The New Year's Eve fireworks show rocked the city.
The people and officials of the Ming Dynasty capital saw a high-altitude fireworks display for the first time, just like the people of later generations watched a Hollywood blockbuster for the first time in eighty years. The brilliant colors and shocking visual enjoyment dazzled them.
There is only worship except worship.
Then the news came that starting from the third day of the first lunar month, Xinghe Supermarket fireworks products were put on the shelves and were expected to be sold until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Yang Fan is not prepared to have fireworks all the time. Good things need to be sold hungry. Every year except during the Spring Festival, advance reservations are only available for weddings, funerals and business openings. It is not usually put on the shelves for sale.
The main reason is that purchasing this is more troublesome in modern society. Reporting is required, and approval documents are required for large purchases. So they are only sold in high-priced areas.
On the third day of the third year of the lunar new year, countless people from official families and wealthy businessmen flocked to the fireworks sales area.
There are everything from firecrackers to fireworks. There is everything you need, hundreds of varieties.
Yang Fan didn't expect that the best-selling item was not the fireworks, but the two kickers, which are called double kicks in some places.
A full 100,000 units were sold during the Spring Festival.
One denarius each.
As a result, many local workshops in the fireworks business have begun to research imitations.
This year, it has become fashionable to use Xinghe Supermarket’s firecrackers during the Chinese New Year. Anyone who doesn’t set off a 1,000-, 5,000-, or 10,000-gun firecracker will feel embarrassed.
Many officials above the third rank even set off 30,000-ring earth red firecrackers. Each of these firecrackers is as thick as a little finger and needs to be hung on a tree to fire, or a separate wooden pole can be hung up to fire.
High-quality fireworks have almost become a fixture in the homes of officials and wealthy businessmen. If someone doesn't let it go, it seems like the price will drop. This kind of comparison greatly stimulates the sales of fireworks.
The most powerful person was Huang Lizhi, the chief minister of the dynasty. Every day before the banquet at noon, a set of 100,000-ring earth red music was played in his house. This set is five hundred taels of silver. His family held the Lantern Festival from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year to the Lantern Festival.
The whole city was shocked.
During this time, at night, almost the whole city fell into a carnival, with all kinds of fireworks shooting into the sky. Even the children of many civilians would hold several sky monkeys worth one copper coin and set them off in the alleys.
Children love to compare. Whoever can set off fireworks will be honored.
So in alleys, children set off small fireworks in small groups. It formed a unique landscape in the first year of Chongzhen.
With this craze, the sales of many local black powder homemade fireworks have increased a lot compared to previous years.
But Yang Fan would not sell high-altitude fireworks.
This thing is too troublesome to buy and not suitable for mass sales. Only suitable for festivals with a small amount to enhance the atmosphere.
After Chongzhen learned about the fireworks business of Xinghe Supermarket, he was also very satisfied. He believed that Yang Fan always put the royal family first.
The high-altitude fireworks launched over the Forbidden City are top-notch fireworks that cannot be sold to others. They demonstrate the majesty of the royal family.
By the time sales stopped on the night of the 15th day of the first lunar month, the fireworks business had sold a full 200,000 taels of silver.
After deducting the costs, the profit was a full 150,000 taels.
The Empress was very happy during this period. For this fireworks business alone, thirty thousand taels of silver would soon be credited to the inner treasury. This does not include the overall profits of various supermarket products during the Spring Festival.
On the fifth day of every month, Xinghe Supermarket will settle the dividends after completing last month's accounts. At that time, Shuangxi's little father-in-law will come to collect the banknotes.
According to the current sales situation, it is estimated that by the fifth day of March, the Queen will receive a dividend of 50,000 taels. For a tight inner banker, this is a huge amount of income.
She was extremely grateful for her decision to invest in the company.
During the Spring Festival, according to the rules of the officialdom, everyone has to go to Shangguan's home to pay New Year's greetings and give New Year's gifts. Buying gifts is very important.
There is an area in the high-price area of Xinghe Supermarket that is decorated in red. The items here are the most expensive in the high-price area. In the center of this area lies a thermos.
There are thermos bottles, big and small, with various shells. Prices start from fifty taels, with the most expensive being one hundred taels. As soon as this booth was unveiled, it was immediately surrounded by three floors inside and three floors outside. The people hanging around here were all rich people, either the sons and ladies of the official families, or wealthy businessmen.
When these people make money and plunder, they spend every penny they have.
And when you spend money squandering, it is like running water, just like the Yellow River bursting its mouth.
As long as the product is good, no one will buy it, so why bother with so much money? Not just for enjoyment.
These gentlemen, the brothel beauty smiled and threw away hundreds of taels of silver. As soon as this hot water bottle came out, although the price looked very high, these people became more interested.
"Everyone, I am Xiao Hong, the thermos bottle sales representative. Let me introduce this new product to you." After Hong'er and Zhu Zhu came to the capital, Zhu Zhu arranged for her to work in a supermarket. Zhu Zhu hoped that she could earn her own living and reintegrate into society.
In Zhu Zhu's view, the brothel was not a normal place. Since Hong'er is in charge of her own affairs, she will kill the pigs and save the lives of others. So he deliberately took Hong'er to see his mistress by taking the opportunity of delivering an iron stove to the Tushan family, so as to help Hong'er solve the problem.
The people who gathered around included young men from wealthy families, as well as wives and young ladies from official families. They all looked at this well-decorated stall curiously.
"Everyone, please see that this is a pot of boiling water that has just been boiled. Now I pour this pot of boiling water into this thermos bottle and put the stopper on it. It will still be hot when it is poured out within twelve hours and can be kept warm. You can Think about it, you are thirsty in the middle of the night in winter, and the water poured out of the thermos is hot water. How enjoyable it is." Xiaohong introduced it earnestly.
There was a lot of discussion below. This thing is so good. With this, you can have boiled water at any time. You can make tea at any time. I just don’t know what material this thermos bottle is made of. It is so magical.
"What is this made of that can keep it warm for such a long time?" asked a young man below. Immediately many people agreed, and everyone was curious about the material of this thing.
No one doubted it, because Xinghe Supermarket has accumulated a very good reputation since its opening.
"The price is not cheap. One hundred taels can buy three rooms in a remote place in the south of the city."
"That's right, that's right, girl, you need to introduce this thing, at least let us feel that it is worth the money. We are not short of money, but we are not taken advantage of."
Hong'er's smiling face was slightly sweaty. It was her first day at work and she was already a little nervous. For a while, I didn’t know how to say hello to everyone.
At this time, seeing that Hong'er was a little nervous, Zhu Zhu came up from behind, walked to Hong'er, and said: "Everyone, I will open the shell for you and have a look. Then you will understand what this thing is made of and whether it is worth it." Worth the price.”
As he spoke, Zhuzi carefully opened the stainless steel shell of a thermos bottle. Carefully took out the liner.
A shiny silver glass liner appeared in front of everyone. Under the illumination of a high-brightness gas lamp, it reflected golden light. The liner was like a mirror, reflecting the figures of the onlookers.
Everyone gasped. No wonder Xinghe Supermarket dared to buy it at a high price of fifty to one hundred taels. The inner tank was actually made of colored glaze.
No more today, more will be added tomorrow.
