Chapter 8

After leaving the door of Jubaotai, Yang Feng's anger had still not subsided. It seemed that the phenomenon of big stores taking advantage of customers existed in every era. Although Jubaotai's service attitude was quite good on the surface, they still categorized customers into different classes. If a clerk dared to mock customers like this, they would have been fired by the boss in the 21st century.

However, as his anger gradually subsided, Yang Feng began to worry. He was unfamiliar with this place, and he didn't know who to sell his goods to. He had invested all his savings in buying these goods, and if he couldn't sell them, he would be in serious trouble when he returned.

Feeling worried, Yang Feng slowly walked down the street, looking at the various shops around him. Although the inn's attendant had told him that Jubaotai was the largest jewelry store in Nanjing, Yang Feng believed that in any industry, there would never be a true monopoly. Despite Jubaotai's size, he couldn't believe that it had no competitors. After all, the jewelry business had always been a highly profitable industry, and it was impossible for one store to dominate the market.

Sure enough, after walking less than 500 meters along the street paved with blue stone slabs, Yang Feng found another jewelry store called Donglai Yindian. Unlike Jubaotai, his request to see the manager was finally granted here.

The manager of Donglai Yindian was surnamed Shi. He looked like most managers—plump and fair, with a kind and honest smile, as if he could say "congratulations on your wealth" at any moment. After carefully observing the young man who suddenly appeared and was dressed very simply, he slowly said, "Sir, may I ask what brings you to our humble store?"

While Manager Shi was observing Yang Feng, Yang Feng was also secretly observing the manager and the surroundings. After hearing the question, Yang Feng introduced himself: "Manager Shi, my ancestors were Han people who moved to Nanyang during the Tang Dynasty and often traded between Nanyang and Oubalo. Recently, I planned to do business in the Ming Dynasty, but I was attacked by pirates, and all the people and goods on the ship were lost. Only I managed to escape and ended up stranded in Jinling, with no means of support. Now, out of necessity, I want to sell some of the goods I have to your store. I wonder if you are interested in buying them?"

"Oh..."

Manager Shi, with years of business experience, naturally wouldn't easily believe others like a naive young man. He nodded calmly, "All guests are welcome. Since you've come to our Donglai Yindian, you are our guest. Please show me what you have."

"Of course!"

Yang Feng took out a palm-sized mirror from his leather bag and handed it to Manager Shi.

"Ah... This... It's actually a mirror?"

Manager Shi's face immediately showed surprise when he saw the mirror Yang Feng had taken out. He took the mirror and examined it closely, his expression becoming more and more astonished.

To be honest, glass was not a rare item for the Han people. The main materials for glass mirrors were quartz, feldspar, and limestone, which, after heating and cooling, became soda-lime glass. The reflective coating was mainly made of mercury, known as cinnabar by alchemists, which had appeared as early as the Warring States period. However, due to the underdeveloped inorganic chemistry in ancient China, it was difficult to refine cinnabar into pure mercury, which is why people used bronze mirrors.

The earliest glass mirrors in China appeared during the Ming Dynasty, brought by missionaries from Europe. These European glass mirrors, due to the long and bumpy sea journey, were generally small and narrow to facilitate transportation. They were mainly used for shaving and were very expensive, making them a rare commodity in the Ming Dynasty.

After carefully examining the mirror, Manager Shi found that it was exquisitely crafted. The edges were wrapped in an unknown material (actually plastic), and the back was adorned with vivid floral patterns. The mirror's surface was exceptionally smooth, and even the finest details were clearly visible. Manager Shi could see every subtle expression on his face. He quickly concluded that the quality of this mirror was much better than any he had seen before, and he was sure that these mirrors would create a trend in Nanjing.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing his surprise, Manager Shi smiled again, "Sir, please forgive my rudeness. I haven't asked for your name yet."

Yang Feng was somewhat moved by Manager Shi's actions. It seemed that in any society, strength was what mattered. If you lacked strength, people wouldn't even bother to know your name. Since he entered the store, Manager Shi had been smiling, but only now did he ask for his name. If the items he brought out didn't interest the manager, he would have been politely shown the door without a word.

"My surname is Yang, and my given name is Feng, as in mountain peak," Yang Feng said, glancing at Manager Shi's hand tightly gripping the mirror. He then took out several more mirrors from his bag and placed them on the table, "Manager Shi, these glass mirrors are from Oubalo, thousands of miles away. I have about a hundred of them. I wonder if you are interested in buying them?"

"A hundred?"

Looking at the seven or eight mirrors of different styles on the table, Manager Shi's formal smile finally faltered, and his hand holding the mirror began to tremble.

Although mirrors existed in the Ming Dynasty, they were all imported by missionaries from the West. In the era of primitive navigation, each voyage was like passing through the gates of hell, and mirrors, being fragile, were very expensive. The demand for mirrors among the wealthy and powerful in Nanjing was significant, and acquiring this batch of goods would be highly beneficial for Donglai Yindian.

Suppressing his excitement, Manager Shi tried to maintain a calm expression and said, "Mr. Yang, your mirrors are of excellent quality, and I like them very much. How do you plan to handle them?"

"Of course, I want to sell them to you," Yang Feng smiled. "I brought these items from afar to sell them. I've shown them to you, so what price do you think is appropriate?"

Manager Shi thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Yang, I think we have two options. One is for you to sell this batch of goods to our store outright, and from then on, they will belong to us, and you will have no further involvement. The second option is for you to consign the goods to our store, and we can split the profits 50-50. It's up to you."

Without hesitation, Yang Feng said, "I prefer the first option. As long as you offer a reasonable price, the goods will belong to your store, and how you sell them is your business."

What a joke, the second option might seem to earn more silver at first glance. But Yang Feng wasn't stupid. This was the Ming Dynasty, and he was alone and powerless. If he consigned the goods to them, they would decide the price, and as an undocumented person, he would have no recourse if he was cheated. The first option was the best for him.

"That's fine," Manager Shi seemed to understand Yang Feng's concerns. He didn't say much more but carefully examined the mirrors on the table. There were three styles: the smallest was palm-sized, suitable for shaving; the medium-sized ones were about the size of a textbook; and the largest were the size of a pillow. After examining them, he asked, "Mr. Yang, are these all the styles you have?"

"Yes, for now, there are only these three," Yang Feng nodded.

"I see," Manager Shi pondered for a moment and said, "What do you think of this? For the smallest mirrors, I'll give you ten taels of silver each; for the medium-sized ones, fifteen taels; and for the largest, twenty taels each. How does that sound?"

"Damn, what a rip-off!"

Yang Feng silently cursed. Before coming, he had done his homework and had inquired about the prices of mirrors from several shops. Given that the Ming Dynasty couldn't produce high-purity mercury, all mirrors were imported from the West, making them very rare and expensive. A palm-sized mirror was priced at least fifty taels of silver, and a larger one would cost at least a hundred taels. Now, this guy was offering only one-fifth of the price, truly a typical merchant's trick.

Yang Feng didn't say anything, silently put the mirrors back in his bag, and stood up to leave.

Manager Shi panicked and quickly stopped him, "Mr. Yang, what are you doing? Business is about negotiation. If you're not satisfied with the price, we can discuss it further. Why are you leaving?"

Yang Feng turned around and said straightforwardly, "Manager Shi, I came to your store because I heard that you were the most honest and fair in your business, treating all customers equally. It seems that these are just rumors. Even you are taking advantage of an outsider like me."

"I..."

Even with his thick skin, Manager Shi's face turned red. He said helplessly, "Alright, Mr. Yang, what price do you think is reasonable?"

"For the smallest ones, twenty-five taels each; for the medium-sized ones, thirty-five taels; and for the largest, fifty taels each!" Yang Feng quickly stated his price.