Speaking of things related to modern times, Su Xiaoqi became interested and enthusiastically explained to Du Yiyi:
"Membership system means that customers deposit some silver taels with us in advance. We issue them cards based on the amount they deposit and keep a record. When they come to consume, they don't need to pay in silver anymore, just present their card and state their unique password, and we deduct it from their card. Like the pre-ordering without queuing I mentioned, it can be exclusively for members..."
Su Xiaoqi also mentioned some privileges for members, such as free home delivery for purchases exceeding a certain amount. As long as they give a call, pay with their card, and wait at home for delivery without having to make another trip. This way, there's no need to worry about them ordering items and not having time to pick them up. Of course, if they have urgent business and cannot consume the items, they can send someone to inform us in advance. A small service fee will be deducted for refunds of deposits, provided it doesn't affect secondary sales. Also, when topping up for membership, some discounts can be offered, like getting an extra tael for every hundred taels deposited. A member's day can also be set every ten days, with members enjoying exclusive member prices.
"We can also start undertaking the production of post-meal desserts for banquets held by various households and estates." Those are the big businesses.
The more Su Xiaoqi spoke, the more excited she became, and the more she realized the pastry market was much larger than she had imagined. However, she wanted to go back and work on the tremella fungus now, so she left the research on pastries to Chen Jinniang and her younger sister. She just needed to write down some Western pastry recipes for them.
Du Yiyi listened attentively, afraid of missing a single word. After listening, she was stunned, and once she slowly digested it, she was overjoyed. She hugged Su Xiaoqi tightly, "Good, good, it's excellent, this is great." As for how great it was, she couldn't quite articulate it, but she believed that this would surely elevate their business to another level.
So the two of them gathered to discuss implementing the membership system immediately. The membership cards would be made of rosewood, engraved with Chen Jin Ji's unique logo, with some detailed anti-counterfeiting marks and numbered. After discussing, Du Yiyi immediately arranged for people to have them made. Su Xiaoqi was also very happy.
This trip out had been very fruitful. She thanked Du Yiyi for her offer to take her home and hired a mule cart herself to go to Zhuangyuan Tower. She wanted to pick up Shen Yun, who was attending the Lu Ming Banquet, and go back together. Her timing was just right; the banquet was just dispersing. On the carriage, she watched the newly successful scholars, arm in arm, coming out of Zhuangyuan Tower. Their faces were flushed, and they exuded the smell of alcohol, all smiling. They were at the peak of their youthful spirit.
Su Xiaoqi waited for a while but did not see Shen Yun come down. Su Xiaoqi worried that he might not know she was coming to pick him up and might get lost and miss her. So she jumped off the mule cart and stood in a conspicuous spot to continue waiting. Her position was to the left of Zhuangyuan Tower's main entrance, so anyone coming out would see her immediately.
After waiting for only a moment, she saw someone – Su Jiamo.
"Little Qiqi sister." Su Jiamo, dressed in a crimson brocade robe, with a golden coronet and jade belt, held a fan in his hand, fanning himself with the air of a romantic scholar. He walked towards Su Xiaoqi with a stride he thought was very handsome. Su Xiaoqi, however, turned her face away. She didn't want to talk to him.
But Su Jiamo did not think so. He looked at Su Xiaoqi with great eagerness and, assuming too much, said, "Little Qiqi sister, are you here to pick up your second brother?" Su Xiaoqi glanced at him. It seemed she wanted to see from his face how he could calmly utter such a shameless remark. She retorted unceremoniously, "Can I even pick you up?" What was their relationship? Didn't he have any sense of propriety?
Sense of propriety? Su Jiamo truly didn't. He looked around and suddenly leaned closer to Su Xiaoqi, his voice becoming urgent: "Little Qiqi sister, did you see? I passed the provincial exam. If I pass the imperial examination next year, I will come back to marry you, no, I will wed you. How about it?" Previously, Su Xiaoqi had a low status and did not match him. Now, she was somewhat capable, barely matching him. However, his father would definitely not agree, and he still had to work on convincing him.
Su Xiaoqi was unaware that Su Jiamo had already considered her as a dish in his plan. But when she looked at him, she couldn't help but feel disgusted. She pointed to her married woman's hair bun and said coldly, "Are you blind? Can't you see?"
"No, no, Little Qiqi sister, this isn't real. It's my sister, Su Yurou, who is engaged to Shen Yun, not you. You can completely break off the engagement and be with me. It's better than being with that poor boy Shen Yun." Su Jiamo had never given up on getting Su Xiaoqi. Previously, he had thoughts about her purely because he felt she was deliberately seducing him and looked alluring and captivating. He wanted to sleep with her once. Now, he had genuinely fallen for her as a person. What he desired was no longer just a single night of pleasure, but to be with her long-term. Even though she was already married, he was still unable to resist. To get her, he was even considering resorting to unscrupulous means.
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, reaching out to grab Su Xiaoqi's hand. Just as he was about to touch her, Su Xiaoqi dodged with a turn and shot him a stern look. "What are you doing? Be respectful. Let me tell you again, I am married, and you have nothing to do with me. Also, listen clearly, even if I were not married, I would never marry you."
Su Jiamo became anxious. He put away his showy fan and fumbled inside his robe, "Little Qiqi sister, you, you don't have to be so heartless. I know my family wronged you before, and I will compensate you. I have one hundred taels of silver here. You like silver, don't you? I'll give it to you..." Su Jiamo tried to stuff the silver notes he had taken out into Su Xiaoqi's embrace.
Su Xiaoqi retreated, frowning repeatedly. Why couldn't this person understand? She was very annoyed. Before he could finish, she said coldly, "Scram."
Su Jiamo became desperate. He realized that the development of his relationship with Su Xiaoqi could not be resolved by simple money. He eagerly stepped forward to pull Su Xiaoqi, "Qiqi..." But before he could even touch Su Xiaoqi's sleeve, he was pushed to the ground with a tremendous force. He looked at Su Xiaoqi in disbelief. Could that delicate her possess such strength?
Su Xiaoqi truly didn't. She had a lot of skill but not much brute strength. Su Jiamo quickly confirmed that it wasn't Su Xiaoqi who had acted. It was Shen Yun. The man who had shone alone at the Lu Ming Banquet. He had indeed become glorious. Previously, in the courtyard exam, he was the top scholar. This time, he was also the top scholar in the provincial exam. In total, he had gathered a minor "triple crown." If he passed the Metropolitan Examination and the Palace Examination... Bah! Shen Yun would absolutely not achieve the top rank in the Metropolitan Examination. That was an examination where scholars from the entire Daliang gathered. What was Shen Yun, anyway?