My thanks to all the benefactors who tipped us. －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ When Lin He’s family saw Madam Zhao enter with an attendant, they guessed the girl had been purchased from the broker. As Madam Zhao reached the courtyard, Huang Shi stood up and called out "Mother." Madam Zhao scrutinized Huang Shi for a moment, responding without expression, likely still nursing some grievance from the previous day’s events. Huang Shi paid it no mind, fetched a stool, placed it behind Madam Zhao, and let her sit down.

Madam Zhao then had Dong Yu present her regards to everyone, before dismissing Dong Yu to stand aside. She then engaged in light chatter with Er Niu. Lin He listened in, mostly hearing Madam Zhao praise the servant girl she’d chosen, emphasizing how diligent she was and how presentable she looked—a sentiment many had echoed on their journey over. Lin He observed Dong Yu, who stood to the side.

She appeared demure, yet her eyes constantly swept the courtyard, suggesting she wasn't one to remain idle. In truth, Lin He thought, when selecting a servant, one shouldn't choose someone overly beautiful; ordinary and diligent would suffice, otherwise, future household troubles were inevitable. However, Madam Zhao had her own criteria for selection, and Lin He kept her thoughts to herself, certain she wouldn't voice such a critique foolishly. Hearing Madam Zhao boast about her excellent choice, everyone else offered agreeable murmurs of assent.

After sitting for a while, Madam Zhao departed with Dong Yu. Time passed, and another dozen or so days slipped by. Then, Uncle Wen sent someone to find Lin He, saying the display cabinets were ready for her inspection. She was also to deliver the newly made laundry soap and prepare for everything to be displayed and sold together in a few days.

The day after Uncle Wen’s messenger arrived, Lin He traveled to the town by carriage, accompanied by Zi Qing and Zi Yu. Chang Geng used the carriage to haul the laundry soap for them; the soap was far too heavy for the girls to manage. Upon reaching Caidie Xuan, the cabinets immediately caught Lin He’s eye—they were indeed striking. The cabinets appeared to be crafted from superior wood, finished with a coat of pale green lacquer.

Across the very top was a plaque inscribed with the three large characters Ning He Zhuang Pin, beneath which was carved a pink lotus flower, bearing a slight resemblance to the motif on the He Cai Doll. The cabinet featured several tiers; Lin He felt it was essentially the ancient equivalent of a modern retail counter, albeit made of different materials. Still, Lin He thought, for this era, the result was quite impressive. Uncle Wen’s vision was truly ahead of his time; to conceive of such dedicated display spaces now was exactly why he was destined for wealth.

Moreover, this arrangement greatly simplified things for Lin He; she wouldn't need to open a shop just yet, as her current range of products didn't quite warrant one. If dedicated counters like this became common, it would be far better than running her own store—lower risk, substantial profit. If these items sold well, it would also drive considerable business to Uncle Wen’s establishment, creating a win-win situation. Uncle Wen smiled and asked, "He’er, what do you think of this setup?

Are there any adjustments you'd like me to make? Most of this was executed exactly to your specifications." Lin He considered it for a moment. "It looks much better than I imagined, Uncle Wen. It’s already excellent.

However, if your shop space allows, perhaps we could add a small counter in front of this main unit—nothing too large—just enough surface area to display samples of the products. The space underneath could be enclosed like a cabinet, allowing us to pre-stage the estimated daily sales quantity right here, eliminating the need to fetch stock from the warehouse constantly. That would be more convenient." Uncle Wen readily agreed. Fitting a small side counter in the shop was certainly manageable.

Since they were doing it, they might as well do it right; perhaps making a smaller unit in the same color palette as this main one would enhance the overall effect. Seeing all the effort Uncle Wen had put in, Lin He realized that the standard two-tenths consignment fee for general items wouldn't quite cover this specialized service. If she were opening her own store, the cut would certainly be higher, and it would be the same elsewhere. She decided to broach the subject.

"Uncle Wen, since you’ve created this dedicated counter space, my goods here will be more than just consigned stock. I propose we eliminate the consignment fee entirely and instead settle the profits monthly based on a percentage split. What do you think?" Uncle Wen chuckled. "He’er, your products bring a great deal of business to me.

And they are selling better and better; people now associate these goods directly with my Caidie Xuan. I’ve already profited significantly. Two-tenths is fair. This special counter doesn't just display your items; it also elevates the reputation of my entire shop." Lin He knew all this to be true, and Uncle Wen was generous, but she couldn't simply accept such largesse without due consideration.

Lin He stood firm. "My items aren't the absolute best, Uncle Wen, and you only agreed to display them at Caidie Xuan out of consideration for me. It’s less that my goods boost Caidie Xuan’s reputation, and more that having Caidie Xuan makes my products popular. Besides, this cabinet setup alone occupies considerable prime space in your shop, and such custom work isn't cheap.

Going forward, let’s settle on a fifty-fifty split." "He’er, that's too generous of you to suggest," Uncle Wen said, smiling. "Fifty-fifty is too much. Caidie Xuan sells many other things besides just your wares. How about this: since you insist, let's do three-seven split—three for me, seven for you.

This is the same arrangement we offer other shops nearby. Although those shops aren't far, they require a decent walk, and you’ll need time to visit them as well." Uncle Wen spoke after a moment of consideration. After a brief pause, Uncle Wen continued, "He’er, I will have someone send you the account ledgers from the other shops monthly. Each month, I will arrange for a cart to pick up the required stock from your place.

All you need to ensure is that the supply to these few shops is sufficient. I will handle everything else on my end." Lin He felt that even a three-seven split was quite profitable, given that Uncle Wen was handling all the logistics, even arranging transport for pickup. Apart from making the products, she had virtually no concerns—who wouldn't want such an arrangement? But since Uncle Wen insisted, Lin He had no choice but to agree to the three-seven split.

Once the terms were set, Lin He had Zi Qing retrieve the laundry soap from the carriage for Uncle Wen to examine. She explained its usage, necessary precautions, and settled on the pricing. Once Uncle Wen understood everything, he had his staff unload the soap from the carriage. He assured her the product would sell well and asked her to prepare more stock, saying he would send for it in a few days so they could launch everything together once the cabinet was fully set up next month.

Lin He had made a substantial batch of soap previously, so she agreed to have the newly made goods ready for pickup by the end of that month so all the shops could launch simultaneously.