Back To Square One
Aunt Yun listened to A’shu’s resentful words, only feeling a bit of a headache.
These past few days, Bao Xiang Shop, because of Mother and Daughter Dong at Duke Anguo’s Residence banquet, attracted quite a few customers to the shop, thus avoiding the tragic state of Bao Xiang Shop closing down.
But this good business hadn’t lasted a few days before Yan Yue Pavilion took action.
Qiu Niang clearly wanted to kill Bao Xiang Shop.
Jiang Yimian and Liuer, when they came to Bao Xiang Shop, saw such a scene.
One big and one small head leaned together, staring at the people in the main hall on the first floor, their eyes devoid of any joy, instead filled with deep worry.
As if the many customers currently buying lipstick in the shop were about to be swept away by the wind, never to return.
Jiang Yimian found it amusing. Walking up from the stairs, she helplessly said, “I thought something big had happened to the shop, but looking at it, there’s still some business, it shouldn’t be at the point of closing down, right?”
Last time, the shop had no business at all, yet they weren’t this desperate.
After only a few days away, these people at Bao Xiang Shop seemed to have suffered another heavy blow, looking worse than last time.
Their faces were ashen, even the smiles of the few shop assistants greeting customers seemed forced.
Her line of sight falling on the few scattered customers in the main hall on the first floor, Jiang Yimian also found it somewhat unbelievable.
When she left the Capital a few days ago, Bao Xiang Shop’s business was far better than now, how could it have become like this in just a few days?
It’s like going back to square one overnight.
Liuer also curiously asked, “What’s wrong? Didn’t they say that Bao Xiang Shop’s business has been good recently? Why are there so few customers?”
When the girl returned to Pingjiang County, she had the people in the villa rush-make a batch of goods. The business seemed good, but only a few days later, it has fallen to this state, which she found surprising.
A’shu, hearing this, immediately wrinkled her face and angrily said, “Shopkeeper, Girl Liuer, you don’t know what happened these past few days.
A few days ago, Bao Xiang Shop’s business was not only good, the customer traffic was even more than a quarter of what it used to be. Unlike now, the few customers can be counted on one hand.
It’s all Yan Yue Pavilion’s fault.
A few days ago, our business was just picking up, and Yan Yue Pavilion immediately followed suit by making a kind of Mind-Calming Incense, and also, they give lipstick with the incense.
Isn’t this clearly targeting us?
Qiu Niang is too much! We used to work together, I never imagined she would be so ruthless.”
At the thought of Bao Xiang Shop’s hard-won customers, now more than half of them have gone to Yan Yue Pavilion, she was furious.
Now, many people probably think that the lipstick was made by Yan Yue Pavilion.
Aunt Yun also helplessly said, “Yimian, this is my fault, it’s all my fault for not discovering it earlier.”
Only today, seeing that most of the people in the shop were gone, did she realize there was a problem. After inquiring, she learned that Yan Yue Pavilion had done something so humiliating to Bao Xiang Shop.
It was clearly intentional.
Jiang Yimian, however, remained calm and composed, saying, “What kind of Mind-Calming Incense did Yan Yue Pavilion newly make?”
A’shu thought for a while before saying, “I heard it’s a modified version of the previous Chun Jiang Yue. It’s been quite popular lately. As for the lipstick, it’s ordinary lip rouge made to look like lipstick. Because it’s free, it really attracted quite a few uninformed people.
If Aunt Yun hadn’t stopped me, I would have gone to the front of Yan Yue Pavilion to snatch those customers back.”
A thirteen or fourteen-year-old young girl, thin and small, her whole face now filled with anger, ready to go to Yan Yue Pavilion to make a scene at Jiang Yimian’s command.
Jiang Yimian, however, suddenly laughed, suppressing the smile at the corner of her lips after a while, and comforted her, “It’s alright, don’t mind Yan Yue Pavilion, just do your own thing.
I’ll go and check the newly made face cream.”
Having said that, she went straight downstairs.
A’shu, however, was completely confused, her eyes full of sorrow, “Aunt Yun, what’s wrong with the Shopkeeper? Why is she still able to laugh? If this continues, Bao Xiang Shop’s business will sooner or later be snatched away by Yan Yue Pavilion.
You should quickly go find the Shopkeeper and think of a solution!”
It’s this late, and the Shopkeeper isn’t worried at all, it’s making her worry to death.
The shop’s business had finally improved, but now it has directly sent Bao Xiang Shop back to square one overnight.
In a few more days, there might not even be these few scattered customers.
Aunt Yun didn’t know what Jiang Yimian meant, but thinking about her nature, she never did anything without confidence. Being able to remain calm now must mean she has her own plans.
Thinking this, she couldn’t help but feel relieved. She patted A’shu’s head, “Don’t worry, the Shopkeeper has her own plans, go busy yourself.”
Having said that, she also left, leaving A’shu standing there in a daze, full of confusion.
Is Aunt Yun mad?
She was clearly worried just now, but after hearing the Shopkeeper’s unreliable words, she actually felt relieved. One by one, how can they all be so carefree?
If it weren’t too embarrassing for her to go to the entrance of Yan Yue Pavilion to snatch people while wearing the Bao Xiang Shop assistant’s uniform, she would have definitely gone there. Ugh, it’s really worrying her to death.
At this time, in the inner room on the second floor of Yan Yue Pavilion.
A young woman, wearing a gold hairpin and dressed in silk and satin, was leaning lazily against a couch, listening to her maid speak.
“Shopkeeper, Bao Xiang Shop has lost many customers, and now Aunt Yun is probably worried sick! You are still so amazing, just a casual move, and Bao Xiang Shop instantly lost more than half of its hard-won customers.”
A few days ago, she was still worried that Bao Xiang Shop would be revived, but now it seems to be just a last gasp. Before long, Bao Xiang Shop will be able to completely close down.
Qiu Niang just chuckled, raising her hand to smooth her hairpins. With a gesture, the maid immediately helped her up.
“It’s just a shop about to close down, what can it compare to me? If I had known this, why bother back then.”
Qiu Niang’s tone contained a hint of barely perceptible delight.
If it weren’t for Yan Yue Pavilion, she wouldn’t have known that the person behind Bao Xiang Shop was the Princess.
But Aunt Yun clearly knew but didn’t tell her, only focused on pleasing the Princess herself.
Clearly, Bao Xiang Shop’s ability to stand in the Capital for so many years relied on her, her incense-making skills.
Not only did she not get any benefits, she was also warned by the Princess’s people not to have close contact with those Madams and Young Ladies. Isn’t this deliberately targeting her?
Those Madams and Young Ladies were her customers. If she didn’t maintain the relationship well, where would Bao Xiang Shop get so many customers?
Now that Bao Xiang Shop is without her, business has plummeted, and the Princess probably regrets letting her go.
I heard that Bao Xiang Shop has a new Shopkeeper, just an ordinary commoner, clearly indicating that the Princess has given up on this shop.
An ordinary commoner, what can she do to fight against me?
However, she will definitely not go back, she will only look for a chance to take Bao Xiang Shop altogether.
Now that Bao Xiang Shop has lost the Princess’s backing, it can’t fight against her anymore, it’s bound to be hers sooner or later.
Just then, a respectful voice sounded from outside, “Shopkeeper, Madam Sun, the wife of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, has arrived.”