I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Xu Qing shook his head.

"It's not a question of who to target now. Just taking the hits isn't a solution either. If we just parry whatever the opponent throws at us, we'll always be a step behind."

Xiao Wanjin turned his head, puzzled, and asked, "What does Mr. Xu mean?"

Xu Qing raised her head, her gaze falling on the top of the old locust tree, looking at the distant sky through the leaves, her eyes filled with a sense of tranquility.

"They're practically out in the open now. Chen Shijin, the silk merchants of Fucheng, and the person next to my brother-in-law—these connections already number quite a few, putting us in a very passive position."

However, we don't actually need a full-scale counterattack; we just need to land one punch back. What we're missing now is a punch that can break the deadlock.

Xiao Wanjin moved closer! "Mr. Xu, do you mean you have something that can break the deadlock?"

Xu Qing didn't say anything, but pointed to the paper she had drawn.

The top part consists of several curved lines and intersecting thin lines, with a few small dots marked on the side, making it look like some kind of structural diagram.

Xiao Wanjin looked at the picture, and his brows slowly furrowed.

Although the lines on the drawing were simple, he could vaguely make out a certain outline.

Two arc-shaped objects are arranged symmetrically, connected by a thin line in the middle, and there are some small, flat objects on the side.

The more he looked at it, the more it seemed to resemble something, but he wasn't sure.

He cleared his throat, his tone tentative.

"Mr. Xu, what you just drew... looks like..."

Seeing his father stammering, Xiao Mingyuan bent down and took a look.

His eyes blinked first, then suddenly widened.

A moment later, his head snapped back as if he had been burned by something.

"Ahem...who wouldn't think the worst of it?"

He even covered his eyes with his hands, but there were gaps between his fingers as he peeked out.

Xiao Liu happened to be returning from the backyard and overheard their conversation, so he came over as well.

"What kind of picture is it?"

Xiao Mingyuan reacted quickly and covered Xiao Liu's eyes.

"Uncle Liu, don't be fooled. When scholars get cocky, we're out of the picture."

Xiao Liu, with his hand covering his mouth, didn't struggle, only letting out a muffled "Ah?"

Xiao Wanjin shrugged.

"See? It's not that I misunderstood, it's just that this picture of yours... if it really is clothing, the material is far too little. Who would dare to wear it out?"

Xu Qing looked at the three of them, each with an incredibly expressive face, without showing the slightest embarrassment.

He pointed to the picture.

"You wouldn't understand, this is called a bra, or a corset."

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtyard suddenly became extremely quiet, as if the air itself had stopped.

Xu Qing continued gesturing as he spoke.

"If you have a full bust, wearing this can lift and hold it in place, preventing it from sagging."

If you have small breasts, you can use thin padding inside the bra to create a fuller silhouette. In other words, you can use padding to make your breasts appear larger.

Some items that were originally loose and sagging can be gathered and shaped.

In short, the goal is singular... to make women's breasts look better.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wanjin's breathing became rapid.

He bent down again to look at the picture.

This time, there was no longer any embarrassment in his eyes, only anticipation for money.

He looked at the curved lines and small markings, and the more he looked, the more amazing they seemed.

Xiao Mingyuan, who was next to him, also lowered his hand from his eyes and leaned over to stare.

Xiao Wanjin looked at those things with some doubt.

"Mr. Xu, I'd like to ask, what are these small squares and small beads on here?"

Xiao Mingyuan and Xiao Liu both showed the same puzzled expression.

Seeing their expressions, Xu Qing continued speaking.

"If you remove all those things, this is just the most basic version. For ordinary households, one hundred coins would be enough. For middle-class households, one tael of silver would be enough, and for wealthy families..."

Xu Qing pointed to the dots and squares with her finger.

"These spots can be decorated with glass beads, pearls, jade pieces, or even inlaid with gold and silver threads. They can be made in any style. A set can sell for ten taels, a hundred taels, or even more, and people will buy it."

Xu Qing wasn't talking nonsense, whether in the original timeline or shortly after the bra was discovered.

There has never been a shortage of expensive, high-end bras.

Xiao Wanjin couldn't help but swallow.

He then let out a long breath.

"You said they'd cost a hundred taels each, who would buy them?"

It wasn't that Xiao Wanjin was unsophisticated; it was simply that he didn't have a clear concept of bras.

Xu Qing raised her head and looked at him calmly.

"Putting everything else aside, the girls at Chunhong Courtyard will buy it. They make a living by their figures, and a dress that can make their breasts look better would cost them at least ten taels, or even a hundred taels. Of course, this only applies to the top courtesans who command high prices. But even for ordinary girls, it's no problem to get them to spend a few taels of silver."

The wealthy ladies and young women of the city will also buy them; the more expensive the item, the more it reflects their status and taste. If this product can be popularized in the prefectural city and the capital, you can calculate how much profit that will generate.”

Xiao Mingyuan silently went through the numbers in his mind before blurting them out.

"If we sell 10,000 pieces of 100-tael silk a year, that's a million taels of silver! My God, that's much faster money than selling silk."

He was startled when he finished speaking.

Xiao Liu stood to the side, his face still showing the bewilderment of when his eyes were covered, but he understood the word "profit".

Even his hands trembled slightly as he asked a question in a low voice.

"Mr. Xu, will this product sell? After all, it's never been used before."

Xu Qing smiled slightly: "Let's put it to the test. Find the best tailors and blacksmiths to make a few first, and have some prominent women in Hengyang City try them on. We'll see if they look good and are comfortable in them, and whether people ask about them after they wear them out. Then we'll know for sure."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wanjin suddenly stood up, dusted off his robe, and waved his hand.

"Get to work right away, don't waste a single moment."

He turned to look at Xiao Liu.

"Liu Zi, go and call Liu the tailor and Cheng the blacksmith over here."

Before Xiao Liu could answer, Xiao Mingyuan preemptively replied.

"Father, I'll go!"

After saying that, he took off running outside.

Its plump body moved as fast as a gust of wind.

In less than an hour, a temporary workshop was set up in the backyard of the Xiao family.

Xiao Wanjin personally directed the men to clear out the largest empty room in the backyard.

Several long tables were put together, covered with clean cloths, and next to them were needles, thread, scissors, rulers, and several bolts of fabric for samples.

Liu the tailor, in his fifties, with gray hair and a pair of steady and skillful hands.

He worked as a tailor in Hengyang for over thirty years and had seen a lot of the world.

Cheng the blacksmith, in his early forties, with very thick arms, is an old blacksmith who has worked with the Xiao family's cloth shop for many years. His blacksmithing skills are among the best in Hengyang.

Xu Qing spread out a large sheet of paper and drew a detailed diagram of the bra's structure, marking the dimensions and material requirements for each part.

He pointed to the curved part of the picture.

"We need two curved steel bars, or you can call them steel wires. They need to be flexible, thin, not too stiff or too soft, and able to bend into an arc without tearing the fabric."

Cheng the blacksmith glanced at the blueprints, then at Xu Qing's young face, and chuckled.

He opened his mouth, his tone carrying the arrogance typical of an old blacksmith.

"Young man, I acknowledge your extensive education, but when it comes to blacksmithing..."

He stretched out his large, rough hand and patted his chest.

"That depends on us. Whether it's the steel bar or the wire you drew, it has to be made of refined iron, the best willow charcoal, and the steel-clamping method, and it has to be forged dozens of times. It takes a long time, even more time than making a good knife."