Chapter 116: Business Booming

"Enamel Beauty Sacrifice~"

"Purple Jade Rose Dew~"

"Snowfall Glazed Red Amber~"

"Enamel Bamboo Pattern Silver Fireworks~"

"Azure Sea Ruyi Self-Striking Clock~"

"Green Jade Moonlight Glazed Wall~"

Inside Ju Bao Lou, a crowd of guests who had received invitations and come to support the opening were admiring the exquisite display items.

The Enamel Beauty Sacrifice is a pink cosmetic box.

This era has no plastic, so it was passed off as enamel.

Beauty Sacrifice is a type of red-glazed porcelain, used to describe the color of a powder box.

To put it intuitively, it is a misty-red enamel box.

Purple Jade Rose Dew is perfume.

Purple Jade refers to the dark perfume bottle, Lei Si refers to the lid with swirling floral patterns, and Rose Dew is the perfume inside.

Snowfall Glazed Red Amber sounds very pleasant, but it is actually red wine in a glass bottle.

Red Amber, red alcohol.

Enamel Bamboo Pattern Silver Fireworks is actually a plastic lighter.

Azure Sea Ruyi Self-Striking Clock is a large floor-standing clock.

Green Jade Moonlight Glazed Wall, Green Jade refers to the back coating, it is the standing mirror previously sold to the Eunuch.

There are also various other goods, all with localized names.

Shopkeeper Tian Wen, sporting dark circles under his eyes, introduced the rare treasures in his shop to the guests.

He hadn't slept all last night, busy familiarizing himself with his shop's goods.

The more he looked, the more alarmed he felt, the kind that is hard to believe.

They are all treasures~

Could the East House have ascended to the Heavenly Court and brought these curiosities from there?

This is truly, too formidable.

In the rear hall, Lin Dao was receiving guests of status.

Old friends came to support, and brought new friends along.

"Zi Hou."

Qian Qianyi introduced to him an old man wearing a Confucian robe, a square flat-topped cap, but with a standard Lei Gong face: "This is Long Huamin, the Association President."

Late Ming early Qing, with the explosion of the Maritime Silk Road, more and more missionaries came to the Central Plains.

Among them, the very famous Ricci, Schall von Bell, Verbiest, and others had already passed away early.

Tang Ruowang was still serving as an official in the Capital.

This Long Huamin from Sicily is the President of the Ye Jia.

He was originally preaching in the Northern Regions, and happened to pass through Jinling City, catching Lin Dao's shop opening.

"Oh." Lin Dao revealed a smile. "So it is Mr. Jinghua in person."

"I have some rare objects here; if Mr. Jinghua is interested, you may comment on a thing or two."

The Maritime Silk Road is extremely prosperous; Europa pirates opening colonies all over the world have plundered countless precious metals.

Lin Dao is very interested in the gold in their hands.

Long Huamin, who has lived here for decades, speaks a fluent official dialect.

"I have already seen your shop's goods."

"The workmanship is excellent, and also very novel."

"However, I observe that many goods bear traces of Europa craftsmanship; I wonder where these things all come from?"

You really know how to bluff!

Lin Dao sneered inwardly, I wholesale sourced them from the small commodities market, what Europa craftsmanship could there be.

Seeing Lin Dao smile without speaking, Long Huamin did not pursue the question further, instead expressing: "I know some merchants who frequently travel back and forth; I can introduce them to come visit and discuss business."

"Then many thanks."

"Later, prepare a set of sample catalogs and send them to Mr. Jinghua."

Seeing the talk here conclude, Ruan Dacheng also introduced someone for Lin Dao.

"Xin Cheng Bo Fu Crown Prince, Zhao Shouzhong."

Hearing Xin Cheng Bo Fu, Lin Dao also raised his eyebrows slightly.

The Ming Dynasty has many Meritorious Nobles; some died from Kang Xiang, some escorted the Emperor to flee abroad and were killed by the Burmese, and some surrendered to the Wild Boar Skin.

Among the Meritorious Nobles who surrendered to the Wild Boar Skin, Xin Cheng Bo Zhao Zhilong fared the best.

When Duoduo arrived at the City Exterior, it was Zhao Zhilong who led the ministers out of the city to kneel in welcome.

They presented numerous treasures, beauties, grain, and military rations for the Wild Boar Skin to enjoy.

Zhao Zhilong himself, under the Wild Boar Skin, rose to the position of Academician and Minister of Rites.

After death, he was even given the posthumous title Wen An.

It can be said, two dynasties' glory and wealth were both enjoyed by their family.

"Shopkeeper Lin." Zhao Shouzhong shook his fan, exuding the arrogance of a superior: "Your conduct is not honorable."

"Oh?"

Lin Dao's expression did not change; he lightly moved his fingers. "May I ask for guidance?"

"That Dong Xiaowan is the head courtesan of Meixiang Fang; you took her away without a word — do you look down on my Xincheng Bo Mansion?"

Put like that, I understood.

So the backer behind Meixiang Fang is their family.

No wonder when Duoduo's great army entered the city, Zhao Zhilong was able to present so many beauties.

"This matter was indeed rash of me."

Lin Dao nodded. "The redemption money — send it over immediately."

"Aiyah~~~" Zhao Shouzhong shook his fan. "Xincheng Bo Mansion is willing to befriend you."

"Dong Xiaowan is gifted to you; her contract of servitude will be delivered to you in a couple of days."

Lin Dao smiled. Unsolicited flattery hides a grand design.

Sure enough, Zhao Shouzhong followed up: "Your business from now on will just operate under Xincheng Bo Mansion's name."

"Guaranteeing no one in Jiangnan dares touch you."

What a big tone — right out of the gate he wants to swallow the enterprise.

The surrounding crowd, hearing this, all changed color.

Most embarrassed was Ruan Dacheng — this was not his intention at all.

On this side Chen Zhenhui instead stepped forward actively: "This student was unaware that Xincheng Bo Mansion could call the shots for Meixiang Fang."

"May I ask, Crown Prince, what relationship does Xincheng Bo Mansion have with that Flower Boat?"

Zhao Shouzhong's face instantly turned ugly.

It is universally known: some things can be done, even everyone knows tacitly.

Yet they cannot be exposed under the sunlight.

Once exposed, that reputation would be thoroughly ruined.

"Crown Prince doesn't know?" Chen Zhenhui feigned doubt. "Since so, this student really ought to go ask friends and relatives properly."

The friends and relatives here refer to scholars who hold speech right.

Once they clamor and blow the matter up, Xincheng Bo Mansion would lose face.

"Hmph!"

Unable to save face, Zhao Shouzhong glared hatefully at Chen Zhenhui and turned to leave.

These meritorious nobles, unless driven desperate, will not provoke scholars.

After all, in the late Ming Dynasty, scholars' verbal artillery combat power is super strong — even the Emperor was forced unable to collect their taxes.

They only calm down after personally trying and finding their verbal artillery cannot withstand the Wild Boar Skin's swords.

Lin Dao cupped his hands toward Chen Zhenhui. "Many thanks."

"Zihou need not stand on ceremony."

Chen Zhenhui twitched the watch on his wrist. "When free, let's gather; I have quite a few old friends and acquaintances — I'll introduce them to Zihou."

"Wait till there's time." Lin Dao perfunctorily replied a couple of sentences.

Chen Zhenhui's old friends and acquaintances are mostly trolls.

Verbal artillery invincible, the type who don't go to the battlefield.

He took out a box of Lianhua Qingwen capsules and handed them to Chen Zhenhui. "If you have any headache or fever, try taking two pills."

This is repayment for his earlier spoken assistance.

Lin Dao does things: repay kindness, avenge grudges!

Opening ceremony ended; the crowd dispersed.

Shopkeeper Tian Wen, beaming, came holding the account book to report.

"East House, today's shipments total several thousand taels."

Lin Dao, flipping through the account book, frowned. "What does this mean?"

Tian Wen confused. "Ah?"

"I'm asking you — what does this bookkeeping mean?"

"Big households buying goods all use credit." Tian Wen hurriedly explained. "Only at the three festivals do they settle the accounts one by one."

"This is the rule; it has always been so."

Lin Dao was also angered into a laugh — what difference is this from arrears of payment in later generations?

He urgently needs money; how could he possibly allow others to owe him for goods?

"I have no such rule here."

Lin Dao immediately put down the account book. "To take goods, you must pay cash on the spot."

"And I don't accept silver."

These words left Tian Wen dumbfounded. "Don't accept silver — how to settle accounts?"

"The back hall there is the settlement place."

"Precious treasures, gold, precious timber, medicinal herbs, famous incense — all acceptable; specific valuation conversion you do yourselves."

Now Tian Wen was completely speechless.

Not only breaking the rule, but also not accepting silver.

Accepting all kinds of things then discounting — isn't that taking off your pants to fart, a superfluous action?

He couldn't understand, and repeatedly urged bitterly.

But the East House wouldn't listen; he had no choice but to comply.

Tian Wen dared not resign and leave.

The current business environment is bad; to find another shopkeeper job is truly too difficult.

He still has a whole family to support; he needs this job.

Yet the worry in his heart simply will not dissipate.

"Will this business ever have customers again?"

The facts prove there truly are customers.

Although many households expressed dissatisfaction with Ju Bao Lou's payment methods.

But the goods here are genuinely fragrant.

Some even went straight to wholesale, buying in bulk and shipping to Su Hang and other regions for resale, turning a huge profit at once.

Word spread, and Ju Bao Lou's reputation soared.

Not only did high officials and nobles keep buying, even middle-class families came to watch the excitement.

They couldn't afford standing mirrors, but they could still buy a makeup mirror.

The liquor in glazed bottles wasn't expensive either; buying two bottles to keep at home gave plenty of face.

Luxury goods they dared not buy, but wrapping up two catties of snow-white sugar, buying a bag of cheap spices, and some novel snack trinkets was no problem.

The only dissatisfaction was that this place doesn't accept silver or copper coins.

Medicinal herbs, famous fragrances, treasures and such — middle-class families couldn't produce them, so they had to exchange gold.

This also caused Jinling City to quickly fall into a gold-shortage condition.

The commercial tradition of the Jiangnan region is truly strong.

Before long, almost all the gold and various treasures of the entire Jiangnan region were rapidly converging on Jinling City.

The real bulk purchasers were those fellow merchants.

Outside Shangfang Gate, the Porridge Factory.

On vast wasteland, tens of thousands of refugees have gathered.

Some erected tents from tattered cloth, others dug out earthen pits for shelter.

A glance across reveals nothing but pits and hollows everywhere.

Refugees from all over sat numbly on the ground, gazing from afar at Jinling City's city walls.

They are not allowed to enter the city.

About a dozen sheds are scattered here and there.

In each broken pot boils gruel so thin it can reflect a person's shadow.

The tens of thousands of refugees here all rely on this gruel to survive.

One might think it very miserable.

But actually up north, there isn't even this kind of relief gruel!

Lin Dao stepped down from the horse cart, and a mixture of all sorts of foul odors assaulted his face.

Several large carts passed by him, each loaded with rows of stiff corpses.

The weather is scorching; they must be cleared away, otherwise a plague will break out and threaten Jinling City.

Burial — there is none of that.

The tattered straw mats covering them are the last possessions they have in this world.

"Master~"

The accompanying servants, having eaten their fill for several days, have also perked up in spirit and energy.

Seeing a richly dressed person approach, hope flared in the eyes of the surrounding refugees.

One after another they struggled over, pleading incessantly to serve as ox and horse for the master, asking only for a mouthful of food.

Word spread, more and more people gathered, frightening the Yamen Runners of Ying Tian Fu into rushing forward to disperse them.

The scene before him made Lin Dao suddenly recall the various desolate scenes he had witnessed before in Yonghe Spacetime.

"What have the people on this great earth done wrong, to repeatedly suffer such calamities!"

(End of Chapter)