Chapter 53

A low table, two cups of clear tea, and bamboo curtains gently hanging, from where one could overlook the city of Luoyang at a glance. The teahouse was filled with a fragrant mist, the tea aroma soothing, and stepping into the teahouse felt like entering a different world, calming the mind and making one feel serene and composed.

The manager of the tea shop refilled Xia Hongsheng's cup with tea, asking respectfully, "How is everything, young master? Are you satisfied?"

Xia Hongsheng nodded, admitting that the tea shop was much better than he had expected. This manager was a seasoned veteran in business, having long been in charge of the Xu family's commercial affairs. He had thoroughly understood the plans Xia Hongsheng had written and implemented them in a way that was more acceptable to the people of the Tang Dynasty. Xia Hongsheng couldn't help but admire the manager's intellect and ability. As they say, merchants are the most adaptable people. Xia Hongsheng had only provided a general idea, but the manager had grasped it accurately and thought even more thoroughly and practically. Even Xia Hongsheng himself wasn't sure he could do better. After all, Xia Hongsheng had only seen such practices in the future, but had never managed them himself. If he were to do it himself, he might not be as good as this manager.

"I only provided an idea, and you've done such a great job. I'm truly impressed," Xia Hongsheng smiled at the manager. "This opening is excellent, and the poetry and tea tasting event is a brilliant move. Set a fixed schedule for the poetry and tea tasting events, how often they will be held. Anyone with a VIP card, regardless of the level, can participate. Those without a VIP card can't participate, but they can still come to watch. Don't be stingy; provide some low-cost, exquisite items to make the event more grand and prestigious. Hold large-scale poetry and tea tasting events at regular intervals. This is also a form of publicity. Don't be stingy with publicity costs, and don't underestimate the power of publicity! We need to make Mingxiangju known to everyone. When people think of tea, they should naturally think of Mingxiangju, integrating Mingxiangju with tea. This is how we achieve our goal. Also, the Luoyang Poetry Festival and the Flower Queen Competition are coming up. These are major events. You should contact the managers of these events and see if we can secure exclusive naming rights and supply rights. If successful, these two events will certainly spread the name of Mingxiangju far and wide."

"Exclusive naming rights? Supply rights?" The manager was puzzled, not understanding what Xia Hongsheng meant.

"Ha ha, the naming rights mean putting our Mingxiangju name before the poetry festival and the flower queen competition. The host will mention that the event is exclusively named by Mingxiangju. We will provide all the tea, wine, and food needed for the event. We can also fund a trophy with our name on it as the final prize. This way, everyone participating in the event will know our Mingxiangju. As for the exclusivity, it means only we can do this. After the agreement, no other shops can do the same. Although it will cost some money, once our name is known, the people at the poetry festival, who love tea, will naturally increase our sales, and the profits will far exceed our expenses," Xia Hongsheng explained, introducing the concept of naming rights and advertising from the future. In the future, whether it's TV shows or variety shows, they often have exclusive naming rights, and the publicity benefits are significant.

The manager's eyes grew brighter as he listened. After Xia Hongsheng's explanation, he was so excited that he slapped the table. "Great!"

As soon as he said it, he remembered Xia Hongsheng's status and quickly apologized. Xia Hongsheng shook his head, indicating it didn't matter.

"Master, I was too excited," the manager said, still agitated. "I've been in business for half my life and consider myself quite capable, but compared to you, I fall far short! Your plans have always given me a sense of clarity, making me realize that business can be done in such a way. Today, hearing your words, I am even more... I don't know how to express it. You are truly a reincarnation of Tao Zhugong! The impact of exclusive naming rights is unimaginable. Not only for the Luoyang Poetry Festival and the Flower Queen Competition, but for any other major events in the future, we can also strive for them. After a few major events, won't everyone in the world know the name of Mingxiangju? You are truly a genius!"

Xia Hongsheng smiled and shook his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. These were common business tactics in the future, not something extraordinary. "Thank you. I just had an idea, but in terms of practical implementation, you are far superior to me."

"Master, rest assured! I will take care of this personally!" The manager, being a man of action, immediately got up and bowed, ready to secure the exclusive naming rights. Xia Hongsheng nodded, letting the manager go about his business, while he sat in the private room, enjoying the view of Luoyang and marveling at the Xu family's hidden wealth. The tea shop was set up so quickly, and the interior decoration and layout were well thought out. Xia Hongsheng had planned it according to the high standards of modern teahouses, which required a significant investment. He had chosen the right channel.

On the table were a few account books. Xia Hongsheng stared out the window for a while, then casually flipped through a few pages before closing them. He trusted Xu Qixian's father, who would verify these accounts.

Finishing his tea, Xia Hongsheng stood up, left the private room, and went downstairs. He instructed the waiter that if anyone came to Mingxiangju to inquire about his whereabouts, they should be told he was at the school. Then he left the tea shop. Today's visit showed that the tea shop was running much more smoothly than he had expected, and he didn't need to worry much about it, allowing him to sit back and enjoy the profits.

With his mind at ease, Xia Hongsheng felt much better. He hummed a song from the future as he walked through the streets of Luoyang, heading towards the school. He was unfamiliar with Luoyang, but following the students would allow him to explore the city.

Back at the inn where the school had arranged for him, the students were not there, presumably out exploring Luoyang. The inn had many more students, likely from other academies.

"Master Xia, you're back," the waiter greeted Xia Hongsheng as he entered the inn.

"Yes, I'm back. The matter is settled. Little brother, have my fellow students gone out?"

"They left early this morning. I told them what you said. Master, are you tired from walking? Please sit down, and I'll bring you a cup of tea. It's hot today, and the innkeeper has prepared some cooling tea. I'll bring it to you right away," the waiter nodded, adding that Xia Hongsheng was very polite and respectful, which made him feel appreciated, so he treated Xia Hongsheng with extra warmth.

"Ha ha, thank you, little brother. I've been walking all day, and my mouth is almost dry!" Xia Hongsheng smiled and sat down.

Soon, the waiter brought a teapot and poured a cup for Xia Hongsheng, then excused himself to continue his work. Xia Hongsheng took a sip of the cooling tea, slightly frowning at its slightly bitter taste. Compared to the cooling tea from the future, it was more bitter and less sweet. However, this gave Xia Hongsheng an idea. In the future, besides tea, there were also flower tea and cooling tea, all considered part of the tea category. Why not try making flower tea and cooling tea to sell in the tea shop? Women would likely prefer flower tea, and many flower teas are beneficial to health, especially for women. There were many noble households in the Tang Dynasty, and the number of noblewomen was significant, making it a high-end market. Cooling tea was easy to make, using a few cooling and detoxifying herbs, and the current doctors could provide several formulas. The taste was not good, probably because it lacked a crucial ingredient—rock sugar. Rock sugar was made from white sugar, which was widely used at the time. Rock sugar was made by boiling and crystallizing white sugar, and with a few tries, it should be possible to make it. The main challenge was the flower tea, which wasn't just dried flowers but required tea to be scented with flowers. Xia Hongsheng vaguely remembered that tea leaves were used as the base, and fresh flowers were used as the scenting material, mixed with new tea leaves. The exact process was unclear, but it needed to be experimented with.

Flower tea combined the flavor of tea with the fragrance of flowers, enhancing each other. When brewed, the aroma was inviting, and the taste was refreshing, making one feel relaxed and content. Flower tea not only retained the benefits of tea but also had medicinal properties, benefiting health. This was something the tea makers needed to experiment with.

Thinking about this, Xia Hongsheng couldn't sit still. He finished his cooling tea, stood up, and returned to his room. He wanted to write down all the ideas he could remember and give them to the tea shop manager to prepare, so he could start experimenting to see if he could make rock sugar and flower tea.