Chapter 98 Opportunity
On his first trip away from home, Jiang Shu was full of curiosity and freshness about everything outside.
When I rested and settled down, I looked around without feeling too tired. When I was riding in the carriage, I also raised the curtains and stuck my head out to look outside.
"Girl, the scenery outside is so beautiful. The mountains and rivers are different from those in Beijing."
Tan Yu clicked her tongue and exclaimed, her eyes full of amazement.
"How many times have I told you to call me boss outside?" Jiang Shu reminded helplessly.
"Yes, boss, I remember it." Tan Yu said repeatedly in her heart: they are men, they are men now.
The farther you go from Shangjing, the more unique and charming the scenery becomes.
It's spring, everything is growing vigorously, and the vitality makes people feel happy when they see it.
The master and the servant were not idle along the way. One of them leaned against the car window and admired the scenery along the way.
When staying at a town inn in the evening, if it is still early, Jiang Shu will go out for a stroll, look at the local shops, and learn about the people and business opportunities in various places.
After driving for eight days and approaching the south of the Yangtze River, it suddenly started raining.
"Master, should we find an inn to rest and wait for the rain to stop, or should we continue on our way?" The coachman asked for instructions wearing a bamboo hat.
Jiang Shu remembered her promise to Jiang's mother and frowned: "Find an inn and wait until the rain stops before setting off on the road."
"Yes." The coachman agreed and settled in the nearest town.
The town is not big, but there are several inns for passers-by from north to south to rest.
Jiang Shu stood in front of the window holding ginger soup, frowning and looking at the rain curtain in trance.
I hope this rain won’t last too long and we can get back on the road tomorrow. Otherwise, if the trip is delayed for too long, Jiangji Silk Store will be out of stock.
"Master, lunch is ready." Tan Yu opened the door and asked Jiang Shu to go downstairs for dinner.
Jiang Shu came back to his senses and went downstairs to eat while listening to the people in the inn chatting.
"Boss Wang's illness is sudden and strange. A good person suddenly becomes bedridden."
"Then Young Master Wang suddenly took over the family business. He is ignorant and doesn't know anything. I think the Wang family is not far from decline."
"Oh, if you hand over such a big business to a dandy who spends a lot of time, it's strange that he won't fall into ruin."
"I just feel sorry for Mrs. Wang. I heard she's about to give birth. How will she live from now on..."
Jiang Shu heard their sighs and couldn't help but inquire curiously.
"Brothers, what kind of excitement are you talking about? How come I haven't heard of it?"
When several people heard about the handsome and kind-faced Jiang Shu, they felt good about him and answered their questions generously.
"The Wang family in Lin'an Prefecture is a famous silk merchant and one of the top three silk producers in Lin'an Prefecture."
Lin'an Prefecture is a major producer of silk.
Hearing these words, Jiang Shu's eyes lit up.
Isn't this exactly where they are going, exactly the silk source they are looking for!
Jiang Shu got interested and asked the store owner to serve a table of delicious food and wine to a few people and asked them about it in detail.
After several people ate Jiang Shu's food and wine, the affairs of the Wang family were not just anecdotes and secrets, so they all told everything they knew.
Two months ago, Boss Wang suddenly fell ill with a strange disease. He couldn't afford it. All the famous doctors in Lin'an Prefecture were unable to do anything.
The huge business of the Wang family suddenly fell to Boss Wang's only son, but the prince was a prodigal who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun.
In just two months, Mr. Wang has disrupted several big business deals, causing the Wang family's silk stockings to become unsalable, and the anxious Boss Wang's condition has become increasingly serious.
"I heard that he vomited blood and fell into coma several times."
"If the defeat continues like this, the Wang family will fall within three to five years."
"If you ask me, Prince Wang, you should just stop doing business and just sell your family property and live a squandered life. You can still live a comfortable life."
"Sigh, I don't know what evil Mr. Wang did in his previous life to end up with such a prodigal son in this life."
"So, this prince is indeed useless." Jiang Shu lamented.
As a businessman, she can understand Boss Wang's confusion and heartache.
It will be difficult to let go of the hard-earned family property if it is sold suddenly. But if you struggle to hold on, you may not be able to hold on for long.
Maybe, she can go and get some bargains.
The Wang family's stagnant silk goods are exactly what Jiang Ji urgently needs.
Regardless of the long term, the most urgent thing is to solve it first.
Looking at the rain outside the house, Jiang Shu became more and more anxious, hoping that if it rained enough today, it would stop raining tomorrow.
With worries in his heart, it was difficult to sleep peacefully. Jiang Shu had a very restless sleep that night.
Fortunately, the rain stopped on the second day. Jiang Shu felt devastated and took a nap in the carriage while driving.
"How long does it take to get to Lin'an from here?" Jiang Shu asked the tea stall owner while eating steamed buns during lunch break.
The stall owner had a kind face, and while pouring tea for them, he said: "If the carriage moves quickly, we can arrive in the morning."
"Thank you." Jiang Shu picked up the bowl and drank tea.
Along the way, she finally realized how difficult it was for her father to run a business.
It doesn't matter if you have to eat and sleep in the open, the fatigue of traveling and riding, whether you eat well or not sleep well, the most annoying thing is the anxiety of rushing on the road.
The closer he got to his destination, the more anxious Jiang Shu felt.
"Don't be impatient, boss. Being impatient is easy to make mistakes and confusion. Especially when negotiating with source merchants, you must keep your mind steady." Experienced shopkeeper Liu warned in a low voice.
Jiang Shu was startled when he heard this, and then realized that he was in a panic.
She followed Shopkeeper Liu's advice and took a deep breath to calm down.
The carriage drove quickly and finally arrived at Lin'an Mansion on the morning of the third day.
The group found an inn and settled down. In the afternoon, Jiang Shu and shopkeeper Liu went out for some sightseeing.
"As expected of a silk producing area, silk shops are everywhere." Jiang Shu sighed after visiting several shops.
Shopkeeper Liu said: "There are many products from various places of origin and the quality is uneven. It is easy to buy defective products without being careful."
"Furthermore, the small shop has a limited supply and is not suitable for cooperation."
"Well, let's go to Wang's Silk House and have a look." Jiang Shu agreed deeply and decided not to waste time anymore.
They inquired all the way, pretending to be guests and walked into the Wang Silk Shop, carefully selecting the silk in the shop.
As one of the three major silk merchants in Lin'an Prefecture, the Wang family should be full of customers. But Jiang Shu and the others went in and walked around and found that there were not many people in the shop.
"What kind of cloth do you want?" the waiter asked with a shy smile.
Jiang Shu did not speak, but signaled Shopkeeper Liu to speak with his eyes.
Shopkeeper Liu glanced at the goods in the shop and said with a connoisseur's attitude: "We want high-quality goods."
The waiter was very clever and immediately recognized that they were not locals. Judging from their attire and demeanor, they are definitely not ordinary customers.
"Dear guests, please wait a moment. I'll call the shopkeeper." The waiter hurriedly called for the shopkeeper.
"Please come upstairs." The shopkeeper welcomed them to the guest seat upstairs and served them tea.
While Jiang Shu and others were drinking tea, the shopkeeper asked probingly, "I wonder where these distinguished guests are coming from?"
"Go to Beijing." Jiang Shu said matter-of-factly.
Their accents are very obvious, even if they don't say it, the shopkeeper can still hear it. The inquiry is just to test their attitude.
When he heard the word "going to Beijing", the shopkeeper's eyes lit up and he said firmly: "These few people who came from afar are definitely not here to buy a few pieces of cloth, but they are here to find the source of goods."
Dealing with smart people is about simplicity, no beating around the bush.
"Since the shopkeeper knows, take out the top-grade goods in your shop and have a look." Shopkeeper Liu put down the tea cup and stood up.
"Please follow me." The shopkeeper led them into the inner room to show off the Wang family's wealth.
