Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Selling Candles
An ordinary candle weighs about five cents, which is about 25 grams.
One pound of beeswax will contain 1.5 ounces of moxa powder. Excluding the loss during production, one pound of beeswax can produce about ten pairs of candles.
When Kang He went to the city with the salt duck, he had saved a total of forty candles.
That day, after working in the fields in the morning, Kang He and Fan Jing came home, took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and told their family that they were going to the county to deliver salted duck.
Fan Jing carried the salted duck, while Kang He wrapped dozens of medicinal candles in cloth and put them into a box, placed it at the bottom of the backpack, and then covered it with ordinary linen.
Each of them carried a basket and wore a straw hat as they went to the county.
It was noon, the hottest time of the day, and by the time I arrived at the county town, I was sweating all over.
Kang He and Fan Jing washed their sweaty feet by the river, and then walked on the bluestone slabs on the street to Zou Fulang's place. There were water marks on their feet, but they were dried up by the sun before they reached the store.
At noon, there were few people on the entire street. The young men were either dozing off or hiding in the windy corners of the alleys to cool off.
"It's so hot, and you still send salt duck? It's so hot."
The shop assistants saw that it was scorching hot outside and that the water they poured out on the road would take more than a quarter of an hour to dry up, so everyone was happy to go out at this time.
There was not a single customer in the shop, and the boss was taking a nap upstairs, fanning himself. No one said they were lazy, while the shop assistants were all dozing off in corners.
Only one person is brought out to stand guard, and the others take turns.
When they saw someone entering the shop, they thought it was a customer, but when they saw it was Kang He, they relaxed again.
The shop assistant recognized Kang He's face and greeted them when he saw the couple coming together.
Not to mention that they were the boss's guests, they all bought salted duck from Fan's house, so how could they not recognize him?
"It's harvest time. I'm busy working in the fields morning and night. Only now can I spare some time to come and rest for my second brother."
"No, we're both asleep with one eye and alert with the other. If the boss sees us, we'll be scolded."
As the waiter spoke, he brought out two bowls of tea.
Kang He took out the salted duck and preserved eggs and explained his purpose to his servants.
The clerk counted the money and saw that nothing was damaged, so he went to the counter to withdraw the money and gave it to Kanghe.
Kang He took a sip of herbal tea and asked, "Is Mr. Zou not in the shop today?"
The waiter said, "He's resting upstairs. He's probably asleep at this hour, so I didn't dare disturb him. He knows the price of salted duck, and I'll pay you according to the amount. He won't say anything wrong."
Seeing this, Kang He said, "It's a pity that I have to see Mr. Zou today."
The guy asked him, "Is there any new honey?"
"Not really."
Kang He didn't want to tell his clerk everything, so he took out two copper coins and stuffed them into his pocket: "Brother Xiaoer, please help me make this trip."
The clerk, having received the coppers, was willing to endure a few scoldings, but he said, "I'll go and tell you, but I can't guarantee he won't be angry and refuse to see you."
Kang He agreed and sat downstairs with Fan Jing waiting.
After a while, cursing was heard from upstairs, and after a while, the young man came down with a sad face.
"I'll give you a good scolding and send you away. But you better be careful with your words."
Kang He thanked the waiter and went upstairs with the things.
Mr. Zou was lying on a couch, holding a round jade fan in his hand. Although he was half sitting up, his eyes were still blurry and he could hardly open them.
The loose hair on his temples was also stuck together by the sweat from his afternoon sleep.
"Why are you in the city at this hour when you're not lying dead at home?"
Mr. Zou was really unhappy because his sweet dream was disturbed. He spoke in a strange tone. He didn't open his eyes when he heard someone coming upstairs.
Seeing this, Kang He said kindly, "If I didn't have something good, I wouldn't dare to bother you at this time."
Upon hearing this, Zou opened his eyelids, glanced at the couple, and said angrily, "If you don't please me, next time you pass by my shop and want to come in to ask for a glass of water, I've told my shop assistants not to let you."
After saying this, he asked the two of them to bring stools and sit down.
Asked: "What brings you here in such hot weather?"
If it were someone else, Mr. Zou would not be willing to see her when he was sleeping soundly. Thinking about the loss he suffered from the salted duck before, he was afraid that if someone really wanted to get something good today, he would miss it again.
Kang He did not hesitate and took out the candle that he had lit with Fan Jing earlier. He handed it to Zou Fulang and said, "Zou Fulang runs such a large candle shop and is very knowledgeable. Could you please take a look at this candle for me?"
Mr. Zou took the candle and looked at it. Judging from its appearance, there was nothing shiny about it, but the candle body was obviously polished with great care and was smooth and round.
As for the candles in the shop, except for the cheap ones at fifty cents a pair which were a little rough in workmanship, the more expensive ones were just as bright and smooth.
He couldn't find any other advantages, so he sniffed and said, "I do think I can smell a little bit of mugwort."
Seeing this, Kang He didn't rush to brag. He took out a tinder and lit the candle: "No matter how much I say and praise this candle, it's just like showing off in front of a man who is in the candle business. Whether it is good or bad, you have to judge for yourself."
At first, Mr. Zou didn't see anything mysterious. He thought that this young man might be trying to get close to him and teach him how to collect some thick candles.
But after a while, he smelled a stronger scent of moxa, which seemed to be emitted by the burning candle, and he couldn't help but straighten his body.
He looked at the candle carefully again, and was already intrigued. He smelled a faint scent of mugwort from the candle, and thought it was because the candle had been fumigated with mugwort, so the candle had some scent on it.
Unexpectedly, as the candle was lit, the aroma of mugwort became stronger. The most peculiar thing was that the candle burned for a long time without emitting any smoke.
If you put any foreign objects inside the candle, it is difficult to prevent smoke from coming out. Even though he has been in the candle business for many years, he has never seen such a good candle.
"Where did you get this good stuff?! It's hot at night and there are lots of mosquitoes. Lighting a candle can also create a scent of mugwort to repel them. It's amazing!"
Mr. Zou held the candle and looked around, with visible joy on his face.
Kang He said, "If something is good, it's good. Why should we care about its origin? I can only assure my husband that this candle has a clean origin and is definitely not a dirty object of unclear origin."
Mr. Zou smiled and said, "You are always smart."
He knew that people had to keep track of the source of the income, otherwise how could they make money? As a businessman, how could he not understand this? He was also understanding.
"It's amazing that you have something good and still want to stay here with me. Tell me the truth, how much do you have?"
Kang He said, "The things are good, but not much. I wonder if my husband would be willing to accept this crude candle of mine?"
"If I were to go against my conscience and say I disdain these candles, you'd have to go somewhere else. We're old friends, so why would I bother with all that pretense? I'll take as many candles as you have!"
Kang He laughed and said, "Mr. Zou is very straightforward, but I don't know what price he would be willing to give me. I am a humble man, and I rely on this little money to support my family."
Mr. Zou thought about it. In the early years, he did collect some loose candles and sell them in the shop. However, after his business became successful and he had a dedicated and stable candle supplier, he no longer bought candles from outside.
But Kanghe had this rare medicinal candle. Not to mention that he specialized in this business, even treasure shops would have taken it away immediately if they saw it. Wouldn't it be foolish for him to leave it alone?
He said, "Name your price."
Kang He shook his head and said, "I'm just a country boy. I only use oil lamps at home and have never used candles. How can I understand the ins and outs of the candle business? I still have to rely on Mr. Zou to give me the price."
He implied that the candles were obtained from somewhere else.
Mr. Zou guessed that the candles were not made by Kanghe himself. He was right. Most farmers used oil lamps for lighting, and they were not allowed to use them. How many of them knew how to make candles?
It is not surprising that they can make some ordinary thick candles, not to mention that he thinks the good candles are made by people who specialize in candle making. He just doesn't know how Kang He got them.
Cats have their own way, mice have their own way, and everyone has his own way. No matter which way a person takes, as long as things are delivered to him, that is his luck.
I think Kang He also knows that this thing is rare and will be sold at a high price. If he deceives people, he may not be able to do business again.
Moreover, he has dealt with all kinds of people in business, and he has a sharp eye for people. The people in front of him are not those stupid and ignorant country guys who are easy to fool.
Mr. Zou thought for a moment and said, "I'll give you five hundred coins for a pair of candles!
"Brother Kang, we've been friends for a long time. I recognize you and am willing to give you a good price. If someone else offered me something good, I wouldn't be so easygoing."
Kang He said, "I believe what my husband said in my heart. I recognize your character, so I am giving this thing to you. If it were someone else, I would not believe it. I will accept any price you offer."
This price was not low, he thought. If the price was higher, the item would be rare and he might not be unable to get it.
However, if he raises the price too high and becomes proud of his goods, it is easy to arouse jealousy. Then, in order to make more profit, the merchants will inevitably have other ideas.
Kanghe now just wants to earn some solid money.
If you fight with someone, even if he has some brains, he has no power or influence. No matter how smart and clever you are, how can you resist his power?
A lot of money seems easy to earn, but if you have no support, it is actually very dangerous and you can easily become a piece of fat meat on the chopping board.
Seeing this, Zou Fulang was also satisfied. He said, "You are steady, and so am I. Let's continue to get along well."
Kang He took out the box and gave Zou Fulang forty candles and ten strings of cash.
Mr. Zou lit the candles and examined them carefully. He was also worried. After all, it was the first time he had collected such candles, and he couldn't be sure whether every candle was as good as the one Kang He lit.
If one of them breaks, you will lose more than 200 yuan. Even if you are wealthy, you cannot afford such a huge loss.
But there is one good thing. Kang and his mother-in-law often set up stalls in the county. If there is any problem, it is easy to find someone. It is not like that person who does business once and then leaves and is never found again.
Kang He also told Zou Fulang that he would save the things that were not useful, leave them to him to look at, and then compensate him for the money.
Only then did Mr. Zou feel relieved, and both of them handled this business cautiously.
When he left, he gave Kanghe a box of eight ordinary candles to use for lighting his own home.
He was more happy than worried, fortunately he didn't oversleep and miss out on work.
Kang He thanked him, took the gift and left.
Seeing that the boss couldn't hide the joy on his face, the waiter came forward and asked what was so happy.
Zou Fulang said proudly, "Just do your job well, and I will certainly need your kindness."
After leaving the shop, Kang He and Fan Jing carefully pocketed the silver and went to the money shop to exchange it for a Jiaozi note worth ten strings of cash.
The heavy silver was exchanged for a light Jiaozi note, which I carefully folded and put into the pocket in front of my chest, and my heart felt at ease.
Fan Jing was also amazed. He expected it to sell for a good price, but he never thought that the candle could be sold at such a high price.
The shop is willing to buy it at such a high price, I dare not imagine how much it would cost if I sell it again.
They naturally didn't know that after Mr. Zou got the medicinal candle, he immediately asked the skilled candle maker under him to carve patterns for it.
The candles that were made a second time were wrapped in fine silk, placed in an ebony box, and sent to the official residence in the city, where they were greatly appreciated.
Once they fall into the market, a pair can be sold for several strings of cash.
It's so expensive that it makes people gasp in amazement, yet people are still scrambling to buy it, even if they have to bid for it.
Rich people may not use the items for themselves, but when they see rare items, they will definitely put them in their pockets and give them as gifts to others to curry favor.
Kang He later learned that the medicinal candles were sold at such a high price, but he did not feel jealous at all.
Firstly, this candle had been made twice with exquisite craftsmanship and was no longer as crude as when he first made it; secondly, without Mr. Zou's connections and skills, how could he sell the product?
He earns the first profit, and others earn the second profit. Both sides benefit, and this is the best.
These are all later stories, so I won’t go into them here for now.
Kang He and Fan Jing were very happy because they had sold the candles at a good price that day. As usual, they decided to buy some food to eat at home.
Ever since Fan Jing started following Hu Dasan to slaughter pigs, he would occasionally get a piece of meat to bring home. There was meat being smoked on the stove, and if there was no fresh pork available, he would smoke it and save it.
Autumn is a time of hardship, so most of the meat Fan Jing brought back was used for cooking. Since there was more meat on the table, people were not as greedy as before.
They haven't bought meat in the county for a long time.
Fan Jing also taught Kang He that he didn't need to buy pork. However, if he didn't buy pork, the only option was mutton, which was twice as expensive as pork. It was so expensive to buy a piece of it that he would definitely be scolded if he took it back.
After much thought, I decided to buy two big bluefin breams and stew them at home.
Fan Jing also agreed. They went to the mountains less often and rarely caught fish.
Kang He’s cooking skills were so good that every time he stewed fish, Chen Sanfang would use the remaining fish soup to knead dough and make noodles every other meal.
"Hey, isn't Brother Daxin the accountant at the antique shop? How about we go and see him?"
Kang He and Fan Jing wiped the sweat from their foreheads, bought him a bowl of snow bean water from the street, and ate it with the bowl.
Suddenly I thought of Fan Xin who worked in the county.
Fan Jing felt that Fan Xin's work was nothing special, but since Kang He wanted to go, he let him go and nodded.
So Kang He also bought a bowl for him and asked him to put more ice in it so that the bean water would be refreshing when he got it.
Fan Xin has been working in the county for some time, starting before Fan Jing became his apprentice.
A few days ago, I heard Zhang Jingui say that he had received his first salary and bought some things for his family.
He went to the city to work every day, leaving early and returning late, so Kang He and Fan Jing rarely met him.
The two of them went to find the shop called Chengxin Antique Shop in Doushui Lane. Shops that sold expensive items like this were all well-lit and the signboard could be seen from a distance.
Kang He held the mung bean water in one hand and held Fan Jing's hand in the other, and walked over briskly.
Before entering the shop, people heard the noise inside.
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