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This action was somewhat beyond Xiao Lin's expectations. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and opened the lid of the box, only to see a shiny thing inside.
"Kaleidoscope?" Xiao Lin exclaimed in surprise, taking out the mirror. The mirror wasn't actually very large, only about the size of a bowl. The handle was decorated with gold and silver, adorned with vines and flowers, giving it a very exotic feel.
What is even more rare is that the mirror surface is smooth and translucent, even clearer than the finest bronze mirror.
This thing is not cheap, could it be a gift for me? However, the next moment, Xiao Lin raised his head and looked directly at the sitting woman: "Can the Jiang family get Western goods?"
Now that the imperial court has banned maritime travel, tribute ships are becoming increasingly scarce, and the fleets that can go to the West are even fewer.
This kind of peep show is a rare treasure among rare treasures, even rarer than pepper.
If she can get goods like this, who knows what else she might have.
The woman smiled slightly and said, "These are all the channels I left behind in my early years. I have been worried about this for a long time. After much thought, I still think that they should be shipped to Tingzhou."
This sounds a bit strange, but if you think about it carefully, it makes sense.
Whether going to Panyu or Quanzhou, you cannot escape the detection of big businesses. If your route is discovered, you never know when you will be swallowed up.
Transporting goods to Tingzhou via the inland river not only avoids the high-ranking officials at sea, but also significantly increases the price of the goods. Such items can also be hidden on the ship without having to worry about them being confiscated by the government.
Then it is understandable that we would seek them out.
The Xiao family was a prominent local family in Tingzhou, with deep roots and flourishing empires. They had no trouble finding a market for their wares. Unfortunately, they lacked a fleet and posed no threat to the Jiang family. Furthermore, they had food supplies, making them an ideal partner.
Is this deal possible? After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Lin said, "I wonder how much goods Madam has?"
The woman smiled and said, "I can't say for sure."
Xiao Lin's face darkened: "Madam, are you kidding?"
Unexpectedly, the other party blinked innocently and said: "Mr. Xiao, you have misunderstood. It is indeed not my decision on maritime trade. But as for the grain, it is easy to talk about. How much can I have? I will never keep it for myself."
This left Xiao Lin speechless. First, give her food and then talk about goods. Could it be that she was trying to get something for nothing? Wait, Xiao Lin was suddenly startled, and another possibility occurred to him.
Could it be that the Jiang family is a broker, coming to Tingzhou to act as a matchmaker for the Great Sea Merchants? Then, who is behind her?
Xiao Lin was full of doubts and pondered for a long time before he said, "How much rice does Madam want?"
The woman immediately perked up. "It would be best if we could transport grain once in summer and once in autumn, at least a thousand dan each time. But we've never transported grain before, so we need to find a way to clear the checkpoints."
In other words, the connections for transporting grain also depend on them? It really is a no-cost business! However, the woman opposite had a calm expression, showing no shame at all. This thick skin is indeed a good material for business.
Xiao Lin also laughed: "Madam's suggestion, I will consider it carefully."
How could he let someone lead him by the nose? Besides, he had to thoroughly investigate the Jiang family's origins and background.
This perfunctory tone did not frustrate the woman. She nodded happily and said, "It's okay. I will stay in the city for a few days. If there is anything, Lord Xiao can just send someone to the Tianfu Guesthouse in Jingkou Lane to inform me."
Seeing her being so straightforward without even saying a single unnecessary word, Xiao Lin couldn't help but look surprised.
He is so confident, I don't know if he is pretending or he is really sure of it.
However, at this point, he couldn't keep anyone here any longer. He put the hand mirror back into the box and pushed it back: "Madam, please keep this mirror."
Unexpectedly, the other party shook her head and said, "I was reckless in coming here. This is my apology. I hope Mr. Xiao will accept it."
After a round of twists and turns, it finally became a gift, but compared to the beginning, Xiao Lin obviously had no reason to refuse.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since Madam is so generous, I will gladly accept it. There will be a flower viewing banquet in Furong Garden in the east of the city in a couple of days. If Madam doesn't mind, you can go with my family to enjoy the flowers and drink tea."
This is a stepping stone, and it is also an excellent place to expand contacts and get information. As long as she is smart enough, she will not refuse.
Sure enough, the woman's face lit up with joy: "I came to Tingzhou alone and was worried about where to spend my time. Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Xiao."
This smile made her look even more radiant and charming, befitting her age. Xiao Lin couldn't help but smile, "As long as Madam likes it, I'm glad."
The previously somewhat awkward relationship had now warmed up, and the two of them said their goodbyes politely, both host and guest having a good time. After seeing them off, Xiao Lin sat back down at the table and reopened the wooden box. The gleaming silver mirror inside reflected his slightly aged face, and the smile on his face vanished.
This woman is really hard to understand.
Although she is said to be reckless, she acts calmly and does not reveal anything unnecessary.
Some say she is too thick-skinned, but she is also very thoughtful and people don't feel bad about her.
As for the astonishing boldness, it might seem abrupt if it happened to a man, but it was surprisingly curious if it happened to a beautiful woman.
Was this a woman who married into the Jiang family, or a young lady who found a husband? However, no matter which one it was, the Jiang family did a good job.
After taking another look at the hand mirror, Xiao Lin secretly made up his mind.
During the flower viewing banquet, someone had to sound out her thoughts and see if she had any other thoughts.
Alas, if it were a man, he could almost get the better of someone just by listening to some music and drinking some wine. But this woman is really hard to deal with when she's doing business...
…
Only after getting on the bus did Lin Mo breathe a sigh of relief and feel his back was soaked with sweat.
A smiling voice came from the side: "Are you still afraid?"
Lin Mo quickly shook his head when he heard this: "I was a little afraid before, but I'm not afraid now."
When she walked into the tall gate of the Xiao Mansion, she was really scared and her legs were shaking.
This mansion was several times larger than she had imagined, and even the reception hall did not look like that of an ordinary home.
What’s more important is that she was holding the wooden box in her arms. The mirror inside was said to be worth one hundred taels. How could it not make people feel scared?
However, after the gang leader spoke, she was suddenly not afraid anymore.
Even though he was facing a master who was much older than him and looked intimidating, he was still able to talk to him freely and surprised the other party.
Her gang leader is so powerful, what is she afraid of?
Looking at the little girl's shining eyes, Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Just don't be afraid. You did a great job."
This compliment made Lin Mo feel a little embarrassed, and he whispered, "I didn't do anything, but I helped... Madam, you are awesome!"
How could she not do it? As a maid, her slightly nervous expression was a pretty good cover.
Cheng Xi leaned against the carriage and said with a smile, "Today is just a trial by fire. We'll see the real results in two days."
She said it lightly, and Lin Mo seemed to understand. After thinking for a while, he suddenly said, "Did you really give the mirror to him? If the negotiation fails, wouldn't it be a loss?"
Seeing the little girl's painful expression, Cheng Xi couldn't help but laugh out loud: "After all, we stole it, so if it's useful, we won't lose anything."
That’s right, the hand mirrors were searched from Lu’s ship. There were about ten of them in total, all of which were palm-sized makeup mirrors.
Cheng Xi didn’t take it seriously at first, but when Tian Yu took inventory, he told her the value of these mirrors.
It was only at this time that Cheng Xi realized that what she thought were "glass windows" were actually tiles made from sheep horns. Although glasses could be bought on the market, mirrors that could reflect people were still rare.
With the size of Lu's fleet, they only brought back about ten hand mirrors, which shows how scarce this thing is.
However, a glass mirror is a treasure to others, but it is nothing to Cheng Xi.
As long as they could burn a bit of transparent glass and then coat the back with mercury and tin foil, wouldn't that be enough? If she couldn't make a real silver mirror reaction, could she come up with a substitute?
Therefore, Cheng Xi immediately decided to use mirrors as a transitional product before other glass products were developed.
Whether it is valuable or not depends purely on the supply and demand ratio. As long as they keep the formula secret and control the shipment volume, it will be a priceless "imported product". Can't they decide the price?
But the problem also arises. If such a "treasure" is sold in Dongning, not only will it not be sold at a high price, but it may also attract the covetousness of others, which is not worth the loss.
Selling it to Lu Jian is a bit unreliable, so I have to find another seller.
This time, coming to Tingzhou is the best time. It is far away from the coastline and has inland waterway transportation. As long as you find the right person, it will be much safer than anywhere else.
The Xiao family was chosen precisely because of their strength. Besides the grain store, the Xiao family's largest business was actually the pawnshop. Running a pawnshop required not only the foresight of a court official, but also unimpeded sales channels and strong connections.
And this is what they need most.
If Boss Xiao ignores it and refuses to take the mirror, things may become difficult.
Now that he has accepted the gift and invited me to the dinner, it means that the other party has also changed his mind. The rest is just a matter of testing the waters and bargaining and negotiation. It has gone much more smoothly than expected.
Seeing the gang leader so happy, Lin Mo also became happy and nodded vigorously: "Madam is right!"
Seeing her so excited, Cheng Xi smiled and said, "The flower viewing banquet later is the key. Don't be afraid then..."
Amidst laughter, the carriage slowly moved forward and passed by another car.
I saw the cart pulled by two horses turn a corner and go straight forward along the avenue. After a long time, it stopped in front of a big house.
This is the largest mansion in Tingzhou City, which is even more spacious than the county government office. Its owner is naturally one of the most prominent figures in Tingzhou.
However, at this moment, a young man was already waiting outside the door. Seeing the carriage, he hurried forward and bowed, "Is Mr. Ning here?"
The carriage curtain was raised, and a scholar in white clothes came out. He glanced at the young man and smiled, "Why are you being so polite, Mr. Ye?"
It was clearly a smile, but it sent a chill down one's spine. Ye Huaiyan felt a chill all over his body, and quickly lowered his head even lower: "Mr. Ning, you are too polite. Please come in quickly. My father has been waiting for you for a long time..."
How could he be a simple person who could make the young master of the Ye family so respectful?
All the servants held their breath and didn't dare to breathe. The scholar in white nodded casually and followed Ye Huaiyan as they approached the Ye Mansion.
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