RMCF: Chapter 66

 

Chapter 66

With the rain, everywhere felt drafty, a chilly dampness that seeped into everything.

Afraid Xu He might get cold, Zhang Fangyuan went to a nearby street and bought a hand warmer, then filled it with hot water from an eatery and had him hold it. 

“Using this so early in the season?”

“You can't afford to get chilled.”

Xu He's lips twitched slightly. He cradled the hand warmer, feeling warm inside. “Good thing no one from home came to watch our opening today, or they'd be worrying.”

Zhang Fangyuan's attitude was quite relaxed. “Business isn't built in a day. No point in rushing.”

Xu He nodded, though he wasn't entirely sure himself. Opening this toothbrush shop had cost no small sum—renting the space, the initial renovations, stocking up on goods. He'd been keeping count, and by today's opening, they'd already spent fifty taels of silver.

That such a sum of money, one could marry in a whole bunch of daughters-in-law in a farming family, let alone anything else.

“So, do you think we'll get any business today?”

Before Zhang Fangyuan could answer Xu He's plaintive question, a few young men walked in together. He patted Xu He's hand and whispered, “What do you think?”

With that, he got up to greet the customers.

“Feel free to look around, gentlemen. If you need any explanations, please let us know.”

The scholars, each holding a folding fan, nodded at Zhang Fangyuan and began browsing the small shop. It wasn't large—no upper floor, just a single room you could see across at a glance. But though the space was modest, the goods were plentiful.

Upon entering, there was a waist-high display counter running the length of the shop, lined with evenly spaced compartments. In each sat a small porcelain jar, much like those used for spices and powders. Above, on a standing cabinet, were rows of two inch long brushes as thick as a finger, with fine bristles at the tip. 

Though there were no other such shop in town, the scholars immediately recognized the brushes on the wall cabinet as toothbrushes.

“Could you take a few out for us to see?”

Zhang Fangyuan took down three brushes for their inspection. The ones on display were, in fact, meant for customers to handle; if they wanted to buy, they'd get fresh ones.

“The bristle softness aren’t the same.” 

“Exactly. They come from different types of hair.” As he explained, Zhang Fangyuan took a jar of the cheapest soapberry tooth powder from the counter. Xu He, sensing what was needed, brought a cup of water. Zhang Fangyuan moistened the back of his hand, dipped the brush briefly in the water, then sprinkled some tooth powder onto the bristles. The powder adhered more easily that way. 

The scholars watched intently, as if hearing the master lecture on one’s most interesting essay at the academy. Zhang Fangyuan brushed the powder over his hand, then rinsed it off. The spot that had been smudged was now perfectly clean, with a faint, fresh scent of soapberry. 

“Best to use this after dinner, when you wash up. Cleaning your teeth promptly keeps leftover food from sitting in your mouth overnight, which over time can cause rot in teeth. Use it again before breakfast, and your mouth will be fresh as orchid breath for a full day of pleasant conversation.”

By the time Zhang Fangyuan finished his thorough explanation, the scholars were laughing with delight. One of them, in his excitement, forgot the chilly weather and snapped open his fan by habit. “Marvelous! Truly marvelous!”

“I've been using chewed willow twigs dipped in salt. They remove odors well enough, but how can a twig compare to such a refined item?” Scholars were particularly fond of elegance and cleanliness. To encounter such goods was like finding a gem. “Might I ask the price of these toothbrushes, shopkeeper?” 

“It depends on the bristle type. Ordinary pig bristle, uncarved, is fifty wen each. Horsehair, both softer or coarser types uncarved, are eighty wen. Add ten wen for carved ones.”

Xu He's heart tightened at Zhang Fangyuan's confident announcement. These prices could hardly be called affordable.

The scholars compared the options. Naturally, they favored the carved ones. Though the plain ones were novel enough, who could resist a more beautiful brush? Zhang Fangyuan fanned the flames, “A single toothbrush lasts two or three months, and it's a personal item—only for your own use. Why not treat yourselves generously, gentlemen, and choose the carved ones? Wouldn't that better reflect your elegance and complement your bearing?”

Flattery never fails.

“Then I'll take one carved with plum blossoms.” But the scholar still had questions. “What's the difference between the bristle types?”

“Horsehair is more valuable. If your gums often swell and bleed, choose horse mane hair. If your teeth are healthy and you want the best cleaning, choose horse tail hair. Pig bristle falls somewhere between, though it's not as good as horsehair and doesn't last as long.”

The scholar nodded in understanding. “In summer's heat, I often taste blood in my mouth. I'll take a horse mane brush.”

“Haha, Brother Fu chooses plum, so I'll take orchid.”

The four of them conveniently chose plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Zhang Fangyuan immediately encouraged them to buy tooth powder as well.

The scholars were dazzled by the choices: whitening powder, tooth-strengthening powder, freshening breath, reducing inflammation powder… As it goes, each has their own area of expertise; and the specific benefits of each type of tooth powder also vary.

The little shop had truly opened their eyes. 

Before they knew it, they'd bought brushes and powders, each in different styles. When they settled the bill, they found they'd spent several hundred wen. But the scholars didn't complain. Instead, they said, “We'll be sure to bring others another day.” 

Zhang Fangyuan saw them out politely. When he turned back, Xu He was counting money. He looked up at Zhang Fangyuan. “The cheapest purchase was over three hundred wen. The four of them together spent fifteen hundred wen. Are scholars always so generous?” 

It's no wonder Xu He was surprised. The couple were considered small business owner, but until now they had only run small scale trade. It would normally take them many days to earn over a thousand wen, yet today they’d made so much in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn—the sudden leap was hard to process.

“Look at those scholars—fine clothes, jade pendants at their waist, well-spoken and full of spirit. They didn't even rush home in this rain. They're probably sons of wealthy families in town. And with some scholarly rank, even if it's just a Tongsheng*, their families must cherish them. They wouldn't worry about a little money. From now on, whenever you see people like this, feel free to charge them whatever you want.”

* Tongsheng 童生 — ‘child student’; candidate who has not yed passed the county level imperial exam

Xu He laughed. “We're running an honest business. We have clear prices—we’ve never overcharged anyone.”

Holding the money, his smile remained. “As expected, invest tenfold, and the returns also come back tenfold.” Once they'd earned back the shop's startup costs, he could finally relax a little. 

Zhang Fangyuan sat at the counter and drank some water. Selling things was exhausting; he'd had to explain everything from scratch. Once the word spread, it wouldn't be so hard. But if all his customers were as generous as today's group, business would be easy. Seeing Xu He happy made him happy too. A little extra talking was worth it.

“I've seen your selling skills today. From now on, I’ll handle the women and ger, and you handle the men.”

Zhang Fangyuan smiled. “Sounds like I'm getting the better deal.”

As usual, they'd brought lunch and had it heated at a nearby restaurant, then ate together in the shop.

Xu He felt content. Back when they were at the meat market, they had to eat outside. Now they could eat right in their own shop. When he used to sell marinated dishes, he'd pass by shops on his way back and envy the shopkeepers eating inside their stores. Now he was one of them. It felt unreal. 

They' had kept their shop plans quiet. Only a handful of people knew— just some close family and business associates. Everyone kept it to themselves; family feared complications and business partners worried competition if too many people learned of it. 

Besides, the village was busy paying land taxes. The couple enjoyed a brief period of peace, going out early and returning late, just like when Zhang Fangyuan had sold pork in town.

After Xu He started minding the shop in town, the tea stall became understaffed. Once the harvest ended, Zhang Fangyuan asked his fourth aunt, He Shi, to help out, paying her five hundred wen a month. 

They also considered Second Aunt, who had been working for free all along. She deserved some spending money. The couple often tried to take care of her, but business kept them occupied. After discussing it, they decided to give Zhang Shiyue three hundred wen a month. Not much, but enough for her own needs.

Now the couple focused mainly on the toothbrush shop. They only helped at the tea stall occasionally when they came back from town. Though this meant an additional expense in labor costs compared to before, they no longer had to worry about that side of things. The money came in without their direct involvement. 

As for the pork stall, they didn't even need to check on it. Chen Si would work hard to earn more for himself; the more he earned, the more Zhang Fangyuan's thirty percent cut would bring in.

The monthly income from both places, though not as high as before, now came with zero effort. Combined, it still came to four or five thousand wen.

Xu He calculated that this way, the town shop's rent was partially covered, easing the pressure on their shoulders.

In its first few days, the Linglong Shop didn't see many customers. Not just their shop, the usually bustling Tian Street was quiet with fewer pedestrians. 

The wine houses, cloth shops, and rouge businesses along the street were all slow. The local shopkeepers knew the pattern: during the lingering autumn rains, fewer people went out for entertainment. Once the weather cleared and the sweet osmanthus bloomed in the crisp autumn air, more people would venture out, and business would pick up. 

Occasionally, a curious customer would wander into their shop. Since there were few customers, they took their time for introductions. Though the visitor were scarce, they were all high quality customers—once they heard the explanation, they eagerly opened their purses. 

Almost everyone who entered empty-handed left with something. Even if they sold only the cheapest pig bristle brush, that was fifty wen in revenue. And the brush buyers almost always paired it with a jar of tooth powder, the cheapest soapberry powder costing sixty wen.

These customers spent several hundred wen and always promised to bring others.

Xu He found it odd. Since the shop had only been open a short time, he hadn't seen any repeat customers. But all the patrons had been so courteous and refined that he almost felt guilty.

It made him feel like a black-hearted merchant. Soapberries cost only a few wen per big bundle, yet ground into powder with a few added ingredients, the price multiplied tenfold. Coming from a poor background, how could he not wince?

Whenever this happened, Zhang Fangyuan would call him foolish. Soapberries might be cheap, but what about the labor to process, dry, and grind them? What about the shop's rent? 

Xu He had no comeback. But when the county yamen came to collect the commercial tax, faced with the enormous sum, his conscience stopped bothering him.

 

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