My reborn husband and son are thinking about how to kill me every day.

"That's right, this price is even higher than that of Baixianglou."

"It's not just more expensive than Baixianglou, I've never seen such expensive pastries before."

……

Upon hearing the price, the onlookers began to condemn it.

Gu Chunzhi was initially relieved to see the shop crowded with customers.

But when he saw that people were not only not buying, but also constantly criticizing the shop for selling things too expensively and saying that it was robbery, he was immediately anxious and didn't know what to do.

She found Ji Yunshuang and said with concern, "Shuangniang...aren't the prices of the pastries in the shop too high? Why don't you...lower the prices?"

Ji Yunshuang remained completely calm despite the condemnation from the crowd, as this was a situation she had anticipated long ago.

In the apocalypse, she learned a lesson: No matter the era, there will always be privileged classes who are never short of money.

Making money from the poor in a legitimate way is not easy.

Because most poor people are frugal and don't spend easily. Especially in this chaotic world, ordinary people are worried about the future and dare not spend money extravagantly.

When doing business at this time, one must think outside the box.

She said calmly, "We can't lower the price. It's all made with milk, eggs, and flour, so the cost is already that high."

Gu Chunzhi said with a worried look, "Then... what can we do? How much did you pay to rent this shop? If we can't keep the shop open, won't we be finished?"

Ji Yunshuang said, "How could it be over? Even if the shop can't stay open, we still have land in the countryside, right?"

Gu Chunzhi said with trembling lips, "But... wouldn't it be a loss if we spent so much money?"

They also bought so many servants for the family.

They already have so many mouths to feed in their own household, not to mention the many servants they've bought, which adds even more mouths to feed.

She really didn't know how her daughter-in-law could remain so calm.

"This is just the beginning, no rush." ​​Ji Yunshuang remained unhurried. "Don't worry, you won't lose money."

Gu Chunzhi thought to herself, "How could this not happen? So many people are looking but not a single one is buying. The shop's reputation will be ruined. How can we possibly make a living?"

But seeing her calm and unhurried demeanor, and recalling how she had surprised him more and more each time, he suppressed his doubts and turned to work in the kitchen.

Sweet Fragrance Shop, even before its official opening, had already caused a sensation in Hongdu with its fragrance that could be smelled for miles and the calligraphy on its signboard that was comparable to that of a master. This time, it became famous in Hongdu City again because of its exorbitant prices. On the opening day, it didn't sell a single item.

Many people discussed two hot topics in the city during their leisure time.

One of the issues was the long-discussed question of whether Jiangzhou could be defended. The other was the most talked-about topic: the Sweet Fragrance Workshop.

The previous issue has been discussed for a long time, but its popularity has gradually declined, and more people are now discussing Sweet Fragrance Shop.

"Have you heard? A pastry shop opened at the entrance to the east gate of the inner city, and its prices are even higher than those of Baixianglou."

"How could I not have heard? I smelled that aroma earlier and was planning to buy some to try! But the price is outrageously expensive."

"How expensive is it exactly?"

The man who had spoken earlier held up two fingers. "Two taels of silver." He then added, "But though it's expensive, it smells really good, and the pastries look beautiful too."

When people around heard that a small bag of pastries cost two taels of silver, many of them exclaimed in surprise.

Some people were curious and planned to find time to see just how good the pastries were, that they were so expensive.

Some people also condemned the owner of Sweet Fragrance Bakery for being unscrupulous, asking why a small bag of pastries would cost so much money.

Of course, many more people listened to these stories as anecdotes, wondering when Sweet Fragrance Shop would close down.

*

Hongdu, the Prince Rui's Mansion.

Prince Rui rubbed his forehead, put down the official gazette, and called in the old eunuch who served him, asking, "What are people talking about lately?"

Li Dequan knew that his lord was anxious and stressed because of the war.

He was particularly enraged when he learned that many powerful families were secretly moving their valuable assets to Prince Xuan's fiefdom.

The prince had spent the entire afternoon reading the official gazette and was feeling extremely annoyed.

As an old eunuch who had served Prince Rui his entire life, he naturally knew that he couldn't bring up those unpleasant things to bother his master at this time.

His mind raced, and he smiled, "Your Highness, lately people in the neighborhood have been talking about a shop that opened at the East Gate."

"Oh?" Prince Rui became somewhat interested and looked at Li Dequan, saying, "What's there to discuss about a shop?"

"Your Highness, you don't know, that shop is no ordinary place."

Li Dequan first talked about the old woman with the ability to see ghosts at the East Gate. She lived alone in her house and had been trying to sell her shop for several years without success. However, she recently took a liking to someone and rented the shop to a refugee who had fled from another place.

Like a storyteller, he vividly described the absurd deeds of the old woman with the ability to see ghosts.

Only after whetting Prince Rui's appetite did he begin to recount the series of strange events surrounding the newly opened shop.

In the end, a small bag of pastries from Sweet Fragrance Shop cost a full two taels of silver, and after two days of operation, the shop hadn't sold anything, but the owner wasn't in a hurry.

Every time Rui Wan was accused of robbing someone, the shop's waiter would smile and explain to the customers that their shop's products were made with high-quality ingredients and were the only ones of their kind in the entire Great Zhou, making them absolutely great value for money. Rui Wan wished he could fly directly to that Sweet Fragrance Shop to taste what those pastries tasted like and what made the owner so confident.

The key point is that at this special time when many aristocratic families lacked confidence in him and were secretly transferring their assets outward, she opened a shop in Hongdu, which also shows that she had confidence in herself and firmly believed that he could defend Jiangzhou.

Prince Rui was overjoyed and waved his hand, saying, "Go buy them! Buy plenty of all kinds of pastries and send some to the Princess Consort and the princes."

"Yes!" Li Dequan respectfully took his leave and personally led his men to Tianxiangfang.

Inside the Sweet Fragrance Shop, Gu Chunzhi was already anxious and irritable, pacing back and forth in the room.

The shop has been open for two or three days, but hasn't made a single sale. The daughter-in-law, however, shows no sign of worry. She even sits under the ginkgo tree and enjoys tea with a blind old woman.

That wasn't all; she also bought a lot more flour, eggs, and other things, telling the kitchen staff not to rest and to continue making pastries.

Moreover, the three types they made before, which sold for two taels of silver a bag, had already made people curse them as a shop run by robbers, openly robbing people.

But the new pastries she had made were even more expensive, costing a full three taels of silver each.

Wouldn't this just make those people even more dissatisfied?

Just as Gu Chunzhi was anxiously pacing around, a man with a rosy face and a high-pitched voice came to Tianxiangfang.

Without even asking the price, the man threw a bag of silver onto the table and said, "Give me thirty bags of all kinds of pastries from the shop. You calculate and see if you have enough money."