Volume One: From a Country Lad to a Gentleman Chapter 26: The Grand Shopping Spree

“Uncle Su, there’s no such thing as sugar in this world—if you don’t advertise it, who will know? So before you sell it, it’s best to make a splash...”
Chu Liu slipped in a hint of hunger marketing, and Su Laibao had a sudden realization.

“I see! So, the sugar itself doesn’t show up first; you publicize it, stir up everyone’s appetite, then stock the shelves and sell out in one go... hahahaha, white sugar and brown sugar will be sold exclusively at the Su Family Grain Store. Selling sugar in a grain shop—that’s my unique idea...”

Su Laibao went to town to promote the sugar, while Chu Liu calmly wrote “The Heavenly Match.”
That afternoon, as he finished the third volume, Su Laibao sought him out, grinning. “Chu Liu, tomorrow the Su Family Grain Store will start selling white sugar. Come along and witness the rush for yourself.”

Chu Liu gladly agreed.
He handed his manuscript to Su Laibao, who took it without even glancing at it.
The manuscripts that once had him scrambling now seemed to have lost their allure.

The next day, Su Laibao brought Chu Liu, Su Biao, and several servants into town by carriage.

Western white sugar and brown sugar were already the talk of the town; after days of publicity, people lined up early to buy.

When Chu Liu and the others arrived at the Su Family Grain Store, a middle-aged man hurried forward, cupping his hands respectfully. “Manager Su, does your store have any white sugar left? I came a bit late, and it’s already gone. I’ll surely be scolded by my master when I return...”

He hadn’t even seen the rush yet, and two hundred and thirty pounds of white sugar were already sold out?

Su Laibao recognized the man—a steward from the Li household. He quickly returned the gesture. “I’m not sure of the store’s situation myself. I’ll go in and check. If there’s any left, you won’t be shortchanged.”

The steward followed him into the store. Su Laibao called for the manager, “Du Lang, Steward Wang urgently needs white sugar. Is there any left?”

Du Lang looked aggrieved. “Master Su, how could I dare hide any? The white sugar sold out early. Only a few dozen pounds of brown sugar remain, as Steward Wang knows...”

“Get back to your work!”

Su Laibao sent Du Lang away, then apologized, “Steward Wang, I’m truly sorry. All these goods came from the west and were stored in the grain shop. Once they’re sold, there’s really nothing left.”

“Next time, once the new stock arrives, you’ll be the first I notify... Perhaps you’d like some brown sugar instead? It’s a western specialty. Brown sugar isn’t quite as good as the white, but it’s leagues ahead of our own brown sugar...”

Steward Wang hesitated for a moment, then bought a few pounds of brown sugar and left.

After learning from Du Lang about the sales frenzy, Su Laibao was overjoyed and took Chu Liu to the back room to calculate dividends.

Chu Liu received forty-six strings of coins from the white sugar profits; the manuscript’s total price was twenty taels. As for royalties, those would be settled later.

Su Laibao was full of ambition, dreaming about the future of the sugar business.

Chu Liu, however, wished to pour some cold water, dispelling the fever in Su Laibao’s heart.

“Uncle Su, your nephew dares to offer advice: using today’s volume as standard, each month’s refined white sugar should not exceed that by more than twenty percent.”

“If there’s too much white sugar on the market, its value will drop, which isn’t desirable.”

“And refining white sugar requires a large amount of brown sugar. If you keep increasing production, the price of brown sugar will rise, which doesn’t benefit us.”

“Most importantly, white sugar comes from the west. If your goods flood the market, others will take notice, and you might not be able to keep your refining methods secret.”

“White sugar brings huge profits and many will be envious. Uncle Su may find himself in a tight spot.”

“To be honest, I like money too—I wish we could sell hundreds of strings every day—but some things... I hope you’ll think carefully.”

Su Laibao was stunned at first, then slowly understood Chu Liu’s painstaking advice, admiration flashing in his eyes.

“Very well, I’ll follow your lead!”

He agreed readily, then added, “You rarely visit the county town. Today, I’ll have someone take you and Su Biao out for a good time.”

“Thank you, Uncle Su. I’d like to buy a few things, visit home, and then go to your residence to write the storybook.”

This was Chu Liu’s first time leaving home since arriving in this world. Honestly, he missed his family dearly.

Su Laibao thought for a moment. “The summer harvest is nearly over. You’ve been away from home for days. Write the storybook at your house when you have time. Shortly, I’ll send someone to take you shopping. I’ll cover the expenses now and deduct them from your dividends later.”

“Thank you, Uncle Su!”

...

Chu Liu and Su Biao skipped ahead, with Du Lang and Han Zai following closely, afraid the two children might slip out of sight.

“Mo Xiang Studio has all the books—let’s go in.”

“This one!”

“This one!”

“And these here...”

The shop assistant stared, never having seen children buy books in a frenzy, mechanically piling them up.

“Mencius,” “Doctrine of the Mean,” “Book of Songs,” “Book of Documents,” “Book of Rites,” “Book of Changes,” “Spring and Autumn Annals”—all suitable as textbooks.

“Detailed Notes on the Five Classics,” “Collected Commentaries on the Four Books,” “Famous Masters’ Poems Reviewed”—these could be supplementary materials.

But why buy “The Treatise on Mathematics”?

Chu Liu bought it to understand the mathematical level of this world.

These books weren’t cheap, especially the supplements.

Du Lang paid the bill: thirty-one taels and two coins of silver.

Han Zai hoisted the bundled books and followed them out of the store.

“This patterned cloth is perfect for making a dress for my sister.”

“This one.”

“And this color...”

After buying cloth, Chu Liu went on to purchase other items.

He bought red hair ties and butterfly ribbons for his two sisters, a headscarf for his brother, toys for Mai Sui and his younger sister, wine for his grandfather and father, rouge and powder for his grandmother and mother, and two roast ducks.

All these things together cost another ten taels and seven coins. Chu Liu’s total expenditure that day was forty-two taels and nine coins.

Su Laibao wanted to chastise him for wasting money, but seeing the items, he felt a surge of emotion.

He thought, “All kids are the same, but Chu Liu knows how to care for his family. Su Biao, two years older, doesn’t understand this at all.”

“Han Zai, drive Chu Liu home, then return to the residence.”

“Yes, Master.”

Chu Liu had bought so much that without the cart, he couldn’t possibly carry it home. Su Laibao had to lend his own donkey cart.

In Great Yan, merchants had low status and were restricted to donkey or ox carts. Otherwise, someone like Su Laibao would surely ride a horse to flaunt his rank.

“Father, I want to see Chu Liu home too.”

“You’re not going. Go with Steward Du to the market and buy something for your mother, brother, and sisters before we return.”

Su Biao was eager to follow Chu Liu for fun, but was rejected by his father. He pleaded, “But Father, they lack nothing...”

“You little rascal, so shallow.”

Is it about lacking things?
It’s about sentiment—do you understand that?

Su Laibao pinched his son’s ear. “Hurry and buy something meaningful. If you buy nonsense, you’ll copy ‘The Analects’ three times tonight... no, ten times...”

Su Biao broke out in a cold sweat and quickly followed Du Lang out.

Copying ‘The Analects’ ten times would ruin his hand.