Chapter 67: Consider It a Favor You Owe Me

After greeting Chen Miaoyi and Xu Tieshu, Xu Mo set out with Qin Mutou and Ning Yongqiang.

On the road, Xu Mo and Ning Yongqiang shared the same carriage, while Qin Mutou followed behind, driving the mule cart.

After some distance, Ning Yongqiang suddenly spoke. “By the way, Young Master Xu, I promised you that if you helped me win against Wang Shunyang, I’d repay your debt for you.”

“But now you’ve already paid the debt yourself. How should I thank you for this?” Ning Yongqiang asked.

Xu Mo smiled. “Young Master Ning, I’m not sure how to answer since you bring it up so suddenly. How about we keep this in mind—you’ll owe me a favor, and if I encounter any difficulties in the future, I’ll ask for your help then. Would that be all right?”

“All right! If you ever need anything, just say the word!” Ning Yongqiang agreed without hesitation, never one for needless modesty.

The two then chatted about the recent affairs of the Exquisite Delicacies House. Its reputation had now become firmly established, so as long as there were no major errors in management, things should proceed smoothly.

However, one thing vexed Ning Yongqiang: the iron wok was no longer exclusive to the Exquisite Delicacies House. Now, not only were dozens of restaurants in Xinzhou using iron woks to offer various new stir-fried dishes, but even taverns in two neighboring counties had begun to imitate them.

Xu Mo was not surprised in the least. The iron wok was part of a larger trend; good things were always learned and copied by others. To expect to keep it as a sole privilege forever was impossible.

As they chatted, their carriage entered Xinzhou city.

By now, it was nearly noon. Ning Yongqiang invited Xu Mo to dine at the Exquisite Delicacies House.

But Xu Mo politely declined, saying the place was too crowded and he wasn’t in the mood for the bustle.

After a moment’s thought, Ning Yongqiang suggested, “Master Xu, why don’t we go to my sister’s place instead? I’ll have the food sent over, and we can eat lunch there.”

Xu Mo happened to want to see the Exquisite Delicacies House as well, so he agreed, “That works.”

The carriage changed direction, heading toward the Fragrant Skin specialty shop.

On the second floor, in the innermost room, Ning Yaxin was engrossed in her accounts.

Her abacus clicked rhythmically under her deft fingers, the sound almost musical.

Just then, Ling’er quietly entered, carrying a cup of tea to the desk. “Miss, you’ve been at this for an hour. Please, have some tea and rest a bit.”

Ning Yaxin didn’t respond immediately but continued her calculations until she finished the current account. Only then did she pause, stretching her neck and shoulders with a sigh.

“Ling’er, you know, selling soap and scented soap is so much easier than silk…” she remarked.

“Not only does it make money, but it saves trouble. Once it’s sold, that’s it; almost no one comes back with complaints. Unlike silk—with its thin margins and so-so business—there are always customers nitpicking.”

Ling’er replied, “Miss, it was a wise decision to close the silk shops in the other counties!”

Ning Yaxin smiled faintly, picked up her tea, and sipped slowly as she and Ling’er discussed what to have for lunch.

Suddenly, a voice called from just outside: “Sister, I’ve brought Master Xu!”

At the mention of Xu Mo’s arrival, Ning Yaxin froze for a moment, then hastily set the teacup down—so abruptly that some of the tea splashed out.

But she paid no mind to the spilled tea and hurriedly urged, “Ling’er, help me tidy up!”

Ling’er rushed forward to straighten her mistress’s dress and hair ornaments.

Never before had Ling’er seen her mistress so flustered, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

But Ning Yaxin quickly noticed Ling’er’s suppressed laughter, her cheeks flushing as she frowned, “What’s so funny? Is there something amusing?”

Ling’er shook her head seriously. “No, not at all, Miss. I wasn’t laughing, truly!”

Ning Yaxin rolled her eyes but said nothing more, though her cheeks grew even warmer.

Once everything was in order, she had Ling’er open the door and walked to the center of the room to await her guests.

With the door open, Ning Yongqiang strode in. “Sister!”

Xu Mo followed behind but paused at the threshold, saluting politely. “Miss Ning.”

Ning Yaxin immediately returned the courtesy. “Young Master Xu, you honor us. Please, come in…”

Ning Yongqiang found himself a seat at once, crossing his legs. “Sister, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let’s have lunch together. I’ve already had food sent from the Exquisite Delicacies House—it’ll be here soon.”

Ning Yaxin replied, “All right.”

As Xu Mo entered, he asked, “Miss Ning, how has business been lately?”

Ning Yaxin gestured for him to sit wherever he liked. “Thanks to your help, business these days is excellent. Especially in Heyang and Kaixian counties—soap sales are up, and orders for scented soap are rising too.”

Xu Mo nodded, smiling. “In that case, we’ll need to boost production even further.”

Ning Yaxin nodded in agreement.

After a brief thought, she asked, “Young Master Xu, I’m considering opening a Fragrant Skin specialty shop in both Heyang and Kaixian counties soon. Do you think that’s feasible?”

Xu Mo replied, “Certainly! Both places are close to Xinzhou, making it easy to transport goods. The only thing is that you must choose the shop locations with care.”

Ning Yaxin responded at once, “That’s not a problem. Our Ning family already has silk shops in both counties—I plan to pick the best locations among them and renovate them to match this shop’s décor.”

“That’s the best approach,” Xu Mo said, completely confident in her abilities.

The two then discussed the recent sales situation and inventory issues.

After listening for a while, Ning Yongqiang realized the conversation was all business and found it terribly dull. So he stood up. “Sister, you and Master Xu carry on. I’ll go downstairs for a bit—call me when lunch is ready.”

With that, he left the room.

Ning Yaxin suddenly remembered she hadn’t served tea to Xu Mo and quickly ordered, “Ling’er, why haven’t you brought tea for Master Xu?”

Ling’er, realizing her oversight, hurried out to fetch it.

“I’m sorry, Master Xu, I was so caught up in conversation I forgot. My apologies,” said Ning Yaxin.

Xu Mo shook his head. “Think nothing of it.”

A brief silence fell between them, until both spoke at once:

“By the way, Miss Ning…”

“Young Master Xu…”

Xu Mo quickly said, “Miss Ning, you first…”

But Ning Yaxin insisted, “No, you first, Young Master Xu…”

At Xu Mo’s urging, Ning Yaxin began. “Young Master Xu, I wanted to ask when we should settle accounts so I can pay you for the recent deliveries.”

Xu Mo replied, “There’s no rush—let’s do it at the end of the month. I’ll have my wife come by then, and you can settle with her.”

Ning Yaxin nodded, then asked, “And you, Young Master Xu? What did you wish to say?”

“Oh, I just noticed on my way up that the shop is still running the ‘buy two, get one free’ promotion. Miss Ning, this campaign has been going on for quite some time—it’s about time to end it.”

Ning Yaxin was puzzled. “But many customers come specifically for this offer. Why end it suddenly?”

Xu Mo patiently explained, “Promotions must always have a clear end date, Miss Ning. Otherwise, customers will assume that your goods are only worth that much, and that they can buy at any time. It won’t drive their desire to purchase.”

Ning Yaxin nodded slowly, absorbing his advice.

Xu Mo continued, “So it’s best to plan promotions around festivals or major, memorable occasions. That way, with some time between campaigns, the effect will be much better.”