Free snail

"Xiaoyu, we've found them all. This is Aunt Liu, this is Aunt Li, and this is Aunt Wang..."

"Oh, hello, everyone."

"Xiaoyu, your aunt told us that you want our help with a promotional event."

"Yes."

"But Xiaoyu, we don't know how to do these things, and we don't want to cause any trouble for you."

"It's okay, it's okay, it's very simple. Tomorrow, all you need to do is carry the drums, blow a horn, hold some signs, and walk from here at Guoguang to Huayuan Bay, then to Chen Yiguang Square, then make a circle to the North Bridge, and come back to Dasheng Temple Pagoda."

"Just that simple?"

"Just that simple."

"But we don't know how to play the drums or blow the horn. What do we do?"

"It's okay, it's very simple. I'll teach you when the time comes."

"Then that's fine."

Several aunts nodded.

You might say that these aunts couldn't sing and dance, but just carrying drums and parading down the street wouldn't be a problem.

Moreover, this parade sounded quite novel, and they wanted to give it a try.

Of course, Aunties had untapped potential, and who said they couldn't sing and dance?

If they started practicing square dancing like in the previous life, it would definitely leave you stunned.

That was all idle talk, Chen Yu didn't have the time to organize square dancing. He continued, "However, ladies, you know that we're just a small shop, a small business, and we don't have much money. So, how about each of you receiving 15 yuan for tomorrow's expenses?"

"That's fine, 15 yuan is 15 yuan. We won't be doing anything, and besides, we have nothing to do at home."

"Yes, Xiaoyu, don't worry. Even if you don't pay, I have a good relationship with your Little Aunt."

"Thank you so much, everyone. Let's make it clear, 15 yuan each, and assemble here tomorrow morning at 8:30."

"Sounds good."

With the agreement of the aunties, Chen Yu prepared to go to the print shop to print some promotional signs. At this moment, Zhang Wenxiu stopped him. "Xiaoyu, what are you doing?"

"Promoting the business."

"Is it useful to find them?"

"Of course, it's useful."

Chen Yu nodded. "Not only is it useful, but the effect will definitely surprise you, Mom."

"Really?"

Zhang Wenxiu obviously didn't fully believe it. However, just now she overheard that each person would only cost 15 yuan, making the overall cost quite low. Even if it didn't have much effect, it wouldn't be a big deal.

"Oh, by the way, Mom, how are we selling the snails at the store tomorrow?"

"As we just opened, your mom said we should have a grand opening promotion. Originally, the snails were 3 yuan per bowl, but now if you buy two bowls, it's only 5 yuan."

"And then?"

"And then what?"

"Is that it?"

"What else do you want?"

Zhang Wenxiu didn't know what Chen Yu was getting at.

"Mom, ah, your events are too low-key."

"Xiaoyu, in my opinion, if we want to treat our customers, we should treat them generously."

"How do you mean, generously?"

"Give everyone free snails."

"What..."

Zhang Wenxiu thought Chen Yu had come up with a brilliant idea, but as soon as she heard "free", she was stunned.

"Yes, free."

"Xiaoyu, you need to watch what you're saying. Your mom can't handle such shocks."

Zhang Wenxiu was on the verge of tears.

This child really didn't understand the hardships of running a shop.

And offering everything for free.

If they really offered snails for free, they would be losing money hand over fist.

"Mom, my idea of 'free' is not really free."

Chen Yu knew that his mom wouldn't immediately accept this new concept.

"Not really free? We're only selling snails. If you make them free, how can we make money?"

"Don't we have beverages and alcoholic drinks?"

"But they're here for snails. What if they don't want beverages or alcoholic drinks?"

"How is that possible?"

Chen Yu shook his head. "I've never seen anyone eat snails without wanting to drink something. Mom, didn't I mention before that snails are delicious but can be a bit heavy in flavor? Since they're heavy, they need something to drink or quench their thirst. Now that our snails are free, we can easily replace the cost with beverages and alcoholic drinks. Besides, because our snails are free, they'll definitely eat more. The more they eat, the more they'll drink... Don't underestimate these beverages; although they're cheaper than snails, the profit margin from them can be even larger."

"Well..."

After explaining this, Zhang Wenxiu fell into deep thought.

Although Zhang Wenxiu hadn't received much education, she was quite intelligent.

Initially, she disagreed because she was frightened by the idea of giving away everything for free. However, after hearing Chen Yu's explanation, she felt that it made sense.

"Wenxiu, I think Xiaoyu is right."

At this point, Chen Simian also chimed in, "Xiaoyu's snail giveaway may seem free, but in reality, we're still making a profit. Even if we don't make a profit, we won't incur much of a loss. On the first day of our opening, if we use free snails to attract customers, we might become a hit."

"Yeah, yeah, sister-in-law, I agree with what our nephew is saying."

Even Chen Meihua, the aunt, joined in, "Sister-in-law, you don't know, there was a time when our factory organized a trip to eat snails. We only had two or three bowls of snails, but we drank dozens of bottles of beverages, not to mention beer, we had several cases."

"Considering it that way, maybe we can give it a try?"

Zhang Wenxiu tentatively suggested.

"Alright, we can give it a try."

Chen Simian nodded.

"Okay, then, Xiaoyu, we'll go along with your idea. Tomorrow, I'm going all out."

Zhang Wenxiu was determined now. "By the way, I think we should cook more snails."

"Definitely! With free snails, there's a chance that everyone on the street will rush over to eat them. We should prepare for a large crowd; otherwise, all our snails will be gone in no time."

"Okay, okay, I'll go home and get another 100 pounds of snails."

"That's good, Mom. I'll go to the print shop and get the promotional materials printed."

Everyone divided their tasks, and Chen Yu headed to the nearby print shop. He explained the content to be printed, and the print shop owner, who wasn't very busy at the moment, said they could have the materials ready by evening. However, when the print shop owner saw that the promotional materials read "Citywide Snail Feast - On the House!", he couldn't help but ask, "Is your shop really giving away free snails?"

"Of course, we have to be honest. We can't deceive people."

"Okay then, I'll make sure to come and try it tomorrow."

Sure enough, this strategy was impressive. Whether in the past or present, offering something for free was an unbeatable marketing tactic.

"I almost forgot, we haven't prepared the drums yet."

The promotional team was assembled, and the slogans were ready, but Chen Yu realized they were missing the essential instruments: the drums and trumpets.

Buying them was out of the question. They weren't in the music business, and these instruments, while seemingly simple, were still a significant expense. They couldn't justify purchasing them just for a promotional event.

So, the logical choice was to rent them. However, Chen Yu soon found out that he didn't know where to rent these musical instruments. He asked several music stores, but they all shook their heads. They said these instruments were costly, and if they weren't maintained properly and got damaged, what would they do?

This left Chen Yu somewhat perplexed. Then, he remembered there was a senior citizen art center across from the County No.1 Middle School. Many elderly people there frequently played various musical instruments. Chen Yu decided to try his luck there to see if they had any instruments available for rent.