Chapter Five: Starting My Own Business
“Miss, this is the map that the broker drew as you instructed.” Zhou Zhuzi took out the neatly folded map from his pocket, carefully unfolded it, placed it on the table, and then gently smoothed out the creases.
Ruan Bi watched coldly, increasingly convinced that her judgment was correct. Zhou Zhuzi was not only quick-witted, but also did things in a way that was not as careless as ordinary men. He was meticulous and thoughtful, far surpassing ordinary people. It was just a pity that he was born a slave. If he had been born into a merchant family, he would probably have been a very capable and shrewd person.
"The broker said that this plot of land right next to the river is prime farmland, easy to irrigate, totaling forty mu, at two taels of silver per mu, for a total of eighty taels..."
Dongxue, who was embroidering clothes nearby, looked up, her eyes wide with astonishment, and said, "Two taels of silver per mu? That's so expensive?"
“Miss Dongxue, you don’t know, this field can be used to grow rice. The broker said that the yield is 1.2 shi per mu. Nowadays, the price of rice is 500 wen per shi. Forty mu of rice can yield a harvest in one season…” Zhou Zhuzi counted on his fingers.
Seeing that he hadn't figured it out after a long time, Ruan Bi couldn't help but speak up: "Forty-eight shi (a unit of dry measure)."
Zhou Zhuzi thought for a moment and exclaimed in amazement, "Girl, you're really amazing! You figured it out so quickly."
Dongxue said smugly, "Of course, who is our girl?"
Ruan Bi smiled and continued, "One season of rice can yield forty-eight shi, and two seasons of rice a year can yield a total of ninety-six shi. If we rent it to tenants and charge eight dou per mu, we can collect a total of sixty-four shi per year. At five hundred wen per shi, the annual rent income is thirty-two liang. Zhou Zhuzi, am I right?"
“Yes, yes, yes, the young lady’s calculations are correct,” Zhou Zhuzi said repeatedly, his eyes immediately becoming respectful.
Ruan Bi was deliberately showing off in front of him. She had complete trust in Dong Xue. Granny Liu had been with her for some time and knew her methods. Zhou Zhuzi, however, had always been in the outer courtyard and had never had any contact with her. The reason he obeyed her was because she held his indenture.
"What about the other two plots of land?"
"This second field is silted-up land..."
"Yutian?" Dongxue asked curiously.
Before Zhou Zhuzi could speak, Ruan Bi interrupted, "So-called silted land is farmland that has been transformed from saline-alkali land through irrigation." As soon as she finished speaking, she sensed that Zhou Zhuzi's gaze was no longer respectful, but admiring. "You are truly amazing, young lady, to even know this."
"It's not that I'm particularly good; it's just that it's written in the books," Ruan Bi said casually. Even after leaving the Ruan residence, she still couldn't show her face in public. From now on, Zhou Zhuzi would be running around, so she had to first intimidate him and make him understand that she was perfectly clear-headed and couldn't hide anything or deceive him. "This silted-up field doesn't yield as much as that superior field, does it?"
"That's right. This silted field yields eight dou per mu, and there are fifty mu in total. It costs 1,800 wen per mu, which is 90 taels of silver."
"Eight bushels per mu, that year's harvest..." Dongxue frowned as she calculated.
"The annual rice production is eighty shi (a unit of dry measure)."
After comparing them, Dongxue shook her head repeatedly and said, "It's not suitable, it's not suitable, it's far worse than the first plot of land."
Zhou Zhuzi continued, "This third field is also a good field. Although it's in the middle, it's irrigated by ditches. It's a total of thirty mu, and the yield is also 2,300 wen per mu at an extremely low rate. The broker said that this field yields 1.2 shi per mu."
Dongxue frowned and said, "It's more expensive than the first one, so it's not suitable. Girl, I think the first one is quite suitable."
Ruan Bi shook her head and said, "The first and third pieces have problems, the second piece is the only one that might be fine."
Zhou Zhuzi and Dongxue were both stunned. They looked at each other and asked, "Why?"
“Look at this one.” Ruan Bi pointed to the first one. “If it’s really as the broker says, it’s by the river and in a prime field, with a yield of 1.2 shi per mu. At two taels of silver, it would have been sold ten or eight times already. Why is it still hanging in the broker’s shop? In my opinion, the broker is probably taking advantage of Zhou Zhuzi being an outsider and passing off inferior goods as superior ones.”
Zhou Zhuzi was slightly unconvinced and said, "Miss, I've seen the land, and it is indeed a good piece of land."
Ruan Biwei hesitated for a moment, then took out two taels of silver from her embroidered bag and handed it to Zhou Zhuzi, saying, "Take this money. Tonight, invite the broker to drink at the best hotel in Haozhou. Give him another five hundred coins, and he will definitely tell you the tricks behind it."
“Yes,” Zhou Zhuzi took it and stuffed it into his pocket.
After 7 p.m. that night, Zhou Zhuzi returned, reeking of alcohol and with flushed cheeks. He excitedly slurred, "Girl, you were right about everything."
Dongxue waved her handkerchief in disgust and said, "Zhou Zhuzi, go wash your face and rinse your mouth first. You smell filthy. Don't let it bother the girl."
Zhou Zhuzi hurriedly retreated. After a moment, he washed his face and came back, feeling a bit more sober. He said repeatedly, "Miss, I'm really sorry. I was so excited that I forgot the rules."
Ruan Bi said calmly, "It's nothing, what did the dentist say?"
"After three cups of wine, the broker spilled the beans, telling the whole story." Zhou Zhuzi looked admiringly at Ruan Bi, who sat upright under the lamp. The oil lamp cast a faint orange hue on her face, but it did not diminish her dignity. "The muddy land by the river is indeed top-grade land, but because the upstream canal is blocked, it floods every May or June, so no one wants to buy it. As for the third piece of land, it's right next to the Grand Steward's land. This Grand Steward and the original owner have been arguing over the boundary. Last year, he drove several oxen and trampled all the seedlings. The original owner had no way to appeal and had no choice but to sell the land. The broker said that only the second piece of muddy land is real, but he also said that the Grand Steward has just been transferred."
"You're really amazing, young lady. You guessed everything correctly." Dongxue looked at Ruanbi with admiration.
"Has Chief Steward Du been transferred?" Ruan Bi asked thoughtfully. If Chief Steward Du had been transferred, it would be too late to solve the immediate problem, and that piece of land would be a suitable alternative.
"Yes, he was transferred half a month ago. The new chief steward is said to be quite principled. He turned away all the gifts that people brought to his door."
"You've worked hard, go and rest." Ruan Bi waved her hand, and Zhou Zhuzi bowed and left.
After Dongxue bolted the door, she sat down next to Ruanbi and continued sewing. Curious, she asked, "Miss, how did you know there was something wrong with those two plots of land?"
"Didn't I tell you this afternoon? Good land is a rare find. If you come across it, no one will miss it unless there's a problem," Ruan Bi said casually. She did some mental calculations. She had ten taels of gold and about twenty taels of silver, and she also had pearls bestowed by the Empress Dowager hidden in her jacket. Buying a piece of land wouldn't be a problem. However, after buying the land, she would still need to find another place to live.
The gossipy women in Sanduo Lane never gave up spying. A few days ago, Sister-in-law Luo came with the neighborhood head. Fortunately, Ruan Bi was prepared and hid in a gap in the wall. Although Dong Xue had freckles all over her face, the neighborhood head still stared wide-eyed, almost drooling.
A few days ago, when the topic of going to Miaoxiang Kingdom came up, Granny Liu hesitated a lot. Ruan Bi understood that firstly, she was getting old and didn't want to leave her hometown; secondly, she had a grandson who would be there for her in her old age, and she didn't want to wander around in fear. Everyone has their own aspirations, and Ruan Bi didn't want to force her. However, she had already decided to start her own household and had figured out a way to do so.
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