Chapter 1008 High-End Private Customization
What kind of person was Zhu Cunji? He was never stingy with money, spending freely on his wife without a second thought. Without hesitation, he declared, “Buy, buy, buy! Let’s get several, one of each color.”
His wife was absolutely thrilled.
Beside them, Madam Lian Guoshi glanced at her husband. Though she didn't utter a word, her meaning was crystal clear: what other women had, she must have too.
Lian Guoshi felt a wave of embarrassment, then conceded, “Alright, buy! We’ll get one of each color too.”
Madam Lian Guoshi was also overjoyed.
The two women were now beaming with happiness. As soon as the news broadcast ended, they set off at a brisk pace toward the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory’s Xi’an branch.
However, the moment the two ladies reached the corner of the street where the branch store was located, they realized something was amiss. The entire street ahead was packed solid, a sea of heads.
The entrance of the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory was already swarming with people. The closest ring of customers all stretched their arms out, clutching silver ingots, and bellowed into the store, “I want a yellow one!”
“I want a red one!”
A salesclerk, beads of sweat dripping from his brow, called out, “Don’t rush, please line up... line up!”
The two women gasped, drawing in a sharp breath. “This popular? We’re too late! Oh no, oh no, we’re too late!”
Given their esteemed status, neither of them could possibly jostle through such a crowd. They had no choice but to send their maids and servants to queue up.
In the Heavenly Lord’s domain, no one dared to throw their weight around or bully others. Even the servants from the princely estates and governor’s mansions were exceptionally well-behaved, terrified of incurring the Heavenly Lord’s wrath for any misdeed. They could only join the queue like ordinary folk...
As a result, the incredibly long queue snaked from the store entrance, around the street corner, turned into another street, and stretched even further.
Its end was nowhere in sight!
After queuing for an unknown length of time, just as the two families’ maids were about to reach the storefront, they saw a banner unfurled inside the shop: “Out of Stock. Store Closed for Several Days. Please await restocking.”
The maids from both households cried out, “Aaaah!”
The crowd still queuing behind them collectively shrieked, “Aaaah!”
The enraged crowd, who had queued for half a day only to fail to buy any clothing, surged to the storefront, violently pounding on the door. The entire street reverberated with the clamor.
That very evening, several incidents of “domestic disputes” erupted in the homes of high-ranking officials and nobles. Wives, normally gentle, virtuous, and utterly obedient to their husbands, threw furious tantrums, smashing flowerpots. “Even the concubines in other households have those wool sweaters! As your principal wife, I have none! I’m not even as good as a concubine! How will I ever show my face in Xi’an again? Wuwuwu, I can’t face anyone, I don’t want to live... just let me hang myself...”
Then came the frustrated, exasperated voice of the man of the house: “Don’t make such a scene! What will the neighbors think? Give your husband a few days, and I promise I’ll get them for you.”
While wool sweaters were flying off the shelves in Xi’an...
Meanwhile, in Luoyang, at the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory’s Luoyang branch.
The three-hundred-catty Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, a truly portly man, stood in the store, a look of profound melancholy on his face as he stared at the utterly bare shelves.
The shopkeeper smiled at him. “Is there anything I can assist you with, Your Royal Highness Prince Fu?”
“Out of stock?” Zhu Changxun grumbled. “My Princess Consort kept me awake all night with her complaints. My head feels like it’s going to split open.”
The shopkeeper spread his hands. “We are truly out of stock. These goods are all transported from Gao Family Village itself by large steam trains, and we only restock every few days. We truly didn’t anticipate them selling out so quickly this time, so our inventory was insufficient. Please be patient, Your Royal Highness Prince Fu, and wait a few more days.”
Prince Fu felt utterly wronged. “You want me to wait a few more days? One night was enough to drive me nearly mad! What ever shall I do? What ever shall I do?!”
The shopkeeper chuckled inwardly. *Who told you to be so corpulent? Women are with you for your money, not for yourself. If you were a handsome man, not having a wool sweater wouldn’t matter. A few charming words and a dashing smile would smooth things over in no time.*
“Oh, right,” Prince Fu continued. “I don’t just need to buy for my Princess Consort; I need to buy some for myself too. But... given my physique...”
At three hundred catties, the enormous Prince Fu couldn’t wear the same wool sweaters as ordinary people; there simply wasn’t a size for him.
The shopkeeper gave a knowing chuckle. “Your Royal Highness Prince Fu, your physique is no problem at all. I can arrange for the original factory to custom-tailor several wool sweaters specifically for you.”
Prince Fu was ecstatic. “Excellent! Simply excellent!”
In truth, Prince Fu had countless servants who could have made him wool sweaters. However, the sweaters made by his own household staff wouldn’t bear the ‘Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory’ brand.
And if it wasn't that brand, no matter how good it was, it was useless—it lacked prestige!
Now, wearing a wool sweater from the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory was essential to demonstrate one’s social standing.
Prince Fu let out a sly chuckle. “Shopkeeper, the wool sweaters you custom-make for me should be unique, shouldn’t they? No identical patterns to anyone else’s?”
The shopkeeper affirmed, “Of course. Specially customized items will feature exclusive patterns. How about this: I'll commission a talented scholar with artistic skill to create a unique design for you, incorporating the character'Fu' (Fu, meaning good fortune and blessing) into the pattern. This character isn’t just auspicious; everyone will immediately recognize it as a ‘Prince Fu’ custom order. I guarantee, you’ll be the only person in the entire world wearing one like it. ”
Prince Fu was overcome with delight. “Perfect! Absolutely perfect!”
The shopkeeper then said, “However, as you know, for such an exclusive, bespoke design, the price will naturally be...”
“I understand,” Prince Fu interjected. “Just tell me the figure.”
The shopkeeper held up five fingers.
“Fifty taels?” Prince Fu guessed.
“Five hundred taels, for one,” the shopkeeper corrected.
Prince Fu stared.
He froze!
What in the world kind of price was that?
Just as Prince Fu was about to erupt in anger, the shopkeeper suddenly leaned in and whispered, “When you wear this uniquely patterned garment out, people are sure to ask how much it cost. If you quote a low price, would that really reflect your esteemed status?”
Prince Fu pondered this for a moment. *He’s right,* he thought. *People will certainly ask what I paid for a custom order. If I say a mere few dozen taels, how will that distinguish me from the common folk?*
“But five hundred taels is still far too expensive,” Prince Fu countered.
The shopkeeper grinned. “Don’t worry. We’re only *quoting* five hundred taels; we’re not actually selling it to you for that much. We’ll give you a special offer, a fifty percent discount. You can take it home for two hundred and fifty taels per item. But when others ask you the price, you can confidently answer ‘five hundred taels.’ Our store will also publicly announce that Prince Fu placed a custom order for a high-end customized product at five hundred taels apiece. No one will ever know you bought it for two hundred and fifty taels each.”
Upon hearing this, Prince Fu was instantly overjoyed. “Shopkeeper, you are absolutely a genius!”
The shopkeeper smiled, “Our store’s motto is to strive to serve every customer well.”
Prince Fu wasted no more words. He turned to Zheng Gonggong and ordered, “Pay up! One of each color!”
Zheng Gonggong produced a small box filled with gold, placing it into the shopkeeper’s hand. “Here is the payment for the custom wool sweaters. Keep it safe, and ensure you handle our Prince’s request with utmost care.”
The shopkeeper smiled as he accepted the money box, his face blooming into a wide grin.
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