Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 79 - 49: Business at the Door

"Then how much should I give for a deposit?"

Chen Wanqing held up five fingers.

"Five taels of silver? Alright."

As she spoke, she took the purse again and pulled out a small gold nugget, handing it to Chen Wanqing.

This gold nugget weighed about a tael and was likely worth eight taels of silver. Chen Wanqing quickly said, "That’s too much."

"It’s just the deposit, isn’t it? If I give you too much now, I’ll just give you less tomorrow."

This was Chen Wanqing’s first time seeing real gold, and it was no exaggeration to say she was quite nervous.

But she had always been good at keeping a straight face and wouldn’t show any provincial awe that might make others look down on her.

They exchanged a few more words about how to use the Compound Incense Elixirs. Then, the Third Miss’s maid spoke up, "Miss, it’s getting late. It’s time for lunch. We should head back to the manor. If we’re too late, the elders will worry."

The Third Miss nodded in agreement.

Just as they were about to leave, the nanny, perhaps being overly shrewd and experienced, spoke up. "Miss hasn’t said what the price is for one of these Compound Incense Elixirs."

The Third Miss looked impatient. It was clear she wasn’t short on cash and didn’t want to waste time on such matters.

"The Compound Incense Elixirs from the Prefecture city all cost six taels of silver a pill, and they aren’t nearly as elegant, refined, and transcendent as the incense pills this young lady makes."

"But Miss, you are an expert on incense. You must have smelled it yourself. This Compound Incense Elixir only mimics the scent of expensive incense pills; it doesn’t actually seem to use any precious ingredients..."

"Nanny..."

The Third Miss was getting annoyed, but her nanny spoke with heartfelt earnestness. "Miss, I know you are generous with your money. But your monthly allowance is fixed. If you spend too much, you have to dip into your savings. A little here, a little there, and by the time the Madam’s and Master’s birthdays arrive, you’ll find yourself short on silver again. You won’t be able to afford the birthday gift you want, and then you’ll be crying your eyes out..."

The Third Miss, chastened, pouted and fell silent.

Chen Wanqing spoke up. "To clarify for you, Nanny, while these Compound Incense Elixirs may not be made entirely of precious ingredients, they do contain agarwood. Agarwood is valuable and not something an ordinary person can afford. That’s why I wasn’t planning on selling them, but intended them only as gifts for friends and family."

Realization dawned on the nanny’s face. "Then I have wronged you, Miss."

"It’s no matter. It’s good that we’ve cleared the air. How about this? I’ll set the price for these incense pills at one tael of silver each. If the Third Miss is still interested, we can proceed with the deal. If not, I will return your deposit right now."

The Third Miss’s face lit up with joy. "Only one tael of silver? Nanny, did you hear that? One tael per pill! We’re getting a real bargain. The total will be less than twenty taels of silver. That’s not even enough to cover one of my banquets."

Hearing this, the nanny’s expression softened. She said to Chen Wanqing, "The proprietor is very generous."

"As I should be."

After a little more conversation, the group dispersed.

Once the carriage and horses had vanished from the doorway, Yuzhu came bouncing over and practically hung off Chen Wanqing.

Caught off guard, Chen Wanqing nearly stumbled. She managed to steady herself by grabbing the wall, then patted her little cousin, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Are you really this happy?"

"I’m ecstatic! When you earn money, sister, it feels like I’m earning money! Over ten taels of silver! Sister, let’s close up shop and head to the streets. You can buy more ingredients and make more Compound Incense Elixirs. That Third Miss said she’ll buy as many as you can make. We’re going to make a fortune with these incense pills!"

Chen Wanqing shook her head regretfully. "I’m afraid that’s not possible."

Yuzhu’s face fell. "Why not? Oh, I know. You’re trying to make them a scarce commodity, worried they won’t sell for a high price if there are too many."

"That’s not it. It’s just that the Compound Incense Elixirs require a good twenty or so different ingredients. The process is complicated, and they also need time to air-dry. It’s not something I can whip up in a moment. I’d be lucky to make another batch within five days."

Yuzhu wailed with regret, as if she’d just missed out on a mountain of gold.

After her wail, Yuzhu said, "Sister, this won’t work. With no one to help you, you’re losing too much time! Sister, you should hire people! Hire them to do the less complicated and non-confidential tasks. You can handle the most secret ingredients privately. That way, you’ll save time and energy that you can use to earn more silver. That’s the real way to do business."

Chen Wanqing looked at her little cousin, who spoke with such practical wisdom, and sighed inwardly with emotion.

’See, this is the importance of one’s upbringing.’

’Yuzhu has been around the market stalls since she was little. She’s seen all the tricks of the trade and knows exactly how to run a business. On the other hand, my mother and I... It’s not that we don’t understand these things. We just didn’t want to attract too much attention before. Plus, I spent most of my time perfecting my craft, so we just kept things at an unhurried pace.’

’Now, I’m about to get married. After the wedding, regardless of whether Jing needs my help to support the family, I first need to save up a nest egg for myself.’

’Furthermore, if Mother really buys a house and moves to the county seat, even a sip of water costs money there. Daily expenses will be even higher, and it’s impossible to get by without silver.’

’So, I really need to seriously consider hiring or even buying servants. Otherwise, it’s just holding me back too much.’