Gu Jiu was flipping through the account book.
The first phase of the project is about to be completed and sold, and the daily expenses are an astonishing figure.
If she had not continuously injected capital, if she had not borrowed one million taels from the Shaofu and persuaded the Shaofu to lend money to the refugees, the first phase of the project alone would have dragged them down.
The first phase of the project is not just about building houses; it is also laying the foundation for the subsequent phases 2, 3, 4, and 5. It is subtly changing the living habits and consumption habits of the migrants, and even changing their sense of local roots.
This is not just building a house. Gu Jiu clearly wants to build a city outside the South City Gate.
Build a big city that can accommodate hundreds of thousands of people.
Every refugee will participate in this world-renowned project and gain a sense of participation and accomplishment.
They are proud of this place, they will take root here, they are the founders of this city, so what reason is there not to love this city?
Of course, the funds required for this project will be astronomical and will break all records.
Looking at the expenses itemized in the account book, even Gu Jiu was secretly shocked and felt heartbroken.
He spends too much money.
"We need to sell the house quickly and get some cash."
Deng Cunli bowed and said, "According to the plan, the opening will be on the first of next month."
"Is there a problem? Do you need me to help you solve it?"
Gu Jiu asked.
Deng Cunli shook his head. "Everything is going smoothly at the moment. Madam, there's no need to come forward for the time being."
"That's good."
She flipped through the account book to the final settlement page. Over the past few months, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash had flowed through like water. She realized that the area outside the South City Gate was a gold-devouring behemoth, but it would also become a treasure trove in the future.
She smiled helplessly at first, but then felt proud of herself.
Because she is building a city that will benefit the present and future generations.
Perhaps thousands of years later, this city will still stand in the world and become a great achievement in history books.
As for money, she can earn it if she can spend it.
Spending hundreds of thousands of taels over a few months wouldn't be enough to defeat her.
If that doesn't work, gather wealthy merchants from all over the world, hold a bidding meeting, and fool them into making another few million taels.
The original plan was for a one million dollar deal, but after all this trouble, it was turned into a ten million dollar deal.
As the pie gets bigger, more people will want to share in the benefits.
Gu Jiu thought for a moment and said to Deng Cunli, "On the day of the launch, the identity information of the buyers must be carefully verified. The first batch of buyers must all be refugees and must have identity badges.
"You have to remember that the first group of displaced people who bought homes are role models and examples. Only by successfully moving them out of the slums and letting other displaced people see the benefits of buying homes can subsequent relocation plans proceed smoothly."
Deng Cunli agreed, "Madam, are you worried about outsiders buying houses?"
Gu Jiu said in a resounding voice: "It's not that I'm worried, but there are definitely such people. Anyone with eyes can see how good the quality of our houses is, and anyone with brains knows that if nothing unexpected happens, the South City Gate will definitely become popular.
I'm afraid someone has already set their sights on these properties, and they'll definitely make some moves on the day they launch. So, you need to instruct your subordinates to guard them tightly and not give anyone a chance to exploit any loopholes. If you're shorthanded, have Bai Zhong bring someone over to help you on the day of the launch."
Deng Cunli nodded in agreement, "I will discuss this with Bai Zhong and come up with an action plan."
"That's great. Ma Xiaoliu and the others have been studying with you for such a long time. How are they doing? Will they be of great use in the future?"
There are four eunuchs in Ma Xiaoliu's group. They are the second group that Gu Jiu asked for from the Shaofu in the name of Liu Zhao.
The first group included Deng Cunli and his group.
There are too few people who can write and calculate and are trustworthy.
For the project outside the South City Gate, Gu Jiu had no choice but to send everyone around him out.
As soon as Ma Xiaoliu and the others left, Gu Jiu had one less person to serve him.
Just half a month ago, she asked for four eunuchs from the Shaofu and is training them slowly.
Deng Cunli said, "People trained by Madam herself naturally have real skills. With more training, they will definitely be able to stand on their own."
"That's good. Go on and get busy."
"I obey your command."
Deng Cunli left, but Erzhuang still stood there without moving.
Gu Jiu picked up another stack of account books and looked through them.
The first thing she looked at was the butcher shop's account book.
The meat and vegetable shop sells meat and vegetables at low prices, with prices 20% to 30% lower than the market price. This truly benefits the people.
This is also the reason why housewives would rather walk a few more miles or go out of the city to shop at Sihai Trading Company’s meat and vegetable store.
The price is low and there seems to be little profit, but the quantity is large.
A butcher and vegetable shop operates as a retailer on a wholesaler scale, which is extremely hard work.
Fortunately, hard work pays off.
Gu Jiu turned the pages one by one.
She nodded. "That's right. With this butcher and vegetable shop, the South City Gate Market has been revitalized. You have made a great contribution."
Er Zhuang smiled and said, "This is what the little one should do."
Gu Jiu laughed and said, "Go back and tell the guys at the butcher shop that when they get paid next month, everyone will get a bonus."
Erzhuang smiled happily, "Now the guys are more motivated."
"It's good to be motivated. You should also supervise the village heads. The more the village produces, the more bonuses they will receive at the end of the year."
"I'll remember that."
Gu Jiu continued to flip through the account book and asked casually, "With so many people rushing to buy every day, can we still supply meat and vegetables?"
Er Zhuang nodded. "According to Madam's plan, I have signed a cooperation agreement with two hundred farmers in the name of Sihai Trading Company. They will pool their land to grow vegetables, and this year's supply should be sufficient."
And this is only the first batch of farmers to sign the cooperation agreement. Once they have tasted the sweetness, there will be a second and third batch of farmers signing cooperation agreements."
Gu Jiu was very satisfied.
At first, she thought she was a developer, and her goal was to grow from a small developer to a big developer.
Who would have thought that building a house would lead to the prosperity of farmers and the development of a new countryside?
With such a great contribution, it would be unreasonable for the court not to give her any reward.
Gu Jiu silently complained about the court’s poverty and the emperor’s pettiness.
When she got pregnant, the emperor gave her a gift, but it was just a few worthless jade ruyi and jade pendants. It would have been better if he hadn't given her anything at all.
Gu Jiu asked, "Have you ever produced the artificially hatched chicks I mentioned?"
“Still trying.”
Gu Jiu nodded, "There's no rush, take your time."
She only roughly knew the principles of artificial hatching of chicks, but she didn't know how to do it specifically.
She proposed the idea and asked people to try it out on Zhuangzi first. All costs were charged to the company.
The people in Zhuangzi tried several batches, but the results were not ideal.
It’s not that the chicks haven’t hatched, but that the hatching rate is too low.
Out of fifty eggs, only seven or eight chicks hatch at a time. The rest are all wasted.
The reason why Gu Jiu wanted to do artificial incubation was because she needed a large number of eggs.
In winter, when there are fewer fruits and vegetables, eggs are a good supplement. It is also related to her subsequent plans.
However, if we want to promote artificial hatching of chicks to thousands of households and become a major distributor of poultry and eggs, such a low hatching rate is absolutely not acceptable.
Because farmers cannot afford such a low hatching rate, they cannot afford the loss.
Gu Jiu could take hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of eggs to try, but the farmers couldn't. They didn't have the money, and they couldn't bear to part with it.
If we can ensure that fifty eggs can hatch more than forty-five chicks at a time, the technology of artificial hatching of chicks will be accepted by rural farmers and a group of large-scale breeders will be cultivated.
If you want to buy a large amount of eggs from the hens raised by farmers in front of and behind their houses, you have to travel all over the place.
The time cost is too high, the journey is too far, and it is not fresh enough.
If you want to increase production, you must centralize and mass-produce.
The premise of large-scale production is efficiency.
Artificial incubation is an improvement in efficiency.
Gu Jiu gave Zhuangzi a year.
As long as they can develop mature artificial incubation technology within a year, it will be considered a success, and everyone involved will be rewarded handsomely.
This is the strategy that there will always be brave men when there is a big reward.
According to Erzhuang, the women in charge of artificial hatching on the farm treasured the eggs even more than their own daughters. No one was allowed to enter the hatchery without their permission.
Gu Jiu laughed when he heard this. "Since they take this seriously, they will succeed sooner or later. After they succeed, I will have to work hard to have them travel to all the surrounding villages to teach them the incubation technology."
Er Zhuang was a little reluctant, "Do you really want to teach the hatching technology to others?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "Of course. You don't think that the meat and vegetable shop can meet the demand. Remember my words, the meat and vegetable shop is just getting started.
In the future, the size of Sihai Trading Company's meat and vegetable shops will be ten, a hundred times greater than it is today. I will tie all the towns and villages in the capital region to the giant ship of Sihai Trading Company, so that we will prosper together and suffer together.
In the future, butcher shops will be more important than real estate development. Just keep this in mind and don't tell anyone."
Er Zhuang looked confused.
He vaguely felt that Gu Jiu had a big plan. But just when he touched the edge, the inspiration disappeared.
He opened his mouth and asked cautiously, "All the villages in the Gyeonggi region?"
Gu Jiu nodded. "You heard right, it's all the villages. So, next you have to continue going to the mountains and the countryside, and continue to use the silver to show your face. If you come across a promising talent, you might as well bring him back and carefully cultivate him."
Erzhuang suddenly felt a huge pressure. "How can we sell all the agricultural products from all the villages?"
"Who said it can't be sold?" Gu Jiu laughed, "I never worry about not being able to sell the things I have."
Binding all the villages in the Gyeonggi region is related to Gu Jiu’s subsequent industrial plans.
It’s hard to explain it to Erzhuang now.
Moreover, Gu Jiu’s plan is not very mature yet, and he still needs to lay the foundation step by step so that it can come to fruition one day.
Food, clothing, housing and transportation are necessities of life no matter what era.
In the business of daily necessities, as the wife of the emperor's grandson, she had already eliminated most of the second-hand and third-hand dealers. She was sure to make a profit.
As for whether some wealthy businessmen would set their sights on her business.
Gu Jiu said: Come on! This lady is not afraid.
She is always imitated but never surpassed.
In this era, she is absolutely ahead.
Being ahead means she is already halfway to success.
As for the remaining half, there is nothing that money can't solve.
If there is, then let Huyang go and let Huyang bite those people.
Er Zhuang doesn't have the talent to lead a team and can't make plans from a high level. But he is an excellent executor, and he will follow Gu Jiu's requirements and complete the tasks assigned to him in a meticulous manner.
That's why Gu Jiu was willing to hand over these tasks to Er Zhuang.
She trusted him.
She picked up another account book.
"The grain and oil store branch is doing good business."
Hearing this, Er Zhuang also laughed, "It's really good."
Gu Jiu flipped through the account book. During the first three days of business, the business had a turnover of one or two hundred taels per day. After the first three days of peak business, business began to stabilize, still with a turnover of seventy or eighty taels per day.
Grain and oil shops sell low-quality, low-priced goods, relying on small profits and quick turnover. Their gross profit margin is only about 35%, much less than the 50% margin of typical retail stores.
Although the profit is low, the business is good.
At this rate, a monthly turnover of two thousand taels will be no problem.
With a gross profit of 35%, that's 600 to 700 taels a month and 7,000 to 8,000 taels a year.
After deducting all expenses, the net profit for a year is several thousand taels.
This profit alone is more than twice the profit of the grain and oil store owner in previous years.
You should know that the main grain and oil store was the one that Gu Jiu took over from the palace. In the past, it sold high-value-added refined rice, first-grade soy sauce and other things that only wealthy families could afford.
When Gu Jiu first took over the account book of the grain and oil store from the prince's housekeeper, he was very disapproving.
This is not doing business at all, this is clearly using the property to make a living.
If you don't run a business, you can at least rent out the house to collect some rent. But running a grain and oil store and going for a high-end luxury style is simply a waste of money.
No matter what era, wealthy people are always a minority.
A small number means that the number of consumers is limited, and sales volume cannot increase.
Moreover, for things like grains and oil, just because your family is rich doesn't mean you have to eat two more bowls at each meal or five meals a day.
Grain and oil are not jewelry, they are necessities. When it comes to necessities, don’t try to play those pretentious tricks.
Grain and oil shops should take the route of serving the general public. In other words, they should be down-to-earth.
Last year, Gu Jiu took over the grain and oil store, changed his business philosophy, and began to take the mass consumption route.
However, the grain and oil store's bad reputation had spread throughout the capital over the past decade, and the mid- and low-end grain and oil market had long been divided up by other major grain and oil companies.
Simply put, the people don't accept it.
When ordinary people buy grain and oil, they tend to choose familiar stores.
Wangfu’s grain and oil store was too aloof in the past. Where can it cultivate a loyal mass consumer customer base now?
In order to go all out, he simply took advantage of the momentum of the meat and vegetable store and opened a branch in the refugee slum area.
As a result, a branch of the grain and oil store was opened, and business is booming!
Gu Jiu said to Er Zhuang, "The idea of opening a branch store is very good. You can learn from it and think about which of our businesses can open branches."
Er Zhuang tried to say, "Can the cloth shop open a branch?"
Gu Jiu nodded. "Yes, but the time is not right yet. We don't need to open a branch of the cloth shop in the refugee slum area. Once the new market is built and put into use, other cloth shops will move in, and we won't need to do this business ourselves."
"Madam, are you not interested in the cloth business?"
Gu Jiu shook his head. "I'm very interested. Very interested. Food, clothing, housing, transportation, everything. But opening a branch is unnecessary. It doesn't fit with our future development."
Er Zhuang touched his head. He had no idea what would happen to Gu Jiu later.
Anyway, he just needs to do what he is told.
Gu Jiu said, "Your most important task now is to scan your face. You need to scan your face frequently in every town and village. You need to understand the local customs, soil and climate, and crops.
At the same time, you also need to create a population file to record the characteristics and population distribution of each village.
Also, if you come across a good talent, don't let them go. Even if they want to learn martial arts, don't reject them. Bring them back to me and I'll make arrangements for them."
Erzhuang bowed and accepted the order.
After Gu Jiu finished flipping through the account book, he continued, "I plan to build a school on the slope of the West Mountain outside the South City Gate, and start construction at the same time as the second phase of the project.
From now on, all promising young people will be sent to schools to study and learn in various disciplines. I support those who want to learn technology, those who want to pursue a career in literature, and those who want to learn martial arts.
As for you, while searching for good seedlings, don't forget to keep an eye out for suitable teachers. If there are skilled craftsmen, you can also hire them for a large sum of money.
Outside the South City Gate will be our foundation, our golden treasure. We will need all kinds of craftsmen. Craftsmen are precious and should not be treated lightly.
Er Zhuang took a pen and wrote down Gu Jiu's requests one by one.
Judging from what he wrote, although his handwriting was not very good, it was recorded very systematically.
First, you need to scan your face to record the village’s humanities, climate and planting.
Second, we need to find good seedlings.
Third, you need to find a teacher and a craftsman.
Fourth, we must build schools to teach literature, martial arts and techniques.
…
Gu Jiu glanced at his notes, nodded, and praised: "Very good! I wrote it all down. Is there anything else you don't understand?"
Er Zhuang closed the notebook and said, "Madam, we don't have enough manpower. We need to add some more people."
Gu Jiu collapsed. She had sent everyone around her out, and she couldn't spare any more people.
What a talent!
Ask her what is the most precious?
Of course it’s talent.
Er Zhuang gave her an idea, "Madam, you don't have anyone around you, but you do have someone around you. The servants around you are all very capable. If I can get their help, I can get twice the result with half the effort."
Hey!
That’s a good idea.
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