Episode 14 recap: Ji Ming Zhao Changes Business Methods
Ji Ming Zhao kept the money for meals and accommodation, but unexpectedly Lao Ding took all the money. Meng San Xi, Yan Si Fang, and Ye Wu Zhi looked at each other, contemplating whether to report it to the police. However, Lao Ding told them to grab their bedding and follow him. Lao Ding had a large house, and after assigning rooms to everyone, he went back to his own room to prepare for sleep. Yan Si Fang was puzzled because he had heard that Lao Ding didn't have a high social status, yet he had such a big house.
Ji Ming Zhao was also surprised to discover that the storyteller Lao Ding had this business, but at the moment, their stomachs were already empty. Lao Ding's voice came from inside the house, saying that he had prepared food in each room, assuming they would have arrived to stay the previous day. However, the food had spoiled after being left for a day. Lao Ding put on an apron and grumbled as he went to the kitchen to cook. As for the money he had taken earlier, he considered it as payment for their month-long stay.
Ye Wu Zhi really liked Ying Bai Chi's poetry collection, which Meng San Xi couldn't understand. He initially thought she was pretending, but knowing that Ye Wu Zhi couldn't lie, he confirmed once again and realized that she genuinely liked it. It was like discovering an alien. Meng San Xi came up with a plan to make people notice Ying Bai Chi's poetry collection. He wrapped the cover of a best-selling book around the poetry collection. The readers quickly noticed this and complained about it. Meng San Xi decided to cooperate with Ye Wu Zhi in reading the poetry collection. The explicit poems made the readers think it was like an erotic book, but Ye Wu Zhi immediately stood up to refute it. After all, she had read real erotic books, and this poetry collection was written in a delicate and genuine way, capturing the emotions of young men and women. Ying Bai Chi realized that Ye Wu Zhi truly understood his poetry, so he no longer felt ashamed. They began to read the poems together, and Meng San Xi, seeing the situation, quickly slipped away because he couldn't face continuing to read them.
Ji Ming Zhao noticed that people were taking advantage of the air conditioning in the department store, causing the spacious aisles and corridors to become congested. She asked Yan Si Fang to come up with a solution. Still recovering from the shock of Lao Ding having money, Yan Si Fang saw everyone as wealthy individuals and initially wanted to bluntly drive them away. However, Ji Ming Zhao asked him to be tactful and only say a few words. So, Yan Si Fang directly asked the customers blocking the path if they were planning to buy anything. One of the customers, an older woman, bought some melon seeds and continued to occupy the space while chatting away. This made Ji Ming Zhao quite unhappy, so Yan Si Fang pretended to mop the floor with a mop, subtly reminding those people to leave if they weren't buying anything. The workers on the staircase were quick to leave when Yan Si Fang started mopping for the second time, but the woman on the ground floor, no matter how many times Yan Si Fang mopped, refused to budge. The scholar on the second floor, on the other hand, remained polite no matter how many times Yan Si Fang mopped and even said, "You're working hard." This left Yan Si Fang feeling helpless.
Lao Ding was about to finish his shift and bid Ji Ming Zhao a polite farewell inside the store. However, as soon as he stepped out of the store, his expression changed, and he asked Ji Ming Zhao for an exact time to return home so he could plan his cooking. This surprised Ji Ming Zhao momentarily, and she quickly assured him that she would be back soon, watching Lao Ding leave. Ying Bai Chi realized that Ye Wu Zhi was his confidant and gave up on selling his poetry collection. After all, finding a confidant was difficult, and having one person was enough. To deal with the scholars who read books without buying them, Ji Ming Zhao arranged for Meng San Xi, Ye Wu Zhi, and Yan Si Fang to replace the covers of the books overnight, along with sealing wax, and demanded that customers pay as soon as they opened the books. Ji Ming Zhao forgot about her appointment with Lao Ding due to overtime work. When she remembered, she hurriedly led Meng San Xi, Ye Wu Zhi, and Yan Si Fang to Lao Ding's house and obediently sat down to eat amidst Lao Ding's angry roar.
The next day, when the scholars came to the store and saw that the sealing wax on the books had been removed, they left disappointed. Ji Ming Zhao insincerely welcomed them back next time and realized she had been somewhat unkind. She also noticed that the neighbors refused to provide a cooling place for the workers due to their cleanliness obsession, so she decided to change the store's business model. Yan Si Fang worked overnight to make tables and chairs for the store and converted the second floor into a resting area. Ji Ming Zhao removed all the sealing wax from the books, and Meng San Xi made mung bean soup. The following day, the Unnamed Department Store launched a one-wen promotion where customers could read books, rest, and enjoy a cup of mung bean soup. Although Ji Ming Zhao lost money at the end of the day, she felt a sense of contentment she had never experienced before. Meng San Xi was willing to lend Ji Ming Zhao all his seventy-two taels and promised to get Ying Bai Chi to agree to a 30% discount on supplies. In order to obtain the discounted goods, Meng San Xi specially created a lyricist identity for the aspiring Ying Bai Chi and formed a group to sing the poems he wrote.
If we compare martial arts skills to academic qualifications, Meng San Xi, who possesses the tenth-best martial arts skill in the world, is actually the one who has truly struggled and climbed up among this group of people.
Tuoba Linghu has had talent since childhood, and his craftsmanship ensures he never goes hungry, so he has never been in such dire straits. Mo Ru Shi has been an inner disciple of the Qing Jing Sect since childhood and is a candidate for the next sect leader, so she could never experience such hardships.
Ji Ming Zhao, being born into a wealthy family, has never faced such difficulties either. That's why her ability to empathize with and understand those from the lower class is particularly commendable.