Sunday, June 10, 1635. Bordeaux, the old continent was clear.

In Europe in the 17th century, people had to work even on Sundays. Ordinary people had no money to eat and drink without working. At this time, middle-class wives who gradually became rich for various reasons often made appointments with their friends on this day, and after dressing, they went out to buy some items they needed at home.

In France, where the luxury trend is gradually becoming popular, people's love for gorgeous goods is increasing day by day. Since the cotton cloth first became popular in the aristocratic circle, the middle class, who have been committed to imitating the living habits of aristocratic, have worn various cotton textiles with a hundred times of enthusiasm: cloaks, burqas, underwear, skirts, trousers, stockings, gloves, etc., and even the tablecloths, curtains, bed sheets, etc. at home have been replaced with cotton products. Especially in the warmer Gascone region, in addition to the new wool blended with silk and short wool, cotton cloth products are more popular and occupying the vast majority of the market share.

The consumption concept of the middle class is like this. As a petty-class who has always imitated the living habits of the middle class, they are naturally no exception. They use all the money they earn from hard work to buy luxury goods such as sugar, tobacco and leaves, as well as a large number of cotton products to quickly get closer to the taste of the middle class's life, and at the same time strictly distinguish themselves from the lower-level workers.

The above aristocrats, middle class and petty-civilians are the main forces in purchasing cotton cloth. Of course, after the cheap and affordable East Coast cloth begins to be sold, some ordinary workers with relatively spare money may also buy some. Based on their huge base, the total consumption of this part of the population is probably not too small.

Early in the morning, in the relatively prosperous area in Bordeaux city, close to the Pasquiel Family Textile Factory, two solemn staff opened the store door and announced that the day's work had officially begun. Unlike before, after they opened the store door, they hung a small blackboard at the door, which read in French: "Newly arrived in the East Coast white cotton cloth, price: 9 Su6 Daniel (1 Su = 12 Daniel)."

This price is the product of Xu Xin's struggle and compromising with Pasquiel and others. Originally, according to the meaning of these 17th-century "comprador class", the price of white cotton cloth on the east coast would be set at 10 Su6 Daniel or 11 Su to make a high profit. However, after Xu Xin's argument, the other party finally agreed to set the price of each cotton cloth at 9 Su6 Daniel (less than 2.4 yuan), and then gradually adjust the price depending on the sales situation.

This price is a rare low price in cotton history. Since the British introduced Indian cotton into Europe in the late 16th and early 17th century, cotton has been lowered from the initial price of as high as two pounds per horse, but it is still above 15 shillings. Of course, without the intervention of the travelers, the price of cotton will gradually fall, and it will not reach a climax again until the 1770s and 1780s, and the price gradually rises to a maximum of about 1 pound and 5 shillings per horse.

Once the price of each cotton 9 Su6 Daniel was released, the keen housewives immediately noticed it. They walked into the store in surprise, then picked up the white cotton mat on the shelves and observed it carefully.

The breathable, thin and tough nature of the East Coast cloth amazed these savvy housewives. Some housewives who have used high-end Indian cotton even think that the texture of these white cotton cloth is not inferior to those of those Indian cotton cloth, and perhaps even more than that.

Soon, in the expectant eyes of the shop assistants, the first housewife asked to purchase two pieces of white cotton. She needed some tablecloths at home, and she thought that the excellent texture of the East Coast cloth in front of her was obviously more capable of taking on this role. After all, she is now decent and should no longer use those crude local cotton cloths.

"Madam, this is the cotton cloth you want." After paying the 19 Su fee, the clerk diligently wrapped the two pieces of cotton cloth and handed it to the housewife in front of him.

After the first one came forward to buy, a second one soon came. The clerks also became busy from the initial leisure. They kept handling the purchase requests of each customer, then packed the items and collected the money to settle them, and were so busy that they could sell hundreds of pieces of cotton in one morning.

Unlike the lively scenes in the shop in front, transactions are also being carried out in the warehouse behind the shop, but these transactions seem a little quiet. Some cotton cloth dealers who have had business dealings with the Pasquiel family for many years have already received news. After carefully examining the quality of the goods, these dealers' eyes are full of excitement.

The quality is better than Indian cotton, but it only sells at a lower price than the cheapest local cotton, which means they have more room for profit.

Julian agreed with these dealers in the warehouse on behalf of the Pasquiel family and the big men behind them: the wholesale price of cotton was 9 sep per horse, with 1,000 sep per unit. Soon, these familiar dealers bought eight thousand sep. Many of them were not natives in Bordeaux. After buying cotton, they would ship the goods to other towns in Gascone for sale, so their goods were often sold at a higher price than the local Bordeaux, and might be more than 10 sep per horse.

If the freight is not counted, they can earn 1 szc per piece of cotton, and 1,000 horses are 50 francs. This amount is already a lot. According to the economic level at this time, if you have an annual income of 50 francs, you can firmly be in the middle class in a megacity like Paris, which is known for its luxury, and this is also the highest position that these small and medium-sized merchants can reach.

In one morning, more than 8,200 high-quality East Coast cloth was sold, with sales revenue of nearly 3,700 francs. This is an amazing number, because it means that the gross profit of the new "comprador class" of Gascone, represented by the Pasquire family, reached more than 800 francs, which is far more than the annual income of the hand-made textile factory in Pasquire.

After doing this, Julian's face suddenly had a smile: It's easier to make money by doing this! The textile factory is not as hard as the money I earned this morning. It seems that the broken factory in his family can be closed. Those workers who are willing to change their careers and become clerks, and those who are unwilling to ask them if they are willing to move their families to the East Coast area. Whoever works hard to run the workshop in the future will definitely be the biggest fool.

The shop closed at noon, and the clerks explained in every way and promised that the shop would be open normally in the afternoon, which comforted the customers who rushed over after receiving the news. After a while, the door of the shop finally became deserted.

The decline in the store does not mean that the bulk transactions in the warehouse will stop. As the news spreads and spreads, more and more people know that the Pasquire family's textile factory has begun to sell a high-quality cotton cloth called "East Bank Cloth", and the price is 20 to 30% lower than the average selling price of cotton cloth on the market.

Some merchants scoffed when they first heard the news: the average selling price of local cotton on the market is about 12 Su, and if it is 20% to 30% cheaper, wouldn’t this price fall to 9 Su each? Who can make money at such a low price?

Even the cheapest and inferior Indian white cotton cloth is about 7-8 shillings per horse. After long-distance transportation from ocean to ocean, the cost will rise to nearly 9 september. In addition, several major European textile countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy have begun to impose high tariffs on Indian cotton cloth. Although France's textile industry is not very developed, it also follows the trend of imposing a general import tax of 7.5% on Indian cotton cloth. The local government of Bordeaux also imposes an additional 20% on Indian cotton cloth, making even the lowest-end Indian white cotton cloth more than 14 septembers per horse, and the price in rural areas is even around 15-16 septembers.

Such a price and its lack of quality leads to the sales of Indian cotton in Bordeaux and even the Gascone region. It only looks like a few thousand pieces every year, which is something that the British East India Company has always regretted. For many years, the local cotton market has been maintained in such a rigid and lack of competition. The local textile merchants in Gascone are making their own money in such a semi-trade protection environment.

But the facts are the facts after all. The Pasquire family had sold so much cotton in the morning, which is not difficult to find out. Soon, the latest news was passed on through various channels.

The merchants of all sizes who learned the truth could no longer sit at the dining table and enjoy a sumptuous lunch. They dressed neatly and rushed to the Pasquire family's factory.

The market balance that has been maintained for decades has been broken, and East Coast cloth entered this market with an unstoppable momentum. Relying on its quality and cost advantages, it will be no surprise that the cotton cloth market that swept across the entire Bordeaux and even Gascone will be swept. All of these announce the arrival of the crisis of local traditional handicraft workshops and traders.
Chapter completed!