Su Li was just about to head to the main courtyard when she saw Mo Hua enter, carrying a padded jacket.
"Miss, that Yu Ji Garment Shop has opened! I snatched this after a long wait, take a look!"
Su Li took the padded jacket, immediately noticing its lightness. A touch confirmed its warmth. She couldn't help but marvel again; Yu Banxia truly was a talent.
Mo Hua worriedly said, "Miss, their business is too good! It sells for much more than ordinary clothes, yet so many people are buying. Our shop is right opposite, and we barely have any business left."
Su Li turned around, sat at her desk, picked up her brush, and began to draw.
"Miss!"
Why wasn't Miss panicking?
Su Li didn't even lift her head, saying, "There's no use in rushing. It's their skill to earn money; we just need to do our part well. I'll draw a few new designs; you can take them to Young Master Xu."
"Miss, should we also make this kind of clothing?"
Su Li shook her head, "Lean closer and smell this garment."
Mo Hua, puzzled, picked up the garment and sniffed it carefully.
"Oh! It stinks!"
There had been incense in the shop earlier, so she hadn't noticed the smell.
Su Li smiled faintly. Her sense of smell was naturally more sensitive than most, and she had detected it just now. The poultry feathers inside had likely only been washed and dried, without any other treatment. If her guess was correct, the longer the time passed, the worse the smell would become.
Sixth Prince's Estate
"Your Highness, we took in over 43,000 taels today!" Zhao Huai'an exclaimed, delighted as he looked at the ledger.
Jun Hui laughed, "This is all thanks to Miss Yu."
Yu Banxia felt inwardly smug. She could earn so much silver with just a casual idea; now the Sixth Prince must see her talent.
"What's so special about this? I have plenty of money-making ideas!"
Jun Hui looked at the steward, "While the weather is cold, tell the major embroidery workshops to expedite the production of more down jackets. We'll settle the payment with them later."
The steward bowed, "Yes, Your Highness."
Zhao Huai'an flipped through the hotpot restaurant's ledger. "Why is the hotpot restaurant's income decreasing?"
Yu Banxia said, "Let me see!" She took the ledger and saw that the accounts were a chaotic mess. "I can't understand it."
The steward explained, "The manager of the hotpot restaurant said that initially, our low prices attracted many diners, and Drunken Today across the street had almost no customers. Recently, for some unknown reason, customers have slowly started going back to Drunken Today."
Yu Banxia frowned, "What methods did they use? Your Highness, perhaps we should lower our prices again?"
Jun Hui nodded, "We can. Let's lower the prices first to pull customers back, then discuss other matters."
…
Meanwhile, Su Li was also looking at Drunken Today's ledger. Seeing that the income was gradually increasing, her lips curved into a smile. This indicated that many diners had already discovered the shortcomings of 'Fiery Hotpot'.
"Miss, their hotpot is cheaper than ours. Should we also lower our prices?" Mo Hua asked.
Su Li shook her head, "No need. Our hotpot's pricing isn't very high to begin with. The higher prices on the second floor are because the private rooms are exclusively for high-ranking officials and nobles; we're doing business with the gentry. These people value their status, and if the price is too low, they'll feel it's beneath them. Even with competition now, we cannot lower prices. Once we do, even if we raise them again later, our standing in everyone's minds will be lost."
Mo Hua nodded, seemingly understanding. What Miss said seemed very logical.
"The loss of customers is only temporary. You see, the customers on the second floor have hardly diminished; it means these customers look down on our competitor."
As time passed, she believed other customers would also realize that you get what you pay for. After all, the suffering of abdominal pain after every meal was truly unbearable.
Shrewd people in the capital could discern that the atmosphere on the streets had changed. One hotpot restaurant remained unchanged, while the one opposite it was pushing hard with vigorous shouts and promotions. Discounts, free dishes, and so on. This scene could be seen on the east, west, south, and north streets of the capital.
Aside from hotpot restaurants, the garment shops also presented a stark contrast. Su Ji's garment shop produced padded jackets and clothing with increasingly diverse and exquisite patterns and designs, all at affordable prices. Meanwhile, the opposite Yu Ji was also bustling, selling at increasingly higher prices. Scarcity made things precious; the novelty of the down jackets led to many purchases, making Su Ji across the street seem much quieter by comparison.
Those in the trade, seeing this situation, all began inquiring who the owner of Yu Ji was, daring to challenge Princess Changning. Those with connections found out that Yu Ji's owner was merely the daughter of a fourth-rank minor official, but she was close to the Sixth Prince. Everyone sighed, lamenting that in this era, women doing business were truly terrifying.
Not only that, but Yu Ji seemed intent on clashing with Su Ji. Not only did their hotpot and garment shops compete head-to-head with Su Ji's, but with silver in hand, they also opened similar shops opposite Yu Ji's pawnshop and cosmetics store.
Their ventures expanded, and the capital became increasingly lively. Those in the know understood the underlying dynamics, and rumors of discord between Su Li and Yu Banxia grew louder. Even the Sixth Prince and Prince Jing became subjects of speculation and discussion. Even the officials heard about the matter. It was only when Salt Commissioner Yun Tong Yu Qiao mysteriously found himself in trouble that they began to take the rumors seriously.
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