Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

Chapter 368. The Shop
Gu Kaiyuan could never take the imperial examinations. Even if he were to live another life, he wouldn't have the talent for studying. Nor would he risk his life like he did in his previous life, exchanging injuries for the title of general.

They now only want to build their own power, stay away from the imperial court, and stay away from the male and female protagonists.

As for retaliation, once you have enough leverage, plenty of people will come to your aid.

“These two shops would be top choices in the capital,” Granny Pang said. Having spent so much time with Bai Suihe, she knew that Bai Suihe wasn’t pretentious and would speak her mind directly. “After all, the purchasing power here is limited. Most families can’t even afford to make a single set of clothes in a year.”

Bai Suihe certainly knew that clothes were patched up for three years after being new for three years, and then patched up for another three years. Even in the county town, many people wore clothes with patches on them.

People usually only go to a fabric store when they have a happy occasion in the family, and they will reluctantly buy new clothes.

As for ready-made clothing, people would rather make their own ugly pieces to save money.

Of course, there are also some wealthy families here. The better-off families all have their own sewing rooms and can be self-sufficient.

As for middle-class families, which of the women in the inner quarters doesn't know some needlework? They might even be better at it than the tailors in the clothing shops.

Don't let the small size of this county fool you; there are already two cloth shops, so there's not much competition.

“Granny, you know that the Third Prince came here on imperial orders to suppress bandits. Although he is just going through the motions, the soldiers under him are real ones. I heard that they have almost wiped out the bandits along the way. With such a large market, do you think no one would be tempted?”

Although Granny Pang was devoted to treating poisons, she had served Madam Bai for many years and still possessed some business acumen.

"We're currently at a major thoroughfare along this route. Do you think this place will become prosperous?"

Granny Pang looked at Bai Suihe with respect. She truly lived up to her reputation as a daughter of the Bai family. Even without formal training, she was a natural-born businesswoman.

"Should we set up an inn too?" Granny Pang looked at the many contracts on the table and seemed to see a never-ending stream of money.

Bai Suihe shook her head. "There are some things that are not suitable for us. Don't forget, there are still merchants here who have been operating for many years. We can take a share of the pie without them noticing and without attracting their attention."

But if we really touch their major interests, we'll probably have to sideline them very quickly.

Gu Kaiyuan left people here as soon as he arrived. Although the place is not big, he also learned that many merchants here have long had an agreement that their interests are tied together, making it really difficult for outsiders to squeeze in.

We are also fortunate that Rong Ruiyuan's actions this time allowed them to exploit the loophole!

Otherwise, shops, houses, and land are everyone's lifeline, so why would they easily give them up?

Merchants are bold; they'll take any risk as long as there's a little profit. But they have a natural sense of awe towards the government, and at the slightest sign of trouble, they'll quickly try to protect themselves.

For merchants without power or influence, this is also the best way to preserve their own strength.

Since things aren't stable, just find another place to stay. As long as you're alive and have money, there's always a future.

The bold ones are still holding on here, while the timid ones have already sold their possessions and moved to another place to live.

When Gu Kaiyuan returned, Bai Suihe had already taken out the drawings she had made. "Let's reorganize the shop according to this. Do you have any ideas? I can also draw a diagram for you."

Gu Kaiyuan looked at the entire layout on the blueprint and thought it was very good even without seeing the finished product. He immediately said, "Then you can help me with the layout as well. I'll have someone take care of your two shops first."

Bai Suihe had secured the shop space; now the only issue was manpower, which required skilled needlework women to keep the business afloat. So, she wrote several job postings and had Gu Kaiyuan post them at the city gates and shop entrances.

They also contacted several brokers, saying that it would be best if they could buy it, but if not, they would have to hire someone from outside.

The news from Ren Yazi came quickly, and soon several women who knew needlework were sent over. Bai Suihe gave them a brief test and then kept them on the team.

However, these few people were far from enough, so we recruited a few more, settled them in, gave them some simple training, and the shop was renovated.

In just a few days, the once empty shop has been completely transformed, now filled with fabrics and some ready-made clothes.

Because it's two large shops combined, and with some subtle visual design touches by Bai Suihe, the shop feels exceptionally warm and inviting even before you enter.

People passing by couldn't help but go in for a look, and that's how they gradually built up their business.

The other two cloth shops initially didn't take it seriously. They thought that such a small place could have such a large cloth shop, and that it was obvious that they didn't know how to do business. They believed that the shops would go out of business in no time without the shops even having a chance to operate.

But before the other party could disappear, their own business gradually declined. Upon inquiry, they discovered that even though the prices were the same, everyone preferred to buy from them.

The two shopkeepers refused to believe it; after all, they were established businesses, how could they lose to a newcomer?

They all went there without prior arrangement, and immediately felt the difference upon entering.

They were warmly welcomed as soon as they stepped inside.

Here, regardless of age, gender, or wealth, the staff and girls always greet you with smiles, and the fabrics they introduce are different from those in their hometowns.

In their shop, they take whatever the customer wants. They use a conversational approach to understand your needs and offer several options for you to choose from.

When the two shopkeepers left, they were each carrying several bolts of cloth, and their faces were particularly somber.

Even when they go to the store, they can't help but buy things, forgetting their own stance, let alone others.

They were all seasoned shopkeepers, and they could certainly see the differences, but it would be difficult to imitate them.

The staff in their shop are all relatives of the owner, and they usually act arrogantly. How could they have gone this far?

Unless they can persuade the master to dismiss these people and hire new ones, which is probably not that easy.

Bai Suihe was unaware of all this. Looking at the account books that had been delivered today, she couldn't help but hug Gu Xingyang and kiss her several times.

Gu Xingyang covered her face with her hands, protesting silently.

My mother is wonderful in every way. She loves to kiss people, whether she's happy or just relaxing. It feels really nice.

Gu Kaiyuan has been staying at the store these past few days and knows that the store has had a great start. Bai Suihe's training during this period has had an immediate effect.

It's a pity that his bookstore and wine shop can't be copied directly, since bookstores prefer quiet places, but the wine shop's service attitude can be learned.

(End of this chapter)