Chapter 243: Money Comes from All Directions

【one x sold, lifetime free xx】

Even if this gimmick existed in Du Shanü's past life, when most people were quite well-off and had extremely high anti-fraud awareness, it would still be enough to make people's hearts flutter.

For example, buying a hairpin comes with lifetime free hairstyling; buying an object comes with lifetime free repair.

Tinware accessories have low profit, so they definitely cannot come with free hairstyling and repair.

However, the advantage is that their cost of washing tinware is almost zero.

However, just having three or five assistants set up at the storefront, if someone comes to wash tinware, the assistants can easily wash the items and return them without much effort.

Even if there are many people, it might even attract others to join in the fun.

"Tin hairpins must definitely be sold; nothing else can be neglected."

Du Shanü casually put the hairpin into the wooden box:

"Tea cans, spice jars, warm wine pots, small wine cups, ink droppers, lamps, jade spring vases, auspicious beast ornaments... In short, let's try them all."

"I don't know much about business matters, but after thinking it over these days, it's nothing more than that set——

"First choose a low-priced, low-profit item as the main push; customers will be pleased, and with a gimmick, we can naturally accumulate a customer base over time."

"In business, what's most to be avoided is having what others don't have; what's most beneficial is having what others lack."

"Nowadays, no merchants on the market are willing to help wash tinware; only we are willing."

"If this gets spread around by others, then when ordinary families need to buy tinware, they will naturally also consider us......"

"Then isn't this long-term business already accomplished?"

Chen Weifang remained silent, listened carefully, and only then spoke:

"Then I will follow the Wise Lord's intention, but these days there are only a few days left before spring plowing; buying seeds for spring plowing is a considerable expense, and last year the people suffered disaster, so I fear sales will not be good at first."

"Beauty is something one can pursue only after having enough to eat."

"Although tinware is already very cheap, if a family's house is leaky on all sides, they have eaten one meal but not the next, and still use a chipped earthen bowl, then tinware is not exactly cheap either—how can people bear to spend money to buy it?"

"Therefore, in doing business, one cannot only look at whether one's own pocket has money; one must also see whether others' pockets have money."

"Everyone has heard the story of draining the pond to catch fish, but wanting to avoid it is still not easy."

Du Shanü sighed:

"I have it figured out; we don't need to gulp down and become a big fat person all at once."

"If the people of the two cities have no money in their pockets, just wait until after spring plowing, then borrow the matter of repair and conscripted labor, to refurbish various parts of the city again, and distribute the money we borrowed from the rich into the hands of the common folk."

"Money begets money; money will naturally return to our hands one day......"

Du Shanü, although skilled at suspicion and deliberation, perhaps because in her previous life she came from a proper and red lineage, has always known how to treat the foundation well.

"What is the foundation?"

"The common people naturally are the foundation!"

"If we don't treat the common people well, could we possibly still treat those rich people covered in acne and rolling in wealth?"

Therefore Du Shanü explained in detail; the two people beside her each listened, and as usual they only spoke after she finished speaking:

"...... Speaking of business, we two first saw the Wise Lord send Ouyang An back, and we thought the Wise Lord had some intention to expand the business outwardly to An Nan."

Saying this, on the contrary, it made Du Shanü, the 'originator', startle.

Only then did she gradually recall the little bean sent back to Dun Cheng:

"An Nan, An Nan...... I have never been to An Nan before, and I don't know if it's feasible."

"How has that little Ouyang An been these days? This morning I didn't even see him come out for breakfast."

This child previously was like an invisible person, hiding in the back, neither speaking nor attracting attention.

"To be honest, after being busy for half a month and returning home, Chinu's child gave a hug......"

She had long forgotten that she had previously sent Ouyang An back.

But now, in hindsight, what else is wrong?

"Where is the person?"

"The person has come back, but where is the person?"

This time Chinu answered first, raising his eyebrows:

"After that child was sent here, for the first few days he only knew to hide in the room; I went to see him several times and found him clutching his blanket, calling for his mother and elder brother while crying; after crying himself to sleep he would sleep, then wake up and cry again......"

"We didn't interfere with him; after letting him go hungry for three or four days, he was willing to get up and eat."

"However, these days he is still hiding in the room, not very willing to see people."

Chinu's explanation was brief; Chen Weifang seemed afraid that Chinu's methods would upset Du Shanü, so she hurriedly spoke to make amends:

"We also heard from the person who brought back news that night that his elder brother had committed a great mistake, and there were no other messages from the Wise Lord, so we really didn't know how to decide; that's why we left him alone for a few days, and these days I also went to see him—aside from not going out, everything was fine."

"Now his elder brother is also in the Wise Lord's hands; I reckon this child won't be able to stir up any big waves, if you want him to provide some information, he should be willing to speak now."

Du Shanü originally wanted to shake her head and say what a ten-year-old child could know about business matters, but before her head could turn, her mind had already anticipated that night Ouyang An's unusually precocious demeanor.

Ouyang Yan could conceal private matters, Ouyang An......

Who knows if there really is a connection?

Du Shanü gathered her thoughts and spoke:

"No rush; let me see him later today and then we'll talk."

Once the words were spoken, the matter was settled.

Chen Weifang also breathed a sigh of relief:

"Then that's fine."

"From now on, this child and his elder brother will each be in one city, mutually restraining each other; with Cang Cheng in our hands in spring, future days will surely be much better......"

"These words are certainly spoken from genuine feeling."

"But whose 【days】 are these, Chen Weifang did not elaborate."

Chinu glanced at Chen Weifang again, twiddled his fingers, and his brows and eyes relaxed a bit.

Du Shanü had just finished half a month of toil, and upon returning to the city she had barely enjoyed two days of peace; on the first day of the new year she again faced many major decisions requiring her resolve. After finally settling them she was about to relax, but hearing Chen Weifang say this, her expression darkened again.

She thought for a moment, knowing she couldn't hide it, and so spoke up frankly:

"... Nowadays Cang Cheng isn't even something you can see in hand during spring."

"I recently appointed Yu Lve as county magistrate, putting him in command of Cang Cheng County's forces. The treasury is a bit more ample now, and when I left he was already recruiting troops."

"By definition, a county magistrate holds the military authority of a county."

"In day-to-day duties he oversees the county's constables, archers, village militia, and peacekeeping militia."

"He is responsible not only for patrolling the city, preventing theft, apprehending suspects, and maintaining public order, but also for managing the city gates' opening and closing, enforcing night curfews, and handling flood control and firefighting, among other miscellaneous affairs."

Du Shanü's impression of Yu Lve was certainly not good, however...

However, she could not ignore Yu Baobao.

Even if Yu Lve is disagreeable, he defied her only because of Yu Baobao.

Du Shanü believes he harbors genuine feelings for Yu Baobao, so she does not want to treat him too harshly.

Du Shanü understands this herself.

And now, Chinu and Chen Weifang...

also understand.

Chinu's lips, which had just relaxed a fraction, suddenly tensed.

He stared at Du Shanü without expression for a few breaths, then suddenly turned his gaze away and refused to look at her.

Du Shanü let out a long sigh in her heart, knowing she could not avoid this, and so spoke up, trying to change the subject:

"The news that Yu Lve hadn't mentioned earlier—I actually found out about it a few days ago......"

"Do you want to hear it, good slave?"

?? Another punctual day! Time to praise!