The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Zhou Chu spent half a day figuring out the basic situation of the shop.

For example, the purchase and selling prices of fabrics, as well as the shop's accounts.

It was a shop with hardly any business, so the accounts were very clear.

Around noon, Shen Qing was at the counter planning to stock up on some new goods, while Zhou Chu was using a ruler to pat the fabric and remove the dust.

A woman in a blue dress walked in.

Once inside the shop, she had a clear goal: she went straight for a piece of grayish-blue fabric.

What is the price of this fabric?

The woman looked at Zhou Chu, who was standing beside her, and asked.

"This kind of cloth costs twelve coins per foot, and if you want more, it costs one tael of silver per bolt."

Zhou Chu put down the ruler in his hand as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing was startled.

The cost price of this material is one tael of silver per bolt.

If we sell it at this price, we won't make any money.

Did Brother Chu misremember the price?

She was about to remind Zhou Chu, but Zhou Chu stopped her with a look.

The woman's eyes lit up when she heard the price.

She had seen the same material in other shops and asked about the price.

Other shops charge at least 16 coins per foot, and if you buy by the bolt, it will cost at least 1,400 coins.

The prices here are surprisingly cheap.

I suppose the owner is a conscientious businessman.

Unlike those shops, which have all turned their hearts into evil.

"Give me ten bolts of this kind of material."

The woman said hurriedly.

"Don't worry, sister, my shop has plenty of fabric."

Zhou Chu poured the woman a cup of tea and said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the woman was no longer in such a hurry.

Zhou Chu's address of "sister" and his manner of serving tea and water made her instantly find the young man in front of her more pleasing to the eye.

She was just someone's maid.

I've never been treated like this before.

I suddenly felt lightheaded.

"Although this material is cheap, the quality is not good. It is more prone to fading than other materials when exposed to wind and sun, and when shampooed."

Zhou Chu lowered his head and said meekly.

After saying this, Zhou Chu pulled out a piece of blue fabric.

"Sister, look at this fabric. It's much brighter than that one, and it doesn't fade. The quality is much better, and the price isn't expensive either. It's fifteen coins a foot, or one thousand four hundred coins a bolt."

The woman, being addressed as "sister" by Zhou Chu, looked at the fabric Zhou Chu was holding and realized that, as Zhou Chu had said, the fabric was indeed much brighter.

At that moment, in the woman's mind, the fabrics in this shop were much cheaper than those in other shops.

They were completely unaware that the material Zhou Chuxin had brought out was originally the same price and quality as the material they had just seen.

I just felt that the materials Zhou Chuxin brought out were much better than before, and at this price, they were excellent value for money.

"Then let's have this one, ten horses, no, fifteen horses."

the woman said.

"okay."

Zhou Chu recorded the quantity of cloth.

"What's your name, sister? You can't carry all this fabric. I'll have someone deliver it to you, and you can pay me when it arrives."

The woman felt a little embarrassed by Zhou Chu calling her "sister" repeatedly.

The young man in front of me was just too handsome.

"My name is Chunxiang, and I'm from the Wang family next door."

After Chunxiang finished speaking, she gave a detailed account of the Wang family's address.

After Zhou Chu wrote it down, he tore off ten feet of smoky blue cloth from the side.

"Sister Chunxiang looks just like my eldest sister. I left home when I was young and haven't seen my sister for many years. We are really destined to meet. This piece of cloth is for Sister Chunxiang. I will make two dresses for her later."

Upon hearing this, Chunxiang seemed to think of her family, and her eyes immediately reddened.

"Why are you saying that? From now on, you're my brother. I'll pay for this piece of cloth separately; I can't just take it for free."

Chunxiang was about to take out her money when Zhou Chu stopped her.

"If you give me money, then we're no longer friends. Just consider it a small token of my appreciation."

Without waiting for Chunxiang's objection, he stuffed it into her hand.

Chunxiang looked at the cloth in her hand and thought for a moment.

"Alright, I'll accept it. I'll take you as my brother. If the household needs any cloth in the future, I'll only buy it from you."

After Chunxiang left, Shen Qing stared at Zhou Chu in disbelief.

She knew the prices of both types of fabric; they were the same.

She just couldn't understand why that woman seemed to be bewitched, buying it without hesitation or even haggling over the price.

Some people who originally wanted to buy ten horses have now bought fifteen.

Zhou Chu naturally saw Shen Qing's expression as well.

Do you really have an older sister?

Shen Qing asked.

"No, I'm the boss."

As Zhou Chu spoke, he picked up a ruler again and began to beat the cloth.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing felt her mind go blank.

"how did you do it?"

Shen Qing couldn't help but ask.

"That's easy. Chunxiang came in and headed straight for the grayish-blue cloth. It's obvious she had her eye on it at other shops, compared prices, and came here to ask about the price."

Zhou Chu said.

Shen Qing thought back to Chunxiang's actions when she first came in, and it really was true.

“If the price I quoted is similar to the prices at other shops, she will definitely go back to the previous shop to buy.”

"So I quoted her the purchase price directly, which made her think that our shop's fabric was much cheaper than other shops."

"She'll think we're offering fair prices, while other shops are ripping people off."

"At this point, I would use other fabrics to distract her, and no matter what price I mentioned, she would think it was cheap."

"Moreover, Chunxiang should be a manager in the Wang family. From now on, when the Wang family uses cloth, she will only buy it from our shop."

Zhou Chu's words made Shen Qing's hair stand on end.

"You're too cunning."

Shen Qing couldn't help but say.

"Cunning? No business is without cunning. As long as you don't cheat people, why would anyone buy from you if you don't use some tricks?"

Zhou Chu countered with a question.

"That's not what I meant. I meant you're amazing."

Shen Qing hurriedly explained.

"You should be the manager."

Shen Qing added.

She was only temporarily acting as the manager, but now she realized how capable Zhou Chu was. Although he was a bit young, he was far more capable than her.

"No."

Zhou Chu shook his head.

"why?"

Shen Qing asked, looking puzzled.

"There are too many things to worry about when you become a shopkeeper. I can still earn money by copying books or writing letters for others, but I won't have that time when I become a shopkeeper."

Zhou Chu said.

Zhou Chu said this not because he didn't want to be the manager.

He agreed as soon as Shen Qing mentioned it, even though the monthly salary wouldn't be much higher.

Zhou Chu naturally had to wait for a higher price to sell.

Copying books and writing letters were merely reminders to Shen Qing that he needed more money.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Shen Qing immediately had an idea.

"In this way, as the manager, your monthly salary will be increased to ten taels of silver, and then ten percent of the profits will be taken from you."

Zhou Chu was already satisfied with this price.

It mainly involves taking a cut.

Zhou Chu knew that with his abilities, he could easily sell several thousand taels of silver every month.

Even if the profit is only one thousand taels, one-tenth is still one hundred taels.

enough.

Zhou Chu has many places where he needs to spend money.

You need to go into the prison to make some connections.

Otherwise, the Lu family would lose most of their lives before they were even released from prison.

Having someone to pull strings and not having someone to pull strings make a world of difference in treatment.

Those prison guards were no pushovers.

The food they eat is just money they've been paid for.

Everyone in the Lu family, whether it was Madam Yang or the patriarch Lu Song, treated me very well.

Lu Song can be considered my martial arts master.

Since Zhou Chu transmigrated here, he hasn't had a good life.

During that year at the Lu family home, he had no worries about food or clothing, and the food he ate was all highly nutritious mutton and venison.

In terms of money, Yang has never shortchanged Zhou Chu.

I give him money every now and then.

Zhou Chu was not a heartless person.

"Sure, but you have to pay me twenty taels of silver first."

Zhou Chu said.

Are you in a hurry to get the money?

Shen Qing asked.

"Yes, I used to be a page in the Lu family. Now that the Lu family is in jail, I need to use money to bribe them, otherwise they will have a hard time."

Zhou Chu didn't hide it from Shen Qing.

There's no need to hide it.

Shen Qing had heard more or less about the Lu family's affairs.

She never expected that Zhou Chu was actually the Lu family's page.

And yet so loyal and righteous.

He immediately took out fifty taels of silver.

"I'll give you an advance of fifty taels, mainly because I don't have much money left."

Shen Qing said somewhat embarrassedly.

Zhou Chu did not refuse.

"Thank you, Miss. I will definitely earn it back for you twofold."

Zhou Chu immediately picked up a pen, wrote an IOU, and handed it to Shen Qing.

"We don't need this."

Shen Qing said somewhat awkwardly.

"Miss, remember this: one thing at a time. I'm already very grateful that you lent me the money. Don't let emotions cloud your judgment in business, or you'll get ripped off later."

As Zhou Chu spoke, he stuffed the IOU into Shen Qing's hand.

Shen Qing stared blankly at the IOU in her hand, her mind preoccupied with Zhou Chu's words.