Chapter 47

“How so?” Wu Xiaoxiao asked. “Of course, we can make more.”

As she spoke, she took out the large fruit can from before and said, “Look, originally, I just made this and put it in this big jar. But it really doesn’t look great, so I asked a friend to help make these smaller jars.”

Zhao Xiaoyan compared the two jars, one large and one small, then smiled and said, “That means you’re thinking about selling this lotion, right? And you changed the packaging—that’s a great idea! Like you said, half of what sells is the product inside, and the other half is the packaging and branding. Your product itself is solid, so if we refine the branding and packaging, people will definitely be willing to buy. Branding takes time to build, but this new packaging already looks great!”

Zhao Xiaoyan was pleasantly surprised. She had a sharp business mind, having grown up in an entrepreneurial family, far surpassing her peers in this aspect. What she didn’t expect was that Wu Xiaoxiao also had the same level of insight.

Looking at the two jars in her hands, the design and style were different from what she had seen before, but they were equally attractive. Putting ointment in such beautifully crafted jars instantly made them feel more valuable—easily doubling their worth.

Wu Xiaoxiao didn’t hide her intentions. She had been thinking about selling the product but was still figuring out the right approach, which was why she had brought the lotion. However, after all this time, she still hadn’t found a clear path forward.

“If you trust me, I’d love to partner with you on this,” Zhao Xiaoyan said, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Have you already found a supplier for these jars? If you design the packaging, I can find a way to sell them.”

Wu Xiaoxiao was stunned. She hadn’t even started tackling the issue of distribution, yet Zhao Xiaoyan had already solved it in one go.

But Zhao Xiaoyan wasn’t just making empty promises. That weekend, she went with Wu Xiaoxiao to find Wu Jiang and collected the glass jars. She also asked in detail about the production process—how long it took to make the ointments and lotions, what their specific benefits were, and whether they could be adjusted into different formulas with varying levels of active ingredients.

Her questions were professional and thorough, making it clear that she was serious about this partnership. She even openly shared her connections with Wu Xiaoxiao.

It turned out that Zhao Xiaoyan’s family was not only well-off but also well-connected. Her eldest brother worked at the Ministry of Commerce, and she had an uncle running a business in Haishi. Many of her relatives and family friends were also from affluent backgrounds.

“We can’t produce this in mass quantities anyway, so we have to take the high-end route. There’s no need to sell in department stores. Our personal network alone is enough. Once we establish a stable supply, we can slightly tweak your formula. Most importantly, keep your formula a secret—never let anyone else have it. Break the production process into multiple steps so that even if we expand later, no one can replicate it completely.”

Over the next few days, Zhao Xiaoyan refined her business plan. When she finally showed it to Wu Xiaoxiao, it was a well-organized draft.

At this time, most people had no concept of business partnerships, let alone signing contracts. Usually, deals were just verbal agreements.

But Zhao Xiaoyan’s contract was different. While not legally airtight, it clearly defined their roles and profit-sharing.

Wu Xiaoxiao was responsible for production, while Zhao Xiaoyan handled sales. Both had to keep financial records and reconcile them regularly. The formula remained Wu Xiaoxiao’s exclusive property and wouldn’t be disclosed to the partner, but she had to provide enough information for marketing. She also had to ensure product safety, while Zhao Xiaoyan was responsible for securing sales and meeting a minimum monthly sales quota.

The contract even addressed potential issues, such as shortages of raw materials, supply delays, or non-paying buyers—covering a wide range of possible risks.

Afraid that Wu Xiaoxiao might misunderstand, Zhao Xiaoyan explained, “I just want to be thorough. You know the saying, ‘Even among brothers, accounts should be settled clearly.’ It’s not about trust, just avoiding misunderstandings down the line. Honestly, I’m the one benefiting more from this deal.”

Wu Xiaoxiao shook her head. “Not at all. Even though this cream is effective, without your connections, I’d be lost and wouldn’t dream of selling it for 55 yuan per jar.”

“This isn’t just a wild guess. I analyzed the prices of the products my mom and her friends use and estimated this as a competitive price point. You should also create a more affordable version with slightly lower efficacy. Both will sell well—we might even struggle to keep up with demand. Oh, and we need Wu Jiang to make two different jar sizes so we can introduce price tiers.”

Zhao Xiaoyan quickly jotted this idea down, saying as she wrote, “If the first batch does well, we can have Brother Wu Jiang create fixed molds for these jars. His handcrafted premium bottles can be reserved as limited-edition packaging.”

Wu Xiaoxiao was amazed. Zhao Xiaoyan was a natural entrepreneur, coming up with one brilliant idea after another—concepts that were unheard of in this era.

With their plan set, they had to wait for Wu Xiaoxiao to produce more stock. Right now, she only had enough for six jars. Zhao Xiaoyan took them all, leaving none for herself, and handed Wu Xiaoxiao 120 yuan as a deposit, insisting she accept it.

“The contract states that I need to pay you an initial deposit as startup capital. I haven’t even paid the full amount yet. Don’t worry, just wait for the good news! My eldest sister alone can sell all of these without any effort.”

Zhao Xiaoyan had already mapped out her first target customers. Her elder cousin worked in a performing arts troupe, and the actresses there would definitely want a product with such great results.

She even wrote a sales pitch for her cousin.

After several rounds of insistence, Wu Xiaoxiao finally accepted the money—otherwise, their conversation would’ve drawn the attention of everyone in the building. Seeing her tuck the money away, Zhao Xiaoyan winked playfully, knowing she had picked the perfect moment. Satisfied, she left happily.

—-

That evening, Wang Qifang returned home late again, just before curfew.

“Qifang, you’re back,” Wu Xiaoxiao greeted her.

“Ah, oh! Xiaoxiao, you’re here?” Wang Qifang seemed startled, responding absentmindedly. Wu Xiaoxiao was puzzled. After the first two weeks, hadn’t she always been home before Wang Qifang?