When it comes to making money, no one will compromise on their work.
Miao Wan especially warned Zhang Sanzhuang, "Third brother, you and Mom need to finish the work we agreed on as soon as possible. I think the goods we prepared are not enough, and we need to earn the money for the shop renovation as soon as possible."
Zhang Sanzhuang was a little reluctant to give up the money he earned from the toothbrush, after all, it was almost like picking up money.
Now even the children at home can try it. It doesn’t take much effort at all. The money we have earned so far is enough to support the family for half a year.
Qiao Shengwen did the math for him.
"You used to charge one cent for two toothbrush handles, and the children at home all wanted to cut pig hair, and the adults also had to busy themselves with it. I think the children would be impatient after receiving ten cents a day, right?"
"If I let the Yu family shear the pigs themselves, and asked them to help feed the pigs and clean up the pigsty for free, would they be willing?"
"The Yu family doesn't spend money on wood, nor on pig bristles. If you charge them two or three cents for a toothbrush, will they be unhappy?"
"The Yu family makes toothbrushes, and they're skilled craftsmen. They must be fast and good at making them. They must be at least twice as good as what the Zhang family can make in their spare time, right? You can do the math yourself."
By then, based on the quantity, you will make just as much money, or even more.
He didn't say that by saving the time of feeding the pigs, Zhang Dazhuang could take turns with Zhang the Butcher to kill and collect the pigs.
At the end of the year, many families in the village below have pigs to sell. Now they are too busy to take care of them and are just waiting for people to deliver the pigs to their door.
Zhang Sanzhuang finally understood, and slapped himself with a laugh, "Look at me, I was so obsessed with money that I made a fool of myself. Fortunately, Qiao Ada woke me up."
Ever since Miao Wan invented the name Sun Ada, the Zhang family also called Qiao Shengwen and his wife that to show affection.
After figuring it out, Zhang Sanzhuang quickly found Am and his two sisters-in-law and asked them to take some snacks back to her parents' home.
Madam Zhang is the eldest in the Lin family. As they say, flowers bloom before fruits bear fruit. She later brought up three younger brothers and also gave birth to three boys of her own.
In this world where inheritance of offspring is extremely important, the Lin family has always valued Madam Zhang and felt that she was a blessed person. She was welcomed by the whole family when she returned.
The head of the Lin family is Lin Dazhi, who dug a well for the Qiao family last time.
My younger brother Lin Erzhi builds houses for others.
The old man Lin Sanzhi brought a group of young apprentices to help people make kangs.
It can be said that the Lin family is the original developer, doing everything from building houses to decorating them.
That's why the Lin family lived a good life and Miao Wan gave the job of making toothpaste to the Lin family. A small can of toothpaste can be used for a long time and is sold for thirty cents a can.
She remembered a lot of homemade toothpastes from the live streaming apps. Of course, they were all simple ones. She couldn't remember the complicated ones, not to mention whether Miao Shiren could make them.
To make the toothpaste she makes now, Miao Wan only uses crushed Poria cocos, adds a little green tea foam collected from the tea shop, and boils it in water. After it becomes thick, she adds salt and diluted Schizonepeta tenuifolia essential oil. This way, it can clean teeth and keep breath fresh.
As for the essential oil, Miao Wan added it on her own whim.
After all, there was no place to find mint at that time. The diluted schizonepeta essential oil had the taste of light mint, a little bit of spiciness, which was also covered by the taste of salt and green tea.
What’s more important is that there is essential oil in the toothpaste, which evaporates slowly and prevents the toothpaste from drying out easily.
When she finished it for the first time, Miao Wan couldn't help but praise herself a lot. Even if she had clumsy hands, she could still be creative!
When the job was handed over to the Lin family, everyone in the family was very curious.
Just use Poria cocos, a handful of tea foam worth a few coins, and a little salt to make a toothpaste?
Still charging one hundred coins per earthenware jar?
Lin Dazhi's wife took a closer look at her sister-in-law's teeth. "They are really whiter than the last time I saw them. You look younger than me, sister."
"Yes, he looks about the same age as me. Mom, I think he can do this job. My Erzhi is the most careful." Lin Erzhi's wife also praised.
Lin Sanzhi's wife was no less attentive. "We are not as careful as our children. Our nieces and nieces are also very skillful. They can sell their embroidery work. I'm sure the paste will be good. Don't worry, big sister."
Mrs. Lin smiled and scolded her daughters-in-law for a few words, then turned around and took her daughter's hand and asked, "The work is handed over to our family. Your brothers dare not neglect the work you give them. Aren't you also very satisfied with your house? It depends on how much you want."
Mrs. Zhang was indeed very satisfied with the blue brick and tile house that her family had built for the Zhang family. The new house was warm and tidy. If it were built outside, it would cost at least half as much, and people would not have been so attentive to her.
She gave her family a promise, "We'll take whatever you can make. Just deliver it every two or three days. It's not much money, but it goes a long way. You have to take good care of Xian Amu Ada and don't burden anyone."
Several members of the Lin family readily agreed. They were filial piety people, and no one dared to disobey the eldest sister, otherwise they would never be able to eat cheap meat in the future.
Besides, although the Lin family lives a good life, the family is prosperous and has many children, so no one would complain about having too much money!
After taking on the job, the Lin family was very proactive and delivered twenty clay jars on the third day. Uncle Geng and Aunt Geng only had to add diluted essential oils into them.
After returning from Zhang's, Aunt Geng said frankly, "It's better than what we make at home. The salt must have been re-ground. It looks very fine and white, and the color is very bright. Sanzhuang turned around and asked the traveling merchant to take it away for 300 coins a clay pot. They can go back and divide it among themselves. We don't even need to use the porcelain bottle."
One earthenware jar can be divided into ten small bottles, and traveling merchants can get more.
This is much more comfortable than having your own family members work hard, scramble to use the stove, cook the food every day and then painstakingly package it. The little money you earn less can be earned back by increasing the quantity.
Miao Wan had known this would be the result. Once wholesalers had a mature production chain, making money would be just like an assembly line, making people smile just by looking at it.
Not only did the Lin family send toothpaste, but seeing how busy the Zhang family's kitchen was, the boys from Lin Dazhi and Lin Erzhi's families had good eyesight and chopped a lot of firewood before leaving, saving Zhang Dazhuang a lot of effort.
The Lin family made the Zhang family feel relieved, and the situation was similar for the Yu and Yang families.
They all envied the Zhang family for making money. They would come to visit occasionally and see their daughters talking to their in-laws while they were busy with work. Even in the middle of winter, they were so excited. It was obvious that they had to make a lot of money to be like this.
But a daughter is like water spilled out of the door. No matter how jealous they are, they can only say a few sour words at most.
If anyone dares to make trouble at the Zhang family, Mrs. Zhang will take her husband's butcher knife and chase him out ten miles away. There are few people in the butcher's family who are easy to bully.
So Yu and Yang went home and said that their husband's family wanted to help their parents become rich. The two of them received the most grand treatment since they were born, and the whole family revolved around them.
When she came back, Yang had dropped two drops of cat urine, and her eyes were very complicated. "Even when I got married, I never saw my mother smile at me like this."
Yu: “…” Which family’s parents would smile when giving their daughter away in marriage? You’d be hated by cats and dogs.
The Yu family are all good at carpentry. Even children aged seven or eight can use an awl to drill holes in wood. So the time it takes to make a toothbrush is not just twice what Qiao Shengwen said, but at least three to five times.
In the hope of earning more money and having a prosperous New Year, the Yu family was divided into two groups. One group started making handles as soon as they opened their eyes at home, and the other group of women, with Yu's mother as their hands, took good care of the Zhang family's pigpen.
After the family left, Zhang Dazhuang went to the pig pen at the back to take a look. He came back stunned and muttered to his wife, "My mother is really capable. She replaced all the straw in the pig pen with new straw, cleaned the pig troughs like new, trimmed all the pig hair that could be trimmed, and I guess she even wiped the pigs. Wow, the pigs are cleaner than me now."
Yu: “…”
The Yu family knew that toothbrush bristles should not be too hard, and that pig bristles were used to make toothbrushes, while bristles from other places like tails were used. They were all craftsmen, so they learned from their experience and made quite a few brushes and sent them over.
Zhang Sanzhuang was so happy that his mouth almost stretched to his ears. No matter whether it was a toothbrush or a brush, he sold them all for five cents each. He sold as many as he could, leaving no one behind.
The merchants are so smart. They can't sell it in the northwest? That's perfect.
When they return to the inland in spring, they can sell them at a higher price along the way and make more money. They are only afraid of not having enough, never too much.
The Yang family is responsible for making the soap. The boys in the family are all blacksmiths, and the women are just washing machines at home. Birds of a feather flock together, so they do all the heavy work and are not very dexterous.
But whether it is pounding pig pancreas or kneading wood ash, the greater the strength, the more evenly it is done, and no skill is needed at all.
Before Miao Wan assigned the tasks, Lijia also consulted several sisters-in-law. Moreover, because the Yang family collected pig pancreases, the Zhang family did not have to run around Xining Town, making other butchers jealous and thinking that the Zhang family made a lot of money.
Yang's mother was a fierce old lady. The fiercer a person was, the more efficient they were at work. When people came to Zhang's house to get the pig pancreas, she even prepared the offal, using the method that Miao Wan had taught her.
Because the Yang family is strong, the processed sewage is particularly clean, and each of the fragrant soaps they make is as round and smooth as an egg. Although they still look black, their appearance has improved a lot.
The Chinese New Year is coming soon, so it is naturally a good time to slaughter pigs and sheep.
The Yang family sent over a lot of fragrant soap at once. Uncle Geng and Aunt Geng soaked it in the water of schizonepeta separated from the aromatic oil, and then placed it in the empty warehouse and cellar to dry.
This cannot be sold out immediately because the freshly made soap is soft.
Miao Wan just left it there, and Qiao Ruichen would come back every ten days, so he would go and take it to Bayin, and the family didn't have to worry about it.
When Madam Sun followed Sun Laohuo anxiously to the Qiao family's door with a basket of mung beans and sorghum, Miao Wan finally woke up from the busy routine of keeping accounts, collecting money, calculating accounts, and distributing money as soon as she opened her eyes every day.
Ah, it’s the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, and there are still two days until the Chinese New Year!
Mr. and Mrs. Sun Laohuo came with their son Sun Yaozu who had just returned home from the county school, mainly to pay a visit to Qiao Shengwen, the top scholar.
Madam Sun said softly and gave Geng a flattering smile, "Madam Qiao, I am quite good at sewing. Although I dare not show off in front of you, there is no need to leave those mending jobs to others.
Leave it to me, I will stay at your house until you agree. When your daughter-in-law gives birth, I can also do the work of scrubbing diapers..."
Miao Wan was a little surprised. She occasionally heard Madam Zhang say that Madam Sun was a scheming person. If it weren't for Old Sun Huo, Madam Zhang would not have dared to marry Madam Sun.
Now it seems that Madam Sun is willing to work as a maid in someone else's house for the sake of her son?
However, Madam Sun took her son, who looked like a willow tree, and continued, "I am more careful in my work and maintenance than others. My Yaozu, from birth to now, has had every stitch and thread made by me, and all his clothes washed by me. You see, there is no young man more respectable than my Yaozu.
When the time comes, give me the same amount of money you give to others. I will take good care of your big fat grandson. I only hope that the top scholar will treat me with the same care that I have given him..."
Miao Wan: "..." She hasn't given birth yet, who can be sure it will be a fat grandson?
She frowned slightly, feeling a little displeased with Madam Sun.
It wasn't because of what Madam Sun said, but because she was holding onto Sun Yaozu tightly, fearing that the Qiao family would bully her son. The expression on her face looked as if she was going to die heroically.
Since you don't trust your father-in-law to instruct students, don't bring your son here.
She puffed out her cheeks, feeling a bit angry for her father-in-law. Isn't this just like the mother of a mama's boy in later generations? It's as if the whole world is trying to harm her son.
Old Sun glared at Madam Sun and said, "I didn't ask you to come, but you insisted on following me. What are you talking about?"
This matter concerned her son, and all of Madam Sun's courage was put to rest. She shrank her neck and said aggrievedly, "My son is the lifeblood of the Sun family. Don't you feel sorry for him suffering?"
Geng also frowned, as if their family had done something unforgivable.
Seeing that everyone in the Qiao family had a bad expression, Sun Laohuo's face turned red and blue with embarrassment. He wanted to slap himself and believed his wife's assurance that she was at home.
The way she spoke sounded like a fart, no, it wasn't even as fragrant as a fart.
Seeing that Sun Laohuo was about to lose his temper, Qiao Shengwen, who was always smiling, stopped the farce in a gentle voice.
"Don't worry, Brother Sun, and Madam Sun, don't worry either. I, Qiao, am not very talented, but I need to ask him a few questions first to find out if I can give Yaozu some pointers."
These words couldn't be more gentle, just like in the past, when Qiao Shengwen made the military general who asked Yihua for money from the Ministry of Revenue faint in the court, he also looked so gentle and polite.
But no one could ignore the arrogance beneath his gentleness. "After all, Qiao passed the Tongsheng exam at the age of nine. Decades have passed in the blink of an eye. What Qiao has learned may not be enough to bring honor to his ancestors."
Sun Yaozu, who had kept his head down and remained silent and unobservant since he entered the door, raised his head in surprise when he heard this. One of his classmates in the county school passed the examination for tongsheng at the age of twelve and was called a genius.
Then what about this Mr. Qiao? A flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes, then turned into fear and sadness.
Qiao Shengwen saw it all and felt a little heavy in his heart. Fear?
Madam Sun didn't dare to argue with Qiao Shengwen, but she subconsciously held her son's hand tightly, mumbling a few more words of advice, "Please forgive me, sir, my son is smart, but he's not good at getting along with others..."
Qiao Shengwen interrupted Madam Sun calmly, "Madam Sun, he's not with you most of the year. Have you ever thought about how he interacts with others when you can't speak for him?"
Madam Sun was speechless. She couldn't think too much about what Qiao Shengwen said. The more she thought about it, the paler her face became. Especially when she saw that Sun Yaozu's face was also pale, she felt dizzy.
Then she immediately put aside the things she didn't dare to think about, and her face became firm again. Her son was being protected by a teacher in the county school.
Now that Yaozu is back, she must protect her son!
Qiao Shengwen had no intention of continuing to talk to Madam Sun. This kind of dimensionality reduction attack was too easy for him. He just felt that Sun Yaozu was not in a good condition.
He said to Geng gently, "Madam, please go to Awan's room with Madam Sun for a while. I will be well soon."
As for Sun Laohuo, he also had arrangements, "Brother Sun, don't worry. I will talk to Yaozu alone."
Old Sun hesitated for a moment, and when he saw his son lower his head again, he sighed inwardly, gave his wife a warning look, and went out first.
After Madam Sun arrived at Miao Wan's room, her eyes were no longer enough.
"Oh, you're using a blanket on the floor. What a waste! If my son had one for his bed, he wouldn't be cold in winter."
"Oh, there are pens, inkstones, and paper in women's rooms? In my opinion, why do women need to know how to read and write? They just need to take care of the men at home."
"This paper and ink are not cheap, right? Poor Yaozu, I still have to use straw paper to practice calligraphy..."
…
Miao Wan and Geng were both a little suffocated by Madam Sun's nagging.
Geng didn't dare to say anything harsh, as Miao Wan would not indulge Madam Sun.
She held her belly and said bluntly, "If Madam Sun hadn't had any evil intentions, with Sun Ada making money at home, wouldn't Yaozu be able to afford anything he wanted?"
Madam Sun was upset by the criticism, but she was not the kind of person who would throw a tantrum in front of outsiders. She was not the type to act like a bully at home.
After being criticized by Miao Wan, she could only wipe away her tears with resentment, "Yes, Madam Xiao Qiao, you are right. It's all my fault for being ignorant. I just wanted to make more money so that my son can have new clothes for the New Year. Who knew that my good intentions would lead to bad results."
"But this is not the only bad thing you have done with good intentions." Qiao Shengwen said coldly as he stood at the door.
This was the first time Miao Wan saw her father-in-law speaking with a cold face. The usually gentle man suddenly became cold and indifferent, which was quite scary. Even Miao Wan and Geng didn't dare to say anything.
Madam Sun was also a little uneasy and didn't dare to speak, but she kept looking back. When she didn't see her son, her tears were so strong that Miao Wan was confused.
No, you're crying like this in someone else's house during New Year's Day. We didn't do anything to you. Are you trying to find a teacher for your son, or are you here to make an enemy?
Qiao Shengwen looked at Madam Sun with a cold face, called out Old Sun, and asked the first question that stunned the couple.
"Do you know why your son failed the exam? Someone threatened him that if he dared to pass, his fingers would be chopped off."
Sun Laohuo widened his eyes, and then his eyes were filled with anger.
Madam Sun's reaction was even greater. She stood up suddenly and said sharply, "Who? Who threatened him? I'm going to fight that person to the death!"
"Yaozu, are you willing to tell Adaam what happened?" Qiao Shengwen pulled Sun Yaozu out and asked him in a gentle voice.
"Sir, I promise that no matter whether you are willing to say it or not, I will not let anyone hurt you again, not even you, Ada Amu."
Sun Yaozu raised his head, glanced at Ada quickly, and then lowered his head timidly.
After a while, he finally spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito.
"Because, because someone saw the money my mother gave me, they were afraid that I would pass the exam and not stay in the county school, and then they would have no money to spend."
"I'm afraid. I'm afraid that Ada will think I'm not doing well. I'm also afraid that if they find out, I'll be hurt..."
Sun Yaozu's incoherent words, along with the mottled scars under his lifted sleeves, made Madam Sun dumbfounded.
She understood what Sun Yaozu said.
Because she was afraid that her son would be laughed at, she gave the money to others in secret, but she didn't expect that this would harm her son.
Old Sun glared at Madam Sun, furious. "I told you, bitch, to be so low-key! You're afraid others won't know he has money on him, right? You've ruined our son!"
Miao Wan didn't expect to see bullying in this era. She couldn't help but quickly pull down Sun Yaozu's sleeve, fearing that he would be cold.
This child is only sixteen years old, which means he would just be in high school in later generations.
When Miao Wan heard what Sun Laohuo said, she felt angry and for the first time she did not stand on Sun Laohuo's side.
She looked at Sun Laohuo, "Sun Ada, please forgive me for the offense, but this isn't just Madam Sun's problem, right?"
Qiao Shengwen swallowed what he wanted to say. Some of his words were a bit too harsh, and Miao Wan's words were more appropriate.
"You must have scolded your son a lot at home for not living up to his expectations, not daring to speak loudly to others, and being too soft-hearted, not acting like a real son, right?" Miao Wan felt sorry for Sun Yaozu and became angrier the more she spoke.
"Madam Sun taught Yaozu to be gentle. He was afraid that if Ada knew about it, Ada would think he was useless, so he didn't dare tell his family. There are problems with both of you!"
Sun Laohuo was stunned for a moment, and his face became even uglier, because he knew that Miao Wan was right.
Seeing his son cowering behind Qiao Shengwen, Old Sun's eyes turned red and he squatted on the ground. "Awan is right, it's all my fault!"
Mrs. Sun staggered over, hugged her son and cried so hard that the whole Zhang family came over.
After learning what happened, Madam Zhang pulled Madam Sun away without any hesitation, "The child is injured, and you still hold him. Don't you feel bad? It's rare for a mother to treat you like this. If you don't want to raise your son, why don't you let my family raise him?"
Madam Sun just cried and shook her head, unable to speak.
Qiao Shengwen gently patted the somewhat uneasy Sun Yaozu, looked at Sun Laohuo meaningfully and said, "My promise to Brother Sun remains unchanged, but I have one condition. This child will live in my house from now on, and I have the final say in his upbringing. You and your wife are not allowed to interfere."
"No..." Madam Sun was unwilling. She wished she could look at her son with her own eyes from now on.
But Old Sun nodded directly, "Just as Mr. Qiao said, I don't ask for my son to be very successful, I just hope that he... is happy and healthy. The Sun family will always remember the Qiao family's great kindness!"
Sun Laohuo knew clearly what Qiao Shengwen's eyes meant. If he did not agree, his only son would be ruined in the future.
After Sun Laohuo dragged the limp Madam Sun out of the door, Madam Zhang touched Sun Yaozu's head with a distressed look on her face. "The Qiao family doesn't have a room for Yaozu to sleep in, right? How about sleeping at my place?"
Qiao Shengwen pondered for a moment, "No, just sleep in the same room with me. Awan's belly is getting bigger, so she needs someone around her. Xiaorui and my wife will sleep with Awan."
Seeing that Sun Yaozu was still uneasy, Qiao Shengwen smiled and glanced at Miao Wan. "I just tested Yaozu's knowledge. He is good at mathematics. He can help Awan with her accounts in the future. Is Yaozu willing to do that?"
Knowing that he was useful, Sun Yaozu felt a little relieved and nodded quickly.
Huh? Miao Wan's eyes lit up again.
She was worrying about how to settle the accounts after giving birth to a child after the New Year, and her father-in-law left her a well-behaved and gentle accountant!
Father-in-law is so cool!
The author has something to say:
The accountant is got~ Next chapter will slap Yu Maoyaner in the face.
I received two thousand. Thank you for your support!
Add more chapters, still two chapters today, but 10,000 words each!
See you at 21 o'clock for the second update~
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