SPMT : Chapter 76: Envious Business

Sun Miaoyin turned around and looked at the beverage shop behind her, her eyes dark and gloomy.

Sun Miaoyin thought to herself: After Xiao Jinfeng chose Mu Shuyu, he’s been living quite prosperously! Although this shop belongs to Xiao Jingting, I heard that Xiao Jinfeng gets a considerable share. Except for the two little ones, all the employees in the shop were hired by Xiao Jinfeng. If Xiao Jinfeng wanted to, he could secretly pocket some money without anyone knowing. Even if Xiao Jinfeng does nothing, in a while, he’ll probably become a little rich man.

Among the younger generation of the four great families, most are still asking their families for money. Few are making big money like Xiao Jinfeng.

“Miss, let’s go. Miss Miaomiao should be getting anxious,” the maid said to Sun Miaoyin.

Sun Miaoyin nodded and said, “Alright.”

“Sister, you came to see me,” Sun Miaomiao said happily when she saw Sun Miaoyin.

Sun Miaoyin nodded and said, “Yes! How have things been between you and Xiao Muhong lately?”

Sun Miaomiao’s expression changed slightly, and she said, “It’s okay, I suppose, but he’s not as affectionate with me as before.” It takes two to tango – Xiao Muhong was cold toward her, and she wasn’t as full of expectations toward Xiao Muhong as before. Between husband and wife, she always felt something was missing.

The old master had come out of seclusion briefly and then went back into seclusion. Now Wang Lu was in charge of the household. Wang Lu targeted their main branch everywhere. A higher rank crushes those below – her previously spirited mother-in-law Liu Xian didn’t even dare breathe loudly in front of Wang Lu. All her former glory was gone, and Sun Miaomiao always felt that the servants in the house were mocking her.

“When I came here, I visited Xiao Jingting’s cold drink shop.”

When Sun Miaomiao heard Sun Miaoyin’s words, her expression immediately became complicated. Recently, all the children in the Xiao family had been drinking beverages from that shop. Many people in the Sun family drank those beverages too. Xiao Jinfeng had also sent some beverages to their house, but it wasn’t nearly enough to go around.

“I heard they can make five thousand taels of silver profit in one day,” Sun Miaomiao said, clenching her fists.

It was said that the raw materials for the beverages were basically all provided by Xiao Jingting himself, with costs being only some cheap labor fees. Calculated this way, the cold drink shop should be able to make over a hundred thousand taels of silver profit in a month. This income was already comparable to the family elders.

Cultivation required resources above all else. Once Xiao Jingting and his brothers had money, their strength would improve sooner or later.

Sun Miaoyin nodded and said, “It shouldn’t be far off. When I went there, the beverage shop’s business was extremely good.”

Sun Miaomiao pursed her lips and said, “I really never thought Xiao Jingting could achieve this level.” She had truly underestimated this spoiled second-generation young master before. If she had known Xiao Jingting was this capable, she wouldn’t have… but it was too late now…

“I bought several bottles of fruit wine there.” While beverages were suitable for mass consumption, fruit wine took the high-end route and was very expensive.

Sun Miaoyin opened a bottle of fruit wine and shared it with Sun Miaomiao.

“The taste is good, and the spiritual energy is very rich,” Sun Miaomiao commented fairly.

Sun Miaoyin nodded and said, “The shop limits sales to six bottles of spirit wine per day, and they sell out every day. If the product wasn’t good, it wouldn’t be possible to sell it all.”

Sun Miaomiao clenched her fists and said, “Indeed.” Xiao Jingting’s cold drink shop was now a hot topic in their household. Even the servants were now talking about how among the younger generation of the Xiao family, the most promising were the late bloomers Xiao Jingting and Xiao Jinfeng.

“However, I heard that many families want to open cold drink shops. If those shops open, they might create some impact on Xiao Jingting’s shop.”

Sun Miaomiao nodded and said, “Yes! Business isn’t that easy to do! Everyone’s watching any profitable business.”

Xiao Jingting’s beverage shop had been open for more than a month, and beverage shops in Desert City town had sprouted up like mushrooms after rain.

Various beverage shops, because their prices were considerably cheaper than Xiao Jingting’s shop, created quite an impact on Xiao Jingting’s beverage shop. However, Xiao Jingting’s beverage shop already had regular customers, and because of its good taste and rich spiritual energy, it was still widely popular. The business was just not as good as before.

…

The Xiao Family.

“Linfeng, Jingting’s shop business seems very good!” Wang Lu said.

Xiao Linfeng nodded and said, “I’ve recently noticed that many children in our family seem to patronize it.”

“I heard from my eldest daughter-in-law that they make five or six thousand taels of silver profit per day,” Wang Lu said.

Xiao Linfeng said with some surprise, “The profit is that high? I heard Qingyan say that third brother was just fooling around, that the shop was both remote and small, with no business! It couldn’t succeed.”

“The business is very good. Recently the shop has been selling some high-grade spirit wines at high prices, but many people are buying them,” Wang Lu said.

Xiao Linfeng asked with some confusion, “There’s such a thing?”

Wang Lu nodded and said, “Yes.”

“If they really have that much profit per day, that would be over a hundred thousand taels per month,” Xiao Linfeng couldn’t help saying.

Wang Lu nodded and said, “Yes, second brother and third brother are only at the fifth layer of Qi Refining. How could they use that much?”

Xiao Linfeng smiled bitterly and said, “Second brother is one thing, but if third brother wants to spend money, he can definitely spend it all.”

Wang Lu said thoughtfully, “That’s true!” Resources suitable for fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivators, even if some were precious, could still be obtained as long as one was willing to spend heavily.

Wang Lu was naturally happy that Xiao Jingting and Xiao Jinfeng were doing well, but while happy, she couldn’t help worrying about Xiao Qingyan. Wang Lu liked Xiao Qingyan the most, and seeing her eldest son falling behind, she always wanted to help him somehow.

…

At the Cold Drink Shop.

“You’re eating too much,” Xiao Xiaodong said to Xiao Xiaofan with disgust.

Xiao Xiaofan ate until he burped, “There’s no business right now, so I’m eating more. When we get busy later, I won’t have time to eat.”

“Business isn’t good today. It’ll be even more idle later. Don’t be so anxious,” Xiao Xiaodong said.

“Those shameless people on the street just know how to bully others, opening the same kind of shops as us,” Xiao Xiaofan said resentfully.

“Our shop takes the high-end route, different from those guys who only know how to fight price wars. Over time, customers will naturally come back,” Xiao Xiaodong said somewhat arrogantly.

Xiao Xiaofan nodded and said, “That’s right. Our stuff tastes good, theirs tastes bad. Mother-father’s cooking is the best!”

Xiao Xiaodong said dismissively, “The fruit wine in the shop makes money. As long as the fruit wine sells, it doesn’t matter if the fruit juice doesn’t sell.”

Xiao Jinfeng let out a breath. The fruit wine was priced quite high. Now people were buying it to try something new, but in a few days there might be no buyers. However, this didn’t matter – they still had three thousand taels of silver per day anyway.

“Mother-father is going to develop new products again. I wonder what delicious things there will be,” Xiao Xiaofan muttered.

“Eat less. You’ve gained weight again recently,” Xiao Xiaodong said.

Xiao Xiaofan patted his belly and said, “I’ve been very capable recently. Eating more doesn’t matter and won’t cause spiritual energy stagnation. Everyone says I’m cute like this.”

Xiao Xiaodong curled his lips and said, “People are just flattering you, and you actually believe it.”

Xiao Xiaofan said nonchalantly, “No! People are telling the truth.”

Xiao Xiaodong rolled his eyes and said, “Little kids are just little kids, believing everything people say.”

“Brother, you’re not that much older than me!” Xiao Xiaofan argued reasonably.

…

Xiao Jinfeng looked at Xiao Xiaofan and Xiao Xiaodong with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. The sound of footsteps came, and Xiao Jinfeng instinctively frowned, looking toward the entrance. Seeing who it was, Xiao Jinfeng’s thoughts immediately became complicated. “Mother, why are you here?”

Wang Lu smiled at Xiao Jinfeng and said, “Your shop is quite good!”

Xiao Jinfeng forced a smile and said, “It’s alright, I suppose.”

When Xiao Xiaofan saw Wang Lu, he quickly wiped his mouth and stood behind Xiao Xiaodong as if facing a great enemy, poking his head out from behind Xiao Xiaodong, his big grape-like eyes blinking.

Wang Lu looked at the spatial ring on Xiao Jinfeng’s hand and said, “You’re even wearing a spatial ring. The business really must be good.”

Xiao Jinfeng forced a smile. When Xiao Qingyan entered the academy, his parents had given him a spatial ring as a reward. When he was in the mercenary team, every time he had to abandon captured prey because his storage bag had limited space, Xiao Jinfeng had also thought about owning a spatial ring, but unfortunately, he could never fulfill this wish.

The one on his hand was given by Xiao Jingting. Xiao Jingting said that having a spatial ring was more convenient for business and forcibly stuffed one on him, also saying that spatial rings came in a buy-one-get-one deal, and buying two was cheaper.

The shop was making good money now, but Xiao Jingting’s spending habits were really worrying!

“Jinfeng, watching this shop must have wasted a lot of your cultivation time,” Wang Lu asked.

Xiao Jinfeng suddenly became highly alert. It wasn’t that he wanted to guard against his mother, but Wang Lu was too biased. If he didn’t guard against her, it wouldn’t work. Wang Lu asking this way – could she be thinking of finding someone else to watch the shop?

The shop’s profits were indeed high. Even if Wang Lu favored Xiao Qingyan, the monthly allowance she gave Xiao Qingyan was only a few thousand taels of silver. But this shop, now that business was on track, could make over a hundred thousand taels profit per month.

“Your son knows his talents are limited, and having been poisoned before, I don’t dare hope for any great progress in cultivation. Currently, I just want to do practical things and earn some money to support the family. The work in the shop isn’t heavy either. I can work while cultivating. Shuyu is busy in the fields every day. If I, a grown man, were idle at home, people would gossip,” Xiao Jinfeng said.

Hearing this, Wang Lu couldn’t say anything for a moment. “Is the shop very short-staffed? Why are these two also working in the shop? Should mother arrange some people to help you?”

Xiao Jinfeng quickly said, “We were short-staffed at the beginning, but not anymore. However, many shops have popped up in town recently, some even deliberately decorating to look like our shop. Our shop has a big reputation and many customers, including outsiders who come to buy. Those who don’t know can’t tell which one is ours, so they look for shops watched by children. Xiaodong and Xiaofan are now living signboards for our shop.”

Wang Lu nodded and said, “Is that so?”

Xiao Jinfeng looked at Wang Lu and said, “Since you’re here, mother, take some spirit wine back with you.”

“This spirit wine is brewed by yourselves. I heard it brings in money quickly,” Wang Lu asked.

Xiao Jinfeng said calmly, “There isn’t much profit. When brewing spirit wine, we have to add some expensive spiritual medicine preparations ordered from outside. Although we sell it expensively, the costs are also high, so there isn’t much profit.”

Wang Lu nodded and said, “I see.”

Wang Lu sat for a while, chatted with Xiao Jinfeng briefly, then left carrying the spirit wine.

Xiao Xiaodong watched Wang Lu’s departing direction for a long time. After she was completely gone, he said, “Grandmother didn’t come this time intending to have father transfer the shop, did she? Talking about finding people to help – she wouldn’t be trying to plant a few spies, would she?”

Xiao Jinfeng glanced at Xiao Xiaodong and said, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Uncle’s wife is from the Zheng family, right? I see the Zheng family also opened a beverage shop, but secretly, not under the Zheng family name. Business is terrible,” Xiao Xiaodong said with complete disdain.

Xiao Jinfeng rubbed Xiao Xiaodong’s forehead and said, “You! You just think too much. But where did you get this information?”

“I have my sources!”

“Those little rascals?” Xiao Jinfeng asked. Xiao Jinfeng had noticed that Xiao Xiaodong had a good relationship with several young beggars.

Xiao Xiaodong nodded and said, “Second Uncle is really smart.”

“I saw our eldest aunt a few days ago,” Xiao Xiaofan said.

Xiao Jinfeng looked at Xiao Xiaofan and said, “You saw eldest aunt?”

“Yes! She stood fiercely at the street corner for a while, then disappeared,” Xiao Xiaofan said.

Xiao Jinfeng: “…”

Reminder:  “母父” (mother-father/Father-mother) is a term used for gers (males who can give birth) in their parental role.