Chapter 8 of 10

Chapter 8

18 min read4,608 words

The transaction procedures were quickly completed, and Zhu Zilong squatted in front of the little girl, unafraid of getting dirty, and gently held her small hand, saying softly, "From now on, you'll be with me. What's your name?"

"Fourth Girl!" the little girl replied, clearly indicating that her parents had three older sisters before her, all in the hope of having a son to carry on the family name. At this moment, the gentleness in Zhu Zilong's eyes made Fourth Girl feel a deep sense of peace.

"From now on, don't call yourself Fourth Girl. I'll give you a new name—Zhu Xingyue!" Zhu Zilong said firmly, giving the little girl a name similar to that of his own daughter from the 21st century. (His real daughter is named Zhu Xinyue, and he named this girl who looked similar to her from the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Xingyue.)

The former Fourth Girl, now Zhu Xingyue, nodded heavily, happily accepting her new name.

Taking the little girl's hand, Zhu Zilong looked at the servant from the Zhang family and thought to himself how inconvenient it was to be without money.

Oh, right, when he passed by that Western goods store earlier, he saw a palm-sized low-quality mirror priced at 100 taels of silver. It was said that many people were buying it. Could he do the same?

At this moment, Zhu Zilong certainly did not plan to start making mirrors himself.

Making mirrors with gold was not difficult; one just needed to stick shiny tin foil to the glass surface and pour mercury over it. Since mercury is a liquid metal, it can dissolve tin, turning it into a thick, silvery-white liquid that adheres tightly to the glass.

However, making mirrors this way had its problems.

First, the raw materials were hard to find. Second, the glass quality in the Ming Dynasty was not up to par. Third, without a base and manpower, he feared the technology would spread. Fourth, mercury is toxic. Fifth, the glassmakers of the Ming Dynasty used the blowing method to make flat glass, which was small and could not be made very large.

Additionally, glass was reserved for the royal family and could not be produced by civilians. However, most people turned a blind eye to the smuggling of imported goods, as the imperial control over local areas was weak.

Zhu Zilong, who had no immediate plans to start making transparent glass or mirrors, went directly to the Western goods store he had passed earlier.

From his pocket, he took out a modern, simple small mirror (similar to the cheap toothbrushes he had bought in bulk in the 21st century, which he had purchased casually in a tourist area).

When he came out of the store about ten minutes later, he had an additional 200-tael silver note in his pocket.

The "Jiaozi" of the Northern Song Dynasty was the earliest paper currency in China and the world. The Yuan Dynasty primarily used paper currency, and the early Ming Dynasty followed the Yuan system, issuing "Da Ming Baochao" during the Hongwu period of the Ming Taizu.

A modern, palm-sized market stall mirror had a significantly higher quality mirror surface than the one in the Western goods store during the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Zilong exchanged a small mirror for a 200-tael silver note from the store owner, making a huge profit!

According to the price levels of the late Ming Dynasty, 1 tael of silver = 1 guan of copper coins ≈ 300 RMB. A modern market stall mirror that cost a few RMB was exchanged for 200 taels of silver, equivalent to about 60,000 RMB in modern terms.

Wow, what a huge profit! This was simply astronomical! It was truly amazing!

Even though it was the Ming Dynasty and not the modern era, Zhu Zilong was already overjoyed, occasionally breaking into a silly smile.

That evening, when he returned to the Zhang family, Zhu Zilong was still in high spirits.

When Zhang Jingzheng asked why there was a little girl with him, he explained the whole story in detail.

Taking this opportunity, Zhu Zilong, who had some ideas, went to his travel bag and took out a few small round mirrors, a couple of bottles of Six God Flower Water with the labels removed, a couple of Lux soaps, two tubes of toothpaste, and a toothbrush for each person.

He distributed these items to Zhang Jingzheng and his several wives.

"Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhang, the journey back was long, and I could bring only a few things. This is a small token of my appreciation, please accept it," Zhu Zilong said.

Seeing these items, which were far superior to those in the Western goods store, Zhang Jingzheng's wives' hearts raced, and they wanted to accept them. However, knowing the high cost, they looked at their husband for approval.

Zhu Zilong had done a great favor for the Zhang family, and Zhang Jingzheng thought for a moment before saying, "Sihai, these items you brought from afar are not easy to come by, and they are quite expensive. There's no need to be so formal among family. You should keep them."

Smiling, Zhu Zilong shook his head and replied, "Since we are family, there's no need to be so formal. Besides, I know how to make some of these items, and I have some sources for supplies. As long as nothing goes wrong, we can have as many as we want in the future. Please accept them, to show my gratitude."

Zhu Zilong's words clearly impressed the Zhang family.

The Zhang family was not a super-rich or a major clan, but they could roughly estimate the value of these gifts.

Just based on the 200-tael silver note Zhu Zilong got for the small mirror today, if we extrapolate, these gifts were worth at least a thousand taels of silver or more!

For an ordinary family, this would be enough to live a carefree life for many years.

This was a significant gift, but if considered as a family matter, it was understandable. Thinking this, Zhang Jingzheng said to his wives, "Since Nephew Sihai has spoken, please accept them."

Thus, Zhu Zilong enthusiastically explained how to use the toothbrush, the effects of the flower water, the benefits of the mirror, and the advantages of the soap.

After he finished, Zhang Jingzheng's wives carefully packed the items and took them back to their rooms.

Afterward, Zhu Zilong, with Zhu Xingyue, who had washed up and changed into new clothes, joined the Zhang family for dinner.

After dinner, when Zhu Zilong happily took Zhu Xingyue to show her her room and left,

Zhang Jingzheng gently said to everyone, "This girl is blessed. She looks like Sihai's relative, and her fortune is about to change. From now on, you must treat her as family. Understand?"

The Zhang family servants and wives nodded in agreement.

The next morning, early in the day,

Zhu Zilong first taught Zhu Xingyue how to use the toothbrush and other items, then ordered the Zhang family servants to bring more sets of clothes for her to change into.

After she tried them on, Zhu Zilong, looking at her as if she were his own daughter, said, "If you don't like the clothes, I'll have someone get some new fabric to make more for you. From now on, call me brother. I am Zhu Zilong's sister!"

(Actually, Zhu Zilong originally wanted Zhu Xingyue to call him father, but considering that he had rejuvenated and looked about 18 years old, it seemed inappropriate for a 10-year-old girl to call him father. Sweat!)

Wearing the new clothes, Zhu Xingyue's big eyes were full of innocence and joy, and she replied in a childish voice, "Brother, these clothes are so good. Fourth Girl has never worn such good clothes before, not even with a single patch. I like them very much!"

"From now on, you must call yourself Zhu Xingyue. Hehe." Zhu Zilong touched her small face and smiled.

"Okay, my name is Zhu Xingyue. I am Zhu Xingyue, not Fourth Girl anymore!"

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