Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Fighting Magic with Magic
"Miss, how should this post be replied to?"
Under the candlelight, Qu Fulan was examining the account books sent from various shops.
Bicao Ruyin was attending to her side, and couldn’t resist asking when she saw the post.
Qu Fulan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she noted something in the account book before replying, "Why rush? Let’s talk in a couple of days."
Qu Fulan had her suspicions about the other party’s intention to send the post again.
It was simply an attempt to use the post to force a meeting. The more they met, even if she initially refused, later she would inevitably be persuaded.
But the world doesn’t revolve around the Xiao Family. Mrs. Xiao has Zhang Liang’s strategy, and she has a stepladder.
Anyway, Qu Fulan met them the first time they sent the invitation; who said she must meet the second time?
The Xiao Family wanted to use status to press her, but they should consider the actual circumstances. It’s only been less than two days since the previous meeting, and they’re sending another post?
Qu Fulan surely had to reply to the post, but she didn’t respond immediately. She made the other party wait for three days before sending a reply on the third day.
As expected, the Xiao Family grew impatient after three days of waiting, and the anger in Mrs. Xiao’s heart was obvious.
Ji Nishang consoled beside her, "Perhaps she is busy with the opening of her new shop, and it’s understandable the reply was delayed. Let’s first see how she responds. If she refuses, we can send another post; if she agrees, we can schedule a meeting."
The result was that this post differed from others, as it contained a folded piece of paper with a lengthy message.
Once Ji Nishang read it word by word, she couldn’t maintain a calm expression.
Mrs. Xiao was even more agitated, her chest heaving intensely and her hands trembling with anger.
"This Qu Fulan, twisting truths and wrongs, is now threatening me instead! This is absolutely preposterous!"
What was the matter?
It turned out that in the letter, Qu Fulan wrote extensively about Mrs. Xiao’s harassment, elaborating on Mrs. Xiao’s arrogance and use of power to oppress, listing one point after another.
For instance, during her shop opening, Mrs. Xiao frequently sent posts to force meetings despite knowing she was busy.
Another example was Mrs. Xiao’s jealousy of her successful business, driving the Xiao Family’s shops down, and threatening her to relinquish numerous food recipes after meeting.
Also, Mrs. Xiao saw her beauty and tried to coerce her into prostitution, among others.
Qu Fulan exaggerated everything, and finally summarized: If Mrs. Xiao continued to send posts and harass, this letter would soon circulate throughout Capital City, letting everyone witness Mrs. Xiao’s oppressive facade.
Indeed, this face-off strategy of Qu Fulan directly enraged Mrs. Xiao and left Ji Nishang helpless.
This was simply slander, a rogue maneuver.
Yet the Xiao Family couldn’t retaliate.
Putting aside the fact that the letter was likely written by someone else at Qu Fulan’s request—she wouldn’t admit it—even if she wrote it herself, could Mrs. Xiao actually drag her to court for such a matter?
The more distinguished the family, the more they value reputation. For Qu Fulan, an orphan, even if her reputation is ruined, it’s worth risking the entire Xiao Family, but it’s highly unprofitable for the Xiao Family.
Therefore, after seeing this reply, the Xiao Family wouldn’t send any more posts to Qu Fulan, no matter how enraged they were—they had to endure it.
Why?
Because Qu Fulan was utilizing modern entertainment marketing tactics: the truth doesn’t matter, just spread rumors first.
Twisting facts in a "report" and distributing it everywhere.
Anyway, it’s easy to spread rumors and exhausting to refute them.
Everyone fears this.
Moreover, these marketing tactics can’t be completely prevented in modern times, let alone ancient times.
If the other party weren’t excessive, Qu Fulan wouldn’t act rogue like this, but sometimes, certain matters really need magic to defeat magic.
You are despicable, I am more despicable, leaving you with nowhere to go.
The following days were indeed peaceful.
Qu Fulan focused entirely on her noodle shop.
The noodle shop’s business went as she expected. At first, it wasn’t making a profit; the earnings each day, after deducting the cost of food, labor, and venue, barely left anything.
It was merely breaking even.
However, Qu Fulan was very satisfied with this outcome; it was already a success for a small business.
Customers accumulated over time, as long as the taste was good, the more time passed, the more profitable it became.
In modern times, Qu Fulan saw people selling noodles in town who could buy houses in big cities, indicating that selling noodles was profitable—it just required perseverance despite being labor-intensive.
Time passed day by day, and before long it was October, already considered deep autumn, with the weather gradually cooling. One needed to wear more clothes when going out to avoid catching a chill.
Meanwhile, the café also opened.
Qu Fulan had earlier announced that Tang Seng and his disciples would come to sing on this day.
She anticipated there would be popularity, but didn’t expect it to be so overwhelming.
"Sun Wukong! Sun Wukong! Sun Wukong! Ahhhh!!"
"Great Saint—"
A stage was set up in front of the café, surrounded by a crowd.
People were more excited than if they had seen the emperor.
Then "Tang Seng and disciples" started singing, performing "Where Is the Road," singing lines like "You carry the load, I lead the horse," completely fitting the Journey to the West theme, driving the audience wild once again.
Finally, there were signings, autographs on clothes, papers, books; someone even specifically brought a Journey to the West novel for signing, which boosted the bookstore’s business.
That day’s business at the café saw a huge customer influx.
Anyway, a cup of coffee cost a hundred and fifty coins, and Capital City had many nobles, people who could afford it weren’t few.
Besides coffee, the shop offered pork chops and noodles, among other pastries, and when calculating the day’s earnings, Qu Fulan felt both bittersweet and joyful.
The bitterness was because big investments indeed brought big returns; unlike her small noodle shop—with small investments came small returns, now only breaking even—the café had already started making profits.
The joy was because she was also a shareholder in the café, although her earnings weren’t significant, at a twenty-to-eighty ratio, but money was still money.
Many came to support the café that day, including Prince An and company, then Third Miss and her group, the elderly lady also attended.
Ren Hua had commitments during the day and couldn’t come, but sent gifts over.
Friends showed support, and naturally, there was a dinner invitation in the evening for good food.
The location was still at Qu Fulan’s residence.
Qu Fulan thought Ren Hua wouldn’t be able to come, but she unexpectedly appeared at the door, giving her a surprise.
Ren Hua didn’t know that Qu Fulan had other guests; she thought she was the only one, believing there was no one else, as Qu Fulan previously worked as a maid—even though her shop partnership opened now, she rarely seemed to have friends—and as her only good friend, she naturally wanted to personally congratulate her.
Along the way, she kept instructing her maid attendants, "Her new shop opened, the money on her may not be much left. If the food is sparse later, you mustn’t show any disapproving expressions, understood? No matter what you see, don’t act surprised."
"Understood, Miss. We have traveled far and wide with Miss, seen some scenes, and won’t be so lacking in discernment."