Chapter 870 - Chapter 870: Visiting the Grocery Store

Chapter 870: Visiting the Grocery Store

Editor: Henyee Translations

“A grocery store?” Gu Qizhong took over the conversation, “I’ve heard that Chu Village opened a grocery store, is it your family who opened it?”

Chu Qingyue replied, “It’s opened by my maternal family. The grocery store aims to make life easier for the villagers, offering goods at low prices. If you have time, you should visit. It has everything, comparable to those in the county town.”

After thinking for a moment, Gu Qizhong suggested to Grandfather Ning, “Shall we go now?”

Having no other plans, Grandfather Ning agreed, “Alright, I’ll have the carriage prepared.”

He then inquired with Chu Qingyue, “Are you also heading to the village?”

Chu Qingyue nodded, “I’ll go with you to buy some more things.”

Having bought a residence in the county, the responsibility of managing the household fell on her as the young madam of the house.

Boarding the carriage, the three of them, along with two maids, set off for Chu Village.

Chun Li and Xia Mei, after experiencing Chu Village, found themselves fond of it, purchasing many New Year goods for their small home.

…

At the Chu Village grocery store.

Upon entering the village, Grandfather Ning noticed many changes.

For instance, there were two new clusters of densely packed houses. These buildings, constructed with fine craftsmanship using blue bricks and tiles, small courtyards, and modest in size, looked particularly exquisite nestled among lush greenery, each view presenting a picturesque scene.

These houses belonged to Xiao Chen and Wan Haonan. Despite the tight construction schedule, the buildings were completed by the end of November.

After spending nearly a half-month decorating, they were now busy moving in, bustling with activity every day.

Glancing at the scenic views, Grandfather Ning arrived at the small square in front of the grocery store.

Dismounting the carriage, he surveyed his surroundings, then his gaze lingered on the workshop area.

A surrounding wall enclosed the area, within which stood numerous buildings amidst growing grass and trees, separated by greenery. Even in winter, it felt vibrant with life.

Withdrawing his gaze from the village, he noticed many new houses connected by flagstone paths, more extensive and even than those in the county town.

Flowers and plants lined the roadsides. Compared to his last visit, the entire village had transformed, becoming newer and more beautiful.

Gu Qizhong, marveling at the village’s sights, exclaimed, “Ning brother, I wish to retire here; is that possible?”

Grandfather Ning chuckled, “You might want to ask Qingzhi if she agrees to transfer your household registration into her domain. If she agrees, then you can retire here.”

Considering the household registration transfer wouldn’t be an issue for him, though his sons might not agree, Gu Qizhong had to drop the idea, “Ha, visiting often works too.”

Li Qingyu, who was preparing for Wen Shaoyuan’s wedding banquet and came to pick up items, was surprised to see Grandfather Ning and promptly greeted him, “Grandfather Yuting, please, have a seat.” She then invited Gu Qizhong, “Uncle, please, join us.”

Chu Qingyue introduced Li Qingyu, “Mother, this is our neighbor, Grandfather Gu, who specifically came to buy shaqima.”

Li Qingyu warmly responded, “We just received some shaqima from the workshop. How much would you like?”

“If there’s plenty, I’ll take ten pounds…” Gu Qizhong paused, then added, “And I’ll take a look at the other items, buying them together if suitable.”

“Sure, please come inside.”

Gu Qizhong and Grandfather Ning entered the grocery store, and once again, the arrangement of goods intrigued them.

This grocery store was unlike what they had imagined. Neat shelves filled with goods lined the interior, everything looking new and practical, tempting visitors to buy.

“Grandfather Ning.” Chu Qingzhi, who was reviewing the account books, greeted him upon his entrance.

Smiling, Grandfather Ning nodded, “I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Chu Qingzhi explained, “I’m free now, so I came to check on the store. Feel free to choose anything you like, Grandfather Ning. There are baskets over there for shopping, and you can pay here when you’re ready.”

With Li Qingyu busy overseeing the wedding banquet preparations, Chu Qingzhi took the opportunity to manage the grocery store.

Acknowledging her, Grandfather Ning responded, “Alright.”

Du Qiaolan, having selected her items, approached, “Sister Qingzhi, one can find everything they need in your store.”

Chu Qingzhi modestly replied, “There are still many aspects we need to improve. If you notice anything missing, please let me know, and I’ll stock it immediately.”

Du Qiaolan nodded with a smile, “Sure.”

Observing this, Grandfather Ning silently approved of the unique shopping method.

Gu Qizhong, fascinated by the scene, eagerly began selecting items, “Ning brother, let’s go.”

Chu Qingyue, curious, started to flip through the account book Chu Qingzhi was reviewing.

The grocery store had been open for only half a month…

The net profit on the first day was 213 taels.

The second day’s net profit was 150 taels.

The third day’s net profit was 103 taels.

…

The thirteenth day’s net profit stabilized at 82 taels.

The fourteenth day’s net profit was 79 taels.

The net profit eventually stabilized around seventy to eighty taels. With the New Year shopping season, the daily profit soared. Once the festival was over, the profits were expected to decrease.

Chu Qingyue was amazed, her sister’s ability to turn any endeavor into a success, including running a grocery store in the village, was impressive.

Gu Qizhong paused at a shelf displaying ointments for rheumatism, surprised, “I didn’t expect to find this here?”

Grandfather Ning explained, “This is a medicine prepared by Qingzhi. It’s very effective. After Qingyue brought some for me, my rheumatism improved significantly.”

Interested, Gu Qizhong decided, “I’ll buy two to try. If it works well, I’ll come back for more.”

Nodding, Grandfather Ning assured, “You won’t regret it.”

After selecting two rheumatism patches, Gu Qizhong continued his shopping.

Each shelf was attended by a shop assistant. In the absence of surveillance cameras, manual monitoring was necessary, “If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let me know, and I’ll find it for you.”

Gu Qizhong appreciated the service, “This assistant is quite good.”

The assistants were hired following a theft incident in the store. With so many people coming and going and no one witnessing the act, it was impossible to investigate. Thus, additional assistants were hired, effectively preventing further thefts.

“It’s very considerate service,” Grandfather Ning remarked.

As Gu Qizhong prepared to leave, he suddenly paused, “Do you have any toys for children in your store?”

“Yes, right this way, please.” The assistant gestured towards the right side of the store, where another assistant noticed and began to guide the customers.

Each assistant was responsible for a section of shelves. In case of theft, the assistant would bear half of the responsibility. With such accountability, the assistants were exceedingly careful, ensuring no negligence.

Gu Qizhong and Grandfather Ning followed to the designated area, where half a shelf was filled with toys for children. There were wooden horses, dolls, small wooden swords, spears, and other inexpensive toys currently popular in the market. This place had them all.