Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 437: The First Day of the Store Opening
Chen Nuo looked at He Xi’s exhausted expression, but the child’s attempt to keep smiling only made him feel more sympathy for her. He gently touched her head and said in a warm voice, "Go back to your room and sleep. I’ve already cleaned up your room for you, and there’s a bed and blankets."
After He Xi went to her room, Chen Nuo returned to his own.
He had decided to stay in this place for a few years. Chen Xi looked to be about seven or eight years old, but due to long-term malnutrition, she might have been a few years older than she appeared, though certainly no more than just over ten years old.
By the time he had stayed here for a few years, the child would probably be close to adulthood, and once she was grown, he wouldn’t need to take care of her anymore.
When he left, since the house would be empty anyway, he would leave it for her, along with the shop. With the shop, the child should be able to live out the rest of her life.
That was what Chen Nuo had planned, and soon the next day arrived.
As he stepped out of the courtyard, he saw He Xi sweeping the yard. Looking at the small figure, he called out to her, "This courtyard is so big, how long will it take you to sweep it all?" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
He Xi smiled at Chen Nuo, "Don’t worry Chen, I’ve already swept half of it, and I’ll finish soon."
"Didn’t I tell you before that all you need to do is keep the house clean? You don’t have to sweep the courtyard," Chen Nuo said.
He Xi’s movements did not stop as she continued to sweep and speak, "But Chen, even though the courtyard looks clean now, it will still get dirty if it’s not taken care of. I’m very quick, and I’ll be done soon."
Chen Nuo laughed, "It’s just starting to get light out. Did you wake up before dawn? You could’ve slept in longer."
"I don’t need sleep, I don’t need it," He Xi hastily explained, "I only need a little sleep each day, then I can work the rest of the time."
"I didn’t mean for you to work," Chen Nuo said, seeing He Xi’s hurried demeanor. He placed his hand on her head to calm her down.
"I just mean that you’re still young, you need to sleep more. Sleeping more will help you grow taller."
"I don’t need to sleep," He Xi whispered quietly, afraid she had done something wrong to make Chen Nuo angry.
"You can’t skip sleep, rather you should sleep more, eat more," Chen Nuo said with a touch of pity. "You said it yourself, I’m an immortal. Immortals don’t have to do chores. You’re home alone, all you need to do is eat well and sleep well."
As Chen Nuo finished speaking, he waved his hand and the dust in the courtyard was swept to the sides, leaving a clean path in the middle.
He Xi stared blankly at what just happened, thinking that she must work harder, not realizing that an immortal’s mana could be used for such tasks.
"Alright, I’ll bring back some vegetables for you later. Just stay here comfortably today," Chen Nuo said with a smile, then waved his hand and left the courtyard.
In the shop, the previous owner had already packed up everything. Since the door did not need a key to lock, he had already handed over the keys to Chen Nuo the day before.
Chen Nuo looked around the shop and felt that the layout needed to be properly organized. With a wave of his hand, the tables that were previously on the side moved themselves over, along with the cabinets.
After that, Chen Nuo took out some paper from the Silken Pouch and wrote down the names of various oils, planning to stick them on the oil drums later.
Just doing this was not enough. Customers normally needed to bring their own containers to fill with oil. However, as his shop wasn’t widely known yet, sticking to the old way of selling oil wouldn’t work. He needed to prepare disposable containers, after which customers could bring their own on their subsequent visits.
The most suitable containers for oil were those with a small mouth, large belly, and easy to hold, similar to the bottles used for beer.
Fortunately, he had already thought of this before, and yesterday, while making glass, he also made about a dozen containers.
Today was the first day of business, and these mortals hardly used oil. To sell a dozen would already be quite a lot.
But just having these plans was not enough, selling oil alone would not let them taste it, he still had to let them try some.
After thinking for a while, Chen Nuo stepped out of the shop, bought an iron pot from the ironmonger’s, and then bought some vegetables from a vendor not far away so he could let them taste it on the spot.
After getting these ready, Chen Nuo then remembered he hadn’t bought food for He Xi yet.
Wandering around the small town, buying vegetables while observing the spending habits of the townspeople, by the time he finished buying vegetables and retrieved a sack of rice from the grain shop, Chen Nuo had already figured out how much to price the oil.
After delivering the vegetables and rice to He Xi, Chen Nuo returned to the shop, set a price for each type of oil, and then displayed them outside the shop front.
Thus, the preparations for the business were complete, and he could start selling.
It was now noon, and there were more people coming and going in the town, but none stopped at his stall. Chen Nuo wasn’t in a hurry. He watched the passersby, calculating when to start.
The price he had set was neither expensive nor cheap. Some people paused to look twice, but did not stay; after all, the money in their pockets hadn’t come from the wind. They didn’t know what he was selling, so naturally, no one bought anything.
Those who were curious would ask a few questions, "Boss, what are you selling here?"
"Oil."
The person who asked the price was stunned for a few seconds before realizing what Chen Nuo had said. He shook his head, "Meat fat? That must be very expensive. A youngster like you doesn’t know how to run a shop. Here, apart from restaurants and merchants, who can afford oil? It’s only during festivals that we get to eat a little bit of it. Your shop, honestly, it’s not the right business."
After noon, it wasn’t just people coming to buy vegetables, but also those out for a stroll. The number of onlookers at Chen Nuo’s stall gradually increased.
Chen Nuo’s attire and appearance were out of place in this small town. With a refined air, tall stature, and handsome features, he would stand out even among Immortals, let alone in this small town at the base of Mount Taihang.
Many merchants weren’t really there for what Chen Nuo was selling, they just stood in front of his stall, casually asked about his wares, and then started inquiring about other things.
"How old are you, young man? You don’t seem to be from around here. Did you just arrive?"
"I came here a little while ago," Chen Nuo answered lightly.
"I wonder if the young master is married, and how you ended up settling in this small town. Where are you originally from?" the merchant continued to ask.
Seeing that he had no intention of buying anything, only asking him about other matters, Chen Nuo redirected the conversation back to the oil, "Uncle, take a look at what I’m selling. It’s vegetable oil, which can be used for frying and cooking, suitable for both meals and snacks."
The merchant didn’t seem to care much about what Chen Nuo was selling, but since he put it that way, naturally, he had to take a look.
Glancing inside the bucket, the merchant took that as having seen it, and then commented, "Young man, you really don’t seem like someone who knows how to do business. If you were selling vegetables or jewelry, we might still support you. But selling oil, really, there’s no business for you."
"How so?" Chen Nuo asked.
