SWDnovel Chapter 33 The Opening of the Grocery Store
Chapter 33 The Opening of the Grocery Store
In less than half an hour, the shop was completely transformed.
Then, he took out twenty spirit stones and went to the carpenter's shop in the market to order shelves, counters, and plaques.
The plaque was made of ordinary pine wood and had the four characters "Lin's Grocery Store" written on it. The characters were neat but not ostentatious, just like the plaques of other shops on this street.
The shelves and counters will not be ready for another three days.
Zhang Lin wasn't in a hurry. He took advantage of the next few days to clean up the three side rooms in the backyard.
One room was used as a bedroom, one as a storeroom, and one as an alchemy room.
He brought back dozens of bottles of the spiritual spring water from the springhead in jade bottles and stored them in the warehouse.
He then went into the mountains to collect some common medicinal herbs and placed them in the alchemy room as a cover.
Three days later, the shelves and counters were delivered.
Zhang Lin placed the shelves against the wall, put the counter in the shop, and then put the few miscellaneous magical artifacts and pills he had seized from the Black Wind Society on the shelves.
The shop was small, but it had a wide variety of goods.
The superior-grade magic weapon, the Xuan Tong Dao (Black Copper Knife), is priced at 1,300 spirit stones and is placed in the most conspicuous spot on the counter.
A mid-grade magic weapon, the Wind-Breaking Blade, priced at 550 spirit stones, was placed next to the Black Copper Blade.
Fifteen low-grade magic artifacts, seized from the cultivators of the Black Wind Society, and some ordinary iron weapons bought from a blacksmith shop, were all enhanced by Zhang Lin and became low-grade magic artifacts. They were all in excellent condition and priced between thirty and fifty spirit stones, displayed on the middle shelf.
There are thirty ordinary-grade Qi-cultivating pills, which have been enhanced to the highest grade. Each pill is priced at twenty spirit stones and is placed in a porcelain bottle on the lower shelf.
Ten ordinary Qi-restoring pills, which are upgraded to Grade 1 superior, are priced at twenty-five spirit stones each and placed next to the Qi-cultivating pills.
Five ordinary healing pills, upgraded to first-grade superior quality, each priced at twenty spirit stones, are placed next to the Qi-restoring pills.
One Breakthrough Pill, after enhancement, is of the highest grade and is priced at eight hundred spirit stones. It is placed separately in a brocade box in the counter to indicate its preciousness.
In addition, Zhang Lin also purchased a batch of jade slips from the market, which were engraved with the Fireball Technique, Water Shield Technique, Earth Spike Technique, Wood Vine Technique, and Metal Blade Technique from the Five Elements Techniques. He engraved three of each of them.
These jade slips are of ordinary quality, only first-tier spells, and are priced at fifty spirit stones each.
However, Zhang Lin inscribed a special jade slip within it, the second-order fireball technique.
Third-tier spells would attract the covetous eyes of others, so it is reasonable for a disciple of a major sect to sell second-tier spells.
Zhang Lin priced this jade slip at one thousand spirit stones and displayed it prominently in the center of the counter as the "treasure of the shop".
Everything is ready, just waiting for the market to open.
Zhang Lin's business strategy was to open the store on the 5th of each month, and close it on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of the month, and close it at other times.
This arrangement was made for two reasons. First, he couldn't stay in the shop for long; he still needed to return to the Spirit Spring Cave to cultivate.
Secondly, the market in Qingyun Town is not open every day; the market day is on the fifth day of each month, when the flow of people is the largest.
Regarding the acquisition, he hung a wooden sign at the entrance of the shop that read:
"We buy local elixirs, low-grade magical artifacts, jade slips and handwritten copies of Five Elements magic techniques at high prices. Cash transactions, fair prices."
The wooden sign was small, and the lettering was unassuming, but passersby could all see it.
Before we knew it, it was the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the market in Qingyun Town is bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.
Zhang Lin arrived at the shop early in the morning, opened the door, wiped the goods on the shelves spotless, and opened the brocade box on the counter, revealing the Breakthrough Pill and the jade slip for the Second-Order Fireball Technique.
Morning light streamed through the door, illuminating the elixirs and magical artifacts, giving them a faint, spiritual glow.
Before long, some independent cultivators entered the shop.
The newcomer was a middle-aged cultivator with a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation level. He had a rugged face, wore a gray Taoist robe, and had a low-grade magic weapon longsword hanging at his waist.
After entering the store, he looked around, his gaze sweeping across the shelves, finally landing on the black bronze knife behind the counter, and his eyes lit up.
"Shopkeeper, this knife?"
"A superior-grade magic weapon, the Xuan Tong Blade." Zhang Lin sat behind the counter, his tone calm. "Extremely sharp, with the added characteristic of armor penetration; its blade energy can penetrate armor below the superior grade."
"1,300 spirit stones, no bargaining."
The middle-aged cultivator gasped.
Thirteen hundred spirit stones is an astronomical figure for a rogue cultivator like him.
"Too expensive..." He shook his head, his gaze then falling on the Wind-Breaking Blade. "What about this mid-grade magic weapon?"
"Five hundred and fifty spirit stones."
The middle-aged cultivator hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
Although he was at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, he had only accumulated a little over a hundred spirit stones, not even enough to cover the cost of this mid-grade magic weapon.
"So... how much does this Qi-Nourishing Pill cost?"
"Top-grade, can sustain you for three days at double the cultivation speed in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, priced at twenty spirit stones per stone."
The middle-aged cultivator gritted his teeth, took out a cloth bag from his pocket, counted out forty spirit stones, and pushed them onto the counter.
"Two, please."
Zhang Lin accepted the spirit stones, poured out two Qi-Nourishing Pills from the porcelain bottle, wrapped them in paper, and handed them to the middle-aged cultivator.
The middle-aged cultivator took the pill, carefully put it into his robes, glanced at the black bronze sword, a hint of longing flashing in his eyes, and finally sighed before turning and leaving.
Zhang Lin watched him leave, his expression unchanged.
This is just the beginning.
After that, individual practitioners gradually entered the shop.
Some bought Qi-Nourishing Pills, some bought Qi-Returning Pills, some bought Healing Pills, and some inquired about the price of low-grade magical artifacts.
But the real big business is yet to come.
After noon, a special guest came to the shop.
The newcomer was a young cultivator in his early twenties, dressed in a brocade robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He was at the mid-stage of Qi Refining and was followed by two attendants at the early stage of Qi Refining.
It's obvious at a glance that he comes from a prominent family.
After entering the store, the young man's gaze swept around the shelves and finally landed on the Breakthrough Pill behind the counter.
"This is... a Breakthrough Pill?"
Zhang Lin nodded: "A top-grade first-class item, which can assist in breaking through to perfection in the late stage of Qi Refining."
The young man approached the counter, looked down at the pills in the brocade box, and a hint of eagerness flashed in his eyes.
He was a member of the Wu family in Qingyun Town. He had been stuck in the middle stage of Qi Refining for three years and was unable to transform his mist into liquid and break through to the late stage of Qi Refining.
Although the family has some resources, rare pills like the Breakthrough Pill are not something that can be obtained easily.
"How many spirit stones?"
"Eight hundred."
The young man frowned.
Eight hundred spirit stones was no small sum for him.
Although the Wu family was one of the most prominent families in Qingyun Town, the monthly allowances for the family members were limited. He had saved up only a little over three hundred coins in two years.
"Could you make it cheaper?"
"Fixed price." Zhang Lin shook his head.
The young man hesitated for a long time, then finally shook his head, sighed, and turned to leave.
Zhang Lin watched his departing figure, but he wasn't in a hurry.
Breakthrough Pills are always in high demand.
Eight hundred spirit stones are expensive, but that only applies to cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining. For cultivators in the late-stage of Qi Refining, it's just a huge financial loss.
Within a radius of several hundred miles from Qingyun Town, there are no fewer than dozens of independent cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining, but very few at the perfect stage. There are always people willing to pay for it.
As the sun began to set, the market gradually dispersed.
Zhang Lin tallied today's revenue, totaling 420 spirit stones.
After deducting the cost of goods and shop rent, the net profit was over three hundred coins.