Chapter 245 - 243: Selling Silk
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
May.
Chen Shouye was reviewing the account books when a servant announced that Qian Laibao from the Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall had come to visit.
’What is he doing here?’
Slightly surprised, Chen Shouye put down the ledger and went out to greet him.
"Brother Shouye, forgive the intrusion!"
Qian Laibao still had that plump and slick appearance. He smiled before he even spoke, his cupped-fist salute exceptionally warm.
"Brother Qian, what brings you to my humble home today?"
Chen Shouye invited Qian Laibao into the hall for tea.
After a few pleasantries, Qian Laibao took a sip of tea and chuckled. "I had nothing better to do and was just passing through Lingxi, so I thought I’d drop by. By the way, have you found a buyer for that large batch of cocoons your family had this spring?"
Chen Shouye shook his head. "Thank you for your concern, Brother, but they haven’t been sold yet."
"Oh? Still not sold?"
Qian Laibao took another sip of tea, his small eyes smiling as they swept across the hall. Only then did he lower his voice. "Brother Shouye, I came today because I have some earth-shattering news for you. Since you’re cooped up in Lingxi all day, I bet you haven’t heard it yet, have you?"
"Oh? What news?"
Chen Shouye asked curiously.
Qian Laibao’s small eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward slightly, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. "Something big has happened over in Qingshui County. The Liu Family, heh, they must have offended some terrifying force. Their entire family was wiped out. Such a huge enterprise, gone just like that."
"Is that so? The Liu Family... they were quite powerful. Who could have done it?"
Of course, Chen Shouye knew the real reason for the Liu Family’s demise, but he still put on a suitable expression of surprise.
"Isn’t that just the truth!"
Qian Laibao clicked his tongue twice, unable to hide a trace of glee. "This is what they call ’what goes around, comes around’! They always used their power to push us business folk around. And now look, they must have provoked some terrible force to end up like this. It’s truly just deserts!"
After a moment’s reflection, he changed the subject, asking as if it were an afterthought, "Speaking of which, Brother Shouye, what are your plans for that large batch of cocoons? Are you planning to reel the silk yourselves, or... do you have another channel to sell them? You can’t just keep selling cocoons; the profit margin is too thin."
Chen Shouye shook his head. "My father has his own plans for this matter. I just follow his orders."
Qian Laibao tried to probe a few more times, but seeing that Chen Shouye was tight-lipped and just claimed ignorance, he knew he wouldn’t get anything out of him.
His true intentions revealed, he finally stated his purpose. "Brother Shouye, I won’t hide it from you any longer. I came today because I have a profitable venture, and I want to bring you in on it."
"A profitable venture?" Chen Shouye was taken aback.
"Exactly!"
Qian Laibao leaned in closer, his voice low but unable to conceal his excitement. "Just ten days ago, the Qingshui County Magistrate’s Office posted a notice. They’re going to publicly auction off the Liu Family’s farmlands, ancestral home, storefronts, and the several thousand weaving looms in their Textile Workshop.
Right now, many influential merchants in Liyang County have received invitations from the Qingshui County Magistrate’s Office. They’re all rubbing their hands together, ready to go pick up some bargains."
Seeing Chen Shouye listening intently, he urged, "With the shift from rice to mulberry, silk is the real hard currency now. A few of us from the Silk Shops who know each other have been talking. We want to pool our resources and acquire some of the Liu Family’s looms.
Once we have our own looms and hire some Weaving Ladies, we won’t have to depend on the whims of the Noble Families for our silk supply anymore. What do you say, brother? Interested in buying a share? This is a can’t-lose venture!"
Chen Shouye was genuinely tempted.
But he didn’t dare make the decision on his own, so he said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Qian. But this is a major decision, and I must report it to my father before I can give an answer."
Qian Laibao was understanding. "Of course, of course. You should discuss it with Uncle Chen as soon as possible, brother. An opportunity like this shouldn’t be missed!"
Chen Shouye asked Qian Laibao to wait a moment, then immediately went to the study to find his father and relayed everything Qian Laibao had said.
Chen Li, having finished his practice, thought for a moment and said, "Refuse him."
Seeing the mix of confusion and reluctance in his son’s eyes, he explained, "The matter of the Liu Family runs deep. Our family can already build our own weaving looms, so why get involved and invite trouble? Shouye, when you have time, focus on your training. Pay less attention to these speculative ventures."
A chill went down Chen Shouye’s spine, and the temptation he’d felt was instantly extinguished. He bowed and replied, "Yes, Father. I understand."
He returned to the front hall and said apologetically to the expectant Qian Laibao, "Brother Qian, I’m sorry. My father’s decision is that the Chen Family will not be participating in this matter for now."
Disappointment and regret were written all over Qian Laibao’s face. "Sigh! A pity, what a pity. Brother Shouye, this is a can’t-lose venture..."
He tried to persuade him a few more times, but seeing Chen Shouye’s firm attitude, he made a bit more small talk and then took his leave awkwardly.
...
「Ten days later.」
Qian Laibao came to visit again.
This time, the healthy glow was gone from his face, replaced by a clear look of anxiety between his brows.
"Brother Qian? You’re..."
Chen Shouye rose to greet him.
"Brother Shouye, you really have to help me out this time."
Qian Laibao dispensed with the pleasantries, grabbing Chen Shouye’s arm with a pained expression. "Last time, when I urged you to buy those looms and you refused... well, it turns out you have the foresight, Brother. Me? I’ve fallen right into a pit."
Chen Shouye had him sit down and gestured for a servant to serve tea before asking, "Brother Qian, what do you mean? Could it be that something has gone wrong with the loom business?"
"Gone wrong is an understatement!"
Qian Laibao slapped his thigh and sighed heavily. "We bought the looms, three hundred of them. But it was only after we brought them back that we discovered the huge problem."
He started counting on his fingers for Chen Shouye. "It’s already May. The common folk have already sold or handed over the cocoons they had. There’s basically nothing left.
The little bit of raw silk left on the market is frighteningly expensive—nine maces of silver per jin, a huge jump from previous years.
And fresh cocoons! In past years, they cost one mace of silver per jin at most. Now, they’re asking for one and a half maces right off the bat.
This... how are we supposed to start production? The looms are sitting idle, we’re paying workers for nothing, and we have to wait for next spring’s silkworms? How much capital will that tie up? I really regret this!"
After venting his grievances, Qian Laibao looked at Chen Shouye with pleading eyes. "I’ve thought it over and over. In all of Lingxi, I’m afraid your family is the only one left with any stock. Look... could you spare some cocoons to help me through this crisis? We can negotiate the price!"
Chen Shouye understood completely. He pondered for a moment and said, "Please wait a moment, Brother. I must ask my father about this."
He went to find Chen Li again and reported the matter truthfully.
’Cocoons, one and a half maces?’
’Raw silk, nine maces?’
Chen Li was surprised. Only two or three months had passed; how could the prices have risen so much?
After a moment of thought, he said, "You can handle this matter as you see fit. You don’t need to ask me about everything. If his demand is large, you can offer a price slightly below the market rate. If the quantity is small, there’s no need for a discount. You can judge for yourself what’s appropriate."
"Yes, I understand."
Having received his father’s approval, Chen Shouye felt confident.
Returning to the front hall, he said to Qian Laibao, "My apologies for the wait, Brother Qian. To be honest, most of our cocoons have already been reeled into raw silk. I wonder if you would be interested in raw silk instead?"
Qian Laibao’s gloomy face instantly brightened. "Raw silk is even better! It saves us the trouble of reeling it ourselves! How much stock do you have, little brother?"
Chen Shouye quickly calculated in his head.
The family had about sixteen thousand jin of raw silk in stock.
Their own looms were just in the trial production phase, so their usage this year would be limited. Selling ten thousand jin shouldn’t be a problem. Leaving himself some leeway, he said, "A little over ten thousand jin."
"Ten thousand jin? Excellent!"
Qian Laibao looked as if he’d just grabbed a life-saving straw. "I’ll take it all! What’s your price, little brother?"
Chen Shouye thought for a moment. ’He definitely won’t agree to a price of nine maces.’
’Eight maces would probably be difficult, too.’
He spoke frankly, "Since you’re in urgent need, Brother, how about seven maces of silver per jin?"
Qian Laibao immediately started to cry poor, as if the words caused him physical pain. "Aiyo, my dear brother! Seven maces? That... that price is sharper than a knife! You don’t understand the hardship I’m in; buying those looms already drained my family’s coffers.
If the raw silk is this expensive, I’ll really be losing money just to stay afloat! For the sake of your struggling older brother, and for our long friendship, can you cut me a better deal? Six maces! How about six maces? Let your brother catch his breath!"
Chen Shouye shook his head. "Brother Qian, seven maces is the lowest price I can offer. The market price is nine maces. If I were to sell at six, I wouldn’t be able to answer to my family."
Qian Laibao stared at Chen Shouye for a long while. Seeing that the other man had no intention of budging, he finally let out a heavy sigh, gritted his teeth, and accepted his loss. "Fine, seven maces it is! But little brother, we have an understanding. Next year, if the market stabilizes, your price had better be more reasonable."
"But of course."
Chen Shouye nodded.
With the deal settled, Qian Laibao seemed to have a huge weight lifted from his shoulders and started chatting with Chen Shouye. "It’s a shame you didn’t go to Qingshui County, little brother; you have no idea what that auction was like. We were originally worried that the looms would be in high demand and the price would be driven sky-high.
But when we got there, we found that many families weren’t very interested in the looms. Instead, they were fighting tooth and nail over the Liu Family’s farmlands and mansions.
Especially Sun Huisou from the Liyang Commerce Association—now that’s a man with deep pockets! In one go, he swallowed up all twenty-nine thousand mu of the Liu Family’s prime farmland! And guess how much per mu? Forty taels! Tsk tsk, what a power move!"
Shouye was a man of few words, but he was no match for the talkative Qian Laibao.
He ended up staying and chatting with Shouye for the entire afternoon.
After settling on the delivery date and other details, Qian Laibao finally left, completely satisfied.
After dinner that evening, Chen Shouye reported to his father that he had sold ten thousand jin of raw silk at a price of seven maces of silver per jin.
However, after listening, Chen Li shook his head slightly.
Seeing this, Chen Shouye’s heart tightened. He quickly asked, "Father, did I handle this matter improperly?"
Chen Li didn’t answer directly. Instead, he looked at his daughter, Shouyue, who was standing nearby, and asked, "Shouyue, what do you think your second brother did wrong in this matter?"
Shouyue tilted her head, blinked her big eyes in thought, and then said suddenly, "Dad, that Brother Qian... was he playing tricks on Second Brother?"
"What do you mean?"
Chen Shouye was confused.
Shouyue analyzed, "Second Brother, how did you decide on the price of seven maces of silver? Was it because Brother Qian told you the market price was nine maces?"
"Yes."
Chen Shouye nodded. "He said that was the result of the Noble Families driving up the price."
Shouyue said, "But he was the one who told you the price was nine maces. What if... what if that’s actually the price he was willing to accept, or even one he considered a bargain?
He intentionally complained it was expensive to make you think that seven maces was already putting him in a difficult position. For all you know, he could be secretly celebrating."
Chen Shouye frowned in thought, trying to sort out the logic. "But two months ago, fresh cocoons were only eighty cents a jin. Even based on last year’s high price of one mace of silver, with five jin of cocoons needed for one jin of silk, plus labor and profit, seven maces of silver should already be considered a high price."
Shouyue also looked at Chen Li in confusion.
Chen Li nodded, but said, "For any commodity, cost is just the foundation. The key is demand. The biggest question is why the market price for raw silk is as high as nine maces, or perhaps even higher. The reason behind this is probably not simple."
Chen Shouye fell silent.
’I can’t believe I let Qian Laibao completely control the pace of the negotiation.’
Chen Li looked at his son with no intention of blaming him.
He knew his second son had a quiet personality and was naturally prone to being taken advantage of by cunning merchants like these.
But Chen Li didn’t mind this small loss; he considered it tuition paid for his son’s real-world education.
After all, a lesson taught by a person may not sink in, but a lesson taught by experience only needs to happen once.