Fan Jin listened quietly.
“I’ve thought about it. Our family can’t be a merchant for the time being, as it would be a loss. But we can be a large-scale grower.”
Sugarcane processing is agriculture, while raising chickens, ducks, rabbits, sheep, and pigs is animal husbandry. The meat can be sold, and the rabbit hair, sheep hair, and pig bristles can be used to make calligraphy brushes—it might even be more profitable than selling rabbit or mutton!
The division of merchants is very clear. To put it simply, it's about buying and selling; selling what you grow or raise yourself doesn't count.
Many large households own a lot of land and sell their harvest to grain merchants and dealers, thus they are not considered merchants.
Those who don't produce but merely resell are the merchants.
"Can chicken, duck, and rabbit droppings be used to make compost for sugarcane? The water is clear. Can sugarcane only be grown in fields?"
"Could we plant in the ground? We don't have much farmland, but we do have a lot of land. It would be great if we could plant in the ground," Fan Jin suggested.
Shuiqing felt that having a teammate who didn't hold her back, didn't discourage her, and could even point out her strengths and weaknesses was truly wonderful.
She smiled and said softly, "We'll discuss the details when we get back. I'm just inquiring about the market today."
In fact, she didn't know the specifics yet.
There was no way around it; she grew up in the countryside, but sugarcane was practically never grown there.
Later, I went to school, studied, and started a business, all in the city, and I never came into contact with agriculture.
But now that there's an online store, she's seen all the books on how to grow sugarcane and how to make sugar from it!
You only need to pay the activation fee.
The only downside is that this is a paid knowledge service, and the activation fee is very, very expensive, so expensive that she hasn't activated it yet.
Fan Jin obediently hummed in agreement and followed her to the counter where the brown sugar was placed.
The general store had a row of half-person-high wooden counters in the front and tall cabinets in the back, with various items on them. Customers would look at the items through the half-person-high counters and have them taken down by the clerks behind the counters.
The shop assistants, seeing that Fan Jin was dressed in coarse cotton but in a long gown, and that the women and children were dressed in fine cotton and brand-new clothes, treated them and the children with great enthusiasm: "Sir and Madam, what would you like to buy?"
Shuiqing always understood the principle of respecting clothes before respecting people, and to avoid unnecessary trouble, she always chose to wear nice clothes when she went out.
This is why she always made sure her children wore new clothes, whether she was going to Niutou Town or Guangning Prefecture.
Adults get upset when they are treated coldly, let alone children; they may remember it for a lifetime. If a family doesn't have nice clothes, there's nothing that can be done, but if they do, of course they shouldn't waste them.
"I'd like to buy brown sugar. What kinds are available?" Fan Jin replied.
The shop assistant immediately introduced with great enthusiasm: "You've come to the right place! We just received new stock, please take a look:"
The top-quality goods from the time-honored brand cost 390 cash per catty. The inner layer is oiled paper and the outermost layer is Xuan paper, which is soft, white and beautiful, making it the most respectable gift.
The medium-grade ones only have one layer of oil paper, which looks nice when given as gifts, and cost 380 coins per catty.
The rest are just scraps; if you two are drinking it yourselves, this is actually the most cost-effective, only 350 coins per pound, and the ingredients are basically the same!
Shuiqing was shocked when she heard the price.
She knew that sugar was a precious commodity, but she didn't expect it to be this expensive. No wonder it hurt her as if Sun Jinhua had cut off her flesh when she took out two catties of brown sugar.
Fan Jin, who was standing nearby, immediately ordered: "One pound of each."
Then he asked in a low voice, "Is there anything else you need?"
The thoughtfulness and attentiveness earned praise from the waiter: "Madam is truly blessed! Master is a very caring person. I'm not exaggerating, our brown sugar is the most nourishing drink for women."
It's sweet and smooth; one sip and it warms you right to the core! It's also excellent for making pastries and desserts.
Shui Qing, who considers herself thick-skinned, was still embarrassed by the compliments.
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