SPMT : Chapter 74 Starting a Business

“Wow, this is amazing!” exclaimed Xiao Jingting as he looked at the ice chest in front of him.

Xiao Jingting had been pondering how to make ice drinks. Did they need to use saltpeter to make ice? But to his surprise, in this world, that wasn’t even a concern. A simple array took care of it all.

“This chest was made by a formation master. Essentially, a freezing array is inscribed around the edges of the box. Just pour water in, activate the array, and it will solidify into ice,” explained Xiao Jingting, marveling at the box.

“You’re really smart,” praised Xiao Jingting.

Looking up at him, Xu Mu’an responded, “It’s not about being smart; it’s common knowledge.” She gave Xiao Jingting a meaningful glance.

Xiao Jingting furrowed his brows. Despite integrating the memories of the original owner, he still subconsciously thought in the ways of his previous life. He suddenly realized it wasn’t right. “I’ll be more mindful,” he promised.

“Don’t worry, take your time,” Xu Mu’an reassured him with a smile.

“Is the shop all decorated?” Xiao Jingting inquired.

Xu Mu’an nodded. “Yes, it’s all done as per your instructions. I’ve also prepared the paper cups and straws you mentioned. Tomorrow, I’ll bring over the cold drinks we made at home, and then we can open for business. But I don’t expect much business right at the start.”

“The scent of wine spreads not just in the alley but far and wide. Take it slow; you don’t need to pressure yourself too much,” Xiao Jingting encouraged him, patting his shoulder.

“I understand,” Xu Mu’an replied with a nod.

Xiao Jingting took out an identity badge and handed it to Xu Mu’an. “With this badge, you should be able to mobilize some of the servants from the Xiao family. Take it.”

“Okay, tomorrow I’ll bring Xiao Xiaofan and Xiao Xiaodong along,” Xu Mu’an agreed.

“Good, good, good. Those two little rascals should be able to help out a bit,” Xiao Jingting said with a smile.

“This time we have quite a lot of stuff. The Fire Cloud Bird probably can’t carry it all. Big Brother mentioned that the Xiao family has a specialized Jiaomache cart for delivering food, and we can borrow it for free,” Xu Mu’an informed him.

“That’s great!” Xiao Jingting exclaimed. He always liked things that were free.

Early the next morning, Xu Mu’an set off with the two kids and a cart full of goods, leaving Xiao Jingting feeling a bit empty.

…

After Xu Mu’an packed the prepared drinks and placed them in the shop, it was time to open.

He had thought the shop might be slow at first, but to his surprise, business was actually quite good.

Some of the Xiao family’s servants heard that it was a shop opened by young Xiao Jingting, so they came specially to show their support and mingle. Some were Xiao Jingting’s former friends, coming to see the excitement upon hearing it was his shop.

The price of the drinks was set at one or two silver coins per cup. Xu Mu’an felt it was a bit expensive, but Xiao Jingting insisted on maintaining this price to pursue a high-end route. In the end, the wealthy people in the city were numerous, so although the pricing was a bit high, there were still many buyers.

Xiao Xiaodong carried a small stool, standing in front of the counter, responsible for collecting money. Xiao Xiafan stood aside, responsible for delivering the drinks. Xu Mu’an was in charge of preparing the drinks according to the customers’ needs and delivering them to the counter.

Before sunset, all the cold drinks prepared by Xiao Jingting were sold out, and Xu Mu’an took the two kids home early. “Did they all sell out?” Xiao Jingting asked in surprise. Xu Mu’an nodded, saying they did. Since it was a trial sale, Xiao Jingting had only prepared four hundred servings, and they sold out all at once.

“In big towns, there are many wealthy people,” Xu Mu’an chuckled. If it were in a small town, who would be willing to drink such expensive drinks? But here, people were willing to buy for their children.

Xiao Jingting nodded, saying, “Yes! They’re all sold out!”

“With today’s sales of four hundred servings, if we can sell this amount every day, we’ll have a monthly income of twelve thousand silver coins,” Xu Mu’an said.

Xiao Jingting, full of excitement, said, “If we keep the store open, the income may double or even triple in a few days. And when the spirit wine is on the shelves, business will be even better. But let’s not talk about that now; let’s prepare for tomorrow’s drinks.”

After some consideration, Xu Mu’an said, “I’ll go find a few people to help. Just the two of us may not be enough. Some simple cleaning and peeling work can be outsourced for a bit of money.” However, the recipe for the drinks was confidential and couldn’t be shared.

Xiao Jingting nodded and said, “Okay.” He had worked hard in the fields all day, and he was nearly exhausted. If he had to work night shifts as well, he might just work himself to death. “Let’s make more, just in case. If they don’t sell, our family can drink them.”

Seeing Xiao Jingting looking exhausted, Xu Mu’an hurriedly said, “You’re not in good shape. Have dinner and rest early. I’ll go find someone to help…”

“Okay,” Xiao Jingting responded.

The next day, Xu Mu’an took out over six hundred servings of drinks, and they were all sold out again. Although all the drinks were sold, Xu Mu’an didn’t look very good. He even suggested to Xiao Jingting that Xiao Jinfeng should go and see the shop, seeming somewhat listless.

Xiao Jingting secretly called out to Xiao Xiaodong. “Xiaodong, how was business today?”

“It was pretty good. Many of yesterday’s customers came back today, and even more people bought drinks than yesterday. By about the same time today, all the drinks were sold out. But Xiaofan drank a lot secretly and almost wet his pants. We need to prepare more tomorrow; we should be able to sell even more,” Xiao Xiaodong said.

Xiao Jingting: “…” Almost wet his pants!

“How about your father? His face doesn’t look good,” Xiao Jingting asked.

“Grandfather came and asked father for thirty cups of cold drinks. Father said it would cost thirty taels. Grandfather said, ‘Are you still counting money with me?’ Father insisted on payment, and they started arguing. Grandfather accused father of being unfilial and turning against his family. They had a big fight, making quite a scene. Back then, Grandfather had clearly sold father off, and now he’s coming back to scold father,” Xiao Xiaodong said with a grim face.

Xiao Jingting rubbed his nose. The word “filial piety” could really kill someone! Xu Fu was also problematic. If he secretly asked for drinks, Xu Mu’an might not refuse. But if he couldn’t do it openly in front of customers, who else would come to leverage relationships, and then nobody would pay? How could the business continue like this?

Xu Fu also had a big appetite! He asked for thirty cups right away. If Xu Mu’an gave in, this person’s appetite might grow even bigger.

Xu Mu’an was his concubine, and the shop was also under his name. If Xu Mu’an gave in like this, the Xiao family members would inevitably criticize him for using the Xiao family’s money to subsidize outsiders. But if Xu Mu’an didn’t give in, the Xiao family members would also feel that Xu Mu’an was too cold-hearted. Either way, it would be wrong.

“Also, some Xiao family members came. Auntie came to see too, and she said a few sour words when she saw the good business. Dad, why don’t you ask  Second Uncle to help manage the shop? Second Uncle doesn’t have much to do now, and with children at home, it’s inconvenient for him to go on missions. Second Uncle is better at handling things, and if he manages the shop, Grandpa definitely won’t dare to cause trouble,” Xiao Xiaodong said.

Xiao Jingting nodded. He hadn’t thought it through enough. Xu Mu’an was from his secondary family and was also a ger. Even though his cultivation was good now, his status was still criticized by others.

If the business continued to grow, Xiao family members might intervene. At that time, Xu Mu’an’s identity might be repeatedly brought up. But Xiao Xiaodong was so young! Yet he already understood how to handle things.

“Okay, I’ll go find Second Uncle,” Xiao Jingting said.

Xiao Xiaodong nodded. “Yes, Dad, you should go. Actually, I’ll go with you.”

Xiao Jingting: “…”. What’s with Xiao Xiaodong? Is he afraid he won’t explain clearly?

“You want me to help you manage the shop?” Xiao Jinfeng asked.

Xiao Jingting nodded. “Yes.”

“Second Uncle, Dad can’t handle things, those monsters are running wild. It’s necessary for you to step in,” Xiao Xiaodong said, hands on his hips.

Xiao Jinfeng: “…”

Xiao Jingting gave Xiao Xiaodong a stern look. “What monsters? What nonsense.”

“I’m not making it up,” Xiao Xiaodong said.

“Brother, if you let me manage the shop, can I have a thirty percent share of the profits?” Xiao Jingting said.

Xiao Jinfeng smiled helplessly. “How can I take your money?”

The two brothers haggled for a while and finally settled on a twenty percent share of the profits.

Xu Mu’an didn’t get angry at Xiao Jingting’s decisive change of shopkeeper; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s fine to leave the shop to Second Brother,” Xiao Jinfeng was a member of the Xiao family, with parents who were both at the eighth level of Qi cultivation, so his status was more stable.

“You’re too tired, and Second Brother has too much free time. Leave the shop to him, and you can stay at home to develop new drinks and brew spirit wine,” Xiao Jingting said.

Xu Mu’an nodded and smiled. “Okay.”

With Xiao Jinfeng taking over the shop, Xiao Xiaodong and Xiao Xiaofan continued to help out.

Xiao Xiaodong was meticulous in his work, very competent, while Xiao Xiaofan, although not very quick-witted, could still handle some simple tasks well.

Xu Fu came again but left when he saw that the shopkeeper had changed to Xiao Jinfeng.

Xiao Jinfeng had heard from Xiao Xiaodong that the business in the shop was good, but it wasn’t until he actually sat in the shop that he realized how good it was. Many people bought drinks in batches of ten, and there was a discount in the shop, buying ten drinks and getting one free.

Watching the busy Xiao Xiaodong and Xiao Xiaofan, Xiao Jinfeng deeply appreciated how well Xiao Jingting’s two children were raised. They were so young but so sensible.

After selling out the drinks he brought, Xiao Jinfeng closed the shop and went home.

…

“Jingting, your shop’s business is really good,” Xiao Jinfeng came back excitedly and found Xiao Jingting.

Xiao Jingting smiled as he looked at the excited Xiao Jinfeng. “We just opened, and some people find it fresh, so they might buy more for now. But in a few days, the prices may drop a bit.”

“But in a few days, we’ll have regular customers! It won’t be much worse,” Xiao Jinfeng said. “Today’s sales are around twelve hundred silver coins. If we can maintain this level of sales, we can earn thirty-two thousand a month. It’s no problem to repay your twelve thousand debt.”

Xiao Jingting nodded. “That’s good.”

“Jingting, many people asked me if we can provide delivery services. If we can, the sales could increase even more,” Xiao Jinfeng said.

“I’ve considered delivery too. We can consider setting a minimum order quantity for delivery. But we’ll need to recruit some delivery personnel. Second Brother, do you have suitable candidates?”

“I know a few people,” Xiao Jinfeng said, scratching the back of his head and smiling awkwardly.

“From the mercenary group?” Xiao Jingting asked.

Xiao Jinfeng smiled awkwardly and said, “There used to be one in the mercenary group. He lost his cultivation during a battle with a monster and had to leave. Another one got bitten on the leg and had to get a prosthetic limb, so his mobility isn’t great. But their accounting skills are fine, and they can help out in the shop. And there’s another one…”

“Second Brother, don’t you resent the mercenary group?” Xiao Jingting asked.

“When I was expelled from the mercenary group, those people had already left. So, it has nothing to do with them,” Xiao Jinfeng said.

Xiao Jinfeng sighed. “Jingting, mercenaries gamble with their lives for a future. Once they’re eliminated, life becomes very difficult. When mercenaries earn money, they’re the backbone of their families. Once they’re eliminated, they easily become a burden on their families. I’ve visited some of my former teammates. One of them came back injured, and his wife ran away, leaving him to be despised by his own brothers. It’s really pathetic.”

Xiao Jingting nodded. “In that case, Second Brother, you handle it. You can provide uniforms for the delivery personnel.”

“Okay, I’ll arrange it,” Xiao Jinfeng said.

Xiao Jingting hesitated for a moment and said, “Second Brother, it must have been very hard for you when you were a mercenary.”

Xiao Jinfeng smiled and said, “It’s all in the past.”