Mo Sang – CH 209

Chapter 209. Business

Li Sangrou sat there blankly for a while, then stood up and strolled towards Maxing Street.

Sitting idly was useless; she had to go out and take a look.

Maxing Street was full of big-money businesses. She had gone there first to see if she could find one or two viable opportunities.

Li Sangrou carefully examined Maxing Street from beginning to end, sighed in disappointment, and continued strolling.

There were indeed many businesses on Maxing Street, and they were quite profitable, but either it was difficult to get into, it required a long-term commitment, or the risks were too high.

Sigh, making money was hard.

Li Sangrou wandered from street to street, eventually reaching a street lined with silk shops, wool shops, and clothing stores.

Looking up, Li Sangrou saw Zhang Mao, Sister Gu, Sister Han, Zhao Rui’s mother, Aunt Yang, and three or four other people standing in front of a silk shop, chattering amongst themselves.

Li Sangrou stopped, looked around for a moment, and then walked towards the group.

Sister Han saw Li Sangrou first and hurriedly patted Sister Gu, who was closest to her. “Hey! Boss! Boss!”

“You are blocking the door.” Li Sangrou stood at the bottom of the steps, looking at the group rushing towards her.

“Where am I blocking the door? I just came out and was about to leave. Boss, are you here to buy fabric, or are you just browsing?” Zhang Mao was the most agile and rushed over the fastest.

“Just browsing, and I saw you. Are you here to buy fabric? Have you finished shopping?” Li Sangrou looked each person up and down.

The group of people was all well-dressed; their hair was neatly combed, clearly oiled, and adorned with red and yellow velvet flowers. Sister Gu and Sister Yang even had a gold hairpin with a floral tube in their hair.

“We are here to buy fabric. We’ve been looking from one end to the other, but we have not bought anything yet. It is just too expensive!” Sister Gu frowned.

“Sister Yang is buying wedding fabric for Eldest Zhao, and we are here to help look into it,” Zhang Mao chimed in.

“Eldest Master is getting on in years, and so is Miss Hu. The marriage has been arranged, and both families have decided not to delay it any longer. The wedding will be held in the eighth month, after summer, on the fourth day of the eighth month, according to the fortune teller.”

“That’s a bit rushed. The Hu family started preparing early; their daughter started preparing her dowry when she was seven or eight, and it is all ready by now,” Sister Han added.

“We are getting a little anxious. There are so many customs and traditions in Jianle City, this etiquette and that formality—oh my, so many!”

“Too many things to do; we cannot afford to delay!”

“We have to buy the materials today, no matter what.”

“The Hu family is an old and respected family in Jianle City. Old families are different, look, they’ve already prepared everything!”

Everyone chimed in, but fortunately, Li Sangrou was used to hearing useful things amidst the chatter. After everyone finished talking, she understood.

“Then why have we not bought them?” Li Sangrou held up one finger, tracing it from the other end of the street to the shop in front of her.

“The silk is too expensive this year!”

“It gets more expensive every year! We cannot afford it anymore!”

“The wedding date is set for the fourth day of the eighth lunar month. It is still hot; we cannot just wear wool, can we? If not wool, then it is linen. Eldest Master’s wife, the eldest son’s wife, is being brought home dressed in linen! It is just too inappropriate!”

“It’s not that we cannot afford it!” Zhang Mao, leaning against the doorframe, watching the commotion from the silk shop, raised his voice, “It’s just that buying at this price looks like a fool! It is not about the money; it is not about the cost!”

Li Sangrou raised an eyebrow and beckoned to the group. “Come in and take a look.”

A group of well-dressed middle-aged women followed Li Sangrou into the shop.

“What kind of silk do you want to buy? What’s the price? Why is it so expensive?” Li Sangrou went straight to the counter, pointing to the rows of silks on the shelves behind her, and asked.

“Look, that’s plain silk, the natural color. This is the cheapest.

We’ve already decided to buy the cheapest plain silk and embroider as many flowers as possible. We have people to help with the needle and thread; hiring an embroiderer is much cheaper than buying the silk itself.

But this kind of natural plain silk now costs six taels of silver per bolt! Six taels! And they do not even sell it in small quantities!

I bought a bolt of this kind of plain silk two years ago for only two taels of silver, and they even gave me this huge bundle of fine silk thread as a bonus. I still have not finished it.

This year, in just a few years, look, it has gone up to six taels! They do not even give away the silk thread anymore, saying they cannot afford to.”

Zhang Mao pointed to a bolt of plain silk at the very end.

“This auntie is absolutely right,” the shop assistant said with a smile, stepping forward. “Auntie bought it the year before last, which was already very expensive. Back then, plain silk like this only cost one tael of silver a bolt, and when there was a lot of stock, we’d even sell three bolts for two taels of silver.”

“Listen to that! The price has gone up several times over! How can prices go up like that?” Zhang Mao clapped his hands.

“These silks, are they all from Jiangnan?” Li Sangrou asked the shop assistant.

“Madam, you are an expert. The smaller sizes of silk are all from Jiangnan.

Logically speaking, the silk from Jiangbei is also quite good. Places like Yangzhou can produce decent silk, but the patterns and designs cannot compare to those of Jiangnan. The Yangzhou area follows the latest Jiangnan styles for weaving and dyeing, but the colors always seem a little off.

But this year, I heard that almost everyone in and around Yangzhou is dead, and the entire Grand Canal is ruined.

Last summer, the whole city was raising money for relief; we all know that.

Of course, this silk is expensive,” the shopkeeper said with a forced smile, sighing as he spoke.

“That piece of silk has such a vibrant color; let me see it.” Li Sangrou listened to the shopkeeper as she looked at the silks on the shelves.

There were not many pieces of silk on the shelves. Compared to before, when they were crammed together, making it hard to breathe, now you had to shout to hear who was next to whom.

“Sister, you have a good eye!

This is the latest color from Hangzhou this year, called ‘After the Rain, the Sky Clears.’ Look at this color; the more it shines in the sun, the more translucent it becomes. It suits everyone perfectly.”

The shop assistant took down the silk but did not hand it to Li Sangrou. Instead, he unfolded a section, ensuring it was out of her reach, and showed it to her.

This woman, though knowledgeable and discerning, looked like someone who would not wear silk, judging by her cotton clothes and disheveled hair. Her hands, most likely, were rough from manual labor. If the calluses on her hands snagged the silk, it would be ruined!

“Look at this; this silk is so precious, they will not even let anyone touch it! It was not like this in previous years!” Zhang Mao said, glaring at the shop assistant.

“Auntie, you are a sensible person. You know, it was not like this in previous years. This year, the silk is incredibly precious. This piece, After the Rain, costs five taels of gold. If anything happens, even a year’s wages would not be enough to cover the losses.”

The shopkeeper bowed slightly with a smile and explained carefully.

“What else is new color or pattern? Is this really from Hangzhou?” Li Sangrou smiled, her eyes narrowed, seemingly in a good mood.

“Six new colors arrived this year, just the other night.

This one is called ‘Smoky Green.’ Placed in the bright sun, it is gray with hints of green, very elegant.

The ‘Smoky Green’ was the most common color we got, thirty bolts in total; this is the last one.

This one is called ‘Spring Water.’ Sister, look at the color, is it not just like the green water of spring? This one is the only one left.

There are three more: Peach Cheek, Condensed Green, and Sparkling Gold. They were all snapped up the day they arrived; we did not even have time to put them up.” The shopkeeper glanced sideways at Zhang Mao as he finished speaking.

“These are all five taels of gold per bolt?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile.

“Smoky Green costs seven taels of gold, Spring Water also costs seven taels of gold, and the other three, because you are all regular customers, our manager dares not charge more, so they are all seven taels of gold as well,” the attendant said with a forced smile.

“This is blatant robbery!” Zhang Mao exclaimed in surprise.

“Auntie, you cannot say that. To be honest, the silk warehouse behind the small shop has been empty for a year or two. All the goods are here; once they are sold out, that’s it.

This lady just said there’s a war going on.

The price of silk can only increase year by year; it is good enough if there’s any at all.

Our manager said that after the war, we will have to wait another two or three years for the price of silk to drop after things calm down.

But who knows when this war will end? Do you not think so?” the shop assistant said politely.

“That’s the raw material over there? Where’s the raw material?” Li Sangrou turned to the raw material counter next to her.

“The small shop did not originally deal in raw material, but now, there’s no other way. All of this in the small shop is top-quality raw material, from Jingzhou.

This raw material is a bit cheaper, but compared to previous years, it is not much cheaper.

Look at this; this kind of Jingzhou fabric is really good; its price has never dropped.

These are more common Jingzhou fabrics. They’ve dropped a little since the year before last, but not by much.

Good stuff is always good stuff; it does not easily lose price.” The shop assistant at the raw fabric counter quickly picked up a bolt of Jingzhou fabric and placed it on the counter, adding with a smile.

Li Sangrou patted the bolt of Jingzhou raw fabric, then turned to Sister Yang. “Raw fabric has not gone up much; why do we not buy some?”

“The fourth day of the eighth lunar month is an auspicious day.” Sister Yang looked at Li Sangrou speechlessly.

“It’s still hot early in the eighth month, wearing raw fabric in this heat!”

“That’s true; the fourth day of the eighth lunar month is quite hot. So, do you have enough money to buy silk?” Li Sangrou put one hand on her hip, thought for a moment, and asked Sister Yang.

“It’s enough, really…”

“If it is enough, then buy it. It is a big deal for a wedding.” Li Sangrou slammed her hand on the counter, replying irresponsibly, and waved goodbye. “You guys buy it, I have something to do. I am leaving.”

“This lady is right. Getting married is a big deal. If money were not an option, we would not complain; there’s nothing we can do about it. But since it is not a problem, we should buy what we need, and if we can buy good things, we should not buy cheap ones.

Good things become part of our family fortune. As the old saying goes, ‘Those who can store up goods for a thousand years are truly blessed.'” The shop assistant smiled obsequiously, spouting a string of auspicious sayings.

“Do not listen to her!” Zhang Mao angrily threw a handkerchief at Li Sangrou’s retreating back. “When it comes to spending money, she’s second to none!

We cannot listen to her on this. Let’s discuss it ourselves. In my opinion, this silk is too expensive. This price is a huge rip-off!”

……………………

Li Sangrou left the silk shop and headed straight for Qing’an Old Shop.

It was just past the first month of the lunar calendar. Bao Ping, the second manager of Qing’an Old Shop, was still at the Jianle City main branch. Hearing that someone, a young lady surnamed Li, was looking for him, he quickly came out. Seeing that it was indeed Li Sangrou, he hurriedly bowed and ushered her inside.

“I would not come here without a reason,” Li Sangrou said with a smile, looking around.

“The boss is busy; she does not have time for small talk. I figured it must be something important,” Bao Ping said with a smile. “Let’s go to the inner flower hall for tea and a chat.”

Bao Ping bowed all the way, leading Li Sangrou into the secluded inner flower hall, where he personally set out the tea set and brewed tea.

“Did you buy any silk this year, Manager Bao?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile, watching Bao Ping prepare the tea.

Bao Ping paused, startled. “I did buy some, but not much. Silk is ridiculously expensive this year.”

“I just saw some new styles of silk fabric at the silk shop. They said they are new patterns just coming from Hangzhou,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“Is that what you mean, Boss?” Bao Ping chuckled dryly. “We also have some autumn tea from Xin’an County from last year, but very little. Just enough for you managers to enjoy once or twice, just to have a taste.”

“Where did you get this new tea?” Li Sangrou asked directly.

“What a question, Boss,” Bao Ping said with a dry laugh, his eyes lowered.

“I am not investigating espionage; espionage is not my business. I am looking for a way to make big money, and silk is a good option,” Li Sangrou said bluntly.

“Uh!” Bao Ping exclaimed abruptly, paused for a moment, then chuckled. “Well, there’s really no way to tell. That river is so long; no matter what, you cannot have people standing guard along the entire length from the top to the sea. What about the unguarded parts?”

Bao Ping chuckled dryly twice. “There are always those who are not afraid of death, those who value money over life, or those who have no other choice but to take the risk.

But this quantity, boss, think about it: how much more can you possibly get?”

“I remember you mentioning once that half of the tea produced in your Xin’an County is traded north for furs, horses, ginseng, deer antlers, and the like, while the other half travels west, not selling much locally.

Is it the same with silk from Jiangnan? Without going into too much detail, about 30-40% of Jiangnan silk is sold to Jiangbei, is it not?

And what about the wool from Jingzhou? How much of it is sold to Jiangnan?” Li Sangrou looked at Bao Ping, frowning as she asked.

“Our Xin’an County has greatly suffered these past few years; the tea leaves have been rotting on the mountains.” Bao Ping gave a wry smile. “I heard that the price of raw silk in Jiangnan was extremely low last year, and many silkworm farmers only raised half their usual amount this year.

I do not know much about Jingzhou,” Bao Ping replied.

Li Sangrou’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Bao Ping looked at her and said hesitantly with a smile, “How about I go and inquire about the boss’s business…?”

“No need for you to inquire. I do not take anyone with me on this business, not even you,” Li Sangrou said, standing up. “Things are different now; there’s a war going on.

For business people like you, as you said last time, safety comes first. Just being safe and sound is enough. Do not think about making money right now.

Wait three to five years; when the war is over, there will be plenty of opportunities to make money.

Alright, I am leaving. No need to see me off, thank you,” Li Sangrou said, cupping her hands in a respectful gesture, and strode out.

Bao Ping followed closely, seeing Li Sangrou off at the gate. Only after she had disappeared from sight did he turn around, hands behind his back, and walk back inside.

The Boss was going to get into the silk business. Right now, the silk business was incredibly profitable.

But doing this business now was a death sentence. Only someone like the Boss would dare to take such a step.

Indeed, this was not something he should be thinking about. For them, safety was paramount right now.

……………………

Li Sangrou went straight to Meng Yanqing’s courtyard.

Meng Yanqing was leading everyone in martial arts practice in the backyard. Hearing that Li Sangrou had arrived, he hurriedly came out to greet her.

“Stay here,” Li Sangrou gestured towards the spacious gatehouse. “Two things. First, see which silk shops in Jianle City have the latest styles of silk fabric from Hangzhou. Pick three shops with the most Hangzhou silk fabric, and then keep an eye on them. Find out where they get their latest Hangzhou silk fabric.”

“Yes!” Meng Yanqing, seeing the bright look in Li Sangrou’s eyes, already felt an urge to go to work. Hearing the instructions, he immediately agreed in a deep voice.

“Second, send some shrewd and capable men to Jingzhou. Find out which shops in Jingzhou produce the best raw silk, how much they produced last year, and which merchants they sold it to. Inquire with several shops, five or six, please.

Be quick and quiet, without alerting anyone.”

“A spy?” “Upon hearing this, Meng Yanqing became alert.

Li Sangrou took a half step back, scrutinizing Meng Yanqing from head to toe. “I am a merchant. I am short of money and need to make some. What are you thinking?”

Meng Yanqing stammered, and only after Li Sangrou stepped down did he slap his forehead, as if realizing something.

Hmm, the boss said she was a merchant!

She was a merchant?