Chapter 192: Jealousy

Early in the morning, Su Yaoguang assigned new roles to everyone.

The store’s business must not be disrupted, so Zhang Zhaodi and Zhang Pandi continued to manage it with the staff.

Jiang Jing was a renowned healer around the area, and more people were coming to her for consultations every day. The income from this was soon matching the revenue from their daily sales. Jia Chunni was her assistant. The two of them couldn’t be moved; they had to stay at their original posts.

Currently, the only people she could mobilize were Zhang Yingdi and two other relatively idle staff members.

However, she had quite a reputation in the county now. As long as she posted a hiring notice, she believed it wouldn’t be long before many came to apply.

Su Yaoguang spent five consecutive days interviewing an endless stream of job-seekers. After five days, she finally selected fifty new staff members and also picked a location for the new workshop.

Her partnership with Young Master Cui Rong from Jinle Square had officially taken shape, and she was eager to rush out this batch of goods for Young Master Cui, so she could sit back and watch the money roll in from him.

"What’s with the big commotion across the street?"

Jiang Yihuan had been rushing embroidery pieces in the workshop these past few days, and having finally completed her work, she stepped out for some fresh air.

As she stepped out, she saw a lot of people across the street and asked the embroideress next to her.

The embroideress glanced over and said, "Boss Su from Taoyao Square has leased the place across the street for a new workshop."

"Taoyao Square?" Jiang Yihuan’s face darkened. "They’re opening another workshop?"

"Indeed." The embroideress said, "We laboriously embroider a piece for days, our eyes nearly going blind, yet it sells for only a few coins. People their age are growing their business bigger and bigger. How is it that some women’s fate is so good?"

Jiang Yihuan squeezed her palm.

Why does Su Yaoguang’s life keep getting better, while ever since she bought Xiao Yanci, her luck has worsened? Is it really as her mother said, that Xiao Yanci is a jinx?

But lately, she kept dreaming, dreaming that Xiao Yanci became a Champion Scholar. In her dreams, Xiao Yanci was really splendid, making her feel he was meant to be such a radiant person.

Perhaps that dream was a predictive dream, reminding her that if she waited patiently, one day Xiao Yanci would achieve great success.

"I’m heading back first." Jiang Yihuan told the embroideress beside her.

After Jiang Yihuan left, another embroideress spat in her direction and said, "That slut just came here, yet her wages are double ours, why?"

"You called her a slut, didn’t you? What other reason could there be?" the previous embroideress said, "I saw the boss keep her alone, very close and personal."

"Really? But Jiang Yihuan is married."

"So what if she’s married? Being married doesn’t prevent her from flirting with other men. Besides, if a little flirtation could raise her wages, what wouldn’t she do?"

Su Yaoguang’s workshop officially started running. She spent increasingly more time there daily, and once the first batch of products was rushed out, she immediately called Young Master Cui Rong over for inspection.

"How is it?" Su Yaoguang asked.

"The products from Taoyao Square sell so well, that’s already the answer. Now with more upscale packaging, the price can be raised a bit more."

"The high-end sets can be priced higher, but let’s not raise the price on the regular sets. The common folk aren’t well-off and can’t afford to spend much on grooming and dressing up."

Cui Rong looked at her with a curious gaze: "Do you think people willing to buy rouge and powder would hesitate to spend on grooming?"

"Those customers surely won’t hesitate. But my philosophy is that I want all women to love themselves a bit more. They toil every day for their families, for men, and for children, and only finally think about themselves. If I could make a product that even ordinary women could afford, wouldn’t they love themselves a bit more occasionally?"

Cui Rong: "...Boss Su, you’re too soft-hearted to be a proper businesswoman."

Su Yaoguang shrugged, an expression of unassailability on her face.

"Create just one, with simple packaging and smaller quantity, priced so that everyone can afford it, as a gift to all women."

"Fine. Although I don’t quite understand, I respect your decision."

Cui Rong picked up the ’casual’ face cream Su Yaoguang mentioned. As she said, this batch lacked high-end packaging, simply contained in very small porcelain jars. On the jars was the emblem of Taoyao Square, with a phrase beneath it: Love yourself a bit more, live a bit freer, let your smile be a bit brighter.

"By the way, Boss Su, I have selected a hundred maidens, to learn skincare techniques from your people. When should we schedule it?"

"Young Master Cui, when you make a move, it’s always impressive. We are busy during the day, and can’t spare time; how about having lessons in the evening?"

"That works."

"It’s meal time now, let’s go eat. Since we’re partners now, it’s my treat, to celebrate our first cooperation."

This Young Master Cui no longer caused trouble for her, nor did he speak sarcastically. Plus, he was already good-looking, and now he seemed even more agreeable.

Dance house. Cui Rong looked at the dancers on stage, then around, awkwardly saying, "Didn’t you say we were having a meal?"

"Yes, a meal," Su Yaoguang said, clapping her hands, "I suggested improvements to the dance house’s boss, and now their meals are almost on par with Jiang’s Restaurant. Haven’t you noticed their business has improved a lot since? Not only do the dancers look better now, but the food is nearly restaurant-quality."

Cui Rong looked at the dancers’ makeup: "Your business extends to the dance house?"

"What’s strange about that? Aren’t the girls in the dance house major clients? And the brothels and brothel houses, they consume huge amounts of rouge and powder."

Cui Rong: "..."

Su Yaoguang and Cui Rong were very close because it was too noisy, and if they weren’t close, they couldn’t hear each other clearly.

To someone watching from an upstairs room, their proximity seemed intimate.

Chen Buyu saw Zhou Wangshu nearly crush the cup in his hand, and quickly rescued his cup from him.

"Brother, these teacups are a set; if one breaks, the whole set looks bad."

Zhong Chushan looked out the window and said, "Speaking of which, this Young Master Cui does look quite nice. Look at that pretty face, not any worse than Wang Shu."

Zhou Wangshu gave Zhong Chushan a deep, meaningful look: "Am I that ugly?"

"Even if you’re jealous, you can’t talk nonsense with your eyes open! This Young Master Cui looks like a blossoming peach tree, prettier than many women, how is that ugly?"

"Hideous." Zhou Wangshu said, sitting down at the zither.

When the sound of the zither played, the dancers outside stopped.

When Young Master Zizhan played, it was all based on his mood, sometimes stopping halfway through. His listeners were used to his whims, increasingly fond of his personality, and as a result, the dance house business thrived, attracting many visitors who came upon hearing his fame.