Chapter 1187 Market Conditions
While Pan Yan was enjoying the delicious food, he listened carefully to the business discussions of the Zhejiang businessmen next to him. Because of the difference in accent, he could only understand five or six percent of the content, and the rest relied on half-guessing. After listening to the discussion of these businessmen, he also realized that the drama planned by Haihan was not just a fuss, but actually affected the choices of these businessmen. Even if these small businessmen are so enthusiastic, those big businessmen who have resources in their hands and strong backing will only get the news earlier and more comprehensively than these people. I am afraid they have already secretly planned how to get a piece of the pie.
Pan Yan finished his meal, paid the bill, and walked out of the restaurant feeling his chubby belly. Although the food in the Haihan Army was not bad, the oil and water were definitely not as good as the food in the restaurant. This meal was satisfying, and it fulfilled his little wish of tasting authentic Jiangnan cuisine.
It was still early, so Pan Yan decided to walk around the city. After listening to the discussion of the merchants at the table, he wanted to see what Haihan products were sold in the shops in the city. Before this operation, he had seen the main commodities exported by Haihan to Ming Dynasty on Zhoushan Island, and he had some general impressions.
Pan Yan soon discovered various products produced in Haihan in the shops along the street. Naturally, the products that appeared most frequently were various glass products. Among them, the ones that attracted the most attention were large and small glass mirrors. Compared with the shortage of supply in previous years, Haihan's supply can now be delivered to Zhoushan Dinghai Port outside Hangzhou Bay, and the price of glass mirrors has therefore dropped to a level acceptable to ordinary people - of course, this is just The price of small-sized glass mirrors and the price of larger glass mirrors are still high. Most people buy cosmetic mirrors that are smaller in size and cheaper. Only those dignitaries who are not short of money have the financial resources to spend hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver to buy a half-length glass mirror.
In addition, transparent flat glass is also a popular building material for wealthy people. Replacing the window paper and plain tiles in the study room with more transparent glass to increase the lighting in the house has become a popular choice among wealthy locals in Hangzhou. An emerging trend. Pan Yan visited a glass workshop that had started trial operation on Zhoushan Island, and was very impressed by the strange manufacturing techniques Haihan had mastered. Once the local glass workshop is up and running, he can supply large quantities to the Zhejiang market nearby. . By then, the price of glass products will further drop, which means that more people will become users of Haihan products.
However, Pan Yan has no plans to buy property and live in Zhejiang for a long time. He knows that after completing his training, he will return to Liaodong and work in Dongjiang Town. Therefore, these glass products are just a curiosity to him and do not have much consumption. desire.
Pan Yan came out of the shop selling glass mirrors and saw a bookstore next door. He had seen books printed by Haihan himself on Zhoushan Island, such as "Army Training Outline", "Navigation Skills", etc. It was said that he would also print them. Some classics such as the Four Books and the Five Classics were exported to the Ming Dynasty. I immediately decided to go into the store to see if there were any books produced in Haihan for sale.
Many bookstores in this era were front-end stores and back-end factories, that is, drafting, finalizing, engraving, plate making, printing, and sales were all completed in-store. The production cost of engraving books is not much different in terms of engraving, paper raw materials, etc. The profit mainly depends on the number of printings. The more you print, the lower the cost will be. However, if you print more, you may not be able to sell them out quickly. Recovery costs. There are also a small number of strong booksellers who can make copper movable type or wooden movable type to print books, reducing the labor cost and time required for plate making. However, the number of booksellers at this level is very small, and there may only be two or three in a province.
In addition to being sold in their own stores, these relatively low-cost books will also be sold wholesale to other small booksellers. Haihan, who is already very proficient in movable type printing, seems to be engaged in this business. It is said that books in Zhejiang are currently selling It has occupied a considerable share of the market.
After Pan Yan entered the store, a waiter came to greet him. Pan Yan didn't want to waste time asking around and over again, but asked directly: "Do you have books printed by Haihan in your store?"
The clerk didn't show the slightest surprise at this, and immediately responded: "This gentleman has asked the right place. Our store just received a new batch of Haihan books this morning. They are beautifully printed and reasonably priced. This is my place." Please!”
Pan Yan followed his guidance and came to a row of bookshelves. Seeing that the books on them were all the most common classics and history collections on the market, he picked out a book and flipped through it. Sure enough, it was a familiar paper and font. Compared with similar books commonly available on the market, the paper is whiter and smoother, and the handwriting is clearer, which fully reflects Haihan's leadership in papermaking and printing technology.
The bookstore clerk said next to him that the price of these Haihan books is 20% lower than similar books on the market. They can be regarded as high quality and low price, and are very popular among readers.
Pan Yan asked curiously: "Did the Haihan people bring samples to sell to you?"
The clerk shook his head and said: "How could Haihan people do such a time-consuming and labor-intensive thing? Many scholars came to ask if there were any Haihan books for sale. The boss thought there was a market, so he would find a way to find Haihan people to buy the goods. .”
Pan Yan said: "Why do these scholars behave like this?"
The clerk explained: "The colorful glass stationery sold by Haihan is very popular among local scholars. When they sell stationery, they often use books as a promotional method. The scholar got one of the Four Books and Five Classics and found that the book was beautifully printed. Naturally, I wanted to get a set together. The Haihan people didn’t sell them directly, so they just told them to buy them at bookstores in the city.”
Pan Yan suddenly realized that he admired Haihan people's business methods even more, and he could actually come up with such a way to market his new products. They only need to find one or two bookstores in advance to stock the goods. After their colleagues notice the market situation, they will naturally follow suit and start selling Haihan's printed matter.
The guy continued to sell Pan Yan non-stop, suggesting that he buy it in sets in exchange for free glass stationery. Yes, there are also counter-promotion measures in bookstores. Whether readers plan to buy books or Four Treasures of the Study, they will definitely come into contact with other Haihan products.
Although Pan Yan was not a scholar, in the end he did not stand up to the guy's eloquent sales pitch and bought a copy of "The Collection of Cao Zijian" and a "Small Characters Record". However, he did not want to go to a brothel with two books. I asked the clerk if I could store the book in the store first.
The clerk was a good person, so he immediately responded: "If it's inconvenient for you to carry it, it's okay to leave it in the store first. If you find it troublesome, you can also give me a reward. I'll find someone to take it to the master's residence later." The trouble of coming back to get the book”
Pan Yan thought that this might be a solution, so he took out a few more copper coins, told the address of Fengsheng Rice Store, and asked the waiter to find someone to deliver it there. Pan Yan had not gone very far after he came out of the store. A half-year-old child ran past him, holding two books that he had packed just now. It seemed that the books would definitely arrive home before him.
Looking at the hustle and bustle of people on the street, Pan Yan suddenly had the idea of stopping here. People here seemed to be living a carefree and peaceful life. For him, who had been wandering outside for the past two years, it was simply a strange feeling. A luxurious life. If you can stay here as a commoner, it seems to be a good choice. However, such emotions did not bother Pan Yan for too long. He was still very clear about his current situation. The biggest reason why he came to Hangzhou was just because Haihan liked his ability and was willing to give him some super-standard treatment. After completing the winter training, he had to return to the north and continue to work for Dongjiang Town. At the same time, he took on the responsibility of communication and coordinated action between Dongjiang Town and Haihan. In the next few years, his destination will definitely be the battlefield in Liaodong, rather than the comfortable life in the Jiangnan water town. If he is lucky enough, he may be able to lead an army in a few years, and then he will also have the opportunity to enjoy the life of glory and wealth. of.
Pan Yan walked around the city for half an afternoon. Seeing the sun turning west, he slowly headed towards his intended destination. The place Lin Si introduced to him was called "Bichun Garden", which was regarded as a relatively high-end brothel in Hangzhou.
This Bichun Garden does not look like a traditional brothel. From the outside, it looks like a very quiet private residence. There are two soft sedans parked at the gate. It seems that someone else came earlier than Pan Yan. When Pan Yan walked to the door, a young man in Tsing Yi came over to greet him. After asking him his purpose, he was led in.
After entering the courtyard, Pan Yan saw the small bridge in the atrium, the flowing water, the green trees and the red walls. The garden scenery was quite eye-catching, which fit the name of the Bichun Garden. It's just that it's late winter now, so there are a lot more dead leaves on the trees, and almost all the flowers and plants are in a dormant state, looking a little depressed.
The young man in Tsing Yi brought Pan Yan to the flower hall and sat down. Someone immediately poured hot tea and brought it to him. Pan Yan was a little thirsty after wandering around for a long time. As soon as he took a sip from the teacup, a woman wearing a purple cotton robe came from the back hall. He came out to greet him: "This uncle looks unfamiliar. Could it be his first time coming to Bichun Garden? I don't know what to call him?"
Pan Yan saw that this woman was also a bit purple, but she was already a mature woman. He expected that the woman was someone like the madam here. He immediately handed over his hands and said, "My surname is Pan. I am a grain merchant from the north. I heard from the local My friend said this place is nice and I came here to see it.”
"Master Pan has come to the right place!" The madam immediately followed Pan Yan's words and began to brag about the benefits of this brothel: "The girls in this courtyard are all from Jiangnan, they are all good at sex, and they are all very young. ...Many dignitaries in this city will come here from time to time. If Mr. Pan comes here often, he will definitely get to know many people.”
This madam has some knowledge and understands that many of the customers who spend money to come to this place are not just for prostitution, but use it as a place for recreation and socializing. Especially people in shopping malls and official circles often They will use this to build up their own social relationships. Since Pan Yan claimed to be a foreign merchant, the madam naturally wanted to promote the benefits of this place in a targeted manner.
Pan Yan said with a smile: "The dignitaries can let it go first. You can introduce a few lovely girls first. Don't waste the master's time!"
Not long after, the madam brought a group of pretty girls. Pan Yan picked the one he liked. The madam dismissed the others and asked the girl named Xiuzhu to take Pan Yan to the room to "communicate alone." Pan Yan saw that it was almost dinner time, so he ordered a few more food and drinks and asked the boy to deliver them to the room.
Pan Yan hadn't touched the opposite sex for a long time, and when he got to the room, he couldn't hold it in any longer, so he pushed Xiuzhu onto the bed to vent his anger. After resting for a while, Pan Yan felt a little hungry, so he got up to eat. But the little girl was tired from all his tossing and was still sleeping soundly on the bed. There were lamps and candles prepared on the table, but Pan Yan could not find anything to light the fire for a while, and he was too lazy to get dressed and go out to call for help, so he simply sat at the table and ate alone under the light cast by the open tiles on the roof.
Pan Yan was eating happily when he suddenly heard someone talking in a low voice outside the window. He had a sensitive hearing and vaguely heard words such as "Haihan" and "Fire". He immediately felt alert, so he put down his chopsticks and walked quietly to Stand by the window and listen to the sounds outside the window.
Then I heard a man's voice ask: "You just said that the incident at Tongsheng Wharf might be Haihan's trick. Is this really reliable? Do you know that this matter is extremely involved? If you lie, your life may be in danger!" < br>
Another female voice responded: "The person who told the little girl the news had contact with the Haihan people at the dock that day. According to him, there was something fishy in the cargo that Haihan unloaded from the ship that day, and he recalled it carefully later. , there are a lot of weird things about it, the little girl doesn’t dare to vouch for it.”
The man said: "Forget it, I will know the truth after I ask that person. Tell me, how much money does it cost to reveal this person's identity?"
The woman said: "Sir, as you just said, this matter is of great importance. If you say the wrong thing, you may lose your life. Naturally, the little girl needs more money to protect herself, so two hundred taels!"
The man's voice became slightly louder: "Are you crazy? Two hundred taels of silver is not enough for you to redeem yourself!"
The woman responded: "The little girl just plans to redeem herself and leave. Otherwise, if the news gets out, the little girl's life may not be saved. It's better to take some money and leave early."
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When Pan Yan heard this, he already guessed what happened. The woman probably heard some news from a prostitute, so she planned to ask the man for two hundred taels of silver in exchange for it, and then ran away from here. . She called the man "Sir", indicating that he should be from the yamen, so she shouldn't be careless about it.
Pan Yan roughly knew the inside story of the Tongsheng Wharf fire case. Haihan handled the matter so cleanly that the Zhejiang officials still had no clue after several days of investigation. Although the fire case has been declared closed and the charges were forcibly placed on a group of non-existent robbers, if the case is repeated, it will not be a good thing for Haihan after all.
(End of chapter)