The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 304: Disciplining the Maidservants

Therefore, when Tong Huaqiong stepped into the Rouge Shop, it was crowded with young ladies and young wives from Prefecture City.

Lu Zhaozhao and her maid personally attended to everyone.

After a while, Lu Zhaozhao finally noticed Tong Huaqiong and the others.

"Aunt Tong, you’re here," Lu Zhaozhao greeted with a smile.

"You go ahead and finish your work, I’ll just browse around," Tong Huaqiong said.

"Aunt Tong, I won’t stand on ceremony with you. It’s been really busy these past few days. Feel free to look around. Oh, by the way, that shelf over there has rose rouge and camellia powder from Shengjing, exclusive to our Prefecture City. Take a look and if there’s anything you like, I’ll send it to you later." Lu Zhaozhao pointed to a nearby shelf and then went off to attend to other customers.

Tong Huaqiong, upon hearing about the good products from Shengjing, went over to take a closer look and smell each one.

As expected, the rouge from Shengjing was different, with a subtle and refreshing scent, not overpowering at all.

The shelf displayed a row of small bottles labeled as testers.

Tong Huaqiong chuckled; Lu Zhaozhao had indeed learned her marketing tactics from Taohua Dessert.

Which woman could resist the allure of cosmetics? Once you apply a bit of that fragrant rouge and smell it in the shop, who could resist buying it?

Tong Huaqiong thought if there were wind lamps or Luminous Pearls placed on the shelf to enhance the lighting, the trial experience would be even better.

She planned to remind Lu Zhaozhao to adopt this idea.

Anyway, the Lu Family was not short of Luminous Pearls.

"Mom, this rouge is really nice."

A plainly dressed young woman carefully took a layer of rouge from the tester box and applied it to her face, then looked in the mirror, while her daughter clapped happily beside her.

"It’s expensive," the young woman said shyly, picking up the rouge box, shaking her head, and putting it down again.

In the past, the Lu Family shop only served well-off women from the Prefecture City. Now anyone could enter the shop, and this plain young woman couldn’t resist coming in after passing by several times.

She thought it wouldn’t hurt to try it without buying.

But once applied to her face, she couldn’t walk away.

This rouge emitted a faint fragrance, completely different from the poor-quality scent she typically used.

With the rouge on her face, the haggard look from a day’s work vanished.

In the mirror, she appeared fair and rosy, still looking young!

She hesitated, holding the box, unsure whether to buy it.

"Oh, isn’t this Master Wen?" Chen Sufen patted the young woman’s arm excitedly.

Seeing Chen Sufen, Mrs. Wen put down the rouge box and happily exclaimed, "Sister Sufen."

Then catching sight of Tong Huaqiong not far away, she greeted with composure, "Owner."

Mrs. Wen was the only female pastry chef at Prefecture City Peach Blossom Dessert.

In the shop, she always wore a mask and head covering, so Tong Huaqiong hadn’t recognized her as the one trying the rouge.

"Is this your daughter?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Mrs. Wen nodded and said, "I brought my daughter to look around after work."

Tong Huaqiong said, "Your daughter is right, this rouge suits you well."

Mrs. Wen smiled shyly and softly said, "I’m just trying it. This box of rouge costs a hundred coins, enough to buy several pounds of rice."

Tong Huaqiong knew of Mrs. Wen’s family situation; her husband was often sick and needed medicine, and there were in-laws to support. The whole family relied on her income from work.

A hundred-coin rouge was indeed expensive for her.

"If you find it expensive, don’t come in."

While Tong Huaqiong was pondering an excuse to gift a box to Mrs. Wen, she overheard someone muttering.

Looking back, she saw two lavishly made-up young women standing together, the one in red speaking to the one in purple.

Rather than complaining to the girl in purple, the girl in red seemed to be deliberately mocking Mrs. Wen.

"I wonder why the boss wants to offer testers, letting so many freeloaders come in, try without buying, a total waste."

"It was better when we only served the daughters and wives of wealthy families. Now, dealing with those who can’t afford it every day wears out my tongue, and they still don’t buy anything." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The girl in red didn’t stop complaining.

"You should complain less. The boss said we must warmly welcome every customer," the girl in purple said.

Tong Huaqiong understood these two girls were the shop’s "counter ladies."

That sneering red-clad girl was all too familiar to Tong Huaqiong from her modern life.

During her undergraduate days, she and her classmates timidly tried lipsticks at high-end mall counters; some counter ladies would mock them due to their student-like attire.

Hearing the girl in red’s mocking words, Mrs. Wen blushed with embarrassment.

She shouldn’t have come in!

Walking up to the girl in red, Tong Huaqiong asked, "Are you a clerk at this shop?"

The girl in red saw Tong Huaqiong’s distinguished attire, smiled broadly, and said, "Yes, what can I help you with?"

Indifferent to the girl’s smile, Tong Huaqiong said, "As a shop clerk, talking behind a customer’s back, what shop’s rule is that?"

"Since your shop doesn’t specify who can enter and who can’t, anyone who enters is a customer. Since your shop provides testers, then any customer who enters can try. Who says entering requires buying, and trying requires purchasing? By your logic, entering and trying must lead to a purchase, which amounts to coercion."

Tong Huaqiong unceremoniously criticized the girl in red.

Of course, she kept her voice low and discreet to avoid affecting Lu Zhaozhao’s business.

Had it been her clerk, she would have dismissed her long ago.

At Taohua Dessert, even her daughter-in-law Liu Yueer wouldn’t dare speak ill of customers.

The girl in red bit her lip, looking defiant after being reprimanded by Tong Huaqiong.

The girl in purple stepped forward, saying, "Ma’am, you’re right. We did not handle it well. On behalf of Ruo Yu, I apologize to you and this lady."

This clerk seemed to have some decorum.

She then smiled toward Mrs. Wen and said, "Madam, your skin is fair. I think this camellia rouge suits you better. Here, let me help you try it on."

Saying so, she opened the camellia box.

"This box has great value, and many young wives and ladies love it. It’s fifty coins a box. Honestly, it’s not inferior in quality to the rose rouge you just tried. The rose rouge is pricey due to its carved box design. But we’re buying rouge to use, not to display the box, don’t you think?"

Tong Huaqiong nodded; if this girl in purple wasn’t Lu Zhaozhao’s clerk, she’d have poached her.

Hearing that the camellia rouge was fifty coins, Mrs. Wen visibly relaxed.

"Mrs. Chen, you’re here? Our shop just received a batch of Shengjing rouge and powder today. Please come this way, and I’ll help you try it on." The girl in red exclaimed sweetly, capturing Tong Huaqiong’s attention.

She saw a dignified and wealthy lady enter, surrounded by maids and attendants.

The girl in red, with a sweet smile, went up to hold the wealthy lady’s arm.