Su Xiaoqi pulled Chen Jinniang into the inner room, eager to share her thoughts.
"Mianzhou City isn't large, but it's not small either, with a population of over a hundred thousand. There are so many businesses that one shop can't handle them all... How about we recruit franchisees?" Su Xiaoqi finished in one breath.
She then noticed Chen Jinniang staring at her, utterly bewildered. Chen Jinniang felt she understood everything Su Xiaoqi had said during the preamble, but the latter part about recruiting franchisees confused her.
"It means we provide the technology, and they provide the location and capital. We share the profits from sales."
The more Chen Jinniang heard, the more confused she became. Her slightly flushed cheeks were now filled with question marks. Su Xiaoqi, seeing her bewilderment, had to explain again.
"I have many recipes for pastries here. We can't make them all, nor can we profit from the business of over a hundred thousand people. It would be better to find other pastry shops and cooperate with them, providing them with our recipes and responsible for their training. Once they learn, we can directly earn a profit from their sales."
This last point was different from franchising. She explained it clearly, and Chen Jinniang finally understood. In essence, it was the same as how Su Xiaoqi had found her initially. But now, she and Su Xiaoqi were partners, and the two of them would find other collaborators.
Chen Jinniang hesitated. It wasn't about anything else; she felt a bit embarrassed because Su Xiaoqi was the one who possessed the pastry recipes. Su Xiaoqi didn't need to involve her. Apart from having a knack for making pastries, Chen Jinniang couldn't offer Su Xiaoqi much.
However, Su Xiaoqi firmly held her hand and said, "You gave me my first pot of gold, and I can't earn all the money by myself." She sought out Chen Jinniang for three reasons: first, Chen Jinniang was genuine, which suited her well; second, she was truly talented in making pastries; third, she was honest and reliable. After all, anyone else presented with such a good opportunity would surely not refuse it. But Chen Jinniang wasn't blinded by greed.
Of course, the most profound reason, Su Xiaoqi couldn't voice aloud. She disliked being too conspicuous and needed a spokesperson to represent her in discussions with other pastry shops.
"This idea isn't fully fleshed out yet. I'll draft a plan when I get back. You can try approaching a pastry shop in the northern part of the city to inquire."
Chen Jinniang was completely convinced and felt a sense of anticipation.
That evening, upon returning home, Su Xiaoqi lit two oil lamps again. Zhao Shi and the others assumed she was helping Shen Yun prepare for his upcoming exam by studying late into the night. Little did they know, the couple was busy; one was painting under the lamp, while the other was writing her pastry shop franchise proposal and drafting cooperation documents.
After Shen Yun finished the last stroke of "Spring Outing," he put down his brush, raised his eyes, and saw Su Xiaoqi sitting opposite him, diligently writing something on paper. She would write for a while, then furrow her brow in thought. His heart stirred, and he stood up, quietly moving behind Su Xiaoqi. Looking at her elegant handwriting, he curved his lips. When he saw the content she was writing, he raised an eyebrow slightly. Franchising? That was a novel term. But then again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary for this young lady of his.
"Ah..." Su Xiaoqi finished writing and stretched her arms. As she stretched, her hand brushed against Shen Yun's cheek. Startled, she cried out. But before she could fully vocalize her cry, Shen Yun covered her mouth. "Shh, Mother and grandmother are asleep. Don't wake them."
With her mouth covered, Su Xiaoqi couldn't speak and could only glare at him. Shen Yun slightly loosened his grip, and Su Xiaoqi quickly took two deep breaths. Then, she said with displeasure, "Why are you standing behind me? You scared me." Doesn't she know that startling people can be fatal?
"It's my fault. I apologize to my wife." Shen Yun smiled and cupped his hands in a polite bow.
"Hmph." Su Xiaoqi turned her head away, clearly still displeased. Shen Yun simply stopped talking, wrapped his arm around her waist, rested his head on her shoulder, and gently nuzzled her earlobe, his voice a low murmur. "Is my wife angry? How would you like me to apologize? Perhaps..." His voice was deep and magnetic. Before he could finish speaking, Su Xiaoqi's body went limp. She leaned into his embrace weakly, no longer showing any sign of anger. Shen Yun smiled faintly, knowing his wife was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, always succumbing to his gentle approach.
Su Xiaoqi's heart melted. That damned Shen Yun, not only was he handsome, but his voice was also so captivating. After a few words of coaxing, he smoothly transitioned to more serious matters. He reminded Su Xiaoqi, "This franchising idea is new and effective. Remember to go to the county office when signing the cooperation agreement and spend some money to get an official seal. This will make it undeniable."
Su Xiaoqi's eyes lit up. She had initially been somewhat bothered by Shen Yun's silent appearance behind her. She tolerated him peeking at the proposal she was writing. But his suggestion was extremely useful. She didn't understand the rules of document signing in this era and had indeed overlooked this. It was like the most basic document she signed with Chen Jinji, which also hadn't gone through official channels. A smart person was indeed a smart person.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi's satisfaction with his suggestion, Shen Yun's usually placid dark eyes deepened, his smile reflected within them. While wiping ink from Su Xiaoqi's hands with a handkerchief, he said, "My uncle mentioned that the main beam can be erected and a feast held on the tenth of June. What does my wife think?"
"Anything is fine." Su Xiaoqi pondered for a moment and said, "There are still two days left, which is just enough time to prepare. I'll go buy some things tomorrow."
Shen Yun greatly enjoyed seeing Su Xiaoqi worry about the household affairs. It made him feel that she cared about him. The two then discussed matters concerning Zhao Xiaozhu and Zhao Liushun. Shen Yun expressed his gratitude to Su Xiaoqi again. "Fortunately, you are here, otherwise, my uncle's situation..." Shen Yun still shuddered when he thought of how someone like Zhao Liushun was forced to hang himself.
These words made Su Xiaoqi's heart skip a beat. She actually felt quite guilty. She always felt that her arrival had altered Zhao Liushun's destiny. After all, these events weren't in the original plot of the novel. However, speaking of this matter, Su Xiaoqi suddenly recalled something she had long forgotten. It concerned Zhao Hai'e. Previously, they had had no interactions, so she hadn't thought much about her. But now, with Zhao Hai'e attacking her repeatedly, it was unbearable. She felt that the ending in the book was quite fitting for someone like Zhao Hai'e, who always caused trouble.