Chapter 370: Ideas
Chapter 370: Chapter 370: Ideas
Bai Suihe had no intention of expanding her own businesses in Zhang County, so she generously offered them her ideas.
The Qian Family ran a grain shop. Thinking of the wide variety of congee shops from the modern era, Bai Suihe returned to her room, grabbed a charcoal pencil, and quickly sketched a clean, simple shop layout. "I actually think a congee shop would be perfect for this location. There’s a large residential alleyway right behind your storefront. A congee shop could cater to families who don’t feel like cooking, and I’m sure Mrs. Qian can come up with many different varieties of congee."
The more Mrs. Qian thought about it, the more brilliant the idea seemed. All she would need to do was assign a few of her trusted servants to manage it. As for the types of congee, wealthy households like theirs had seen plenty. Especially with her husband traveling extensively for business, they could easily source numerous recipes.
As for Madam Li and her cosmetics shop, Bai Suihe simply called Zisu over. Using the local cosmetics she had bought, she applied a full face of makeup on the girl, instantly transforming the delicate maid into a stunning beauty that captivated the room.
"This is simply incredible." The three madams were at a loss for words. They couldn’t help but wonder if their husbands would have brought so many new concubines into their households if they had known how to dress themselves up like this.
Whatever ideas could make their businesses profitable, they were now completely pinning their hopes on Bai Suihe. At that moment, all their eyes were glued to her hands.
As the women grew more and more absorbed in their chat, their husbands in the front hall—having already drunk an untold number of rounds of tea—began sending servants to rush them. For the first time, these madams felt a pang of annoyance toward their husbands, finding them to be an absolute nuisance. Still, strictly adhering to the virtues expected of wives, they reluctantly bid Bai Suihe farewell, making sure to schedule another visit for the following day to seek more of her advice.
Bai Suihe walked the reluctant group to the door. Over in the front hall, the husbands kept turning their heads to stare. They wondered, "Since when did these women become so sentimental? In the past, whenever we brought them out for social engagements, their smiles were completely fake. How did they develop such a deep bond with Mrs. Gu in such a short amount of time?"
Even when their own husbands left home for trips, they had never looked this reluctant to part.
After finally sending the guests off, Bai Suihe chuckled. "What were you grown men chatting about out there?"
"Just the usual county affairs," Gu Kaiyuan said, his curiosity piqued. "What were you all talking about? From the looks of it, they really didn’t want to leave."
"Just business matters regarding their shops. They wanted to make a little extra money, so I helped them out." Bai Suihe wanted to develop a few friendships in the county town. After all, they might establish their main base of operations here in the future. Having people to look out for each other would make things much more secure.
"Aren’t you worried they’ll steal your business?"
Bai Suihe shot him a glance. "None of us are fools. They wouldn’t intentionally clash with someone else’s livelihood.
"The ideas I gave them are also tied to their husbands’ current businesses.
"Even though we had an enthusiastic chat, I suspect they will reconsider everything once they go back tonight. Who knows if they will actually have the courage to try."
"That’s it?" Gu Kaiyuan didn’t believe that alone was enough to move those women. The families that visited today were quite wealthy. While they definitely wanted to build a good relationship and ask for advice, there was no reason for them to be *that* passionate.
Bai Suihe led him back to the rear courtyard. They happened to spot Zisu tidying up some things, and Gu Kaiyuan suddenly seemed to understand.
"Well?" Bai Suihe asked. "Isn’t she beautiful?"
Gu Kaiyuan nodded. "It’s genuinely impressive. My wife has truly worked a miracle..."
Bai Suihe went speechless. "...What you just said had absolutely zero tact."
Fortunately, they were standing in the corridor, quite a distance from Zisu. Their voices were low, so she likely hadn’t heard them.
"I’m just stating the facts," Gu Kaiyuan said. "What is fake remains fake. Even if it can deceive others for a while, it’s not a long-term solution."
Then, sweet-talking, he added, "You, on the other hand, are perfect just the way you are. Natural and graceful, needing no embellishment whatsoever. You have already completely captivated me."
Bai Suihe wanted to take back her previous comment. If this was what he called having no tact, then he was a master flirt. Ever since they cleared the air, Gu Kaiyuan seemed to enjoy teasing her more and more. She cleared her throat. "Just answer this: between Zisu’s current appearance and her previous one, which do you think is better?"
"Do you even need to ask? The current one, of course." Gu Kaiyuan was still incapable of uttering empty praises, speaking purely from the facts. "If she walked out looking like that, she’d probably attract a swarm of suitors."
"Then if I were to open a beauty parlor that could give people a complete makeover," Bai Suihe said, "do you think that business would be viable?"
"It’s feasible," Gu Kaiyuan replied. "My only concern is that people might not be willing to pay a hefty price just to maintain a fleeting moment of glory." Going to a shop every single day to get makeup done was even more unrealistic. Thus, the viability of such a business still needed careful consideration.
Bai Suihe countered, "Don’t forget, Madam Li already runs a cosmetics shop. What do you think about using her shop’s products to create various makeup looks? How does that sound for a business?"
Gu Kaiyuan fell silent. Now that she mentioned it, it was actually a brilliant idea. Not only would the cosmetics shop’s sales skyrocket, but Madam Li could also make a handsome profit from the services.
Meanwhile, after Zisu finished her chores, she returned to her room and stared into the mirror, unable to believe her own reflection.
Nanny Pang took a curious glance at her but didn’t say a word. However, after dinner, when it was time for their lessons, she brought an assortment of bottles and jars into the room.
"Nanny, what are we learning today?" Bai Suihe was incredibly curious. Since Nanny Pang had brought new tools, there had to be a new lesson planned.
"I saw you make Zisu so beautiful today. It seems you might have a natural talent for the Disguise Technique. Today, we’ll be discussing exactly that..."
Bai Suihe’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Nanny, you know the Disguise Technique?"
Although modern makeup could sometimes be jokingly referred to as a disguise technique, it was undoubtedly light-years away from the authentic, traditional Disguise Technique. The legendary Disguise Technique allowed one to change their appearance at will, giving a single person thousands of different faces.
"I’ve picked up a thing or two," Nanny Pang said modestly. "First, let me explain the effects of these medicinal herbs..."
The two quickly settled into their lesson. Meanwhile, Gu Kaiyuan had long since quietly scooped up his baby daughter and taken her out for a stroll.
Since it was already dark, he couldn’t leave the estate, so he simply paced back and forth in the rear garden. Only when the night air grew chilly did he carry her back to the room so she could rest.
Gu Xingyang blinked. "Daddy, are you just going to put me down and ignore me?"
Having been put to bed like this a few times before, Gu Xingyang used to find it acceptable. But Gu Kaiyuan was becoming increasingly unreliable, walking away before she even fell asleep. She was still just a baby, after all—couldn’t he coax her a little longer?
"Is my little baby hungry, or do you want some water?" Gu Kaiyuan stopped in his tracks and leaned back over the heated brick bed. "Daddy isn’t trying to ignore you. I saw you were tired and wanted you to get a good rest so you can grow tall."
"But you haven’t read me a book or told me a bedtime story yet," Gu Xingyang thought.
Of course, she was fully in favor of her mother studying medicine. Learning a few more practical skills would give her mother an extra layer of protection in this world. Over the past few days, whenever she was awake, she had been secretly learning a bit herself. She had already memorized the formulas for those little prank potions, keeping them firmly in her mind so she could slowly put them into practice when she grew older.