Chapter 54: Opening a Shop and Making Money

Zheng Second Miss pointed at the perfume bottle on the shelf and said, “It’s this one. It looks quite shabby.”

Du Wanchun looked up. They didn’t have much silver on hand, so this time they had bought ordinary white porcelain bottles, which indeed looked somewhat plain.

Zheng Second Miss continued, “The perfume my elder brother bought from the capital all came in glass bottles.”

Glass was indeed beautiful, available in various colors, and many noble ladies adored it.

Du Wanchun felt a bit troubled. “Right now, we can only afford these porcelain bottles. However, if Miss prefers glass bottles, you can bring your own, and we can fill them with the perfume for you.”

Zheng Second Miss nodded. “That works too.”

Then she turned to her maid and instructed, “Go and fetch my empty glass bottles.”

“Yes, Miss.” The little maid turned to leave.

At that moment, Zhou Ruiyuan suddenly stepped forward and called out, “Wait a moment.”

The little maid stopped and turned back to look at Zheng Second Miss.

Zheng Second Miss looked at Zhou Ruiyuan and asked, “May I know what this gentleman needs?”

Zhou Ruiyuan walked over to the shelf, picked up a brush from the table, dipped it into some colored ink, and painted a lifelike butterfly on the perfume bottle.

The butterfly was so exquisitely drawn that it seemed almost alive, fluttering gracefully on the white porcelain surface.

Zheng Second Miss was stunned. She quickly picked up the bottle labeled M.L.Z.L., overjoyed. “I’ll take this one!”

Ladies from noble families especially loved such refined and artistic things.

Zhou Ruiyuan then proceeded to paint different designs on the other porcelain bottles—some with butterflies, some with lotus flowers, and others with crabapple blossoms.

The artwork was so well-executed that it blended seamlessly with the bottles, making them look even more elegant than the plain glass ones.

Du Wanchun was completely stunned. She never expected that her own husband was such an exceptional painter. Had she known earlier, she might have sold his paintings instead.

Such astonishing artwork would surely fetch a good price.

Madam Zhou, Zhou Zhao, and Zhou Feng were not particularly surprised; instead, they were all watching as Zheng Second Miss took out her silver.

That single bottle of perfume was sold for a full ten taels of silver. In other words, they had already earned ten taels just by opening their shop.

Not long after, more people came to buy, but they were all from wealthy families like Zheng Second Miss. Ordinary people probably wouldn’t even dare to step into such a shop.

Madam Zhou observed for a long time before pulling Du Wanchun aside and saying to her, “Wanchun, such expensive perfume is not something everyone can afford. I have a good idea.”

“Mother, please tell me,” Du Wanchun said softly.

Madam Zhou slowly continued, “Last time, I found mint leaves and camphor trees in the mountains. Why don’t we use these two ingredients to make a more affordable perfume that everyone can use?”

“Mint leaves and camphor trees?” Du Wanchun was a bit surprised.

Madam Zhou nodded. “Both of these are medicinal herbs. If we add them to the perfume, it will not only have a pleasant and refreshing scent but also help reduce swelling, relieve pain, and soothe itching. Who among ordinary families hasn’t been bitten by mosquitoes?”

There were plenty of mosquitoes in the mountains, especially in the summer, and people often got bitten.

Du Wanchun found this idea very reasonable.

Madam Zhou continued, “Ordinary families wouldn’t mind simple bottles either. We can use the most common small ceramic jars and sell them for twenty to thirty wen each.”

“Mother, you’re absolutely right. We should give it a try,” Du Wanchun agreed enthusiastically, nodding.

After finalizing their plan, they decided to wait until they returned to Changliu Village to gather mint leaves.

They stayed in the shop until the afternoon and managed to sell five bottles of perfume in total. Although it wasn’t a huge amount, they still earned fifty taels.

Du Wanchun left Zhou Feng behind to watch over the shop, then headed home with Madam Zhou and Zhou Ruiyuan.

However, just as they were about to leave, they unexpectedly ran into Madam Li.

Madam Li was out shopping with her daughter-in-law, Liu Lanzhi.

Liu Lanzhi was carrying a pile of items in her arms. When she saw Du Wanchun, she was completely stunned.

“Du Wanchun? What are you doing here?!”