Chapter 34: Marketing, Creating a Buzz

Chapter 34: Marketing, Creating a Buzz

Xu Zhiyuan immediately stood up: “Prince, may I ask what brings you to Anhua City? Is there any way this humble official can be of assistance?”

Xiao Ce waved his hand and said: “A small matter. No need to trouble County Magistrate Xu.”

Xiao Ce had already figured out how to sell these things long ago.

Before leaving, Xiao Ce took out two exquisite wooden boxes from his pocket, which he had prepared earlier.

These two wooden boxes were actually jewelry boxes he had gotten from Yin Pan’er.

“County Magistrate Xu, this is our first meeting, and I have also enjoyed a meal at your place. This is a small token of my appreciation.”

Just looking at the beautiful wooden boxes, Xu Zhiyuan felt they must be very valuable.

“Prince, it was just a simple meal. One should not accept rewards without merit, this humble official dare not accept…”

As he spoke, Xiao Ce opened the wooden boxes and said: “It’s nothing precious, just some Tianshan Snow Salt and some Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar. Just some seasonings, there’s no reason for you not to accept.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhiyuan curiously stepped forward to look. Seeing the snow-white, fine refined salt and the frost-like, snow-white, fine-grained white sugar in the boxes, his face was full of surprise.

“This is sugar? There’s white sugar? How is this salt so pure!”

Xiao Ce said with a smile: “This is fine salt and white sugar collected from the Tianshan mountains, naturally pure. It’s said that eating a little of this refined salt every day can prolong life. They say if men eat it, it has the miraculous effect of strengthening the kidneys and nourishing vitality! And this Snowflake Frost Sugar is especially good for women. A cup of Snowflake Frost Sugar water every day can beautify the skin and improve appearance after drinking. Have your Madam try it…”

Xiao Ce began to boast and hype up the products, praising them as if they were heavenly treasures, unmatched on earth.

As a modern person, he knew very well that once you add some additional effects to a good product, its value can rise.

Xu Zhiyuan did not doubt what Xiao Ce said. For one, he had truly never seen such pure fine salt and white sugar. Secondly, Xiao Ce was the Eldest Prince, so it was normal for him to have such treasures.

“Prince, that is too valuable… this humble official cannot accept it.”

Xiao Ce pretended to look displeased and said: “As you said, these things are priceless to those who understand them. But to those who don’t understand, they are just ordinary salt and sugar. County Magistrate Xu, you just said you considered me a friend. If you won’t even accept a small gift, that feels too distant.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhiyuan dared not refuse any further.

“Prince, that’s not what I meant. Since Your Highness says so, then this humble official will accept it!”

Xiao Ce said jokingly: “Good. That Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar is for your Madam. If she feels it works well after drinking it, I have more here! However, next time you’ll have to pay for it.”

Xu Zhiyuan bowed and said: “Yes… yes… yes!”

Seeing his goal achieved, Xiao Ce did not linger.

After leaving the government office.

Yin Pan’er couldn’t help but ask: “Prince, do you really plan to take the disaster victims to the Four Northern Desert Prefectures? What kind of solution is that? Although the Four Northern Desert Prefectures lack people, they also lack grain. They can’t grow food quickly there, and the court isn’t providing disaster relief grain. If they go there, they’ll just starve to death!”

Yin Pan’er was a clever woman. Although she had doubts while Xiao Ce was speaking earlier, she didn’t ask in front of outsiders.

Seeing Yin Pan’er speak, Nie Bing added: “The people of the Four Northern Desert Prefectures are already eating dirt. You bringing these disaster victims there, do you want to make it so those people can’t even get dirt to eat? Even if you had sky-reaching abilities, I’m afraid you couldn’t conjure food out of thin air.”

Xiao Ce looked unconcerned and said: “I’ve already made plans long ago; I never fight unprepared battles! Since I can ‘turn stone into gold,’ conjuring some food out of thin air might not be impossible either! Let’s leave this matter here for now and talk about the main business.”

As he spoke, Xiao Ce looked mischievously at Yin Pan’er.

Looking at Xiao Ce’s expression, Yin Pan’er got goosebumps: “Prince, what do you want to do?”

Xiao Ce said: “I need your help with something.”

“What help?”

Xiao Ce then waved his hand at Yin Pan’er, signaling her to come closer.

Yin Pan’er looked at Xiao Ce with a mix of confusion and caution: “There’s no one else here…”

Xiao Ce said with a serious face: “Business secret. Come here!”

Only then did Yin Pan’er go to Xiao Ce’s side.

Xiao Ce then told them his plan: “You take some refined salt and Snowflake Frost Sugar to every shop in Anhua City to buy this refined salt and Snowflake Frost Sugar…”

After listening, Yin Pan’er said to Xiao Ce: “Prince, and that’s it? Aren’t we trying to sell? Why has it become buying?”

Xiao Ce said to Yin Pan’er: “Just do as I say!”

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded: “Good, I’ll leave this to you. I’ll go follow them to distribute porridge first! I’ll send a few people to protect you.”

Yin Pan’er nodded and did not refuse.

…

Watching Xiao Ce ride away on his horse, Yin Pan’er started by looking for a shop as Xiao Ce had instructed.

Yin Pan’er first found an inn. Having traveled a long way and being dusty, she washed up.

After changing clothes, she went out.

Seeing Nie Bing didn’t stop her, Yin Pan’er was somewhat surprised: “Sister, aren’t you going to stop me?”

Nie Bing followed Yin Pan’er and said with some surprise: “Why would I stop you?”

Yin Pan’er said: “Haven’t you always thought Xiao Ce was unreliable? Do you think the method the Prince mentioned can really sell that white sugar and refined salt at a high price?”

Nie Bing smiled and said: “You argue with him because his methods seem unreliable. However, regarding his selling goods, I think it might work. He made up a story and effects for these things. Things become valuable when they are rare, and rich people like such things, don’t they?”

Hearing Nie Bing, Yin Pan’er said: “Sister, it seems your opinion of him has also changed!”

Nie Bing quickly shook her head: “Only regarding this one matter. I still think he’s boasting.”

Yin Pan’er said: “Sister, what if he really accomplishes thing after thing? Would you see him in a new light?”

Nie Bing shook her head: “He can’t possibly achieve those things.”

As the two talked, they arrived in front of a trading company.

As soon as they entered, a shop assistant, seeing Yin Pan’er’s noble young lady aura and attire, came forward to greet them: “Young Miss, what do you need? Our trading company has everything you could want, and the prices are fair, honest with all…”

Yin Pan’er said: “Truly everything?”

The shop assistant patted his chest and glanced at Yin Pan’er again: “You don’t seem to be from around here, Young Miss. It’s not that I’m bragging, but if you can’t buy it in our trading company, you definitely won’t find it anywhere else in the entire Anhua City, or even the whole Great Xiao Kingdom.”

Yin Pan’er: “Oh? Then it seems I came to the right place. If you can really help me buy these things, you won’t lack for a tip!”

Seeing Nie Bing speak like this, the shop assistant’s eyes grew brighter.

“Young Miss, you absolutely came to the right place. Tell me, what do you need?”

Yin Pan’er then spoke: “Tianshan Snow Salt, and Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar.”

Yin Pan’er’s words left the shop assistant confused.

“Young Miss, you said Tianshan Snow Salt? Not Tianshan Snow Lotus…”

Yin Pan’er smiled and said: “Not Tianshan Snow Lotus, it’s Tianshan Snow Salt, and Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar.”

The shop assistant’s expression immediately became awkward.

Seeing this, Yin Pan’er said: “What? Don’t you have it?”

The shop assistant had never even heard of them, but he bowed to Yin Pan’er.

“Young Miss, perhaps I am ignorant. Please wait a moment, I’ll go get the shopkeeper.”

The shop assistant said and hurried inside.

Not long after, he came out with a shopkeeper wearing a long robe, a chubby man with a shrewd face, following with quick small steps.

“Young ladies, I heard you want Tianshan Snow Salt? And Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar?”

Yin Pan’er nodded: “That’s right. This assistant just boasted that if we can’t buy it here, we definitely can’t buy it anywhere else in the Great Xiao Kingdom, is that true?”

The shopkeeper smiled and said: “That’s actually not a boast. Our trading company operates all over the Great Xiao Kingdom. However, it might also be that the item has a different name. I wonder, is this Tianshan Snow Salt you mentioned a type of salt? And that Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar, is it a type of sugar?”

Yin Pan’er looked around. There were many customers, and judging by their clothing, they seemed to be wealthy people from the area.

She then started speaking according to what Xiao Ce had told her: “What you said is partly right and partly wrong. That salt is no ordinary salt. It comes from the Tianshan mountains, refined by the essence of heaven and earth, perfectly pure. Adding it to dishes even has the effect of prolonging life!”

“As for the Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar, it also comes from the Tianshan mountains. This sugar is white as snow, fine as frost! Because this snow sugar is naturally formed in the Tianshan mountains, taking a little every day to brew in water, women can beautify their skin and improve appearance after drinking it.”

The shopkeeper was stunned speechless by Yin Pan’er’s words.

“Young Miss, I have truly never heard of the things you describe. Sugar white as snow and fine as frost simply cannot exist.”

A bystander nearby said: “Yes, young lady, you must be making this up. I handle all the procurement for the Zhou family, and I’ve never heard of such treasures either.”

“I haven’t heard of it either. I’ve been procuring for the Zhao family for half my life, seen all kinds of valuables. What you describe, unheard of… You must be making it up.”

The shopkeeper said: “Young Miss, you see, it’s not that we don’t have it. It’s that most people have never heard of the things you mention.”

“You’re not here to cause trouble on purpose, are you?”

“Exactly… looking at your face, you don’t seem to be from here.”

Yin Pan’er wasn’t angry: “I don’t have time to come here and cause trouble.”

As she spoke, Yin Pan’er took out two exquisite bags. One bag contained a small half-bag of refined salt, the other contained white sugar.

After opening them: “Today, I’ll let you broaden your horizons!”

The shopkeeper stepped forward to look, and after seeing, his face was full of astonishment: “This… this is salt? This is sugar?”

Yin Pan’er carefully took out a small pinch with her hand: “Shopkeeper, taste it and you’ll know if I’m lying to you or not.”

Seeing this, the shopkeeper respectfully extended his hand and first tasted the salt.

After a taste, his eyes couldn’t help but light up.

Perhaps because of the story Yin Pan’er told, he felt this salt even contained an immortal essence.

“No bitter taste, no astringent taste, and the saltiness is much higher than ordinary salt! It truly is no ordinary product!”

Yin Pan’er smiled and asked the shopkeeper to taste the white sugar.

The shopkeeper very professionally called the assistant over, rinsed his mouth, and then put the white sugar in his mouth.

A sweet taste immediately spread on the tip of his tongue. He then analyzed it.

“This sugar is so sweet, and unlike ordinary brown sugar, it has a refreshing, clean sweetness! Truly worthy of being an immortal-grade product! Good! Good! Good!”

“Young Miss, I wonder if we could speak in private.”

This middle-aged man, being able to become the head shopkeeper, naturally had sharp insight. If he could find out where to buy this item and they could sell it, there would surely be huge business opportunities. He wanted to ask Yin Pan’er.

The bystanders nearby, seeing this, said: “Shopkeeper Fu, is it true? Is this thing really that magical?”

“Young lady, can you sell some for me to taste?”

“Young lady, sell me some too, let me have a taste…”

Nie Bing glanced at them and said: “You wish. This is an immortal-grade product. Even if you wanted to pay, you might not necessarily be able to afford it… Besides, we came here to buy! Not to sell.”

Seeing this, Yin Pan’er said to the head shopkeeper: “Head Shopkeeper, you’ve seen it and tasted it. I wonder, does your trading company have such items? If you do, the price is negotiable! Money is not a problem.”

“To be honest, my father was seriously ill before. An Immortal passing by found this item. After the Immortal gave a dose of medicine, my father recovered and became healthy. He also gave us some Tianshan Snow Salt and Tianshan Snowflake Frost Sugar, saying just consuming it can prolong life. However, I’ve searched many places and haven’t found any, which is why I came to Anhua City, known as the trade capital.”

After finishing, Yin Pan’er let out a long sigh: “It seems this trip is destined to be in vain too!”

After saying this, Yin Pan’er prepared to leave.

The head shopkeeper quickly stopped her: “Young Miss, wait, please wait! First, let’s speak in private. I need some details, then we’ll help you look. If we can’t find it, then the whole Anhua City won’t have it.”

Yin Pan’er said: “Since that’s the case, alright then.”

The head shopkeeper enthusiastically invited Yin Pan’er to a private room.

Among the bystanders on the side were stewards from other merchant associations. They also sensed this matter was not simple and instructed their attendants to go back and report.

This Shopkeeper Fu was also a figure of some status in Anhua City. Judging by his expression, the items earlier were definitely treasures.

After they left, they waited not far away, wanting to inquire about news of those treasures.