Seeing this, the proprietress walked over to Song He'er and said politely, "If this lady has any questions, please feel free to ask me. This waiter doesn't know the proper etiquette and might not be able to explain things clearly, causing you to waste your time."
Song He'er knew what she was thinking. There were many competitors in the industry, so she had to be careful to prevent spies from sneaking in and inquiring about the business.
"The proprietress is kind and gentle, so we won't bother her any longer. We'd like to go look around elsewhere and buy some valuable items to give to our relatives and friends."
Upon hearing that Song He'er wanted to buy valuable items, the proprietress immediately changed her attitude. "I wonder what valuable items you are referring to, young lady? We do have some fine silk in our shop, newly made, with hand-embroidered patterns on it. Don't think I'm bragging, but the best embroiderers within hundreds of miles are all in our shop."
Jiang Huaifu couldn't stand the landlady's affected way of speaking, so when Song He'er negotiated with her, he found a quiet place to sit down and rest.
Song He'er decided to play along, pretending to want to buy her silk, and continued to ask, "Then let me see, maybe it will suit my taste, and I'll buy a few more pieces."
Seeing that a customer had come, the proprietress immediately smiled and replied, "Alright, but let me make this clear beforehand: this silk is of top quality, so the price is naturally high. We also have a rule in our shop that we never haggle. Whether you are a regular customer or a new customer, we treat everyone equally. This is why we have been able to stand strong in the whole of Jiangning. Would you still like to take a look, young lady?"
"You mean I can't afford it?"
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I'm just explaining our shop's rules to you, so we don't end up hurting each other's feelings later."
"Go ahead and take whatever you want, no price restrictions. As long as it's unique, bring it. We can afford it."
These words reassured the proprietress, and she went to the back room to fetch the items without saying another word.
Song He'er remembered that when she went to the border city of Nanzhao last time, she also took a silk dress from the workshop. It still had a faint fragrance wafting from it. It was still in her space. If she took it out and compared it, she would know which one was better and which one was worse.
Before long, the proprietress came out from the back room, followed by two embroiderers, each carrying a tray with bright and beautiful silk.
"Please come over here to enjoy the view, young lady." The proprietress gestured for Song He'er to sit down in the private room behind the beaded curtain.
Indeed, different people are treated differently. When a distinguished guest arrives, he is served the best tea and water, but if he is poor and stingy, he is simply sent away by a waiter.
This is what Song He'er hates most. In modern times, this kind of bad habit would be considered blatant snobbery, which would not only annoy people but also prevent her business from lasting long.
"Please look, young lady. This is a silk robe embroidered with lilies. Not only do the nobles of Nanzhao love it, but even the princesses in the royal palace adore it. I remember one year, a general from the Central Plains brought his family to our shop and praised the quality of our silk and the exquisite embroidery. He bought clothes worth no less than ten thousand taels of gold from here one after another. You can't go wrong by listening to me, young lady."
Song He'er lowered her head and saw two sets of dresses on the table. One was a rose-red long dress embroidered with peach blossoms, and the other was a pale yellow coat embroidered with lilies. Both the color matching and the embroidery technique were superb. It seemed that the proprietress was not exaggerating. This was the shop's signature item that no one else could match.
"This yellow one is quite nice. It feels smooth and delicate to the touch. If you were to walk in the sunlight, it would definitely shimmer and be dazzling."
"Not to mention dazzling, the feeling of wearing it is different from ordinary clothes. It is like a willow swaying in the breeze, like moonlight brushing your face. It is light yet elegant, soft and with a good drape. It is a top-quality product. If you don't believe me, then come with me to the back room and try it on."
Song He'er could tell the quality of the two clothes at a glance, so she didn't need to try them on herself. However, she still had a question in her mind: why had she never seen such high-end silk products in the capital city, even though they were sold in a wide range of markets?
Moreover, the proprietress has already mentioned that a general previously purchased a large quantity of these goods. So where did these goods end up?
"I still have one question in my mind."
"Please speak, young lady."
"I remember that one of your Nanzhao silks was scented. Why don't you make that?"
Hearing this, the proprietress smiled and said, "We also have those kinds in our shop, but the production cost is not high. Besides, those kinds of clothes can only be sold to brothels or the concubines of wealthy families. Have you ever seen any principal wife or empress in the palace wearing such frivolous dresses? When they walk, they exude a strange fragrance, which is really unrefined."
The proprietress was really harsh in her words, and Song He'er couldn't stand listening to her for a while.
"A person's worth lies in their character, not in their appearance, such as what dress they wear, what flowers they wear, or what jade they wear. The proprietress is intelligent and kind-hearted, and I'm sure she doesn't care about these social hierarchies."
"Of course, someone like you, from a distinguished family and well-read, naturally has a point."
"I'll take both outfits. Have your accountant calculate the price."
Upon hearing that a deal had been made so quickly, the proprietress beamed with joy. "Waiter, quickly call the accountant over and tell him that we have a distinguished guest to attend to. Put down whatever you're doing!"
"yes!"
The waiter quickly ran to the side to fetch someone.
It took a little longer to calculate the cost of the labor and materials for the two garments, which came to a total of thirty-seven taels of silver.
Song He'er was truly amazed today. The price of the two outfits combined was enough to feed an ordinary farmer for several months. It was truly extravagant.
However, she does have this money, but spending it now still hurts her heart.
"These are silver ingots from the Central Plains, forty taels. Please give me the change." Song He'er took out two silver ingots from her sleeve and handed them to the accountant.
The proprietress looked her over again, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Are you from the Central Plains, young lady?"
"What? Just because someone isn't from the Central Plains doesn't mean they can't have this kind of money? There's so much business between Nanzhao and other countries, their currencies have been circulating for a long time. Why do we care what kind of transaction it is?"
The proprietress was speechless, unable to utter a single word, and could only stammer, "Yes... what you say makes sense."
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