Zheng Ruqian said quietly, "Although he brought up the price of two taels of silver for a roast duck himself, it is still too expensive and greatly reduces the profit of Youranju."
Merchants are profit-driven, and Manager Hao must have calculated this from the beginning. Raising ducks himself and hiring a master chef to roast them would be cheaper and would also ensure the taste is fresh and authentic.
The only drawback is that the cover-up and reluctance to speak out led Zheng Ruqian to blindly invest in ice and the villa.
But in business, investing money is common, and failure is not uncommon. If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for being too short-sighted back then, grabbing a sheep and thinking it would last.
“It was only after visiting Hebei County that I realized that a business that can truly last is either irreplaceable or has low profit margins.” Zheng Ruqian put down his teacup and said in a daze, “Since it’s not unique, it has to be profitable enough to stand the test of time.”
The roast duck business is a typical example. It's extremely profitable, but anyone can operate it. Even if Manager Hao doesn't stop cooperating, it will eventually be taken over by someone else.
If you do the math, they've really made a profit in the last six months.
"But..." Wang Xiaosong was still somewhat unwilling, "What about our ice and the villa?"
This time, Zheng Ruqian didn't say anything, but glanced at his little sister.
Jiang Sheng put her hands on her hips and said in a loud voice, "Brother Xiaosong is an idiot. Let's not even talk about how Binghe Bieyuan can transport other things. Even if we don't transport them, we won't lose money if we sell them as is."
Ice and the villa are not bubbles that can be blown away or melted when they come into contact with water.
Wang Xiaosong smacked his head, finally admitting defeat, "The boss is right, the boss is smart, I was stupid."
Our ancestors were right: read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.
Growth requires not only time, but also experience.
Looking at her increasingly composed second brother, Jiang Sheng cheerfully stepped forward and said, "Second brother, second brother, I know what you mean. I asked Youranju for 200 coins per catty for the dried green beans that Brother Xiaosong brought from Anshui County. I didn't overcharge them."
She tilted her round face up, clearly waiting for praise.
Zheng Ruqian couldn't resist pinching it, then pulling it outwards and lifting it up a bit.
The perfectly normal little girl suddenly bared her teeth and drooled.
Aunt Zhang's handwriting at the end was so illegible that only her brothers were admiring it with great interest.
"Hey, you idiot!" Jiang Sheng shouted angrily.
Zheng Ruqian then released his sister's soft little face and praised her with a smile, "Very good. At this price, Youranju will come to us again to buy dried green beans."
There are actually quite a few tricks to this.
Green beans are not expensive, and drying them is not a technical skill. When Youranju is in a hurry, they can sell them at a high price, but they certainly won't buy them a second time. They might even go and produce and sell them themselves.
If the price is too low, it won't cover the cost of transporting it from Ansu County, so it's better to sell it locally.
Two hundred coins is a middle price, cheaper than the self-produced and self-sold products of Youranju, and much more profitable than in Anshui County. It is a superior cooperation that can benefit both parties.
"Does the boss mean we should also grow green beans in Fengjing and dry them?" Wang Xiaosong, who had just made a foolish mistake, stepped forward, trying to make up for his image in the boss's mind.
Zheng Ruqian shook his head.
How can you grow green beans in Fengjing? In Fengjing, an acre of land costs more than ten taels of silver, and labor costs forty or fifty coins a day. Even if you sell the dried green beans for two hundred coins, you can still make a profit. You Ran Ju will definitely do it themselves.
"So we're going back to Anshui County?" Wang Xiaosong wasn't completely stupid. "But the round trip will take more than a month, just for this one cart of dried green beans?"
Zheng Ruqian tapped his head. "A dried bean that sells for fifty taels of silver in Anshui County sells for one hundred taels in Lafengjing. I'll give you five taels as a tip. Do you want to do it?"
After a month of hard work, I only received five taels of silver.
Wang Xiaosong almost jumped onto the roof beam, shouting, "Do it, do it, we have to do it!"
That solves the problem.
Zheng Ruqian has traveled extensively throughout the years, from the far south of Yuhang County to the far north of Hebei County. He has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience, but he is no longer the naive young master he once was.
If he previously only had a vague concept of "transportation," he has now discovered its importance.
The Great Yu Dynasty was a vast and resource-rich land, and many of its finest goods were enjoyed only by the local people; they were completely forgotten when the city was moved to another.
A few travelers may travel all over the country, taste and miss the food, but they are unable to take it away in large quantities.
Or, like in Anshui County, where labor costs are low and goods are inexpensive, goods can be sold for double the price if brought to Fengjing. Even after deducting transportation costs, the profits are still tempting enough.
Transportation is the process of moving goods across cities, which can bring fresh flavors to people in different places and also generate profits and price differences.
Dried green beans are just one example, and the ice blocks and villas in Anshui County are just one of his strongholds. In the future, his presence will be felt throughout the Dayu Dynasty. Every city will have villas and sufficient ice blocks, and anything can be transported from south to north and from east to west.
Zheng Ruqian stood at the doorway, the bright light shining in from outside casting his shadow on the ground.
Despite being only the size of a teenager and not yet fully grown and robust, he still made everyone feel tall and composed, as if he held the world and the mountains and rivers in his hands.
The room fell silent, a quiet atmosphere pervading everyone's senses.
After a long pause, Aunt Zhang smiled and asked, "So, what about our cooperation with Youranju?"
“Of course we should cooperate.” Zheng Ruqian turned around, his thin face showing his usual cunning. “They want exquisite ones, so Auntie will give them exquisite ones. With the high prices of Youranju as a backdrop, Jiuzhenfang’s affordable pastries will be even more popular.”
This is about making money from both the rich and the poor.
While Aunt Zhang chuckled, she was also a little worried, "I'm afraid I can't do it by myself."
“Auntie, just focus on expanding the workforce.” Zheng Ruqian waved his hand. “I won’t get involved in hiring people. Auntie, you can do it with peace of mind. In the future, when Jiuzhenfang becomes bigger and stronger, we might even be able to open a branch back in Anshui County.”
Just like Youranju, it spread throughout the Great Yu Dynasty.
Aunt Zhang's eyes shone brightly, whether from her ability to hire people at will or from the grand future that Jiuzhenfang might have.
Now only one question remains.
Zheng Ruqian lowered his head and looked at his sister with a smile, "Didn't you want to ask me why I brought back small chestnuts from Hebei County when Henan County has large chestnuts?"
"Why?" Jiang Sheng asked, covering her face.
Zheng Ruqian turned around and said proudly, "Because I discovered a new way to eat chestnuts in Hebei County."
A method of cooking chestnuts by stir-frying them in sand and stones until they are fully cooked and cracked is popular in two or three counties, including Hebei County, and is a must-eat delicacy for local people in winter.
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