CHAPTER 319: CHAPTER 316: I’M SERIOUS ABOUT OPENING THIS SHOP

Because the business was not ideal on the first day, Lin Wanwan made a big move the next day; she brought some firecrackers from the modern era for good luck and excitement, to worship the gods and ward off evil.

As soon as the market opened at noon, Lin Mengli took a fire stick to light one end of the firecrackers hanging by the sign, the other end laid on the ground.

Lin Wanwan was sitting on a long bench behind the front desk in the hall, waiting for the firecrackers to explode.

Summoned to act as the little shopkeeper, Lin Mengli, who hadn’t experienced the power of firecrackers before, did not immediately walk away after lighting the fuse as Lin Wanwan advised, but instead took two steps back and curiously observed from the side.

"Pop! Pop!"

"The stove exploded!"

A huge series of blasts rang out continuously, startling Lin Mengli who fell to the ground, ignoring the pain, and crawled frantically into the hall, away from the string of firecrackers at the door, looking at the firecrackers flashing with firelight, his face horrified.

Lin Wanwan bought the grand ground firecrackers with a thousand blasts, which, once ignited, explode a dozen times every second, lasting for about two minutes.

During these two minutes, the loud sound of the firecrackers left everyone at the market stunned; some thought it was thunder, others a tremor, and some believed it was the heavens in anger, prostrating themselves on the ground in supplication.

Passersby who were near Red Face Smile’s entrance panicked, scattering like birds and beasts, shouting and fleeing.

A few brave souls crouched far away and watched, ready to retreat at any moment.

The two minutes passed quickly, the firecrackers burned out, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. People startled by the sound hesitantly gathered round, much like curious yet fearful stray cats.

Lin Mengli swallowed and stammered, "Wan, Wanwan, what, what is this?"

At the moment he heard the explosion, Lin Mengli vaguely thought the Daoist in the temple was refining alchemy and blew up the furnace.

In their Lin Family Manor, there was once a temple on the mountainside that blew up a furnace, collapsing half of the temple, and the remaining ruins are still rotting on the mountain slope.

"These are just firecrackers, used to ward off evil and attract the God of Wealth, don’t panic, didn’t I tell you all before?" Lin Wanwan explained and glanced at Hong Yan, who was also still shaken, "Hong Yan, the attention of the entire market has been drawn here, now it’s your turn, remember what I told you yesterday."

Hong Yan regained her composure, barely suppressing her shock, and looked at several New Luo Maids who were equally scared, "Follow me."

A row of beautifully made-up New Luo Maids stood at the entrance, wearing short sleeves and skirts made of yellow and white silk stitchcloth tied at the waist, appearing elegant and charmingly simple.

All the maids inside Red Face Smile wore dresses that Lin Wanwan ordered from a clothing shop in town after reviewing the Tang laws at Xiao Chong’s place, ensuring they fully complied with the Emperor’s regulations.

In Lin Family Manor, her slaves usually wore silk, and during festivals, she would reward all the servants with top-quality fabrics.

But now, in Xiaoxi Town, serving everyone, everything must be legal with no fault at all!

Thus the emperors stipulated that commoners’ maids could only wear coarse cloth or silk stitchcloth, so Lin Wanwan had everyone follow the requirements.

Hong Yan stood at the doorway, speaking to all the curious onlookers, "Dear fellow villagers, our Red Face Smile is offering a grand opening discount, if anyone at home wants to make themselves beautiful for their beloved, come and experience Red Face Smile; we have free makeup slots today."

After saying that, Hong Yan pointed to a young woman wrapped in a headscarf, wearing coarse cloth, and holding a shopping basket among the crowd, "This lady here, yes, you, would you like to try our Red Face Smile? I promise you’ll neither suffer nor be deceived! This opportunity is rare, after today, we will not be open to the public, only serving members."

"Am I okay?" The young woman instinctively stepped back, looking both eager and timid.

"Sure!" Hong Yan smiled at her, and two New Luo Maids approached to guide her into the hall of Red Face Smile.

Do you think this was really just any random young woman? How could it be? Of course, she was an inside agent Lin Wanwan arranged, actually an embroideress from her Embroidery Workshop!

Red Face Smile’s positioning remained on the high-end route unchanged, but since she temporarily couldn’t exploit noble women, she decided to stir up some commotion and spread fame!

Just a short quarter of an hour later, the noticeably ordinary young woman who entered holding a shopping basket was transformed and walked out the door.

If her dress wasn’t still the same plain coarse cloth skirt, the people watching wouldn’t believe she was the same person!

Her newly styled hair, willow eyebrows curled, with high bridge nose, fair and translucent skin, and a flower ornament painted on her brow, she appeared just like a noble woman.

This makeup was unlike the Tang Dynasty’s heavy white-walled look; others simply thought her skin suddenly improved without noticeable heavy makeup, how did she suddenly become beautiful then?

"My goodness, Peach Blossom! Is it really you, Peach Blossom? You look like a different person! You’ve become so beautiful! Why is your face whiter? Why are your eyes bigger? Is the powder and rouge inside really this magical?" A loud woman’s voice exaggeratedly shouted from the crowd.

This was the second inside agent arranged as a respondent, though her acting was clearly streets behind Peach Blossom’s, no wonder she could only shout from hiding within the crowd rather than perform in the open.

God knows how long the embroideress named Lan Xiang rehearsed these lines last night just for those few words!

The young woman called Peach Blossom raised her sleeve to half-cover her face shyly, "Yes, it’s me, how can it be a change, if you like it, you can try inside, I am going home now."

She said and then pushed through the crowd, hurriedly leaving.

The eyes of the spectators followed her movement, incredulous. Clearly just walking normally inside, how did she come out looking like a different person!

"My god, it’s amazing, I want to try too!"

"Welcome, welcome!"

A few more young women squeezed out from the crowd of onlookers, vying to enter Red Face Smile, and within a quarter of an hour also walked out radiantly.

At the same time, the Market Commissioner managing Mao County’s market sent people to understand the situation.

The position of Market Commissioner, managing market trades and price balance, was established by Chu State during the Huaxia Spring and Autumn period. During the Tang Dynasty, government offices, states, and counties all set Market Commissioners. Like the county magistrate, the Market Commissioner was forbidden from using locals, with ranks typically at Secondary Ninth Rank.

The recent series of loud sounds not only alarmed the onlookers but naturally also startled the Market Commissioner stationed at the market.

Lin Wanwan always leisurely reclined on the folding chair behind the hall’s screen, observing the shop’s circumstances. Even when the stern-faced Market Soldiers arrived, she didn’t budge, just watching to see the shopkeeper’s response capabilities.

The shopkeeper left Lin Wanwan’s specially crafted peculiar front desk and led the Market Soldiers into a rest area inside, nodding and bending over. Moments later, he respectfully sent them off at the door with hand gestures.

Just seeing the Market Soldiers leave smiling, it was clear the shopkeeper had explained the earlier firecracker commotion clearly.