Chapter 38: Paving the Way and Building Momentum

"You are quite right, Uncle." The young girl said, gently nodding her chin, "It is indeed not a good reputation... and the mess I have stirred up is quite significant."

"But it is precisely because we need to blow this matter wide open that we can express the Cheng family's determination to learn from our mistakes and reform with sincerity."

"People are always more inclined to trust things they have personally participated in." Cheng Yingxue spoke with calm composure. "Therefore, our goal this time is to make a scene—the bigger the better, and the more we involve everyone, the better."

"At the same time, we will publicly handle the shop assistants and managers involved in this incident, and we will distribute a batch of the previously problematic 'medicinal cosmetic' powders and rouges to nearby merchants and commoners for free."

"Oh? Publicly handle them?" Cheng Mingye raised an eyebrow with interest. "Yunniang, how do you intend to handle them publicly? Are you planning to report them to the authorities in front of everyone?"

"No, actually, I do not intend to involve the authorities, Uncle." The girl’s eyes crinkled with a smile, and she shook her head decisively like a little rattle-drum. "What is the point of reporting to the authorities? It would just mean locking them in jail for a year or two, only to have them dragged out occasionally to receive a few strokes of the cane according to the law."

"While such harsh measures might solve the problems within the shop, it would inevitably make people feel that the Cheng family is too cold-blooded and ruthless."

"Therefore, in my view, as long as those involved can repay the money they embezzled from the shop in public, the Cheng family will let bygones be bygones. They may choose to leave, and if they do, the Cheng family will even provide an additional sum as severance pay."

"And if they choose to stay—that is fine, too. However, they must never make a mistake again. Once they do, then next time, I will certainly report them to the authorities."

"There is some merit to what you say." Cheng Mingye, catching the implication in her words, remarked thoughtfully. "But what if those involved cannot produce the money or make up for the deficit in the shop?"

"If they cannot pay, then they shall continue to work in the shop," the young girl replied with an expressionless face. "But twenty percent of their monthly wages will be deducted until the deficit is fully repaid."

"In this way, we can minimize the losses of the cosmetic shop while leaving the public with an impression of the Cheng family as a benevolent business—loyal, honest, and generous. It will also serve as a warning to new employees, preventing them from making the same mistakes in the future."

"A... quite clever way to kill three birds with one stone." Cheng Mingye fiddled with the jade ring on his finger, a flicker of admiration appearing in his eyes. "And what about giving away the rouge?"

"Won't that increase the shop's existing financial losses?"

"It will, but this only increases our short-term losses," Cheng Yingxue replied steadily, meeting her uncle's gaze. "A merchant must have a long-term vision. If you want to profit for a lifetime, you cannot fight for temporary gains."

"On the surface, giving away high-quality, expensive medicinal cosmetics for free is a loss, but in reality, the process of giving them away is a process of rebuilding the reputation of the cosmetic shop and its products."

"The reputation of that rouge is already ruined. The best and fastest way to rebuild it is to let everyone experience its benefits for themselves. Rouge that usually sells for three taels of silver is now free; regardless of their psychology, most people will not refuse a bargain delivered to their doorstep."

"Once they accept this gift, they owe the Cheng family shop a favor. In the future, whether they truly like the product or are willing to pay for it, as long as they remember this favor, they will prioritize the Cheng family's shop when they have similar needs."

"This is human nature, and it is a small leverage we can reasonably utilize to create long-term benefits for the shop." The girl finished her explanation and looked directly at the man in the high seat. "Uncle, what do you think of my proposal?"

"You are quite kind to ordinary customers," Cheng Mingye said, toying with his ring with a meaningful expression. "But how do you intend to treat the noble families in the city?"

"They cannot be bought with just a box or two of free rouge."

"That is also easy to handle," Cheng Yingxue said without blinking. "We can send the ladies of the noble families special gift boxes from the Cheng family. These boxes will not only contain our existing high-quality rouge but also the new, unreleased products we plan to promote in the coming days."

"At the same time, the Cheng family's other businesses can also add items that are not yet on the market or are hard to come by."

"For example, pastries from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, tea from the Jingyu Workshop, and premium yellow wine from the Liuchun Villa." Carried away by her own enthusiasm, the girl gestured with her hands. "The key is to make the recipients feel that the gift is worth more than its price and to make these noble ladies feel valued by the Cheng family’s businesses."

"Then, we can use the connections of these ladies and gentlemen to pave the way and build momentum for our goods in advance, using the buzz of the new products to overshadow the shortcomings of the past."

"Uncle, that is all I have in mind." Cheng Yingxue bowed deeply to the man. "I wonder if I have passed this test?"

"Haha! Good! What a brilliant way to pave the way and establish a good reputation!" Cheng Mingye laughed aloud after hearing her full plan, slapping his thighs repeatedly. "Yunniang, it is a pity you were born a woman. With your business acumen, if you were a man, I would have no worries about who would inherit the Cheng family's legacy. Your father's businesses would not have been ruined by Yinghuai in such a manner."

"Fine, fine, you have passed this test with flying colors. You do not need to marry into the Shen family. Starting tomorrow, you will accompany me to—"

"Absolutely not!"

Just as Cheng Mingye, finished with his laughter, was about to instruct Cheng Yingxue to join him at the business the next day, a hoarse, furious roar erupted from outside the room.

Everyone inside turned toward the source of the sound to see Cheng Mingye’s father—the former head of the Cheng family—marching toward them, accompanied by a group of elderly clan elders.

"Father, I was just handling some matters for the younger generation—why have you come?" Cheng Mingye asked with a forced smile, his eyes darting across the faces of the clan elders while his hand, tucked into his sleeve, clenched tightly.

"To think... this has even disturbed so many of our elders."