Font Size:
The Needlework baskets quickly attracted attention. When asked about the price, Chen Feng raised it to 150 wen and refused to lower it. It wasn’t that she was pricing it high, but rather, she was worried about selling out too quickly and not having it for those who were willing to pay.
At this price, a girl with several maidservants bought two, and another woman bought one.
The needlework bag wasn’t taken out, as no one before seemed like they could afford to pay ten taels of silver for it.
Half an hour later, the woman who bought the Needlework basket returned, asking Chen Feng why she was selling it at a higher price than in front of Lingyin Temple.
Chen Feng explained with a smile, “Ma’am, look, the Needlework basket I’m selling is made of fine willow twigs, lined with silk instead of fine cloth. The materials are of good quality, hence the higher price. If you find it expensive, you can return it. You can go to the shop downhill, it’s also ours.”
Upon hearing this, the woman felt the basket wasn’t worth it and returned it, saying she would buy a cheaper one downhill.
Chen Dabao, seeing his mother not bringing out the needlework bag to sell, became anxious. If they couldn’t sell even one needlework bag, how would they have money to eat wontons in front of Lingyin Temple?
Chen Feng reassured him, “Dabao, don’t worry. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. When a big deal comes, your mother won’t miss it.”
Around the end of the hour, several carriages and a dozen horsemen came up from downhill. The carriages stopped at the temple gate, and some elegantly dressed women, along with a group of maids and matrons, got out. After a brief discussion, two older ladies, accompanied by two men and several maids, entered the temple, while an elegant lady in her twenties led two young girls, a few matrons, and men towards the stall.
The elegant lady and her companions immediately stood out as people of high status, exuding extraordinary grace and wearing magnificent attire. Especially the elegant lady, dressed in rose-purple brocade, adorned with delicate patterns, and a light purple pleated skirt, wore a particularly eye-catching phoenix hairpin, sparkling in the sunlight with its blue sapphire and red gold.
The golden swallows in the needlework basket, previously listless, flew out like lightning before Chen Feng could shoo them away, catching everyone’s attention.
Seeing the nobles approaching, the vendors at the stall perked up, quietly promoting their products.
An eleven or twelve-year-old young lady was quickly drawn to the needlework basket, exclaiming, “What a beautiful little basket.”
Chen Dabao hurriedly said, “Miss, this is a Needlework basket. Buy one, it’s not expensive, only 150 wen each.”
Dabao, already quite handsome, managed to attract the attention of everyone with his tender words. A respectable matron said, “One Needlework basket for 150 wen, and you say it’s not expensive.”
Another eight or nine-year-old girl picked up a Needlework basket and said, “This Needlework basket is so delicate, I’ve never seen such a beautiful one. Auntie, Uncle Liu, I like it.”
The young lady also took a liking to it and happily said, “The needlework baskets are unique, let’s buy them all.”
Chen Feng then took out a needlework bag from her bag and said, “Madam, I also have beautiful needlework bags here. Please have a look and see if you like them.”
The lady took the needlework bag, saw the dog on it smiling at her, and giggled, “Oh, the little dog on this purse is so amusing, it’s even smiling at people.”
The young lady beside her also smiled and coquettishly said, “Mother, I really like this little dog. Please buy one for me quickly.”
The elegant lady nodded and turned the bag over. Her eyes widened in astonishment, “Heavens, is this a decorative button? It’s exquisitely made and so beautiful, it looks like two blooming chrysanthemums.”
A nearby matron also exclaimed, “Decorative buttons can be made like this, shaped like blossoms. This old lady has truly gained new insights.”
Chen Feng smiled and said, “Yes, these are chrysanthemum-shaped decorative buttons made by my mother. It’s not easy to make them, requiring more effort than making clothes. If sewn onto garments, these buttons are not just fasteners but also beautiful decorations.”
The elegant lady’s eyes lit up, as if she had thought of some extraordinary beautiful garment.
Chen Feng continued, “Madam, open the decorative buttons again. There’s more to it inside.”
The elegant lady opened the three decorative buttons, and the bag turned into a circular piece of fabric with several delicate pouches and ribbons sewn on it.
Chen Feng then took out a square plum blossom needlework bag, explaining the placement of needles, thread storage, thimbles, buttons, and the clever uses of the ribbons, and so on.
Everyone marveled at this ingenuity. It was something so simple, yet no one had thought of it before.
Both young girls liked the little dog on the bag. They urge the grown-ups to buy it quickly.
The elegant lady said, “Alright, alright, I’ll buy it,” then asked Chen Feng, “How much for this bag?”
Chen Feng replied, “This needlework bag took quite some time and effort, it’s twelve taels of silver each.”
She increased the price by two taels of silver. Among these people, the adults liked the decorative buttons, the young girls liked the cartoonish little dog. It was evident they were wealthy and didn’t seem like they would coerce anyone. Buying something they loved for twelve taels of silver, they shouldn’t refuse.
The elegant lady, still fixated on the decorative buttons, remarked, “Twelve taels of silver for one bag is quite a high price. Even the most expensive bags at the Linglong Embroidery Workshop in the capital don’t go for more than ten taels of silver.”
The two young girls on the side became anxious and said, “But we like this bag and the dog on it.”
Chen Dabao quickly said, “Madam, we’re not just selling the bags, we’re selling the design. You see, this laughing dog, the beautiful decorative buttons, and the exquisite styles of the needlework bags, we are the first in this business.”
His words amused everyone.
The man fanned himself and said with a smile, “This bag has so many merits. My wife, daughter, and niece both like it, so I’ll buy three.”
Chen Feng then mentioned that they had only made eight of these bags and hadn’t sold them to anyone else. It was also the first time they had put out these decorative buttons for sale, which had not yet become popular. They were truly unique in the market.
Upon hearing this, the elegant lady began to calculate. She smiled and said, “If these decorative buttons haven’t become popular yet, I’ll buy all your bags and give you an additional twenty taels of silver. You are not allowed to make or sell this type of chrysanthemum decorative button again.” After a pause, she added, “Perhaps in less than half a year, these decorative buttons will be widely known. Well, I can’t stop you from making a living. You can resume making them a year later.” Then she said sternly, “If you lie or secretly continue to make and sell them, our money won’t have been given in vain… You are all villagers nearby, right?”
It was unclear what kind of wealthy family they came from, they didn’t even need to sign an agreement with the common folk. Just a threatening remark was enough to settle matters. However, these people were quite decent, not seizing by force. They bought all eight bags and the price for the design was still reasonable.
Chen Feng quickly smiled and said, “Yes, madam, I understand. We are indeed villagers from nearby, from Xiangluo Village, more than twenty miles from here.”
Upon hearing Xiangluo Village, the man laughed and said, “You’re from Xiangluo Village? What a coincidence.”
Eight bags, ninety-six taels of silver, plus the additional twenty, totaled one hundred and sixteen taels of silver. They were also given five ingots of silver, one twenty-tael, one ten-tael, and two one-tael ingots, and told not to bother with change. This initial success was already the best outcome.