Treasures Around Episode 15 Recap
> Treasures Around Recap
Shan Dandan gave Pei Pei medicine to help him heal faster. Although the medicine was bitter, Pei Pei found sweetness in the moment, thinking it was sweeter than preserved fruit. Shan Dandan knew Pei Pei was worried about the lack of raw jade stones, but she reassured him that if she could help him through imprisonment, the raw stone issue would be easily resolved. Her confidence and Pei Pei's trust in her made her happy.
Upon returning to work, Pei Pei found some craftsmen preparing to leave Precious Pei Pavilion to work for the Su family. Shopkeeper Hao tried his best to persuade them to stay, reminding them how Old Madam had helped them in difficult times. However, the craftsmen felt they had no choice as they needed to support their families. Understanding their plight, Pei Pei did not make things difficult and allowed them to leave after settling their accounts.
Seeing the difficult situation, Pei Qinshi brought out her wedding dowry jewelry, intending to sell it to help the business. Shopkeeper Hao and others were hesitant to accept such a valuable sacrifice. Shan Dandan intervened, asking Pei Qinshi to keep the jewelry. She told Pei Qinshi not to sell them, saying she wanted them to be her betrothal gift someday, convincing her to hold onto them.
Shan Dandan proposed changing Precious Pei Pavilion's business from jade to gold and silver jewelry. She explained that without raw jade materials, they would starve, and this change was just a temporary strategy until they could return to jade. Shan Shuangshuang supported the idea, pointing out that since they lacked raw materials, focusing on survival by diversifying into other materials like stone, wood, fabric, shells, gold, and silver was a wise strategic retreat.
She added that new and diverse products were popular, and with Pei Pei's carving skills adapting to gold and silver, they could produce quality items. Pei Pei agreed, though somewhat reluctantly initially. Pei Pei instructed Shopkeeper Hao to sell 70% of the existing inventory at a discount to raise funds for purchasing materials for gold and silver jewelry.
Shopkeeper Hao was surprised by the drastic measure but accepted the order, understanding that it was necessary to feed the many mouths dependent on Precious Pei Pavilion. Hearing about Pei Pei selling inventory cheaply, Su Jue and Si Ruyu saw it as Pei Pei's decline, but Su Jue also considered buying the goods himself to resell them at the original price. Shan Dandan discussed the proposed business change with Pei Qinshi.
Pei Qinshi admitted it was hard to let go of their jade legacy but saw no other way. She recounted the hardships after Pei Pei's father passed away unexpectedly, leaving them in debt and forcing them to pawn everything, but she held on and rebuilt the business. Seeing her younger self's fearless spirit in Shan Dandan, Pei Qinshi expressed her trust in her ability to lead Precious Pei Pavilion.
Shan Dandan promised that the change was temporary and that they would never give up the hundred-year reputation of their jade works, promising to make Precious Pei Pavilion flourish again. Meanwhile, Shan Shuangshuang produced exquisite gold and silver jewelry designs, astonishing Pei Pei and Shan Dandan. She demonstrated techniques like filigree work (pulling wires and weaving them) and granulated beads (melting wires into tiny beads).
She asked Pei Pei if he was familiar with these or filigree inlay, and he admitted he had never heard of them, surprising her slightly, but Shan Dandan reminded her that Pei Pei primarily focused on jade carving. Shan Shuangshuang considered incorporating these techniques into future designs like phoenix crowns. Shan Dandan decided to seek collaboration with a famous tailor shop, Phoenix Blessing Pavilion, known for its exquisite women's clothing.
She learned that the owner, Boss Zhu, was cautious and difficult to negotiate with but had a soft spot for his youngest daughter, Xiao Die. Shan Dandan visited the shop and found Xiao Die playing. Xiao Die was captivated by a brooch Shan Dandan was wearing. Shan Dandan gave the brooch to her, and Boss Zhu saw how beautiful it looked on his daughter's dress.
Seizing the opportunity, Shan Dandan proposed a collaboration: Precious Pei Pavilion would provide accessories to complement Phoenix Blessing Pavilion's clothes, and they would share profits. Boss Zhu, seeing the appeal and encouraged by his daughter's delight with the accessory, agreed. Shan Dandan then took Pei Pei to Full Bloom House, a place frequented by men, to promote their new accessories. Pei Pei was confused, asking why they were seeking customers there when the guests were men.
Shan Dandan explained she was targeting the female performers, reasoning that men would buy gifts for them or their wives, and the performers themselves could influence trends. She convinced Lady Ling Yuan, a popular performer, to accept a unique gold hairpin as an apology (for some perceived slight related to the jade competition) and as a promotion.
Shan Dandan offered her the hairpin and money, promising a 20% discount for customers she referred and a 20% commission on sales generated through her. Ling Yuan readily agreed. Passing by Lady Hua Dian's room, they were pulled in. Seeing Ling Yuan with the hairpin, Hua Dian was initially upset but was appeased when Shan Dandan promised her an even more exquisite piece – the granulated bead earrings, describing them as unique in Jade Cloud City.
Hua Dian also demanded a commission, and Shan Dandan negotiated a similar referral discount and profit share arrangement. Later, discussing their strategy, Pei Pei questioned kneeling to the performers and selling at a loss while giving commissions. Shan Dandan explained it was a strategy; they would raise their prices by 20% to cover the discount and commission, making the influencers their top saleswomen. Soon, the performers were enthusiastically promoting Precious Pei Pavilion's accessories, attracting many customers.
Meanwhile, Su Jue examined some discarded carvings by Pei Pei found at Precious Pei Pavilion. He noticed the intricate details, realizing Pei Pei possessed strong micro-carving skills. This discovery intensified Su Jue's jealousy, making him question if he was inferior to Pei Pei. Days later, Shopkeeper Hao reported a flood of orders from all channels, totaling 2,600. He congratulated Shan Dandan, stating that if sales continued at this pace, their profits would almost match the previous jade business's peak.
Shan Dandan, however, was not satisfied with just breaking even. She declared her goal was to surpass not only the previous Precious Pei Pavilion but also the current Su Jade Pavilion. Pei Pei assured her he would fight this battle with her. Shan Dandan planned to collaborate with Painter Tan Qinghe to print designs for their products. She scheduled a meeting and promised to treat him to a feast afterward. Pei Pei decided to join the meeting, seemingly concerned about Shan Dandan being alone with Painter Tan.
