{"id":7236,"date":"2025-07-26T10:56:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T08:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7236"},"modified":"2025-07-26T10:56:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T08:56:04","slug":"the-spiritual-plant-master-transmigration-chapter-74-business-starts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2025\/07\/26\/the-spiritual-plant-master-transmigration-chapter-74-business-starts\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spiritual Plant Master Transmigration &#8211; Chapter 74 &#8211; Business Starts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--StartFragment--><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting looked at the freezer in front of him in amazement.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">He had been wondering how to handle iced drinks\u2014maybe by making ice with potassium nitrate? But in this world, he had no such worries. A single array formation solved it all.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cThis box was made by an array master. Basically, an ice-condensing array is engraved on its edges. As long as you pour water in, the array activates and instantly forms ice.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting looked at the box with admiration.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cIf you put prepared drinks inside, they\u2019ll freeze quickly too,\u201d said Xu Muan.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cYou\u2019re so clever,\u201d Xiao Jingting said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan looked up at Xiao Jingting and said, \u201cIt\u2019s not that I\u2019m clever, it\u2019s common sense.\u201d She gave him a meaningful look.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting frowned. Although he had merged with the original owner\u2019s memories, he still subconsciously thought of this world in terms of his past life\u2019s logic. Suddenly, he realized his thinking was wrong. \u201cI\u2019ll be careful.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan smiled and said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, just take your time.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cIs the shop all decorated?\u201d Xiao Jingting asked.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan nodded, \u201cYes. The shop was decorated just as you said. The paper cups and straws you requested are all ready. Tomorrow, I\u2019ll bring the cold drinks we made from home and we can open. But the opening day probably won\u2019t have much business.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cGood wine needs no bush. It\u2019ll grow slowly. You don\u2019t have to pressure yourself so much,\u201d Xiao Jingting patted Xu Muan\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cI know,\u201d Xu Muan said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting took out an ID badge and handed it to Xu Muan. \u201cWith this, you should be able to mobilize some of the Xiao family servants. Take it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cOkay. Tomorrow I\u2019ll bring Xiaofan and Xiaodong along too,\u201d Xu Muan said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting nodded, \u201cGood, good. Those two little rascals should be able to help some.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cThis time we have a lot of stuff; the fire cloud bird can\u2019t carry it all. Second Brother said the Xiao family has a special food delivery Jiaoma carriage we can borrow for free,\u201d Xu Muan said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cThat\u2019s great!\u201d Xiao Jingting said. He loved free things the most.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Early next morning, Xu Muan took the two little ones and all the stuff to the shop. Once they left, Xiao Jingting felt a little empty.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan put the prepared drinks in the shop. When the time was right, they opened.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan initially thought business would be slow at first, but unexpectedly, the trade was quite good.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Some Xiao family servants heard it was Young Master Xiao Jingting\u2019s shop and came to support and get acquainted. Some of Xiao Jingting\u2019s old mischievous friends also came just to see the excitement.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">The price was set at one tael of silver per cup. Xu Muan thought it was a bit expensive, but Xiao Jingting insisted on aiming for a high-end market. Xu Muan thought Xiao Jingting pricing the drinks at one tael wasn\u2019t about high-end strategy, but about convenience.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Mo City had many rich people. Although the price was high, many still bought drinks.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Xiaodong moved a small stool to the counter to handle money.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Xiaofan stood aside to hand over drinks.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan served customers\u2019 orders, preparing drinks and delivering them.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Before sunset, all the prepared cold drinks were sold out. Xu Muan took the two little ones home early.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cSold out already?\u201d Xiao Jingting asked surprised.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan nodded, \u201cYes! Since it was a trial run, we only made around 400 servings. They sold out immediately.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cBig towns do have many rich people,\u201d Xu Muan smiled. In a smaller town, who could afford such expensive drinks? But here, people were willing to buy for their kids.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting nodded, \u201cYeah, sold out already.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cWe sold 400 servings today. If that continues every day, the monthly income would be 12,000 taels,\u201d Xu Muan said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting was excited. \u201cWe just opened today. Maybe income will double or even triple in a few days. Once spirit wine is on shelves, business will be better. But enough about that, prepare tomorrow\u2019s drinks.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan considered and said, \u201cI\u2019ll find a few people to help. Just the two of us won\u2019t be enough. Some simple washing and peeling can be outsourced for a bit of money. But the drink recipe is a secret; no one can know.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting nodded. After working all day on the fields, he was almost exhausted. If he had to do night shifts too, he\u2019d be dead from overwork. \u201cMake plenty, better safe than sorry. If we don\u2019t sell it all, we\u2019ll just drink ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Seeing Xiao Jingting tired, Xu Muan said quickly, \u201cYou\u2019re not looking well. Eat and rest early. I\u2019ll find help&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cOkay,\u201d Xiao Jingting agreed.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">The next day, over 600 drinks prepared by Xu Muan sold out again. However, Xu Muan looked unwell and suggested having Xiao Jingfeng watch the store. She seemed a bit weary.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting quietly called Xiao Xiaodong out, \u201cXiaodong, how\u2019s business today?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cPretty good. Many people who bought yesterday came again today and even bought more. Drinks sold out again about the same time. Though Xiaofan secretly drank a lot and almost wet his pants. We should prepare more tomorrow to sell more,\u201d Xiao Xiaodong said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting: \u201c&#8230;\u201d Almost wet his pants!<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cWhat happened with your parents? They don\u2019t look so good,\u201d Xiao Jingting said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cGrandpa came and wanted Father to prepare thirty cold drinks. Father said thirty taels. Grandpa asked why he was charging him. Father insisted on payment. They argued in front of many customers. Grandpa called Father unfilial and disowned him. It was a big scene and people watched a lot. Grandpa actually sold off Father before, now he comes back to scold him,\u201d Xiao Xiaodong said gloomily.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting rubbed his nose. Filial piety can be suffocating! Xu Fu, too\u2014if he secretly took drinks, Xu Muan might give them. But openly asking in front of customers? If everyone tried that, who would pay? How would business survive?<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Fu\u2019s appetite was big, too! Asking for thirty drinks at once\u2014if Xu Muan just gave it, his demands would only grow.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan was a concubine of Xu Fu; the shop was under his name. If she gave so much, people might say she was taking Xiao family money to support outsiders. If she refused, others would think her cold. It was a no-win situation.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cSome Xiao family members came, including eldest aunt who saw the good business and was a bit jealous. Father, ask Second Uncle to help watch the store. He\u2019s free now and can keep order better. If he watches the store, Grandpa definitely won\u2019t create trouble,\u201d Xiao Xiaodong said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting nodded. His plan had been too simplistic. Xu Muan was his secondary wife and \u201cer\u2019er\u201d (the effeminate male). Despite her cultivation, her identity was often criticized.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">If the business grew, the Xiao family might interfere, and Xu Muan\u2019s status could be repeatedly questioned. But Xiaodong was quite young\u2014yet already knew who could keep order.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll ask Second Uncle,\u201d Xiao Jingting said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Xiaodong nodded, \u201cYeah, Dad, go quickly. Actually, I\u2019ll go with you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting: \u201c&#8230;\u201d This little rascal, afraid I won\u2019t explain well?<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cWant me to watch the store?\u201d Xiao Jingfeng asked.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting nodded, \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cSecond Uncle, Father can\u2019t keep order. All those demons running about, only you can handle it,\u201d Xiao Xiaodong said with hands on hips.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingfeng: \u201c&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting gave Xiao Xiaodong a playful knock on the head. \u201cWhat demons? Don\u2019t talk nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cI\u2019m not!\u201d Xiao Xiaodong said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cSecond Brother, if you watch the store, I\u2019ll give you 30% of the profits,\u201d Xiao Jingting said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingfeng smiled helplessly, \u201cNo way I\u2019d take your money.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">They haggled a bit and finally settled on 20% profits.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan was not angry with Xiao Jingting for switching the store manager so decisively. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cBetter to have Second Brother watch the shop.\u201d Xiao Jingfeng was family and had two parents cultivation at level eight, so had much more influence.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cYou\u2019re too tired, and Second Brother is too free. Let him watch the store so you can stay home and develop new drinks and brew spirit wine,\u201d Xiao Jingting said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Muan nodded and smiled, \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">With Xiao Jingfeng in charge, Xiao Xiaodong and Xiao Xiaofan still helped.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Xiaodong acted seriously and professionally. Though not very quick, Xiao Xiaofan did well at simple tasks.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xu Fu came again, but seeing Xiao Jingfeng as manager, he left without showing himself.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingfeng had heard about the booming business from Xiao Xiaodong, but when he came to oversee the store personally, he realized just how busy it was. Many customers bought ten or more drinks at once; the shop had a buy ten get one free offer.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingfeng watched the busy Xiao Xiaodong and Xiao Xiaofan and felt Xiao Jingting\u2019s children were well taught\u2014so young, yet already sensible.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">After selling all the drinks he brought, Xiao Jingfeng closed the shop and went home.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cJingting, your store is doing really well,\u201d Xiao Jingfeng said excitedly on returning.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting smiled at Xiao Jingfeng\u2019s enthusiasm. \u201cIt just opened. People might buy more out of curiosity. Prices might fall a bit in a few days.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cBut after a few days, you\u2019ll have regular customers, so the drop won\u2019t be much,\u201d Xiao Jingfeng said. \u201cToday\u2019s sales were about 1000 taels. If sustained, that\u2019s 30,000 a month. Your 10,000 monthly debt won\u2019t be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting nodded, \u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cJingting, today many asked if we could do delivery. If drinks could be delivered, sales might grow more,\u201d Xiao Jingfeng said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cI\u2019ve thought about delivery. We can set minimum order amounts for delivery, but we need to recruit delivery personnel. Second Brother, do you know anyone?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cI do know a few people,\u201d Xiao Jingfeng scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cFrom the mercenary team?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cYeah.\u201d Xiao Jingfeng smiled sheepishly. \u201cThere was one who lost his Qi Sea in battle and left because he couldn\u2019t cultivate anymore. Another had a leg bitten off and uses a prosthetic, so moves inconveniently but can help with accounting and shop helpers. There was one more\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cSecond Brother, aren\u2019t you resentful of the mercenary team?\u201d Xiao Jingting asked.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cWhen I was expelled, most of those people had already left, so it wasn\u2019t related to them.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingfeng sighed. \u201cMercenaries gamble with their lives. Once kicked out, life is difficult. When active, they\u2019re family pillars. Once over, they become burdens. I\u2019ve seen old teammates who came back injured and were abandoned by their wives and resented by brothers. It\u2019s pitiful.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting nodded, \u201cIf that\u2019s so, handle it as you see fit. You can prepare uniform outfits for delivery staff.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">\u201cOkay, I\u2019ll arrange it,\u201d Xiao Jingfeng said.<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingting hesitated. \u201cSecond Brother, you had a hard time as a mercenary, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"my-0\">Xiao Jingfeng smiled, \u201cAll in the past now.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Edited by: Tetsu<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Proofreader: Taalia<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Xiao Jingting looked at the freezer in front of him in amazement. He had been wondering how to handle iced drinks\u2014maybe by making ice with potassium nitrate? But in this world, he had no such worries. A single array formation solved it all. \u201cThis box was made by an array master. Basically, an ice-condensing array [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-spiritual-plant-master-transmigration","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/11609s.jpg?fit=180%2C250&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7236"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7237,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7236\/revisions\/7237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}