Chapter 104
104
Cheng Yeran and Shen Yuntang rested in the village for a month. They hardly got off the kang every day. It was too cold outside and there was nothing to do. Except for eating, they just huddled together on the kang to rest. If they didn't wear that thing, they would probably have given birth to several children.
When Shen Yuntang was in the county town, he was quite ambitious. But after returning home and lying on the kang, he became relaxed and didn't want to do anything. He only baked biscuits three or four times and never made them again. He only ate hot pot and barbecue for meals, and had instant noodles when he was lazy.
During the day, put the bedding on the kang into the closet, put a low table on the kang, and put a gas stove on it. You don't have to go to the kitchen to cook, everything can be done here.
When it was time to return to the county town at the end of the holiday, Shen Yuntang was even a little reluctant to leave.
"If you don't want to leave, why don't we rest for another month?" Cheng Yeran also didn't want to leave after coming back. Although the yard in the county town was bigger, the house in the village was more comfortable.
"No, you still have classes to go to, let's go." Shen Yuntang handed the house key to his second brother, and the two of them got on the donkey cart and went back to the county town.
Shen Yuntang started preparing for the fashion magazine, Cheng Yeran went to class, and Yuanbao was hoping that the peach blossoms would bloom soon so that he could make transparent peach blossom soap. So far, except for the zodiac style, peach blossom soap is the best-selling soap.
Life in the county town was dull, but on the other side, the capital city became lively because of their soap.
Lao Zhao sent tens of thousands of bars of soap to the shop in the capital. It was Chinese New Year, so everyone had a holiday and there were many activities, including lion dancing and lantern festivals, which were performed every day.
There are more people on the street, and more people come to see the soap.
Previously, the only soaps sent to Beijing were pink peach blossom soap and soy milk soap. The latter was popular for a while, but the quantity was too small and few people could buy it, but it was very popular.
They saw the zodiac soap. Not only was the box exquisite, the soap on it had a new shape, the soap inside was also exquisite, and it came with a beautiful card. It was simply a work of art.
In addition to the zodiac soap, there is also mint soap that is as transparent as ice cubes, and winter version. The winter version not only looks like ice cubes, but is also dotted with many small snowflakes.
Originally, Cheng Yeran said to make a big snowflake in the middle of the soap, but Yuanbao said he wanted small snowflakes falling.
He specially made a mold and made a bunch of small snowflake-shaped soaps, which he sprinkled into a large transparent soap. Each piece was a random snowflake, which made it more beautiful and interesting, and was more convenient and easier than drawing large snowflakes.
The product turned out to be very effective and many people bought it.
Especially in the capital, where there were so many people, the threshold of the shop was almost broken down by the people walking on it, and the hands of the shop assistants were numb from exhaustion.
Some people buy them for their own use or think the soaps are exquisite and keep them as collections; some people buy them as gifts. If there is a child born this year, a piece of zodiac soap would be the most appropriate gift, and the price is also affordable.
The soap was shipped from afar, and its price increased by more than a hundred times from a few dozen cents a piece.
Especially the zodiac soap, which cost one hundred taels of silver each, and many people were scrambling to get it.
There was a prince named Jing in the capital city who loved handsome boys the most. He once said that he wanted to take all the handsome boys in the world into his palace.
If someone asked him to do something for him, he would just send a good-looking guy over, and the job would most likely be done. If not, it only meant that the guy he sent was not to his liking.
Some people knew that Prince Jing loved handsome boys, so they picked out various soaps and sent them to him.
Prince Jing saw the ingots on the package and immediately fell in love with it. He even grabbed the man who delivered the soap and asked, "Who is the guy in the picture?"
The person who delivered the soap had already found out about it and knew that he would ask, so he called Lao Zhao over and asked Lao Zhao to tell the prince.
Old Zhao was just a small trader who had never been to a royal palace. He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he trembled as he told everything he had seen.
"Is there really such a beautiful person in the world? I want to take a look." Prince Jing immediately wanted to ask someone to capture the person and bring her to his house to take a closer look, but his father said a few days ago that he was obsessed with beauty all day long and did not allow him to bring his son to the house anymore.
Years ago, he kidnapped a boy and beat him half to death. The old prince found out about it. The old prince hated people who kidnapped boys of good families and almost beat him to death.
In the end, the old prince sent the boy home and compensated the family with a large amount of silver to calm the matter down. Then he issued a house arrest order forbidding him to go out. Others could come in to see him, but he had no way to order his subordinates, otherwise he would have to ask his men to kidnap the boy.
But his butt still hurts now, so he doesn't dare to snatch the boy from a good family.
In a few months, his father would leave Beijing, and he would be free then. He could endure not seeing anyone for a few months, but when he heard that there was a painting that was more beautiful than the soap packaging, he had to buy it and see it first to miss the person. "Can you bring that painting?"
"This..." Old Zhao asked before, and Cheng Yeran said he would not sell it no matter how much money he got.
Prince Jing took out a 10,000 tael note and slapped it on the table, "Can I buy it?"
"!" Old Zhao's eyes widened. He had never seen a silver note worth 10,000 taels before. He was so scared that he couldn't speak.
"Can I add another ten thousand?" Prince Jing put another ten thousand taels of silver notes on his desk.
Old Zhao was trembling.
"Another ten thousand." Prince Jing had a lot of pocket money on weekdays, and he was frugal with the two or three hundred thousand taels a month.
Old Zhao fell to his knees on the ground with a thud. He didn't know how he got out of the palace. He had 30,000 taels of silver in his arms and his legs were still shaking.
It was already spring when Lao Zhao returned to the county town. There were many transparent peach blossom soaps in the shop, each with a pink peach blossom in it. I heard that the number of cards had increased from two to four.
Old Zhao had never seen transparent peach blossom soap before, so he rushed to the Cheng family immediately. It happened that Cheng Yeran was at home on vacation today, and Yang Shiming was also drawing a picture for Yuanbao.
This time the picture is not of soap, but of a magazine cover.
According to the magazine cover and inside page layout of Future World, Shen Yuntang first drew a rough framework on paper, and then discussed it with Yang Shiming.
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After he finished drawing the characters, he wrote down some words according to what Shen Yuntang had said.
Because the costume had to be kept absolutely secret, they gathered in the backyard to paint Yuanbao.
When Lao Zhao came, he could only discuss business with Cheng Yeran in the front yard and could not go to the backyard to watch.
When Yuanbao heard that Lao Zhao, a big client, was coming, he didn't want to paint anymore. He wanted to change his clothes immediately and go talk to Lao Zhao.
Cheng Yeran told him not to worry, no matter how many soaps were sold, he would include it in Yuanbao's share.
Yuanbao said no, it was not him who sold it, so he didn't want a share.
He had no choice but to let his cousin go and draw the cover himself.
After all, the makeup is already done, and it is very troublesome to remove it. I heard that Yang Shiming will take the imperial examination this year, and if he passes, he will become an official next year. I guess I won't be able to paint for him.
He had to seize these last few opportunities and draw everything he needed to.
The reason why his soap sells so well is, after all, related to Yang Shiming's paintings. Lao Zhao will come again in the future, but if he misses the opportunity to let Yang Shiming paint, it will be a missed opportunity.
Yuanbao could only stay quietly and let Yang Shiming paint.
Cheng Yeran knew that Lao Zhao was a big customer, so he asked someone to bring tea and snacks over, "How many bars of soap does Boss Zhao want this time?"
Old Zhao looked guilty, "You don't have to call me Boss Zhao, just call me Old Zhao."
He made a lot of money this time because of the Cheng family's soap. He bought the goods at a few dozen coins per piece, and when he sold them in the capital, the price rose to more than ten taels per piece, and the shop raised the price to one hundred taels.
As a result, for the sake of thirty thousand taels of silver, he not only told Prince Jing about the situation of the Cheng family, but also agreed to buy the paintings from Cheng Yeran's house. What should he do if Cheng Yeran didn't want to sell the paintings?
Lao Zhao: "This time, I not only want soap, but also want to buy paintings. Any painting in the shop, just sell me one."
Cheng Yeran: "You know, I don't sell my paintings."
Old Zhao: "Ten thousand taels of silver per ticket."
Cheng Yeran: "Deal!"
Old Zhao thought that he would refuse, and then the two of them would bargain and finally buy the painting for twenty or thirty thousand. He had to do what Prince Jing asked him to do even if he had to pay for it. Unexpectedly, Cheng Yeran agreed readily. It turned out that the so-called principle was just that there was not enough money.
Last year alone, Yang Shiming drew seven pictures for Yuanbao, including pictures of new products for spring, summer and winter. The new spring products also included two pictures of boys, two pictures of women's clothing, and one picture of the zodiac.
There was no room for so many paintings in the store, so he would put the old ones in every new one. He had said before that he would not sell them because he thought it was not worthwhile to sell them for hundreds or thousands of taels, but ten thousand taels was still barely acceptable.
He asked Lao Zhao: "Is it possible that a noble person in the capital wants to buy this painting?"
Old Zhao wiped the sweat off his forehead, fearing that if the old man knew that he had embezzled 20,000 taels, he would scold him, or even drive him out and never do business with him again.
But Cheng Yeran did not blame him. Cheng Yeran knew that it was not easy for him to walk from the county town to the capital and back. The world was in chaos now and there were bandits everywhere. It was very dangerous to go out for business and he might lose his head.
Lao Zhao deserves to earn more money by risking his life.
Cheng Yeran said to him, "You are familiar with Beijing. When I go to Beijing to do business in the future, I will ask you for help and guidance."
Old Zhao quickly cupped his hands and said, "I don't deserve it. I can't help you, but I have a good friend who runs a shop in Beijing. He can help you."
Cheng Yeran didn't let him choose a painting, but took out the painting of pink peach blossom soap.
The transparent peach blossom soap is a limited edition. Every year when it is sold, the corresponding painting must be hung on it. It is even more impossible to sell the zodiac ones. He wants to collect all twelve, and then he can hold an art exhibition.
The summer and winter paintings should also be kept, as they are seasonal models, and there is only one of them. Only the spring paintings have two, and you can take out one and sell it.
Old Zhao took the painting and left happily, forgetting about buying soap. He came again the next day and was so happy to find out that he didn't ask his cousin for soap yesterday that he almost smiled to his death.
Lao Zhao had more capital this time, so he ordered more. He could order more so that he could sell them on the way. Although the prices on the way were not as high as in the capital, it was too troublesome for him to transport so much goods to the capital. He could sell them while walking and most of them could be sold in the capital.
This time, he bought soaps with a minimum order of 10,000 yuan for each model. He estimated that this trip would be enough to support him for a year. He planned to take a break after selling this batch of soaps. When has used up the soaps this year, he would take everyone the soaps to Beijing to sell next year. He would only sell soap from now on.
After receiving the deposit, Yuanbao touched the copper coin on his neck and said, "It really brought me good luck. It's only spring and I've earned several thousand taels of commission. In less than a year, I'll have the ten thousand taels."
He couldn't believe that he was so rich. He almost fell in love with Lao Zhao. If he were a boy, he would want to marry Lao Zhao.
Old Zhao took the soap and the painting to the capital and delivered the painting to the palace. Prince Jing's house arrest had just been lifted, but he flirted with a boy on the street and was beaten by his father. His house arrest was extended by three months, and his pocket money was deducted. He was feeling depressed when he heard that Old Zhao had come to deliver the painting.
Hearing that the painting was better looking than the one on the package, he could not wait to take it and open it. Then he stood there like a stone statue, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses. "I want to marry him."
Old Zhao: “!”
“他跟那些哥儿不一样，不能随随便便的亵渎。”靖王世子立刻就叫下人给自己爹传话，他要见老王爷，然后跟老王爷说了他要娶画中的哥儿，又被老王爷胖揍一顿，今年都不让他出门了。
Prince Jing has a mortal enemy, who is the youngest son of the Great Protector of the Nation General. When the young general heard that Prince Jing was going to marry the boy on the soap package, he had a big fight with Prince Jing. Not only did he treat it as a joke, he also came to Prince Jing's mansion to laugh at the prince and show off that he was going there to suppress bandits.
The young general told the detailed process of how he asked the emperor for permission to go there to suppress the bandits, and also told how the emperor took a liking to him and how he said he was a promising young man.
Prince Jing was so angry that his teeth were itching. There were so many bandits in this world, but why did he go to Yuanbao Province to suppress them? What was his intention? It must be to snatch the person from him!
In the past, when he raised a brother, the young general never competed with him for him, and even mocked him for being lustful with disdain. This time, he must have been attracted by the beauty of his future husband!
"I have given up sex for him, you are not allowed to snatch her from me!" The prince was so angry that he wanted to strangle him, but he had no martial arts skills and did not dare to act rashly.
"A beauty must be paired with a hero, so forget it, you fool." The young general went there to suppress the bandits just for training, and that location happened to be in the province where Yuanbao was. He came here specifically to say this just to piss off the prince.
"What kind of hero are you? You are just taking advantage of the fact that I can't go out. When I can go out, I will definitely take revenge on you!" The prince threatened him.
But the young general was not afraid of this. "Just stay at home and look at the painting slowly. When I come back, you have to call him sister-in-law."
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