Chapter 64 Filling Machines and Investors (Part 1)
"Actually, I understand," Jiang You thought. "When a portion of glutinous rice can only be made into a potion of immortality that can extend one's life by ten years, or a portion of sweet and delicious glutinous rice that can make one gain two pounds, anyone with a bit of common sense would choose the former..."
In this way, even if people rely on the green plant magic of the Haf people to increase the output of various fruits and vegetables, a large part of them will be sent to magicians' workshops and laboratories as expensive magic materials, and will never appear on the tables of the common people.
Just like Holly only uses roses as raw materials for extracting perfume essential oils, and never uses them to make rose wine... the high cost and the output that is only for satisfying the appetite are really disproportionate.
Even if there were wealthy nobles willing to spend a fortune to taste the delicacy, it would be difficult for Jiangyou to make a profit from this temporary interest - Eston West City was at best a second-tier city, and there were not so many wealthy families here.
"Luckily, we only used stock, so we didn't spend a penny. So, if we use it, we can just...use it." Jiang You covered his nonexistent chest, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt his nonexistent heart ache. "Anyway, sticky rice will go bad if left for too long... If you think about it, it's better for us to happily eat it than for the owner to brew it into an unsaleable and ineffective love potion!"
She'd gotten carried away by seeing ingredients similar to those she'd seen in her previous life, completely forgetting that this was a magical world with a different set of natural laws and history. A single factor could change the entire history. And since Grandpa Yuan wasn't around here, where would all that cheap rice and sticky rice come from?
It seems she needs to do some careful market research to figure out how to create the most marketable products at the lowest cost... Well, for now, soy sauce and green plum products are still pretty good choices. As for the expensive rose wine... let's see if anyone falls into her trap... well, if it's a wealthy person who comes knocking on her door...
Maybe we can make some special desserts for the rich and powerful~
"Speaking of which," Lolisa finished her plate of honey chicken and sticky rice and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. "The day after tomorrow... no, it's past midnight now, so it should be tomorrow night... Tomorrow night is our Midsummer Carnival. Not only will there be a lot of tourists, but we'll also set up a lot of snack stalls. Aren't you going to do business?"
Jiang You nodded.
"If you have something you want to sell, you can ask the sister in charge to rent a stall... During the carnival, people from all over the surrounding area will come to participate. It will be very lively here, and it's also a good opportunity to make a name for yourself!"
"Wow! That's a really good idea!" Jiang Youtonghuo jumped a few times excitedly. She calculated the time. If she could learn sterilization magic in the morning, she would have enough time to borrow Andre's horse and go home to brew soy sauce... Well, there was just one small problem: "By the way, do you have any glass bottles or large wine jars here? If there are any extra ones, could you give me some?"
Lolisa thought for a moment and said, "Yes, we did order a batch of wine bottles from an alchemist before, and even ordered a filling machine. However, the volume of each bottle was too small, and half a bottle of bubbles remained after filling. It was also difficult to transport and fragile, and it was no match for a large wooden barrel. Later, it was piled up in the warehouse and left unused.
"If you're interested, I can talk to the head sister about the price, but you can't do this without paying."
"How much does it cost approximately?" Jiang You asked cautiously.
Lolisa thought for a moment and said, "It only cost us five gold coins. Even though these unused items are just sitting there taking up space in the warehouse, we can't afford to lose too much..." She lowered her voice and said to Jiangyou, "I really like your cooking. Let's just consider it a friendship. If you really want it, I can help you get a 20% discount... For four gold coins, I can give you the whole set, including the filling machine, bottles, lids, and so on."
"Four gold coins..." Jiang You hesitated. She couldn't come up with that much cash, but Lolisa's proposal was really tempting...
She thought for a moment and said, "Can you take me to see the goods? I can't decide whether to buy it without seeing the real thing."
"That's right." Lorisa nodded. "The key to the warehouse is with Madam. I got it this morning and came to call you." She cleared the plates and yawned loudly. "I'm going back to bed now. You guys should go to bed early too!"
The little witch left with the pile of dirty dishes and cutlery, and Andrei returned with Jericho. Jiang You took a look and asked, "Did the two apprentice knights go back to their rooms to sleep?"
"Yes, I have to be on duty tomorrow morning." Andre sat down next to Jiang You. "You seem to need money?"
The craftsman sighed deeply, "If you want to start a business, you have to invest first. How can you not be short of money?"
"Let's talk business," Andre said. "For some reason, I need a long-term, stable and legitimate way to make money. I have some cash on hand, which may be able to help you out in your immediate need."
Jiang You thought about the dispute between the new king and the old aristocracy that she had heard about before, and guessed, "Is the city lord going to make things difficult for you?"
Andrei took a few seconds to understand her novel metaphor and nodded. "Yes, the Baron is very scheming. He wants to get rid of me, but he can't let His Majesty the King catch him. So he used a seemingly reasonable excuse."
Seeing that Takumi Yuu only half understood, he briefly explained the situation. The matter was simple: the Baron had withheld André's salary, forcing him to commit crimes when he was desperate. Accepting bribes, cheating, and deceiving others—those were quick profits for the Kingdom's knights, but also blatant violations of the rules. If André were to succumb to any of these offenses, the Baron would have bound him and escorted him to the capital.
"...But is it justifiable for the Baron to deduct wages like this?" Jiang You asked doubtfully.
"Yes. The Kingdom Knights serve both His Majesty the King and the local lords, so our salaries are actually made up of two parts: the salary from His Majesty the King, and the subsidies from the local lords," Andre explained. "In theory, the former is the salary we deserve, while the latter is merely a favor from the local lords. Giving it is a moral obligation, but not giving it is also fine. We are loyal to the King and the entire Duchy, not to a lord's private soldiers."
"Then the money given by the king...isn't it enough?" Jiang You quickly grasped the key point.
Andrei sighed deeply. "More than just not enough, the royal family is completely stretched to the limit right now... The drought of the past two years has depleted the royal treasury, and now the king's own private coffers have been used. With just the money sent by the royal family, I only get two gold coins a month. Even if I don't eat, drink, or buy anything else, the cost of the horse alone would be four gold coins. Without external subsidies, there's no way this bill can be balanced."
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