Chapter 270: Can’t Guess the Mind of the Rich
Bai Ruozhu took out a meticulously crafted hat made from countless small hooked flowers, with each flower’s heart pinned by a small millet-pearl bead.
This hat was specially prepared by Bai Ruozhu. The intricate crochet technique made it too complex for Fusa and Lin Bing to learn quickly, and Bai Ruozhu had to hook it up bit by bit. The crochet work was something Bai Ruozhu picked up while studying abroad in her previous life. Foreigners deeply appreciated such handmade items, and to cover her tuition fees, she had dedicated herself to mastering a host of different designs.
Of course, crafting the hat didn’t cost much, but acquiring those tiny millet-pearls required a significant investment, even though Bai Ruozhu had chosen the ones with the smallest dimensions to keep costs down.
Fusa was worried that the hat’s production cost was too high and the selling price wouldn’t be low, fearing that a lack of sales would result in a loss. Bai Ruozhu simply laughed and said,"We shouldn’t only focus on the small local market. We should also consider attracting rich customers who would certainly appreciate crafts of this caliber. Even if it doesn’t sell, we can always give it to Niuniu to wear. I guarantee she’ll look stunning in it."
Fusa couldn’t help but laugh at Bai Ruozhu’s suggestion. Her daughter, Niuniu, being from an ordinary family, wearing such an expensive hat would surely attract some unwanted attention.
However, upon seeing the expression on the face of the young girl called Xiuxiu before her, Fusa was forced to admire Bai Ruozhu’s foresight.
Bai Ruozhu wasn’t making empty claims for the sake of it. She had been observing the West Market where she conducted her business, and while the majority of customers were common folk, there were also quite a few generous merchants. True, the rich folks were not as frequent, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any Creole ladies who might happen to pass by. After all, The West Market had numerous snack shops that even the rich aristocrats might find worth a casual outing.
And sure enough, she had indeed encountered a rich family in such a short span.
The young lady known as Xiuxiu was instantly fascinated by the hat, her previous smug demeanor completely wiped off by her excitement. Her mother, standing to the side, stifled her laughter so as not to upset her daughter.
"The delicate craftsmanship of this hat is wondrous, I wonder how you thought to use pearls as the heart of the flowers. I have never seen a knitted hat of this kind before," the lady remarked, her voice was gentle and pleasant.
"Madam, this hat was crocheted with a special technique, stitch by stitch. It took a great deal of time and energy to complete, and at the risk of appearing frivolous, I admit that we only have this one piece in this style," Bai Ruozhu explained with a smile.
Fusa listened with surprise. She knew full well that Bai Ruozhu had finished the hat within only two days, and claiming that they had only this one design might make the customer feel unsatisfied due to the lack of choices.
To the surprise of everyone, Xiuxiu’s eyes lit up, "Mom, I want this one!"
The lady, entranced by the intricacy of the hat, inquired, "How much does this cost?"
"A sum of four taels of silver," Bai Ruozhu replied straightforwardly, without unnecessary elaboration or justifying the price by explaining the value of the pearls used.
Fusa was taken aback, her mouth agape in shock. When she had asked Bai Ruozhu earlier about the price she intended to sell the hat for, Bai Ruozhu had said it would not be less than two taels, otherwise, she would be at a loss. Back then, Fusa was skeptical, wondering who would buy it at such an exorbitant price. She didn’t think that Bai Ruozhu would have doubled the price in no time!
She internally screamed in panic, certain that the lady would find the price ridiculous and decline. But what has gotten into Ruozhu today, playing her cards so unpredictably?
Contrary to her worries, the lady simply nodded, taking out the silver and handing it to Bai Ruozhu, saying, "With this quality of craft, it’s worth its price."
Bai Ruozhu bowed respectfully in gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your kind praise, madam."
The lady glanced at Bai Ruozhu again. Ordinary folks should burst into joy if they get four taels at once, let alone also being praised by a high-class lady. However, this young lady seemed unusually composed, showing minimal surprise. Did she often receive such tips?
Meanwhile, Xiuxiu played around with her new hat, eventually removed her pearl hairpin from her own head and tried the hat on. She looked extremely pleased with herself and asked her mother, "Mom, does it look good on me?"
Her mother smiled and nodded, "It looks great, our little Xiuxiu is the most beautiful."
Being a young girl, Xiuxiu’s eyes sparkled with delight at the compliment, and her cheeks flushed pink. However, after she took the hat off, she sighed slightly regretful, saying, "Ah, it would have been better if there were more pearls on it, or the size was a bit bigger."
"Miss, if you like it, we can also make custom orders for you. However, for this type of hat, it’s not advisable to have too many or too large pearls as it would make it overly ostentatious and detract from the charm of the flowers," said Bai Ruozhu.
The lady nodded in agreement, thinking to herself that this young lady must often make custom orders for other nobles, which would explain her calm demeanor.
At this, she turned towards Bai Ruozhu saying: "You have a point. I would like to order two more hats. Come to my residence tomorrow morning so we can discuss it in detail. You will find our house in Lotus Lane, East Town, by asking for the Ding family."
"Certainly, I will be there first thing tomorrow morning, Madam," Bai Ruozhu said, bowing once again in respect.
Lady of the Ding family seemed pleased with Bai Ruozhu’s respectful demeanor and left, smiling, with her daughter.
When they were far enough, Fusa still couldn’t believe what just happened and slapped her face lightly, muttering, "Am I dreaming?"
Lin Bing, who had taken over the pancake-making from Bai Ruozhu, also rushed over during an idle moment, saying very excitedly: "Ruozhu, you are something!"
Zehao also chimed in with a broad grin, "Our sister here is pretty capable, eh? Mother, you shouldn’t underestimate her."
Bai Ruozhu blinked at her older brother, blushing at his praise, almost enough to make her, known for her thick skin, embarrassed.
"Let’s keep it down to avoid being overheard by others," Bai Ruozhu gave Fusa and Lin Bing a meaningful look. The other vendors nearby were looking at them with envy.
Lin Bing and Fusa quickly regained their composure, but Fusa had many questions. Unable to contain her curiosity, she whispered, "Ruozhu, I don’t understand why you mentioned we only have one hat. What happens if the customer gets dissatisfied due to lack of options and decides not to buy it?"
Smiling, Bai Ruozhu said, "That’s a principle in psychology. The women from rich families often seek uniqueness. If we have only one hat of this style, then no one else can have the same hat as the lady. That alone makes her feel special."
Fusa suddenly understood. So that’s what it was- she had never thought of that!
"But why did you set the price so high? It gave me quite a scare," Fusa whispered even more quietly.
"I estimated the price based on the pearl hairpin the young lady was wearing. It’s worth much more than four taels of silver. If we priced our product any lower, they would feel our item is of low value and won’t consider it worth buying," Bai Ruozhu laughed, her tactics having an air of crafty business acumen.
Fusa found this hard to believe, but thinking back to Xiuxiu’s arrogant demeanor and remarks about not being interested in vulgar items, it all seemed to make sense.
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Today, there are six more Chapters. Mouka has given her all for it. Can everyone also give their full support to Mouka? Group hugs to everyone~