Chapter 38: Liu Rushi's Ultimate Goal

In the days that followed, Xu Mo reduced the time he spent at the Delicacy Pavilion, allowing himself more hours at his uncle’s house to work on the “Peony Brand” trademark. Since the Delicacy Pavilion launched its consumer lottery event, business had soared to new heights; from dawn till dusk, the restaurant was nearly always packed to capacity. To keep up, they hired more staff and helpers, and, at Xu Mo’s suggestion, introduced a morning tea service.

The patrons came, first and foremost, to savor the unrivaled flavors of the dishes, and secondly, to try their luck at the lottery in hopes of winning a grand prize, which changed daily. In the restaurant business, there is a peculiar trait: the better a place does, the more it draws in crowds, feeding its own popularity. The Delicacy Pavilion was a prime example—every day a sea of people, with lines stretching for an hour or more, sometimes even longer. Yet even such waits could not dampen their enthusiasm.

In contrast, Wang Shunyang’s Glorious Pavilion... Two months prior, it had been the Delicacy Pavilion with only a handful of guests. Now, the situation was reversed, with Glorious Pavilion suffering the same fate. Despite Wang Shunyang copying every marketing trick of the Delicacy Pavilion, business continued to decline rather than improve.

Wang Shunyang was beside himself with worry, irritable and anxious, often waking suddenly in the night and unable to return to sleep. He puzzled over the cause—his Glorious Pavilion offered even better discounts, and dishes were cheaper, so why did customers not come? The answer, which Wang Shunyang knew deep down, was the food itself. In the end, restaurants live and die by taste; there was no arguing that.

But there was another reason Wang Shunyang failed to grasp. Xingzhou City was only so large, with a limited number of wealthy people. Both the Delicacy Pavilion and Glorious Pavilion were high-end establishments, and ordinary folk rarely patronized them. Now, most of the affluent clientele had deposited money and acquired membership cards at the Delicacy Pavilion, meaning they’d likely only dine there for some time.

In other words, the Delicacy Pavilion had snatched away a large portion of customers. As one flourished, the other dwindled—Glorious Pavilion’s poor business was but a natural outcome.

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Two days later, at dawn, Xu Mo, Xu Tieshu, and Xu Ping’an hauled a large crate of soap to the Miscellaneous Goods Hall. As they would return to Gushan Village the next day, they had arranged with Liu Rushi to deliver two hundred bars of soap today.

The Miscellaneous Goods Hall had sold out of soap long ago and was eagerly awaiting new stock. As soon as Xu Mo and his companions appeared, Liu Rushi came out with a bright smile to greet them.

“Master Xu, please, come inside,” Liu Rushi welcomed them warmly.

Xu Mo immediately sensed Liu Rushi had something to discuss, so he turned to instruct Xu Tieshu and then entered the shop alone with her.

On the second floor, in the reception room, Liu Rushi treated him with great hospitality, not only serving the finest tea in the shop but also exquisite pastries brought from the capital.

Xu Mo sipped his tea and smiled. “Manager Liu, is today a special occasion? Such good tea and pastries to greet me.”

Liu Rushi promptly dismissed the staff, took a seat beside the table, and said, “Master Xu, I’d like to discuss something with you...”

“Manager Liu, please speak freely,” Xu Mo replied, setting down his cup and looking at her earnestly.

Liu Rushi smiled, “Master Xu, we’ve come to know each other well, so I’ll get right to the point...”

She paused, then continued, “Master Xu, could the next batch of soap be larger? Forgive my directness, but two hundred bars... simply aren’t enough!”

Xu Mo frowned and sighed, troubled. “Manager Liu, it’s not that I don’t want to, but our current production is already at its peak... Look! These two hundred bars today were made only by working extra hours—we’re nearly exhausted!”

Liu Rushi was unconvinced. “Master Xu, you needn’t make excuses...”

A shrewd glint flashed in her eyes. “I understand, you’re worried that too much soap on the market will affect the price... But please rest assured: if you increase production, I’ll still purchase them at five strings of coins per bar!”

Xu Mo thought for a moment. “Manager Liu, when you say ‘more,’ what quantity do you mean?”

Liu Rushi raised her hand and gestured ‘six,’ stating seriously, “Sixty thousand bars!”

Xu Mo was taken aback. “Sixty thousand?”

He quickly shook his head, “No, no, that’s far too much. Impossible...”

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Liu Rushi hurriedly added, “Master Xu, don’t be so quick to refuse. The sixty thousand bars needn’t be delivered all at once—just in monthly batches...”

“Master Xu, you only need to deliver five thousand bars each month, which totals over a year.”

Here she paused, then continued, “But I have a small request, and I hope you’ll agree.”

“What request?” Xu Mo asked.

Liu Rushi replied, “For these sixty thousand bars, please do not imprint the peony pattern or use the ‘Peony Brand’ name. Leave them blank—this should save you considerable time.”

Xu Mo secretly sneered, thinking, “Do you take me for a fool? You just want to create your own packaging and brand, to sell the soap at a higher price. Claiming it’s to save me time—how laughable!”

On the surface, he showed no reaction, still shaking his head in difficulty. “No, Manager Liu. With only a few people working, five thousand bars a month means producing over a hundred and sixty a day. That’s too much—we can’t manage it!”

Liu Rushi had been waiting for this. She quickly said, “Master Xu, don’t worry about manpower. The Liu family’s strength in Xingzhou County is well known. If you’re willing, we’ll provide the funds and personnel to help you establish a large-scale soap workshop!”

At this, Xu Mo understood completely—Liu Rushi’s ultimate goal was to acquire his business.

She continued, “Master Xu, you know how to make soap; I can supply money and workers. If we join forces, it won’t be long before we can sell soap nationwide, even to Wei and the Western Regions!”

Of course, Xu Mo would not agree, but he wanted to learn more about her intentions, so he feigned contemplation.

Liu Rushi thought he was tempted and fell silent, letting him ponder.

After a while, Xu Mo asked, “Manager Liu, if we do cooperate, who will be in charge of the affairs?”

Liu Rushi, prepared for this question, answered without hesitation, “Master Xu, each has their own expertise! You’ll focus solely on soap production, and I’ll handle the taxing business of selling it.”

Xu Mo almost laughed aloud when he heard she wanted him to be solely responsible for manufacturing.

With a smile, Liu Rushi said, “If you’re interested, we can sign a contract right now. As for funds needed to set up the workshop and how we’ll divide profits, those details can be discussed later... What do you think, Master Xu?”

Xu Mo smiled faintly and replied, “Manager Liu, your proposal is excellent, but I have no intention to pursue it at this time. Let’s settle today’s payment instead.”

With that, Xu Mo resumed drinking his tea.

As he sipped, he thought to himself: “I’m counting on the soap business to make a fortune! If you acquire it, what would I be left with?”