Shui Qing paid 780 coins, which was less than one tael of silver, not much for their family who had 177 taels of silver in savings.
However, this is already very high for the cost of a meal.
Once outside the restaurant, the five kids muttered to themselves, "It's so expensive! We won't eat here again. It's better to eat at home."
At the same time, I thought about how good my mother and father were to them, taking them to the best restaurant for dinner!
They even went up to the second floor.
Next time you see your maternal grandparents and uncle, be sure to tell them!
Shuiqing wasn't too bothered by the cost of the meal. After all, the main purpose of this trip was to investigate the market and get a feel for it. Spending some money would also allow her to broaden the horizons of her five children, so the money was well spent.
Incidentally, it also served as a slap in the face to the three people who had previously mocked Fan Jin, which was an unexpected bonus.
The family looked around the street and soon noticed that the pedestrians were hurrying along and mostly heading in one direction.
"Where are they going?" Shui Qing asked casually.
Fan Heling replied, "Mother, I just heard someone say they were going to buy charcoal!"
Shuiqing realized that this winter would be cold, so every household had stocked up on charcoal in advance.
Then she looked at Fan Jin and asked, "Could we burn charcoal and sell it?"
The family divided up three small hills. One hill was a bamboo hill where they could burn bamboo charcoal, while the other two hills had few towering trees, but plenty of miscellaneous trees and crooked saplings, which should be good for burning charcoal and selling for money.
Tree roots can be dug up and used as firewood, and the pits can be left for planting fruit trees and shrubs next spring. A new batch can be replaced every year, and it is estimated that about 70-80% of the trees can be replaced in two or three years.
Upon hearing that they could make money, the five children lost all interest in the delicious food being sold by the roadside and waited intently for their father's answer.
Fan Jin looked at his wife and children with expectant eyes, a warm smile appeared on his lips, but he shook his head: "Only Aunt Zhang's family in the village gathers firewood and makes charcoal to sell. It's because you can't make much money carrying it from Shanshui Village to Niutou Town. Not only is it a long way to sell it in the prefectural city, but you also have to pay a two-wen entrance fee. If you don't sell it and carry it back, you will lose money."
Upon hearing about the city entrance fee, the light in Shui Qing and the others' eyes dimmed considerably.
They had oxcarts, which saved them a lot of effort compared to carrying or pulling them by hand. However, they could only sell a cartload of charcoal for a few coins, and after paying the city entrance fee, there was also the risk of not being able to sell it, so it wasn't worth it.
"Moreover, charcoal making is hard work. First, you have to select trees as thick as an arm on the mountain, cut them down, and transport them to the charcoal kiln. You can't close your eyes all night while it's being fired, otherwise it will just burn to ashes."
If it's not fully burned, it won't work either. If it's still just firewood inside, the whole house will be filled with thick smoke and black fog when it's lit. If that ruins the reputation, people won't come back to buy from it next time.
From felling trees to burning and transporting them for sale, every step requires physical labor. Our family can't earn that kind of money." Fan Jin continued to finish his story honestly.
However, charcoal takes up little space and burns for a long time, so you can order more from Taurus in winter and save it for next year.
After hearing this, the light in the eyes of the five little ones completely disappeared.
Yes, those three boys are too young. It would be great if they were the older brothers!
Then it occurred to me that even an older brother wouldn't work. Eleven-year-old boys in the village don't know how to fire kilns. They could pull a cart, but their strength was limited, and they couldn't pull too much.
Shui Qing abandoned his plan to sell charcoal and continued to stroll the streets, looking for business opportunities.
Of the five children, the fourth one, Fan He, was the most perceptive. He had a feeling that his mother's purpose in bringing them to Guangning Prefecture today was not just to have fun, and he kept a close eye on her every move.
Upon seeing her mother, she looked left and right. What was she looking at?
He suddenly noticed a group of people around the corner to his left. He pointed in that direction and asked his mother, "Look, what's going on over there?"
Shui Qing immediately looked up.
Oh dear, there's a queue!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
