Because it is located in the capital, the buildings in the capital are not higher than the palaces in the palace, so the proud building is not particularly high, with only three floors in total.

However, the place occupied by the proud building is very large, and the most prosperous ten miles of Qinhuai is forced to occupy one mile for it.

At this time, in a private room on the third floor of the proud building, a beautiful woman in a crescent white jacket knelt down at a low table with a smile, and opposite her, a young man in shabby clothes and with soot on his hair also knelt on the cushion, his face was indifferent, neither humble nor arrogant,

The beautiful woman's surname is Cui, and no one knows her real name, and the people of Qinhuai in ten miles call her Jiuniang.

Jiuniang is not the owner of the proud building, but the big shopkeeper of the proud building, after all, with the scale of the proud building, there must be an extremely strong backer behind it, otherwise it is impossible for her to gain a foothold in the capital with her as a woman.

However, being able to survive in Shili Qinhuai for so many years, this Jiu Niang's ability is naturally self-evident.

There was a black tiger-shaped object on the low table, not really carved into a tiger, but carved into a piece of charcoal in the shape of a tiger, and the beautiful woman was not too dirty, she reached out and pinched the charcoal, and then a striking black charcoal ash appeared on her white hand.

Jiu Niang glanced at the young man sitting opposite her, and then chuckled: "Little brother, although the Qinglou is a ninth-rate business, don't you think that the people in our Qinglou are not knowledgeable, you charcoal is not beast charcoal." ”

Li Xin grinned at Jiu Niang, revealing his snow-white teeth.

"This sister, this is not beast charcoal, there is no beast charcoal in this world."

This beautiful woman looks like she is in her early thirties, and the age difference between Li Xin and Li Xin in her previous life is not big, and Li Xin has been in the workplace for so many years, so he naturally knows the truth of "sweetheart and steadfastness", so when he sees people, he has always opened his mouth and closed his sister.

Jiuniang covered her mouth and smiled: "Little brother can really speak, but it's useless to be able to speak, your charcoal is either charcoal or bamboo charcoal, ten cents a pound is everywhere on the street, where is the truth of a hundred cents a piece?" ”

Li Xin coughed, stretched out his finger and pointed to the piece of charcoal on the table, and his voice was calm: "Although it is not beast charcoal, it looks like beast charcoal, for my sister's profession, as long as it looks like it, it is enough, isn't it?" ”

The industry of Qinglou, especially the high-end Qinglou of the proud building, the most important thing is to go up the grade, otherwise it will not attract those real gold owners, so most of the things in the proud building are the best, but it is not easy to do it on this charcoal, after all, the real animal charcoal can be equivalent to silver or even gold, such a high-end thing, the proud building is also unaffordable.

Jiuniang shook her head slightly: "The real beast charcoal, it burns with a strange fragrance, and those who come to the proud building are either the princes and grandsons in the capital, or the upstarts in the scientific field, they are all people who have seen the world, and they can be distinguished immediately." ”

Li Xin pursed his lips and said softly, "Sister, you can sprinkle some incense powder in the stove." ”

Jiuniang was stunned for a moment, then reacted, clapped her hands and laughed softly: "That's the truth, for our industry, it doesn't matter if it's a serious beast charcoal or not, as long as it's like it, burn a few pieces in the girls' room, and then sprinkle some incense powder into it, those stinky men may not be able to tell the truth or falsehood." ”

Speaking of this, Jiu Niang looked down at the beast charcoal on the table, and said with a smile to Li Xin: "But little brother, although you beast charcoal, although it has carved the appearance of a big insect, it is not the same as the beast charcoal of the Eight Classics." ”

Li Xin lowered his head and coughed, his face slightly red.

He hadn't seen what the beast charcoal of this era looked like, so he could only carve it according to the appearance of the tiger-shaped jade pendant he saw in his previous life, but the serious beast charcoal was all molded, and the one Li Xin made was obviously not like it.

Seeing Li Xin's face flushed, Jiuniang covered her mouth and smiled, and said: "Okay, don't laugh at you, little brother, look at the little brother's speech is not like an ordinary person, I think it is a loss of luck, and it is to this point, these bamboo charcoal of the little brother, although they are not very similar, but they can also fool those rich people who have little knowledge, these things are bought at a price of fifty yuan, and they should be made to the little brother as a friend." ”

Li Xin made these beast charcoal, about two or three together to have a pound of weight, except for the scraps that were removed when carving, how can a pound of charcoal be carved out of two, and the price of charcoal in the capital is about ten yuan a catty, and now even if it is sold for fifty yuan a piece, the price has increased tenfold out of thin air.

Li Xin bowed his head a little embarrassedly and thanked him.

But soon, the woman in front of him impressed him.

I saw this beautiful woman get up, take out a box from a cabinet behind her, and then pinch out a palm-sized object from the box and put it in front of Li Xin.

Jiuniang smiled slightly: "It just so happens that my sister has a few pieces of beast charcoal here, since the little brother has this skill, you might as well take a look, if you can make a general appearance, the proud building will buy it from the little brother according to the price offered by the little brother, one hundred yuan a piece." ”

Li Xin took a few deep breaths, reached out and took this piece of beast charcoal in his hand, this piece of beast charcoal has a simple shape, the whole body is cold, and the hand is slightly heavy, and it also exudes a faint fragrance, whether it is the appearance or the process, it is much better than the ones that Li Xin made out blindly.

What's even more amazing is that although this thing is made of a mixture of toner and incense powder, Li Xin picked it up and played with it, and there was no trace of black on his hands.

This is the price of gold and silver in the capital, and only the rich and noble can use the animal charcoal.

A piece of animal charcoal can burn for three days and three nights.

Jiuniang has a box of this thing here, it is not surprising to think about it, after all, the proud building is located in the capital, and from time to time there will be nobles to come, this box of beast charcoal together, about one or twenty yuan, it is estimated that Jiuniang prepared it for the distinguished guests in the capital.

Li Xin took a closer look at this thing, probably remembered its appearance, got up and saluted the beautiful woman in front of him: "Sister, I have already written down the appearance of this thing, and I should be able to make eight or nine without leaving ten when I turn around, and when I get it out, I will come to the proud building to ask to see my sister." ”

With that, he put the charcoal in his hand back on the table.

This piece of beast charcoal is enough for ordinary people to eat for a month, Li Xin consciously put it back, otherwise I am afraid he will not even have the chance to get out of the proud building.

Jiu Niang watched Li Xin's movements, and then she reached out and picked up the piece of beast charcoal on the table, put it in Li Xin's hand, and said with a smile: "Since Xiao Langjun wants to make some imitations, naturally the more similar the better, this piece of charcoal is not an uncommon thing, and it is okay for the little brother to take it back and follow it." ”

Li Xin bowed his head and thanked him, and he was not polite, and stuffed this piece of beast charcoal into his sleeve.

Before leaving, Jiu Niang bought all the "beast charcoal" in Li Xin's back basket, adding up to a total of about the same money, Li Xin carefully took this string of copper coins, and bowed his hand to Jiu Niang: "I have been talking for a long time, and I haven't had time to ask my sister's name and surname." ”

The beautiful woman smiled: "The concubine's surname is Cui, and Xiao Langjun is called Concubine Jiuniang, I don't know what Xiao Langjun is called?" ”

"Under Li Xin."

Li Xin bowed slightly to Jiu Niang: "Xie Jiu Niang appreciates the meal." ”

When Jiuniang heard this, the smile on her face was even worse, and she personally got up and sent Li Xin to the door of the proud building.

After Li Xin walked away, the thin girl who followed Jiu Niang whispered: "Jiu Niang, you are too good to this Li Xin." ”

In fact, although Li Xin's idea is good, it is not worth it when he says it, because Jiuniang can skip Li Xin's link and directly let the craftsmen who carve wood in the capital do it, which can be cheaper.

However, Jiuniang did not do this, which means that she is willing to give Li Xin this bite to eat, and Li Xin also thought of this, so before parting, he said that word of thanks.

Jiu Niang turned around and smiled indifferently at the maid behind her: "Ping'er, you have to understand one thing, we have to open this proud building for the owner, it has never been to make money." ”

"It's about making friends."