The next morning, Wang Xiuxiu and Lu Jingze disguised themselves as a merchant couple and went to the West Market.
Looking at the numerous shops lining both sides of the street, Wang Xiuxiu pointed to one at random and said, "Let's go to this one first!"
As soon as the two entered the shop called "Pearl Pavilion," the shop assistant greeted them warmly, "Are you two here to select pearls? The pearls here are all top-quality pearls transported from the sea. Each one is round and lustrous like jade. If you like them, please feel free to choose!"
The store is filled with a dazzling array of pearl necklaces, earrings, bracelets, as well as pearl-encrusted headdresses and belts.
Wang Xiuxiu picked up a string of pearls and gently stroked it.
The pearl slid between her fingers, warm and smooth as jade, as if it had its own life.
She looked up at the shop assistant, a hint of amazement in her eyes: "These pearls are so beautiful, it's hard to look away."
The shop assistant smiled and said, "Of course! Our pearls from Nancheng are world-renowned. If you like them, young lady, they would be perfect for making beaded necklaces, hairpins, or rings!"
Wang Xiuxiu visited dozens of pearl shops that day, and each time she bought a box of pearls to take home.
Later that evening, after everyone had eaten dinner, Wang Xiuxiu waited for them in the house for a meeting.
"Sir, Zisu and I went to look for houses today and finally selected four that meet your requirements."
"Good, well done. We'll go investigate again tomorrow."
After saying that, Wang Xiuxiu showed everyone her "victories" for the day.
"Sir, so many pearls!" "So many pearls!" "Wow! Sister! Pearls! Big pearls!"
During this time, Zisu pulled Nanwei back to prevent her from drooling on the pearl.
Seeing that they were all talking about serious matters, and knowing that she couldn't understand them, Nanwei sat down to the side and touched her little pearl to amuse herself.
“Everyone, take a look at these pearls. When I went there, every shop owner enthusiastically recommended them, claiming that their pearls were ‘top quality.’ In the end, the prices were surprisingly consistent.”
Everyone stepped forward and examined them one by one.
"Sir, the quality of these pearls varies greatly. I'm afraid some shops have cheated us by adulterating them."
"Yes, although the prices are the same, the quality of pearls varies greatly. Some are dull in color, some are not round, and some even have surface blemishes. If you don't compare several stores, you may not realize that these shops are using 'uniform prices' to deceive people."
“What you all say is also what I was thinking. At first, I also wanted to buy pearls from pearl shops in the South, but the pearls in those shops have changed hands several times, and the quality is hard to guarantee. After seeing this, I realized that without a reliable pearl shop, I would definitely be cheated.”
"Even if there are suitable bead shops, with such a huge purchase volume, we can't help but worry that bead shops will be blinded by profit and sell inferior products."
"In addition, it's unclear whether the store's supply is stable, and whether a long-term partnership can be guaranteed?"
“You two are absolutely right. We’re all on the same side, so I’ll be frank: we’re not just selling pearls back to Da Xi. These pearls are for the royal family’s use, so we can’t afford to be careless about the quality!”
After hearing Wang Xiuxiu's words, a murmur of discussion arose from the audience.
After a long while, Wang Xiuxiu finally stopped everyone's discussion.
"I do have a method, and I would appreciate it if you could help me consider it."
"Please speak, sir!" "Please speak, sir!"
“Open a bead shop and bypass the bead stores to go directly to the bead fields to purchase beads.”
The commotion below intensified, nearly blowing the roof off.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen! Please listen to me!"
"If we only consider immediate purchases during this business trip, we could find a shop to cooperate with temporarily. But what we hope for is that this business can last a long time, so that there can be a steady stream of pearls transported back to Da Xi in the future!"
"In this way, it seems that only by starting from the source and establishing a long-term and stable cooperative relationship with pearl farms can we ensure both the quality and quantity of pearls in the future, and avoid the layers of markups by middlemen."
"What you say is absolutely right, sir!" "We will all listen to you, sir!"
Seeing that everyone had been persuaded, Wang Xiuxiu bowed to them with a grateful expression.
"Thank you all! You are all very understanding! You deserve the greatest credit for the establishment of this southern caravan!"
"Sir, you're too kind! It's nothing more than what we should do!" "That's right, it's nothing more than what we should do!"
"Good! I'm relieved to hear you all say that! I'll have to rely on your help with all the subsequent matters of the pearl shop!"
After saying that, Wang Xiuxiu bowed to everyone again.
Everyone was terrified, but they all said, "Don't worry, sir! We will do our utmost!"
After seeing off the dazed caravan members one by one, Wang Xiuxiu collapsed onto the bed.
"What's wrong with our little fox? Is he tired?" Lu Jingze handed him a glass of water and teased him with a smile.
Wang Xiuxiu downed the drink in one gulp. "I'm so tired, really tired. I never thought getting a shot of adrenaline would be this tiring!"
Wang Xiuxiu had told Lu Jingze about Jianzhuhang before, but this was the first time she had told the caravan members about it.
Why not tell everyone the truth?
Wang Xiuxiu made no attempt to maintain her image, lying on the bed in a spread-eagle position.
"What do you mean? Say that I'm not planning to directly collect beads, but instead choose to painstakingly build a bead shop, making them and me work even harder for a while longer?"
"Why not? They chose to join the caravan with the determination to die. What's wrong with taking a little more time?"
"Of course not! My companions, as you said, are all doing this with the determination to die. They are not afraid of death, but they still have emotions and desires, and they have relatives and parents waiting at home."
"The original plan was to leave once the beads were purchased, which was not dangerous. But now they want to help me open a bead shop in the south. This is not easy to snatch food from a tiger's mouth. How can we accomplish this easily if we do not have firm beliefs?"
"This matter is dangerous and difficult, and everyone should know about it and agree to it willingly, rather than being forced to comply with orders from superiors."
"The business world is also a battlefield. Being in a foreign land, we can only trust each other. If we are not united, how can we fight our way out in the pearl market of Nancheng?"
At that moment, Lu Jingze truly felt the heavy responsibility that Wang Xiuxiu bore as the leader of the caravan.
She always had a cheerful and carefree demeanor, which made him forget that she bore the responsibility for the life and death of everyone in the caravan.
She said that every decision she made was crucial.
She not only does what ordinary people dare not do, but also thinks what ordinary people cannot think.
His Wang Xiuxiu was far more thorough and insightful than he had imagined!
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