Business Was Getting Harder

A moment later, an old monk with white hair and beard, dressed in a long blue robe, strode in and bowed to Wang Cheng'an.

Wang Cheng'an pointed to the crates on the ground. "Take a count. There are 2,200 watches and 2,200 makeup mirrors. Check the numbers carefully."

Mr. Wu stepped forward in response, but without opening the boxes, he simply spread out his Divine Sense, scanning all the boxes in an instant, before turning back to report:

"Steward, there are 2,200 watches and 2,200 dressing mirrors, totaling 4,400 items. They are all in good condition and the quantity is correct."

Wang Cheng'an nodded slightly. "Go and fetch eight thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Mr. Wu bowed and withdrew, returning shortly after, carrying a Storage Bag and presenting it with both hands. Wang Cheng'an slightly gestured to Shen Jingchuan:

"Young Friend Shen, please take a look."

Shen Jingchuan stepped forward and took the Storage Bag. He scanned it with his Divine Sense and found exactly eight thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. He casually hung the Storage Bag on his waist, cupped his hands in a smile, and gave Wang Cheng'an a cupped-hand salute.

"The amount is just right, thank you, Steward Wang."

The three of them left the hall of affairs, Wang Cheng'an saw them all the way to the door, exchanging a few more polite words before returning.

This time, the three of them didn't bother with makeup. There was no need; everyone in the market already knew, and trying to hide it would only make them feel guilty.

Xiao Mingshu took Shen Jingchuan to the shops where they used to ship goods.

Shen Jingchuan stopped hiding his wares and started taking out goods from his Ring in batches. He sold over a thousand watches, and over two thousand sets each of makeup mirrors and makeup bags. The goods sold relatively quickly across several shops, but Shen Jingchuan clearly felt that the quantity this time was lower than last time, and the shop owners weren't as eager to buy them.

After all, the market is only so big, and only so many people can afford to buy.

Although some merchants took the goods and resold them in other markets, they were a minority.

Watches and makeup mirrors aren't consumables; you can buy one and use it for years. The market is only so big, and every batch sold reduces the supply.

The golden age is over.

Walking back to the inn, Shen Jingchuan remained silent, his mind preoccupied with other thoughts.

He really didn't need to sell these modern gadgets to exchange for Spirit Stones.

His Chaos Heaven and Earth Ring can upgrade the grade of all items. Just by buying low-grade pills and upgrading them to mid-grade or high-grade, the price difference is enough for him to make a profit.

Weapons and talismans are also worth trying. With these alone, you won't have to worry about Cultivation Resources.

He's still selling these things now, which is frankly just for Xiao Mingshu's benefit.

He needed to ensure his money had a source; he couldn't just throw out large amounts of Spirit Stones and pills for no reason, or people would eventually notice something was amiss.

With these transactions as a cover, he could justify his spending.

Xiao Mingshu glanced at him sideways and, seeing his sullen expression, assumed he was in a bad mood.

"What, do you think the market is almost saturated?" she asked.

Shen Jingchuan nodded. "Hmm, that's about right."

"Alright, stop thinking about it."

Xiao Mingshu patted him on the shoulder:

"We've already made enough money these last few trips, be content. We can sell slowly from now on; there will still be a steady flow, it's a long-term strategy. Don't be too greedy."

Shen Jingchuan smiled:

"Sister, it's not because of that."

"Then what's the reason?"

"Our Shen Household doesn't just have these few products."

Shen Jingchuan said:

"I'm thinking about how to promote our next new product."

Xiao Mingshu's eyes lit up immediately, and he grabbed his arm:

"A new product? Let's go back to the inn and talk about it!"

She grabbed Shen Jingchuan and started walking back, with Xiaohuan following behind, unable to suppress her laughter.

Back at the inn, Xiao Mingshu pulled Shen Jingchuan into his room, closed the door, and turned to stare at him:

"Hey little brat, what other good stuff do you have? Hurry up and bring it out!"

Shen Jingchuan looked at his money-grubbing older sister, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He thought for a moment and asked:

"Sister, you ate our food at Returning Geese Tower. What did you think of the taste?"

"Is there even a question?"

Xiao Mingshu narrowed his eyes, a look of lingering satisfaction on his face.

"Delicious! I don't think you can find better food in the entire Great Qian Kingdom than at Returning Geese Tower. It's such a pity, such a good restaurant has to close down..."

She sighed and clicked her tongue:

"However, I think the food at home is pretty good too, not much worse than Returning Geese Tower."

Shen Jingchuan looked at Xiao Mingshu and asked:

"But have you ever thought about this? How could those refugees possibly cook such delicious food? Those cooks used to only make simple home-style dishes, how did they suddenly become so good? And why Madam Liu, the only housewife in the family, also such a good cook?"

Xiao Mingshu's eyes lit up. "Oh! Do you have some kind of trick up your sleeve?"

"That's right, it's seasoning." Shen Jingchuan nodded. "Our Shen Household has another unique skill: seasoning for cooking. With this seasoning, even an ordinary cook can make delicious dishes with a little training."

Xiao Mingshu, then tentatively asked:

"Then why don't you cook your home-cooked meals as delicious as those at Returning Geese Tower?"

Shen Jingchuan was helpless:

"Can he say that he doesn't use unhealthy MSG or chicken bouillon in his cooking? A handful of MSG makes everything taste better."

"Sis, don't interrupt. I'll explain later. Let's get down to business first."

Shen Jingchuan counted on his fingers and said:

"Sister, look, whether it's selling watches or makeup mirrors, these aren't consumables; one can last for years, and the market will quickly become saturated. But what if you opened a restaurant in the market?"

Xiao Mingshu stopped dwelling on the previous question and thought for a moment:

"Yes! Everyone needs to eat every day! This is a long-term business; you can make money forever! This is great!"

She grabbed Shen Jingchuan's arm:

Did you bring those seasonings?

"Yes, there are." Shen Jingchuan said.

Xiao Mingshu became more and more excited as she thought about it, pacing back and forth in the room a couple of times:

"Great! We can open here, and we can open in other markets too! That way, the money will keep flowing in! You little rascal, you're such a lucky charm!"

Shen Jingchuan, however, did not share in the joy; instead, he poured cold water on the situation:

"But sister, have you thought about this? With my abilities and my limited connections, do you think I could open a restaurant like this without any backing? If the food is delicious and steals business from others, wouldn't they be envious?"

Xiao Mingshu immediately fell silent.

She stood there, her face slowly darkening.

She thought of her ancestor—although he was Foundation Establishment cultivator, firstly, her ancestor wouldn't vouch for her; secondly, even if her ancestor were willing to step in, there might not be many people who would give her face in this Spirit Creek Market.

In the mortal world, the Xiao Household was doing well, being a royal family of a country. But in the cultivation world, they were just a small cultivation Lineage, not even worth mentioning.

She remained silent for a long while, then turned to look at Shen Jingchuan:

"What? Since you're asking me, you should have a solution."

Shen Jingchuan chuckled and looked at her, "Sister, how should we do this--"