The Zhang family sends ten pigs to Washi every month, and the military camp sends more, about fifteen.
Generally, the Zhang family bought pigs from the countryside at the price of three or four cents per catty, killed and cleaned them, and then sold them to Wa City and the Gubei Army at the price of seven cents per catty, making a profit of one hundred to three hundred cents from the difference.
A pig weighs between 120 and 150 kilograms. The ones weighing 150 kilograms can be slaughtered directly, and the others are raised behind the Zhang family's house.
Miao Wan calculated that a pig's offal weighed about 30 kilograms, and the pig's trotters weighed 5 kilograms. They were not worth much, and the total could be sold for 15 copper coins, which was considered a lot.
The pig's head weighs about ten pounds. If someone is having a sacrifice, they will spend more money to buy the whole one, otherwise they will have to sell it at the same price as the pork.
Pork was nine cents a pound in the tile market, and she thought it was perfectly fine to sell braised offal at ten cents a pound, pig's trotters at fifteen cents a pound, and pig's head meat at twenty-five cents a pound.
Although Xining Town is relatively poor, there is a large population flow, and many of the merchants traveling back and forth are willing to spend money.
With twenty-five pigs, I can make about fifteen taels of profit every month just by selling the braised offal, pig's trotters and pig's heads, minus the cost.
A ten percent profit is one tael and five cents. Although the recipe and seasoning are provided by the Qiao family, the materials, labor and even the sales channels are all from the Zhang family. A fifty-fifty split would be bullying the Zhang family. A maximum of forty-six would be fair.
If Miao Wan only wants a 10% interest rate, the Qiao family will have to pay five taels of silver less every month.
Without considering the need to slaughter a few more pigs every month, the annual income would be sixty taels less.
Miao Wan and Madam Zhang calculated the account and spoke frankly, "The three of us haven't even established a firm foothold in Xining Town. Holding the silver and wanting to do something with it is like a child carrying gold through a busy market. The 10% interest is for buying seasonings, and I want the Zhang family to help us exchange the rest for useful things. The price will not exceed 30% of the net profit.
Let's set a one-year deadline. Whether or not the house can be sold, at least the Zhang family can open a shop. Then we can sit down and discuss it. What do you think?"
When Madam Zhang heard Miao Wan talk about adopting a godparent and then heard her calculations, she also realized what the Qiao family was planning.
Indeed, no matter what they do, it is not appropriate for the three daughters of the Qiao family to appear in person, as it is easy to attract attention. The Zhang family can barely be considered a local boss, so it is more convenient for them to get things done.
Mrs. Zhang had a smile on her face. She liked to talk openly.
Madam Zhang was very willing to meet Miao Wan's request. The Qiao family needed help, and the Zhang family could do things of equal value themselves. They also had many relevant acquaintances, and no one in the family would complain about the hard work as long as they could save more money.
The Zhang family built a blue brick and tile house, and spent most of the money the old couple had saved for most of their lives. Sanzhuang even borrowed some money when he got married, and just paid it back last year.
Mrs. Zhang felt a little anxious because she thought that her grandchildren would be old enough to get married in a few years.
She originally thought that the Qiao family would provide the recipe and the Zhang family would pay for the cost. Even if it was a 50-50 split, the Zhang family's annual profit would be enough for them to slaughter pigs for two more years.
All those things that went into the water were wasted anyway, so this was almost a no-cost business, and the Zhang family wasn't greedy.
After figuring it out, Madam Zhang patted Miao Wan's hand and said, "We can't let you down too much. I'll give the Qiao family 20% interest. No lower. What do you want in exchange? Your brothers at home are waiting for your orders."
This is what it means to be willing to be a godparent.
Seeing Geng nod, Miao Wan didn't refuse and became even more affectionate with Madam Zhang. "For the three of us, we need to be safe, so the walls of our house need to be raised. Winter is almost here, and the house is a bit drafty. The roof leaked when the snow melted a few days ago, and there's also a missing well. We can still clean up after the New Year when the weather warms up."
Miao Wan also wanted a house with blue bricks and tiles, and the floor of her house had to be paved with bricks. After the courtyard wall was raised, some broken tiles and blades had to be placed on it to prevent thieves. It would be best if it was a blue brick wall.
However, the braised goods have not started selling yet. Putting forward too many conditions will easily make the Zhang family unhappy. We can raise the conditions later when the braised goods sell well.
Madam Zhang nodded. "Someone in my family knows how to dig a well. I'll buy the tiles for the house and the bricks for the courtyard wall and have my family replace them for you. Just put a layer of clay putty on the house and it'll be ready. I'll have my son take a message to the neighboring families and my in-laws. Let's recognize our godparents first. I've given birth to three boys, and all I need is a caring daughter like you."
Both families understood the importance of godparents. Not to mention making money, the two families would have to visit each other frequently. When it came time to dig wells or do repairs at home, the people who came would be men, and there would have to be a man from the Zhang family to keep an eye on it.
If the two families were just neighbors, there would definitely be gossip. At this time, the godfather and godmother should be treated as real parents. If the Zhang family members come to help after they recognize them as godparents, there will be no gossip.
Before Zhang Dazhuang got married, Mrs. Zhang wanted a girl very much, but unfortunately she couldn't have one herself. Now she is very happy to have a daughter who can help the family make money.
Mrs. Zhang was thinking about making money and was very excited. She didn't sit for long and went back to tell the old man at home about what they had discussed.
Several daughters-in-law were present, and none of them disagreed this time.
Yu felt that Miao Wan's practice of exchanging profits for things was a bit too shrewd, but she thought that since Miao Wan had a recipe for braised meat, she must have other recipes to make money, such as milk cubes.
As long as it can make the Zhang family better, she doesn't mind having another smart sister-in-law who doesn't have to serve her.
The third daughter-in-law, Sun, felt that after Miao Wan could enter and leave the Zhang family openly, she would at least be able to learn the braising recipe.
Yang laughed the most happily, "If Donkey Egg and Dog Egg knew they had a aunt who could cook delicious food, they would be so happy."
The whole family was willing. The strong men had no say in the face of the female army. After lunch, they went to each family to inform them, and recognized them as godparents the next day.
Originally, this day was the day for slaughtering pigs, and slaughtering two pigs was not easy. There was naturally a reason why the whole family agreed to quickly recognize the godparents.
The first day when Madam Zhang came home, before she had time to send someone out to announce the banquet, Zhang Sanzhuang hurried back to ask.
"How's the negotiation going? The braised food I brought to the restaurant today was snatched up by a few Western merchants as soon as it was heated up. Many customers in the restaurant are complaining about not getting any. The owner urged me to come back and get the remaining food from our family. My father-in-law said that if our family can make it, we can send 20 kilograms of braised food to the restaurant every day."
Seeing that there is no problem selling at least 20 kilograms every day, who wouldn’t want to settle the matter quickly and make money as soon as possible?
With Geng, an elder who is familiar with all the rules, Miao Wangan felt particularly formal in his acquaintance.
Witnessed by neighbors and Zhang family relatives, Miao Wan kowtowed to Zhang the Butcher and his wife, changed her words with the Zhang family, and accepted the red envelope from her godfather and godmother.
Then, while relatives and friends were eating and drinking, Madam Zhang took Geng and Miao Wan to meet people.
Old Lady Yang, who was notified by her grandson Donkey to come to the banquet, saw that Madam Zhang was laughing so hard that she could not see anything, and she could not help but pull Madam Zhang to the corner and grumble to her.
"I heard that she was an official's wife from the capital who was exiled because of a crime. How dare you take in such a girl? She's pregnant and has four mouths to feed. How did your Zhang family get its money from the wind? If you need a daughter, I have plenty."
Old Mrs. Yang thought, your Zhang family has a lot of money, so it's okay if you want to do good deeds, why don't you do good to our family? After all, we are relatives with a clean record, why should you give benefits to outsiders?
When Madam Zhang heard the old lady's jealousy, she didn't bother to pay attention to her. She gave her second daughter-in-law a look and told her to talk to her mother in her family herself.
Yang quickly pulled Am back into the house to prevent her from being an eyesore to her mother-in-law. Yesterday, several people from the restaurant came to the Zhang family to order braised goods.
When the extra braised goods need to be bought, only their Erzhuang can go, and she can't let Am get involved.
Even after everyone left, it was not over yet. Geng brought some things from home, and Miao Wan presented recognition gifts to every member of the Zhang family.
Originally, the things should have been given to the person in front of her, but Miao Wan had other thoughts and agreed with Madam Zhang that she would deliver them personally after the person left.
Excluding the baby in Sun's belly, there were sixteen people in total, including five people in the first room, five people in the second room, four people in the third room and the old couple. She prepared sixteen sets of toiletries.
The things were wrapped in a plain handkerchief that Geng had taken from the embroidery shop. Inside was a boar-bristle toothbrush, a piece of translucent soap, and a black round ball.
Miao Wan explained carefully, "I asked Goudan for some pig bristles to make the toothbrush, which I used instead of willow branches. Dipping it in fine salt or brushing with toothpaste is more effective than chewing willow branches.
This soap is the same as soap nuts. It can be used for washing clothes and taking baths, but it cleans better than soap nuts.
The black one is a scented soap, specially used for washing hands and face. It's not air-dried yet, so it's a little soft. It's best to air it for another seven or eight days so it can be used longer. The northwest wind is strong here, so it's easy to get chapped skin and frostbite. Using scented soap to wash can prevent that."
She made the toothbrush not long after she came to the Northwest, and she made the soap a few days ago and it was just ready to use today. Her family didn't buy much meat, so she only made twenty pieces in total.
Originally, she thought that if the Zhang family was not a good partner, she would just keep a low profile and sell the toothbrush and toothpaste recipe.
Then she rented a shop and hired people to sell soap and perfumed soap, as well as facial cream and rouge, all of which she knew how to do.
Since she had become a godparent and was going to cooperate, she was too lazy to bother with this matter. Later, her belly grew bigger and bigger, and her energy could not keep up. It was more reliable for the Zhang family to come forward directly.
The more she explained, the brighter the Zhang family members' eyes became. Pig bristles are also useful?
These days wood is even less valuable than sewage, so a toothbrush has no cost at all.
It looks better than willow branches. In winter, when there are no willow branches, they use ginger water to rinse their mouths. The smell is so intoxicating.
Zhang Sanzhuang was the smartest one. He had taken half a day off to visit his relatives. He was just waiting for the braised food to be ready and was about to take it to the restaurant. He couldn't help but ask, "How much are the toothpaste, soap, and this fragrant soap?"
Miao Wan smiled and shook her head. "It's not expensive. Pancreas is made from pig pancreas, which is cheaper and can be sold for three cents a piece. Soap is made from lard and sells for five cents a piece. Both can be used for a long time."
It happened that they had just slaughtered a pig, and everyone in the family had their hands stained with grease. Mrs. Zhang took out a piece of soap and a piece of fragrant soap, and everyone in the family couldn't wait to try it.
The fragrant soap is still a little soft when you pinch it. After washing your hands, the back of your hands feel smooth but not greasy.
The soap washed the blood-stained apron clean, even the old blood stains were washed off, and it also had a faint fragrance.
Whether it is scented soap or soap, it is better than wood ash and soap beans!
The Zhang family was convinced. Pig pancreas was not expensive, but it was as good as the facial cream used by wealthy families.
Although soap is made of lard, it has its own fragrance. I'm sure traveling merchants and wealthy families will like it.
The most important thing is that their family is a butcher!
Anything related to pigs is cheaper than other places!!
After thinking it over and listening to Miao Wan, she decided to let the Zhang family sell it. Even Mrs. Zhang's breathing became rapid.
As the eldest daughter-in-law, Yu knew better than anyone else how her mother-in-law talked with the Qiao family.
She felt a little uncomfortable at first. The Zhang family hired people to do the work cheaply. For the same amount of money, the Zhang family had to do more work for the Qiao family, and they also had to pay for the labor and cooking. No matter how you looked at it, the Zhang family was at a disadvantage.
Now she doesn't think so at all. Let the Zhang family bear more of this loss!
She is willing to eat it for the rest of her life!
"My daughter, just tell us what you want to do and we will do whatever you say!" Butcher Zhang said loudly, patting his belly.
Geng was startled by Butcher Zhang's loud voice. She looked at her daughter-in-law with complicated eyes, who was smiling more and more obediently, and she understood one thing.
She is not an ordinary daughter-in-law.
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