Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 398: Chapter 405: Not a Great Deal
Han Yu had obviously noticed the floor mirror as well. The position of the floor mirror was too conspicuous; anyone ascending the stairs couldn’t miss it. If it were any other item, it might have gone unnoticed, but a floor mirror was a rare object capable of reflecting one’s image with great clarity, no longer leaving behind a blurred impression. Especially such a large one, it could be considered worth a fortune. Throughout the entire Daming Dynasty, there were only a few, and it was hard for one not to take note. Only Master Su could be so generous as to gift this to his daughter as a present for opening her store.

“Did you come up with this mirror too?” Han Yu asked in disbelief. Other items were understandable, but a mirror couldn’t be made without a formula; it would be truly unexpected and astonishing if it had been his daughter-in-law who had created it.

“Of course not. There you go underestimating me again, and now you’re overestimating me. Where would I get that kind of ability? It was my father who got it from a businessman in the outer domain, and it cost a substantial sum. Only because I’m his precious daughter was he willing to give me something so valuable. Originally, it was meant for my daily dressing and grooming, but I felt that would be an underutilization. So here it is, moved to the store instead. Wouldn’t that make it far more useful?” Su Wenyue thought she was incredibly smart for knowing how to make the most of things. With this mirror, the store’s class had risen a notch higher, and one could go around Yiyang City and see which other store was as luxurious and extravagant as hers.

Han Yu, having heard this, felt that such was indeed sensible, otherwise he really wouldn’t have known how to react. He felt even more moved by his father-in-law’s affection for his daughter-in-law, exclaiming once again, “Your father-in-law really dotes on you a lot.”

“That’s my real dad, if he doesn’t dote on me, then who should he dote on? Father has always been the most affectionate towards me since I was young. In my father’s words, ‘a daughter is meant to be cherished’, and Elder Brother has always been accommodating to me,” Su Wenyue said with deep emotion and a hint of guilt when she mentioned her family.

Listening to Su Wenyue talk like this, Han Yu was thankful towards his father-in-law and Eldest Brother-in-law. Although they both helped him with significant matters, they often made things difficult for him on ordinary days. Han Yu was somewhat displeased, but now that he had experienced the affections his wife’s family had for her, he could understand the feelings of the father and brother-in-law whose daughter had been taken away. Especially now that he had a daughter himself, the thought of his soft and tender daughter being taken away by some unknown man ignited a flame of anger in his heart. He realized that to this day, his wife’s family had been quite polite to him.

“My dear, rest assured that we’ll take good care of your father-in-law and mother-in-law in the future,” Han Yu stated, unable to express more, his gratitude lingering in his heart. In fact, not just now, but also this very time when he led the uprising, although his mother’s family ostensibly appeared to sever ties with him, they had been discreetly taking risks to support him, and had provided him considerable help. Without it, his own efforts wouldn’t have gone as smoothly.

Seeing Han Yu show such an attitude made Su Wenyue quite happy. As long as he was aware of what her parents had done for Han Yu, that was enough. Besides, Han Yu was someone who never spoke insincerely. Since he had made such a gesture, he would surely be good to her mother’s family in the future.

“As long as you know, let’s not discuss this anymore. Help me see if there are any deficiencies in the place, give me some suggestions,” Su Wenyue wisely chose not to belabor the point. Bringing up certain matters too often might generate resentment, so she switched topics.

Seeing Su Wenyue change the subject like this, Han Yu did not shirk but earnestly took a look around, offering several suggestions, particularly about the counter area. Su Wenyue had designed it based on her memories of her past life, making it open so guests could freely pick up and look at items.

“It would be better to make this area closed off.”

“Husband, do you think this isn’t appropriate? Isn’t it more convenient for everyone to pick up and look at what they want this way? It saves so much trouble and the most important thing is it’s unique, not falling into clichés,” Su Wenyue didn’t quite understand. In her view, this was not only more convenient, but the open style was both novel and troublesome. She wanted it to be a highlight, but Han Yu pointed out issues with it.

Seeing that his daughter-in-law did not understand, Han Yu patiently explained, “Indeed, this is quite convenient. If you were opening an ordinary store for the general public, it would indeed be a distinctive feature, but your target customer base is the upper class, and for them, this is quite improper.”

“What’s improper about it?” Su Wenyue was still confused. Chen Li had done the same before, and hadn’t she succeeded in the end? Su Wenyue did not deny that she shamelessly copied Chen Li’s idea, but, after all, the mall was like a battlefield, and Chen Li’s methods weren’t so bright either. So, as long as she kept within certain boundaries, it was acceptable.

“Think about it. If you go to a store to buy something, you might find this style novel at first and it could indeed attract some people. But if this method becomes commonplace and other stores start replicating it, gradually you lose the advantage.

The upper-class nobles all possess a sense of superiority, feeling they are above others and naturally deserve distinctive services. Seeing items in the counter that everyone can examine and touch will only make them feel undervalued. They might try it once or twice out of novelty at first, but later they will not return.”

Hearing this from Han Yu, Su Wenyue grasped the idea: “I see, that does make sense.”

On reflection, Su Wenyue remembered that although Chen Li’s store was well-known and frequented by many customers, few true nobles patronized it. She had been somewhat puzzled about this before, but now the reason became clear. She wouldn’t have thought of this if Han Yu had not mentioned it.

Su Wenyue had asked for Han Yu’s opinion just to change the subject, thinking her own preparations were already quite good and that there wouldn’t be any oversights. Yet Han Yu pointed out a major issue. Indeed, there is wisdom in the counsel of many. It’s important not to be too prideful; she had hardly allowed herself a moment of pride before Han Yu’s feedback brought her back down to earth.

Han Yu understood the original intention behind Su Wenyue’s design and continued, “Actually, to make guests feel at home, the most important thing is to train your staff well, teach them to read the guests’ expressions, and know how to offer the appropriate help based on customer needs. If you want the customers to see the items on the shelves, you could do like the golden cabinet on the second floor, replacing the wood panels above with glass. That wouldn’t be too bad either.”

The second floor, being reserved for jewelry and other high-end items, made Su Wenyue opt for a different method, which Han Yu had noticed.

Not only did Han Yu identify the problem, but he also offered a solution. Su Wenyue felt it was a good suggestion, but implementing it wasn’t feasible: “That’s indeed a good idea, but you’re unaware of the trouble it took just to get the glass for the second floor. My father and elder brother have run out of stock, and if we want more, it would have to be brought in from the outer domain, which would take a substantial amount of time. The store is about to open in a few days; we simply can’t wait that long. Furthermore, the cost is too great, and it wouldn’t be very economical.”