Chapter 319: The Impatient Few
Hearing this, Yu Haojie, who was inspecting the shelves, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“What? Someone wants to buy our pillows and quilts?”
“Yes, Master. The guest said our pillows and bedding were so comfortable that he wanted to buy them.”
“Father, we can start selling down comforters and silk pillows in the store. We should also add thick down jackets for layering. In the wilderness, wearing a down jacket as a base layer, with a cotton coat or fur on top, would be much warmer.”
“Right! I was just worrying that our shop looks a bit empty. Go grab some stock later.”
Yu Luo nodded and turned to the innkeeper still waiting.
“Sell it to him. Two hundred taels for the pillow, one thousand for the quilt.”
“Understood, Miss!”
The moment the innkeeper left, Yu Haojie’s eyes almost popped out.
“Xiao Luo, this is daylight robbery! How much did you actually buy those for?”
“The pillow cost two taels, and the quilt is ten taels—goose down, no less. It’s just a hundredfold markup. Besides, where else can they buy it?”
Yu Haojie twitched at the corners of his mouth but then nodded.
“Fine, fine. As long as you’re happy. But honestly, I didn’t expect someone to buy the pillows and quilts on the very first day. Another windfall!”
Watching her father sigh in amazement, Yu Luo chuckled.
“The real profits are still ahead, Father. By the way, how’s your work coming along? I’ve already bought all the materials for you. The martial arts tournament will put Luo City on the map, and when it does, Feng City will definitely take notice. We need to strengthen our defenses.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already prepared enough for now, and the rest is being expedited. Within ten days, the first batch will be ready.”
Yu Luo nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. Also, train those dozens of chefs properly. Once the tournament starts, one restaurant won’t be enough. We’ll need several more.”
“Alright, you oversee things here. I’ll go train the cooks. With my skills, even basic dishes will become exquisite gourmet meals in this era.”
“Good. Also, make sure the ingredients are stocked in advance. People might start arriving before the tournament even begins.”
Shortly after Yu Haojie left, the families from the day before—Zhang Yuan, Yu Shanhe, Bai You, and others—all arrived.
Seeing them appear so early, Yu Luo immediately knew:
They couldn’t wait.
“Xiao Luo, we’ve talked it over with our families. We’re all in. We’ll start preparing our shops today so we can open before the crowds arrive.”
“Good. In that case, follow me. We need to sign agreements. Even between brothers, we must have clear terms to prevent misunderstandings later.”
Business is business. Rental agreements, partnership contracts, and confidentiality agreements all needed to be signed.
For business partnerships, Yu Luo was providing the technical know-how, so confidentiality was crucial.
Right now, they might not see the value, but once the business started making real money, she wanted everything legally locked down.
She trusted the men, but family members could be unpredictable. People change when money is involved. She wouldn’t let friendships be ruined over greed.
“That’s reasonable. We’ll settle everything by noon and spend the afternoon preparing our shops. I’ve seen plenty of refugees and exiles in the city. If we need extra help, we can hire some of them.”
Yu Shanhe was especially eager. He had taken the day off from farm work just to set up the shop. He wanted everything ready so his wife and kids could move into the city as soon as possible.
Yu Luo brought them back to the City Lord’s residence.
Just as she finished drafting the agreements, Zhang Hu arrived, carrying a stack of plans.
Seeing him looking exhausted, Yu Luo didn’t comment. Instead, she had tea brought over and gestured for him to sit.
“They’re here to sign agreements. You handle the rental contracts. The shop numbers are on this list—just write their names on the documents. Two copies each—one for them, one for us.”
“Understood.”
The men didn’t even ask what kind of business they were getting into. They trusted Yu Luo completely.
Once the contracts were drafted, Yu Luo double-checked everything, added confidentiality clauses, and passed them out.
“This confidentiality agreement protects our business techniques. Since I or my father will be teaching you the skills, you must not disclose them. If you do, you will compensate us according to the contract. Read it carefully. If you can’t read, ask Bai You or Liu Mingxia to help. If everything looks good, sign and leave your fingerprint.”
She expected Zhang Yuan, Yu Shanhe, and the others to struggle, but surprisingly, they could all read.
Perhaps it was due to their family background—after all, their grandfather was once a marquis.
However, Yu Shanhe suddenly frowned at the contract’s business description.
“Xiao Luo, what are these? Tofu pudding, tofu, frozen tofu… I’ve never heard of any of them! And why does everything have the word ‘bean’ in it?”
Yu Luo smiled.
“They’re food products. Making them requires specific techniques. My family knows how to do it, and we’ll teach you. Basically, it’s a food business—similar to a restaurant.”
“Sounds good. I’ll sign right away. My wife can start learning tomorrow.”
Without hesitation, Yu Shanhe signed.
Yu Luo also signed and stamped the document, giving each party a copy.
The moment he secured the contract, Yu Shanhe couldn’t wait to start preparing.
“I’ll start cleaning up the shop. Xiao Luo, you handle the furniture. Keep track of costs, and we’ll settle the accounts later.”
