Idea

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As the heat of his products started to die down, Sun Baohai stayed at home more often. Even though his budget was tight, he hired another person, a ger. The ger Lu Yao was the wife of He Feng, a poor farmer. Together, they had four kids, and their life was very rough. Lu Yao was self-taught, and his arithmetic was not bad. More help in organizing was needed, so Sun Baohai hired him, paying him seventy wen a week, which was very generous. He Feng and Lu Yao were in dire straits and were ecstatic, so Lu Yao started immediately, which freed up time for Sun Baohai.

Currently, he needed to plan what he would give to the Zhu family during the wedding that would please them enough to think of collaborating with them. Right now, he only had two gifts that were within budget: a personally arranged gift basket of his products and an arranged bouquet of flowers.

"Baohai, I finished your hanfu; come take a look!" Yingtai called out, breaking Sun Baohai away from his thoughts.

"Coming!" Sun Baohai cried back before getting up and going to Yingtai.

When he saw the hanfu, he was stunned. According to the dress code for the wedding, they should avoid the color red and wear festive colors like green and blue. So, the family's dress code was green and blue. They were also on a budget and could, at most, buy cotton clothes, but surprisingly, Yingtai managed to create such pretty dresses from the basic green cotton cloth.

"Wow, Yingtai, you're truly talented in sewing," Sun Baohai praised as he picked up the hanfu and marveled at it.

"It's just some minor skill," Yingtai responded humbly, but her happy tone showed just how pleased she was with the compliment.

Looking at her love for embroidery, Sun Baohai immediately had a business idea. He could embroider; he's very good at that. He hailed from one of the most well-known literary families in China. No matter how much they hated him, they still had to keep up pretenses, so things like playing polo, etiquette, embroidery, playing the guqin, dancing, ink painting, and whatever extracurricular activities the rich needed, he was proficient in all of them. Still, the gutwrenching trauma behind it made him avoid doing any of these unless it was absolutely necessary. Right now, Yingtai was more than enough; she was even better than him, so this could be left to her.

"Yingtai, do you want to partner with me for business?" Sun Baohai asked seriously.

"Business?" Yingtai asked, doubtful.

"Yes, business," Sun Baohai assured.

"What type of business?" Yingatai asked excitedly. Though she was a little nervous, she was more excited to make money. Currently, their only source of income was Sun Baohai, and with three additional mouths to feed, treat, and clothing, their budgets had tightened. If she could help in any way, then she would be happy to do so.

"I noticed that there aren't a lot of accessory shops in town, and those there are so expensive that regular town folks can't buy them. With your embroidering, I can design some accessories, and you can embroider them, and we can sell them accordingly. We'll split the earnings ninety and ten. You get ninety, and I get ten," Sun Baohai explained.

Yingtai was shocked but hurriedly denied, "It's your idea. How could you get so little?" 

"I already have an established business, so there's no time to oversee too much of this new business. Plus, embroidery takes a lot of time and effort; my drawings are barely worth that ten percent." Sun Baohai reasoned.

Yingtai hesitated as she was about to decline again. Her sister-in-law was a smart businessman, so he wouldn't just throw money down the drain, especially with their situation right now. After weighing the pros and cons for a while, she agreed.

"OK, for now, I think we should focus on hair accessories. When we went to town, I noticed that a lot of townsfolk would only wear simple silver or gold hairpins. When I researched further, I realized a simple silver hairpin can range from eight hundred wens to three tael while a designed one would range from five taels to ten taels. A simple gold hair accessory ranges from eight taels of silver to twenty taels, while a designed one can range from twenty to fifty silver." Sun Baohai explained.

"That's expensive," Yingtai remarked.

"Exactly, and there's no in-between. A lot of the non-noble town folks can't afford a designed silver or gold hairpin with the little fortune they hold, so they settle for a simple hairpin even if it's not befitting their status because they have no choice. So if we came out with hair accessories that were not too high prices but still expensive while it is looking befitting for the townsfolk, then that would be a jackpot." Sun Baohai finished analyzing.

Yingtai was amazed. This observation was done while he played with them, literally with kids. Before she could express her amazement, a cry pierced the ear, signifying that the newborn baby girl woke up. Yingtai hurriedly excused herself before she went to pick  her up.

Sun Baohai didn't mind and went to start on the gift basket. After deliberating for a while, he carefully selected each item to ensure it would bring joy and relaxation. First, he chose a bottle of strawberry sake he got from the system. The sake had a delicate pink hue and a sweet, fruity aroma that promised a refreshing taste.

Next, he added an herb bath package, containing a mix of dried lavender, chamomile, and rosemary. These herbs were known for their soothing properties and would provide a luxurious, calming bath experience. To complement the bath package, he included two face moisturizers. One was made with aloe vera and cucumber for a cooling and hydrating effect, and the other with honey and chamomile for nourishing and soothing the skin.

He also placed a jar of homemade raspberry jam in the basket. The jam was rich and thick, made from freshly picked raspberries and a hint of vanilla, perfect for spreading on toast or adding to desserts. A bottle of rose oil followed, known for its fragrant and calming scent, as well as its benefits for the skin and hair.

Finally, he added a selection of beautifully crafted DIY flowers to enhance the presentation. These flowers, much like the ones he had seen in elegant displays, were made from high-quality materials, each petal and leaf meticulously designed. There were delicate white blossoms with intricate details, golden accents that added a touch of luxury, and large, soft petals that created a stunning visual impact. These flowers were arranged artistically around the items, their soft hues and elegant forms adding a touch of handmade charm and beauty to the gift basket.

Each item was carefully arranged in the basket, wrapped in soft, pastel-colored tissue paper, and tied with a satin ribbon. The basket itself was adorned with a beautiful floral design, echoing the elegance of the DIY flowers. Sun Baohai stepped back and admired his work, satisfied that the gift basket would bring delight and relaxation to its recipient.





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