Two cargo ships docked at the Embroidery Building Wharf, bathed in the morning sunlight. The leader was a man in his thirties, dressed like a scholar. He stood on the deck, gazing at the Embroidery Building with a mixture of hope and worry in his eyes. "Qian Fu, go knock on the door."
The servant beside him ran off the boat and knocked on the heavy door. The person who opened the door was a burly old woman who was nearly fifty years old. Her face was full of fat and she was strong and powerful, but her tone was humble. "Are you here to do business?"
Qian Fu nodded and bowed, "Yes, yes, please trouble this sister to inform the manager that we have three thousand bolts of fine silk cloth on the ship."
Three thousand horses?! That's a lot! This must be a big customer. The gatekeeper didn't dare to be negligent and quickly summoned Granny Qian.
Granny Qian boarded the cargo ship to inspect the silk fabrics. "Is all of this made from this year's new silk? What is the name of the person in charge?"
The man at the head of the group spoke with neither servility nor arrogance: “My name is Qian Sheng. I am from a neighboring county. I came here after hearing that Fenggu County was collecting textiles.”
"Hmm." Granny Qian carefully examined each box. "Not bad, all made of good materials, and each piece is the right size. Young Master Qian, let's discuss the details upstairs."
Qian Sheng shook his head. "Let's discuss it here. If it doesn't work, I'll go look elsewhere. Is Granny the owner of the embroidery building?"
He had heard that the embroidery shop had only recently opened, and probably hadn't even sold a single piece yet. Three thousand bolts of fine silk cloth couldn't be bought with just a hundred or so taels of silver. If the embroidery shop didn't have the financial strength to take it over, he wouldn't waste his time. But he hadn't figured out where to try his luck next. If this batch of cloth couldn't be sold, the family's expenses wouldn't last long. If the legacy left by his ancestors was destroyed in his hands, he wouldn't have the face to meet his ancestors after he died.
His family had been silk merchants for generations and originally had stable sales channels. Unfortunately, this summer, that family committed a crime and their property was confiscated. His family also lost a lot of money, which was considered a way to avoid disaster. They managed to keep their usable money, but there wasn't much left. This year, they had over a thousand bolts of silk but nowhere to sell them. In desperation, he heard that there was a new embroidery shop in this area, so he had no choice but to come to this small county town to take a look.
Granny Qian wasn't angry. She calmly replied, "This old servant is just a manager, not the owner of this embroidery building. My master isn't here right now."
Qian Sheng didn't mind, "As long as the nanny can make the decision."
Granny Qian nodded, and the two began to discuss the matter, going back and forth, and finally agreed on a price of one tael and one mace per bolt.
One bolt of cloth can make two to three outfits, and the price of one tael and three mace is very fair. Both parties are satisfied. Granny Qian is efficient. After signing and affixing her seal, she took out the silver to settle the account.
Qian Sheng was somewhat dazed as he held the thick stack of silver notes in his hand. He had never seen a buyer settle the payment so readily. Even the accountant on the side was still in shock. He had been driven to despair by the previous buyer. Selling things was not difficult, but collecting debts was the hardest thing. Right now, his silver tongue was completely useless.
"The old woman is indeed a straightforward person."
Granny Qian took the contract and carefully put it away. "My manager is also a capable person. She never owes anyone money and is a woman of her word. This is also the operating principle of our embroidery shop."
With a huge weight lifted from his heart, Qian Sheng felt much lighter. After days of hard work, the sudden relaxation made him feel exhausted. Hearing this, his mind started working again. "Granny, why don't our two families cooperate for a long time?"
There's no reason not to cooperate if there's no need to go through the trouble of collecting payments.
"I need to ask our manager about this." Granny Qian can make decisions on many things, but long-term cooperation is no small matter, so Qin Xiaozhou should make the decision.
Qian Sheng nodded, "Since we are going to cooperate, I should pay you a visit. May I ask where your manager lives?"
Granny Qian smiled and said, "My master has been in the south of the city these past two days. Perfect timing, young master Qian, go and take a look there. When you get back, please tell my manager about it."
Qian Sheng didn't mind wasting a little time. After all, the batch of silk cloth had been sold and the crisis was resolved. It was time to see the scenery of Fenggu County. "Don't worry, Granny, the reputation of Xiulou has spread far and wide."
Granny Qian just smiled and complimented him a few times.
Qin Xiaozhou was painting the plaque at the entrance of the trading market when Qian Sheng spotted her from afar in the crowd. He couldn't help but take a second look. The woman was wearing a blue-green dress, exquisite and elegant, with her hair styled in a spiral bun, secured only by a silver hairpin. She had a graceful figure and an extraordinary temperament.
This woman didn't seem delicate or frail, nor did she appear uncomfortable in the market. Instead, she exuded a sense of freedom and ease, which made Qian Sheng even more curious.
My mind is in turmoil.
Granny Qian stepped forward and gave a concise introduction of Qian Sheng. Qin Xiaozhou looked up and spotted Qian Sheng through the crowd. He seemed like an honest man, but appearances can be deceiving, so it's best not to jump to conclusions.
Qian Sheng weaved through the crowd, his palms sweating with nervousness. "Manager Qin, it's a pleasure to meet you."
He had long known that the owner of the boudoir was a woman, but he never expected her to be such a young and beautiful woman. How could a woman of such beauty show her face in public? She should be pampered in her boudoir and kept away from men in order to preserve her reputation. How could she be allowed to mingle with these yamen runners?
Perhaps it was because her husband was incompetent that she had to go out and run a business. If she had a capable man to rely on, wouldn't she have stayed at home to take care of her husband and children and become a virtuous wife and loving mother?
Qin Xiaozhou, of course, had no idea what this person was thinking. "Since Young Master Qian wants to cooperate for a long time, Granny, you can make the decision."
Many people in Fenggu County are raising silkworms this year, but the embroidery workshop needs a lot of materials, and the silk fabrics in Fenggu County are not enough. She adheres to the principle of trusting those she employs and not employing those she doesn't trust. Since the procurement has been entrusted to Granny Qian, she will not easily interfere.
Granny Qian felt a surge of pride and her face lit up with joy. "Yes, Young Master Qian, we can discuss the cooperation later. Now that we're here, take a look at our county's trading market. When you get back, please help promote it so that more people know about it."
Qin Xiaozhou couldn't help but laugh; this Granny Qian really knew how to handle things.
Qian Sheng followed the man around and figured out the purpose of the place. He couldn't help but applaud, "Wonderful, wonderful! I'll send someone to deliver a message back by carrier pigeon right away. To be honest, my family has been in the silk and cloth business for generations, while my other family is in the medicinal herb business. Maybe there's a market here."
"Medicinal herbs?" Qin Xiaozhou thought for a moment. "There are already few people in this world who know medicine. Why not make those medicinal herbs into pills that can be used to treat specific symptoms and sell them? For example, pills specifically for treating children's indigestion, quick-acting heart-saving pills, or some pills for clearing heat and detoxifying. They are easy to carry and most people can take them."
Qian Sheng praised repeatedly, "That makes sense. It's a pity that my maternal uncle is stubborn. He keeps saying that everyone's constitution is different and that you have to take their pulse before you can prescribe medicine. Therefore, he doesn't allow anyone to make these pills."
Qin Xiaozhou remained silent. Every aristocratic family has its own code of conduct, and she had no right to interfere excessively.
Qian Sheng had thought about her words over and over again and felt that they were feasible. He looked up at Qin Xiaozhou with a burning gaze.
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