Chapter 567: Hey, let's do business (Part 2) [Requesting monthly votes]
Shen Tang selectively ignored the word "smuggling".
After all, it wouldn't sound good if the authorities were involved in "smuggling."
No matter how unrestrained and free-spirited she was, she still had to maintain a facade of respectability, so she coughed lightly and asked, "What, you don't want to?"
She had done her homework on the smuggling of cloth, salt, and grain. The house of the local smuggler who had his property confiscated contained piles and piles of account books. Only after reviewing them did she realize that this business had been firmly controlled by them. They bribed officials and the Yonggu Pass to establish connections, and then their merchants were responsible for facilitating the trade. Merchants from other regions who wanted a share of the profits had to pay several times, even ten times, more to these local smugglers.
Profits are squeezed out at every level.
Even so, one trip can still make a fortune.
This shows how large the profit margin is.
Now, it's factory direct sales...
Bah! The government offices are doomed.
"No, no, no, no—" The merchant shook his head faster than a rattle-drum, stammering, "I want to, I really want to!"
Shen Tang smiled and asked, "Do you have a plan?"
Although she was the one who chose him, the salt merchant's abilities did not meet her expectations, so she didn't mind finding a better one.
The merchant in front of him was the salt seller whom Shen Tang had unexpectedly rescued on his way to Shiwu. The latter had not returned home yet because he was robbed of all his goods by the refugees of Shiwu on that trade trip and was penniless. It was all thanks to his ancestors that he was able to return to the interior with Shen Tang.
Back inside the pass, Shen Tang ignored him.
He had no choice but to stay and do odd jobs to make ends meet.
I plan to save up some travel expenses before going back.
This setback didn't completely discourage him, now middle-aged, because he knew his entire family was counting on him. As long as he survived, with the connections he'd built up over the years and his business experience, he might be able to seize an opportunity and make a comeback!
I endured two or three months with this belief.
but--
He never expected the opportunity to come so quickly.
He was quite frightened when he heard that the prefect was looking for him, and he nervously recalled whether he had offended the other party in the past. Until he saw that familiar face that he could never forget, and heard the other party ask him if he was interested in going to Shiwu to trade again, he was dumbfounded.
He was confused, but he didn't do anything stupid.
In a flash, an idea came to him.
He had been smuggling in Shiwu for many years, often venturing even into the most dangerous western border. He wouldn't claim to be an expert in the trade, but he was certainly an old hand at it. Listening to the salt merchant's increasingly confident and animated conversation, Shen Tang raised his hand.
"Are you only asking about your profit margin?"
The salt vendor looked troubled: "That's hard to say."
Shen Tang asked, puzzled, "What do you mean it's hard to say?"
The salt merchant had no choice but to explain in detail.
Everyone knows that salt is comparable to gold.
Salt, like iron, was a business monopolized by the royal court.
According to the law, anyone found privately producing even a pound of salt would have their toes cut off, and if the amount was enormous, their property would be confiscated. However, the Geng Kingdom was in chaos, and the royal court's control prevented them from truly controlling the salt trade. This led to a rampant private salt market with prices varying widely.
Salt dealers used to buy up cheap smuggled salt from all over the place in order to maximize their profits. Salt was relatively cheap near the production area, and by reselling it elsewhere, the profit could easily increase tenfold. In some places, there was even a salt shortage, which could raise the price even more.
A pound of coarse salt can easily sell for over a hundred coins.
If it is the place in Shiwu that is most lacking in salt, some tribes will directly trade with gold. That's why there is a saying that one tael of gold is worth one tael of salt.
Even though Shen Tang knew this business was profitable, she was still taken aback by what the salt merchant said. After thinking for a moment, she ordered someone to bring her something.
Shen Tang asked, "What do you think of this salt?"
This comes from salt wells.
She immediately delivered the salt block to the government office. After tasting it, she found it no longer had the bitterness of the coarse salt she had used before, and was closer to the salt she remembered. With a wave of her hand, she divided the salt block into two portions, sending a small portion to the government office canteen and telling the cook not to worry about wasting salt, because even if it's bitter, it shouldn't be unpleasant to the taste buds! She would use it in cooking from now on!
The remaining income was allocated to the government and included in the salaries of officials.
They replaced the coarse salt with refined salt and generously increased salaries—doubling the amount of salt in their paychecks. If an official had a large household and consumed a lot of salt, they could also exchange their overtime hours for a certain amount of refined salt.
The salt merchant lifted the silk covering the salt, puzzled.
He was completely stunned at first glance, for the salt before him was snow-white and crystal clear, each grain distinct. Mustering his courage, he carefully picked up a few grains and put them in his mouth. The salt melted instantly in his mouth, the saltiness just right, without the bitterness he had expected; instead, it had a hint of umami.
It's better than any refined salt he's ever tasted before!
"Absolutely top-notch!"
The salt merchant immediately affirmed the value of the salt!
"Shen Jun, if I may be so bold, what is the cost of this item?"
"The cost? I haven't calculated it in detail yet, but manufacturing them isn't difficult, and the output isn't small, so the cost won't be too high. I have no other requirements, I just need you to sell them for 100,000! I won't let you make a wasted trip. The caravan's guards, food, clothing, and even goods will all be arranged by the government. For every trip you make, I promise you 10% of the profit as a service fee."
What do you think?
Shen Tang originally intended to give 20%.
However, the salt merchant's value was less than half of Xu Jie's, and considering the profits from Shiwu, he stingily reduced it to 10%.
Giving 10% isn't stingy.
They are definitely not stingy.
"Yes, yes, yes! I promise I'll do it!" He was afraid that if he was even a second late, Shen Tang would change his mind.
Honestly, even his own parents weren't as generous as Shen Tang! They practically forced wealth into his mouth!
Don't underestimate the mere 10% profit margin; one trip earns him more than three to five trips he used to make—because his trade is all hard-earned money! He needs to travel far and wide with hired guards to collect salt, enduring countless hardships to reach Longwu County, then spend huge sums of real gold and silver to bribe the local bullies and obtain specially made "salt permits" before Yonggu Pass will allow him to pass.
Once inside Shiwu's territory, you have to spend money to bribe officials and stay on edge every day, hoping you'll be lucky enough to avoid being robbed by the refugees.
After making the trip, you still have to repay favors when you get back.
What he actually received was not much compared to what he earned, but Shen Jun directly deducted many unnecessary expenses for him.
Longwu County belongs to Shen Jun.
With just one document, Yonggu Pass had to let them pass.
The key point is that this is an exclusive business.
With no competitors and salt in their own hands, the Shiwu tribe, desperately short of salt, would fight tooth and nail for it.
The salt merchant was satisfied, and so was Shen Tang. She finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, free from debt, and her face lit up with joy: "That's great, great! Then wait another half month, and once you've gathered enough for this trip, you can get the men and horses ready to go."
The salt merchant thanked him profusely and left.
When Gu Chi learned of this, he frowned.
"Is 10% too much?"
Giving Xu Jie 40% of the profits is not a big deal. This person can be useful in the future, so maintaining the relationship is not a loss. Moreover, with the various factions fighting each other in the Guanzhong Plain and the private salt market in chaos, the profits are not as high as those of Shiwuda. Without strong connections and business channels, one cannot expect to make money steadily.
Forty percent is reasonable.
But he was merely a lowly private salt merchant...
Giving only 10% is too high.
"It's a bit much, but it's worth it."
Shen Tang laughed and said, "Consider it as buying his experience. Apart from him, everything else is ours, making it easy to 'learn from him.' With his familiarity with the Ten Crows, he can also act as a guide, leading our young people to become familiar with the Ten Crows... Isn't that perfect?"
Shen Tang didn't plan to let the salt merchants continue indefinitely. He would wait until his own people were familiar with the business before discarding them.
Anyway, the initiative is on our side.
Shen Tang put down her pen and noticed a well-sealed letter in Gu Chi's hand. Her eyes lit up and she asked, "Wen Zhu?"
Gu Chi nodded: "Just arrived."
Fresh and hot.
Wanting to know the answer as soon as possible, he acted as a messenger and personally escorted the letter to Shen Tang.
"Let me see."
Open it and skim through it.
Shen Tang's brows were filled with visible pleasure as she chuckled, "I knew it! The annotations are exactly what I wanted."
Xu agreed.
To show his sincerity, he delivered double the amount of silkworm eggs and feed she needed, offering an drastic price on top of the already discounted "friendship price." If he weren't worried about gossip, Xu Jie would have even given them away for free.
However, that was enough for Shen Tang to see his attitude.
Gu Chi agreed with this statement, but also expressed slight displeasure: "This person is very sensible, but—he is a bit too slick."
If this is how Wu Xian is treated, how much more so Shen Tang?
Shen Tang laughed at him.
"You're starting to sound like a scumbag."
"Scumbag?"
She explained, "Those who play with other people's feelings and are unfaithful are either scumbags (male) or scumbags (female).
Gu Chi adopted the expression of an old man on the subway, and said in a wronged tone, "...Chi, how did you toy with Xu Wenzhu's feelings?"
Shen Tang finally couldn't help but laugh: "Wen Zhu's attitude is a bit ambiguous. He's like someone who has a steady partner, deeply in love with Wu Zhaode, but can't resist the advances of a third party and wavers several times. Well, we are that third party."
“We clearly benefit from him, and we expect him to act exactly as we anticipate, but you feel his wavering behavior is somewhat ‘unfaithful,’ and you don’t like it. You see, isn’t this like a scumbag? He uses all sorts of tricks to seduce innocent women, and once they give in, he complains that they don’t keep a proper sash…”
Gu Chi: "..."
It would have been better if my lord hadn't said anything—
I think I'm a bit of a jerk.
Shen Tang sighed, "A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions, and no one in the world is perfect when it comes to intentions. Wen Zhu is just an ordinary mortal, so there's no need to be too demanding of him. Besides, he was originally under Wu Zhaode's command, and it's truly remarkable that he has been able to help us so much. As the head of the Xu family, he also has to worry about such a large family; it's not easy for him."
She quite liked this generous young man; he was quiet but hardworking. If he hadn't already belonged to Wu Zhaode, she would have loved to dig him up with a hoe. Besides, his cousin was working for her, and the boy was always willing to work hard without complaint.
Gu Chi looked enlightened upon hearing this.
"My lord's magnanimity surpasses even that of Chi."
With the production and sale of salt roughly arranged, all that's left is to wait for the gold to flow into her pocket. Shen Tang, unable to sit still, counted on her fingers what else she needed to do: "By the way, have we found enough women with experience in sericulture?"
"We've found them all."
The row houses specifically for silkworm rearing have been built for a while now.
"Where are the skilled artisans?"
Gu Chi said, "I heard Wu Hui mention it a couple of days ago; the people are already waiting in the artisan workshops near the government office."
Why seek out skilled craftsmen?
The goal is to optimize textile machinery; with just a few minor improvements, it can be made more efficient than current machines.
She's just looking for trouble now.
Let everyone in Longwu County get involved!
≡(▔﹏▔)≡
This chapter is a little longer.
There will be one more chapter during the day.
P.S.: It's already the end of the month again, sob sob. Does everyone have any monthly tickets?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
