Chapter 121 Arrangement

Xu Lingning was busy getting rice from the rice warehouse in Tongzhou, while Shiyi Niang was listening to Jiang Bingzheng's reply: "...There are only two perfume dew shops in Beijing. The one on East Street sells perfume for women to rub on their bodies, and the one on West Street sells perfume for fruit shops to make fruit dew." He was very excited when he spoke, "The one on East Street sells perfume in small glass bottles. The expensive ones can be bought for three taels of silver, and the cheap ones can be sold for eight cents of silver. As for the one on West Street, three or four taels of silver can buy a porcelain jar, which is very cheap. Madam, you want to open a perfume dew shop, right? I think this idea is feasible." As he spoke, his smile became extremely proud, "You will never guess who owns the shop on East Street?" Without waiting for Shiyi Niang to answer, he smiled cunningly, "It belongs to the fifth lady of our mansion."

Eleventh Lady was shocked.

I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence.

"When the time comes, we'll tell Madam Wu, and she'll definitely take the shop back. Then we'll pay a lot of money to keep the shop's employees, servants, and flower dew craftsmen, and change the name. It will be our own idea!" Jiang Bingzheng looked at Shiyi Niang triumphantly, "It doesn't take any effort at all."

No wonder he was kicked out by Manager Tao, he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

"Then you must find out clearly, how many bottles of the most expensive flower dew they sell every day? How many bottles of the cheapest flower dew they sell every day? How much is the total sales every day? Who buys the most expensive flower dew? Who buys the cheapest flower dew? Have you found out clearly one by one?"

Eleventh Lady asked one question after another, changing her usual gentleness and becoming more aggressive. Jiang Bingzheng's face turned red and he stammered, "This, these are the business secrets of each family. How can you show them to others so easily?"

"Well, I'll tell you." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "You squat in front of the flower dew shop and watch from morning till night to see who comes in and out and what they buy. That's it!"

Jiang Bingzheng's eyes widened.

Shiyi Niang's words were completely expert talk. But who told her this? Mother Tao? No, Mother Tao shouldn't understand this? Did Yang Huizu tell her? No, Yang Huizu was smart, but he had never visited a shop... For a moment, he murmured at a loss.

Although she had never done business, Shiyi Niang's mother in her previous life was a businesswoman. She was influenced by her mother and there was a time when she wanted her daughter to follow in her mother's footsteps, so she knew a little bit about it.

From the look on Jiang Bingzheng's face, she knew that he knew that some basic preparations had to be done before doing business, but he was just fooling her by saying that she was a young girl and didn't understand and was too lazy to do it.

"Since you haven't found out everything yet, please find out and then give me an answer!" said Eleventh Lady, picking up the teapot.

Jiang Bingzheng retreated in a somewhat wolfish manner.

Eleventh Lady looked at his back and told Amber, "Go and give a message to Yang Huizu, asking him to keep an eye on Jiang Bingzheng. Otherwise, he will do something deceitful and fraudulent under the name of Yongping Marquis' Mansion."

"No way!" Amber whispered, "Does he have the guts?"

"I know this kind of person best." Eleventh Lady sneered: "He is going to follow me to Yanjing to make a fortune. Just let Yang Huizu keep an eye on him. It's a good opportunity to see what kind of person Yang Huizu is!"

Amber went away in response, but was stopped by Eleventh Lady: "Go find Wan Yizong for me!"

"Yes!" Amber hurriedly arranged for someone to call Wan Yizon over.

Wan Yizong had a few pieces of paper in his arms and took them out to reply to Shiyi Niang: "When melons first come on the market, they can be sold for four cents each. When it comes to the peak season, they can only be sold for two cents each. Apples are eight cents per pound, plums are five cents per pound, pears are two cents each, and walnuts are nine cents per pound..."

"Okay, okay, bring it over to me and show it!" Eleventh Lady was very excited when she saw that he was stuttering.

Wan Yizong blushed and handed the paper over.

Luyun took it and handed it to Shiyi Niang, who was stunned.

There are crosses and dots painted on it like ghostly characters, comparable to Martian language.

Wan Yizong murmured, "I, I can't read..."

Eleventh Lady handed him the paper and asked, "Do you think this fruit tree can be planted?"

Wan Yizong nodded repeatedly and said, "I asked a family nearby who grows fruit trees. They only have twelve mu of land, and they grow pears and plums all over it, but they earn sixteen taels of silver a year."

Eleventh Lady said "Oh" and asked, "How did you know?"

Wan Yizong said: "I squatted at their door for several days and was almost mistaken for a beggar by their family - I counted how many baskets of pears and plums they sold every day. The method is a little slow, but it works."

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but nodded secretly.

This Wan Yi Zong is a man who gets things done!

She thought for a moment and said, "Yesterday, Manager Bai brought the lease and money for the 500 mu of sloping land. I'm sure you know about this. If I let you go to Lord Chen to manage the sloping land, are you sure you can take over completely in ten years?"

Wan Yizong was stunned: "Madam, do you think I did something wrong..." His tone was very frightened.

Eleventh Lady said hurriedly, "It is precisely because you are very capable that I want you to take care of the slope. You know, this kind of fruit tree is a technical job. Although you are a little older, you still have three sons. If you learn this trick from Master Chen, you will benefit a lot in the future. Although ten years is a bit longer, you can't eat hot dumplings in a hurry."

Wan Yizong understood immediately and knelt on the ground and said, "Madam, don't worry. If I can't even do this little thing well, I would have come all the way from Jiangnan in vain."

Eleventh Lady nodded in satisfaction and said, "I have asked around. A farmhand like you only gets seven cents a month. Daxian might get a little more, five cents. Adding Erxian and Sanxian, it's only three or two cents. That's only fifteen or sixteen taels a year. You have a wife at home, so your life is too hard. You don't have to talk to Master Chen about this after you pass away. I'll give you ten taels a year."

Wan Yizong was overjoyed and Lianlian kowtowed to Shiyi Niang.

Shiyi Niang asked Luyun to help him up and asked his three sons: "...Have you arranged a marriage?"

Wan Yizong's eyes darkened and he said, "My family is struggling, I can't afford to worry about these things!"

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly and said, "Chief Steward Bai and Lord Chen have agreed to hand over the land on November 16th, so you should go there by then. I will go with you to the sloped land on December 20th."

Wan Yizong nodded "yes", and Shiyi Niang spoke to him for a few more words, sent him away, and called Chang Jiuhe over.

They had been left alone in the house in Goldfish Lane for some time, and he had been feeling nervous for a long time. When he was called by Eleventh Lady, he seemed very uneasy. After paying his respects to her, he stood timidly at the door of the house.

Eleven asked him, "I have a house and a farm in Yanjing. Would you like to go to the farm? Or would you like to help me look after the house?"

Chang Jiuhe knew that Wan Yizong had been helping Shiyi Niang. Since the slope land was rented out, only Shatian was in hand. Shiyi Niang must want to give Shatian to Wan Yizong to manage. After all, Shatian was her own property, and the slope land was rented to others. He had long given up hope, so he answered obediently: "It's all right, it's all right, Madam, just give me your orders."

"Then help me take care of that piece of sand!" Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "When the time comes, plant some peanuts, melons, etc. Since you have two sons to help you, it shouldn't be a difficult task!"

Chang Jiuhe looked at Shiyi Niang in astonishment.

Naturally, he was willing to go to the farm. If nothing else, he could raise two chickens and collect some eggs so that the children could have some snacks. It was not like taking care of a house. Although it was easy, he had no outside income except the wages.

Chang Jiuhe was afraid that he would lose the job if he hesitated, so he knelt down and kowtowed to Shiyi Niang.

Shiyi Niang asked him to find Manager Bai and ask him how to grow crops on sandy land - Chang Jiuhe was also a good hand at growing rice, but he was not very good at this aspect.

He left with a smile on his face and a respectful voice.

Eleventh Lady called Liu Yuanrui over again: "Can you help me look for a house in Goldfish Lane?"

Unconcealable surprise overflowed from the corners of his eyes and brows.

Before he came, his wife told him to fight for the job of managing the house. The prime minister's doorman, an eighth-rank official, said that it was the benefit of close service. If he went to the farm, the emperor was far away and the wife could not even recognize the face of the people. Moreover, the wife of the previous marquis had kept many people working in the inner house. If one of them was favored by the wife and liked his job, it was possible that they would be replaced. Although he was not as free as in the farm, this was Beijing. His wife often went out for a walk, and an ordinary embroidered shoe pad could be sold for a penny. They could open a small plot of land behind the house to grow vegetables, embroider some flowers and sell them to supplement the family income. If they got familiar with the neighbors, they could also help others with weddings and funerals, and the income in a year would be considerable.

He responded “yes” repeatedly.

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Then you can tell your wife a message. If your wife agrees, you and the eldest son of the Wan family will start to clean up the house tomorrow. If she disagrees, I will find you another job."

Liu Yuanrui was stunned.

Whose master would say such words when sending someone on an errand?

But he didn't dare to say anything, he just lowered his head and said, "Madam, please tell me, my wife will definitely agree."

How could such a shrewd woman not have her own little plans?

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Whether she wants to plant vegetables or fruit trees in my house, she must not destroy the current scenery and pull out all the flowers and plants I have planted. As soon as I enter the house, I will smell the smell of feces. As for going out to host weddings and funerals, she must not use the name of Yongping Marquis's Mansion."

Liu Yuanrui was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat.

It seemed as if Eleventh Lady had heard the private conversation between him and his wife... But every word was true. He was honest to begin with, and now he was even more uneasy, so he could only say "yes".

Shiyi Niang smiled and let him go back.

Two days later, he called a few people over and explained their respective division of labor.

The other three had received the letter long ago and had discussed it with their families. They all had to fulfill their wishes. Not only did they not object, but they were also afraid that Shiyi Niang would regret it. Only Jiang Bingshan was assigned to another more desolate house of Shiyi Niang. He was very dissatisfied. He did not dare to say anything in front of Shiyi Niang. He privately urged the other three to find Shiyi Niang for reassignment. None of the three paid any attention to him. They all moved to their own places according to Shiyi Niang's instructions. Those who were going to renovate their houses began to renovate their houses, and those who were going to renovate their farms began to renovate their farms. Jiang Bingshan could not make any trouble alone, so he stopped for the time being. He focused on the idea of ​​Xianglu Shop and wandered around the shop every day.

Eleventh Lady is not afraid that these people will not obey her management, but she wants everyone to have a satisfactory ending, which will give them more motivation and do a better job than forcing them.

Amber couldn't help but worry: "... Could it be that I really ask Madam Wu for her shop?"

"Of course I can't say anything." Eleventh Lady frowned. "I hate bullying the most. How can you use such means? Think about it, there are many talented people in Yanjing, but there are only two perfume shops. I'm afraid there are a lot of things going on. Why should we cause a big trouble for a few taels of silver? Let's wait until the Second Madam comes back to see if there are any other solutions."

In fact, Eleventh Lady suspected that this perfume shop was related to the Second Lady.

Although making perfume is not a high-tech thing, if you want to mass produce it, there is a problem of shelf life, which is not something that ordinary people can overcome...