Chapter 144 Interests are the starting point and the end point of all problems!
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Of course, Li Shiyue wouldn't keep this news of the upcoming trade to himself. If this were modern society, and he had the ability to get advance notice of a trend, he would definitely mortgage his house and take out a loan to make it happen.
However, this is a feudal society. In a feudal society, going it alone is tantamount to courting death. You definitely have to stick together to survive.
But this grouping up depends on the individuals involved, doesn't it?
The next day, amidst heavy snowfall and braving the wind and snow, Li Shiyue knocked on Li Wangshui's door. After arranging a time with someone, she went next door to call Erdan's mother.
At this moment, Li Wangshui also went out wearing a leather hat. "I'll go call Ma Zi and Wei Zi in October. You go over there and call Lao San, Wang Shisan, and Yangzai."
The wind was too strong, and every time Li Shiyue opened her mouth, she was hit by a mouthful of wind and snow. She could only wave to Li Wangshui to indicate that she had heard what he said.
Dog Lao San and Yang Zai's cousin's house are close by, and a few steps further ahead is the small house where Wang Shisan and his grandmother live. This line is just right for notifying them together.
The direction in which Ma Zi and Wei Zi lived was exactly the opposite, which is why Li Wangshui told everyone to inform them that the two should separate.
The snowstorm was too heavy, so Li Shiyue went to Gou Laosan's house to warm up for a while before waiting for Yangzai's family and Wang Shisan's grandson to return home together.
When Li Shiyue returned with his men, Li Wangshui and the others had already been sitting at the Li family's house for a while.
There weren't enough seats in the main room, so several little kids were playing together on the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room.
Dazhuang, Xiaozhuang, and Erdan, along with their two cousins Yangzai, were also on the kang (a heated brick bed), their bottoms sticking out. The five children were huddled together, whispering something to each other.
Li Wangshui and the others didn't come empty-handed; each of them brought their own food rations. Even Gou Laosan, who came on his third aunt's back, brought steamed wheat cakes from his own family.
Erdan's mother even brought a head of cabbage, and Yangzai's cousin brought a bowl of five chickens, which Li Wangshui had bought from outside Qingsong Town last time; they hadn't even been willing to eat them themselves.
There were many people, but everyone brought a lot of food. All things considered, the Li family didn't actually lose anything, so it wasn't a loss for them.
However, Li Shiyue doesn't seem to care much about these things when it comes to his own people.
After everyone had a lively and enjoyable meal together, Li Shiyue noticed the five little ones playing with a cloth bag on the kang (heated brick bed), so she called everyone to the main room to talk.
The main room was actually a bit cold, but with so many people gathered together, it didn't feel that cold at all.
After clearing his throat, Li Shiyue didn't waste any time and directly told everyone the news he had heard from Liu Tan.
"...This news must be true!"
The eldest son wouldn't lie about this.
Last time we followed in their footsteps and got a lot of good deals. I don't know how much you all saved up, but I haven't forgotten about this good thing for you all. I'm telling you all directly without keeping anything from you.
Tomorrow my family is going to the county town to buy land from the local officials. If you're also buying land, we can go together.
As for the amount of land to buy, you should do so within your means.
We've bought the land, and we'll definitely need to hire someone to build a house in the spring, so we need to set aside some money for that.
Furthermore, once the border trade is truly established, more caravans will be traveling through our area, and we'll need to invest money and effort to build the bridge connecting the riverbank to the grasslands.
Li Shiyue spoke ramblingly for about half an hour, saying everything he could think of, including the pros and cons.
"...If you don't want to run a business, then you can just rent out the houses after they're built and earn some money from rent."
I have another business I'd like to start with. It's sure to make money, but I can't say how much. What I mean by this is, would you like to invest in this business?
"Investment? In October, what do you mean?"
Li Shiyue had actually wanted to start a business for a long time; she had previously set her sights on a technology that cost 166 points within the system.
What is it?
It's papermaking!
right!
At this time, papermaking technology was already quite advanced, but within the territory of Sanshan County in Andong Protectorate, there were very few papermakers, according to Li Shiyue's observation of the bookstores in the county town.
During these shopping trips, she also inquired about the owners of those bookstores. Most of their paper was transported by ship from Henan Province.
Of course, paper from Jiangnan is also sold here.
This makes paper quite expensive here, considering shipping costs and other expenses; how could the price be low?
When Li Shiyue first saw the patches of wild ramie on the riverbank, she realized that it could be used for more than just making rope!
If this were used to make paper, it would at least make wiping your bottom a little more comfortable!
Of course, if Li's mother and the others knew that Li Shiyue's original intention in making paper was to wipe his own behind, they would probably think that Li Shiyue was really crazy!
In short, Li Shiyue had already made up his mind. Next spring, he would buy a piece of land along the riverbank and use the local materials to soak hemp and make pulp downstream. This would save time and increase production, which would be a win-win situation.
But this papermaking business can't just be done by her and the Li family alone, wouldn't they be exhausted?
But if you don't do the work yourself, how can you motivate others to do it?
This is obviously to make them bosses too!
So, isn't Li Shiyue setting a trap for Li Wangshui and his group right now?
"Work with me, and you'll not only make money, but you can also become bosses. Papermaking is a skill that can be passed down to the next generation. With such a skill that will keep you from starving, how can you not agree?"
Thinking this to herself, Li Shiyue then said what she had discussed with her mother at home: "This is a practice that my mother saw when she was practicing medicine in the prefectural city many years ago."
I've given it a try, and I'm sure it will work. Once this deal is done, there's no worry about selling it!
If you trust me, then work for me!
Li Shiyue told her mother and the others that she was blessed by heaven and somehow knew how to make paper, just like she suddenly gained great strength on her way to escape famine. She couldn't explain it; she just knew it and had the strength.
Whether Li's mother and the others believed her or not, Li Shiyue didn't know, but she really couldn't find a good way to explain how she knew about papermaking.
After all, this is indeed a strange thing.
While Li Wangshui and Zhou Lanhua were still pondering what Li Shiyue had said, Erdan's mother stood up and said directly to Li Shiyue, who was sitting at the head of the table, "I believe Shiyue!"
I'll take this deal!
If you say it can make money, then it definitely can!
Erdan's mother's words spurred the others to shout, "I'll do it too!"
Dog Lao San shouted this out directly. Over the years, Li Shiyue was the only one in the village who took him seriously. Moreover, all these people had never suffered a loss by following Li Shiyue and had always benefited from it.
Dog Lao San believed that if Li Shiyue could say such a thing, he must be confident, so he followed closely behind Er Dan's mother and agreed!
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