Chapter 480 - 183: Business
Chapter 480: Chapter 183: Business
The single day off seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
On the day De’an returned to the prefectural academy, he repeatedly urged Chen Wanqing to find time to write home more often.
His father wouldn’t listen to him, but he would at least entertain a word or two from her.
After sending off the lingering De’an, Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing headed to the Xie family’s residence together.
Chen Wanqing had modified the formula for Moonlight Fragrance and even created a sample. She felt it was a significant improvement on the original version, so she specifically brought it for Mr. Xie to try.
If Mr. Xie also approved and felt that the new formula would have a market advantage, she planned to purchase the necessary ingredients and begin producing the new fragrance in large quantities.
As for Zhao Jing, he was going to return some books and borrow others.
With the books gifted by Your Majesty and the vast Book Collection Pavilion at the prefectural academy, the Xie family’s private collection paled in comparison.
But Zhao Jing still visited once a month. It was like panning for gold; he could always find a rare volume or two that he enjoyed.
Regarding Zhao Jing’s schedule, although he had five days off every ten days and Mr. Yin had reduced his assignments to two policy essays every five days, he hadn’t idled away his time.
In fact, he was busier than ever.
He was so busy that Chen Wanqing often woke up in the middle of the night to find her side of the bed empty. Bathed in the faint glow of a candle, Zhao Jing would be sitting at his desk, engrossed in a book.
Sometimes she would call out for him to come to bed, but other times she would simply watch his back with her eyes open before dazedly drifting back to sleep.
Chen Wanqing had once asked Zhao Jing, "Why are you working so hard? With your ability, you’re certain to pass the next Provincial Examination. You even have a real chance at becoming the top scorer in the provincial examination. The way you’re pushing yourself gives me this strange feeling... as if you aren’t preparing for an exam in three years, but entering the hall next year. And as if it isn’t the Provincial Examination you’re taking, but the Imperial Examination itself..."
Every time she said this, Zhao Jing would burst out laughing.
After laughing, he couldn’t help but sigh. "I do wish I could take the Imperial Examination, but with my current skill, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to take first place as the Metropolitan Examination Champion..."
’Well, would you look at that! Not only does he want to take the Imperial Examination, he wants to be the champion. Jing’s ambitions were truly lofty.’
Xie Ming had received the couple’s message the day before, so he made a point of waiting at home for them today.
When the couple arrived, Xie Ming and Mrs. Xie greeted them with great enthusiasm.
Throughout the morning, Chen Wanqing discussed fragrances and sipped tea with Xie Ming and Mrs. Xie, while Zhao Jing went to the Xie family’s Book Collection Building alone and borrowed several more books.
They naturally stayed for lunch at the Xie residence. After the meal, they chatted for a little while longer and updated their contract, bringing the trip to a successful conclusion.
It was late in the afternoon by the time they left the Xie residence.
Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing did not go anywhere else, heading straight home.
Unexpectedly, when they arrived home, they found someone was already waiting for them.
Mrs. Zhao saw them return and hurried over to speak with them.
"They arrived after lunch. I told them you were out and asked them to leave their names so you could call on them when you returned, but they refused. When I asked their business, they wouldn’t say a word. They’ve just been sitting in the reception hall drinking tea. They’ve already had two cups."
Upon hearing this, Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing hurried inside. It wasn’t until they entered the reception hall that they realized their visitor was the owner of the Kangning Fragrance Workshop.
There were three major fragrance purveyors in the Prefecture: Kangning Fragrance Workshop, Shengshi Xiangzai, and Yuelai Fragrance House.
There were another eight or ten noteworthy workshops, but overall, the only ones truly recognized by the people of Xinghuai Prefecture were the three mentioned above.
Among them, Kangning Fragrance Workshop’s incense was expensive and elegant, catering mostly to nobility and scholars. Shengshi Xiangzai was famous for its perfumes for young women, while Yuelai Fragrance House followed an affordable pricing strategy, making it popular among the common folk.
Back when Zhao Jing had first entered the prefectural academy, the servants from their old home hadn’t arrived yet.
Chen Wanqing was unable to produce fragrances on a large scale, but she couldn’t remain idle. She spent her days either browsing bookstores for texts on perfumery or treasure-hunting through the city’s various fragrance shops.
In just half a month, Chen Wanqing had purchased a sample of every decent incense available on the market.
She had thus formed her own judgment about the strengths and weaknesses of each brand’s products.
She hadn’t decided on her next step back then, but she had already proactively done her due diligence.
Later, when counterfeits became rampant and sales of Moonlight Fragrance suffered, Chen Wanqing was busy trying to upgrade its formula. In the process, she unintentionally created another, exceptionally elegant and rich scent: a Noble Fragrance.
Coincidentally, a letter arrived from the dart masters announcing their imminent arrival in the Prefecture. The pressure to support her household mounted, so after investigating the business practices of the three major workshops, she had gone to the Kangning Fragrance Workshop and asked to see its owner.