Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 303: Chapter 311: Cannot Afford to Offend
“Is what Madam says true?” As the shopkeeper said this, he began to seriously size up Su Wenyue. No matter how he looked at her, he thought she had the demeanor of a Wife of an Official. He didn’t know what she wanted him to do, buying so many spices and for what purpose.

“Of course, I have no need to joke about such matters. It depends on whether the shopkeeper is willing to work with me. If you are willing to work with me, I will certainly not treat you unfairly,” Su Wenyue also had this idea on the spur of the moment. If she could take the shopkeeper into her service, he would be quite useful, especially since she had other ideas in mind; spices were not only for culinary uses.

In her previous life, a thing called perfume became popular among the upper-class nobility and sold very well. Every time a new scent was released, Sikong Ling would bring back several bottles for her to use. It was said that the store was a joint enterprise between Sikong Ling and Noble Consort Li. She found it quite acceptable; at that time, the product was so hot-selling that despite stable prices, a small bottle of perfume cost at least a few silver coins, and often as much as ten or even dozens of silver coins, which could be considered a huge profit.

The thought of it made Su Wenyue’s heart race. Business wasn’t something only a select few could engage in. Since she had been reborn and gained the upper hand, why not make good use of it? Otherwise, it would be a disservice to the generosity bestowed upon her by the heavens.

Su Wenyue had such thoughts, but she truly did not have the recipe for perfume. Although Sikong Ling did not guard against her, he did not take the initiative to mention things that were too confidential, especially recipes for perfume. If such a secret were leaked, business could be stolen by others. However, out of curiosity, Su Wenyue had asked a few questions and knew roughly how it was made. As for the rest, as long as she found experts in fragrance production, sooner or later, she would be able to figure it out, at which point the source of the spices would become a crucial element.

Not only perfume, but she could also produce and sell rouge and face powder. Sometimes, women’s money was the easiest to earn, and Su Wenyue had profound experience with this. What woman doesn’t want to be beautiful? She herself had spent a considerable amount of silver on such products, even though her financial resources were not that abundant; after all, she was just a Concubine in a Wealthy Family like the Sikong Family and received a fixed amount of silver each month, even with Sikong Ling’s subsidies.

Speaking of rouge and face powder, Su Wenyue was quite knowledgeable in that area. Many women in the backyard made their own cosmetics, and she had several excellent prescriptions, which she had found in the Sikong Family’s study room.

The Sikong Family’s study room was indeed a treasure trove. The Sikong Family’s ancestors had collected excellent books over generations, which were stored there, though they were not greatly valued by most, as they were not as blatantly alluring as gold, silver, and jewelry. Little did they know, that was where true wealth lay. She had found many valuable things in the study, but it was also due to luck; the good finds were often extremely hidden or looked very inconspicuous, not attracting attention. Otherwise, they would have long been taken by others.

The shopkeeper, upon hearing that Su Wenyue was serious, felt somewhat tempted. In this world, making a living was not easy, and he had thought of just getting by because he had no other options. If there truly was another way out, it would certainly be better, so he wouldn’t have to wait until he was driven into a corner with no escape. However, being a cautious man, although tempted, he had his own considerations.

“After all this, I still don’t know the identity of Madam,” said the shopkeeper. He knew most of the nobility in the prefecture, given that his Spice Shop was the best in the area. Wealthy Families often came to his shop to purchase spices. Even if he did not recognize the master, he would recognize the Servants who made purchases. However, he had never seen Su Wenyue and her entourage before.

With a nod from Su Wenyue, Aunt Li revealed her identity, and sure enough, just as the shopkeeper had guessed, this Madam was the wife of an official, a Sixth Rank Commander. Her Status in the prefectural capital wasn’t too high or too low.

Though the shopkeeper thought this way to himself, he wouldn’t dare to show the slightest disrespect on his face. No matter what, he was a mere businessman who couldn’t afford to offend such an Official’s Family, “Forgive my shortsightedness for not recognizing Madam’s identity, I beg your forgiveness.”

“No matter, I’m just wondering what the shopkeeper’s decision might be?”

“This… Please don’t blame me, Madam, but the matter you brought up is so sudden that I am at a loss what would be best to decide at this moment. It’s not something I can simply walk away from in the Store, and I also need to discuss it with my family. May I ask Madam to grant me some time to consider?” The shopkeeper cautiously spoke, not wanting to offend Su Wenyue or agree to her proposal right away. After all, Lord Han had just arrived in the provincial capital, and he knew nothing about him or the condition of the Han Family—rashly following them would be unwise.

The Han Family’s Servants thought the shopkeeper was being inconsiderate; after living in the Han Family for a long time, they knew that both the Master and Madam were kind and did not treat the Servants badly. They naturally sided with the Han Family and thought that getting a job there was a stroke of good fortune that couldn’t be sought after.

Su Wenyue, on the other hand, understood the shopkeeper’s perspective. She wanted Servants who followed her willingly. There was no point in forcing anyone, especially since this would give the shopkeeper some time to learn about the Han Family. It wouldn’t be too late for him to make a decision then. She wasn’t limited to having the shopkeeper after all; the perfume matter was not urgent, and she currently did not have suitable personnel for fragrance blending.

“Very well, I’ll give the shopkeeper some time to think it over. If you’re willing, you can find me using this address,” Su Wenyue indicated Aunt Li to hand the shopkeeper an address.

The shopkeeper felt even better about Su Wenyue as he saw her being so understanding, and he hadn’t been blamed for his hesitation. In his heart, he was more inclined to follow Su Wenyue, but he didn’t make a decision on impulse. This was a matter that could affect the future livelihood of his family, and it must be thoroughly understood before a decision was made.

After concluding the talk with the shopkeeper, Su Wenyue left the rest of the business to the Servants in the Mansion. After all, trading with Food was more complicated than using silver directly. She also had other things to buy, but since it was her first time, she had to go out herself. In the future, once the rules were established, she could let the Servants handle it.

After wandering the Street, Su Wenyue returned home, somewhat exhausted, but marveled at how much more prosperous the prefecture was compared to the County Town. Many things that she had wanted to buy but were not available in the County Town were all available here. Thus, she was able to purchase most of the items she needed in one day.

“Is the business with the Spice Shop settled?” Su Wenyue asked upon her return.

“Yes, Madam, it’s all taken care of; all the spices have been delivered. The shopkeeper was overjoyed to see those two bags of Sweet Potatoes, expressing his gratitude for Madam’s generosity, and he even specially gave us several bags of seeds from the outer domain.”

The Spices Shopkeeper indeed knew how to maintain good relationships. The seeds he mentioned, which were brought from the outer domain, had required quite an effort to gather. By the time they arrived in Daming, no one recognized their value, and since they were not cheap, there weren’t many buyers, eventually becoming surplus stock piled up in the warehouse.