Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
Xiao Shiqing turned to look at Pei Ji’an.
Pei Ji’an also looked at him.
One expressionless, the other with a smile.
"What is your purpose in pestering her?" Xiao Shiqing asked with a cold face.
Pei Ji’an laughed, "You should be asking yourself this question. What is your purpose in pestering her?"
Xiao Shiqing did not answer him but said coldly, "One day, I will bring her back to the Xiao Family. Before then, if you dare harm her, I won’t let you go."
Pei Ji’an calmly adjusted his sleeve, his words full of mockery, "Keep your family in check. Not bothering her is the best protection for her."
Xiao Shiqing left with a sullen face.
...
In one’s life, it’s not easy to meet a friend who you can talk to.
Qu Fulan and Ren Hua became close friends in just a few days.
Qu Fulan visited Ren Hua’s house. Although the location couldn’t match Gaoyi Lane, the house was also a two-entry style, and it felt quite nice.
Ren Hua was very hospitable and got a whole lot of delicious food prepared.
After eating and drinking, they chatted, and Qu Fulan asked her what plans she had for her future career.
Ren Hua said, "People strive to move upward while water flows downward. I want to settle in the Capital City and find a suitable minor official to marry. After marriage, I will continue with my career."
"What if your future mother-in-law doesn’t want you to appear in public?" Qu Fulan asked, munching on seeds, touching on the core issue.
Ren Hua blushed and laughed, "That’s why I’m aiming to marry someone whose mother has passed away. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dragged my feet and not gotten engaged by now."
Given her looks, plenty of people want to marry her.
Her birth date doesn’t clash with her husband’s fate. She just told a big lie to escape the oppression from the powerful before.
Qu Fulan almost choked. She’s daring, looking for someone whose mother is dead, but indeed, this means no mother-in-law relationship.
However, such families are likely to be more financially challenged.
Otherwise, which wealthy family, after losing a wife, doesn’t remarry? Those who don’t usually have poor family conditions.
"What about you? What are your plans for the future?" Ren Hua asked.
Qu Fulan didn’t hide anything unnecessary, "Once I stabilize this store, and have more money, I’ll invest in other businesses."
"What kind of business do you want to go into?"
"Clothing, probably. The profit is high."
"Right, I was thinking the same. It’s just that doing it alone is too stressful, so why not partner up?"
Qu Fulan didn’t agree immediately, not because she disagreed, but because she was contemplating feasibility.
The clothing business, once established, yields considerable profit, so she will definitely involve Heir Pei as a partner. However, the clothing business involves various aspects, which she can’t handle alone.
Things like sourcing, clothing design, marketing channels, etc.
She can’t handle it all by herself.
Biting off more than one can chew is not wise. It’s better to collaborate to share the load.
"We can discuss collaboration later. For now, the priority is to earn money. Talking is pointless without money." Qu Fulan said.
Ren Hua felt that Qu Fulan had it tough, serving as a maid, saving for years, and might lose it all opening a store.
For her safety, she moved to a place like Gaoyi Lane, making life even more difficult.
As for the milk tea shop and the bookstore that Qu Fulan operated, they were just ventures she managed for others, with her taking a little monthly salary. How much money could that be?
"If you’re short on money, I can lend you some, and you can pay it back whenever." Ren Hua wasn’t overflowing with money, but she wasn’t at the point of not knowing how to spend it either.
She might be considered wealthy in Anzhou, but in the Capital City, that wasn’t much.
Moreover, the more you earn, the more you spend, and any slight carelessness could lead to substantial losses.
Business, by nature, is risky.
"We’ll talk about it when I need it," Qu Fulan didn’t say no. Who knows what might happen in the future?
Ren Hua nodded, increasingly convinced of the other’s difficult life, finding all aspects challenging. She decided to take care of her more, bringing more people to support her when the store opened.
Qu Fulan didn’t know she appeared as a downtrodden figure in Ren Hua’s mind.
On the opening day of the new store, all Qu Fulan did was set off a firecracker.
After all, it’s not a coffee shop; it didn’t require a grand opening ceremony.
It was just a noodle shop.
Passersby looked up: Pig Knuckle Noodle?
Though they hadn’t eaten such noodles, they roughly knew it was served with pig knuckle.
It didn’t seem particularly appealing.
At that time, a pound of pork cost twenty coins, and a pig knuckle was a dozen coins. A bowl of noodles with a pig knuckle must be expensive?
It’s just a bowl of noodles, not worth it.
A bowl of noodles on the market costs from two coins to four or five coins at most, and those at four or five coins are from well-known noodle shops.
For this newly opened shop to price a bowl of noodles over four or five coins, who’d eat here?
Anyway, many people came and went, glanced at "Qu’s Pig Knuckle Noodles," and then passed by, either going to the noodle shop next door or across the street, but not entering the pig knuckle noodle shop.
Inside "Qu’s Pig Knuckle Noodles," there were just three employees, two handling the kitchen and one in charge of serving guests outside.
Firecrackers had been set off, but after waiting and waiting, no one came in to eat, making the three workers a bit anxious.
Qu Fulan wasn’t in a rush; such noodle shops rely on long-term customer relationships, and setting off firecrackers was enough.
She could’ve done some activities to attract customers, but what kind of activities could a noodle shop do?
Giving away stuff wasn’t cost-effective, and free food and drinks weren’t possible. With something free upfront, who would be willing to pay later?
Besides, her pig knuckle noodles weren’t priced low originally, so not to mention for free, even at half-price, it wouldn’t work.
Qu Fulan did think about preparing some fragrant braised dishes to put at the door to attract customers by smell.
But braised dishes and pig knuckle noodles weren’t the same flavor. If it outshone the pig knuckle noodles, what hope would there be for the store?
So after considering everything, she decided not to do any activities. After all, she had other plans.
By the end of 8:00 AM, Ren Hua, disguised as a man, arrived, followed by four or five servants, though others couldn’t tell they were servants.
Qu Fulan only mentioned the opening of her noodle shop to Ren Hua, not anything about Prince An or such. It was just a small shop, and she was embarrassed to bother them. She’d call them when the coffee shop opened.
So today, the only friend here to support her was Ren Hua.
Ren Hua came to support, without any expectations for the taste of the noodles.
Having traveled widely and tasted various good foods, including delicious noodles, she had seen people use pig knuckle to cook noodles. The taste was mediocre; after trying it once, she never ate it again. The shop closed not long after.
Before today, she didn’t know Qu Fulan was opening a pig knuckle noodle shop. If she had known earlier, she would’ve suggested opening a famous noodle shop. Even if the taste wasn’t authentic, at least it would attract customers in.
But saying this now was pointless. The shop was opened, and all she could do was support it—not dampen spirits on opening day.
While distracted with thoughts, the noodles were served, with a fist-sized pig knuckle lying at the top of the porcelain bowl.
It seemed to have been fried, its wrinkled skin soaked in broth.
It actually looked... quite appetizing.
Taking a bite.