Chapter 2459 - Fabric Store

Then he thought of Li Yao'er and his Second Uncle. Elder Li trusted him greatly and had entrusted him with heavy responsibilities, but Second Uncle undermined him from within, constraining him at every turn. Yet Chief Li did trust him very much... He sighed inwardly.

Chen Lin's state of mind was complicated. Ambition and worry about the future intertwined, plucking at a young man's sentimental heart from time to time.

The sun was slanting westward. Chen Lin suddenly remembered there was a banquet at six o'clock. He should return to the hotel early to meet his uncle and sister.

He rose hurriedly, walked out of the room, and came to the lobby. The reception waiter was busy working and hurried out to greet him.

"Shopkeeper, what time is it now?"

"Sir, that's the clock over there," the waiter pointed to a corner. "Do you know how to read it? Shall I explain?"

"No need." He had seen clocks and watches in Guangzhou, whether Western or Australian—they were much the same. Looking toward the corner, he saw a large pendulum clock in a teak case with mother-of-pearl inlay. The hands had just passed half past four.

"How long does it take to get to Longhao Bay Hotel from here?"

"By rickshaw, just over ten minutes..." the waiter said. "Would you like me to call one for you?"

Chen Lin hesitated. It was still a bit early to go over now. It would be awkward to sit long in his sister's room, and also awkward at his uncle's place. If he sat in the lobby, watching men and women passing in and out would feel uncomfortable...

The waiter had a keen mind. Seeing his expression, he guessed the situation and suggested, "Sir, if you still have ample time, why not walk from here to Longhao Bay Hotel? The whole journey is just half an hour. Is this your first time here? It's the perfect chance to see the street scene and market atmosphere of Bopu."

"That would be good, but I don't know the way."

"No matter." The waiter immediately pulled a sheet from the rack beside him. "This is a map. I'll mark the route clearly for you."

Chen Lin took the marked map. It wasn't large and was printed quite simply, but street names, shops, restaurants, stations, wharves—everything was clearly marked.

"Sir, note that this map is north up, south down, west left, east right. Don't get it turned around."

"Thank you for the reminder, little brother." Chen Lin tucked the map into his robe. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and asked the waiter, "Where has the most varieties of silk and cloth here?"

"For the most varieties and most complete goods, naturally it's the Cooperative General Society Mall in East Gate Market. But there's also a Friendship Department Store here in Bopu, where goods are very complete too. It also has attached currency exchange and consignment offices, specially convenient for traveling merchants to purchase."

Chen Lin thought this sounded like a good place! He might as well visit this Friendship Department Store first.

Leaving the hotel, he recalled that when playing at Great World, people said the most prosperous place in Lingao was East Gate Market. But East Gate Market was still far from here—he could go later. He'd heard Bopu's prosperity was no less impressive. Why not stroll around Bopu Town first to experience the local customs and business situation along the way? Father always said that though they only wove silk, they must understand market demand clearly.

"Human nature's likes and dislikes are most fickle, especially in women's clothing and accessories. The height of hair buns, the width of sleeves, even texture, pattern, and color—everything must change every few years. If one detects the change at its beginning, one can make materials that sell big."

He always kept these words in mind, but mastering the "fashion code" was no easy thing. One had to understand the market prices of various materials and also grasp women's preferences. After Chen Lin came of age, his father had taken him to brothels for entertainment—partly for socializing with customers, partly for studying fashion trends.

"The attire and hair accessories of brothel women change fastest. Whatever novel styles appear, they're usually the first to wear them."

Now Guangdong and Guangxi were the Australians' world. The Australians didn't force everyone to "shave heads and change clothes," but the "short clothes and short hair" style was sure to become popular sooner or later as naturalized citizens multiplied in Guangzhou. "The King of Chu loved slender waists; many starved to death in the palace." The people would naturally follow and imitate the Senate's preferences.

He walked along streets and lanes. These were back alleys, mostly backyards of residents and shops, very quiet. The streets and houses were tidy. Old people busied themselves with housework in doorways while children played and roughhoused. A scene of peaceful years. Chen Lin thought of his own Nansha and couldn't help sighing secretly: being able to enjoy peaceful years was truly a great blessing!

Following the route on the map, he turned a corner, emerged from a side alley, and arrived at the main road. The flow of people before him instantly increased. Not only pedestrians bustled about, but people carried loads on poles, baskets on backs, pushed wheelbarrows... Public carriages and freight carts moved slowly forward. Drivers stepped on bells from time to time to remind pedestrians not to intrude onto the main road and block the way.

The town streets here weren't as wide as the Seaside Avenue, so there were no street trees, but the houses on both sides were arcades (Qilou). Pedestrians walking beneath were shaded from sun and rain—very convenient.

Chen Lin looked at the outer walls of the houses. The lime was still fresh; they must have been built in recent years. Considering the Australians had landed less than ten years ago, they had actually developed this unknown border land quite impressively. No wonder the crowds of big households in Guangzhou rushed to join in.

He walked along the street. There were many shops here. Some had traditional open fronts; others had only a small door but were equipped with large glass windows. Chen Lin didn't know this was called a "show window," but he was quickly captured by its unique decorative charm.

"Displaying goods this way makes people want to buy the moment they see them. The Australians' art of selling is truly formidable!"

Besides items common in Guangzhou, there were many he'd never heard of—even at the "Australians' Window," the Great World, he hadn't seen them. Sometimes he would be quite puzzled about what business a shop was doing. When he learned it was engaged in a certain trade, he often wondered: This can be done as a business?!

Puzzlement aside, regardless of size, the shops here had their own merits in decoration and display—all tidy and orderly, comfortable to look at. Completely different from the crowded, messy image of traditional shops in Guangzhou City.

However, though shops were plentiful, silk shops and cotton cloth shops selling fabric were rare. He walked the whole way and actually didn't see many. He checked the limited few one by one. They carried various silks transported from the mainland, as well as silks from Japan, Korea, and Nanyang that he'd seen in Guangzhou. Many varieties, but nothing extraordinary. When asked if there was Australian silk, shop assistants all said none was produced. It wasn't until he came to a large shop called "Ruihexiang," specializing in various silk, cloth, and woolen fabrics, that he heard the assistant say Australians did indeed raise silkworms, reel silk, and weave silk—but extremely little flowed into the market.

"...If the guest truly wants Australian silk and silk fabric, you can only go to Shop No. 82 in East Gate Market. They have clothes and accessories made of Australian silk—the material and texture are indeed different from elsewhere. It's just that the price is extremely expensive, not something ordinary people can afford."

As for cloth, the most staple goods were "Songjiang Cloth" produced on the mainland, with complete categories and low prices. Next were various imported cloths. The shop assistant introduced them attentively: Nanyang cloth from the Southern Ocean, as well as Indian cloth and Western cloth. Colors, patterns, and textures all differed. Even Chen Lin was dazzled, especially by the bleached fine linen imported from Holland—fine texture and pure white color. The shop assistant said this Dutch linen was mostly used to make shirts worn next to the skin. Asking the price, it wasn't expensive either—about the same as Songjiang Cloth.

"Such good cloth only sells for this price—then who buys this Songjiang Cloth?"

"Though this Dutch fine linen is good, it's not durable. Laborers and farmers who do hard work would never buy it."

"Is there locally produced cloth here? Australian cloth?"

"There is some," the shop assistant said. "But nothing outstanding. Does the guest want to see...?"

"Yes, yes!" Chen Lin said eagerly.

The shop assistant fetched a few bolts in a moment and unfolded them on the counter.

At first glance, there was indeed nothing special—only the colors were much brighter than other cloths. But the difference became clear the moment he touched them.

"Such smooth yarn!" he exclaimed involuntarily.

The shop assistant was startled. "Is the guest also in this trade?"

"Correct." Chen Lin nodded. "My family runs a small weaving workshop."

"No wonder the guest looked like an insider the moment you handled it!" The shop assistant said, "This Australian cotton yarn is indeed the best."

Just as silk quality depends largely on raw silk quality, cloth quality is determined by cotton yarn. Turning cotton into yarn required passing through more than ten processes. In the era without machines, these were all done by hand. Spinning was mostly a manual sideline for rural women, so yarn quality was hard to guarantee—often uneven in thickness with relatively rough surfaces. The woven cloth was also relatively coarse.

But the cloth Chen Lin had just handled had a smooth, fine texture. The body was very thin, yet it didn't wrinkle when rubbed. Very crisp. Very much like Shandong's Tussah silk. To weave such cloth from cotton required not only unstinting labor and material and skilled craftsmen, but extremely good yarn quality.

He immediately bought four bolts—enough to make a set of clothes each. He hadn't seen this fabric in Guangzhou yet; obviously it was newly woven by Australians. Taking it back, whether for his sister's use or as gifts, it would be excellent.

The price was slightly high but within his budget. He paid, gave the Jasmine Hotel address, and naturally a helper would deliver it to his door.

Having done his business, the shop assistant grew excited and added, "Speaking of Australian cloth, there's another benefit. Also a great use."

"What is it?"

"Sir, please look here." The shop assistant led him to the shelves in back, where long scrolls leaned. The width of the cloth made him stare in astonishment.

(End of Chapter)