Shu Rui, hearing Lu Ling say Lu Yu had fallen ill at the exam hall, felt a wave of anxiety. Fortunately, it was not serious. With the exams over, Lu Yu could rest at home; results now were secondary. The priority was restoring his health.
“Dr. Yu treated your head earlier. I went to thank him and took stomach medicine for Lu Yu. He mentioned a fellow doctor familiar with digestive ailments and gave me a medicinal recipe for nourishing the body,” Shu Rui explained.
Lu Ling agreed, fetching the prescription from Dr. Yu. They began incorporating medicinal ingredients into Lu Yu’s meals, which proved effective.
Lady Liu frequently visited the inn to learn medicinal cooking from Shu Rui. She saw how busy he was managing the inn and preparing herbal meals for Lu Yu, which touched her heart.
To help Lu Yu recuperate, the family prevented him from staying cooped up in the study all day. Fearing his thoughts would linger on exam results, Lu Ling took him to the martial arts hall to learn horseback riding, archery, and martial arts—exercise that strengthened his body and worked up a sweat. With such activity, he slept soundly at night.
Meanwhile, Shu Rui gradually moved the supplies he had purchased into the inn. With carpenter Tong’s help, the furniture arrived piece by piece, and the inn took shape.
By late August, all the furniture was in place, filling the previously empty rooms. Shu Rui paid Tong, who also offered to help make the signage. He promised to carve the signs for the rooms and the inn, ensuring quality.
Though small, each piece was commissioned properly. The calligraphy had to be done right—Shu Rui’s own writing was fine but lacked grandeur. He had a suitable candidate in mind.
When Lu Ling returned that afternoon, Shu Rui asked him to write the characters. Lu Yu gladly obliged, giving Shu Rui an excuse to avoid the martial arts hall for a day.
“Da……”
Lu Yu wrote characters for the four rooms, choosing simple and elegant designs inspired by plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Almost instinctively, he tried to call out “Eldest Sister-in-law,” but realizing it might cause a scene in front of others, he refrained, using the formal address instead. Shu Rui noticed, his face warming slightly. “Since there are four rooms, we’ll just use these.”
“What name for the inn?” Lu Yu asked.
Shu Rui said, “I kept it simple, naming it after the street—Ten-Li Street Inn.”
Lu Yu nodded. “No other inn on this street uses that name. Ten-Li Street is known in the city, so your business can benefit from the street’s reputation.”
“Exactly. The inn is small, but borrowing the street’s fame gives some promotion,” Shu Rui said.
Though Shu Rui had little prior experience running a business, he relied on what he had read and his own ideas, knowing practice would teach him more.
After completing the signs, he entrusted them to Tong for carving. Shu Rui cleaned and aired the new furniture, then retrieved bedding and curtains from Yang Chunhua’s shop. After testing them in the rooms and approving the arrangement, he stored them neatly in the small storage area under the stairs.
Each room had four sets of bedding, with summer and winter quilts, pillows, and covers prepared for rotation.
Back in the chrysanthemum room, Shu Rui placed two chrysanthemums in a vase. Observing the now livable rooms, he also considered guests’ needs, preparing toiletries: toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap for bathing…
He decided to make a trip to the cosmetic shop. On the recommendation of Qing Ge’er and Yang Chunhua, he was told that the city’s Baozhi Workshop offered excellent goods at good value.
Before fleeing the Bai family’s arranged marriage, Shu Rui had hardly ever visited a cosmetic shop. For one thing, his finances at the Bai household were limited—if he spent money at the bookstore buying books, he certainly couldn’t buy anything from a cosmetic shop. For another, he could boast a little: with dark eyes, fine eyebrows, and red lips with white teeth, he didn’t really need cosmetics to embellish his face. Even if others applied makeup, he preferred not to cover his face with too much.
Now, wearing makeup daily was something he had reluctantly adopted out of necessity.
As for the items he intended to purchase this time, take toothbrushes, for example. These were strictly personal; once used by one guest, they couldn’t be given to another. Oral hygiene items must remain individual.
Along the way from Ganjian to Chaoxi Mansion, he noticed some inns provided toiletries while others did not, often reflected in the room price. Higher-end inns typically supplied such items.
To save costs, Shu Rui had always brought his own toothbrushes, tooth powders, and soap beans rather than relying on the inns’. He figured that for a first-time purchase, he could buy inexpensive ones—around five coins per set. Anything pricier would be too costly; anything cheaper might shed bristles and be worse than not having it at all.
He selected tooth powders in scents corresponding to plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, with his assistant helping him choose. Soap beans were selected similarly.
Following tradition, medium-quality tooth powder and soap beans were placed in the upper rooms, with slightly lesser quality for the lower rooms. Even the dormitory-style rooms received attention; though these rooms were for budget-conscious travelers, basic hygiene still had to be considered. Shu Rui intended for the toothbrushes to be made from shredded willow dipped in green salt, and for bathing, to use soap beans—affordable and practical.
“I’m buying a large quantity of each item. I may continue sourcing from your shop, so perhaps my assistant can introduce me to your manager so we can discuss it,” Shu Rui said.
“Brother, please have a seat in the parlor and enjoy some tea. I’ll fetch the manager,” came the reply.
Shu Rui sipped a bowl of autumn chrysanthemum tea, admiring the chrysanthemum designs painted on the cup. He thought he should also visit the ceramics workshop to select tea sets for the rooms, so the inn would be fully equipped with dishes for serving meals once it officially opened.
As he pondered, a young woman in red entered. She appeared no older than twenty, her attire flamboyant yet commanding, giving her a sharp, efficient aura.
“I hear you intend to buy regularly. Are you reselling or purchasing for your own use? I’m the shop manager, Cui Rui. Please speak freely,” she introduced herself and took a careful look at Shu Rui.
Shu Rui replied, “Though I’m purchasing goods, it’s not for resale. It’s for my inn. My assistant led me here to view your items, and now that I’ve chosen the toiletries, I’ve asked you to come so we can discuss a long-term arrangement.”
Cui Rui smiled politely. “If you’re purchasing for your own business, our shop offers a standard discount—usually 20% off retail—which also benefits merchants who resell.”
Shu Rui smiled faintly. For a one-time personal purchase, the discount would be satisfactory. But since he was buying in bulk for the first time, he hoped to negotiate a better price even as a non-reseller.
“This is a small purchase, not like the large bulk orders resellers make. I’ve heard your shop has a good reputation in the capital. I humbly ask you to give me a fair price,” Shu Rui said.
Cui Rui responded, “Don’t worry. Large and small orders have different pricing. Since you’ve chosen our shop among many, I’ll give you a fair deal to build a relationship.”
Shu Rui smiled internally but knew the same discount could be negotiated elsewhere. Still, since the items met his standards, he was willing to put in the effort here rather than risk finding unsuitable goods elsewhere.
“I’ll be honest. My inn is newly established, and expenses are everywhere. Starting a business is never easy,” Shu Rui said. “Funds are tight. If you can give me a 25% discount, I’ll continue sourcing exclusively from your shop for three years. If my inn thrives, a small purchase today may grow into substantial business tomorrow.”
Cui Rui, a seasoned businesswoman, smiled knowingly. She didn’t respond immediately but commented, “So you’re running the inn yourself?”
Shu Rui admitted it. If he had denied it, he would have contradicted his earlier statements.
After a brief pause, Cui Rui said, “Since you are young and starting your own inn, I’ll make an exception. But business needs a contract. At this price, for the next three years, no matter how your inn performs, you must purchase from our shop.”
Shu Rui eagerly agreed. Though restricted, it guaranteed the price would not increase for three years. They signed the contract, and before leaving, Cui Rui smiled and said, “When your cosmetics run low, come find me. I’ll help you select the best ones.”
Shu Rui felt a jolt but said nothing, simply smiling as she left. He thought her eyes were sharp indeed—no surprise for someone managing a major cosmetics shop at her age, highly experienced in distinguishing quality.
As Shu Rui and his assistant carried the large packages out, he continued reflecting:
“Manager Cui, even for such a small order, you gave him a wholesale price?”
Cui Rui stored the contract. The old head clerk frowned at the terms.
“It’s rare to see a young master in trade. I gave this young woman some leeway. It doesn’t violate shop rules, and no loss is incurred,” Cui Rui said.
The old clerk’s stern face remained unsmiling, but Cui Rui knew the older staff might complain and walked briskly out of the office.