After Being Forced Into Marriage, I Became Very Successful - Chapter 35

35:

Although Boss Qian still had doubts and worries about online promotion, seeing that both Jiang Yan and Qian Ming supported it, his attitude softened, and he decided to give it a try.

“Since you young people say this is more effective, I’ll go discuss it with the others again.” After saying that, he looked at his daughter. “As for the specifics of how to operate and how much it will cost, Xiao Lai, you put some thought into it, we’re not good at this stuff.”

Boss Qian was a man of action; he didn’t even finish his tea before heading back to Boss Ding’s shop, clearly eager to settle the matter quickly.

Qian Ming was slightly stunned, then smiled helplessly: “You’re still the impressive one. You just said a few words, and Dad wavered immediately.”

Jiang Yan could tell she felt a bit downcast and comforted her: “Parents are mostly like that. My family often thinks outsiders are always right too, what I say is just a joke to them.”

Qian Ming wasn’t really dwelling on it. Deep down, she hoped not only that the old shop would turn a corner this time, but also the traditional cuisine which was increasingly neglected, could reclaim its spotlight.

After the renovations, those old shops, which had long looked like they were stuck in the past decade, were given a fresh look, finally keeping up with the times. Though not a grand reopening, the discounts were genuine, and the first to benefit were the neighbors who regularly patronized them.

“You’re taking quite a loss with this joint promotion, aren’t you?” A neighbor bought two liang of potstickers at Tian Sheng’s shop and ordered a few tiger paw pastries.

“I can’t call it a loss, we’re just passing on the benefits to thank everyone for your long-term support.” Tian Sheng showed no reluctance or heartache; he smiled even brighter than before.

The neighbor, familiar with him, grinned along: “Looks like you’re gearing up for something big this time. Haven’t seen you do stuff like this in years, now you’re catching up all at once.”

Tian Sheng was indeed full of anticipation; this time, they were really going to give it their all!

He packed the potstickers and handed them over, his smile unwavering, without even checking if the coupon the customer had just dropped in the little box by the side was valid: “Then support us more, go buy from the other shops too.”

The neighbor felt no annoyance at the bundled upsell. Picking up the food, he headed straight to Boss Qian’s shop: “I’ll grab some youtiao from Old Qian’s. My grandson’s staying over these days and keeps clamoring for them.”

The first batch of coupons was printed at the shop at the street entrance, it was simple layout and content. It listed all participating old shops, all following the same full-spend discount rules: meet the amount and deduct directly.

The target audience for this batch of coupons was also simple: the neighborhood residents in the area where the old shops were located. Since many of them were elderly, all were paper coupons.

Qian Ming looked at the little basket that had appeared on the counter, smiling with a touch of nostalgia: “Everyone uses digital coupons now, I can barely remember the last time I tore one of these.”

Jiang Yan had been busy with work lately and visited less, but the group chat updates were timely, so she’d naturally seen the old shop’s recent developments.

Qian Ming had roped in a familiar friend for a solid friend-rate to shoot food photos. Boss Qian and the others seemed back in their youth, prepping for competitions, each meticulously readying their shop’s signature dishes.

“Xiao Lai, you said each shop can only have two signature dishes. How can that be enough?” Boss Qian calculated carefully. Each established shop didn’t sell a lot, but neither could they offer two decent dishes.

“Quality is more important than quantity. Let the customers discover the rest for themselves. That’s also very interesting.”

Qian Ming was discussing with the photographer friend how to best capture the food’s essence and allure.

“Qian Ming, I’m drooling while shooting, my stomach’s gonna growl soon. This sacrifice is huge.”

Her friend’s pursed-lip pose with the camera cracked Qian Ming up: “Don’t worry, after you’re done filming, you can pick whatever you want.”

Yang Zhuo’s eyes sparkled; she subconsciously licked her lips: “You said it!”

Boss Qian overheard and generously promised: “Xiao Yang, just tell me what you want later, I’ll have them make it fresh for you.”

Though made fresh that day, by shoot’s end it would be hours old, not truly fresh.

Yang Zhuo figured even without the friend rate, this free trip was a total win.

With pro photography handled, Qian Ming tapped a few same-platform foodie micro-streamers, half-favor half-discount to promote together. Once the photos dropped, they indeed drew attention.

Neighbors pitched in too, those who couldn’t handle it got the young ones to. These kids, raised on old shop eats, were super proactive: not just reposting, but adding their own reviews.

Jiang Yan spent a week strolling through popular food halls every evening, finally starting to see content about the old shop on the third day. She’d told Qian Ming to avoid over-marketing in the early stages, letting established streamers push the content without overemphasizing it, letting real customers provide feedback.

Market response lagged a few days, but authenticity soared.

Xia Yining got the new episode script from Yan Zi. After the last accident and injury, the team had swapped out nearly all risky segments.

Originally outdoor races; now straight to interviews. It sounded dull, but it was way better than another mishap getting the Xia family to halt recording.

Plus, the food segment had been incredibly popular, with many commenting on the production’s official Weibo account to inquire about the authenticity of Jiang Yan’s stir-fried noodles and scallion pancakes. Some even requested another performance.

“This is a half-hour-plus interview, are you prepared?”

Jiang Yan was cheerfully scrolling through old shop food threads when Xia Yining spoke, finally shifting her gaze.

“They’ll probably send the script beforehand.”

She was casual, sounding almost unconcerned; Xia Yining suddenly felt annoyed.

“Even with a script, we should prepare seriously, or it will be like the press conference last time.”

Xia Yining had rewatched the conference video a little late; and she hadn’t noticed then, but now it felt stiff, with her leading, and Jiang Yan echoing—highlighting their distance.

No wonder there were online doubts. Unsure if their family saw, but either way, it’s not the effect she wanted.

The bosses wanted Jiang Yan at the shop when she was free to brainstorm online promotion more. She wasn’t an expert, but as the target demographic, she understood young customers’ needs from her perspective.

Seeing Jiang Yan still unresponsive, a bit distracted—these days, post-room, phone glued to hand nonstop, chatting happily with who-knows-who.

“What do you think of what I just said?”

Xia Yining’s tone sharpened; Jiang Yan finally noticed.

“If you don’t want to repeat the conference vibe, we can’t just memorize, we need more time understanding each other.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Yan frowned: Why did Xia Yining seem so serious about this recording, even willing to sacrifice time to fake intimacy?

At first, she thought Xia Yining got married to deal with her family, and it seems that this is indeed a factor. So now she is doing it to show off to her family? Jiang Yan plans to ask her carefully.

“Is your family pressuring you again?”

Ye Chenchen also sent her a screenshot of their loving, affectionate relationship, unlike her cousin’s, where they were primarily submissive and reserved. When Jiang Yan received the screenshot, she clearly saw her expressionless face circled. Ye Chenchen then commented: No deep affection shown, what a fail.

Xia Yining hadn’t spelled it out, just occasional reminders: at home, outside the room, mind manners. But when Jiang Yan actually asked, she hesitated, unsure whether to tell her more.

“We’ll do our best on this episode. Afterwards, I’ll tell Mom I want to move out soon.”

Sharing a room long-term wasn’t workable, Jiang Yan on the sofa forever is no good. Xia Yining hoped the show would reassure her family, speeding their exit from the big house.

“Didn’t we say after our honeymoon?”

Xia Yining had already made up her mind about canceling the honeymoon. She suspected Jiang Yan wouldn’t be happy about it. Even if it was a marriage by arrangement, the chance to travel alone with the one she loved was something no one could easily give up.

That’s what Jiang Yan stressed retaining in their deal. This was her breaking it, and she couldn’t brush off casually.

Xia Yining planned to invite Jiang Yan out to dinner soon, away from her family, easier talk. Feared tantrum overheard, more trouble.

“We’ll talk about our honeymoon later.”

Jiang Yan was a bit away; couldn’t see her face clearly. Is it an illusion? Talking about their honeymoon, Xia Yining seemed guilty?

But the honeymoon troubled Jiang Yan too. Old shop promotion was rolling, but follow-up events needed sequencing. She trusted the flavors, so the visitors wouldn’t be too disappointed.

Food thrives on word-of-mouth; only truly tasty draws repeats, spreads virally for sustained traffic. But bosses excelled only at cooking; Jiang Yan wanted to help more.

But it would take time for the word-of-mouth to spread. Based on current estimates, it would take at least two weeks, maybe even a month, for the company to see any real results. This coincided with their originally planned honeymoon. Jiang Yan considered rescheduling, but felt it would be nearly impossible to convince Xia Yining.

She thought she’d wait until the show was over before discussing the change with her, hoping the Xia family wouldn’t object. After living with the Xia family for a while, she found Xia Yining quite approachable, aside from a touch of aloofness. The real headache came from the Xia family, who were overly attentive to her and, consequently, her own.

Script arrived three days later. Xia Yining skimmed the email, the questions were fine; tonight is enough time to mutual-understand with Jiang Yan.

Packing to leave, Qin Yishan entered smiling: “No overtime today, why don’t we grab a drink before home?”

Pre-marriage, they’d occasionally sip.

“Is there any special celebration?”

“Nah, it’s just that—we haven’t chatted in ages, and things are chill lately.”

With their recent project smooth; promotion dept breathed easy.

Xia Yining packed steadily but rejected without hesitation: “Jiang Yan and I have something to do tonight, I’m heading home early.”

“Really? I heard Director Jiang left after lunch and took a leave.”

Xia Yining didn’t micromanage Jiang Yan’s work, as long as there’s no trouble, an idle job: comfy as possible.

“Probably out on errands.” Xia Yining glanced at the time, estimating: “She should be home soon.”

So eager to rush back. Qin Yishan never pegged Xia Yining as a homebody. Marriage really changes women, but she could only watch silently.

And it wasn’t because of her.

Qin Yishan had actually been secretly observing Jiang Yan’s performance since she joined the company. I have to say, if it weren’t for her relationship with Xia Yining, Jiang Yan would have been fired long ago. She has achieved nothing since she started working and is simply wasting the company’s salary.