Chapter 85
"Brother Song, please don't be anxious. Just listen to me first."
Song Sanlang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then you go first, Fu's sister-in-law."
Yu Ying analyzed the situation with him and said, "If it was just Brother Song San running the stall, he definitely wouldn't be able to make this much money, right?"
Judging from the fact that Song Sanlang had to ask for help, the amount was probably even less than the eighty cans she had thought.
Song Sanlang is still self-aware of this.
Nodding in response: "Indeed, I can't."
"I'm far away in Yu County, and Brother Song can't discuss everything with me. But you've made the right decisions and brought me good results. I can't thank you enough. How could I exploit your profits?"
Yu Ying had just heard about the sales figures Song Sanlang had mentioned, and she calculated the figures in her mind.
He had been promised that the two grades would be calculated at four and six cents respectively, but now they are eighty-seven and fifty-eight cans respectively.
So the corresponding amount is 348 coins, and he should be given a total of 696 coins.
Even if he was frugal with his food and drink, he would still spend seven coins a day. That means he would have to spend nearly three hundred coins in these forty days, plus one hundred and twenty coins for rent.
After deducting the expenses of about four hundred coins, he only had two or three hundred coins left.
After deducting the two hundred wen Miss Su's wages, there was not much left.
In that case, why not treat this stall as a small shop? Song Sanlang is the manager, and Miss Su is the employee. If she can earn more profit, as the owner, she will definitely not be stingy.
"I've been busy for over a month, and I only earn twenty or thirty cents. Even if Third Brother Song doesn't mind, I don't want to be the skinner this week."
While Song Sanlang was still thinking, Yu Ying made the decision: "Let's do this. For me, an extra two hundred coins a month is still a lot of profit."
Song Sanlang's expression was somewhat solemn, but he couldn't help but say, "But this is the person I hired. I don't think it's right to let Fu's sister-in-law pay for his wages."
Yu Ying said solemnly, "I think this is the most reasonable thing. If we all make money together, the business will last longer. If I am the only one eating rice while others only have rice soup, I am afraid this business will not last long. Besides, business is business, and friendship is friendship. I will never hesitate to give what I deserve."
Song Sanlang was silent.
Yu Ying added, "Besides, if the profits are good by the end of this year, maybe we can open a small shop in this county seat next year. Then we can ask Madam Su to help with the work for a long time."
When Song Sanlang heard that Fu's sister-in-law was going to open a shop in the county seat, a look of surprise appeared on his solemn face, but then he thought of the current profits and realized that if she opened a small shop, she could also make a profit.
"By the way, please ask Brother Song San to talk to Miss Su and tell her that by the end of the year, she will receive dividends based on the stall's profits."
Song Sanlang was startled and said, "Seven cents is actually quite a high wage, and you're still paying bonuses?"
Yu Ying smiled. "This could motivate Miss Su. Before the announcement, she might only sell four cans a day, but after the announcement, she might be able to sell six. And I only need to give Miss Su a few cents from the profit from the extra two cans. It's a sure-win business no matter how you look at it."
At the end of her words, Yu Ying looked at him and said, "Third Brother Song, think about it carefully. Is this true?"
Song Sanlang thought carefully for a moment.
He was working under the nobles at the time. If he was rewarded according to his labor at the end of the year, he would definitely work harder.
Thinking of this, Song Sanlang agreed: "This will indeed make us work harder."
Yu Ying didn't talk about Miss Su, and then talked about her current survival.
"It's only a little over half a month away from the end of the year. Many people are doing year-end shopping, so there are still over 140 cans of facial cream left after half a month. Obviously, it's more than enough."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "But I'm thinking about whether I should make more, and then find a way to sell more during the upcoming New Year holiday."
Song Sanlang suggested, "The previous method of giving away trial samples of facial cream was quite good. At least one or two out of ten people would come back to buy it."
Yu Ying shook her head. "This method is no longer new. Besides, I went around the market today and found that other stalls were also giving away trial facial creams. Even if we were to give them away, we'd better give away something different from facial cream."
Song Sanlang asked suspiciously, "But our stall is dedicated to selling facial cream. What else can we give away?"
Yu Ying pondered for a moment before saying, "Although I'm in the facial cream business, most of my customers are women. Since women are willing to spend money on facial cream, even those with a little spare money can afford rouge and powder..."
After a pause, Yu Ying suddenly had an idea and a smile appeared on her face: "I have an idea of what to give."
Song Sanlang's face was full of confusion.
Yu Ying said to him, "Make lip balm."
How could she forget that the facial cream business can actually also be used as a lip balm business!
Yu Ying thought about this and said, "I'll prepare it tomorrow morning after I go shopping and bring it to you before you close your stall."
Then he added, "I'll make a small amount to give away first, and I'll also make a normal amount of lip balm to sell."
After discussing my thoughts with Song Sanlang, it was almost time to go back.
The five thousand coins weighed more than thirty pounds. If Yu Yingruo carried the basket back alone, it would take half an hour to carry it, and her hands would probably be tired. Therefore, Song Sanlang carried the basket and almost delivered it to the inn before leaving.
Yu Ying returned to her residence in the inn, closed the door, and then opened the package in the basket. What caught her eye was the basket full of copper coins.
Maybe Song Sanlang strung the coins together according to the number of days, so each string of money is different.
Yu Ying took out all the copper coins from the basket, placed them on the table, untied the hemp ropes one by one, and then began to count the copper coins happily.
She first counted out the silver for Song Sanlang and Su Niangzi and strung them together separately, totaling nine hundred and forty-one coins.
The total cost was 2,400 wen, including the rent for the stall and Song Sanlang's food and lodging, which was about 600 wen.
We also have to deduct the 10% interest given to my elder brother and sister-in-law, and the final profit is about 1,500 wen.
Although it was only about 1,500 coins, it was almost enough for an average poor family to live on in a year.
And we are making money now, which is just the beginning, so it means that things will only get better in the future.
Compared to half a year ago, when she had to earn a few cents at a time, now it may only take about three months to earn the money to redeem her elder brother. This was something Yu Ying had never dared to imagine at the time.
With an income of 1,500 wen, plus the sale of some medicinal herbs over the past month, and despite having spent more than 5,000 wen on renting land and hiring people to open up wasteland, Yu Ying still has about five taels of silver in her small treasury.
With this amount of money, you can buy a small house in Yu County.
But the current situation is unstable, and Yu Ying still thinks renting a house is the safest option.
Because of the big harvest today, Yu Ying hummed a little tune while stringing up the copper coins one by one. When she was halfway through counting, a servant brought her food, so Yu Ying temporarily interrupted her meal and then went to take a bath.
By the time he started counting the coins again, it was already completely dark.
She hadn't seen Fu Wei the whole time. He must have gone to the county government with the magistrate for a banquet in the afternoon.
*
The county magistrate's mansion was brightly lit with candles, the sound of stringed instruments was endless, and dancers were swaying their graceful figures in the center of the banquet.
The county magistrates flattered the prefect, and their staff were toasting each other, chatting and laughing at the table, creating a lively scene of drinking and toasting.
The banquet was so prosperous and lively that it seemed as if Cangwu County was a peaceful and prosperous country with people being wealthy. It was impossible to tell that Cangwu County was a lower-class county among the 190 counties in the country.
Fu Wei put on a hypocritical smile and dealt with staff from other counties.
The staff of other counties looked down on him and Yu County, and all had a sense of superiority.
Someone said, "I heard that Mr. Fu, who serves under Magistrate Zhou of Yu County, was once the adopted son of the prefect of Wuling County. Since he's an adopted son, he must have some skills. I wonder if he can ride a horse or shoot arrows?"
Another staff member in his thirties laughed and said, "Young Master Fu has a broken leg. You're asking him to ride a horse and shoot arrows. Isn't that embarrassing for him? It would be more convenient to ask him to pour you a glass of wine."
Upon hearing this, Qian Muliao's face darkened slightly.
Fu Wei, however, smiled and picked up the wine jug to pour wine for the person who was speaking: "Although my legs are disabled, my archery skills are still decent."
Seeing that he really poured the tea, Qian's face became even worse, but the others laughed and gradually ignored him.
Upon hearing this, the staff member, who was about thirty years old, said, "Since your archery skills are decent, why not show us one?"
This statement clearly showed that Fu Wei was just an actor to relieve boredom.
The prefect, holding his beautiful concubine, saw his staff laughing heartily. He raised his hand, and the music gradually died down. After silence, he asked, "What are you all talking about that makes you seem so happy?"
The staff member who had asked Fu Wei to demonstrate his archery skills stood up and responded, "Your Excellency, this staff member Fu brought by the Yu County Magistrate said that although he has a disabled leg, his archery skills are not bad. I will let him shoot a few arrows to entertain everyone."
Everyone's eyes fell on Fu Wei.
Fu Wei bowed to the county governor.
The prefect became interested and said, "That's a good suggestion. Come on, bring up the target."
Fu Wei said, "If I'm the only one shooting arrows, I'm afraid I won't be able to help the fun." He smiled at the staff member who had just made the suggestion and said, "I see calluses on the joints of Mr. Gu's left palm, and on the index and middle fingers of his right hand. He's obviously a good archer, too. How about joining us?"
The man called Mr. Gu was stunned. He obviously didn't expect Fu Wei to drag him into this. He also became a laughing stock.
The prefect said, "Why don't you two have a competition? I'll give a reward to whoever wins..." He paused, looked around the crowd, and finally his eyes stopped on the beautiful dancer. He immediately had the dancer called over and said with a smile, "Whoever wins will spend the night with this beautiful dancer."
Fu Wei's eyes narrowed slightly, and he secretly clenched his palms. Then he bowed and said, "Sir, I have difficulty walking... I'm afraid I can't accept this reward."
His words made everyone's expressions become subtle. Some people thought to themselves, it's the foot that's broken, not the two pounds of meat, so why be so reserved?
Some people did not think of this and just felt that he was really powerless.
Gu Muliu laughed teasingly and said, "Young Master Fu is refusing like this, as if he can defeat me."
Fu Wei just smiled and said nothing.
The prefect was also very interested. He pulled off the golden hairpin from his concubine's head and said with a smile, "You can have both the beauty and the hairpin, or just one."
County Magistrate Zhou looked at Fu Wei with worry in his heart.
When he came to the banquet today, he had already anticipated that the banquet would not go smoothly.
Yu County is the last of the seven counties and has been troubled in previous years. This year, the blame will probably be directed at Fu Wei.
As expected, everyone would use Fu Wei to belittle Yu County.
I had originally thought of not bringing Fu Wei to the banquet after visiting the county governor, but I didn't expect that he would still have to attend.
If Fu Wei loses now, I'm afraid Yu County will continue to be the laughing stock of other counties.
Gu, the staff member who asked Fu Wei to shoot arrows, was the staff member of Wu'an County, which was only better than Yu County among the seven counties. Now it was just a matter of the pot calling the kettle black, but there was no doubt that if he could make Yu County look bad, no one would laugh at Wu'an County.
Qian Muliao whispered beside Fu Wei, "Gu Muliao's father was once a thousand-man commander of mounted archers in the army, and Gu Muliao has also been practicing archery since he was a child. Are you sure you can defeat him?"
Fu Wei still had a gentle smile on his face: "I have also been practicing archery since I was a child."
He has been practicing archery since he was a child. His adoptive father was also a county governor and commanded an army.
Staff member Qian was still worried: "Staff member Gu has all his limbs intact, and you... this is a bit unfair."
Fu Wei shook his head: "It's okay."
At this time, the target was raised, and someone took out two ordinary bows and arrows weighing about 20 pounds and gave them to the two men respectively.
Because the two were competing in archery and one of them had both legs disabled, everyone's attention was immediately distracted from the beautiful dancer.
Gu Muliao glanced at Fu Wei, his eyes revealing a look of disdain. He said, "If Mr. Fu can defeat me, I will pay my respects to you as a junior and call you Sir. If you lose, how about calling me Grandfather three times?"
Fu Wei smiled and said, "Mr. Gu wants to be my grandfather, but I'm afraid he will be disappointed."
As soon as Fu Wei said this, everyone couldn't help laughing.
Staff member Gu scoffed and said with a disdainful smile: "Don't speak too early."
The rules of the game are very simple. There are five arrows in total, and the one whose arrows get the most close to the bull's eye wins.
Fu Wei asked Qian Muliao to turn his carriage sideways toward the target, and he adjusted the angle of the arrow himself.
Gu Muliao withdrew his gaze from him, then held his breath, loaded the arrow, drew the bow, aimed at the target, and the next moment, the arrow flew away.
The target has five rings. Although Gu Muliao's first arrow did not hit the center of the target, it was only slightly offset and was still in the center of the target.
Fu Wei sat sideways, loaded the arrow and pulled the string, squinting his eyes slightly at the target. The surroundings were exceptionally quiet, and he waited for a moment when the wind started to blow.
After a moment, the wind stopped, he opened his eyelids, his eyes suddenly became sharp, and the arrow flew away.
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