Seeking Advice
Fu Yunkai shook his head, feeling helpless towards his love-struck younger brother. "Fine, I'll try to persuade Mother. If she won't listen, then there's nothing I can do."
Fu Yunlang was overjoyed and bowed to his elder brother, saying, "Thank you, elder brother."
The carriage stopped in front of the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence. The two brothers got off the carriage and went through the gate.
"Young Master, Second Young Master, you two have returned?" The gatekeeper greeted them and added, "Manager Huang Xing from Beining County has been waiting here for quite some time since hearing of your return from Jiangnan."
Fu Yunlang's heart tightened, and he stopped in his tracks, asking, "Where?"
A man came out of the hall and bowed to the Fu Yunlang brothers. "Young Master, Second Young Master." It was Huang Xing.
Fu Yunkai wasn't interested in business matters. Besides, he wanted his younger brother to be independent. If he were present, his brother might want to rely on him again.
He waved his hand and said, "You guys chat. I just had a little to drink and I'm feeling dizzy. I'll go inside first." With that, he turned and left.
Fu Yunlang watched his elder brother leave before turning around and saying, "To the side hall."
The group entered a side hall, where a servant brought tea. Fu Yunlang frowned and asked, "Why are you here at this hour? Has something serious happened at the jewelry store?"
Huang Xing said with a tearful face, "I am incompetent. During your trip to Jiangnan, young master, the silver shop has barely closed any deals."
Fu Yunlang paused, holding his teacup, and looked up at Huang Xing in surprise. "What's going on?" The silver shop used to do very well. Even though Gathered Treasures Studio has opened, how can a new shop compare to these established businesses?
Huang Xing then explained the matter.
Across the street, the signboard of Gathered Treasures Studio was newer and more eye-catching than theirs, and the shop assistants at the door were also more clever. Anyone who came to the Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion to look at jewelry was first attracted by them, and then became curious, wanting to see what new jewelry the new store had and whether there were any discounts, so they naturally went into Gathered Treasures Studio first.
And then... that was it.
After entering, the guests simply left through the door without even glancing at the Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion.
Those who, having finally resisted the allure of new shops and still choose to trust this century-old establishment, will likely come in and, eight out of ten times, not make a purchase. Instead, they'll find an excuse to leave and head to Gathered Treasures Studio to compare prices. As a result, they'll never set foot in the Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion again.
Therefore, Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion's business has been very difficult these days.
They also sent unfamiliar shop assistants, posing as customers, to Gathered Treasures Studio to inquire about their products. The assistants returned with reports implying that Gathered Treasures Studio's jewelry was more beautiful and innovative than Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion's, and of slightly better quality, while the prices were about the same.
Actually, there was one more thing the waiter didn't say: the staff over there were more hospitable and attentive to guests, the rooms were more spacious, the decor was more luxurious, and even the tea and snacks were a level above those at the Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion.
Originally, Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion belonged to Xu Xinda. Xu Xinda had spent his whole life in this small county town, so his vision and mind were limited. Huang Xing was not particularly capable either, and he had never been in the silver shop business before. Fu Yunlang did not have anyone more capable under him, so he was chosen from among the less capable and sent to guard this silver shop that he was partnering with.
Shopkeeper Wang of Gathered Treasures Studio was the most shrewd and capable manager among the dozens of shops in the Prince of Zhennan's Residence. He also deeply understood the Princess's words. "Making money is not important, but the business must prosper."
So even though Gathered Treasures Studio's jewelry was more novel, beautiful, and of better quality than other shops, he only sold it at a reasonable price. He would also add a small bonus based on the value of the items the customer bought, such as a pearl flower or a piece of silver jewelry. He was also willing to spend money on the decoration of the house and the tea and snacks served to the guests. The waiters who served the guests also received a corresponding commission for each sale they made.
With the customer base provided by the Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion, how could Gathered Treasures Studio not be thriving?
Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion fared much worse; its customers were completely snatched up, leaving it utterly deserted. The phrase "deserted" perfectly describes the situation.
Fu Yunlang's brows were furrowed tightly.
He asked, "Didn't Fifth Master introduce a master craftsman who designed jewelry for Noble Consort Cen? Could it be that the jewelry he made is inferior to that fourteen or fifteen-year-old Miss Xu?"
"Sigh, stop talking."
Huang Xing sighed and said, "That master craftsman specializes in drawing jewelry designs for the imperial concubines. The jewelry designs are intricate and require extremely high craftsmanship, which ordinary artisans simply cannot do. Moreover, the jewels and jade used in his designs are all very valuable. Just one hair ornament costs several thousand taels of silver to make, not to mention a complete set of headdresses."
"As you know, young master, Uncle Xu is just a small-time businessman. Although he runs a jewelry shop, he's not very bold. When he saw the jewelry design drawn by that master, he absolutely refused to let anyone make it. He was afraid that if it was made and couldn't be sold, all of our jewelry shop's working capital would be tied up in it, and then the jewelry shop would have to go bankrupt. So, without consulting you, young master, we didn't dare to let anyone make a move on the jewelry design that the master drew."
Worried that Fu Yunlang would blame him, he explained further, "We're dealing with customers from Beining, whose standards aren't high to begin with. Even if customers from the capital were to buy, how many times a year would we encounter someone who can afford the price and likes this style? But if Noble Consort Cen could get us to tell the customers that these pieces are the work of the master craftsmen who made them for her, I think the consort from the capital would be willing to buy them. It would be even better if Her Highness put in a good word for us."
After saying that, Huang Xing looked at Fu Yunlang expectantly, waiting for him to make a decision.
Fu Yunlang's face was extremely ugly.
He didn't even dare to ask Noble Consort Cen for help with his marriage, yet Huang Xing dared to bring it up like that.
"Don't even mention that. Daring to use the royal name, are you afraid of not dying fast enough or what?" He glared at Huang Xing.
Huang Xing immediately shrank back, bowed his head and said, "Yes, yes, it was precisely because I was unsure of the situation that I came to ask you for advice, young master."
Fu Yunlang told him to get up and then asked, "Where's that Juren Meng? Didn't you say he was very capable?"
"Juren Meng draws extremely slowly, always saying he needs inspiration. When we pressed him hard enough, he finally submitted a drawing, which was hardly different from the jewelry we usually sell, and not worth a single hundred and twenty taels of silver. His drawing is far inferior to that of Miss Xu. Even if he were to finish it, it probably wouldn't be very competitive."
Huang Xing's expression turned very unpleasant when the topic of Juren Meng came up. Clearly, his dealings with Juren Meng had been very unpleasant.
Fu Yunlang frowned and asked, "Then what are you here for? Are you here to ask me for advice?"
"No, no, no," Huang Xing quickly waved his hands.
Little did he know that Fu Yunlang had always been a pampered young master, who only went to school and practiced martial arts with his master, and never worried about anything else. His decision to open this silver shop was merely a spur-of-the-moment thing, motivated by his elder brother's encouragement, as he wanted to make a name for himself.
Anyway, the second young master isn't short of money. If I ask him for advice on everything and let him make decisions, he might find it troublesome and just return the silver shop to Xu Xinda, not wanting to bother with it anymore.
Having finally gained the second young master's trust and secured this position, she absolutely could not leave a bad impression of incompetence in his mind, causing him to rescind the appointment. Otherwise, she would never have another chance to advance in the future.