"They’d been secretly buying a lot of our buns and pies, and they’ve figured them out completely. They’re using the same fillings, and at a glance, their food looks almost identical. But they’re selling it for dirt cheap, so a lot of people have started buying from them instead," Su Yun said glumly. "It’s ridiculous. If they sold at the same price, I wouldn’t be so upset. But they’re obviously losing money! Who does business like that?!"

When Qin Jiao heard this, she immediately thought, ’Isn’t this just the kind of predatory tactic that became common in the business world later on?’

’First, they use rock-bottom prices to drive you into a corner with no way out. Then they acquire your business for cheap. Once it’s all theirs, the prices go back up, maybe even higher than before.’

’It’s a classic monopoly play!’

However, as clever as their opponents were for coming up with such a method in this era, they were up against Qin Jiao!

’Their fillings might be identical, but they don’t have Spiritual Spring Water!’

Facing the three long faces of her parents and aunt, Qin Jiao said with a cheerful laugh, "Mom, just keep selling at our original prices. I guarantee that in a few days, those customers will all come back."

"For real?" Su Yun was doubtful.

Qin Jiao said confidently, "Of course. Who ever said identical fillings taste identically good? These people are just trying it out for the novelty and the cheap prices. If it turned out to be cheap *and* just as delicious, they’d probably be poached for good and stop buying from us. But if they find out the other guys’ food is nowhere near as tasty as ours, they’ll definitely come back. A bun is only so much money; there’s a limit to how cheap you can make it. After losing money for a period of time, they won’t be able to keep up. But Mom, Dad, you should make less for a while."

"Are you worried about having leftovers?" Qin Zhonghui asked.

"That’s one reason. For another, we’re going to try some scarcity marketing!"

Once a buying frenzy forms, it will also sway the people who were on the fence because of the cheaper prices. When we supply less for breakfast, anyone who comes late won’t be able to buy anything. Before long, people will start coming much earlier to make sure they get their food.

It creates a psychological effect. They’ll start thinking, ’Everyone is buying it, so it must be really delicious. I guess a little more expensive is fine.’

By then, our competitors will have lost a lot of money upfront, and then their food won’t sell later. They definitely won’t be able to hold out.

Su Yun looked at her daughter. "Xiao Jiao, are you really that confident our food is more delicious than theirs?"

Qin Jiao nodded emphatically.

She had faith in her parents’ culinary skills, and she had faith in her Spiritual Spring Water!

Qin Jiao had been adding Spiritual Spring Water to the water her parents used to make the dough. Although it was diluted, then cooked, and finally spread thinly throughout the buns, steamed buns, and large fritters, it still imparted a fragrant, sweet flavor and made people feel comfortable and refreshed.

This was the reason Qin Jiao was so confident all her customers would eventually return.

Perhaps infected by their daughter’s confidence, Qin Zhonghui and his wife, along with Qin Na, immediately busied themselves again. Following Qin Jiao’s advice about that so-called "scarcity marketing," they even cut their breakfast production in half.

Setting up the stall early in the morning in this bitter cold was no easy feat; it was exhausting work. Despite this, Qin Zhonghui and his wife never complained of the hardship or fatigue.

In fact, they were full of drive.

The same went for Qin Na, and then some. She even felt as though she had wasted the first twenty-odd years of her life!

This—this was what it meant to live freely and feel truly content!