Volume 1 Chapter 3

  Xia Zi Yun let Xia Ting wipe the sweat for him, blinking his sparkling big eyes and said "Today, Husband asked for leave, saying there's something at home, so let's head back first"

  Xia Ting nodded slightly and put away her handkerchief, saying "Have you been to your mother's place?"

  Xia Zi Yun nodded vigorously "Been there, it's too hot, even mom can't sleep"

  Xia Ting furrowed her brow slightly: "In this kind of weather, it's no wonder Mother can't sleep."

  She turned to instruct a few young maids, "All of you stop embroidering. Wan Yu, have someone bring out a few blocks of ice from the cellar. Ling'er and Qian Xiang, go to the kitchen to cook some mung bean soup for the maids and young servants to drink."

  The three little maids put down their needlework and went off on their errand.

  Xia Ting brought her brother to the kitchen, where Wan Yu had already ordered ice blocks to be carried in. She instructed a few servants to crush the ice, and then personally selected several fruits, cutting them into small pieces, along with the crushed ice, and put them into a porcelain pot. After pouring milk and previously homemade jam over it, a colorful and refreshing fruit ice was ready.

  Cover it with a porcelain lid and let the maid bring it into the Water family's house.

  Xia Ting saw her mother lying on the couch with her eyes closed, and two maids were fanning her with palm-leaf fans. The maids in the house saw Miss and Young Master arrive, and they hastily paid their respects.

  Xia Ting nodded and signaled the maid behind her to put down the tray, then waved her hand to let Wan Yu lead all the servants in the house out to drink mung bean soup.

  Shui heard the noise and opened his eyes.

  "Ah, it's you two kids! Hurry up and get up, Jing'er, Yun'er, why have you come out on such a hot day?"

  Xia Ting brought water to the round table and sat down. "My brother said you couldn't sleep because of the heat, so I made some fruit ice to help you cool off."

  As she spoke, she opened the ceramic lid and ladled a bowl for her mother and brother each.

  Mrs. Shui heard her daughter's concern and couldn't help but smile, scooping a spoonful of water fruit ice into her mouth. The coolness and sweetness of the water fruit made her feel refreshed, nodding repeatedly "This water fruit ice is really good, one bite and mom feels cooler"

  Xia Zi Yun, who was beside her, liked it even more. He had been eyeing the food in the kitchen just now and his cheeks were bulging as he ate while saying "Sister, this is really delicious, can you make it again tomorrow?"

  Xia Ting smiled and looked at her younger brother, saying "It's not that you can't do it again tomorrow, but you're not allowed to eat too much, I'm afraid you won't be able to withstand the cold." Xia Ziyun hastily nodded heavily in guarantee.

  Xia Ting Cong turned to Shui Shi and said, "Mother, the rouge and snowflake cream that was sent to you the other day, do you like using them?"

  She is actively preparing for the opening of her shop 'Meiren Hall'. A few days ago, Guan Bo brought the first batch of products. After she personally tried them and made some improvements to the insufficient parts, she took a few boxes of good rouge and snowflake cream to let her mother try them out.

  As soon as this was mentioned, Shui's praise poured out endlessly "I like it, I like it, the texture is even when applied to the face, and the color is just right. This is indeed the best rouge that mother has ever used. That Snowflake Cream, mother only used it for a few days, and her skin became much smoother."

  Xia Ting smiled lightly and said, "As long as Mother likes it, just use it. When it's used up, I'll have my daughter send more over."

  In early October, the weather is still slightly warm.

  Two months have passed in a flash. Today is exactly the day when Xia Ting's Meiren Hall opens.

  Early in the morning, Xia Ting was awakened by the cheerful chirping of birds outside the window. After a wash and dress, she took Wan Yu to Meiren Hall by carriage, waiting for her own shop to officially open.

  For the past two months, she has been busy designing drawings and testing new products. The soap, rouge, and snow cream made by the workers in the shop must be inspected and tested by her before they can be finalized and mass-produced.

  Just before the opening, Xia Ting personally designed promotional flyers and invitations, sending people to distribute them everywhere, doing a good job of promoting the shop, in order to attract those noble ladies and young misses when the time comes.

  The entire Beauty Hall is divided into two floors. The upper floor has seating for those aristocratic families and wealthy young ladies to sit and make their selections.

  The downstairs is very spacious and suitable for ordinary civilians and middle-class families to choose from.

  All goods are arranged on the shelves in order of price, making it easy to see at a glance. The sales assistants will recommend products that customers can afford based on their identity, dress and other factors.

  Products for the wealthy are mostly fragrant and exquisitely packaged, with prices multiplied several dozen times. Ordinary citizens and middle-class families also have their corresponding products.

  At this time, Xia Ting was sitting on the second floor, carefully observing the opening situation. Many famous ladies who were attracted by flyers and invitations came, all curiously looking at the goods on the shelves, with a surprised face listening to the explanations of the shop assistants.

  In this era there was no advertising, so propaganda and invitations played a very good role as 'door knockers'.

  The beauticians trained in Mei Ren Tang are introducing products to customers one by one in an orderly manner.

  The noble ladies sitting on the second floor were also excitedly trying out the lip color, and many people had already ordered after trying it. Xia Ting looked at the busy partners upstairs and downstairs with satisfaction, which meant that her career had taken a successful step forward.

  It won't be long before Mei Ren Tang becomes the talk of the town in Yixing.

  In just a few days, all the young ladies and noblewomen were rushing to tell each other, excitedly gathering together to discuss which rouge they used, which fragrance of snowflake cream they liked best, and so on.

  Those ladies who had never been to Mei Ren Tang before all came to try it out. After trying the products, they were immediately attracted and placed several orders before leaving satisfied.

  Xia Ting was sitting in the house, smiling and counting her silver bills. Guan Bo stood in front of her, his face flushed with excitement. "Miss, it's only been four days, but Mei Ren Tang has already made a profit of over 10,000 taels. The wives and daughters of those wealthy families have placed large orders as soon as they arrived. Rouge and snowflake cream are each selling two or three sets, and the soap is also selling well. Now the workers are busy rushing to deliver the goods."

  Xia Ting nodded in satisfaction and asked, "What about the feedback from ordinary people?" Although it was lucrative to supply products to those wealthy households, the majority of the population in every place were ordinary civilians, which was also an important customer source.

  "Ordinary products for ordinary people don't have any special fragrance added. The price is very reasonable, and those commoner women and girls who tried it all liked it a lot. Although each household doesn't buy much, the number of buyers is large. The previous batch of goods was almost sold out, and now we're also rushing to make more."

  Xia Ting's limpid eyes blinked, "These past few days, keep a close eye on the people in the shop. If anyone dares to be disloyal and embezzle, don't show mercy. Just make an example of them, and also give those who are not content with their lot a good scare."

  The forest is big and there are all kinds of birds. The prescription in the shop is feared by many people.

  Taking advantage of these few days, she also wants to see if there are any who cannot resist temptation and want to betray their lord. If there really are, she will not forgive them lightly.

  Miss, don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on it. Just hope the shop doesn't have those who don't know what's good for them. If we get caught, it would be like stealing a chicken and losing the rice instead.

  "Order that from now on, regardless of whether they are working in the manor, taverns or shops, men are not allowed to take concubines and women are not allowed to become concubines. Except for remarriage after divorce or widowhood, no one is allowed to have multiple wives or concubines. If anyone has any objections, please resign immediately. Those who knowingly violate this rule will be expelled. From now on, all those working under my name must follow this rule."

  Guan Bo was shocked by the sudden thunder, his eyes wide with astonishment. This was too astonishing and unconventional. He had never expected that Miss would set such a rule. Since Miss had spoken, he, as a servant, could only obey.

  Fortunately, in this ordinary family, there are few concubines, let alone a second wife. As for selling oneself into slavery, it's even more unthinkable.

  This rule doesn't have much impact on the servants in the manor and the apprentices in the shops.