Liu Sihe took a closer look, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "These... did you draw them yourself?"
"Yes." Su Xiaoxiao said.
Liu Sihe praised repeatedly: "It's a very novel design. I heard that you are going to open a clinic, what do you plan to write on the plaque?"
Su Xiaoxiao: "The best hall in the world."
Liu Sihe: Girl, you are very arrogant.
Liu Sihe was a straightforward and efficient person. He never flattered himself and did not engage in any unnecessary small talk.
The conversation between the two sides lasted less than a quarter of an hour.
"I have taken note of what you said. Do you have any other requests?"
"No more." Su Xiaoxiao said, "How many days will it take to be completed?"
"Seven days."
"Only seven days?"
That’s a lot of stuff.
Liu Sihe smiled and said, "If I don't finish the work in seven days, I won't charge you any money! Go and get busy!"
Su Xiaoxiao doesn't like to talk nonsense. She just likes to deal with people who don't talk nonsense.
In addition, the price Liu Sihe offered was far lower than her budget, saving her a lot of money.
After leaving Liu's house, she went to the house at the west end where it intersected with Zhuangyuan Street.
The Grandpa Zhang that Dahu mentioned was a sturdy blacksmith named Zhang Erzhu. He seemed a few years older than Old Man Su and was a bit serious.
The weather was so cold that he was only wearing a linen shirt and his thick arms were exposed to the air.
Su Xiaoxiao's first reaction was: With such muscular body, are all blacksmiths so strong nowadays?
When Su Xiaoxiao explained the purpose of her visit, as expected, Zhang Erzhu was not shocked.
Because Da Hu also came to say hello to him.
"I want to make some knives." Su Xiaoxiao handed him the blueprint. "I heard that the capital has strict control over iron tools. I made a lot of knives. Do I need to report to the government?"
"No need." Zhang Erzhu said calmly, "I have never made these types of knives before. I have to make a new mold. Come back in ten days to pick it up."
Su Xiaoxiao asked: "How much deposit do I need to pay first?"
"No need to pay a deposit." Zhang Erzhu was also very straightforward. "As for the exact amount, we will know after the work is done, but it should not be more than five taels."
Five taels?
You know, apart from salt, the other thing the imperial court had always controlled was iron, which was very expensive in ancient times.
"Are you sure?"
Zhang Erzhu saw Su Xiaoxiao's shocked expression, thought for a moment, and said, "Then two taels."
Su Xiaoxiao: “…”
This is like cutting your own price, leaving others with nothing to bargain for...
The last place Su Xiaoxiao went to was Grandma Zhou's house.
She lives next door to her house, and the reason she was put last is that this business deal might take the longest to discuss.
"Are you Da Hu's mother?" Grandma Zhou invited Su Xiaoxiao into the main room with a smile on her face and poured her a cup of hot tea.
Su Xiaoxiao suddenly felt that she was famous in the alley...
Grandma Zhou is quite old, and it seems that the neighbors in the alley, regardless of their generation, all call her Grandma Zhou.
"What specific types do you want to pick? What kind of work do they do?" Grandma Zhou asked with a smile.
Su Xiaoxiao said, "I want a coachman and four medicine boys. It would be best if there were two female medicine boys. It doesn't matter if they know medical knowledge or not. We can teach them. In addition, we also need a cook and a long-term worker to do the cleaning."
Grandma Zhou said, "Everything else is easy to deal with, except for the female medicine boy..."
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were very few women practicing medicine, and when girls went out to work, they were mostly maids or embroiderers...
She said, "Let me try. Come to my house tomorrow morning and take a look."
The next day, Su Xiaoxiao came to Grandma Zhou's house early in the morning.
Among this group of people, Grandma Zhou recommended a driver named A Zhong, who was in his twenties and had a handsome appearance.
Grandma Zhou said, "Don't be fooled by his young age. He is quite experienced and is very familiar with the streets and alleys of the capital."
Su Xiaoxiao asked Ah Zhong a few questions. The young man was neither arrogant nor impatient, spoke clearly, and had a strong physique.
When you get to Grandma Zhou’s place, the price is not cheap.
Five taels for each driver, which is the introduction fee paid to Grandma Zhou. As for the driver's wages, Su Xiaoxiao has to settle it with the driver separately.
Su Xiaoxiao pinched her purse, feeling a pain in her heart.
The medicine boy was a clever young man named Xiao Wei, seventeen years old. He used to be a clerk in another drug store and knew a few medicinal herbs.
Grandma Zhou said, "Brother Wei, you will follow Madam from now on."
Hearing the call of "Brother Wei", Su Xiaoxiao almost choked on her tea.
Su Xiaoxiao didn't find another satisfactory male medicine boy, but the two little girls caught her eye.
A twelve-year-old girl named Ying'er, with a small round face, a small canine tooth on each side when she smiles, and a few freckles on her cheeks. She is a very smart little girl.
The other one is Dujuan, who is two years older than Ying'er. She has an oval face, delicate features, and can read.
Grandma Zhou said, "She was originally a daughter of an official. Something happened to her family, so she was sold to the Jiaosifang. She is still young, so she is being raised by the Jiaosifang."
The implication is that in another year or two, she will have to sell her body to clients.
Su Xiaoxiao came up to her and asked calmly, "You used to be a daughter of an official family. If I buy you, can you bear the hardship of being a servant?"
Du Juan knelt down and kowtowed: "In reply to Madam, I am a concubine and not favored at home. As long as you don't let me fall into prostitution, I am willing to work like a cow and a horse for you!"
Su Xiaoxiao asked about the prices of Wei Ge'er, Ying'er and Dujuan.
Grandma Zhou stretched out her finger.
Su Xiaoxiao: "Ten taels?"
Grandma Zhou: "One hundred taels."
Grandma, you are a little dark...
But soon, Su Xiaoxiao understood why their prices were more expensive than A Zhong's.
They were slaves, and when they were bought back they signed a death contract. If they wanted to leave in the future, they had to redeem themselves from Su Xiaoxiao.
And their wages are lower than others, or even no wages.
The cook and the farmhand who cleaned the house were a middle-aged couple, and they also received ten taels each.
The ten taels of silver bought their three-year construction period, the same as Ah Zhong's.
The next few days were calm. Su Xiaoxiao went to school while running the snack business at the Imperial College.
Seven days later, Liu Sihe's work was completed.
Su Xiaoxiao went to see the plaque he made. It had a black background with gold characters, and it looked solemn and domineering, even more perfect than Su Xiaoxiao had imagined.
It just seems a bit heavy, and I don’t know what wood it is made of.
Liu Sihe saw the little girl looking left and right at the plaque and thought she was worried about the quality of the plaque.
He patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, you will not decay for a hundred years under the wind and sun!"
Su Xiaoxiao: What kind of wood won’t rot in a hundred years? It can’t be Phoebe nanmu…
You must be overthinking. How could a neighborhood carpenter own such precious wood? Liu Sihe called a few of his brothers and moved the furniture and wooden boards to the clinic. They put everything on display and installed everything. In just one afternoon, the shop had changed dramatically.
The plaque will be hung on the opening day, and Su Xiaoxiao put it in the accounting office first.
Two days later, Zhang Erzhu also made the knives, and he really only charged Su Xiaoxiao two taels.
Doctor Fu asked someone to calculate an auspicious day - the 18th of this month, a good day for opening the business.
However, on the night before the opening, something went wrong during the first class.
(End of this chapter)