Chapter 56 Yazhou City (3)
When shopkeeper Zhang went to Guangzhou to purchase goods, he had also thought about buying some Folangjiren glassware to sell in Yazhou. However, the price of this thing itself was high and it was fragile. If it was encountered during sea transportation, There were strong winds and waves, and the damage rate was extremely high, so there were very few glassware for sale in the Yazhou market. But if these Haihan people know the glass manufacturing technology and can make these exquisite glass products locally, they can effectively avoid the risks and costs of transportation, and the price will naturally be more competitive than those from Guangzhou.
Shopkeeper Zhang silently calculated in his mind before he quoted: "For the glassware you made, we can temporarily use the sales price of Folangji Ren as a reference. Wine glasses cost one tael of silver each, and bowls cost three taels of silver each."
Yan Chujie interjected at this time: "Shopkeeper Zhang, you said this price is the price you paid for the goods from Fo Langji in Guangzhou? What about the local sales price?"
Shopkeeper Zhang didn't mean to hide it, and explained to him: "The sea road from Guangzhou to this place is bumpy, so the freight is at least half of itself, and the price at the time of sale is double that."
Yan Chujie calculated, adding half the freight, the cost of shipping from Guangzhou would be one and a half taels and four and a half taels. If he sold it at double the price, the final selling price would be three taels and nine taels. This is really good money. earn. Just when he was thinking about how to bargain with Shopkeeper Zhang, Schneider had already spoken.
"Shopkeeper Zhang, the price you mentioned is fine, but we have a condition." Schneider pointed to the purchase list on the table and said: "The glassware you want to order does not require cash transactions, and can only be purchased with our designated products. Make an equivalent exchange.”
"This..." Shopkeeper Zhang couldn't figure out Schneider's true intention for a while and couldn't help but ponder.
"Our goods can be delivered outside Yazhou City. Any damage on the way will be our responsibility." Schneider offered another tempting condition. Of course, this condition is nothing to the traveling public. It only takes most of a day for the "Flying Speed" to run back and forth from Victory Port to Yazhou City. Moreover, the "Flying Speed" has a stable hull and can transport these items in offshore areas. Scraps are perfect.
Although the transaction with the Haihan people was barter, wouldn't it turn into cash as soon as it was in my hands? Shopkeeper Zhang gritted his teeth and agreed.
Just when Shopkeeper Zhang thought that the business was almost done and was considering whether to leave a meal, Schneider took out another thing and handed it to Shopkeeper Zhang: "What do you think of this?"
Shopkeeper Zhang immediately reached out to take it when he saw it, and asked with surprise: "You have a skilled craftsman who can make such a silver mirror!"
What Shopkeeper Zhang is holding is a small cosmetic mirror, only the size of an adult's palm, with a metal frame and a very delicate appearance. This thing was one of the trading materials purchased in large quantities from Yiwu Small Commodity City by the former Executive Committee in order to trade with merchants in the 17th century. The purchase price was only a few cents. Of course, the executive committee purchased more than just this one size, and purchased thousands of cosmetic mirrors of various sizes.
This is not to say that the Executive Committee cannot make mirrors after time travel. In fact, the Venetians invented the mirror-making method of tin foil and mercury in the early 14th century. This is one of the reasons why the Executive Committee requires the action team to purchase cassiterite and cinnabar. However, this mirror-making method is extremely inefficient, and the materials are highly toxic, which is very harmful to the body of the mirror-making workers. The most important thing is that the mirror coating is not long-lasting, and the mirror will slowly wear out over time. Despite this, the Venetians kept this secret for three hundred years. It was not until the second half of the 17th century that this mercury mirror-making technology flowed into France through some secret channels. The silver nitrate mirror-making rules invented by the Germans in the 18th century greatly improved these defects. However, whether it is the main material silver nitrate or the required potassium sodium tartrate and ammonia water, many people in the world cannot prepare these materials for the time being, so they can only make them first. Reserve a large amount of finished products, and wait until the chemical industry develops to a certain stage before starting to manufacture mirrors on a large scale.
As for whether this thing is good or not, and what price it can be sold for, just look at Shopkeeper Zhang's trembling lips and fingers to get an idea. You must know that during this period, Western missionaries and merchants had indeed begun to bring mirrors to the Ming Dynasty, but Venice's pathetic output was far from enough to even supply the European nobility, let alone large-scale trafficking to distant places. Released in the East. In the huge market of the East, there are almost no competitors for the mirrors that will be sold by Chuanzhong. Even the European region where mirror-making technology was invented will definitely become a dumping ground for industrial mirror-making in the future.
"I wonder how much you want this silver mirror to cost?" Shopkeeper Zhang didn't dare to ask for a price this time, because even he had only heard of this legendary silver mirror that was marketable and priceless.
"This two-inch silver mirror costs twenty taels a piece." Schneider quoted a price that he thought was not too bad. The Chuan Chuan people sitting next to them all had strange expressions after hearing the quotation - the value of twenty taels of silver in future generations is enough to buy more than two thousand such small mirrors! What a total profiteer!
Shopkeeper Zhang captured another piece of information from Schneider's quotation: "Do you have other sizes of this silver mirror?"
Schneider was very satisfied with Shopkeeper Zhang's business acumen despite being surprised. He smiled and nodded and said: "A five-inch silver mirror costs one hundred taels per side, an eight-inch silver mirror costs three hundred taels per side, and a square mirror costs one foot." Starting at 800 taels, as for the larger size... we won't sell it for the time being." Shopkeeper Zhang firmly grabbed the chair handle with one hand, barely holding on to prevent himself from passing out. These Haihan people can actually make a silver mirror one foot square! And from what the other party said, it seemed like there was a larger size that he didn’t want to take out for the time being.
There are indeed larger mirrors in the executive committee's material warehouse, and there are even several full-length mirrors that are as tall as one person. But those are "special goods" and are not intended to be sold on the market, unless one day the public can produce mirrors of the same size and quality. These large-sized mirrors were reserved by the executive committee to bribe some senior court officials when necessary, or even to pay tribute to the royal family.
Shopkeeper Zhang ordered twenty two-inch round mirrors and five five-inch round mirrors without even paying back the price. As for the larger mirror, it's not that he doesn't want to buy it, but the goods in the store plus the cash are no longer enough. In addition to the mirrors, he also ordered fifty glass goblets and twenty glass bowls. For such a valuable product, shopkeeper Zhang didn't expect that the other party he was dealing with for the first time would allow credit.
The executive committee's trading materials were all placed on the "Speed", and Schneider only brought a few samples with him. After agreeing on the specific transaction content with shopkeeper Zhang, the action team left Yu Xiaobao in the store for a while. Later, he will take the delivery team of "Anfuxing" to the seaside of Nanshan Town to deliver the goods.
The action team declined Shopkeeper Zhang's request to stay for a meal and left. It was only around ten o'clock in the morning, and he had enough time to go to another trading house to discuss business. Schneider did not want to waste time on such low-level human communication.
Luo Shengdong was greatly shocked at this time. He didn't know how much the items purchased by the action team were worth, but he had just watched the entire process of Schneider's display of goods, quotations, and negotiations. Naturally, he knew that this short Schneider sold so many things on behalf of Haihan in that time - that was more than six hundred taels of silver! Anfuxing has been operating in Yazhou City for several years. Luo Shengdong has dealt with shopkeeper Zhang many times. He is very aware of the situation of Anfuxing. In normal times, he may not be able to do 600 taels of business a month. Even if I can be promoted to the boss this time, my salary for ten years is still not as good as the business I just negotiated at this moment. Comparing people to others is really irritating!
The store we went to next, "Furuifeng", was obviously stronger than "Anfuxing". The shopkeeper surnamed Li who received the action team said that the saltpeter, sulfur, coke and other goods they needed could be organized in large quantities from Guangzhou. The supply of goods was shipped, but in exchange, "Furuifeng" hoped to underwrite the sales of glassware and silver mirrors produced by Haihan in Guangzhou.
Schneider and Yan Chujie discussed this briefly, and finally agreed to "Fu Ruifeng"'s proposal. Although the condition of establishing an exclusive agent may affect the future sales revenue of the Guangdong Office, it can open up business routes to Guangzhou and actually save a lot of trouble for the traveling public. Moreover, the other party can help Chuanchuanzhong organize the supply of goods in Guangzhou and transport them directly to Shengli Port. This can also alleviate the current unfavorable situation of Chuanchuanzhong's serious shortage of transportation capacity to a considerable extent.
Shopkeeper Li's final order quantity was also larger than that of "Anfuxing". He even ordered a one-foot square mirror, saying that it would be sent to the main store in Guangzhou as a sample. As for the orders placed by the action team here, "Fu Ruifeng" also organized manpower to send the goods to the seaside of Nanshan Town for delivery.
After the two businesses were negotiated, not only did the action team not have any cash disbursements, but because the goods the two firms could provide were not enough, they also received nearly two hundred taels of silver. Seeing Luo Shengdong and several His subordinates all swallowed their saliva and became jealous.
Things went smoothly, and Yan Chujie was naturally not stingy. He let Luo Shengdong lead the way into the best restaurant in the city, "Nanhaiju", and had his first meal and drink with public funds after time travel. Of course, this level of food and drink is not very high in the eyes of the traveling public. Two tables of food and wine made everyone's stomachs bulge, and the total amount was only twelve taels of silver.
Luo Shengdong was drunk and couldn't help but ask: "I would like to ask you boldly, do you have any other profitable business similar to what you just saw?"
Yan Chujie immediately heard what he meant and asked with a smile: "Luo Bai always wants to make some extra money?"
Luo Shengdong sighed and said: "I can't do it without making money. In my current position, my monthly salary is three taels of silver. Even if I am promoted to the boss, my annual salary is only more than forty taels. I have to fawn over my boss every New Year." Colleague, this little money is not enough!”
(End of chapter)