Liu Erlang rubbed his aching head, feeling quite unconvinced. But since childhood, he'd never been able to beat Pei Lin in fights, and now, hearing that this kid had mastered medical skills and was even more formidable, he could only suffer in silence.
"Pei Er, you are immoral."
"If you don't speak now, I'll let you taste my carefully crafted poison needle. One prick and you'll either die or be crippled, never to be able to lift your head again."
Liu Erlang immediately felt discomfort in his lower body, so he had no choice but to obediently tell him where it was.
"If you're looking for him, go to Horse Street..."
Before he could finish speaking, the idler who had just been sent out ran back, panting, and said:
“Found him. Manager Wang of Wang Family Restaurant said that whenever that person comes back, he stays near Ma Xing Street.”
"Why is it all Horse Street?"
Seeing Yunling speak, Liu Erlang naturally offered his enthusiastic answers.
"Of course it's Ma Xing Street. This area not only has stationery shops and grand restaurants, but also two bustling alleys, East and West Ji'er Lane, which are sure to make you linger. If you go outside the old Fengqiu Gate, there are also many restaurants serving both northern and southern cuisines and lively entertainment districts. The night market in that area is even more famous, and the snacks in the night market are also quite unique."
Yunling felt she had discovered a new place, while Pei Lin thought the area was quite vast, making it like searching for a needle in a haystack. He then asked:
"Did Manager Wang say where that person lives on Horse Street?"
He said it was the guest's own business and he couldn't ask for details.
As was expected, Pei Lin had no choice but to take out another twenty or so copper coins to thank the man for his hard work.
After lunch, the group headed to Ma Xing Street, with Liu Erlang following along. The reason he didn't reveal the man's address was so that he could act as a guide and thus make his presence felt more in front of Yun Ling.
Having walked there, we arrived at the Ma Xing Street area around 11 PM. Although it was the dead of winter, after walking such a distance, everyone was sweating a little. Facing the blazing sun, we felt only heat and lost the warmth of the winter sun.
Just as Liu Erlang was about to complain about Pei Lin's stinginess, refusing to even hire a donkey cart and forcing them to walk, which would take forever, he suddenly spotted the timber and exclaimed with delight:
"Uncle Cai, Uncle Cai."
When Ma Mu turned around, Yun Ling recognized him instantly and grabbed Pei Lin's sleeve, shaking it.
"Look, isn't this the guy we met last night? I told you so!"
Pei Lin recognized him now, and was about to ask Liu Erlang when Ma Mutou stepped forward first, smiling and saying:
"Hey, it's you two again? Have you thought it through before you want to talk business with me?"
Liu Erlang was a little confused. He didn't know how they had met, and if they were acquaintances, why would he ask if he knew any merchants who traveled to Western Xia?
Forget it, now that we've found the person, there's no point in saying anything more. He should pretend to be profound, as if everything is under his control, so as not to appear as a fool and make a fool of himself.
"Are you really a merchant who travels to Western Xia?"
Ma Mumu responded to Pei Lin with a smile.
What good would it do me to lie to you?
He took out a small sign with the four characters "Bianxi Salt Administration" written on it, and said:
“We have a market for mutual trade between Bianjing and Western Xia, located on the border between our two sides. Apart from the official trade, all other transactions require reporting various documents before they can be conducted. People like us who frequently travel there can become familiar faces and be awarded this badge, which can save us a lot of trouble.”
"What if you have this brand?"
"Uncle Cai, are you well?" Yunling immediately pulled Pei Lin aside and said, "We want to buy wool. Do you know of any ways to do so, Uncle Cai?"
"Buying wool? From the Western Xia? You've brought enough money, haven't you?"
The word "back" from Ma Mutou made Yunling's heart tremble. Having nearly 20,000 copper coins was already a great source of confidence for Yunling, but hearing Ma Mutou's words now made her feel uneasy.
Then he said:
“Wool is precious to begin with, and you’re even buying it from Western Xia. Just the letters sent to the higher authorities alone will have to be sent countless times. Moreover, wool is a light commodity. If you’re used to doing business, you’ll know that transportation costs are a real headache.”
“But I believe Uncle Cai has a way. Tell me, how exactly is this wool being sold?”
Some people always like to exaggerate how difficult or challenging a deal is before it even begins, just so they can open their mouths as wide as possible to get the price they want. Yunling is used to it.
If things can't be agreed upon, then let's talk them over. Anyway, Yunling has plenty of time right now, and more conversations will help her understand the matter better, so it won't hurt.
“Since you are acquainted with Liu Erlang, I might as well be frank with you. The wool we collect in Xixia costs three hundred wen per jin. If we add a series of fees and send it to Bianjing, it will cost six hundred wen per jin.”
Six hundred coins per catty... and that's only for delivery to Bianjing. If you rent a boat from Bianjing back to the two lower towns, and then transport it back to the Yun family from the two lower towns, Yunling couldn't figure out the costs involved.
Let's say it's 800 coins per catty when it's transported to the Yun family. Ten catties would be 8,000 coins, and one hundred catties would be 80,000 coins, which is 80 strings of copper coins.
If you make the thinnest wool felt breast pads, 100 kilograms can make about 2,000 pairs of breast pads. That would be 40 coins per pair, not including labor costs and profit. This is far beyond Yunling's budget.
"I wonder if the price Uncle Cai quoted is for a whole piece of wool or for a block of wool?"
"There's not much difference between the two. You can have either a continuous strip or blocks, it's up to you."
"What if I need a larger quantity?"
Ma Mutou stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then asked:
How much do you want?
In fact, Yunling wasn't sure either. Before she came to Bianjing, Manager Zhou had told her that the order quantity was between five and eight hundred, and that it might reach a thousand.
But after so much time, that initial enthusiasm might have long since dissipated, and it's uncertain whether even two hundred units would have been sold in the end. For her, one hundred kilograms of wool would have been the best.
It's not quite enough that she only got 100 catties of wool in Bianjing. What if she wanted more and couldn't finish it? But, what if she asked Yun Ruoxia to order 10,000 bolts of dyed cloth? That would have to be matched with it.
Never mind, this business is all about taking risks. If you're going to be timid and hesitant, you might as well not have come to Bianjing in the first place.
Yunling quickly calculated in her mind that, based on the bras they initially made for Fengyuelou, a piece of fabric was forty feet long, and after deducting scraps and waste, they could probably make eighty pieces.
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