Once the Chu family's coffin painted with auspicious clouds, cranes and divine birds and colorful deer was displayed, it attracted a lot of attention in the county.
As the saying goes, if you have never eaten pork, you have always seen pigs running away. Ordinary people in the county hold funerals at home. Although few people will spend a lot of money to buy those beautifully carved coffins, after all, this is a county, and there are many wealthy businessmen and gentry. Those rich When people hold weddings or weddings, their favorite thing is to take a wedding or funeral procession in a big circle on the main street of the county, so as to show their family heritage. In addition, there are people like Sun Ji in the county. This coffin shop specializes in the business of wealthy people. Naturally, there are not a few types of coffins that the residents of Xing'an County have seen.
But what makes people feel strange is this. Everyone knows that Chu Ji's family moved to the county town from the village below, and they have always been engaged in business that caters to ordinary people and makes small profits but quick turnover. Therefore, after seeing these coffins, Many people are a little puzzled that the Chu family can still make these things that rich people can use. Is it possible that they are like the Sun family in the early years, planning to do business for the rich?
If someone is watching the discussion, someone will be unable to restrain their curiosity and step forward to ask: "Brother, how come these new coffins in your house are all patterned?"
Before Gao Tongshan could reply, some people speculated to themselves: "Shouldn't they also follow the example of the Sun family and look down on the business of ordinary people like us, and from now on they will specialize in the business of the wealthy family?"
Others didn't know what was going on. When they heard this, they frowned in disapproval and said, "Your family also comes from a rural background. Why do you look down on us? You can't be like this."
"Even so, I don't even look at the materials of your coffin. The Sun family is made of precious wood and stone. It is said that there is an heirloom coffin made of a whole piece of jade. This one in your family I didn’t even notice how expensive the material was.”
Gao Tongshan was a little depressed. These people didn't even enter the shop to take a closer look. They just stood in front of the door. They opened their mouths and started talking nonsense when they were far away. He didn't even have a chance to interrupt. Thinking of this, he turned around and walked back angrily. After a few steps, he took out a standing sign from the counter in the shop and threw it directly in front of everyone.
Everyone who had been speaking eloquently just now was a little confused. They didn't understand what Chu Ji's guy was doing. They were a little unhappy and timid and said: "What...what are you doing? Why do you want to beat someone up after just a small talk?"
Gao Tongshan, with a tigerish face, reached out and knocked on the standing sign: "Why are you beating me? Look here."
Only then did those people realize that there were many words written on the sign. Some of the illiterate people hurriedly tugged on the sleeves of the people next to them: "What is written on it?"
"Oh, that's the price of those coffins."
The illiterate man asked in confusion: "Why are you showing us this?"
"Who says it's not? Oh! That's not right. How come your patterned coffin is so cheap? It's only one tael or half a tael more expensive than the ordinary ones?"
"Other people sell coffins like this at a premium, but yours doesn't lose money?"
Gao Tongshan saw that everyone had clearly read the content on the sign, so he took the sign away and said, "Why don't you tell me why you have to be in front of someone's house, looking at it from such a distance? You can't see clearly and you're still talking nonsense, come on. Come, come in with me and take a closer look."
Gao Tongshan said and led everyone to the coffins displayed in the shop: "Other people's coffins are carved, but mine is painted with paint. Although the methods are different, they are all handicrafts and are exquisite. Very good. Our boss said that our coffins were sold to a flat-headed boss with the same surname as theirs. Naturally, the price cannot be too high. Each coffin is only half a tael or a tael more expensive, so we should treat it as a collection. The cost of paint.”
"Ah? Then why are your family spending so much time just to make a profit at a loss?"
Gao Tongshan looked like he was whispering, but the actual volume was not much lower at all: "Brother, let me tell you this, we are open to do business, how can we lose money, don't you think? But my boss is sincere, they are People who come from poor families in the countryside, but now that life is getting better, they always want to help others. This is the coffin with the pattern. They think that this good thing can't just be cheaper for those who are rich. Why can't we common people use it? ?
However, the carving craftsmanship requires the use of good and expensive materials. Others are expensive for their own reasons, but the owner can't
Instead of paying for the expensive ones and then selling them cheaper, the proprietress came up with an idea. She replaced the carvings with paintings and spent some money on paint. It would be a benefit to the neighbors, and the coffin would still make money. Those who make less money just want to think that ordinary people like us can also use some good things, right?
If you don’t believe me, look at me. My right hand is so crippled. No ordinary boss can ask me to be a clerk in his shop, but look at our boss. He hired me without saying a word. He’s not a good-hearted person. People are honest. "
Although Gao Tongshan was originally a craftsman who worked hard all day long, his ability to deceive people with his words was not bad at all. The young couple did say that the price should not be too expensive, so they thought that they would continue at home. Doing business for ordinary people, not going to rob the rich people's business with the Sun family, but it was completely different from what he said.
As soon as Gao Tongshan said these words, he directly raised the image of the young couple in everyone's mind to a higher level. Not only did he not offend the owner of the expensive coffins in the Sun family at all, everyone looked at his obviously incomplete coffin. With his right hand, he couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect that the boss of this restaurant is so kind!"
Gao Tongshan echoed: "That's right."
As he was talking, he accidentally caught a glimpse of Song He who was looking in at the door of the shop. He raised his voice and said, "Song, boy, if you don't stay in the east shop honestly, why did you come out? Be careful to show your employer that you have lost the paper money."
When Song He was selling paper money in his shop, he kept hearing noises from the west end of his shop. He finally saw off the guests. As soon as he came out, he heard Gao Tongshan fooling this group of people. He didn't care if he was discovered. He smiled and said: "Uncle Gao, don't worry. Although I listened to you, my eyes were always looking at the shop. I won't miss it. You continue to work, I will go back."
Saying that, Song He ran all the way back to the east shop and never came out again. It's just that Gao Tongshan didn't know that Uncle Chu Chu had just pushed the door in in the east shop in a wheelchair. When he saw Song He coming in from the outside, he asked casually. As a result, Song He learned every word without missing a word. , causing Uncle Chu to shake his head and laugh, sighing that the new guy his nephew and his wife had hired was really a talent.
The young couple who were in the West Courtyard naturally learned about this from Third Uncle Chu, and they were immediately dumbfounded. In addition to Gao Tongshan’s knowledge of coffins, they recruited these two guys mainly because of their eye contact. Unexpectedly, there was something wrong with them. An unexpected surprise.
When Shen Luzhu came to deliver lunch to the two waiters at noon, Song He also made a small suggestion to her: "Lady boss, why don't we put up a bigger sign in front of the door and write down all the paper money and the price of the coffin at home? , so that everyone will know it as soon as they pass by, and it will save those who don’t know the truth from talking about what is true and what is not.”
Gao Tongshan originally wanted to say that he just brought those people into the shop, but then he thought about it, what if he didn't say it in front of them, so he agreed: "Yes, boss lady, Mr. Song is right, so those who didn't come into our shop , and you can also know about our new coffins."
Shen Luzhu thought it was just a sign, not a big deal. There were a lot of wooden boards in the west courtyard of his house, so he nodded in agreement, turned around and went back, and told Chu Yi about the matter.
"Okay, all the wood in the west courtyard is ready-made. I'll pick out a suitable piece this afternoon."
The business of a coffin shop is not like other businesses. Those who need it or not may go in and take a look. Most of the funeral supplies are only entered by those in need. However, Gao Tongshan's half-truth and half-false deception this time, coupled with The extremely eye-catching big sign at the door brought a lot of attention and topics to Chu Ji's coffin.
With the attention gained, the sales volume in the shop will naturally increase. Most families in the county are wealthier than those in the village. They spend half a tael or one tael more to buy a more exquisite coffin for their deceased elders. It was not a difficult matter, and Chu Ji's coffin suddenly became popular in the county town.
Shen Luzhu struck while the iron was hot and came up with many pictures suitable for painting on the coffin. He made sketches one by one and kept them in the west courtyard. From time to time, he would add new patterns to paint on the coffin, and the composition and drawing area were also getting larger and larger. I became more and more bold, and once I even painted a coffin with a brown-red background and gold rim with auspicious cloud patterns. Originally I just wanted to give it a try. If it couldn't be sold, I would move it back to the west.
Inside and outside the courtyard, the coffin was repainted and repainted, but it was unthinkable that someone would buy the coffin. ..
The person who bought the coffin was an old lady who was over seventy years old. Her long silver hair was neatly combed, and she was wearing a brand-new gown. However, her back was already a bit hunched, and she could not walk very neatly. She was helped into the coffin by her children and grandchildren. Shop, the strange thing is that this coffin is not bought for others, but she wants to buy it for herself.
I don't know if it was because she was getting older and her health was getting worse. The old lady always felt that she was going to die soon, so she not only prepared a shroud, shoes and socks for her family, but also asked her children and grandchildren to lead her to choose a coffin, saying that she would live there permanently in the future. You must choose a place that you are satisfied with.
So as soon as she entered the shop, the old lady was attracted by the unique coffin. After that, it seemed that other coffins could no longer be noticed. It was noon, and the young couple changed two waiters to have lunch and watched After buying the coffin, Shen Luzhu was very moved by the old man's figure walking out of the shop door. He wondered if he would be lucky enough to face life and death so calmly like the old lady just now.
At that time, Shen Luzhu didn't know that the coffin sold unexpectedly would bring them many unexpected surprises.
