“So outrageous?” Jin Feng’s eyes widened in shock.
He had already tried to overestimate the value of glass beads, yet he never imagined they could be worth this much.
“Feeling tempted?”
Tang Xiaobei picked up a pigeon-egg-sized purple glass bead from the basket and smiled mischievously. “The bigger and rounder the glass bead, the more valuable it is. A purple one this size would be enough for my husband to sleep with every famous courtesan in the capital. Want to give it a try?”
“I’m talking serious business here!” Jin Feng smacked her lightly on the head.
“Serious business? Then where do you think your hand is going?” Tang Xiaobei rolled her eyes at him.
“Talking doesn’t require hands.” Jin Feng grinned, pulled her to the side, and sat her down.
Tang Xiaobei was one of the people he trusted most, so he spoke frankly. “Actually, glass beads are extremely easy to make. If I wanted, I could produce as many as I liked, in every colour imaginable.
These are only the lowest grade. In the past I used to crush and bury them. Later Wuyang said they could be sold for money, so I had Old Tian and the others start collecting them.
I called you here to discuss how to maximise their value.”
“The mirrors you gave me and Sister Xiaorou, are they made of glass too?” Tang Xiaobei asked.
“Yes.” Jin Feng nodded.
After sending off the Ninth Princess, he had made several more mirrors and given one each to Guan Xiaorou, Tang Xiaobei, Tang Dongdong, and Runiang. The women had been overjoyed.
“Apart from mirrors, can glass be used for anything else?” Tang Xiaobei asked.
“Of course!”
Jin Feng walked to the wall, opened a chest.
Inside were more than a dozen glass ornaments.
He had commissioned skilled carvers to make the moulds. Whether it was a howling wolf, a soaring eagle, or an adorable rabbit, every piece was lifelike.
“This… this…”
Even though Tang Xiaobei had prepared herself, her heart still pounded with excitement.
She could not help pacing back and forth in the workshop, unconsciously biting her fingernail.
Whenever Tang Xiaobei thought seriously, she did this. Jin Feng did not disturb her. He simply sat to one side and waited quietly.
“Her Highness the Princess was right!”
After a long while, Tang Xiaobei stopped. “We can release the glass in stages. First use the defective pieces to make money once, then the better-looking ones to make money again, and finally release these sculptures!”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. I brought you here to decide how many we should release.” Jin Feng said, “We’ll need money for many things soon. Release too few, and we won’t raise enough. Release too many, and the price will definitely fall.”
The only people willing to spend huge sums on glass beads were high officials and nobles.
And wasn’t their money squeezed from the common people anyway?
Jin Feng felt no guilt at all about fleecing them.
The key question was how many to put on the market.
“That does need careful handling.” Tang Xiaobei thought for a moment. “Husband, how about this: tomorrow I’ll take people to Jiangnan myself. If anything comes up, I can adapt on the spot.”
“You’re going to Jiangnan personally?”
Jin Feng hesitated, then nodded. “All right. But be careful and take plenty of escorts.”
They didn’t need to worry about the capital. The auctions there were already running smoothly. Luo Lan only had to build hype and hold the sales.
But the chamber of commerce’s foundation in Jiangnan was still too weak. The female shopkeepers could sell soap, but selling glass involved all sorts of negotiation. They couldn’t make major decisions. Tang Xiaobei going in person was best.
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Tang Xiaobei nodded.
“Good. Jiangnan is in your hands then.” Jin Feng said, “Gather grain as fast as possible. Before winter arrives, bring back every last sack you can!”
“Understood!” Tang Xiaobei nodded.
…
Textile workshop. As soon as Tang Dongdong returned, she gathered all the workshop forewomen to discuss the female workers’ training and the upcoming sports meet.
After a whole morning of discussion, they settled on the exact prize amounts, wrote them on a large notice, and posted it on the canteen bulletin board before lunch.
“Sister Zhou, what does it say?”
A group of passing female workers asked the team leader who had put up the notice.
“Mr Jin says that starting tomorrow, everyone must run for a quarter of an hour after getting up, then go to work.”
The team leader pointed at the poster. “Also, from now on we’ll finish early in rotating groups and go to the female soldiers’ training ground to practise hand crossbows and operate heavy crossbows and catapults.”
“Why? We spin yarn and weave cloth. We don’t fight wars. What’s the point of learning crossbows?”
“Sister Zhou, you office people don’t do real work. You can’t just make random rules. This will hold up production!”
“Exactly. Running is exhausting for the female soldiers. I’m not going!”
“You’re not going? I am! Heavy crossbows look so fun. I’ve wanted to try them for ages!”
Some workers looked excited, but far more pulled long faces and grumbled.
“Complaining to me is useless. This is a joint decision by Mr Jin, Factory Director Tang, and all the workshop forewomen.”
The team leader continued, “And I haven’t finished. In half a month Mr Jin is holding the textile mill sports meet. The prizes are generous!”
“What prizes?”
Mr Jin had always been extremely generous. The moment the workers heard there were prizes, their eyes lit up.
“The First Xihe Bay Textile Mill Sports Meet has five events: loaded cross-country, sprint, hand crossbow, heavy crossbow, and catapult!”
The team leader pointed at the poster. “Loaded cross-country, sprint, and hand crossbow are individual events. Heavy crossbow and catapult are team events.”
“We know. Heavy crossbows and catapults need at least three people to operate.”
One worker interrupted impatiently. “Sister Zhou, hurry and tell us the prizes!”
“Each of the five events: first place gets ten taels of silver, second place five taels, third place three taels, and fourth to tenth place get two taels each!”
The moment the team leader finished speaking, the female workers screamed.
“Heavens! First place actually gets ten taels!”
“If I got first, I wouldn’t need to work for three years!”
“Forget first. I’d thank the gods if I placed tenth!”
“Mr Jin is far too generous!”
“Stop daydreaming. With all the factories together, just the day shift alone has over a thousand people. Do you think top ten is easy?”
“I was fast as a kid. My dad said I ran like a rabbit. I’ll definitely place in the sprint!”
“I’m strong. When I used to sell firewood in the county town, I carried it all myself. Loaded cross-country is my speciality!”
…
Money truly was the best motivator.
The moment they heard that first place in every event would receive ten taels of silver, the female workers’ enthusiasm exploded.
The very next morning, without Tang Dongdong needing to rally them, every single one ran to the rear mountain and waited.
Since it was the first day of running training, Jin Feng did not make them run five kilometres like the female soldiers, nor did he require them to carry weights.
Yet many workers had brought their own packs filled with sand and stones.
Seeing how motivated they were, Jin Feng said nothing more. He had more important matters to attend to.
