Chapter 157: Maximizing Benefits

Chapter 157: Maximizing Benefits

Tang Mingrui made no attempt to hide his admiration as he clasped his hands together and said, "Sister Mo truly has a keen eye. Not only do you dare to engage in business with foreigners, but you can also create such unique dolls."

He Zhiran smiled and replied modestly.

"It's merely a necessity driven by circumstances; I had no other choice."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Tang Mingrui finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

"The dolls crafted by Elder Sister Ink are truly unique. It would be even better if there were more varieties. After leaving this place, I could market and sell them in every city along the way, and the profits would undoubtedly be substantial."

The idea of making long-eared rabbit dolls was merely a spontaneous gesture on He Zhiran's part to assist the Xie and Fang families.

She hadn't expected Tang Mingrui to perceive an immense business opportunity in it.

Given her understanding of him, Tang Mingrui possessed a keen entrepreneurial mind; if he said the profits would be substantial, it must be true.

The prospect of establishing a sustainable business not only to earn some income for herself but also to help the women of her family, as well as the Xie and Fang clans, was an offer too good for He Zhiran to refuse.

"I'm more than happy to collaborate with Mister Tang. As it happens, I've recently purchased a substantial amount of fabric from foreigners that can be used to make dolls. I'll experiment with creating a few more designs when I return home."

He Zhiran had noticed that Tang Mingrui hadn't questioned her use of foreigners as an excuse, so she decided to exploit this imaginary scapegoat once more.

Tang Mingrui's mind was preoccupied with the prospect of earning his first fortune through the doll business; he didn't doubt the existence of the foreigners at all.

Hearing that He Zhiran could create more doll designs, he began to look forward to it.

"Well then, little brother will eagerly await Big Sister Mo's good news."

"Making dolls is no issue, but does Mister Tang plan to sell them locally?"

He Zhiran believed that if Tang Mingrui truly possessed the exceptional business acumen recorded in history, he wouldn't opt for immediate local sales.

To earn more money, the best strategy would be to wait until the two hundred dolls in the embroidery room were sold out. Those who missed out would undoubtedly feel regret.

At that point, Tang Mingrui could release his remaining dolls in limited quantities at a premium price, tantalizing potential customers.

Meanwhile, introducing new doll designs would further boost Tang Mingrui's business, ensuring a substantial profit.

Tang Mingrui's response didn't disappoint He Zhiran.

"Big Sister Mo, if we're to stay here for an extended period, I plan to wait until the doll stock in the embroidery room is sold out. Then, I'll assess the demand for the dolls before making further plans."

He Zhiran was content with this answer.

"In that case, I won't rush the work here. I'll surely create some premium dolls to maximize profits."

"That sounds excellent. I'll be looking forward to your exquisite dolls, Big Sister Mo."

The two delved into many details about the doll business. Before parting, they agreed to meet again at the teahouse three days later, should they still be unable to leave by then.

Knowing that He Zhiran would need to transport some plush fabrics, Mo Jiuya arranged for an ox cart.

Meanwhile, He Zhiran found a secluded spot to prepare.

This time, she purchased fabrics of various colors and a large quantity of stuffing cotton. In addition, she also took some food from her space, along with eggs and meat. Since her livestock in the space hadn't matured yet, she purchased some from the Taobao Mall.

Furthermore, He Zhiran had thoughtfully purchased an ancient Chinese herbal medicine book in traditional characters for Mo Hanyue. Just as she finished arranging the items she brought back, Mo Jiuya returned with an ox cart. This time, He Zhiran had bought so much plush fabric that one ox cart was insufficient to carry it all. The driver called for a fellow companion, and two carts laden with goods made their way back to the camp. When the ladies saw He Zhiran leave with the finished dolls, they felt a tinge of regret. The reason being that He Zhiran had used up all the fabric she had bought from the foreigners for making dolls, and they wouldn't be able to earn travel expenses so easily anymore. To their surprise, He Zhiran and Mo Jiuya returned with not one but two carts full of fabric. The women were overjoyed, and they all rushed forward to help unload the goods. Second Sister-in-law kept pestering He Zhiran with questions. "Sister-in-law Ninth Brother, did you and Ninth Brother run into foreigners again?"

"Indeed, that foreigner was also unable to leave this place. Today, we searched specifically and happened upon some of this fabric at his stall, so I purchased quite a bit more."

He Zhiran told her lie without revealing any sign of it.

Mo Jiuya chimed in, supporting his wife's efforts: "Ran Ran put in a great deal of effort to locate that foreigner. This fabric was truly not easy to come by."

Sure enough, upon hearing how much effort He Zhiran had invested in finding the foreigner to buy the cloth, the women expressed their gratitude one after another.

He Zhiran played along with Mo Jiuya's words, emphasizing the scarcity of the fabric to ensure that everyone would put extra care into making the dolls.

With the help of the crowd, the goods on the cart were hastily moved aside. He Zhiran took the opportunity to settle the wages for the 131 dolls with the women.

This time, they received more pay than before, especially the Fang and Xie families. The silver earned from making dolls should sustain them until they reached the northwest.

Led by their respective heads of household, the women from both families prepared to kneel in gratitude to He Zhiran.

But how could a modern soul like He Zhiran be accustomed to receiving such grand gestures?

She, together with her sisters-in-law, promptly stopped the two families from kneeling. At the same time, she realized that these people were not ungrateful; regardless of the circumstances, they possessed hearts filled with appreciation.

After some polite exchanges, He Zhiran finally delved into the main topic.

She casually picked up a few pieces of plush fabric in various colors and held them in her hands.

"Everyone can see that I've brought back fabrics in multiple hues. My plan is to experiment with several new doll designs."

The ladies were captivated by the array of colored fabrics in He Zhiran's hands.

Mo Hanyue leaned closer to He Zhiran to examine the fabrics closely, her excitement growing with each passing moment.

Pointing at the brown fabric in He Zhiran's grasp, she exclaimed, "Sister Nine, when I was in the capital, I saw dolls made from this color fabric, especially teddy bears, and they were very popular."

Indeed, He Zhiran intended to use this brown fabric to create teddy bears.

She was confident that the design she would provide would be far more appealing than what Mo Hanyue had seen in the capital.

"Alright, I'll draw a blueprint for a teddy bear doll for everyone later."

The ladies acknowledged that their vision was inferior to He Zhiran's, and they had grown accustomed to following her lead during the journey. Thus, no one offered any suggestions.

Having delegated future tasks, He Zhiran handed Mo Hanyue a book on herbal medicine, encouraging her to study it carefully and seek her help with any questions.

Mo Hanyue joyfully took the book to peruse it in a corner.

With some time before lunch, He Zhiran retreated to her tent and entered the space.