Chapter 64: The Custom Carriage

Actually, it is no wonder Lin Chunyan asked this question. Tong Chuxue had only mentioned buying a carriage not long ago, and everyone assumed they would wait until the glossy ganoderma was sold. No one expected that running into Elder Gu on the main street would settle the matter right then and there, which was truly surprising.

"A carriage is definitely necessary. I was thinking that since we have this opportunity, asking the Gu family to help us evaluate and choose one would certainly carry much lower risks than buying one on our own," Tong Chuxue said.

Wealthy households have a regular need for carriages and therefore deal with this type of merchant frequently, making them much more experienced than Tong Chuxue and the others. With Gu Ming leading the way, they could avoid many pitfalls.

"Then we have to stay here for another night?" asked Luo Huiqing.

"Yes. We are buying the carriage tomorrow, so we definitely have to stay the night tonight," Tong Chuxue replied.

Joy flickered across Luo Huiqing's face.

Luo Huian instantly pierced Luo Huiqing's thoughts. "It is already late. For safety's sake, we cannot wander around anymore. Let's go find an inn. Gu Ming recommended an inn just now, saying it is safe and reasonably priced."

The group headed toward the inn.

Early the next morning, Gu Ming was already waiting at the entrance of the inn. Seeing Tong Chuxue and Luo Huian approach, he greeted them, "Good morning, you two."

Gu Ming then led the pair to the largest horse trading market in the county town. Although called a trading market, there were actually not very many horses sold here; cows and pigs made up the majority.

At first glance, Gu Ming was clearly a regular customer here, as stall owners kept greeting him all along the way.

He turned left and right through the market, finally stopping in front of a small shop in an alley, and called inside, "Boss, we have guests!"

Tong Chuxue saw a thin, scrawny, weather-beaten middle-aged man emerge from the back. A smile was plastered across his face, and he emitted an indescribable scent that Tong Chuxue guessed came straight from the stables.

"Brother Ming, it's been quite a while since you last came," the man greeted with a smile.

Gu Ming pointed at Tong Chuxue and Luo Huian. "These two are friends of the Elder. They are planning to buy a carriage, so please help them pick one out."

"Ah, so you are friends of Elder Gu! Please forgive the trouble, come over here and take a look with me," the man said, bowing slightly as he led the way. "May I ask what specifications of carriage the two of you are looking for?"

"Specifications?" Tong Chuxue had never heard of carriage specifications before.

"A single horse will suffice. It's mainly for pulling people, and occasionally some light cargo," Luo Huian explained.

The man understood and led them over to a brown horse. "For carrying people, this kind is the most suitable. It doesn't eat too much, has plenty of stamina, is easy to raise, and doesn't get sick easily."

Luo Huian looked the horse up and down, even opening its mouth to inspect its teeth.

Watching from the side, the man flattered, "Oh, you must be an expert! But rest assured, since you are friends of the Elder, the one I pick for you will definitely be the most suitable."

Hearing this, Luo Huian nodded.

"Since you want a carriage, just having the horse is not enough; you also need the carriage body. However, the carriage bodies here are custom-made to order. Rest assured, the materials used are completely solid, and it will easily last a few decades without any problems," the man said.

"Without seeing a physical model, how am I supposed to choose?" Tong Chuxue asked curiously.

The man smiled, ran back inside the room, and brought out a catalog, handing it to Tong Chuxue. "Miss, please take a look. All our styles are in this catalog. If you have any additional requirements, just mention them, and we can also modify the existing designs to suit you."

Isn't this customized service? Tong Chuxue understood immediately, took the catalog, and began to flip through it carefully.

Actually, the main differences among these carriage body styles were in their appearance—for instance, different wood carvings and wood materials—while the rest were largely similar.

This carriage was being bought primarily to facilitate her own travel, as well as to transport items like glossy ganoderma and dendrobium. Considering it would be used mostly in the village, overly elaborate carvings would easily attract attention, so it was better to keep a low profile.

Therefore, Tong Chuxue chose the most basic style in the catalog. The exterior only featured some simple horizontal and vertical grids without a single trace of carving, and the fabric used was also inexpensive.

However, while her requirements for the exterior were minimal, she put forward many demands for the interior design.

First was seating. As everyone knows, although carriages in ancient times were already a somewhat convenient mode of transportation, sitting on hard wooden boards is actually quite uncomfortable, so Tong Chuxue requested that the owner provide matching cushions.

All the seats inside the carriage should be removable and reconfigurable, so that enough space could be cleared out when transporting cargo. The backrests of the seats could all be detached and pieced back together to match the groove in the middle of the carriage, thereby partitioning half of the carriage space into a dedicated area for loading goods.

If going on a long journey, bringing food supplies is a must, so Tong Chuxue asked the owner to design a mezzanine in the roof part of the carriage, allowing items to be stored in the interlayer, ensuring both safety and space-saving.

In short, to make full use of the space inside the carriage, Tong Chuxue introduced many techniques used in modern small-apartment interior design.

By the time Tong Chuxue spent a full hour explaining these concepts, the man was already sitting to the side, dumbfounded.

"Such ingenious ideas—I have never thought of them before! Miss, you are truly amazing!" The man did not吝op praise, holding the rough sketches Tong Chuxue had drawn, and marveling, "Brilliant, truly brilliant!"

Tong Chuxue's eyes shifted. "Boss, do you think these ideas of mine really have a market?"

The man only half-understood what Tong Chuxue was saying, but based on his years of business intuition, he judged that Tong Chuxue was probably asking whether these ideas would help his business. "Yes, absolutely!"

"If you want to use these ideas, you may," Tong Chuxue said with a smile.

The man was extremely sensitive to the business opportunity revealed in this. "You mean I can?"

"You can," Tong Chuxue nodded.

"Since the young lady says so, I will shamelessly ask a favor of you: please do not share these ideas with others just yet," the man began, negotiating terms with Tong Chuxue.

Tong Chuxue was very satisfied with the man's reaction. She knew that a seasoned businessman would never let such a business opportunity slip by.

"Boss, although these designs have their ingenious aspects, to be honest, as long as other workshops see them, they can easily copy them. You will only make money off this very first wave," Tong Chuxue said calmly.

Although these designs were clever, they involved no great technical difficulty; other carpentry masters would certainly be able to make them as long as they pondered over them. That was why she said the man's most profitable window would be the first batch.

"I understand that. As long as the young lady doesn't speak of it for now, I can at least profit from it once," the man said. "How about this: I won't charge you for this carriage body at all, treating it as my compensation to you, as long as you don't mention these designs to any other families."

Actually, this perk was not quite what Tong Chuxue wanted most, but catching Luo Huian's expression—which signaled that she should take the offer while she was ahead—she smiled and said, "No problem."