NFBE Chapter 40 Attending the Banquet
Chapter 40 Attending the Banquet
Shopkeeper He hurried to the bank to get the silver bills. A wealthy businessman like him would not bring too many silver bills when he went out. For the sake of safety, he would carry the bank's seal with him, which was equivalent to a bank card. He could withdraw money wherever he went, which was quite convenient.
Chen Sanhe and Shen Bing were counting the money at the counter. Twenty pieces of glassware were sold for 10,000 taels after a 20% discount, twenty pieces of porcelain were sold for 8,800 taels after a 20% discount, and fifty pieces of crystal soap were sold for 250 taels! A total of 19,050 taels!
Chen Sanhe's hands were shaking a little: Oh my god! It took so little time to get 20,000 taels? Unbelievable! It was the first time for him, the accountant, to handle so much money at one time!
Half an hour later, Manager He led two people from Xinglong Escort Agency to pay and pick up the goods. There was not much cargo, so two boxes, one large and one small, were enough, loaded on the carriage. The driver was Tiechui, whom Chen Ruotong knew. Pingyang Prefecture City and Chaoyang Prefecture City were more than 400 miles apart, which was not far. There were few mountain roads and no mountain bandits. After all, it was close to the capital and relatively safe.
Shopkeeper He said with satisfaction: "Mr. Chen, if you have new goods, please leave some for me. I will send someone to inquire about the news every ten days. Happy cooperation!"
"It's a pleasure working with you!" Chen Ruotong and Zhang Yishun watched Manager He leave.
"Let's go to Baiweilou, hahaha... Third brother, you watch the store and tell Aunt Sun not to cook at noon. I'll ask the waiter to bring you food later." Chen Ruotong and Zhang Yishun went to Baiweilou for dinner.
The wine and dishes were served, and the two chatted while drinking. Zhang Yishun took out an invitation from his pocket and handed it to Chen Ruotong: "Brother Chen, my cousin will be turning 15 in five days, and that day will also be her coming-of-age ceremony. I invite you to attend and come to my house for a chat."
Chen Ruotong took the invitation with both hands and said, "Okay, I will go there with Brother Zhang. I wonder what Miss Zhang likes so I can prepare a suitable gift for her."
Zhang Yishun smiled faintly and said, "On the day of the opening, my cousin found a vase in Zhenpin Pavilion. She liked it very much, but the vase cost 1,500 taels, which was really a bit expensive..."
Before Zhang Yishun finished speaking, Chen Ruotong smiled and said, "Oh, it's the vase! She has good taste. It is indeed the most beautiful one among all the items. Then I will give her the vase. Girls like shiny things."
In the middle of the night, a few thieves came to Zhenpin Pavilion and tried to break into the house. They wanted to steal some silver and glassware. Before they could pry open the window, they were caught by the bodyguards outside and sent to the government jail the next day.
Zhang Yishun rushed over after hearing the news and asked about the situation: "Brother Chen, are you injured? Did you lose any property?"
"No, no, luckily we hired bodyguards. Their theft attempt failed, and after this incident, those thugs will give up their thoughts."
"The entire Pingyang City knows about our Zhenpin Pavilion. With my uncle's protection, they dare not cause trouble. These petty thieves are nothing to be afraid of. If they want to attack our Zhenpin Pavilion, they should think carefully, right?"
Chen Ruotong, Chen Sanhe, and Zhang Yishun placed the sixty crystal soaps that Chen Ruotong had prepared in the space on the empty shelves. Chen Sanhe wrote the name of the crystal soap on the fine rice paper, packaged the crystal soap, and put it in a gift box, which would attract more customers to buy. If they can't afford the expensive ones, can they afford the cheap ones? As long as they enter the Zhenpin Pavilion, they can't leave empty-handed, at least they have to take a piece of crystal soap in their hands!
She planned to sell tooth powder after selling this batch of crystal soaps, and to sell the things in the space bit by bit. After all, the goods in the space are limited, and it is impossible to supply a certain product indefinitely for a long time, but she can update the types of goods frequently. If a certain product is out of print, she will find an excuse to make it up: things from overseas, we will buy whatever is available, and if it is not available, don't be obsessed, it may not be available for a few years, buy it and cherish it!
On May 18th, it was the coming-of-age ceremony of Zhang Ruixi, the daughter of Zhang Zhifu. In the morning, Chen Ruotong and Zhang Yishun came to Zhang Zhifu's house together. Chen Ruotong presented two gifts, one for Zhang Ruixi's coming-of-age ceremony, a beautiful glass vase, and the other for Zhang Zhifu, a set of ceramic tea sets, which were very rich and exquisite. Zhang Zhifu accepted it with a smile, because this gift was given in the name of a nephew honoring his uncle, and there was nothing wrong with it, so it was not a bribe. So far, Chen Ruotong has a cousin who is a prefect, and this thigh is hugged!
There were not many people at the banquet. Magistrate Zhang did not hold a big banquet. He only invited his brothers and sisters, several younger nephews and nieces, and some of Miss Zhang's close friends. Male and female guests were seated in two courtyards. The male guests were seated in the front courtyard and entertained by Magistrate Zhang, while the female guests were seated in the back courtyard and entertained by Mrs. Zhang.
Chen Ruotong met two of Zhang Zhifu's sons, Zhang Ruiji and Zhang Ruixiang, who were both studying in the scholar class of Zhishan Academy and had excellent grades. Chen Ruotong also met some of the sons of the Zhang family, and her circle of friends expanded. She gritted her teeth and chatted with those sons. After all, she was an old lady and had some knowledge. She could still talk to these scholars. The Zhang family liked this humble and handsome young man very much, and she left a good impression on Zhang Zhifu.
The girls in the back house surrounded Zhang Ruixi, praising her good skin and asking what kind of fragrance she used. It smelled fresh and elegant, with a hint of sweetness. Zhang Ruixi said, "Sisters, don't you know Zhenpin Pavilion? There is a kind of flower-scented crystal soap that is best used when taking a bath. After washing, the body is fragrant and there is no need for fragrance."
"There is also this kind of soap. I will buy some later." said a little sister.
Zhang Ruixi took out the exquisite vase again and let everyone admire it. The girls were all amazed. She asked the maid to pour half a bottle of water into the glass bottle and put the fresh flowers in the glass vase. The sunlight shone through the bottle, reflecting colorful light, which was very beautiful. The sisters were envious and wanted to own such a vase. So everyone agreed to go to Zhenpin Pavilion to buy vases and crystal soaps after the meeting. Chen Ruixi also advertised Zhenpin Pavilion.
After the banquet, Chen Ruotong dragged her tired body to lie on the wooden bed in the backyard of Zhenpin Pavilion. She felt exhausted physically and mentally. It was really tiring to expand her circle of friends. She did meet upper-class people and got to know a lot of people, but she really didn't like this kind of social occasions, so she gritted her teeth and persevered. Damn it, in modern times, she tried hard to be a tool person, unwilling to participate in this meeting or that event. Unexpectedly, she couldn't escape this set when she traveled to ancient times. She likes to live a simple and unburdened life. Obviously, she took the initiative to put on the shackles of socializing. She has entered the circle and can only go around in the circle. She doesn't know when she can lie down and let it go.