After inspecting both the inside and outside, he found no major issues, but cautioned that they would need to be more mindful of fire prevention in the future and ensure someone guarded the shop at night.
Wen Zhi Mo assured Bai Sheng that he had already arranged for night watchmen, so she could rest easy.
Bai Sheng was pleased; Wen Zhi Mo was indeed reliable in his work.
With nothing else to do, Bai Sheng didn't linger at the shop. She took Lu Ye to browse clothing stores.
Lu Ye couldn't have asked for more. As long as it meant keeping Bai Sheng away from handsome and charming men, he was willing to go anywhere.
The two of them bought several sets of clothes at once, all of excellent quality and style. When doing business, they would inevitably need to attend important occasions and dress appropriately.
After buying clothes, Bai Sheng also went to a jewelry store to purchase some hair accessories.
Today was the grand opening of the grain shop, and Bai Sheng had gotten up early to dress up.
A pink, nipped-in pleated skirt made her look delicate and charming. Her hair, which had gradually darkened and become shinier, was styled into a fluffy bun, with a pink silk flower tucked into the side of the updo.
If not for the two large dark blemishes on her cheeks, no one could deny that she was a charming little beauty with a unique aura.
Lu Ye stared at her, dumbfounded for a long while.
To make her man, Lu Ye, even more dazzling, Bai Sheng also dressed Lu Ye in new attire.
He wore a light blue silk robe, his dark hair tied up with a bamboo hairpin. His tall frame could not conceal his dashing elegance, and his handsome face bore a faint, cool expression.
Seeing Bai Sheng staring at him, his cool demeanor gradually melted into a gentle, smiling gaze. "Is... it okay?"
"It's more than okay, it's perfect," Bai Sheng's eyes sparkled with little stars as she gazed intently at Lu Ye. "Lu Ye, you're so handsome. Have I told you how captivating and soul-stirringly beautiful you are?"
"Not yet," Lu Ye smiled shyly, his heart feeling as sweet as honey. He loved it when Bai Sheng looked at him so adoringly and when she praised him.
On impulse, he couldn't help but ask, "How do I compare to Wen Zhi Mo?"
Bai Sheng paused for a moment before curving her lips. "He's nowhere near as handsome as you. You're far more beautiful than him."
Lu Ye's inner clouds instantly dispersed, his deep eyes shining like stars. Fine, he wouldn't fuss about the grain shop being named "Mo Sheng."
However, Bai Sheng seemed to have a penchant for handsome men. He decided he would need to pay attention to his appearance from now on, ensuring no other man outshone him.
Outside the grain shop, a dense crowd had gathered. It seemed Wen Zhi Mo's pre-opening publicity had been very effective.
Everyone was whispering amongst themselves, discussing the prices at the Mo Sheng Grain Shop.
"They say the grain is forty percent cheaper than the market price. I wonder if it's true."
"Could it be some moldy old grain? Otherwise, how could grain be sold so cheaply in this climate?"
"Oh, don't speculate. Maybe it's true. Anyway, they're opening soon, so we'll see if it's a horse or a donkey then."
"That's right. Let's wait for them to open and assess the situation. If it's really good quality and still this cheap, we'll buy a lot and stock up."
Listening to the crowd's discussions, Lu Ye and Bai Sheng exchanged a glance, worriedly saying, "I'm afraid someone will hoard a large amount of grain."
Bai Sheng frowned and nodded. "We must limit purchases daily."
The two walked through the crowd towards the shop entrance.
A large red silk flower hung on the shop's signboard, looking very festive. The staff of the grain shop were all wearing uniforms with "Mo Sheng Grain Shop" printed on them, standing at the entrance ready to welcome guests.
Wen Zhi Mo was dressed in vibrant red, looking spirited and full of good cheer.
Upon seeing Bai Sheng and Lu Ye arrive, he immediately ushered them into the shop, smiling. "You two are finally here! We've been waiting for you. Are there any other issues? If not, we'll officially open."
Bai Sheng nodded. "There is one thing, which I just thought of after hearing people discuss it."
Wen Zhi Mo's brow furrowed. "What is it?"
Bai Sheng lowered her voice. "We are selling grain partly to make money, and partly so that ordinary people have food to eat and can survive. Therefore, our grain prices are low. To prevent wealthy households from hoarding large quantities of grain, it would be best to limit purchases daily."
"Limit purchases? But will that affect business?" Wen Zhi Mo expressed some concern.
Bai Sheng smiled and shook her head. "No, in this climate, at such low prices, there will absolutely be no shortage of buyers for the grain."
Wen Zhi Mo pondered for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, we'll do as you say. Let's limit each person to one bag of grain per day, how about that?"
"Agreed."
After discussing it, the group walked towards the shop entrance together.
Wen Zhi Mo stepped onto the temporary stage built in front of the shop and raised his hand for everyone to quiet down.
"Dear neighbors, welcome to Mo Sheng Grain Shop. Our shop officially opens today. The grain we sell is all of reliable quality, and the price is sixty percent of the market price!"
Hearing the shop owner say this with their own ears, the crowd in front of the shop erupted.
"It's really sixty percent! If it's truly good grain, I'll buy several more bags."
"I'll buy a few hundred pounds too!"
Wen Zhi Mo continued, "As all the neighbors know, our Bian Prefecture is geographically remote and mostly desert. The natural environment is very harsh, and coupled with this drought, every household's life is very difficult.
Therefore, although Mo Sheng Grain Shop is open for business, we also wish to do some charity work by lowering grain prices, with the goal of allowing more ordinary people to buy grain. For this reason, the shop has a purchase limit policy. Based on household, each household can only buy one bag of grain per day, and it will be duly recorded in a ledger."
As soon as Wen Zhi Mo finished speaking, the crowd stirred again.
"If you're selling something, just sell it! Why limit purchases?"
"Limiting purchases is good. If they didn't limit it, the rich people would buy all the grain at once, and what would ordinary families like us buy?"
"Whether it's limited or not, let's see the quality of the grain first."
"This is truly a conscientious business!"
Wen Zhi Mo raised both arms and finally shouted loudly, "Mo Sheng Grain Shop, officially open! Please form a line, and enter the shop to purchase grain in an orderly manner!"
As soon as Wen Zhi Mo's words fell, the crowd surged towards the shop like a bursting dam, eager to enter.
The first people to enter the grain shop exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, this is truly good grain, even better than the grain at Bai Gu Cang!"
Hearing the shouts from those ahead, those behind became even more excited, pushing the people in front and squeezing forward.
Fearing a stampede, Lu Ye and Bai Sheng helped maintain order, sternly telling everyone: everyone must queue up, or they would not be allowed into the shop.
Lu Ye personally hauled out several people who were pushing particularly hard, making them queue.
Upon hearing that they couldn't enter without queuing, people began to line up in a hurry, and soon two long lines formed at the shop entrance.
Bai Sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaze inadvertently swept to the end of the line, and she suddenly noticed two people hiding behind the ancient tree by the roadside, peeking towards the shop.
Those two were clearly not there to buy grain, but rather seemed to be spying on the situation.
This was understandable. On their first day of opening, they had siphoned off so much customer traffic, which was bound to arouse the apprehension of their competitors.
They had to be extremely cautious in the coming days.
Within a day, two thousand catties of grain were sold out.
This put them in an awkward position, with the grain shop empty.
Wen Zhi Mo looked at Bai Sheng and spread his hands. "What now?"
Bai Sheng smiled. "No matter. We'll have the horses gallop tonight and transport another batch."
"Is there enough time?"
"Absolutely enough time. Tomorrow morning, before dawn, you need to go to Xinghua Street again to pick up the goods."
Wen Zhi Mo understood that transporting so much grain at once would indeed require discretion.
The few of them reviewed the accounts: 1500 catties of premium wheat at 600 wen per catty; 500 catties of corn at 450 wen per catty. In just one day, they had earned 1125 taels of silver.