some people thrive when they run a stall but fail when they open a shop. So although the stall owners had their own plans, none had bet everything on the outcome.

But now, hearing from errand boys about the Bamboo Fragrance Shop's bustling scene, everyone had a gut feeling. The top fragrance shop in Songyun County was about to change hands.

Amid their sighs, some secretly mocked Pei Mu for being henpecked and cowardly—so spineless! "It's not like he married into the family—letting a young wife walk all over him like that."

With the Bamboo Fragrance Shop doing such brisk business, their stock of spices would naturally be consumed quickly. Everyone waited for Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu to come and talk business with them. They believed it would happen within the next few days.

This time, no one was thinking of playing hard to get. Instead, they racked their brains, figuring out how to butter them up to secure the deal.

Author's Note: Our fragrance shop has finally opened! To celebrate, I'll send everyone a red envelope.

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