Chapter 35: The Grand Theft of Gold

Chen Feng shook her head, “Embroidery Shops are businesses aimed at making money. They only need to buy one bag to grasp the use of this type of needlework bag and the button-making process. Once we’ve sold these needlework bags, I’ll visit the Jinyun Embroidery Shop and sell them the button design.”

Having worked in marketing in her previous life, Chen Feng deeply understood that the same product could have vastly different prices due to different sales strategies. She said, “We may indeed be street vendors, but by finding the right buyers and the right places to sell, we can still fetch a good price. Common folks and even moderately wealthy families wouldn’t spend so much on a needlework bag…”

The Golden Swallow said that the needlework bags couldn’t be sold at the Lingyin Temple’s stalls. Although it was crowded, few wealthy women personally went to buy things there. Most of them arrived in sedan chairs at the temple’s entrance and then walked inside. Peddlers like them wouldn’t dare to sell to those women, it would be disrespectful, and they might get a beating.

She had previously heard from Mrs Wang that not far from the Lingyin Temple was a place called Yingshuan Monastery, primarily dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Fertility. Since the Lingyin Temple was so famous, most pilgrims went there, and there were fewer visitors to Yingshuan Monastery.

However, the people that goes to Yingshuan Monastery was said to come from a wealthy family, and occasionally, wealthy women would go there to pray, and some would even stay for a few days. As there weren’t many vendors outside the temple, some women would stroll around and buy things they liked.

Chen Feng’s plan was for Mrs Wang to take A’Lu to sell needlework baskets near the Lingyin Temple and for her to take Dabao to sell needlework bags near Yingshuan Monastery. At noon, she and her son would go to the Lingyin Temple to find Mrs Wang and A’Lu. She also said that if they found suitable buyers the next day, they would sell, if not, they would think of another way.

As the needlework baskets took up space, Mrs Wang went to the home of Gao Lao, the man who drove the donkey cart in the village, as they needed a dedicated vehicle to go to the Honglin Mountains. The fare was forty wen for a one-way trip, which made Mrs Wang frown.

Still, she thought that forty wen was just half the price of one needlework basket, so she had confidence in their products.

That evening, the Golden Swallow returned. Chen Feng had told it this when it left two days earlier. Given the recent fight, she still wanted to have this bodyguard around for peace of mind. She specifically instructed it not to bring its good friends back as they were too eye-catching, and they wouldn’t have time to divert attention and take care of them, let alone leave them to disturb Chen Ming.

The next day, the family got up early, dressed in their best clothes, had an early meal, and Chen Feng slung a bundle containing needlework bags over her shoulder. Soon, Gao Lao arrived, as they needed to secure a good spot early in the morning.

Chen Feng and Mrs Wang carried the needlework baskets tied together with a rope out to the cart and covered them with a large cloth before they all got on board.

Upon seeing the needlework baskets, Gao Lao was somewhat surprised and remarked, “These little baskets are quite beautiful.” After that, he fell silent, cracked his whip, and set the donkey cart in motion.

Chen Feng felt that Gao Lao was a competent driver. A good driver must be reserved, talkative drivers were not popular. In the future, they could take his cart more often.

The Golden Swallow spread its wings and lay in one of the needlework baskets. The donkey cart was moving too slowly, and if it flew at this speed, it would be driven to despair.

Many people were carrying baskets and goods on their backs, heading to the Honglin Mountains to sell their wares. They were surprised to see the poorest Chen family had hired a cart. It was loaded with goods and covered with cloth, which seemed odd to them.

Someone asked, “Sister Wang, what are you selling that you’ve filled an entire cart?”

Before Mrs Wang could respond, Dabao spoke up, “These are baskets woven by my grandfather.”

Someone retorted, “Nonsense. How much could one of these old baskets sell for, let alone enough to fill a cart?”

On the way, Chen Feng continued to quietly instruct Mrs Wang and A’Lu. She advised them to ask for a price slightly higher than the set price for the needlework baskets, and if buyers bargained, they should negotiate the agreed-upon price, which couldn’t be lowered further.

If they didn’t sell everything at once, they shouldn’t be hasty, they should take their time. If they encountered aggressive buyers, they should sell, no one should suffer a loss.

Chen Lu replied, “Sister, don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out. I won’t let Mom undersell or be taken advantage of.”

After hearing this, Gao Lao chuckled, “Mrs Wang, you’ve raised such clever children, your good days are coming soon.”

Mrs Wang laughed heartily, “Thank you for your kind words.”

An hour later, the donkey cart reached the Honglin Mountains. The Lingyin Temple was at the foot of the mountain, and there were many people selling goods about two hundred meters from the temple. After the cart stopped, Mrs Wang found a spot, spread the cloth, and took the needlework baskets off the cart.

Chen Feng looked at the majestic vermilion temple gates in the distance and felt devout. Mrs Wang had been told by a senior monk in the temple that her chronic illness could be cured and that she was blessed. This prediction had come true, her illness had indeed been cured after she crossed over, and she had even brought a spiritual swallow. It seemed that there were indeed monks with the gift of foresight in the world.

Pointing to a hidden courtyard on the slope, Mrs Wang said, “That’s the way to Yingshuan Monastery, it’s quite far away from here.” She then told Dabao, “Take care of your mother and don’t let anyone bully her.”

This left Chen Feng feeling quite embarrassed. Chen Dabao earnestly agreed.

Chen Feng with the needlework bags, still took four needlework baskets, and Dabao took two, as they headed towards Yingshuan Monastery.

Although the path to Yingshuan Monastery ascended the mountain, it was smooth and quite wide, able to accommodate two horse-drawn carriages at once. The path was shaded by green trees, with mountain flowers in full bloom, and the gentle sound of flowing water. Not far away, there was even a pavilion for visitors to rest.

There were few pedestrians on this road, with an occasional carriage passing by.

After walking for over an hour, they arrived at Yingshuan Monastery.

Yingshuan Monastery, though small, was serene and picturesque, with blue walls, black tiles, and vermilion doors. It was surrounded by green trees and bamboo, with many gingko trees. There were even century-old magnolia trees and extensive plum gardens, making it especially beautiful in winter and spring. Outside the main gate were two ancient banyan trees, like two giant open umbrellas.

Several people were already selling goods under the shade of the trees. They didn’t call out to attract customers, instead waiting for people to approach before offering their wares.

There was a limited selection of high-quality items, and they were not cheap. There were exotic mushrooms and even some “wild chickens,” which Chen Feng later learned were actually pheasants. Handcrafted items included decorative fans, purses, insoles, and carved wooden objects, all delicately made and attractive.

It was relatively quiet here, and when there was no business, the vendors gossiped about various news. As she sold her products, Chen Feng listened while observing whether there were any “low-price strong buyers.” After all, the “Charcoal Seller” from her previous life had left a deep impression on her, and the original owner of this body had been bullied by the powerful.

Perhaps due to the pure land of the Buddhist temple, the order here was quite good. Bargaining was common, but there was no aggressive buying or selling.

When the vendors gossiped about a major theft involving a gold robber, Chen Feng became uneasy.

The vendors were discussing a recent major case in Ding Prefecture City. A gold robber had committed four thefts in twenty days, stealing jewelry worth over two thousand taels of silver from three gold shops in the city. Despite the efforts of many constables, they hadn’t been able to catch the thief or find any leads. The prefect was furious and had reprimanded the chief officer…

Chen Feng’s palms began to sweat, and she glanced at the composed Golden Swallow still perched in the basket. It would be truly surprising if those officers managed to catch the gold robber.