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Because they were in a hurry with the ox cart, their journey to the town was significantly shorter than usual.
By the time they reached the town, it was just about noon. They had eaten before setting out, so Shen Yu’an led them directly to the location in front of the new grain store.
While the opening of a grain store may not be as lively as the grand openings of restaurants or pastry shops, it was their family’s store, so they had to show their support.
Apart from Shen Yu’an’s group, there were quite a few people standing on the street in front of the grain store. However, most of them were merely passersby who had stopped to watch the spectacle.
Whenever a new store opened, shopkeepers would scatter lucky coins in front of their shops for good luck and positive symbolism, so these onlookers weren’t just loitering without reason.
Mr. Ji stroked his beard and calmly remarked, “Auspicious Grain Store, the name has a nice meaning.”
“Did you open this grain store?” he asked.
Shen Yu’an smiled and reminded him, “It’s Chen Yachen’s store, and he’s the owner. I’ve just invested in it.”
Mr. Ji smiled back and didn’t say anything more. He looked up at the red silk covering above the store.
At this moment, the signboard bearing the words ‘Auspicious Grain Store’ was covered with red silk, and on each side of the wide-open door, there was a string of firecrackers.
Just as it reached noon, Liang Hui came out with Feng San and Feng Si.
Liang Hui smiled and said a few words of good fortune, then had Feng San and Feng Si light the firecrackers.
As the firecrackers crackled, they began scattering copper coins, and those with quick reflexes managed to grab several.
Shen Dalang extended his hand and caught one of the copper coins thrown in their direction.
He wanted to hand it to Shen Yu’an, but she stopped him and said with a smile, “This is a good omen, big brother. Keep it for yourself. When we get back, I’ll have mother string it on a red thread for you to wear around your neck.”
Shen Dalang chuckled, well aware that this little sister of his was teasing him.
“You mischievous little brat,” he playfully scolded Shen Yu’an, tapping her forehead and then holding onto the copper coin with a smile.
While outside, people were still stooping to grab the copper coins, Feng San emerged holding a smooth, tall wooden board. On it were written the prices of various grains available in the store.
When there were no more copper coins left on the ground to fight over, the onlookers looked up and saw the signboard in front of the store.
Immediately, someone among the literate passersby began to quietly read it aloud, and as they did, the volume of their voices grew louder.
The reason for this was that the prices listed were at least 20% lower than those of the three existing grain stores in the town.
Someone in surprise asked, “Shopkeeper, is this person telling the truth? Are these really the prices of your grains?”
Then, they whispered cautiously, “Could it be that some young master has opened the shop for fun without checking the prices beforehand?”
Liang Hui and his companions were worried that no one would inquire, but Liang Hui replied with a smile, “The prices are exactly as the young man just mentioned. They are fair and honest, with no deception.”
In truth, the prices listed on the wooden board they displayed were not particularly cheap when compared to the prices in previous years. However, in comparison to the current grain prices, they were indeed a better option. Moreover, they were more than double the grain prices from two years ago.
Someone jokingly said, “You named your store ‘Auspicious’ because your prices are auspiciously lower than the others, right?”
Liang Hui smiled but didn’t respond to the question.
However, the remarkably low prices at the Auspicious Grain Store raised suspicions among many people. Someone puzzledly asked, “Your grain prices are so low. You’re not selling grain that’s mixed with old and moldy, or spoiled grains, are you?”
Once this question was posed, the other excited onlookers held back and waited for Liang Hui’s explanation.
Liang Hui remained unruffled and said with a smile, “Everyone can inspect the grain when they make a purchase. The grains are all inside the store now. If you have doubts, you’re welcome to come in and verify.”
Several people immediately walked inside, and Shen Dalang, just to join in the excitement, also entered to take a look.
The store’s front door was open, allowing people outside to see what was happening inside. Those who went in bent down, reached into the grain bags, and grabbed a handful of rice to examine in their hands.
Since the store was not very large and not everyone could go inside to observe, those outside anxiously asked, “Is the grain all moldy?”
The people inside didn’t respond immediately. Instead, they excitedly moved to other open bags of grain, grabbed another handful, and examined it carefully.
To prevent the possibility that the shopkeepers placed good grain on top and lower-quality grain at the bottom, some even intentionally reached deeper into the bags.
However, without exception, the grains held in their palms were all plump and healthy.
“How is it?” Those outside couldn’t help but ask again.
One person walked out excitedly and exclaimed loudly, “These are all excellent grains! They’re much better in quality compared to the grains from the other grain stores in our town.”
Immediately, others who had gone inside also emerged, echoing the sentiments of the first person.
Some even rushed back inside to ask Feng San to weigh out ten pounds of grain, fearing they might miss out.
Shen Dalang returned to the group of Shen family members from the grain store. He couldn’t help but think that the grains he had seen in the store were indeed much better than what he usually came across.
Interestingly, this particular quality of grains was something he frequently encountered at home. Very rarely did he see anyone in his family purchase grains, and the grains in the storage jar seemed to gradually increase before dwindling.
The women in the family were well aware of this, and no one questioned it.
Thinking back to how Shen Yu’an had mentioned that the store belonged to Fei Yanchen, it all became clear to Shen Dalang. It was undoubtedly something that had come out of his little sister’s treasure, being sold under the name of Fei Yanchen.
Shen Dalang thought about this a bit more but decided not to dwell on it. The fact that Shen Yu’an had brought out such high-quality grains at a lower price than usual was a benefit to the people, so he didn’t concern himself with it further.
The fact that the person had immediately bought ten pounds of grain had surprised them all. Could it really be that good?
Seeing this, everyone wanted to go inside, and Liang Hui had to step forward to stop the bustling crowd.
It was quite comical because the prices Liang Hui had set were meant to attract other grain merchants to purchase from them. If this batch of grains didn’t sell out by the fifteenth day of the month, how would their plan work?
Liang Hui seemed to have forgotten what Shen Yu’an had said about not worrying about the grain when implementing their plan. He loudly declared, “Don’t worry, everyone. The prices inside the store won’t increase, and there is plenty of grain.”
“Just come back when you need it at home.”
Liang Hui’s words did calm some people down, but a few still bought a few pounds of grain, unable to resist the sight of the plump and desirable grains.
The area in front of the grain store remained lively for a while, but the Shen family members left after observing the commotion. Their visit to town was not just for the spectacle; they also needed to prepare the courtyard.