Only Jian Ning had the key to the money box. Ding Youtian didn't ask her for it and she didn't give it to him. Anyway, if he needed money, she would give it to him as long as he used it for the right things. After all, they were the man and woman of the family, and the wine-making business was Ding Youtian's idea, so he naturally had the right to control the money he earned.
When Jian Ning took the money box from him, she had already taken out all the banknotes and silver from the Baicao Room and put it into the box. All the money she had earned was in there, almost filling the box. A small part of the wine and beverage orders came from Liu Xiazi, and the other large part came from Old Six Ding Youxing.
In the first half month, Lao Liu only brought in a few scattered orders, and Jian Ning was considering whether to give him a share of the profits. However, in the second half of the month, he made rapid progress and became unstoppable.
Zhang Mazi also owns a restaurant in Jin County. Because his parents didn't want to leave town, and this restaurant was his first, it was designated as his headquarters. Half a month ago, Lao Liu was transferred to the branch office to work as a waiter. Jian Ning had initially assumed that he wouldn't be able to take orders in the unfamiliar county town, but the opposite was true.
Jin County is located at the junction of three counties, and merchants from all over the country gather here. Lao Liu made a lot of flyers with bamboo strips, bought a basket of steamed buns, and hired a group of street beggars to help him distribute them every day. He also asked the beggars to shout about the fine wine from Yunwu Mountain, the hometown of Sun Wukong in Journey to the West, all over the street as a gimmick.
There were also storytellers in the county town telling stories about Journey to the West. They all bought the scripts from Blind Liu. Journey to the West was still quite popular in Jin County. Lao Liu asked the little beggar to bring the people who needed to place an order directly to Lai Fu Restaurant to find him. Anyone who brought someone would not only receive an extra steamed bun, but also a penny as a reward.
Jane Ning came over with her money box in her arms and sat down next to Ding Youtian, still thinking that she had underestimated Lao Liu. Then she realized that she had not only underestimated Lao Liu, but also underestimated Ding Youtian! Ding Youtian didn't even glance at the account book beside him. He muttered a number, scratched his fingers on the abacus a few times, muttered a number, and scratched a few more times.
She took the account book and listened carefully to him counting the numbers. He counted them one by one without making any mistakes, as if the account book had been eaten by him.
Oh my god, is this a top student?
This is true talent! She is just at the forefront of the times, taking advantage of the leading technology, plus having Baicaojian.
No, she shouldn't underestimate herself. She knows martial arts and medicine, so she's very strong! It's just that she's not good at shorthand. Everyone's abilities are different.
Ding Youtian was calculating the bills, but he didn't miss any of her subtle facial expressions. Knowing that she was shocked by him, the corners of his lips inadvertently curled up.
There's nothing I can do, he's just that strong!
Before he became Liu the Blind's disciple, Liu the Blind had taught him shorthand.
After a while, Ding Youtian pointed at the abacus and asked Jian Ning to look at it. Jian Ning tilted her head and saw the number on it was 509. She lowered her voice and asked, "Five hundred and nine taels of silver? Is that our net profit?"
When Ding Youtian reported the numbers, Jian Ning heard him deduct the cost of buying stick beans and the wages of Tian Chang and Tian Chang, as well as the losses in brewing and the cost of purchasing all the brewing equipment. The remaining number should be their net profit.
The price of wine was set by Blind Liu, at 160 wen per catty. He said this was affordable for most commoners who enjoyed wine. At a grand banquet, one tael of silver was 1,800 wen. They bought beans at two wen per three catties, so one catty of beans yielded six taels of wine. After deducting the loss of the first and last ounces of wine, they could still get five taels of wine per catty.
"This is simply huge profits!" Jane Ning exclaimed, her eyes full of joy.
Ding Youtian glanced at her and said, "Based solely on the quality of the wine, selling it at one hundred and sixty coins per pound is a bargain. Master wants this wine to be on the tables of ordinary people, otherwise he could make even more money."
A cup of fine wine from Xinfeng costs ten thousand.
A dou of wine was worth ten thousand coins. When Jane Ning first heard the price set by Blind Liu, she thought it was cheap. In the town, one or two ounces of low-quality wine cost three cents, but she was quite content with the small profit and quick turnover.
Jian Ning asked Ding Youtian to weigh the small change and count the silver bills in the box. Excluding the deposit and the small change from making dolls, there was still a little over 3,970 taels left.
"About the right amount. They gave us a hundred taels, Dabao spent a few taels on his studies, and we spent a little more on harvesting grain yesterday. This number is correct."
Ding Youtian nodded, put down the scale, and said hesitantly, "I heard from Master today that one jin of water chestnuts can only produce three liang of wine. We buy it at the price of beans, and the selling price has not changed. Master said that wine brewed from water chestnuts is more intoxicating, and the higher the alcohol content, the less alcohol it produces. How about raising the price to two hundred and eighty wen per jin?"
"Okay, but the order has already been made, so don't change it. Business should be honest. We're not losing money anyway. Just say the previous price is a reward for them, and the future order price will be 280 wen." Jian Ning took out 200 taels of silver notes and picked up a few silver ingots, handing them all to Ding Youtian. "Give it to your master, and give him the interest of 4%, and there's also money for buying pots and utensils. He's your master, so it's only right that he should eat with us. It's also only right that we support him in his old age."
"My wife is truly wise and understanding. How could I, Ding Youtian, have the goodness to marry such a virtuous wife like you?" Ding Youtian smiled and took a step forward. Jian Ning pressed the money box against his chest and said, "Stand there and talk. Don't move."
"I'm putting the money back." Ding Youtian calmly opened the money box and put the banknotes and silver ingots that Jian Ning had given him. "Master said that he's alone and there's no use for so much money. He's worried it might be stolen if he keeps it at home, so he asked us to keep it for him and ask him for it when he needs it."
"That's fine. I'm thinking of adding three more stoves. Let's expand the yard a little. We'll also dig a cellar in the backyard to store the wine, and build a shed in the front yard. And a carriage is also a priority. There are always more things to spend money on. With all this calculation, there won't be much left of these several hundred taels of silver."
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