Chapter 299 Chapter 299 The salt is cooked
Xiao Hengzhi weighed the package in his hand. It weighed about ten pounds, enough to make dozens of cured pork rib soups. Yunrun Store did sell cured pork ribs, but making these cured meats would require a lot of salt. "Yunfan, there's something your father has been wanting to ask you."
"What's up?"
"Are you really not losing money making these bacon? Also, why would the Qi family be willing to leave so much salt for you?"
Xu Yunfan shook his head. "How could it be a loss? Run Ge'er is not mentally ill, so why would he do a business that loses money? This thing just doesn't make much money, but it's not impossible to make money. It may not be much now, but it may not be the same in the future. Father-in-law, Xiu Ze is my brother. It's just a little salt, why doesn't he give it to me?"
Hearing this matter-of-fact tone, Xiao Hengzhi was speechless.
Salt is expensive, meat is not cheap either, plus labor costs and other things, the price of bacon is too high. Most people would rather buy fresh meat, and only rich people will try it. For this reason, the bacon sold in Yunrun store is not very expensive, and compared to Zhuzhi's business, the profit is naturally not much.
It is precisely for this reason that Xu Yunfan and Xiao Hengzhi cooperated to preserve the bacon for a long time, making it suitable for soldiers outside the Great Wall to eat.
Once the first batch of salt produced by the salt factory is delivered, the problem of expensive salt and insufficient salt will naturally be solved.
In fact, not only Xiao Hengzhi was curious, but others were also curious about what Xu Yunfan was thinking. He wasted so much salt to make bacon, and most importantly, the Qi family actually joined him in making trouble.
Many people discussed this matter behind the scenes. They all thought that Xu Yunfan made too much money and was doing too well, so he became arrogant and thought that he could sell anything well and make a lot of money.
Those who are jealous of the Food City and the North Suburb Factory will inevitably ridicule Xu Yunfan when they get the chance.
These people all found out that Qin Run was responsible for business, but all decisions regarding the products were made by Xu Yunfan. Qin Run would sell whatever Xu Yunfan ordered produced.
Qin Run stood aside. "Grandpa also suggested that I close the bacon factory before. The bacon factory consumes a lot of salt every day. Although the Qi family has provided us with convenience, our demand for salt is still a bit high. I don't know how the progress is with Manager He."
If there is no progress at the salt factory, the bacon factory will have to stop production for a while.
Xiao Hengzhi had already left. Apart from the couple, there was no one around. Xu Yunfan took out a letter from his pocket and said, "Look, this is what Manager He sent me. If you hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten to give it to you."
Qin Run hurriedly opened the letter. After reading the contents, he couldn't help but exclaimed, his heart pounding and his eardrums vibrating violently. "Yun Fan, is what Manager He said true? Has the salt really been cooked?"
"Hmm." Xu Yunfan chuckled. "Could it be true? Do as I say. If you can't do it, it only means that his ability still has a lot of room for improvement. Don't worry, I have already sent a letter to Xu Yi, asking him to bring a group of warriors to transport the salt back to the capital. I estimate that he will be back in a few days, and then there will be no shortage of salt."
Qin Run was very excited. This batch of salt not only solved their urgent needs, but what did the production of salt mean?
"Yunfan, Manager He said the salt factory can produce 2,600 kilograms of salt every day. It's been a month now. Where are we going to store 70,000 kilograms of salt? Or should we buy a place to use it as a warehouse?"
Xu Yunfan thought for a moment and said, "No need. Seventy thousand kilograms of salt looks like a lot. If it is really distributed to the factory and the food city, there will actually be nothing left. Besides, we have cooperated with the Qi family. Why should we worry about this? Leave it to me."
There is a warehouse in the northern suburbs factory, but this batch of salt definitely cannot be transported there, otherwise it will have to be transported to the Food City, which is not only troublesome but also costly.
The housing prices in the capital are not cheap, and Xu Yunfan naturally does not want to waste money. The Qi family has so many warehouses at the dock, one of which is reserved for the royal family, and there are heavy troops guarding the nearby area. Wouldn't it be appropriate to store the salt at the dock?
Xu Yunfan had beautiful thoughts and sweet words. As soon as he arrived at the Qi family, he made Grandpa Qi and Grandma Qi laugh.
When Qi Yuanyang came back, he heard the cheerful voices of the two elders in the main room. He knew without thinking that it must be Xu Yunfan coaxing people again.
"Why did you suddenly come to me?" Qi Yuanyang was quite curious. Wasn't Qin Run in charge of all business matters?
Xu Yunfan: "Uncle Qi, I came to see you for something. Before... he said that if I wanted to find him, I should come to you."
"You want to find him?" Fu Qingyu had instructed Qi Yuanyang. When Qi Yuanyang learned that Xu Yunfan was going to sell salt, he was curious about how Xu Yunfan got the courage to steal the royal business. He and Fu Qingyu sent people to investigate, but neither Xu Yunfan's people nor those from the Qin and Xiao families appeared in the coastal areas. So, how did Xu Yunfan produce salt?
The two elders of the Qi family had already left. Xu Yunfan said frankly, "Yes, didn't he say that I would let him know if I shipped the salt back to Beijing? In a few days, the first batch of salt from the factory will be shipped to Beijing. I must inform him in advance, otherwise he will say that I am disloyal."
"What?"
What kind of fairy tale is Xu Yunfan talking about?
Qi Yuanyang wanted to clean his ears. He was only in his early forties and not old enough to have auditory hallucinations. Why did his ears stop working? There was only a thumping sound inside. "Yunfan, what did you say just now? Tell me again. I'm old and my ears don't seem to be working well. I didn't hear it clearly."
"Didn't Brother Fu tell you?"
"say what?"
“It’s us…”
Qi Yuanyang went directly to the palace that afternoon.
Facing Fu Qingyu, Qi Yuanyang was heartbroken, "Your Majesty, is this how you treat your subjects? Why am I the only one kept in the dark about Xu Yunfan's salt production?"
Fu Qingyu put down his brush and said calmly, "What? Didn't I tell you, my dear? I think I did."
Qi Yuanyang: “…”
It’s confirmed, this person is petty and vindictive.
"By the way, how did you know this, my dear?"
Qi Yuanyang gritted his teeth secretly, "Xu Yunfan came to see me today. According to him...he wanted to borrow my warehouse."
Duang……
The pile of memorials on the table fell to the ground. Fu Qingyu's tone was filled with unconcealed excitement, "What did you say? Did Xu Yunfan really make salt?"
Compared to his previous disbelief when he learned that Xu Yunfan wanted to make salt, Fu Qingyu's disbelief reached its peak now that he got a positive answer.
How is that possible?
As far as they knew, salt could only be obtained by boiling seawater and removing impurities. This was true not only for the Great Yan Dynasty but also for the Great Qi Kingdom, the leader of the four great kingdoms. However, they sent people to the seaside to check, but Xu Yunfan's men did not show up.
Fu Qingyu was even disappointed about this.
Although Xu Yunfan's production and sale of salt would take away some of the royal family's business, Xu Yunfan was right. If the salt was produced and exported, the royal family would earn no less than the profit from the business he had taken away.
He had already given up, but Xu Yunfan suddenly gave him a surprise.
Fu Qingyu couldn't help but feel a little restless, happily turning back and forth with his hands behind his back. After a long time, he waved his hand and said, "Clean up a warehouse in the royal palace at Qijia Wharf and give it to Xu Yunfan. When he makes more salt, we can..."
As for how to sell the salt shipped to neighboring countries and what the price will be, we need to make a careful plan.
A few days later, the salt, escorted by more than twenty military servants including Xu Yi, finally arrived at Qijia Wharf.
Qin Run and others were waiting at the dock early.
Last night, when the Qin family was having dinner, Qin Run thought about the warehouse and asked about it at the table. Xiao Hengzhi, who came over to eat, asked curiously, "Warehouse? What do you need a warehouse for? We have a warehouse at the dock. Do you want us to clean one up for you to use?"
Xu Yunfan shook his head. "The warehouse issue has been resolved. The salt factory has produced the first batch of salt. I asked Brother Xu and his men to transport it to Beijing..."
Before he could finish his words, Xiao Hengzhi suddenly patted his chest and coughed violently, as if he was choked. Even Fang Zixi and Qin Feiyu put down their chopsticks, looking surprised.
"What the hell?" Fang Zixi thought for a moment that she had misheard.
"Brother Fang, Yunfan built a salt factory. The first batch of salt is already on its way back to Beijing and will arrive tomorrow."
Qin Feiyu's hands were shaking a little. In the past, outsiders said that Qin Run married Xu Yunfan, which was a marriage of downgrade. Now... if someone like Qin Run could be considered a marriage of downgrade, I'm afraid all the boys and girls in the Dayan Dynasty would be willing to marry one of their own.
Fang Zixi also didn't dare to think about how much money Xu Yunfan would earn in the future by intervening in the salt sales.
As long as he is given time, by then, the Qin family's wealth and power will be beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Early the next morning, the three of them insisted on coming to see it with their own eyes to verify its authenticity. Qin Run could not persuade them and had no choice but to let them come.
Xu Yunfan went to work miserably, completely unaware of how excited the people at Qijia Wharf were when they saw the trucks of white salt.
When Qin Feiyu saw Fu Qingyu, he was surprised, but his eyes dimmed for a moment, and then when Fu Qingyu shook his head at him slightly with a meaningful look, he chose to pretend to be deaf and dumb.
According to Xu Yunfan's requirements, the salt from the salt factory was packed into bags, each weighing one kilogram, while the royal salt was directly packed in large vats and sold on weekdays, and the customer would be given as much as he wanted.
The salt from the salt factory weighs one kilogram per bag, which is not too much, but not too little either. Even farmers can afford it if they grit their teeth. If they are reluctant to spend so much money at once, they can also sell it in bulk.
Qi Yuanyang opened a packet with shaking hands, took some and started licking it.
Wow, the salt produced by the salt factory seems to be better than the royal salt in terms of both quality and taste. Look at the color, as white as snow, without any bitterness.
After Fu Qingyu returned to the palace, he stood in front of the national treasury and looked at it for a long time, with a smile on his lips, as if he had seen countless silver falling from the sky into his national treasury.
The treasury is full, so why worry about the Dayan Dynasty not being able to develop?
Xu Yunfan didn't know that Fu Qingyu had started daydreaming. At this moment, he was taken by Zheng Ke and Lin Qing to a construction site not far from the Imperial College.
"Master Zheng, Scholar Lin, is this the place you chose?"
Zheng Ke said he would take him to see the place where the study building was built. Xu Yunfan looked around and frowned secretly, obviously not very satisfied.
"What's wrong? Do you think it's not suitable?" Lin Qing saw Xu Yunfan's frown and couldn't help but sigh. He had been looking for so long, and this place was the most suitable.
In the construction of the reading building, Lin Qing and Su Xiangdong were assigned to work under Zheng Ke to assist him.
Xu Yunfan walked around the area and offered a suggestion after careful consideration. "This place is suitable, but it's not the best. The location of the study building should be far from fire sources, close to a pool, and shaded and out of the sun. Look around here, there's not even a lake."
Xu Yunfan mentioned this to Zheng Ke, but: "But this place is close to the Imperial College. Secondly, there are several academies and private schools nearby, which makes it convenient for students to come and study nearby. The dean of the Imperial College talked to me and said that if the conditions are not met, we can create them."
Xu Yunfan frowned, "Master Lin, is the construction of the reading building for the benefit of students? Was that the question asked in the exam? Was my original intention in answering the question to provide students with books to read? No, what I want is that as long as they are willing, as long as they are citizens of our Great Yan Dynasty, anyone, even a beggar, can enter. This is not to make things convenient for anyone. We are not doing business and do not care about our customer base. If they feel that they don't want to come, that's their business. They can come if they want or not, and we won't force them."
"It's already very expensive to build a study building. If we dig another lake, we have to buy land to dig the lake, and we have to solve the water diversion problem, the flooding during the rainy season, and the drainage problem. The cost will not be small. The court has allocated limited funds for our project. If we dig another lake, we must control the cost in other places. If we do something inferior and pass it off as good, we will be caught and we will not be able to escape. So, not to mention that this has violated my original intention, we are the superiors and can accept the opinions of our subordinates, but we must not let them influence our decision-making based on their own convenience. This is not right. If... every penny of this funding has a destination, and we will have to check it later. Lord Lin, we have to consider this carefully." After speaking, Xu Yunfan coughed and glanced at Lin Qing meaningfully, with an ambiguous look in his eyes.
Xu Yunfan was being euphemistic. If he had been more blunt, he would have said directly, "You chose to build a study building here. Did you accept red envelopes from the deans? If the funds are insufficient and the higher-ups investigate, will you still be able to serve as an official? You accepted the red envelopes and didn't share any with me. You'll end up implicating me. I won't allow that."
Zheng Ke stood in front and did not look back, but he was always paying attention to the words and actions of the people behind him. Xu Yunfan was right. The construction of the reading building was not for students, but for the people who wanted to read books and browse information.
Lin Qing raised his eyebrows and said, "You're right. Let's go look somewhere else."
Originally, this place was just one of the places they had their eyes on. The reason they brought Xu Yunfan here was just to see what he had to say. It seemed that this kid had some brains and a clear mind. So, some things could be left to him without any worries.
Xu Yunfan followed the three people to another place. After walking around the area as usual, Xu Yunfan nodded, and Su Xiangdong took out a notebook and started working.
Zheng Ke has been busy lately with the implementation of the reading building project. He has been traveling to many places and making various plans and budgets every day. The progress is not slow.
At noon, Xu Yunfan looked up at the sky. The sun was blazing brightly. He then looked at his watch. Oh, it was already half past twelve. He was so hardworking that he didn't even realize it was time to get off work. "Master Zheng, Master Lin, Master Su, it's noon now. I should go back for lunch."
It had been several years since he was promoted to the position of Grand Secretary. This was the first time he had seen someone so actively resign in front of him. Zheng Ke looked constipated and waved his hand helplessly, asking him to go back first.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
