Chapter 91: A porcelain workshop turned into a toilet shop?
7,500 taels of silver.
This is the money left over after three years.
That's equivalent to 7.5 million RMB.
Su Jingge looked at the disaster relief funds issued by the imperial court, which totaled more than tens of millions of taels of silver. The money had been squandered by Zhao Zhou, a mere county magistrate.
He truly deserves to die!
That's all.
"I understand, you may leave," Su Jingge said to Fan Tong.
However, there are still many shops in the city that Zhao Zhou built privately. If those shops were to close down, they would lose a lot of money.
At the same time, workers will lose their jobs.
Regardless, it is still an illegal structure.
What should I do...?
She pondered that the ground had now been repaired, the city walls had been restored, and excavations had been made.
Trade routes will be more accessible.
Closing the store would not be appropriate.
Then we need to find a suitable reason not to close the shops, so that those shops can be considered legitimate.
Thinking of this, Su Jingge moved to a neighborhood in the city.
One of the privately owned houses originally belonged to a brothel dancer. Due to old age and fading beauty, she redeemed herself and, with some money left over, started a cosmetics business.
At the time, Zhao Zhou valued her different status, so the shop sold for 50% more than a normal shop.
Even if the singing and dancing girl doesn't buy it, and she does buy it elsewhere, the transfer of ownership still requires the government's seal. It's no wonder Zhao Zhou would give her the seal.
That's why they had no choice but to buy it at a high price.
However, business is so-so...
There was also a ceramics shop.
The situation is similar to that of the geisha.
However, that person's goods were sourced from Shanggu Zhai.
There are other shops like theirs in the city, but they're all barely surviving, unable to close down but also struggling to stay afloat.
The ceramics business... Su Jingge walked and walked until she came to this Sun's Ceramics Shop.
Looking inside the store, the middle-aged man sat there looking worried.
Just then, seeing someone outside the door, she came out with great enthusiasm.
"Young lady, are you buying ceramics? For flower arranging or to store grain?" Receiving no response, the man looked around and lowered his voice, whispering, "Or perhaps... young lady is looking for a hobby?"
Su Jingge knew what interest meant.
It's actually a women's toy.
Many men in the city are still out, or widows whose husbands have died, their tents lonely...
Unfortunately, the person was severely nearsighted and didn't recognize him.
Manager Sun looked left and right before he realized it was Magistrate Su.
"Oh dear, it's Magistrate Su! I was so blind, I didn't recognize you at all!" He knelt down, clasped his hands, and apologized, "Please forgive me, Magistrate."
Su Jingge put her hands behind her back and said in a calm voice, "Please get up quickly. I only came here today to browse your ceramics workshop."
"Please come in, sir."
Su Jingge looked around and found that the ceramics were of pretty good quality.
She asked, "How's business?"
The man sighed, "It's bad. There was a huge flood a few days ago, and the porcelain can't be sold. Without a sales channel, I'll have to close my shop if I rely solely on sales in the city."
Su Jingge had guessed it.
She said, "That's true. Now that the city gates are open, there will be a lot of merchants and tourists passing by. It's just that the porcelain in your shop is really nothing special."
"They're not selling well!"
He hit a nerve with men: “Magistrate Su is right. My production costs are high, and I use good materials. They’re very sturdy. But my porcelain workshop is indeed not outstanding enough. Sigh.”
Su Jingge paused for a moment: "If I'm not mistaken, this archway of yours wasn't built with official authorization, but rather privately by the former magistrate, right?"
Hearing this, the man broke out in a cold sweat: "Your Excellency, what does this mean? Does it mean my shop is substandard and will be taken back by the government?"
Su Jingge nodded: "That's right. Since it was built illegally, if we follow the rules... it really should be taken back."
The man immediately slumped into a chair, his face full of worry, wiping away tears: "It's all over, everything is over. This is all my possessions. If the government really takes them back, how am I supposed to live from now on?"
“Our ancestors were exiled here. If this shop really closes down, based on the Sun family’s past records, who would sell me land?”
"This isn't the end, it's the absolute end!"
Su Jingge took into account the concerns of the people.
She then said, "Shopkeeper, there's no need to be anxious. How about I do a business deal with you, sir?"
The man shook his head. "No business can save my shop now."
"I humbly request that you give me a clear answer: when will my shop close? I want to sell all these things off in advance."
Su Jingge smiled: "Manager Sun, why be so pessimistic? Why not listen to my advice?"
The man said dejectedly, "Your Excellency, please speak."
“Although this was an illegal construction by the former magistrate, you are also a victim. There are many other neighborhoods like yours in the city. If they are all closed down, how will people like you make a living? Wouldn’t the government be cutting off your livelihood?”
"So, I'll make your business legal..."
Upon hearing this, the man's eyes lit up: "Oh, my magistrate! Are you telling the truth? You mustn't be lying to me. If you can really save my shop, I will obey your orders!"
“If you want to legalize this workshop, then you can’t just sell these things in your building. You need to make some porcelain items related to the government or authorized by the government. Then your workshop will become legitimate.”
"That's right!" Manager Sun slapped his thigh. "If the government could grant me authorization, then my shop would naturally become legitimate..."
"But how do I change the authenticity of the porcelain in my workshop to show that it's authorized by the government?" Manager Sun bowed with his hands clasped. "Please enlighten me, sir!"
"How about... we make a toilet?"
When Manager Sun heard this, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He was extremely surprised: "What? Toilets? You want me to make toilets with my perfectly good porcelain workshop?"
"Haha, sir, you must be joking with me, right?"
This is indeed quite unbelievable.
After all, they turned a perfectly good porcelain house into a toilet shop.
Su Jingge said calmly, "Manager Sun, please listen to what I have to say. The toilet I'm referring to isn't the ordinary kind; it's a flush toilet."
"Look, this is the toilet design I drew earlier."
Su Jingge explained: "As you can see in the picture, this toilet is made of ceramic material. It is made of high-temperature fired ceramic. After high-temperature firing, the surface has a mirror-like luster, the glaze is smooth, it is not easy to get dirty, and it has good antibacterial properties."
"And the porcelain in Manager Sun's shop happens to be this kind. Manager Sun, you see, now that the ditches in the city have been opened, the latrines in the city should indeed be renovated. Otherwise, they will stink in the summer and really affect people."
"It also affects the appearance of the city, so the next step is to use flush toilets in every household and fill in all those traditional latrines."
"The porcelain in your house doesn't need to be changed. Just fire it according to the current blueprints. As for the water tank, I'll provide one toilet and one water tank. That way, the people in the city will all be using Manager Sun's ceramic toilets. Isn't that working in cahoots with the government?"
"Then who will dare to say that your shop is an illegal construction?"
Manager Sun's eyes darted around. After hearing what she said, it really was a good idea!
If the people in the city use their own products, their reputation will improve, and their business will naturally thrive.
Most importantly, he no longer needs to close the workshop!
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