Chapter 27: The Xu Family's Commercial Layout

Dongxi Village.

The Xu family's large residence.

"Third Brother," the Xu family head tapped his knuckles on the table. His eye sockets were slightly red with hidden bloodshot, "Xu Mao is your own flesh and blood. My Xu family has already emptied its coffers to save him."

His brow seemed frozen by frost and snow as he frowned slightly. His tightly pressed lips revealed the fatigue of staying up all night.

Suddenly, he raised his eyes to look over. His gaze was as deep as a cold pool as he said lightly, "When he's released from prison in a few days, if he causes trouble again, my Xu family will also be powerless. So, you understand the gravity of this, right?"

Third Master Xu's throat rolled lightly. His knuckles turned white from gripping inside his sleeves. After a long time, he nodded heavily. His dark sleeves fell with his movement like an ink waterfall, "Eldest Brother, rest assured."

"As for the Xu family..."

The Xu family head's silver beard trembled slightly with his sigh. The melancholy in his eyes was like misty fog. After a long time, he stroked his knee and sighed deeply, "From now on, when my Xu family encounters people from the Xu family, treat them all with courtesy and do not provoke them."

Xu Zhen and Third Master Xu both didn't object.

A genius with grandmaster potential who was also on good terms with the County Registrar.

Even prominent families in the county town would treat him with courtesy.

"Think of that Xu Chuan," the Xu family head stroked his silver beard and sighed deeply, with both contempt and admiration, "In the past, when he was in our residence, he was just eating meals. When meeting people, he kept his eyes lowered and was obsequious, bending his waist and bowing his back, just like an ant on the steps.

And now he has such fortune. Truly, worldly matters are unpredictable."

"What a pity that my Xu family doesn't have such great talent."

The Xu family had only been through three generations and was already beginning to decline. The fourth generation had no one to revitalize the family, and quite a few troublesome worms had appeared, burdening them.

Perhaps by the fifth generation, they would go their separate ways for private interests and completely ruin the family business.

Very few families in the world can stand out.

Continuing the achievements of three generations, working together with one heart, only then can they last a hundred years and establish the foundation of a prominent family.

Several days later, Xu Mao was released from the county government prison and picked up by the Xu family's carriage to return to the residence.

"Where is everyone? Didn't you see that this young master has returned? Can't even serve a cup of tea?"

"You bunch of dead things, I'm going to dock your wages."

Xu Mao shouted loudly in the hall.

Then, Third Master Xu and two guards walked in.

"Father, the maids and servants in the house are too irresponsible. I suggest quickly selling them off and getting a new batch."

Seeing Third Master Xu's gloomy face, Xu Mao didn't take it seriously at all. With a somewhat reproachful tone, he said, "What's this? I just came back, and Father, you're already giving me a sour face."

"How inauspicious!"

"Inauspicious? Giving birth to a son like you is my greatest misfortune!"

Third Master Xu shouted, "You two hold down this unfilial son for me. Today I'm going to break his legs to prevent him from going out to pick fights and ruin my Xu family's foundation."

The guards acted as told.

"How dare you, let go of me!"

"Father, are you serious? I'm your only son!"

Third Master Xu raised his wooden stick, tilted his head back and closed his eyes. His face also showed struggling reluctance but Xu Mao's next sentence made him determined.

"You old thing, you're about to die anyway. If you break my legs, who will see you off in death!"

"Beast!"

Third Master Xu's eyes widened. Without any further hesitation, he swung the wooden stick and struck down fiercely.

"Bang bang bang~"

"Ah ah ah—"

Miserable howls echoed throughout the courtyard.

The maids and servants didn't dare approach, but hearing these sounds, the pent-up frustration in their hearts was suddenly relieved somewhat. It felt quite satisfying.

…

"Elder Brother, I heard that Xu Mao from the Xu family had his legs broken by his father."

"Tsk tsk, how ruthless."

"However, it's truly gratifying. Hahaha~"

When Xu Mingxuan returned from the martial hall and heard this news, he was extremely happy and hurriedly ran to Xu Mingwei.

"Third Master Xu is still decisive."

"However, if it were our father, I estimate he would be even more ruthless. If he encountered unfilial descendants, he would probably directly execute them, ending it once and for all."

"It can't be. Father dotes on us so much."

"That's why, to prevent such things from happening, Father earnestly teaches us, combining loving kindness with strictness."

Xu Mingwei patted his shoulder, "Fortunately, Father has taught us brothers quite well, so Tantou, you don't need to worry."

"Elder Brother, you're just scaring me."

Several more days passed.

Xu Chuan called Xu Mingyuan over to discuss the Xu family's subsequent commercial development.

"Ahyuan, first tell me your thoughts for what comes next."

Xu Chuan had almost entirely entrusted the commercial portion of the Xu family to Xu Mingyuan.

Xu Mingyuan pondered briefly, "Now our Xu family has become famous in Qingjiang County. We're truly Qingjiang's new nobility."

"Elder Brother has grandmaster potential and is famous throughout Qingjiang."

"And Father is on good terms with County Registrar Yang. I've heard that even the county magistrate must respect this County Registrar Yang by three points."

"So, I think we should first consolidate the fruit shop. After three months, open a branch store. Within a year, open branch stores all the way to the East Market and earn silver from those wealthy households and merchants."

"A chain? With our Xu family's reputation, we can indeed quickly see returns, but it's still somewhat wasteful."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly, "What do you think is most valuable about our Xu family right now?"

"Reputation? Credibility?"

"It's this relationship with County Registrar Yang!" Xu Chuan said, "But relationships also have a time limit."

"Right now, many wealthy households and merchants will attach great importance to this relationship, thinking that befriending us is profitable and can bring them closer to County Registrar Yang. In everything they do, they will make concessions. However, whether it's credibility or Shitou's potential, both depend on the future.

The longer the time, the more important credibility becomes.

The longer the time, as Shitou continues to break through and even reaches innate, he will similarly receive support and courting from many people in Qingjiang but neither is now.

Right now, what's most valuable is the relationship with the County Registrar.

So this year is the most critical period for our Xu family's development.

Let the wealthy merchants and prominent families of Qingjiang County see my Xu family's potential, transitioning from befriending us to get close to County Registrar Yang to being bound by mutual interests.

Then it will be profit generating more profit, rolling like a snowball and continuously growing."

Xu Mingyuan nodded, thinking what Xu Chuan said made great sense, "But Father, specifically how should we do it?"

"The foundation of common people is nothing more than four words: clothing, food, housing, and travel."

"Open a wine distillery, restaurant, clothing shop, general store, and perfume shop."

"Use the profits from the fruit shop to complete the commercial layout in Qingjiang County within one year."

Xu Chuan began handing over to Xu Mingyuan the various wine recipes, clothing designs, and cooking recipes he had researched in his spare time over these years.

As Xu Mingyuan held the small booklets, his eyes grew wider and wider. His pair of eyes seemed ready to jump out of their sockets.

He was stunned.

Simply astonishing!

"These are all your father's accumulation over more than ten years. I'm entrusting them all to you. Use them well."

Although Xu Chuan was a transmigrator, he wasn't omnipotent either.

He only roughly knew the process and methods of brewing wine. For clothing, he had to rely on memory and then modify them according to current tastes. This included soap, perfume, toothbrushes, and other things he had to try himself.

These were all precious wealth.

He only needed to wait for the right opportunity to reveal them, and he could rapidly accumulate vast wealth.

In the past, Xu Chuan's status was humble. He knew well that rashly exposing them would bring disaster rather than fortune, so he always kept a low profile but now was the best opportunity!

With County Registrar Yang's tiger skin, with Shitou's grandmaster potential.

In the short term, many prominent families would be wary of the Xu family. The Xu family could develop vigorously without scruple and rapidly complete its commercial layout.

In just two or three years, even if prominent families in Qingjiang County wanted to move against his Xu family, they would have to consider whether they wanted to fight to mutual destruction.

"Thank you, Father. Ahyuan will definitely not disappoint you!"

Xu Mingyuan's pupils suddenly contracted. Flames seemed to rise in his eyes, his ink-colored pupils scorched bright.

…

Seeing the Xu family's potential, many families in Qingjiang County were willing to befriend the Xu family.

Xu Chuan also visited Yang Zhao's home every few days.

Meeting creates affection.

Sometimes they would also discuss governance of the people's livelihood, catering to his interests.

Although Yang Zhao knew Xu Chuan had his own ulterior motives, he also learned quite a bit from Xu Chuan, so he was willing to interact frequently.

Xu Yan heard that the Xu family fruit shop's business was booming and had Chen Ergou go seek business advice.

Xu Chuan only said that these matters were all handled by Xu Mingyuan.

As Chen Ergou grew older, he cared more about face and couldn't bring himself to seek advice from a nephew. This matter could only be dropped.

The Chen family's fruit shop business was mediocre.

Fortunately, no one came to cause trouble either. They could get by plainly.

Most importantly, Xu Mingyuan simply couldn't spare attention for the Chen family.

He was busy with the Xu family's commercial layout plan, recruiting people to secretly brew wine and tailor clothing, then opening restaurants.

A month later, a restaurant called Zuiyun Residence opened in the West Market.

Its dishes were novel and tasted excellent. Business was extremely hot every day.

After that came the wine distillery, Qianjin Workshop.

The meaning was that the fine wines here were worth a thousand gold.

Because brewing wine required time, even though Xu Mingyuan recruited quite a few brewing masters to make it, it officially opened only after three months.

Among them were yellow wine, rice wine, white wine, and fruit wine. Each type of wine had elegant names like 'Green Leaf Intoxication' and 'Yellow Millet Dream.'

Suitable for all ages, for both men and women.

And there were two major categories: high-end and affordable. The customer base included wealthy merchants and prominent families as well as common people.

When wine from Qianjin Workshop appeared in Zuiyun Residence, business became hot again.

Soon, both the East and West Markets had its restaurant's presence.

Then came clothing shops and shoe shops. All kinds of novel and pleasing clothing and shoes began to become popular in Qingjiang County, causing people to compete to imitate them.

Finally was the perfume shop, named Cloud Fragrance Pavilion.

Perfume was a luxury item, only opened in the East Market, with expensive prices.

Multiple scents could suit most women's preferences and were beloved by the wives of those wealthy households and merchants.

In addition, Xu Mingyuan continuously had people develop more varieties.

He knew that only innovation was the Xu family's core competitive advantage.

Of course, during this period, there were also some people who, driven by profit, came to cause trouble. But Xu Mingyuan found ways to resolve them one by one. For those he couldn't resolve, he would seek out County Registrar Yang.

County Registrar Yang, for Xu Chuan's sake, as long as it didn't violate the law, would also open convenient doors widely.

…

Spring went and autumn came.

In the blink of an eye, three years passed like a white colt flashing past a gap.

The Xu family's fruit and vegetable business had long occupied thirty to forty percent of the West Market's trade. There were also traces of the fruit and vegetable market in the East Market.

Market stall spaces were in short supply, and rent frequently increased.

They had also signed contracts with many restaurants and inns to provide fresh fruit daily.

Industries like Zuiyun Residence, Qianjin Workshop, Tianyi Pavilion, Cloud Fragrance Pavilion, and others brought in gold by the bushel daily.

In both the East and West Markets, there were branch stores.

Now, monthly income was tens of thousands of taels. When business was good, it could reach over a hundred thousand.

Even among all the wealthy merchant families in Qingjiang County, their money-making ability could rank at the forefront.

And as the scale grew large, manpower naturally had to keep up.

In these two years, the Xu family recruited quite a few people.

The shop assistants and managers of properties under their name in the county town added up to seventy or eighty people.

Long-term workers, household guards, and maids absorbed in Dongxi Village also numbered over a hundred.

Over a hundred guards were also recruited, mostly strong young martial artists who had practiced martial arts.

They either guarded various industries in the county town to prevent troublemakers, or guarded the family residence, patrolling fields and forests.

For convenience, the Xu family also purchased a residence in the East Market of Qingjiang County.

Sometimes when interacting with the Yang family, if they couldn't leave through the city gate late at night, they would rest at this residence.

…

Qingyun Street.

Here the roads were paved with blue stone and were spacious.

The Yang residence was located on this street.

A young man nearly two meters tall and a girl sitting on the back of a white tiger with crimson-gold pupils swaggered to the entrance of the Yang residence.

The guards at the entrance saw them and immediately cupped their fists with smiles, "So it's Miss Mingshu and Young Master Xu who have arrived. Please come in quickly."

When their eyes met with the white tiger's, which was half as tall as a person, they felt as if thorns were on their backs, their spines turning cold.

"I told you not to bring it. Now you've scared people."

Xu Mingwei laughed helplessly and tapped Xu Mingshu's head with his hand.

"Little White said staying at home was too stuffy, so I brought it out for some air. Right, Little White?"

The white tiger seemed to understand and cooperatively roared, scaring the Yang residence's guards into retreating several steps.

"I'm truly curious. Such a fierce rare beast, Xueji, how exactly did you make it so obedient?"

"Hehe, this is talent. Elder Brother, you can't learn it."

"Little White and I have a tacit understanding."

Hearing the tiger's roar, Yang family's eldest son walked over, "As I thought, it's you. Little Xueji, could it be you brought your Little White to take revenge on me?"

"Hmph, I'm not as petty as you, Brother Shichang. This time I'm accompanying Elder Brother to deliver some green jade pears for godfather and godmother to taste something fresh, and I'm also here to visit Sister Ronghua."

Yang family's eldest son laughed heartily. Understanding in his heart, he teased, "Brother Xu, I've been waiting with eager eyes for your family to come propose marriage."

Xu Mingwei shook his head helplessly, "Brother Yang, it's not that I'm unwilling, but my father wants me to become an innate martial artist before considering marriage."

"Innate, Uncle Xu is truly heartless. He's too strict with you."

"You're not yet nineteen. My father became innate when he was close to thirty."

"Hmph, how can you guess my father's thinking!" Xu Mingshu first retorted, then smiled and said, "However, I also agree that Elder Brother should marry Sister Ronghua sooner. That way she can often chat with me."

"You girl!"

"Your brother is marrying a wife just to marry a sister-in-law to chat with you?"

Both were at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Yang Shichang began examining the white tiger. After circling around, he praised admiringly, "You girl are also amazing. You can actually tame such a rare beast."

Xu Mingshu said proudly, "My father said Little White hasn't completely matured yet. When it's an adult, even peak of Postnatal martial artists might not be able to defeat it.

When that time comes, if you provoke me again, I'll have Little White whip your bottom."

The white tiger cooperatively swung its thick, long black and white striped tail, like a long whip.

If it struck solidly, even first-rate martial artists would probably vomit blood.

Yang Shichang looked at Xu Mingwei, "Your sister is so fierce. In the future, I'm afraid no one will dare to marry her."

"Mind your own business," Xu Mingshu bared her teeth at Yang Shichang and made a face.

Little White was left in the front courtyard and wasn't brought to the back courtyard.

It quietly lay there for a nap. No one who lacked eyes dared provoke it.

…

The Yang family's inner residence.

"Sister Ronghua, I came to find you."

Xu Mingshu swaggered into Yang Ronghua's boudoir.

Yang Ronghua was doing needlework. Hearing the voice, she immediately put down the needle and thread in her hands and got up to greet her.

Her face was like a fresh lotus holding dew, her brows like distant mountains holding black, her eyes like autumn water cut by scissors, a dot of cinnabar between her lips.

On her forehead was a butterfly-shaped flower ornament. Her black hair was styled in a surprised swan bun with a kingfisher-point silver step-shake inserted at an angle. Bright moon earrings swayed lightly with her steps.

Her upper body wore a cloud-patterned jade-green cross-collar jacket. The edges were embroidered with silver thread scrolling patterns. The sleeves narrowed into a pipa shape. When she raised her hands, it was like jade-green waves overlapping.

Her lower body wore an ash-green hundred-pleated multi-colored skirt. When walking, it revealed a madder-colored skirt waist. The hem was adorned with twelve jade ring pendants that made tinkling sounds when moving.

"Sister Xueji, how do you have time to come today? Weren't you forced by Uncle Xu to practice martial arts?"

"Practicing martial arts also requires balance."

Xu Mingshu saw Yang Ronghua's eyes constantly glancing toward the main gate. She covered her mouth and smiled, "Sister Ronghua, what are you looking at?"

"My elder brother went to godmother's place to talk with her."

"I didn't ask about him," Yang Ronghua said somewhat shyly. Her flawless face immediately flushed slightly red with a "whoosh."

Xu Mingshu giggled, "Sister Ronghua, I think you should beg godfather and godmother to speak with my father not to be so strict with Elder Brother and marry you sooner."

"Sister Xueji, you're teasing me. Watch me tickle you."

The two sisters joked and played around. Immediately, flowers swayed gracefully with a special kind of charm.

On the other side.

"Aunt Yang, this is what my father brought for you and uncle to taste, green jade pears and seasonal fruits."

"Brother Xu is thoughtful. I'll thank him on behalf of my husband," Lady Yang said warmly.

Xu Mingwei then took out an invitation from his bosom and handed it over, "Half a month from now, my Xu family's large residence will be officially completed. We're preparing to establish the clan, open the ancestral hall, and worship our ancestors. I ask that Uncle Yang and Aunt Yang must come to observe the ceremony."

"Certainly. When my husband returns, I'll inform him."

"Then this junior will not disturb you further," Xu Mingwei said respectfully.

"Mother, little Xueji is at younger sister's place. I'll take Mingwei over," Yang Shichang also said with a smile.

Lady Yang smiled gently and nodded, "Go ahead. You young people chat among yourselves."