The fireworks display on New Year's Eve shocked the whole city.
The people and officials in the capital city of the Ming Dynasty saw the high-altitude fireworks display for the first time, just like the people of later generations who saw the Hollywood blockbuster for the first time in eighty years. The brilliant colors and shocking visual enjoyment dazzled them.
There is only worship except worship.
Then the news came that starting from the third day of the first lunar month, Xinghe Supermarket fireworks products were put on the shelves and were expected to be sold until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Firecrackers are something that Yang Fan is not prepared to have at all times. Good things need to be sold hungry. Every year except during the Spring Festival, they are available only for weddings, funerals and business openings that have been booked in advance. They are not usually sold on the shelves.
The main reason is that purchasing this product is troublesome in modern society. It requires reporting and approval for large purchases. Therefore, it is only sold in high-priced areas.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, countless people from official families and wealthy businessmen flocked to the fireworks sales area.
There are everything from firecrackers to fireworks. There are hundreds of varieties.
Yang Fan didn't expect that the best-selling item was not the fireworks, but the two kickers, which are called double kicks in some places.
A full 100,000 were sold during the Spring Festival.
One denarius each.
As a result, many local workshops in the fireworks business began to research imitations.
This year it has become fashionable to use firecrackers from Xinghe Supermarket during the Chinese New Year. Anyone who doesn’t set off a 1,000-, 5,000- or 10,000-gun firecracker will feel embarrassed.
Many officials above the third rank even set off 30,000-ring earth red firecrackers. Each of these firecrackers is as thick as a little finger and needs to be hung on a tree to fire, or a separate wooden pole can be hung up to fire.
High-quality fireworks have almost become a fixture in the homes of officials and wealthy businessmen. If someone doesn't display them, the price seems to have dropped. This kind of comparison has greatly stimulated the sales of fireworks.
The most powerful person is Huang Lichi, the chief minister of the dynasty. Every day before the banquet at noon, a set of 100,000-ring earth red music is placed in his house. This set is worth 500 taels of silver. His family puts it on the Lantern Festival from the fourth day of the Lunar New Year onwards.
Festival.
The whole city was shocked.
During this time, at night, almost the whole city fell into a carnival, with all kinds of fireworks shooting into the sky. Even the children of many civilians would hold several sky monkeys worth one copper coin and set them off in the alleys.
Children love to compare. Whoever can set off fireworks will be honored.
So in alleys, children set off small fireworks in small groups, forming a unique landscape of the first year of Chongzhen.
With this craze, the sales of many local black powder homemade fireworks have increased a lot compared to previous years.
But Yang Fan will not sell high-altitude fireworks.
This thing is too troublesome to buy and not suitable for mass sales. It is only suitable for festivals in small quantities to enhance the atmosphere.
After Chongzhen learned about the fireworks business of Xinghe Supermarket, he was also very satisfied. He believed that Yang Fan always put the royal family first.
The high-altitude fireworks launched over the Forbidden City are top-notch fireworks that cannot be sold to others. They demonstrate the majesty of the royal family.
By the time sales stopped on the night of the 15th day of the first lunar month, the fireworks business had sold a full 200,000 taels of silver.
After deducting costs, the profit is a full 150,000 taels.
The Empress is very happy during this period. For this fireworks business alone, 30,000 taels of silver will be credited to the internal treasury immediately. This does not include the overall profits of various supermarket products during the Spring Festival.
On the fifth day of every month, Xinghe Supermarket will settle the dividends after completing last month's accounts. At that time, Shuangxi's little father-in-law will come to collect the banknotes.
According to the current sales situation, it is estimated that by the fifth day of March, the Queen will receive a dividend of fifty thousand taels. For the tight internal treasury, this is a large amount of income.
She was extremely happy with her decision to invest in the company.
During the Spring Festival, according to the rules of the officialdom, one has to go to Shangguan's home to pay New Year's greetings and give New Year's gifts. Buying gifts is very important.
There is an area in the high-price area of Xinghe Supermarket that is decorated in red. The items here are the most expensive in the high-price area. In the center of this area is a thermos bottle.
There are thermos bottles, big and small, with various shells. The price starts from fifty taels, with the most expensive one being one hundred taels. As soon as this booth was unveiled, it was immediately surrounded by people on three floors, and all the people wandering here were rich.
The people were either the young masters and ladies of the official family or wealthy businessmen.
When these people make money and plunder, they spend every penny.
And when you spend money squandering, it's like spending money like water, just like the Yellow River bursting its mouth.
As long as the product is good, you don’t have to worry about no one buying it. Why spend so much money? It’s not just for enjoyment.
These young men and brothel beauties smiled and threw away hundreds of taels of silver. As soon as this hot water bottle came out, although the price seemed to be very high, these people became more interested.
"Everyone, I am Xiao Hong, the thermos bottle sales representative. Let me introduce this new product to you." After Hong'er and Zhu Zhu came to the capital, Zhu Zhu arranged for her to work in a supermarket. Zhu Zhu hoped that she could earn her own living and reintegrate into society.
In Zhu Zhu's view, the brothel was not a normal place. Since Hong'er took care of his own affairs, he would kill pigs and save people. So he deliberately took advantage of the opportunity of delivering an iron stove to Tushan's family to bring him to Tushan's house.
I took Hong'er to see the mistress so that she could help Hong'er solve the problem.
The people who gathered around included young men from wealthy families, as well as wives and young ladies from official families. They all looked curiously at this well-decorated stall.
"Everyone, please see that this is a pot of boiling water that has just been boiled. Now I pour this pot of boiling water into this thermos bottle and put the stopper in it. It will still be hot when it is poured out within twelve hours and can be kept warm. You
Think about it, you are thirsty in the middle of the night in winter, and the water poured out of the thermos bottle is hot water, how enjoyable it is." Xiaohong introduced earnestly.
There was a lot of discussion below. This thing is so good. With this, you can have boiled water at any time. You can make tea at any time. But I don’t know what material this thermos bottle is made of. It is so magical.
"What is this made of that can actually keep it warm for such a long time?" A young man below asked. Immediately many people agreed, and everyone was curious about the material of this thing.
No one doubted it, because Xinghe Supermarket has accumulated a very good reputation since its opening.
"The price is not cheap. One hundred taels can buy three rooms in a remote place in the south of the city."
"That's right, that's right, girl, you need to introduce this thing, at least let us feel that it is worth the money. We are not short of money, but we are not taken advantage of."
Hong'er's smiling face was slightly sweaty. It was her first day at work and she was already a little nervous. For a moment, she didn't know how to tell everyone.
At this time, seeing that Hong'er was a little nervous, Zhu Zhu came up from behind, walked to Hong'er, and said: "Everyone, I will open the shell for you and have a look. You will understand what this thing is made of and whether it is worth it."
Worth the price.”
As he spoke, Zhu Zi carefully opened the stainless steel shell of a thermos bottle and carefully took out the inner container.
A shiny silver glass liner appeared in front of everyone. Under the illumination of a high-intensity gas lamp, it reflected golden light. The liner was like a mirror, reflecting the figures of the onlookers.
Everyone gasped. No wonder Xinghe Supermarket dared to buy it at a high price of fifty to one hundred taels. The inner tank was actually made of colored glaze.
No more today, more will be added tomorrow.
This chapter has been completed!