Sure enough, the order from the Duke of Qing's mansion was quite a big one.
It wasn't about the quantity but the price.
They had ordered a set of wind - instrument performers made of paper, which was worth eight thousand taels.
Plus six sets of paper figures of servants and horses, and a set of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals. In total, it cost twelve thousand taels.
...
When Xiao Jingnan finalized this deal with the other party, Li Wanming was in a daze for a long time.
You know, what they made were paper figurines, not burial objects for the dead.
Moreover, what the Duke of Qing's mansion was holding this time was a ten - year memorial ceremony, not a real funeral.
So there was no need for some precious burial items like gold, silver, and jade.
But even in such a situation, Xiao Jingnan managed to sell some paper figurines for as much as twelve thousand taels... He really had to be admired.
"Expensive? I think it's just okay..."
After seeing off Steward Zheng, Xiao Jingnan opened his eyes wide when he heard Li Wanming's doubt and said,
"A set of wind - instrument performers has twelve paper figures. They are dressed in clothes made of gold foil, with hair made of ink - drawn lines and eyes inlaid with black jade. Just the cost alone is quite a lot."
"Moreover, the effort we put into them is invaluable!"
Xiao Jingnan's phoenix - like eyes were as clear as day, and he spoke extremely seriously.
It seemed that he really thought a set of paper figures was worth that much.
Li Wanming glanced at him and said, "However, even though we've made a deal worth twelve thousand taels with the Duke of Qing this time, we still need another eighteen thousand taels to break even. There are only twenty days left, and the pressure on us is still quite high."
How many suckers like the Duke of Qing were there in the capital for them to take advantage of?
"My lady, doing business requires integrity. Why do you make it sound like we're cheating people..."
Xiao Jingnan gave her a dissatisfied look, and then his eyes curved into a happy arc, like a sneaky fox.
"The memorial ceremony for the Duke's mother - in - law used our most luxurious paper figurines, which cost eight thousand taels. Do you think they can use ordinary ones for other things like banners, curtains, paper money, and ingots?"
Li Wanming looked at him, feeling that there was something behind his words, but she couldn't quite figure out his train of thought for a moment.
Xiao Jingnan continued to explain patiently, "By then, in the center of the memorial hall, there will be such a luxurious set of paper figurines, shining brightly and attracting everyone's attention. But if there are just ordinary banners beside them, do you think the Duke of Qing will look good?"
"You mean..."
Li Wanming thought slowly and said, "They also have to use good ones for their other banners and curtains?"
"Exactly!" Xiao Jingnan showed an approving look, as if saying that she was teachable. "At least they have to use the white canvas mixed with silver threads like ours."
Li Wanming thought for a while and said, "But it won't work. Our shop is so small, and there are only Er Ya and a few other apprentices in the shop. How could we possibly make so many banners and curtains?"
You know, for a family like the Duke of Qing's mansion to hold a memorial ceremony, the number of banners is counted in hundreds.
The sacrificial objects and burial items they need are probably in hundreds or thousands of loads.
How could the small paper - figurine shop in the south of the city make them all?
Xiao Jingnan gave a mysterious smile. "Who said we're going to make them?"
He walked to the depths of the shop and his eyes swept over the shelves full of gold foil and silver paint.
"I've already bought out all the gold foil and silver paint in the capital. If they want these high - quality materials, they'll have to buy them from our shop!"
It was not until this moment that Li Wanming finally understood Xiao Jingnan's plan.
The large amount of gold foil, shark's gauze, and snow yarn he had purchased at the beginning was not for making paper figurines at all.
He was just waiting for a picky and wealthy customer like the Duke of Qing to appear, and then sell these things when other burial - object shops were short of raw materials!
If other burial - object shops wanted to make money from the Duke of Qing, they had to buy the raw materials from him first.
In this way, their shop would have a large amount of income!
Xiao Jingnan's fingertips gently glided over the leather box. "Gold foil is not easy to make. Even the most skilled craftsman can only make about ten pieces a day... If they want finished gold foil now, they can only buy it from me."
A silent smile spread across his lips. "My lady, we're going to make a fortune this time."
Xiao Jingnan's prediction was right.
The day after Steward Zheng left, other paper - figurine and burial - object shops in the capital came to their door, offering to buy the gold foil stored in their shop at a high price.
"Twenty percent higher than the market price?"
Xiao Jingnan sneered.
"You're thinking too beautifully."
"Now in this capital, besides our shop, which other shop can provide so much gold foil?"
"Close the door and see the guests out!"
He unceremoniously closed the door on them and told Tian Erya to close the shop for two days. During these two days, no matter who knocked on the door, she shouldn't open it.
Tian Erya nodded to show that she understood.
She led a few girls in the shop, racking their brains to draw patterns for paper figurines. No matter how loudly the people outside banged on the door, they remained silent.
On the third day, as soon as Xiao Jingnan appeared at the door of the paper - figurine shop, he was surrounded by several people.
"Mr. Cheng, I'll add thirty percent. I want a box of gold foil!"
"I'll add forty percent. I want two barrels of silver paint!"
Xiao Jingnan said nothing. He pushed them aside and walked straight to the door of the paper - figurine shop. Then he turned around.
"Gentlemen, if you want to make this money, don't treat me like a fool."
"We all know what kind of family the Duke of Qing's mansion is. They're famous for spending money like water. You buy the gold foil from me, turn it into paper - figurine and burial objects, and then you can sell them at three or four times the price!"
"Now you're only stingily adding twenty or thirty percent. Isn't that a bit too stingy?"
After saying that, he pushed the door open and went in, blocking those people outside.
The people outside looked at each other in surprise. Someone whispered, "What... what does he mean?"
Another person said angrily, "What do you think it means! Can't you even tell? He thinks the price we offered is too low!"
"Thirty percent is still too low?"
The person who had spoken earlier exclaimed, "That's already much higher than the market price."
A middle - aged man behind said, "I say, let's be frank with each other and stop beating around the bush! If there wasn't much profit in this deal with the Duke of Qing, we wouldn't have come to someone's door so early in the morning to plead. If we want to eat the meat, we should also let the others have a sip of the soup, right?"
"You mean..."
The middle - aged man pushed them aside, stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Mr. Cheng, let's stop haggling. I'll give a flat price. Double it. How about that?"
Xiao Jingnan pushed the door open, his eyes curving into a smile. "Deal."
On the eighth day of the seventh lunar month, the whole street in front of the Duke of Qing's mansion was hung with white banners.
The memorial - ceremony procession was moving grandly through the streets towards the mausoleum in the suburbs of the capital.
At the head of the procession was the set of twelve wind - instrument performers made of paper.
It had to be said that Tian Erya's craftsmanship was truly outstanding.
The twelve paper figures had different expressions. Some were playing the zither, some were blowing the flute, and some were playing the pipa... Each one was dressed in clothes made of silver threads, and delicate patterns were painted on the clothes according to twelve famous paintings. In the sunlight, they were like ice sculptures and snow carvings.
They didn't look like paper figures but rather like fairies descending to the mortal world.