Chapter 74

Chapter 74

On Spice Street in the Western Market, as soon as Pei Mu appeared, all the spice stall owners perked up, thinking, "Here he comes now."

Pei Mu and Zhong Yizhu were already memorable for their looks, and with a young man like him being a rare sight at the spice market, coupled with that earlier incident where Liu's Fragrance Shop went after the couple, almost every owner remembered their faces.

Li Youming's spice stall was close to the entrance, giving him an advantageous position. He rushed ahead of others to greet them with a smile, "Boss Pei, here to buy spices today? We just got a fresh batch of goods, top-notch quality."

Lowering his voice away from the others, he added, "Still at the price I mentioned before. Since you've dealt with the cargo ship stewards at the dock, you must know the wholesale price of spices. My offer is sincere—eighty percent of the usual price, whether you buy in bulk or small quantities."

The others wouldn't let Li Youming get ahead so easily and crowded forward.

"What's the rush?" said a clerk, who had arrived a step behind Pei Mu, frowning at the crowd and addressing Pei Mu, "Which stall do you want to rent? Point it out to me."

Realizing something was wrong, the owners scattered under the clerk's scolding but exchanged uneasy glances. They followed the two of them, watching as Pei Mu chose an empty stall at the end of the street and paid the rent.

What was he doing? Hadn't he already opened a fragrance shop? Why set up a stall here?

And even if he wanted to set up a stall, why here of all places?

It wasn't until a quarter of an hour later that Pei Mu brought the goods over.

One by one, wooden boxes were opened, revealing premium spices in the open air. Each pile of spices had a small wooden sign stuck in it, listing the name and price—a few percent lower than what others normally sold for retail.

Pei Mu leaned back in a chair he'd set up behind the stall and smiled at the stunned owners. "Wanna buy some spices?"

Everyone was dumbfounded. They never expected Pei Mu to not only refuse them business but to steal theirs. What kind of stunt was this?

It was sheer audacity—complete audacity!

But where had Pei Mu sourced his spices? They had watched the dock, and hadn't seen him make any deals. Where did he get his stock?

Finally, Old Chen, the longest-standing vendor on Spice Street, spoke up. "There's no need for this, Boss Pei. Everyone should make their own living. Selling at a loss just to get back at us—what's the point?"

After flashing that one smile, Pei Mu's face went cold. Not bothering to argue, he replied flatly, "I'm in the spice business. What, is this business only for you?"

"You—!"

His words were infuriatingly blunt, and his defiant stance made the owners furious. Forgetting about the big orders from fragrance shops, they banded together to figure out how to run Pei Mu off.

They guessed Pei Mu had sourced his spices from Rongyang Prefecture, but even if prices were lower there, the shipping back would cost a significant amount—combined, the cost would certainly be higher than buying from them, not to mention the risks of long-distance transport. Pei Mu was obviously losing money just to be spiteful.

A young hothead, they all thought. After that slight from Liu's Fragrance Shop, he held a grudge. Youthful pride was one thing, but holding a grudge this fiercely was just plain stupid.

But before they could agree on a plan, Pei Mu already had a customer.

Unlike them, Pei Mu clearly marked his prices. Some stall owners even charged different prices based on who you were—higher for those who seemed gullible, lower for the difficult ones. Pei Mu's stall stood out, and that attracted new customers.

Not everyone who visited Spice Street was in the fragrance business. Some families liked to make their own incense and bought spices in small quantities.

A customer looked over the spices, found them to be good, and asked Pei Mu to weigh some. Pei Mu expertly scooped, weighed, wrapped the spices in paper, and handed them over. He wasn't slick like the other stall owners—his usual aggression had mellowed out, though he still seemed indifferent.

But being straightforward had its own appeal. Some customers liked that they wouldn't get overcharged just because they weren't good at bargaining.

And with good products at low prices, selling wasn't a problem.

When buyers from other fragrance shops in the city came to inspect Pei Mu's stock, the spice owners knew they were in deep trouble.

But what could they do? They racked their brains but couldn't come up with a plan. Their usual tricks were hiring thugs to cause trouble or lowering prices together to squeeze out newcomers. The former would likely end with them getting beaten up by Pei Mu, and the latter was impossible since Pei Mu's prices were already low. If they lowered further, they'd lose money, and customers would learn the real rock-bottom price—then what profit would they have later?

Pei Mu couldn't be bothered with their scheming. He didn't recognize the man who picked up a spice, sniffed it closely, and nodded, and asked where the spices came from—apparently not from Anchuan Prefecture.

Pei Mu didn't hide it. In fact, he wanted to build up the reputation of Quzhou Prefecture's spices. Those stall owners were too proud and too angry to look closely; they stuck to their initial assumption and missed the difference.

"Quzhou Prefecture? I've heard they produce spices there too, but trade routes aren't open. Rongyang Prefecture relies on shipments from Anchuan Prefecture. You've got skills, Boss Pei. These spices are excellent."

Pei Mu initially thought this was a spice enthusiast, but his tone suggested he might be in the same line of work.

Pei Mu responded calmly, "You flatter me. And you are?"

The man was straightforward. Brushing off spice crumbs from his hands, he laughed. "I'm the manager of Ran Family Fragrance Shop up in the north part of the city. I won't beat around the bush here—if we want to order from you, what would the price be?"

Ran Family Fragrance Shop... Pei Mu remembered they had sent firecrackers for the shop's opening. It seemed they genuinely wanted to build a good relationship.

Ever since they set up their stall in Songyun County, competitors had been ruthless. Meeting a normal person took Pei Mu by surprise. After a moment, he said, "Tell me the wholesale price you're paying now, and I'll give you a discount off that."

He had calculated costs. Though they could get spices cheaper than the Anchuan ship cargo, he didn't intend to compete solely on price.

Those spice owners had offered low prices because they wanted bulk orders from his shop and due to competition. They wouldn't offer the same to other fragrance shops. Knowing this, he held back from underpricing.

His spices were good, and the Bamboo Fragrance Shop was a living advertisement. Since the buyer knew he and Zhong Yizhu were married, he could connect the dots. At the same price, Pei Mu believed the buyer would choose wisely. Offering a lower price was both a goodwill gesture and a deliberate provocation.

He and Zhong Yizhu had been slighted before, and now he had a chance to make things right. He wasn't interested in humiliation, but taking business was easy and satisfying.

The Ran manager was taken aback at first, then smiled. "Then I'll thank you in advance, Boss Pei."

Pei Mu nodded. "I have a full stock now. Tell me what you need. If I run short, let me know, and I'll weigh it out tomorrow and deliver it to your shop."

Seeing Pei Mu's thoroughness, the manager ordered without hesitation. Fortunately, they hadn't signed a contract with the spice stalls, and he was tired of those old foxes. Now someone was giving them a lesson, and he was benefiting—why not watch the show?

With enough stock left, the deal was completed right under the noses of the other spice owners, who cursed aloud in fury.

...

In the fragrance shop, Zhong Yizhu saw off two customers who had browsed through everything but bought nothing, then drank a full pot of water after being parched. Seeing it was nearly noon, he stepped to the door and called out.

Songyun County was prosperous, and many trades thrived. There were teenage boys who ran errands on the streets to earn extra money.

The Bamboo Fragrance Shop wasn't far from the main street. As soon as Zhong Yizhu called, a round-faced, cheerful boy came running. "What do you need, sir?"

Zhong Yizhu counted out some copper coins and handed them over. "My husband is selling spices at the Spice Street in the Western Market. Buy a bowl of noodles for him and ask them to add an extra serving of meat."

"Got it!" The boy accepted the errand fee with a crisp reply, asked how to identify the husband and how to address him, then took the money and ran cheerfully toward the Western Market.

Zhong Yizhu straightened the shelves, stretched, and sat behind the counter watching the street. The noon sun was intense; most people wouldn't be out shopping at this hour, so the shop was quiet.

Now business had stabilized. Daily income was around ten taels, not counting standing orders like those from Miss Liang of the Liang Mansion. Before, with just a stall, some found it beneath them to buy there. Now with a shop, orders that came directly to the shop had increased, adding a considerable amount.

But that meant they were short-handed. He had to mind the shop and couldn't deliver, and hiring errand runners wasn't as reliable.

At night, they had hired a couple from a nearby household to watch the shop and goods for eight coppers a night.

Still, it wasn't enough.

Now Zhong Yizhu handled the shop during the day and made incense at night, feeling rushed. Since their shop was new, quality couldn't slip. He considered hiring someone to make incense or tend the shop, but he wanted to handle both personally.

He rested his chin on his hand, thinking. Maybe he should hire for both—spend half the day at home making incense and half at the shop, or alternate days, so neither side suffered.

The shop's profits gave him confidence; he shouldn't skimp where needed.

With the decision made, Zhong Yizhu quickly had suitable people in mind.

Just as he was pondering wages, a sudden commotion came from outside.

Zhong Yizhu leaned out to look and soon frowned.