Chapter 62: Western Merchants
Fu Chenan took the packaged porcelain boxes away and took them back to show Ruyi and Qiuyue first.
The porcelain boxes were lined up in a row, and the lids were opened one by one and placed on top. The two beautiful maids were amazed after seeing them.
"The ones I brought back last time didn't seem to have so many colors or such exquisiteness. How come they are so exquisite this time?"
Fu Chenan smiled and said, "I made an agreement with the merchant. He is willing to help me customize the porcelain boxes for packaging. From now on, our Taotaoji cosmetics will be packaged in these unique porcelain boxes."
Ruyi and Qiuyue were stunned: Who said General Fu can't do business?
Look at this exquisite porcelain box?
Look at the conspicuous "Taotaoji" words?
And look at these rich colors of lip balm...
Any of them can make a woman unable to move her legs or open her hands!
If they were just brave before, now Ruyi and Qiuyue were truly confident.
They were all women, and the ones they saw the concubines used in the palace before were not as exquisite as this!
Who could resist this allure?!
The two beautiful maids exchanged a glance and bowed solemnly, "With such wonderful things, we sisters will definitely build Tao Tao Ji's business!"
Fu Chen'an waved his hand, "Take these things home and try them out. See what lipstick and foundation colors suit each person..."
Xiao Yingchun had said that everyone's clothing, skin color, and even facial features should be suited to different lipstick and foundation colors.
Fu Chen'an was eager to learn, but Xiao Yingchun said, "It's hard to explain it to you. Just give them to the beauties in your family. They'll understand."
Sure enough, the two maids left with the items, beaming.
Such wonderful things, they could be the first to use, the first to try...
If they mastered this skill, wouldn't the ladies of the aristocratic families, for the sake of appearance and face, be constantly asking for advice?
A day later, the imperial guards reported: Qian Laoguai had been found and settled in a courtyard outside the capital.
Fu Chen'an made up his mind, "Let's go find him."
In the shabby courtyard, Qian Laoguai, dressed in a brown shorts, his face wrinkled, smiled ingratiatingly, "General Fu, I'm late, please forgive me."
Fu Chen'an waved his hand, "You're welcome. I sent for you because of something..."
Qian Laoguai bowed deeply again, "It's my honor that the General can use me. As long as I can do it, I will go through fire and water, even death."
Fu Chen'an smiled and glanced at Qian Laoguai, "It's not that serious. How are your family?"
Speaking of this, Qian Laoguai bowed again, "I also want to thank General Fu for saving our family of five. Otherwise, we would have been dead by now..."
Qian Laoguai and his family of five formed a troupe, performing tricks to make a living. However, a few years ago, they encountered bandits who took a fancy to Qian Laoguai's daughter-in-law
and wanted to kidnap her to be their leader's wife.
The Qian family naturally disagreed. The two sides fought fiercely. Qian Laoguai's family was injured and was about to be defeated and killed on the spot.
Fu Chenan, who was hunting, was like a god who came to the world and saved their family.
Fu Chenan also gave a wild sheep he hunted to their family as medical expenses for their injuries.
Qian Laoguai said at the time that he would repay Fu Chenan with a favor.
Later, Qian Laoguai asked his son to send a cart of mountain products, saying that his son had become a hunter and settled down in the mountains, and no longer traveled around the country to perform for a living.
This time, Fu Chenan specially asked someone to find Qian Laoguai. Qian Laoguai thought that he was going to repay the favor with his life, so he explained all the family affairs and came to the capital alone.
Fu Chenan first took out a set of exquisite porcelain boxes and opened them one by one to show Qian Laoguai.
Qian Laoguai was a little stunned: he could probably guess what kind of precious things these were, but why was he showing them to him?
Fu Chenan didn't keep anyone in suspense and told Qian Laoguai about his plan to open a shop.
Qian Laoguai was smart and understood immediately: "You want me to play a Western merchant and supply your shop?"
Fu Chenan nodded: "Yes."
"But I don't look like a Western merchant at all..." Qian Laoguai pointed to his wrinkled face.
Fu Chenan smiled: "The hermit has his own clever plan."
An hour later, Qian Laoguai looked at his red hair and blue eyes in the bronze mirror and was dumbfounded.
This method is too clever!
Fu Chenan explained: "Once your hair is dyed red, it can't be turned back to black. These contact lenses can be taken off at any time. You also need to adjust your posture..."
When Qian Laoguai was in the opera troupe, he often dressed up and was very familiar with this kind of thing.
Although contact lenses are rare, they are not difficult to use. He quickly adapted to it.
The two of them talked and listened, talking seriously and listening even more seriously.
After Fu Chenan finished his explanation, he handed over a set of white robes of Western merchants, and Qian Laoguai put them on immediately.
When he turned around and saluted Fu Chenan, Fu Chenan's eyes flashed with surprise: it feels like that.
After the two men had discussed it, Fu Chenan left.
The guards also took Qian Laoguai to make other arrangements.
Half a month later, the renovation of Taotaoji was basically completed. The unique decoration made everyone stunned.
The original wood counter is fine, but why is the top open?
If those three hands come to steal, how can they prevent it?
Although Ruyi and Qiuyue didn't understand, they trusted General Fu!
They had already used up all the cosmetics in private.
The cosmetics were so easy to use, so they also trusted General Fu who got them.
The dock on the Yudai River was full of merchant ships as usual, and the laborers were busy moving the goods.
Suddenly, there was a commotion on one of the boats.
Everyone listened to the noise and looked over, stunned.
They saw a thin old man with a big nose, red hair and blue eyes getting off the boat.
Because his appearance was so unique, everyone was stunned.
Someone whispered to their companions, "Is that a ghost messenger from the underworld?"
They had only seen clay statues of ghost messengers in temples, with red hair and big noses.
Another hesitated, "I've never heard of ghost messengers with blue eyes?"
A man who looked like a steward took a closer look, sneered, and then took the initiative to speak: "What ghost messenger? It's broad daylight, the sun is up there, how can a ghost messenger come out?"
"Besides, look at that shadow? Have you ever seen a ghost messenger with a shadow?"
"What is that?" Everyone looked at the steward.
The steward, instantly vain in the spotlight, stroked his beard with a proud look on his face.
"Those are Western merchants! They come here by ship from overseas to buy and sell goods..."
"Their appearance is similar to that of the ghost messenger. There are red hair, yellow hair, and white hair, but few have black hair."
"And those eyes! There are gray eyes, green eyes, blue eyes... and few have black eyes."
Everyone suddenly realized: They are actually Western merchants from overseas!?
(End of this chapter)