After two days of deliberation, Lu Zheng decided against selling more items from the modern world.
Bringing out another “family heirloom” so soon after a month would draw too much attention.
In contrast, opening an ordinary confectionery selling common cane sugar would be far less conspicuous.
Lu Zheng’s recent investigations confirmed that the brown and rock sugar sold in the county’s confectioneries were identical to those in the modern world.
That made things simple.
Buying a shop was out of the question, so Lu Zheng went to the southern city’s broker and rented a storefront for three guan a month, hiring two shop assistants to manage it.
The shop’s existing fixtures were usable, so Lu Zheng didn’t bother redecorating, only ordering a custom signboard from a lacquerware shop.
Sweet Delights.
Then, back in the modern world, he ordered a hundred jin of rock sugar online. Once delivered, he removed the packaging, brought it loose to the Dajing Dynasty, and stocked the shop.
“Boss, this is top-quality sugar frost, fine stuff!”
“Boss, are we only selling sugar frost, no malt sugar?”
Sugar frost, made from cane juice, was a premium product; malt sugar, fermented from grain, was cheaper.
Thus, common folk typically bought malt sugar for children’s treats, while sugar frost was a rare purchase.
However, the Dajing Dynasty was in a prosperous era, and Lu Zheng observed that Tonglin County’s residents seemed to have decent purchasing power, likely stronger than in a parallel world.
If not, no matter—Lu Zheng couldn’t yet afford a sugar mill, and modern malt sugar was far pricier than rock sugar.
“Boss, how are we pricing this sugar frost?”
The two assistants, both local to Tonglin County, came from poor families and had started working early.
One, surnamed Shi, was called Stone; the other, surnamed Ma, was the third child, Ma Three.
“Same as other confectioneries, fifty wen per liang,” Lu Zheng said.
In terms of grain purchasing power, one wen in the Dajing Dynasty equated to roughly one yuan in the modern world. The rock sugar Lu Zheng brought, costing five yuan per jin, sold for the equivalent of five hundred yuan per jin in the Dajing Dynasty.
A hundredfold profit!
A ruthlessly capitalist move!
“Got it! Our sugar frost is much better than those shops mixing sand sugar with rock sugar. Same price, our business will surely thrive.”
“Mm,” Lu Zheng nodded. “If stock runs low, let me know early. I source from out of town, so it takes time.”
Stone and Ma Three nodded knowingly, understanding this was their boss’s trade secret, not to be pried into.
…
Lu Zheng didn’t pick an auspicious day. Once everything was ready, he hired a troupe of performers the next day to open with fanfare.
“Sweet Delights opens! Only the finest sugar frost!”
“First three days, grand opening sale! Top-quality sugar frost, only forty wen per liang!”
As a new confectionery, it needed to build awareness and compete with other shops in the county.
Lu Zheng didn’t sell malt sugar or aim for a price war to avoid antagonising others.
But opening quietly wouldn’t do, as it could take ages to attract customers and build loyalty.
So, Lu Zheng opted for a classic grand opening promotion.
The origins of such promotions were lost to history, possibly ancient, but Lu Zheng hadn’t seen any eateries in Tonglin County offer discounts for their openings.
If so, he’d be the first.
It wasn’t high-tech, just a basic tactic to draw crowds, unlikely to raise eyebrows.
Perhaps other parts of the Dajing Dynasty already did this?
In Anfang, Sweet Delights opened with much fanfare, though onlookers outnumbered buyers.
After all, selling only rock sugar at forty wen per liang was pricier than malt sugar at ten wen per liang.
Still, Lu Zheng was content. As long as he broke even, that was enough; he didn’t expect Sweet Delights to make him rich.
“Shopkeeper, weigh two liang of sugar and pack it in two portions!”
“Mate, give me ten wen’s worth!”
“Mummy, I want sugar!”
As time passed, the shop saw steady business.
With two assistants—one weighing and packing, the other handling payments and deliveries—things ran smoothly, so Lu Zheng just wandered around the shop, observing without helping.
“Sister, sister, look, a new confectionery! I want sugar!”
“You just ate two rose pastries and a piece of nine-layer sugar cake. You still want sugar?”
“No, no, I want sugar! Sister, buy me some! I haven’t had it in ages!”
As the voices neared, Lu Zheng saw two figures approaching.
Hand in hand, one was tall and graceful, the other petite and lively.
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up. Two beauties—no, one older, one younger.
The elder appeared gentle and refined, like an orchid; the younger was vibrant and adorable, full of energy. Their similar features marked them as sisters.
As Lu Zheng noticed them, they saw him too.
Though he stood in the shop, clearly not working, the elder sister didn’t address him, only saying to Stone, “Shopkeeper, half a liang of sugar, please.”
“Gulp, alright, alright.”
Stone, unused to speaking with such a refined beauty, flushed red and focused on weighing the sugar.
The elder sister smiled, counted out twenty wen from her purse, and placed it on the counter.
Meanwhile, Stone weighed and packed the sugar, but before he could hand it to Ma Three, the younger sister snatched it, clutching it tightly.
The elder sister gave Lu Zheng an embarrassed smile, then led her sister out of the crowd and away.
“Hey, this sugar’s so sweet, sister, try some!”
“Mm, it’s good. Let’s save some for Father and Mother.”
Lu Zheng looked away, noting it was his first time seeing such striking women in Tonglin County.
Well, excluding the painted skin—that wasn’t human!
…
By day’s end, Sweet Delights sold seven jin of sugar, earning nearly three guan, covering the rent in one day.
It wouldn’t stay this busy, but with the shop’s name established, steady business would follow.
“After closing each day, round up the coins, exchange them for banknotes at the money changer, and deliver them to Uncle Li at Tongyi Lane, understood?”
“Understood, boss!”
Lu Zheng nodded. He supplied the stock, set the prices, and kept clear accounts, unconcerned about Stone or Ma Three skimming.
He instructed Uncle Li to collect ten guan before passing it to him, freeing Lu Zheng from daily shop management.
At the end of the afternoon, Lu Zheng closed the shop, pocketed three guan in banknotes, and headed home contentedly.
As he reached the entrance to Tongyi Lane, he saw two figures approaching together—the same sisters from earlier.
