Chapter 4 Thousands of Orders
We went to the next shop, which sold stationery and other traditional Chinese writing implements.
The shopkeeper was an elderly gentleman in his fifties who had once been a schoolteacher and was also her earliest mentor.
I still have some money on hand.
"Mr. Qi, do you still remember me? You even taught me when I was a child."
Qi Shuyan put down the Xuan paper in his hand and looked at it carefully: "Oh, it's Jin Ge. Are you all better?"
"Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm fine." She paused for a moment, then looked around at the stationery displayed in the shop before saying, "Sir, I've come today to discuss a collaboration with you. I have everything you have: brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, hemp paper, Xuan paper, inkstones, wolf-hair brushes, and She inkstones. I can supply 100+ of each type at a time, and I'll be delivering the entire amount at once. You only need to pay a 30% deposit, which is a full 20% less than Ning Zhutian's. Would you consider collaborating with me?"
The woman stared with her big, grape-like eyes. She didn't seem stupid, but why did she speak as if she were missing a screw?
Qi Shuyan chuckled: "Jinge, I've taught you since you were little that a gentleman is quick to act but cautious in speech, and slow to speak but quick to act. Look at what you're bragging about now, all these things combined must amount to at least a thousand. Apart from Ning Zhutian, no one else can afford to provide for you."
"Hey~ you can go now."
She watched as her teacher shook his head, his face filled with sorrow and disappointment.
She immediately bowed and said, "What you taught me is true, but you also taught me to be realistic. Jingge was just telling the truth."
Old Qi stroked his beard and smiled, "That's true. So tell me, how many days is it for a one-time delivery?"
She held up three fingers.
Old Qi's eyes widened: "Huh?"
By the time the goods were delivered in three months, the daylilies were already too cold.
He waved his hand.
Su Jingge frowned slightly. Three days is too long?
"Sir, two days, isn't two days enough?"
Qi Shuyan held up two fingers and said incredulously, "Two days??"
The woman nodded sincerely: "Just two days."
Just then, Zhao Liu swaggered in with arrogant steps, almost tripping over the dilapidated floor near the door.
He angrily kicked away the stones: "This lousy ground needs to be repaired."
Then, he chuckled: "Two days, a thousand units?? Are you dreaming? Do you even know how this stuff is produced?"
Su Jingge, looking at him with a bored expression, crossed her arms and said, "Then tell me how it's produced."
"I knew you were a clueless young girl who didn't know anything. You're trying to sell things, so let me teach you properly. Take Xuan paper for example. The main ingredients are mulberry bark and rice straw from Shatian. After processing, it's pulped and then made into paper. Mulberry bark is scarce in March and April. If you want to make Xuan paper, you have to wait until September and October. You don't even know these things and you're still selling things. You really don't know your place."
"How dare you spout such nonsense! You also produce over 100 units, plus other items, that's easily a thousand units. How could your little Yunque Tower possibly have that?"
His shouting attracted the attention of local merchants and onlookers.
Su Jingge didn't offer any explanation, but instead laughed.
Zhao Liu blinked: "What are you laughing at? Are you having a fit?"
She lazily raised her eyes: "I laugh at your ignorance."
"Let me ask you again, what did you just say was the main material of Xuan paper?"
Zhao Liu said confidently, grinning, "Mulberry bark."
This time, Qi Shuyan, who was standing to the side, also laughed.
Zhao Liu rolled his eyes: "Ah, it's paper mulberry bark. I made a mistake in my busy schedule."
“Wrong!” Su Jingge immediately said.
Everyone shook their heads.
Zhao Liu scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed: "No, isn't that wrong?"
Qi Shuyan looked at Su Jingge: "Jingge, tell me, how is Xuan paper made?"
"The main material for Xuan paper is not mulberry bark or paper mulberry bark, but the bark of the 'Shi Qing Tan' tree. The two look similar, but without sufficient knowledge, one cannot distinguish them. The bark of the 'Shi Qing Tan' tree is generally collected from October to April of the following year. The leaves begin to fall around the time of Frost's Descent in late October, and tender leaves sprout on the branches around the time of Awakening of Insects in early March of the following year. Therefore, the period around Qingming Festival is the best time to collect the bark."
"good!"
"That's right!"
Everyone praised it.
Qi Shuyan nodded in satisfaction: "As expected of my student, you are indeed intelligent."
Zhao Liu watched as everyone praised Su Jingge, saying that she was knowledgeable and could be familiar with every item. They also said that if Ning Zhutian's people couldn't even recognize the main ingredients, how could they supply good goods?
This also proves that Su Jingge is not stupid.
For a moment, Zhao Liu was speechless, his face turning ashen as if he had swallowed a fly.
His indignant look at her only made the young woman shine.
"As expected of Mr. Su's daughter, I'll extend the delivery time to three days when I buy goods from you. If you really deliver them, and if they are indeed as good as Ning Zhutian's as you say, then I'll buy from you from now on," Qi Shuyan said.
Seeing what Old Qi said, many merchants and ordinary people kindly reminded him:
"Old Qi, who doesn't know that after the Su family fell into ruin, Su Jingge became an idiot and owed countless orders half a year ago? Among them, Liu's Cloth Shop was the worst off. At that time, Su Jingge said that she was cured and that she would continue to supply goods, so Manager Liu placed an order."
"Who knew that later I would see Su Jingge sitting on the top of Yunque Tower, swinging her legs, calling out 'husband' while holding a small flower in her hand."
"You still dare to trust the Su family."
Qi Shuyan, however, remained calm: "Now I believe that if the students I teach cannot pay their dues, it will only be 30% of the silver, which I, Qi Shuyan, can afford!"
Su Jingge felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this.
Zhao Liu was unwilling to give up and waved his hand: "Stop arguing, I don't believe she can deliver the goods in three days!"
Su Jingge looked at him calmly; "What if I could?"
Zhao Liu put his hands on his hips and smiled wryly: "If you can, I'll pay for the road in front of the shops to be repaired myself!"
"Fine!" Su Jingge said calmly, her eyes radiating authority. "You said it yourself; everyone saw and heard it."
Zhao Liu patted his chest and said, "A man's word is his bond."
He narrowed his eyes again: "If you can't do it, you'll have to marry me, Zhao Liu."
Su Jingge stood tall and straight, her aura quiet yet powerful, her eyes fixed on him calmly: "I bet!"
Everyone was surprised.
Two forces are vying for dominance in the air.
Some people were worried and quickly tried to dissuade him:
"Miss Jingge, please don't act rashly. This is a matter of lifelong importance!"
"Yeah, there are at least a thousand of these. Don't gamble your whole life on them."
Someone else advised Zhao Liu, "Deputy Zhao, this girl's mind is sometimes unclear and sometimes clear. Why bother arguing with a girl?"
Zhao Liu smiled faintly and looked at her coldly: "It's not too late to take it back now, don't say I'm bullying you."
The woman smiled faintly, her tone firm: "I won't take it back."
He then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Qi Shuyan and said, "Mr. Qi, I'll take my leave first."
Old Qi looked at that retreating figure, stroked his beard, and sighed. "Alas, that girl is probably doomed."
On the way back, Su Jingge wasn't worried about the goods. Instead, she felt that everyone knew today that she got the goods from her uncle, but she couldn't find her uncle anywhere.
We must find him.
Back at the restaurant, she saw Xiao Linyuan cleaning.
When the maid Qingyue saw that it was her mistress returning, the two had a long, intimate conversation.
Su Jingge inquired about Uncle Yue's affairs and wanted to meet him.
Qingyue said she hadn't seen her uncle for a long time, and if she wanted to find him, she could only do so through the people at the post station.
Su Jingge thought it wouldn't work: "Those people are in cahoots with the princess. Not only will they not do anything, but my uncle might also be in danger. My uncle is the only person in the world who is good to me."
The two were at a loss.
"Go ahead and get busy, let me think about it..."
Su Jingge went up to the third floor, so focused on checking the goods that she didn't hear footsteps.
"Oh my god, you scared me! Don't you make any noise when you walk?"
Xiao Linyuan pursed his lips: [Sorry, I startled you.]
Su Jingge noticed something was off about his gaze. Could it be that he saw her taking the goods from her spatial storage?
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