Having this ambition is not a bad thing, but Manager Bai does not want his own interests to be harmed.
He pondered for a moment and said, "If you want to make money, you can send more vegetables, but you can't be biased, and you can't leave out the vegetables from Youranju in Xiyang County because of this."
"Of course." Zheng Ruqian patted his chest. "Uncle Bai, don't worry. Youranju in Xiyang County will always be the best. The mushrooms in Shili Mountain are about to sprout again. I will only supply them to you. I won't give them to anyone else."
Manager Bai nodded in satisfaction, "I can write a letter to Manager Anshui County, but whether he will accept it or not depends on your own efforts."
For example, attractive vegetable prices.
For example, consistent quality, or special products like cured meat.
Zheng Ruqian carried the envelope and expressed his sincere gratitude.
Actually, he had been thinking about it these past few days: why should Manager Bai take his vegetables and not other people's?
Because he can bring vegetables from afar when there are no vegetables available locally in winter.
This brings us to a crucial point: "transportation".
The Great Yu Dynasty did have a transportation industry, but most of the time it was just fast horses delivering envelopes and packages.
There really aren't any large-scale deliveries.
Even large restaurants like Youranju use local ingredients, local chefs, and local flavors to serve the local people.
The advantage is that locals are more receptive to it, but the disadvantage is that it loses the meaning of chain stores.
For example, people from Anshui County who are used to eating at Youranju Restaurant in Anshui County find that the taste is completely different when they come to Xieyang County, and their goodwill towards the Youranju brand drops sharply.
Zheng Ruqian had asked Manager Bai why he didn't collect vegetables from fixed locations and transport them to various parts of the country.
Shopkeeper Bai immediately laughed, "Do you know how long it takes to get from Fengjing to Anshui County?"
Zheng Ruqian, a country bumpkin who had only ever been to Anshui County, shook his head blankly.
"It will take a month." Manager Bai patted his shoulder. "A month at the fastest speed. If the cart is full of goods, it will take at least a month and a half. Tell me, what can be stored for a month and a half?"
Even in winter, it would smell, rot, and decay within a month and a half.
Even if it doesn't rot, no one would do such a thankless task as hauling cheap vegetables and meat around. They prefer to use what they have locally, and if they don't, they'll just have to put up with it.
"It's good that you have the idea of transporting things, but it's enough to just travel between two counties. You can't do this kind of work," Manager Bai said earnestly, offering his well-intentioned advice.
Zheng Ruqian appreciated the sentiment, but was still somewhat unconvinced.
He bid farewell to Pang Dashan and returned to the small courtyard.
Xu Mo and Fang Heng were not there, and the other younger siblings were busy with their own things.
Upon seeing him, Jiang Sheng was the first to stand up. "Second Brother is back!"
Zheng Ruqian nodded listlessly, "Mm."
We're about to go inside to rest.
Jiang Sheng tugged at his sleeve and asked with concern, "Second Brother, what's wrong? Did something unpleasant happen outside?"
Upon hearing this, his two younger brothers also gathered around.
"Why does Second Brother look so worried after going out?" Wen Zhiyun whispered. "Is business not going well?"
Zheng Ruqian nodded, then shook his head.
Actually, things went quite smoothly, but his burgeoning ambition was shattered by reality.
My mouth tastes bitter, but my heart tastes even bitterer.
"It's nothing serious," Zheng Ruqian said, trying to downplay the situation. "I just wanted to transport some vegetables, but they rotted before I could get them to their destination, and nobody wants to haul cheap meat and vegetables around everywhere."
This is true. The few escort agencies in the Dayu Dynasty always transported goods worth at least a thousand gold pieces each time.
Nobody would bring in cheap meat and vegetables.
But in this world, being worthless is relative.
Jiang Sheng blinked and asked, "Second Brother, how much money can you make from a truckload of vegetables? How long does it take?"
Zheng Ruqian did some mental calculations: "The net profit is two or three taels of silver. If the journey is long, it will take half a month, and if it's short, it will take seven or eight days."
“So, one person with one cart can earn two or three taels of silver in half a month,” Jiang Sheng said, counting on her fingers. “But Aunt Zhang can only earn three or five coins a day by embroidering handkerchiefs.”
After half a month, it only amounted to fifty or sixty coins.
This is the amount of money an ordinary person can earn in half a month.
Zheng Ruqian's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped the key to it.
Jiang Sheng rested her chin on her hands, her face full of longing. "I also want to go with my second brother to haul vegetables. Anyway, we're just idling around. Earning two taels of silver from a cartload of vegetables would be so appealing."
For a girl her age to earn two taels of silver in half a month was something she could never even dream of.
Zheng Ruqian slapped his forehead, as if he had suddenly realized the key point.
In the eyes of big shots, a truckload of meat and vegetables is nothing; the net profit of two or three ounces isn't even enough for a meal.
But for ordinary people, earning two taels of silver in half a month is already a dream come true.
Although the journey is long and the road is arduous, those who crave money can overcome any difficulty.
Most importantly, there are a lot of people like this.
Zheng Ruqian's previously lifeless eyes instantly became bright and alert.
He cupped Jiang Sheng's little face in his hands and gave her a quick kiss. "Little Jiang Sheng, it's so wonderful to have you."
Jiang Sheng was stunned, her mouth agape in an "o" shape, wondering what had gotten into her second brother.
Wen Zhiyun and Chang Yan, who were standing to the side, were also somewhat flustered.
However, after the chaos came resentment, especially from the fourth brother.
“Jiang Sheng kissed you last time, and now Second Brother kissed Jiang Sheng again, only I…” Xiao Wen Zhiyun almost wrung out the handkerchief.
Jiang Sheng snapped out of her daze and was about to say something to comfort her fourth brother.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open.
Fang Heng stopped at the door, panting. "Zhu Zhi has confessed."
Jiang Sheng almost jumped up, exclaiming with delight, "Really? Really? That's wonderful!"
But seeing that Fang Heng showed no joy at all, she tilted her head in confusion.
"He only admitted to misunderstanding Magistrate Xu, but he doesn't admit to framing and slandering us, let alone targeting us. He... he just wants to get away with it." Fang Heng became more and more angry as he spoke, and almost broke the doorknob.
In the laws of the Dayu Dynasty, misunderstandings could at most result in compensation, but slander could lead to imprisonment or execution.
Zhu Zhi's attempt to evade punishment was crude, but effective.
He could deflect everything onto a "misunderstanding," and if the wrongdoings of the constable Gao were investigated, he could downplay it, saying that he was "blinded by his subordinates."
This means that Xu Mo's hard work, even at the cost of being beaten up, was ultimately only to overturn the case for Magistrate Xu.
The culprit, Zhu Zhi, is still alive and even at large.
"Can't we find more evidence?" Zheng Ruqian's earlier surprise vanished, replaced by trepidation. "We've offended him so much; if he gets away with it, will we have a good future?"
Fang Heng didn't speak, but looked at Xu Mo behind him.
The group pondered how to find more evidence to definitively convict Zhu Zhi of his crimes.
Perhaps, there is someone who can...
"Gao, the constable!"
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