Yunling gritted her teeth and said, "Just ten catties of cotton, let's test the waters first. I wonder how much cotton cloth costs here, sir?"
She had thought it through clearly. If the market was bad and she couldn't sell it despite her best efforts, she would keep it for her own use in the future. After all, it was more comfortable and easier to use than a menstrual belt.
He Da's expression softened, and he was happy to lead Yun Ling and the others to the back for a tour. "You can see for yourselves the cotton fabrics. We use only the finest materials, unlike other textiles that mix in silk."
Yunling quickly followed, and as soon as she turned left after leaving the house, she saw a man sitting on a stool, using a wooden board to beat the yarn on a stone slab, while another man was kneeling on the stool sizing the yarn. Behind the two men were two earthen stoves, and an old man was in charge of steaming the yarn.
Walking up the covered walkway, you can see three people drying yarn in the open space in the middle, chatting and laughing. But when they see He Da, they obediently shut their mouths and concentrate on the yarn.
Turning through the small door, Yunling couldn't understand what the women were doing. "Master, what are these steps?"
Seeing Yunling's doubts, He Da slowed down and pointed to each step of the process in front of him, saying, "This is called 'spinning,' this is called 'plowing,' this is called 'gathering,' this is called 'collecting,' this is called 'passing through the spruce,' this is called 'spinning the yarn,' and finally this is 'weaving.' You can see the whole process. It's all made with real materials, and there's no deception involved."
Yunling nodded, thinking so too. Coming from Jiangnan to do business here, and opening such a large cotton workshop, they certainly wouldn't ruin their own reputation.
"I wonder how many feet this bolt of cotton cloth is, and how many copper coins it costs?"
"A horse is forty feet long and costs five hundred coins."
This is the same price offered by the cloth shop owner, and there's still a travel expense to pay for getting here from the county town. "Is this the lowest price, or is there a discount if I buy in bulk?"
He Da stroked his chin. "If we could buy hundreds or thousands of horses, the price would naturally be different."
"Do other counties mostly source their goods from you?"
"certainly."
It would be closer to go back to the cloth shop in the county town, but the atmosphere had already been set up for her to buy cotton cloth. If she didn't buy it, she was afraid she would be treated coldly by this person again, and future cooperation might not go smoothly. So she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go ahead.
"Let's start with three bolts of cotton cloth. We're just here to scout ahead, and we didn't bring any escort team. It wouldn't be appropriate to bring too much. I just wonder if the owner sells this yarn?"
"Yarn?" A hint of doubt flashed across He Da's face. Who would buy yarn alone? But considering that the person in front of him had become his customer and that there would be opportunities to cooperate again in the future, he decided to accept the offer. "If you want some, I can give you some. I don't accept any coins."
"No, this is useful to me. We can handle this officially. If I come here to take advantage of the employer, I won't dare to come again next time."
These words struck a chord with He Da. He liked this kind of straightforward and decisive business partner who didn't leave anyone indebted. So he waved his hand and said with a smile, "This way please. It's cold. Let's go inside and have some hot tea, then we can talk slowly."
Yunling sensed the great change and nodded, following him into the room. This room was much warmer than the front hall, and the tea brought by the servant was steaming hot. Yunling quickly held the teacup to warm her cold hands.
"May I ask where you are from, young master?"
"Pingcheng."
"Pingcheng, oh, that place is truly blessed with outstanding people and beautiful scenery."
Yunling agreed with this statement. She always felt that although the county town was small, it was full of hidden talents and should not be underestimated.
She took a sip of hot tea and said, "Boss, calculate how many copper coins this costs in total. Let's settle the payment first. As for the goods, could we stay here for a day until we return from Yu's shop and pick them up?"
"Of course, of course."
He Da instructed his servant to bring him pen, ink, and paper, and then wrote down a receipt. "Young master, do you think this amount is correct?"
"right."
Yunling took out three strings of coins from her waist, broke off three hundred copper coins from one string, and put the remaining half string of copper coins back in its original place, saying, "Boss, count them."
"No need to count. By the way, the Yu Family Shop you mentioned, I remember that the daughter-in-law of the Yu family gave birth to a big, healthy grandson. The Yu Family Shop closed for a few days to celebrate."
"this……"
"Does the owner know when they open?" Chen Jie asked anxiously. He had promised Zhang that he would rush back for the New Year, and if he was delayed for a few more days, he might not make it in time.
He Da's fingertips tapped on the table. "There's a local custom that when a newborn is born in a family, both families have to hold a three-day feast. Tomorrow is an auspicious day, so the feast should start in Osmanthus Lane. If you're in a hurry, why don't you spend a few dozen copper coins to go in and eat at the feast? You might just run into Shopkeeper Yu."
This is the best solution for the moment. After thanking them, Yunling picked up the receipt and left with Chen Jie and the other two.
The next morning, the four of them inquired about the location of Osmanthus Lane and bought two boxes of wedding cakes from a nearby shop. He Da said that they should prepare a few dozen coins to eat at the banquet, but Yun Ling felt a little embarrassed. After all, there were four of them, and they would make others suffer.
Yunling then approached an old woman at the front and asked, "Grandma, are you going to the alley for a feast?"
"That's right."
"We'd like to know how big of a red paper you're preparing."
The old woman held up two fingers to Yunling.
"This is... two hundred coins?"
"That's right."
Yunling quickly expressed her gratitude and walked aside with Chen Jie. Luckily, she had asked beforehand; otherwise, if she had only prepared a few dozen copper coins, she might have been driven away.
"Ling-ge'er, how much are you planning to get?"
“Let’s also get two hundred coins, four bills, no, no, four is not auspicious, let’s get six.”
Chen Jie's mouth gaped open. "Then they'd have to treat us like royalty, wouldn't they?"
Yunling didn't think it was that serious, but the truth was just as Chen Jie had said. The man at the alley entrance weighed the six red papers Yunling had given him, took the two boxes of wedding cakes, and then led the four of them to the front.
"That's good, that's good. If we sit closer, we can get closer to Shopkeeper Yu, right?"
Chen Jie touched his nose and smiled. After spending these days with Yun Ling, he finally realized that this person had a kind of shame disorder. Yesterday, she didn't want the cotton cloth but was afraid of He Da's expression, so she gritted her teeth and asked for three bolts. She didn't need to pack so much red paper, but she was afraid of being criticized, so she insisted on packing six sheets.
She's the best at running this shop; I bet she never dares to leave empty-handed once she enters. She's so adorable!
After a while, guests who came to celebrate arrived one after another. Amid the crackling of two strings of firecrackers, a middle-aged man carrying a small child came out.
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