Chapter 204: Unreserved Teaching
"Are you so frustrated?" Lu Songli looked at the dejected people. "If money was so easy to make, it wouldn't be your turn to earn it."
Wu Ren, Liu Erxi and others thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case.
It was all because of the smooth journey that they became complacent. They also forgot how hard it was to accomplish something and make a little money. Hardship and difficulty are the path they should take. There are very few people like the Sixth Young General and his wife who can hit the target with one move.
If Lu Songli knew what they were thinking, she would definitely tell them that she would always hit the target because she had already deduced countless possibilities in her mind and then rejected them one by one, leaving only the most feasible one.
Wu Ren remembered that when they went out to collect medicinal herbs today, the Sixth Young Master's wife asked them to bring fewer carriages and more people. It was obvious that she had already seen that there was a problem in Wuliu County and predicted the outcome of their trip. He wanted to learn such foresight.
So he humbly asked, "Sixth Young Master's Madam, how did you know we would get nothing in Wuliu County?"
Lu Songli laughed and said, "You guys have gained something, right? This isn't called nothing, is it?"
Wu Ren and Liu Erxi both looked at her resentfully, "Sixth Young Master's Madam, please stop talking. Five carriages were dispatched, and not one was full. It's shameful, so shameful."
Lu Songli was almost amused by them, "Since you want to know, then I will tell you."
Seeing that the Sixth Young Master's wife was having difficulty standing, Wu Ren looked around.
At this time, Qin Sheng brought in a long stool.
Lu Songli smiled at him, then sat down and adjusted her skirt slightly. She did have a lot to say next, so a stool would be just right for her.
Qin Sheng stood behind her, couldn't help but straighten his chest, and glanced at Wu Ren, "Young man, I know you are capable, but you can't take my life!"
Wu Ren didn't feel any resentment from his future master at all. He pulled Liu Erxi and Luo Tieniu to sit in the front.
The others who followed also sat down, and they also wanted to know what the problem was.
The brothers from Yang Wei's Escort Agency also gathered around. Who wouldn't want to learn how to make money?
Zhou Da also pulled Ma Jin to sit behind them. In just one meal, he discovered that Hu Guangcong knew a lot of things.
Suddenly, Zhou Da felt a sense of crisis. He had to study! He had to study until he died!
He will go and exploit Hu Guangcong later, so he must tell him everything he has learned along the way!
Seeing this, the Qin family also came over with interest and stood at the outermost edge.
When other people saw this, they consciously made way for them.
Lu Songli called out Lu Wei from the Yang Wei Escort Agency and said, "Tell everyone about what I asked you to find out about today at the teahouse outside Wuliu County."
Lu Wei is a down-to-earth person. He looks innocent and non-aggressive, which makes it easy for people to let down their guard. He is the perfect person to get information from.
Today they passed through Wuliu County and stopped at a teahouse not far from the city gate to rest for a while.
Lu Wei took the opportunity to ask the shopkeeper and his waiters about the situation of the local time-honored brands. And the reason for his inquiry was ready. He was about to return to Chang'an City and wanted to go to the local time-honored brands to bring some local specialties as souvenirs for his relatives.
The other party hesitated and thought for a long time before recommending one or two old stores to him.
But when asked how many years these two stores have been open, Fang found out that only one store has been open for four or five years, and there are not many such stores in Wuliu County.
Later, when Lu Wei was chatting with them, he talked about the Liucheng case. Whether it was the shopkeeper or the waiter, including the customers in the teahouse at that time, their reactions were all very surprised.
After hearing Lu Wei's words, everyone was still a little confused. Wu Ren asked without hesitation, "Sixth Young Master's wife, is there any truth in this?"
In fact, when he was listening, he had a flash of inspiration and vaguely felt that he had grasped something, but when he thought about it carefully, he found nothing.
There were quite a few people present who felt the same way as he did.
Lu Songli answered him, "We're going to a place where we're unfamiliar with the place. We can't just dive in and do business, right?"
Wu Ren and Liu Erxi looked at each other in bewilderment. Huh? Couldn't they? They just dove in. And that's what the Sixth Young Master's wife had always done with them before.
Lu Songli: "If you jump into a pool of water, you might end up with a bloody head." Because there might not only be fish in there, but also great white sharks. You definitely can't be reckless, or you'll lose everything and end up crying.
Wu Ren, Liu Erxi and the brothers who went out to purchase medicinal herbs today all looked embarrassed, feeling that the Sixth Young Master's wife was talking about them.
Wu Ren asked, "How do you determine whether a place is suitable for business?"
"You've asked a good question. To determine whether a place is a good place for business, we need to see whether it abides by the rules and is reasonable. This can be seen from the following three aspects." Lu Songli continued, "Places that abide by the rules and are reasonable can do big business. Otherwise, it's better to stay put."
Lu Songli began to break it down for them, "I just mentioned three aspects. First, let's see if there are many local brothels, pleasure boats, and temple fairs, and whether they are prosperous enough."
"If all these things are present and the city is prosperous enough, it means the local government officials are not old-fashioned and have more open minds, allowing everyone to make money and enjoy life."
"If there are none of these, or very few of them, or if the local officials are notorious for favoring agriculture over commerce, it means that the local officials are conservative and old-fashioned, and they don't allow people to make money in their territory, or even if they make money, they may not be able to take it away."
Qin Yan noticed that his sixth brother's wife remained calm when he mentioned this. He looked at his eldest brother, then at his third and sixth brothers, and found that they all looked calm, obviously used to this kind of situation.
The audience was thoughtful.
Only the three Qin brothers, as well as a small group of people including Wu Ren and Liu Erxi, thought it made sense, but the situation was different from that in Wuliu County.
"This point is actually not very applicable to the area we are in now, but it is applicable to the heartland of the Central Plains and the prosperous areas of the south of the Yangtze River." Lu Songli explained this point.
The three Qin brothers, as well as a small group of people including Wu Ren and Liu Erxi nodded secretly, and that's what they said.
Others: I don’t quite understand it, but I have to write it down!
Lu Songli continued, "Secondly, consider the availability of local lawyers. Lawyers make their livings by helping people file lawsuits. Who would seek out a lawyer? Businesses or ordinary people, when they encounter problems, they would seek out a lawyer."
"If there are many lawyers, and they all make a good living, then we can infer that local lawyers can make money, which means that litigation is effective. And then we can infer that there are laws here, and that this place, that is, the government, can be reasonable and not just a one-man show."
"Best of all, we'd also like to ask the locals about any cases of people suing officials in the past three to five years, and whether any of them involved people's property. We'd also like to ask if any wealthy businessmen have lost their fortunes because of conflicts with officials."
Makes sense!
Lu Songli explained this point very clearly and everyone understood it.
The more Qin Yan listened, the more surprised he became. Sixth brother-in-law taught them this? No wonder, their mental outlooks were so different.
"Finally, see if there are any time-honored businesses in this area that have been around for more than ten years. If there aren't any, it means even the locals can't make it, and it's even harder for outsiders."
In the Dali Dynasty, the term of office of each local official was about three years, and there could be three or four local officials in ten years. The existence of old brands shows that there are rules, or that someone is secretly maintaining the plan, and it does not rely solely on people.
These are all the experiences taught to her by her predecessors in her previous life.
Hearing this, Qin Yan was stunned. Sixth brother's wife, she just took out all this useful information as she said?
Not only Qin Yan, if Ji Wuyin were here, he would definitely be shocked and have a heart attack. He has been doing business for many years and has suffered many losses before he realized this. He is now hiding it and preparing to find a successor to pass it on. Lu Songli took out the money.
After Lu Songli finished speaking, the scene was very quiet for a while, and everyone was trying hard to absorb and digest what she said.
At this time, Qin Sheng handed her a glass of water.
Lu Songli gave him an appreciative look. After saying so much, she was indeed a little thirsty.
Lu Songli drank water silently without saying anything.
In this era, the channels for disseminating knowledge were restricted, and coupled with the aristocratic class's monopoly on books and knowledge, it was extremely difficult for ordinary people at the bottom to obtain valuable knowledge.
Often, their way of acquiring knowledge depended on the experience of their predecessors, that is, the teachings of their masters. However, this was also difficult, as apprenticeship required three years of apprenticeship, two years of service, and three festivals and two birthdays.
There are very few people like Lu Songli who are willing to teach.
Lu Songli is willing to give us advice, and I just hope that we can quickly train the first batch of talents.
Lu Songli planned that once the Qin family had established a firm foothold in Pingzhou and had conquered or controlled a territory, the next step would be to develop caravans and expand their business territory. All of this would require talented people to build and manage.
Her teachings were useful and many people present were inspired, among whom Wu Ren was the most inspired.
Later, the Liao merchants composed of Wu Ren, Liu Erxi and others emerged as a new force. They opened shops in various counties and prefectures of Dali, and competed with famous chambers of commerce such as Shanxi merchants, Guangdong merchants, and Jian merchants, and were no less inferior to them. They also made a lot of money for Lu Songli.
"Can you understand?" Qin Yan lowered his head and asked his nephews Qin Jia and Qin Han. He felt that his voice was a little dry.
Qin Jia nodded slightly, "I think I can understand."
Qin Han: "I can understand 80% of it."
Qin Yu held up a finger and said, "I only understand a little bit."
Qin Zhen: "I only understood a little bit."
Qin Yan looked at his three children, as well as the children of his fourth and fifth brothers. They all had confused expressions on their faces. He couldn't help but wipe his face, feeling the gap.
Study! Children must study hard! No matter what, they cannot fall too far behind other brothers and sisters!
At this time, someone in the crowd sighed, "I didn't expect that there are so many tricks in doing business."
Lu Songli finished her last sip of water and said, "What I'm saying is actually based on my experience for those who want to open a store in the local area."
Hmm? What does that mean? The smartest few people heard the hidden meaning in her words.
"You might get in touch with the pawnbrokers in Wuliu County and find something unexpected." Lu Songli smiled mysteriously. "Remember, keep it secret from others."
Wu Ren, Liu Erxi and others followed her instructions half-heartedly and finally brought back five carts of medicinal materials. They were all dizzy. What was going on?
At first, after listening to the analysis of the Sixth Young Master's wife, they thought there was no hope. Unexpectedly, after listening to the Sixth Young Master's wife and contacting the dental clinic, there was a sudden turn of events.
Oh my god, this business is so difficult!
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