Chapter 106: Awkwardness
Today the rain is falling endlessly, not only are there no customers at Taoyao Square, but there are also no customers at Fenghua Pavilion across the street.
Zhang Zhaodi looked at the shop opposite, spat, and cursed, "Persistent ghosts."
Su Yaoguang carried a box as she headed out the door. Seeing her, Zhang Zhaodi asked, "It’s raining outside, where are you going?"
"Our shop has quite a few major patrons; they bought a lot of products when we first opened and are considered our VIP customers to focus on. We’ve just prepared some new items here, and I’ll deliver them to their doors for them to try." Su Yaoguang said, "On rainy days like this, many ladies and misses are reluctant to go out. If they won’t go out, I can offer home service!"
"That’s a good idea." Wang Huanzhi commented, "Indeed, not many are willing to go out on a rainy day, staying at home can be boring. If someone can come to their door to offer beauty and skin care, they surely won’t refuse. Those ladies from wealthy households aren’t lacking in silver, they’re lacking ways to make them feel comfortable."
Su Yaoguang slightly tilted her head and proudly said, "I’ve said it before, our products are good, no need to compete on price with those across the street. I’m leaving now, if I don’t return by noon, don’t wait for me to eat, I’ll grab something outside."
Su Yaoguang went door-to-door providing home services according to the client list, except for two households that weren’t home, the others accepted her service and even scheduled the next time for skincare service.
When she was nearly done with her tasks, she figured the academy was about to finish for the day, and since she was passing by the academy, she waited at the door for Zhou Wangshu.
"Why isn’t he out yet?" Su Yaoguang peered at the entrance, seeing students gradually coming out.
Xiao Yanci spotted Su Yaoguang, his gaze darkened as he purposely walked past her. Pretending to have just noticed her, he stepped back and casually said, "Don’t wait, Zhou Wangshu left a long time ago."
Su Yaoguang glanced at him, turned away, and continued to watch the entrance.
Xiao Yanci was annoyed seeing her behave like this, and loudly said, "Zhou Wangshu often skips classes, he’s not cut out for studying. Some people are foolish without realizing it, actually believing that a waste can become a talent. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as buying someone to achieve fame."
Su Yaoguang turned sharply, looking sternly at Xiao Yanci.
Having witnessed her strength before, Xiao Yanci’s expression changed as she approached him, taking a few steps back and saying, "What are you doing?"
Su Yaoguang rubbed her fingers, coldly saying, "I detest people who talk too much. If you dare to badmouth our Wangshu again, I’ll cut off your tongue and feed it to the dogs."
Xiao Yanci sneered, "Trying to help you out here — when your money gets swindled away, you’ll learn what regret means. Oh, women like you probably don’t even know how to read."
"I might not be literate, but I can wield a knife!" Su Yaoguang pulled out a dagger from her waist, brandishing it before him.
Panicking, Xiao Yanci retreated, "Women and petty men are hard to maintain, you’ll be crying one day soon."
"I’ll return those words to you." Su Yaoguang retorted, spotting Zhou Wangshu emerging from inside, she greeted him with large strides. "Wangshu, this person tried to sow discord, claiming you often skip classes and said you left early. Luckily, I didn’t believe his words, otherwise I’d have fallen for his schemes."
Zhou Wangshu appeared awkward upon seeing Su Yaoguang, remembering his most pitiful state she had seen last night, he felt exposed facing her now.
Listening to what Su Yaoguang said, he glanced at Xiao Yanci, "You seem to love meddling in our family affairs, one might think you’re upset that Yaoguang didn’t buy you. Jealous perhaps that I joined Yaoguang, dissatisfied with your current master, hence your fondness for gossiping?"
"Nonsense. Huan’er is a hundred times better than this blunt country girl." Xiao Yanci retorted, flushed with anger.
"Then cherish your Huan’er, stop stirring up trouble." With that, Zhou Wangshu took the umbrella Su Yaoguang was holding. "Let’s go home!"
Fuming, Xiao Yanci glared at Zhou Wangshu and Su Yaoguang as they walked away. In anger, he kicked a nearby stone, slipped, and his whole body fell downwards, hitting the ground with a thud, his head knocking the ground.
"Ah..." Xiao Yanci screamed.
The old servant guarding the door heard the commotion and rushed over, seeing the ground covered in blood with Xiao Yanci unconscious.
"Someone... someone..."
Zhou Wangshu shielded Su Yaoguang with an umbrella, tilting it towards her, his shoulder getting drenched by the rain.
Seeing this, Su Yaoguang led Zhou Wangshu to a nearby shop, saying to the owner, "Boss, I need a cloak."
"Take your time, customer; these are all cloaks."
"I need one for men, a nicer one, these don’t look good."
Zhou Wangshu commented, "If it’s for me, I don’t need it."
"Your clothes are soaked through, how can you say you don’t need it? Listen to your sister and don’t fuss." While Su Yaoguang was speaking, the owner had already taken out the best cloak.
Su Yaoguang asked the price, generously paid, and draped the cloak over Zhou Wangshu.
"Your small frame can’t afford to catch a cold." Su Yaoguang patted his shoulder, "Alright, let’s go home! Before I left today, I told Jing’er to bring back some lamb, Chunni must have cooked something delicious. Let me tell you, I spent the whole day working outside, ate a bowl of noodles for lunch, those noodles were... just terrible."
Su Yaoguang chatted away, with Zhou Wangshu not interrupting, quietly listening and not minding her chatter at all. The more she looked at Zhou Wangshu, the more she felt this younger brother was quite endearing.
After what happened last night, he must have suffered so much before. But it’s okay, she’ll take good care of him, show him that even though they aren’t blood-related, he can still have family.
"Yaoguang, is this what you earned today?" Zhang Zhaodi looked at several silver ingots, her eyes widened.
"Mom, what are you thinking? Even wealthy people’s silver isn’t blown by the wind, how could we easily earn so much money?" Su Yaoguang replied, "This is the monthly subscription payment from them."
"Monthly subscription means..." Zhang Pandi asked.
"From now, I’ll provide home service ten times a month; they’ll send someone to schedule the time, which could be during the day or at night, with their time taking priority. Services range from hair care to facial skin care, even body care, and they give me five taels a month. Of course, if they buy our products, that’s extra. These five taels are my hard-earned money."
"Are there time requirements? If a customer is difficult, keeps making you go back and forth, wasting your time, that doesn’t seem worth it." Zhang Yingdi asked.
"Each session lasts an hour." Su Yaoguang explained, "Their servants prepare everything, I just need to direct them to prepare hot water, etc, and once everything’s ready, it’s my turn to step in."
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