I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

Chapter 455: Rental Trend

After successfully developing the small yacht and cruise ship business, Duke Chen Jue and his wife Chen Jia did not stop exploring the business territory. They keenly realized that although there were various modes of transportation in the capital and surrounding areas, there was still potential to be tapped. In particular, in the use of horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts, and ox carts, if rental services could be launched, it might be able to meet the travel needs of different groups of people, so the two decided to get involved in this field.

On this day, in the side hall of the Duke's Mansion, Chen Jue was holding a research report and reading it carefully. Chen Jia walked to his side with light lotus steps, her eyes fell on the densely packed words on the paper, and asked softly: "Husband, is this a research on vehicle leasing? Are there any new findings?"

Chen Jue nodded slightly, with a focused expression: "Madam, look. Nowadays, people in the city travel by foot or with their own cars. However, it is really inconvenient for some people who occasionally need to travel but don't want to buy a car. Moreover, the existing means of transportation such as horse-drawn carriages lack regulations in terms of speed and billing. If we can launch a rental service and then innovate and improve it, we will definitely be able to make a difference."

Chen Jia frowned slightly and thought for a moment: "My husband is right. However, this rental service requires careful arrangements from the purchase and maintenance of vehicles to the setting of rental prices and the management of drivers. And what do you think of the innovation and improvement you mentioned?"

Chen Jue raised the corners of his mouth and showed a confident smile: "Madam, I plan to install a mileage drum on the carriage. This mileage drum can accurately record the mileage of the vehicle. In this way, we can charge reasonably according to the mileage, which is fair and transparent, and can also avoid some unnecessary disputes."

Chen Jia's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands in praise: "This is a great idea! With the Jili Drum, the rental price can be more reasonable, and the people can also clearly know their expenses. However, the production and installation of this Jili Drum must not be an easy task."

Chen Jue nodded, "Indeed. I have sent people to find skilled craftsmen to make mileage drums. At the same time, we will also train the drivers to make them familiar with the use and maintenance of mileage drums. Madam, please take a look at the rental price and terms of service. Is there anything that needs to be modified?"

Chen Jia took the paper and read it carefully. "My husband, the rental price distinguishes between horse-drawn carriages, donkey-drawn carriages, and ox-drawn carriages. The prices are based on different uses and comfort levels, which is reasonable. However, I think the terms of service can add some details about vehicle damage compensation and liability for breach of contract to avoid trouble in the future."

Chen Jue pondered for a moment and nodded, "Madam, you have considered everything. Let's do as you said and improve the terms. In addition, we also need to consider the decoration and configuration of the vehicle to make the ride more comfortable and attract more customers."

Afterwards, Chen Jue and Chen Jia began to get busy. Chen Jue was responsible for communicating with the craftsmen about the production and installation of the mile drum and the purchase of vehicles, while Chen Jia focused on formulating detailed terms of service, recruiting and training drivers, and designing the decorative style of the vehicles.

When purchasing vehicles, Chen Jue personally selected horse-drawn carriages, donkey-drawn carriages, and ox-drawn carriages. He went to the horse market and carefully checked the size, coat color, and health of each horse. A horse dealer saw Chen Jue's extraordinary clothes and hurriedly came up to him: "Sir, look at my horse. It is strong and runs fast and steady. It is a rare good horse."

Chen Jue looked the horse up and down and asked, "What is the temperament of this horse? Is it docile?"

The horse dealer patted his chest and assured: "Don't worry, sir. This horse is very docile and is most suitable for pulling carts. It also has good endurance, so it can run long distances without any problem."

Chen Jue nodded slightly: "What's the price?"

The horse dealer rubbed his hands and said carefully, "Sir, since you are an expert in this field, I will tell you the truth. If you are sincere in buying this horse, five hundred taels of silver is absolutely a fair price."

Chen Jue frowned: "The price is a bit high. I buy in bulk. If you can make it cheaper, I will buy a few more."

The horse dealer hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, I see you are a straightforward person. Here, four hundred and fifty taels per horse, no lower."

Chen Jue thought for a moment and said, "Okay, deal. But you need to ensure the quality of the horses. If there are any problems, I will not let you off easily."

Ma Shang quickly responded: "Don't worry, sir. I will never fool you."

At the same time, Chen Jia was interviewing drivers in the Duke's Mansion. A middle-aged man walked into the hall and bowed respectfully: "I am Liu San. I heard that the Duke's Mansion is recruiting drivers, so I came here to apply."

Chen Jia looked Liu San up and down and asked, "How many years have you been driving a car? Are you familiar with the roads around here?"

Liu San quickly replied: "Madam, I have been driving a carriage for ten years and I am very familiar with the roads in the capital and the surrounding areas."

Chen Jia nodded: "Then do you know that the car rental service we launched is charged by mileage, and there will be a mileage drum installed in the car?"

Liu San was slightly stunned, but quickly reacted: "Although I have never seen the Jili drum, I am willing to learn. I have been driving a chariot for many years and have always been honest and trustworthy. I will definitely act according to the regulations."

Chen Jia nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, then you stay for a trial period. But let me be frank with you, if you don't follow the rules or your service is not good, we can fire you at any time."

Liu San said gratefully: "Thank you, madam. I will definitely live up to your expectations."

After a period of preparation, Chen Jue and Chen Jia's vehicle rental business was finally ready. They set up a rental point in a prosperous area of ​​the capital, decorated it beautifully, and hung a striking sign at the door.

On the opening day, many people gathered around curiously. A young scholar came forward and asked, "Excuse me, how can I rent this carriage? How much is it?"

Chen Jue smiled and went over to greet him: "Sir, our carriages are divided into luxury and ordinary types. Luxury carriages have exquisite interiors and are comfortable to ride in. They charge five taels of silver for every ten miles; ordinary carriages charge three taels of silver for every ten miles. Donkey and ox carts are even cheaper, with donkey carts charging two taels of silver for every ten miles and ox carts charging one tael of silver for every ten miles."

The scholar thought for a moment and said, "Then I rent an ordinary carriage to go to the academy outside the city, which is about 30 miles away. How much silver do I need to pay?"

The waiter beside Chen Jue immediately replied: "Sir, for thirty miles, you need to pay nine taels of silver. Our car is equipped with an odometer, and the mileage is absolutely accurate."

The scholar nodded: "Okay, then let's rent one. But I have to come back in the afternoon, can this carriage wait for me?"

Chen Jia stepped forward and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir. You only need to pay a certain waiting fee and the carriage will wait for you. Waiting for an hour will cost one or two taels of silver."

The scholar said with satisfaction: "That's great. Then I'll trouble you to prepare the carriage."

With the completion of the first business, more and more people began to try to rent vehicles. Some rented horse carriages to go to banquets, some rented donkey carts to transport goods, and some rented ox carts to take their families out for a trip.

A businessman approached Chen Jue and said, "Duke, I often need to transport goods. If I rent your ox cart for a long time, can you offer a discount?"

Chen Jue thought for a moment and said, "Since you are renting for a long time, we can give you some discounts. How about a monthly rental fee of fifty taels of silver?"

The merchant thought for a moment and said, "Sir, fifty taels is still a bit high. I will rent two ox carts at a time, and you can give me a better price."

Chen Jue considered the benefits of long-term cooperation and said, "Okay, rent two ox carts at a time, eighty taels of silver per month, this is already the lowest price."

The businessman said with satisfaction: "Okay, that's settled. I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation."

However, as the business developed, some problems also emerged. Some drivers deliberately took detours to increase mileage; some customers caused damage to the vehicles while using them but were unwilling to compensate.

After Chen Jue and Chen Jia learned about this, they immediately held a meeting. Chen Jue said seriously, "These problems must be solved in a timely manner, otherwise it will affect our reputation. Drivers who take detours will be fired immediately and will never be hired again once they are discovered."

Chen Jia went on to say: "For vehicle damage, we must strictly follow the terms of service to handle it. Let customers know that they must be responsible for their own actions. At the same time, we must also strengthen vehicle inspection and maintenance to ensure vehicle safety and comfort."

After some rectification, the leasing business gradually got back on track and won a good reputation. Leasing cars has also become a new fashion in the capital, and both dignitaries and ordinary people are full of praise for this service.

On a sunny day, Chen Jue and Chen Jia stood at the door of the rental point, watching the vehicles coming and going. Chen Jia smiled and said, "Husband, our efforts have finally paid off. This vehicle rental business not only facilitates people's travel, but also brings us profits."

Chen Jue nodded and said with emotion: "Madam, this is just the beginning. We need to continue to improve our services and expand our business. Perhaps, we can consider opening rental points in other cities so that more people can enjoy our services."

Chen Jia said with a firm look in her eyes: "Okay, no matter what difficulties we encounter, I will work hard with my husband. I believe our business territory will become bigger and bigger."

The two smiled at each other, their hearts full of longing for the future. And the car rental business of the Duke's Mansion continued to flourish under their careful management, writing a new glorious chapter. As time went by, they continued to improve the functions of the Jiligu and launched more personalized services, such as chartered travel and wedding carriages, which further met the needs of the market and consolidated their position in the car rental field.