The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

The atmosphere in the main hall of Fanlou had become completely frenzied.

Zhao Lingjun's shout of "One thousand strings of cash" was like opening Pandora's box, completely shattering the psychological defenses of everyone present.

Before this, people thought that buying a glass cup for 300 guan was an exorbitant price; but after this, it was embarrassing to take a "Tiangong Liuli" glass cup for less than 1,000 guan out and greet people!

"The eighth lot, a finely crafted glass bowl!"

"One thousand two hundred strings of cash!"

"The ninth item: a pair of exquisitely crafted glass candlesticks!"

"One thousand five hundred strings of cash!"

The bidding paddles were raised one after another, and the shouts were hoarse. Those high-ranking officials and nobles who were usually extremely particular about their composure were now red-faced and eager to fight over a glass bowl.

The fat shopkeeper stood on the stage, his voice hoarse from shouting, but he didn't feel tired at all. He only felt that all the fat on his body was trembling happily as the silver notes fluttered.

Finally, we reached the last item.

"Gentlemen!"

The fat shopkeeper took a deep breath and roared with all his might:

"Tonight's grand finale! The exquisitely crafted glass screen—'Cloudy Mountains and Misty Peaks'!"

Two men carefully carried up a screen that was about half a person's height.

The moment the red cloth was unveiled, the entire audience held their breath.

It was a single piece of flat glass. Although it couldn't be made completely flat with the technology of this era, and had slight ripples, under the candlelight, its translucent and dreamlike texture was as if a section of the clouds in the sky had been cut off and sealed inside.

"Oh My God……"

"Is...is this something that could exist in the human world?"

After a brief silence, the most frenzied bidding of the night erupted.

"One thousand strings of cash!"

"Two thousand strings of cash!"

"Two thousand five hundred strings of cash!"

The speed at which prices soared was alarming. Zhu Baiwan, who had been smug just moments before, was now cowering in his chair, too afraid to utter a sound. This was no longer a game for ordinary merchants; it was a battleground for the most powerful and wealthy.

"Three thousand strings of cash!!!"

A roar ended all the fighting.

The bidder was Jin Mantang, the largest jeweler in Bianjing.

The elderly shopkeeper, over sixty years old, held up the number plate with trembling hands, tears streaming down his face.

"Three thousand strings of cash! I'll take it! I've seen countless treasures in my life, but I've never seen anything so translucent! It's worth it! Absolutely worth it!"

With the heavy slam of the gavel from the portly shopkeeper, this auction, worthy of being recorded in the commercial history of Bianjing, finally came to an end.

The backstage area of ​​Fanlou.

The noise outside continued, but backstage was eerily quiet.

Qian Duoduo, holding the account book, froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. His hands trembled so badly they looked like he was playing a pipa, and he couldn't get the abacus beads right no matter how many times he tried.

"How...how many?"

Su Shi leaned closer, swallowed, and asked.

Qian Duoduo took a deep breath, trying her best to keep her tongue from getting tied:

"Ten lots...total sales..."

"Twelve thousand three hundred strings of cash."

"hiss--"

A collective gasp rippled through the backstage area.

Twelve thousand three hundred strings of cash!

What does this mean?

At that time, a decent small courtyard house in Bianjing (Kaifeng) cost only a few hundred strings of cash. That amount of money was enough to buy half a street!

"What about the cost?" Jiang Lin remained calm and composed, holding a teacup in his hand, his tone as if he were asking what they were having for dinner.

Shen Kuo scratched his head and counted on his fingers:

"Quartz sand is a byproduct, costing a few dozen yuan per truckload; pure alkali is more expensive, but not by much; the main costs are coal and labor, plus the rent paid to that old man..."

Shen Kuo raised his head and gave Qian Duoduo a number that made her want to cry:

"About... two hundred kan. If you include the ones that failed before, it's less than three hundred kan."

The cost of three hundred strings of cash.

Revenue of 12,300 guan.

Forty times the profit!

Qian Duoduo burst into tears, this time from excitement:

"Sir! We're rich! We're really rich! We don't have to worry about the owner of Fanlou restaurant blocking the door anymore!"

Jiang Lin put down his teacup and patted Qian Duoduo on the shoulder:

"Have some ambition. This is only the first batch; there will be more every month. Are you going to cry every single month?"

At this moment, Zhao Lingjun pushed open the door and walked in.

She changed back into her understated men's clothing, her face flushed with excitement.

"Young Master Zhao! Amazing!"

Su Shi rushed forward, giving a thumbs up: "That shout of 'a thousand strings of cash' just now was a stroke of genius! I was stunned! Did you see the expressions on those people's faces below? They looked like they'd swallowed flies!"

Zhao Lingjun waved his hand modestly, smiling like a little fox: "It's nothing, it's nothing. It's mainly because you taught me so well."

Su Shi suddenly remembered something and leaned closer with a curious look on his face:

"Hey, Brother Zhao, I've had a question on my mind for ages. What if no one bought it when you shouted out 1,000 strings of cash? Did you really have that much money on you?"

Zhao Lingjun blinked: "I brought it. Three thousand strings of cash."

"Three thousand strings of cash?!" Su Shi exclaimed in surprise. "Where did you get so much money? Isn't your family in the jade business? How can you make so much money?"

Zhao Lingjun smiled mysteriously and patted his bulging sleeve:

"Borrowed."

"Who did you borrow from? How much interest did you pay?"

"I borrowed it from... a very wealthy elder. The interest rate was 10%."

Zhao Lingjun silently calculated in his mind: He borrowed three thousand strings of cash from his father, and had to repay three thousand three hundred strings. As the "trustee" and "shareholder," his dividends should be at least several thousand strings, right?

This wave not only paid off their debts but also made them a fortune.

They've won so many times they're practically mad.

That evening, Jiang Lin was unusually generous.

"Let's go! Let's grab some late-night snacks! Fanlou is too expensive, let's go to Maxing Street for mutton! All you can eat!"

A large group of people marched into the night market.

Su Shi devoured three catties of mutton by himself, his mouth greasy with oil. Shen Kuo was still gesturing with his chopsticks, seemingly studying the structure of the mutton bones. Qian Duoduo, on the other hand, clung to the box containing his flying coins, refusing to let go, even taking it with him to the outhouse.

After a hearty meal and drinks.

Jiang Lin tapped the table and began to outline the next strategic move.

"The first batch was just a trial run to build up our reputation. From now on, it's about a steady, long-term approach."

Jiang Lin looked at Shen Kuo:

"After returning to the kiln, expand production. But remember, keep the monthly output firmly below thirty pieces."

"Why?" Shen Kuo asked, puzzled. "If it's so profitable, why not produce more?"

"This is called 'hunger marketing'."

Jiang Lin sneered:

"If there's too much of something, it becomes worthless. We need to make them feel that this thing is harder to get than their lives. Only then will the price keep rising and never fall."

"And then there are those debt collectors..."

Qian Duoduo raised his hand: "Sir, will we return the money to the owner of Fanlou tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course we have to pay it back."

Jiang Lin took a sip of wine, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes:

"However, don't rush to give it to them. Make them wait a few more days, until they are anxious and think we are going to run away, then throw the money in their faces."

"This is what I call awesome."

Late at night, in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

News of the Fanlou auction spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the city.

"Have you heard? The most expensive piece of Tiangong Liuli sold for three thousand strings of cash!"

"My goodness! Three thousand strings of cash? That's enough to buy a manor outside the city!"

"Is that piece of junk really worth that much?"

"What do you know? It's a divine artifact! I heard it's leftover from Nuwa mending the sky! Didn't you see even the old manager of Jin Mantang was scrambling to buy it?"

The news reached the Imperial Academy.

Inside the study of the chief priest.

"Snapped!"

With a sharp crack, an exquisite Yue ware celadon teacup was smashed to the ground and shattered into eight pieces.

Liu Chang, the Imperial Academy Chancellor, was so angry that his beard trembled. He pointed out the window towards Fanlou and began to curse loudly:

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"

"A broken glass sold for a thousand strings of cash? Have these powerful and wealthy people gone mad? This is robbery! This is blatant robbery!"

"Jiang Lin, that unscrupulous businessman! Using such bizarre tricks to bewitch people is utterly disgraceful! A disgrace to civilization!"

Liu Chang paced back and forth in his study, his chest heaving violently.

Just then, there was a cautious knocking sound at the door.

"Who?!" Liu Chang roared.

The door was pushed open a crack, and the advisor poked half his head in, holding a brocade box in his hands, looking embarrassed.

"M-Sir, um..."

"Spit it out!"

The aide shrank back, his voice barely audible:

"Madam just sent someone to say...my mother-in-law's birthday is in a few days, and she...she wants to request a piece of exquisite glass as a birthday gift..."

"What did you say?!"

Liu Chang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "She's gone crazy too? Doesn't she know that's some kind of monstrosity Jiang Lin created?!"

"Madam said...the Wang family next door and the Li family have already received gifts. If we don't, it will be embarrassing to go and offer birthday wishes..."

Liu Chang: "..."

He opened his mouth, wanting to curse, but found he couldn't utter a word.

Because he knew all too well his wife's fighting spirit. If he didn't buy it, there wouldn't be any peace at home for the next two weeks.

Liu Chang slumped back into his chair, staring at the broken porcelain shards on the ground, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

a long time.

He gritted his teeth and forced out a sentence:

"Go...go ask...if you can ask someone...to buy one..."

"I want...I want the best."