Chapter 71
The next morning, several guests of the hotel had breakfast, came out of the main building, and strolled towards the villa as usual.
Because the handicraft shop was free on a buy-one-get-one-free (?) basis after hiring Xie Qingyun, without the biggest expense of purchasing facilities, Shu Mo suddenly had a lot of money on hand this week. After the points for the new week's room reservations arrived, she once again expanded the hotel's room size and bamboo forest area.
Now, all the way from the main building to the annex, there is fresh greenery all the way. The guests have become accustomed to taking a stroll along this main road after dinner. The morning air is clean and cold, and the bamboo leaves rustle, like a natural oxygen bar. Taking a few deep breaths while taking a stroll seems to expel the foul air accumulated in the body all night, and refreshes the spirit.
“It’s so comfortable.”
"When staying at the hotel, it's a pleasure to go out for a walk in the morning. It really feels like a vacation."
They sighed.
After turning a corner, a wooden house appeared in front of us.
This building had been there when the people who were talking checked into the hotel, but the door had always been closed. There was a sign on the door that said "Opening soon, stay tuned", and it was unclear what it was used for.
And now, a small group of people gathered in front of the wooden house.
From a distance, it looks quite lively.
Several people were moved, "Could it be that the business has just started?"
"Go and have a look."
They exchanged glances and moved closer in tacit understanding.
I got closer and took a quick look, and found that the store was indeed open. The glass shop door was wide open, revealing several rows of display racks. Under the light, it looked quite stylish. There were many exquisite small items on those racks, but because there were several people between them, it was impossible to tell what specific products were being sold.
They stood on tiptoe and looked around for a while, wondering, "What are you all doing blocking the door? Why don't you go in and take a look?"
At first they thought these people were standing at the door because the store was full and they had to wait outside. But now they saw that the store was clearly quite empty and they were suddenly confused.
A girl standing in front happened to bend down at this moment, picked up something, and then went into the store. There was an empty space in front of them, and the new players hurriedly pulled their companions in. Only then did they understand why they were all crowded here.
It turned out that in addition to the indoor display racks, there was also a small display rack at the entrance of the store, on which were placed a number of handmade woolen dolls.
From palm-sized mini ones to regular ones that are 20 to 30 centimeters tall, they come in different sizes and shapes. The only thing they have in common is that they are all soft and cute, with bright colors. They are crowded in front of the store, making it hard not to notice them.
The first few guests who gathered around were just strolling when they suddenly felt a bright color break into their vision. They turned around and saw this bunch of exquisite and cute little dolls, and they couldn't move immediately.
When I got closer, I found that each one had a different shape, so I picked up one and touched its tail, then picked up another and played with it for a while... time passed quickly.
More and more people gathered around, and more people noticed the commotion here and were attracted over.
The female clerk in pink uniform maintained order in an orderly manner. "Don't crowd. This is only a part of the products on display. There are more products in the store. Everyone is welcome to come in and have a look."
"This store specializes in all kinds of handicrafts. During the first three days of opening, some products will be discounted by 20%. You can ask the cashier here for details."
When they heard about the 20% discount, many people pricked up their ears.
A girl held up the snow rabbit doll in her hand and asked, "Excuse me, is this also 20% off?"
"Yes, all woolen handmade products are 20% off. You can go to our front desk to check out if necessary." The clerk said with a smile.
The girl was delighted, thanked her, and went into the store with the doll.
When the people nearby heard the clerk say that all woolen products were 20% off, they started to choose carefully.
The discount period is only three days. After that, you will have to buy it at the original price. Anyway, the unit price is not expensive and there is a discount, so just buy one for fun.
Many people had the same idea in their minds, so a few minutes later, several more people came into the store with their own products.
Some people held the dolls they liked, looked at the price tag on them, and became hesitant.
They instinctively felt that it was not worth spending twenty points on a doll with no added value.
The hot water and delicious food in the hotel are real enjoyment, so it doesn't matter if they are a bit expensive. But the dolls have no other use except for appreciation.
But when I really have to let it go, I feel a little reluctant.
The female clerk reminded me at the right time, "All the products in the store are handmade, each one is unique. If you find something you like, I suggest you buy it as soon as possible to avoid missing out."
The word "unique" excited the players, and coupled with the temptation of discounts, several of them gritted their teeth and made up their minds to check out.
After paying, knowing that the doll completely belonged to me, I relaxed and felt a surge of joy in my heart.
Look at the doll in my hand again, and I like it more and more.
Who says aesthetic value doesn’t count? Buying a nice-looking item and putting it at home makes you happy, which is also a kind of gain!
With the help of the female clerk who diverted the customers, the store entrance was finally not as crowded as it was at the beginning. Many people paid their bills but were not in a hurry to leave, so they just walked around the store.
When Shu Mo slowly finished his breakfast and finally arrived, he saw this heated scene.
Her first reaction...
The drainage operation was a great success!
At this time, there were groups of players stopping in front of each display shelf in the store. After seeing the woolen products, many people looked at the accessories made by Xie Qingyun next to them with great interest.
Once my eyes fell on it, I couldn't move them away.
So beautiful! !
Even without mentioning the attributes, just talking about the appearance, the accessories made by Xie Qingyun are overwhelmingly dazzling and gorgeous.
The dolls made by Granny Xie are already quite delicate and beautiful, but they are only at the level of "beautiful handicrafts". However, these in front of me can be called works of art.
It even makes players feel that putting these accessories on the shelves of this small shop is a kind of unfairness.
They should be covered with glass and put on display.
After the game started, the field of literature and art, like the field of science and technology, suffered serious damage - people had already consumed all their energy just to survive, and no longer had the leisure time to ponder and appreciate art.
After the town was established, some former artists wanted to pick up their craft again, but found that they could not find the raw materials anywhere in the game, so they had no choice but to give up.
However, what Xie Qingyun created was a combination of past aesthetic art and gaming technology.
In the entire game, only the blacksmith can polish and change the shape of game materials at will. Therefore, it is possible to reproduce the glory of past works of art.
Several older, more discerning players were already getting excited at this point, "How many points is this?"
"It's so beautiful, so beautiful. It doesn't matter if it's just beautiful trash. I really want to put one in my home."
The price was right there on the item panel. When they looked it up, their voices immediately got stuck in their throats.
2000 points.
Player: “…”
Well...even the price is eye-catching.
He put it back gently, very gently, and even carefully adjusted its position.
Then, he looked at it unwillingly, reluctantly.
But no matter how reluctant he was, he couldn't possibly spend so much money to buy an ornament that he didn't "need". After all, people still have to live.
The player knew clearly that it was not because the items were too expensive - in the past, artworks were luxury items that only the rich could afford, and they were often auctioned for tens or even hundreds of millions. But who could say that they were not worth the price?
Considering the craftsmanship and exquisiteness of these items, the price of 2,000 points is already very reasonable in his opinion.
He can only blame himself for not being able to come up with so many points. He can only watch such a good thing right in front of him but not be able to get it.
The player let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumped as he walked away.
Shu Mo watched the man walk away, looking back every few steps, and blinked.
The door behind the front desk was pushed open with a creaky sound at this moment. Xie Qingyun walked out rubbing the back of his neck and yawned, "Ah, it's open already?"
Recently, there are more staff, so Shu Mo arranged two employees to help the handicraft shop at once. One is the female employee who maintained order just now, and the other is a boy who is responsible for the cashier at the front desk.
With these two people around, Xie Qingyun doesn't have to worry about the trivial business matters and can just concentrate on making products.
In order to rush the work a few days ago, he bought a single bed and placed it in the workshop. According to Shu Mo's observation, he slept there almost every night afterwards.
The dormitory, which was enjoyed by all employees, seemed dispensable to Xie Qingyun. He would only go back there to wash up.
Knowing that he lived here, Shu Mo was not surprised to see him suddenly appear. He just picked up the ornaments that the man had just put down helplessly and asked, "Are the prices of these things different from what we discussed before?"
"Really?" Xie Qingyun laughed, "I don't quite remember it."
"2000 points is too high." Shu Mo ignored his pretense and asked with a frown, "Is this really okay?"
She also knew that she was not an expert in this area and did not know the specific differences between each item, so after the products were produced, the pricing was entirely left to Xie Qingyun.
But she didn't expect that this guy would offer a price of 2,000 points with a wave of his hand.
And it seems that this is not the highest price in the store.
"I remember we had discussed before that we should set the average price at around 300 points. Now it seems to have more than doubled."
"There's nothing I can do. Plans can't keep up with changes." Xie Qingyun said confidently, "I don't know why, but after arriving at the hot springs, my touch suddenly became especially good when I was making things. I was full of inspiration, and the quality of each piece exceeded my previous standards. Naturally, I can no longer refer to the original pricing."
He stretched out a finger and shook it proudly, "I think I have evolved, you know, the kind of evolution that Tyrannosaurus evolves into Machine Tyrannosaurus, Magikarp evolves into Gyarados..."
Shu Mo: "...get to the point."
Xie Qingyun: "Well, boss, don't worry, the prices I set are all calculated accurately."
"For the piece in your hand, half a piece of demon sparrow stone was melted into it when it was made. With the other materials, the cost is almost 700 points. Isn't it normal to set it at 2,000? What's more, there is also my labor fee. After deducting these, the profit is not high."
He looked as if "if you calculate it this way, I'm selling it at a low price", which made Shu Mo laugh.
Ore is a rare material, and many players only use it when making weapons. It is really exaggerated to use half a piece of demon sparrow stone in a small ornament.
The average price of 300 points discussed before certainly does not include products using ore as raw materials.
Of course, ore is not necessary for blacksmithing.
There are many low-level blacksmiths who use C-level monster materials and clay ropes to make equipment. For low-level players, these equipment are already more practical than those sold in the mall.
With Xie Qingyun's craftsmanship, even using such low-end materials, he can still make exquisite jewelry, and the production speed is much faster than that of ordinary blacksmiths.
The original price of a bundle of straw rope is 2 points, the price of a piece of clay is 3 points, plus a few dozen points of monster materials, the price can instantly increase to 300 points after passing through his hands. It is not a problem to produce a dozen pieces a day.
This is the terrifying speed at which the forging master can make money.
Shu Mo thought about it and felt that the price of 2,000 points seemed acceptable, so he nodded.
When Xie Qingyun saw that she accepted it, his expression relaxed a little.
What he didn't dare say was that in fact this ornament did not use "half a piece" of demon sparrow stone, but only a small half piece.
He had thought about making this ornament himself when he was in Guangming Town. He refined two pieces from a piece of demon sparrow stone. But what he didn't expect was that after coming to the hot spring, while keeping the production process and the efficacy of the finished product unchanged, he actually used two pieces of demon sparrow stone to make five ornaments like this.
From half a block to less than half a block, it seems to be just a small difference, but when converted into points, it is equivalent to saving a full 100 points of cost.
This is just the same material as the demon sparrow stone.
During the production process, Xie Qingyun discovered that the loss of other materials was much less than when he was in Guangming Town.
Calculated in this way, the overall production cost has actually decreased.
Correspondingly, profits also increased.
In addition, the efficacy of the products has also been slightly improved, which makes Xie Qingyun more and more convinced that coming to the hot spring is the right decision.
…
Because the materials were stored here with Xie Qingyun, Shu Mo was not aware of the specific losses, so Xie Qingyun did not tell her about these things.
In fact, no matter how much the hotel earns, it doesn't affect his monthly fixed salary, but Shu Mo generously gave him so many materials that day, and Xie Qingyun also wanted to give her something in return. During the forging process, he tried his best to maximize the effect of each piece of material and not waste any material - the ability to save so much cost was, to some extent, also due to Xie Qingyun's efforts.
"but……"
Shu Mo looked around the store and found that most people were like the player just now. They picked up the ornaments and looked at the prices and put them down immediately. There were not even a few who hesitated. "With such high prices, won't the turnover rate be very low..."
Being reasonable is one thing, but if customers can't afford it, then it's useless no matter how reasonable the price is.
Xie Qingyun was very confident, "Don't worry, I will meet the right buyer."
*
“Hey, this store is open!”
Xu Ruixi stopped and said in surprise.
Around her were Jiang Qing and his wife, as well as Momo, Haohao and a group of children.
When room reservations started last week, Xu Ruixi successfully grabbed a double room with lake view and moved in with Momo.
Several parents who were staying in a hotel with their children discussed it and established a shift system during the week - one parent would stay behind to look after the children every day, while the rest would team up to level up. They have tried this model for two weeks and have not found any problems so far. Even more parents have joined them after asking.
The children ate well, and their faces became visibly rounder, no longer as skinny as before. They also made a lot of friends in the hotel, and every night when they returned to their room, they excitedly told their parents, "This place is much more interesting than in a small town."
The parents were also happy to see this and were more determined to work hard to make money so that they could stay in the hot spring for a while longer.
Fortunately, the hot spring is located in the advanced leveling area, which saves me the trouble of long journeys every time, and I can spend more time with my children than before.
Parents go to the wild to level up six days a week, and spend the remaining day at the hotel with their children as a parent-child activity day.
——Today is the weekly day off.
Xu Ruixi and others slept in leisurely in the morning and only went out for a walk now. They walked all the way and arrived at the door of the handicraft shop.
Jiang Qing suddenly realized, "No wonder I saw so many people walking here excitedly on the road just now."
"Come here quickly, this is really beautiful."
Xu Ruixi noticed the small shelf at the door at a glance. He and Momo stood in front of the shelf with shining eyes.
There are two rows of shelves. The hooks in the second row are all common styles in the world in the past, such as flowers, small animals, food, etc., and the shapes are also very rich. But what really attracted Xu Ruixi were the small monster-shaped dolls displayed in the first row.
Granny Xie has a good ability of observation, and with the help of three combat players who often deal with monsters, every monster she makes is vivid, retaining the characteristics to the maximum extent while adding a touch of cuteness.
In addition to the already adorable white bear beast and the cute snow rabbit, there are also the majestic mimicry, the nine-headed python, and the shadow knight, each of them with a pair of cute little eyes.
Even the horse that the Shadow Knight was leading was like this.
The lethality suddenly weakened to 0.
Fu Yiming was so amused by what he saw, "I never thought those scary monsters in the wild could be made so cute. They almost look like figurines."
Jiang Qing also sighed, "It's so creative."
There are even three versions of the anthropomorphic beast - one is curled up in a ball and sleeping, and because it has its eyes closed, it looks particularly docile. One is a fighting posture. The ice-blue pupils are restored vividly, but because the whole thing is made of wool, there is a subtle sense of naivety in the sternness.
The last one is the Arctic Fox Bus Edition, which is larger than the previous two. It has a round head in front and a tail that slides down naturally behind it, and is slightly raised at the tip of the tail. It feels quite solid and is particularly satisfying to hold in your arms.
Seeing Xu Ruixi's concentration, the female clerk explained, "Because the Mimic is a popular employee of the hot spring, three versions were specially made. Other monsters only have two versions at most. You are lucky that all three are still available."
The group of fans of the Beast Simulators have not arrived at the battlefield yet. If Xu Ruixi arrives later, he might not be able to get it.
Xu Ruixi: “!!”
Now that things have come to this, there is no need to hesitate. She grabbed all three of them into her arms and said resolutely, "Only children make choices. We adults, of course, want them all."
The entire set of an out-of-print series is right in front of you, so why not go all in?
After Xu Ruixi finished speaking, he felt something was wrong. He lowered his head and met his daughter's eager gaze.
There was a group of children gathered around her, and she, an adult holding three dolls, looked out of place.
Xu Ruixi didn't think anything of it, so he hugged her tighter and bent down with some effort, "Momo, do you want anything? Pick one, mom will treat you."
"I've already picked it out!" Momo said crisply.
She smiled and handed over a blue slime doll.
The classic teardrop shape, with two smears of blush on the cheeks, looks silly.
"Why choose this?" Xu Ruixi was a little puzzled. Among this group of monster dolls, Slime is neither the cutest nor the handsomest. There are obviously many that are more exquisitely shaped than it. Why did Momo decide on this one so quickly?
Look at Haohao and Xiaoyi, they are still choosing. The two little boys began to suffer from a fear of making choices when faced with this pile of dolls.
——I always feel scared when putting a monster that is too strong on the bed. Why not pick a cute one and hug it when you sleep?
Momo glanced at the two of them, then looked away, very seriously: "This is my first prey."
Very memorable!
Haohao and Xiaoyi next to them looked at him in shock.
Unexpectedly, they were still at the stage of choosing a companion to hold while sleeping at night, while Momo had already stepped into the fifth level - picking up the spoils.
Good friends are so scary!
Xu Ruixi: “…”
The corner of her mouth twitched, "Well, then you take it."
Suddenly she felt a little fortunate that the monsters in the game would not leave corpses after being killed, otherwise what would happen to her family in the future?
Thinking of the real slime covered with mucus, Xu Ruixi found this slime woolen doll much cuter when he looked at it again.
…
The children hesitated for a while before they chose the dolls they wanted and dragged their parents to the store to check out.
As soon as he entered the store and saw the decoration inside, Jiang Qing exclaimed in admiration again.
Xie Qingyun's aesthetic taste is impeccable. When he took some time off these days, he also decorated the store. The carpets on the floor, the lighting everywhere, the decorations hanging from the ceiling, and even the way the goods are displayed are all very particular, and have the style and atmosphere of those small craft shops opened near some historical attractions before the game.
This kind of small shop is the easiest to visit. If you are not careful, you may be immersed in it and stay inside for a long time.
But in Guangming Town, where every inch of land is valuable, there is no room for such small handicraft shops. Like the ones that Grandma Xie used to sell to her neighbors, each one was only sold at a single-digit price. How could there be enough profit to rent a store?
Forget about handicrafts. Apart from the wealthy Priests Guild, the only people in the town who have the money to support a separate shop are some pharmacists and blacksmiths. The vast majority of remaining players will choose to set up stalls directly at the market when they need to trade.
There is no need to pay stall fees, you can set up your stall wherever you want and have more freedom. Why bother spending that money to rent a store?
Although Jiang Qing understood, there was always a trace of regret in his heart.
Very occasionally, she would recall her college days, when she went shopping in the alleys of the city where her school was located.
Each store has its own style, depending on the owner's preferences. Walking into the store from the busy alley is like entering an unknown world. It could be a vintage shop with thick incense, a disco-style retro shop with shining lights above, or a coffee shop standing in the middle of a busy city but surprisingly quiet and elegant inside... or a used bookstore with books piled up to the ceiling...
Every time Jiang Qing found a small shop like this, he would feel happy.
After the advent of the game, she thought she had gradually forgotten this feeling, but now as she walked into this newly opened handicraft shop in the hot spring, she unexpectedly recalled the passion she had when she visited shops everywhere during college.
Fu Yiming knew Jiang Qing's preferences. Seeing this, he thought for a moment, "Since this store is built next to the main road, the boss won't just build this one, right?"
Jiang Qing came back to his senses and said, "Hmm?"
"I mean, there are still a lot of empty seats next to it." Fu Yiming stretched out his arms, gestured, and said confidently, "I think she will definitely open more stores in the future, and then we will have a lot to shop at."
Jiang Qing imagined the scene and looked forward to it. "Yes."
At present, hot springs, whether the restaurant and guest rooms in the main building, the large public bath in the annex, or the bamboo forests, streams, and lakes that serve as landscapes, are all considered leisure facilities. Almost no facilities are built specifically for entertainment.
Players can relax here to their heart's content, but it's hard to find a place to kill time.
If the commercial street is really built, it can fill the gap in this area.
Seeing that Jiang Qing's eyes were still on the shelf nearby, Fu Yiming said, "I'll take Haohao to check out and come find you later."
"good."
Jiang Qing strolled around the store unconsciously, reminiscing about the past.
Woolen products are placed near the store door. The lighting in this area is also bright and warm. Through the glass window, you can see the candy-colored doll ornaments squeezed on the shelves.
According to common sense, no matter how good the craftsmanship of the maker is, it is difficult to compare the fineness of the stone carvings, bone carvings or metal products commonly seen in handicraft shops. However, Jiang Qing feels that putting them here is the most appropriate choice.
Although it is easy to create a cool and high-end effect with metal, it always gives people a cold and dull feeling.
The same is true for several other things.
Only the special material of wool can make everything have a warm and soft texture.
In the end times, she is more easily attracted to these warm and healing little objects than to exquisite handicrafts.
Jiang Qing stayed at the handmade woolen goods shelf at the door for a long time before leaving.
Going deeper into the shop, I found that the style changed drastically from some point on, and the merchandise on display was also different.
Jiang Qing stopped and picked up something at random.
It was a simple pendant, round with a hole in the middle. It looked a bit like the peace locket of the past, but it was not made of common jadeite, but something more like black and white blue and white jade. Compared with other objects made by Xie Qingyun, this pendant is quite low-key. When placed on the shelf, its brilliance is completely overshadowed by other objects, making it even seem a little inconspicuous.
Several people who passed by before ignored it, but Jiang Qing saw it at a glance.
And once you notice it, you can't take your eyes off it.
The reason was simple. As far as she knew, there was no jade in the game.
If this is not the jade preserved before the game, then the maker used other materials in the game to imitate the warm and smooth texture, as well as the delicate texture unique to blue and white jade, which looks like ink and color infiltrated into it... What a wonderful craftsmanship!
There was a look of amazement in Jiang Qing's eyes. She called up the item panel and checked the price, only to be shocked.
[Item name: Peace buckle]
[Price: 3000 points]
...3000 points? ? ?
"How can it be so expensive?!" Jiang Qing looked at the "jade" in his hand in disbelief, "Could it really be left behind before the game?"
In that case, the reason for its high price may be the collection value of the jade itself. After all, before the game, blue and white jade was a famous jade worth over ten thousand yuan per gram. It is not impossible for someone who is living in poverty to exchange it for money.
But if that were the case, Jiang Qing would be a little disappointed.
She didn't have any particular preference for jade. She just noticed the craftsmanship of the maker. If it was just an ordinary piece of jade, she would definitely not pay 3,000 points to buy it.
Thinking of this, Jiang Qing flipped the panel down out of habit.
Unexpectedly, there was a long introduction below the name and price.
Most people would probably be scared when they see the price and close the door without paying any attention to the content behind it.
【property:………………】
Jiang Qing looked down casually, and the next second, his gaze froze.
She tightly grasped the jade button in her hand and read the property description carefully three times. Suddenly she came to her senses and rushed to the counter with the jade button.
Fu Yiming was checking out with Haohao when he saw his wife running over and putting something next to Haohao's woolen doll, "Check this out together."
"Okay." Fu Yiming was about to pay, and nodded when he heard it, and said to the male clerk behind the counter, "We're together, so this should be included."
"Okay." The clerk quickly operated the panel.
Jiang Qing stood there in a daze for some reason. Fu Yiming lowered his head and said to Haohao earnestly, "I bought you three dolls today, which has exceeded the toy limit we agreed on, so you must be obedient in the remaining weeks. When daddy is taking a bath on the terrace, you should play in your room by yourself and don't always ask me to take you to the bath... Can you do it?"
"Yes!" Haohao was very positive, "Thank you, Dad."
Three big dolls total 90 points. The couple started to cultivate Haohao's sensitivity to numbers early on. Haohao also knew that he spent too much today, so he behaved very obediently.
Fu Yiming nodded with satisfaction. Just as he was about to say something else, he heard the clerk push the packaged items back with a smile, "Hello, the total is 3090 points. Please pay here."
Fu Yiming: “???”
Haohao: “……????”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
