Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Rushing to buy...
Lin Qiuran sat down and said, "I'm not really that tired. It's just that there are so many rules in the palace. I didn't even dare to raise my head. I sat there tense all night, so it's hard not to be tired."
Sun said, "It's a good thing I didn't go, otherwise I wouldn't be used to it."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Mom must be waiting impatiently. Let's eat too."
The cook prepared a feast for the Mid-Autumn Festival family. Glutinous rice and lotus root, symbolizing the sweetness of life, along with fish, shrimp, and braised pork, were among the dishes. The meal was more formal than usual. Sun and Tangyuan had been waiting, both hungry. Such a family reunion, with so many people, would have boosted their appetites.
After eating, Tangyuan couldn't help but pat his stomach.
He slumped in his chair for a while as fireworks started to go off outside. He took a look and became interested. He started clamoring to go out and see the lantern festival. "Mom, I've been here all night. Can you take me out to play?"
But Lin Qiuran was exhausted and too lazy to leave the house, so he asked Xiao Xun to take him out. Men and women were indeed different. Xiao Xun had been active last night, and not only had he gone out again today, he had even gone to the military camp that morning. And now he actually had the energy to take Tangyuan out to play.
Lin Qiuran couldn't do it no matter what. She wouldn't go out today even if the sky fell.
She went back to her room and slept for half an hour. When she woke up, the father and son came back soon after. Each of them brought her a lantern. Tangyuan bought a rabbit lantern, and Xiao Xun bought a lantern of Chang'e flying to the moon.
Tang Yuan said, "Yesterday, the teacher told me the story of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Chang'e flew to the moon, and then she regretted stealing the elixir. The blue sea and blue sky fill my heart every night. This is the one Dad picked. The one I picked is brighter and more lovely."
Lin Qiuran hung two lamps on the head of the bed. The kindness of the child and Xiao Xun should be cherished.
Lin Qiuran coaxed him a few times and asked Xiao Xun to take the child back to the yard to sleep. Now that Tangyuan was older, he no longer needed to be coaxed to sleep, but he liked to listen to stories. Lin Qiuran would tell him a few stories, and Xiao Xun would read to him when he was with him.
Tang Yuan always said, "Dad reads in a flat and straightforward manner, without any intonation or rhythm. Each sentence is completely indistinguishable. I fall asleep after listening to him for a while."
But she was too lazy to move today, so she let Xiao Xun go. She fell asleep quickly and didn't even know when Xiao Xun would come back. The next day, Lin Qiuran slept until noon and didn't know when Xiao Xun left.
Lin Qiuran did nothing after getting up in the morning and just looked at the posts.
There haven't been any banquets to attend lately, so I have some free time. Tangyuan had a day off today, so he went horseback riding at the farm. Lin Qiuran had originally asked someone in the mansion to take him, but Sun Shi was worried, so she went along too. The two of them didn't return until evening.
It is harvest time now, and the scenery in Zhuangzi is beautiful, all golden. The autumn wind blows, and the wheat waves are beautiful.
Sun has been dealing with crops for many years and is quite familiar with these matters. She can talk about farm matters with the farmers and feels more comfortable here than in the capital.
There are many farms at home, and Sun plans to come and live here for a while. There are also hot springs in this farm, where she can soak and relieve fatigue.
Lin Qiuran only rested for two days, and then things came one after another, leaving him with no free time at all.
First, the harvest season came. Lin Qiuran owned over thirty farms, and it took him several days to visit these farmers. Whether the harvest should be dried or sold was up to Lin Qiuran.
Then she received a message from Manager Xu that the spice business had undergone major changes in the past two months.
This year, the tribute sent by Xuzhou was praised by the emperor. Originally, the emperor could not taste this thing immediately. After it was sent to the palace, it had to be sent to the imperial kitchen and cooked before the emperor could eat it.
It was not noticeable at first, but who could have been more proud of it than the emperor who praised the chef in the imperial kitchen?
This was a tribute, not something that could be purchased casually. If the other palaces or courts wanted it, they had to wait for the emperor to grant it. Scarcity made things valuable, and word of this spice quickly spread throughout the palace.
The news in the palace soon spread outside. The ladies in the palace were proud to receive the spices as rewards from the emperor, and the ladies from the noble families also vied with each other to follow suit. It was naturally good to be able to get things from the palace, but most of them could not get them, so they naturally went to buy them outside.
The spices of Yu'an in Xuzhou are very famous. In the past, some people in the capital also bought and used them, but not in large quantities. Xu Yuanheng's goods were mostly supplied to vendors, but now the grocery stores on the street have sold out, and everyone comes to Manager Xu to buy goods.
This is just the capital, and I believe that business will pick up in other places soon. These spices are consumables. After a long time, they will be used up. If you want to use them again, you have to buy new ones. They have a long history and have been profitable for decades.
Xu Yuanheng stockpiled a lot of raw materials, and Lin Qiuran made a lot more, which cost a lot of money.
Manager Xu came here today to announce the good news. He also brought a lot of spices, more than twenty boxes, to be used as gifts for Lin Qiuran.
Xu Yuanheng hadn't come to the capital. He'd been approached by quite a few people for business these days, so he wouldn't be returning anytime soon. But Manager Xu was asked to stay here, taking charge of the business in and around the capital.
At the foot of the emperor, business in the capital will still be the main focus in the future. Moreover, northerners have heavier tastes, so spices are easier to sell here.
At least we stocked up in advance and there is enough. Otherwise, so many customers would come to buy but there is no stock, and they would definitely miss the opportunity.
This is how business works. If you seize the opportunity, you can make money and soar to the sky, while others may not even have a sip of hot soup.
If we fail to catch him, it will be useless even if the emperor praises us. After a while, everyone will forget about it.
Manager Xu felt that although Lin Qiuran's research into spices was the main reason for the success of this project, it was also because the young master had been doing business for a long time and had a foresight and knew how to stock up on goods.
Lin Qiuran also understood, and she said to Manager Xu, "Then when Master Xu returns, I'll host a celebration banquet at the Golden Tripod Tower."
This is a great event and should be celebrated.
Lin Qiuran said to Manager Xu, "If you need any help, feel free to come find me at my house."
Xu Yuanheng is not in the capital, and his business is good now. I guess some people are jealous of him, but after what happened last time, I don’t think anyone would be so desperate as to cause trouble for Xu Yuanheng.
Manager Xu chuckled and said, "Then I'd better obey your command."
He left first if there was nothing else. The gifts were delivered before the Mid-Autumn Festival. They were mooncakes from Wufangzhai, as well as wine and other gifts. Lin Qiuran was also giving a return gift to the Xu family. It was a matter of reciprocity, but the gift was heavier than in previous years and heavier than what the Xu family gave. This was because Tangyuan recognized Xu Yuanheng as his godfather.
As younger generations, we should respect our elders and give them more gifts.
After Manager Xu left, Lin Qiuran told Sun about this matter.
When the spices were made, the family knew about it, but no one took it to heart. They thought it was Xuzhou's credit that he was chosen, and Sun had long forgotten about it.
Sun: "The Emperor praised it? But didn't you see it at the palace banquet?"
Lin Qiuran nodded. There were many tributes on the low table at the palace banquet, but no spices. After a few days, when he heard about it, he felt that there was a ray of hope.
"Yes, after hearing the emperor's praise, the people of the capital are scrambling to buy spices."
Sun hadn't expected it to have such a big effect, "Everyone is robbing? That's incredible."
Lin Qiuran suddenly became interested. She said, "Mom, why don't we go out and take a look?"
Manager Xu talked a lot of nonsense, saying that business was booming and that many people were rushing to the shop to buy. He also said that many shops were out of stock. But if you don't see it with your own eyes, you still don't know how good the spice business is.
Sun nodded and said, "Okay, let's go out and take a look."
Sun likes going out more than when she first came to the capital. When she first came, she felt like she was from the countryside and was afraid of making a fool of herself or making a mistake. Now she goes out in a gorgeous carriage, and people bow to her wherever she goes.
Even if she said something wrong, she would still coax her. After a long time, Sun was willing to do anything. A few days ago, I heard an old lady say that her husband used to treat her badly, but now her husband is paralyzed in bed and can't move or speak, so he lets her do whatever she wants.
She goes out for a walk every day, happily, and believes in the saying that being good to yourself is a blessing.
Sun: "Let's go out and have a look. We'll eat out tonight. It's my treat."
Lin Qiuran smiled after hearing this, "That's great, Mom is really generous. Let's go to a few more grocery stores to see if Manager Xu is deceiving me."
Lin Qiuran and Sun went out, and the carriage drove directly to the south of the city and stopped on the street. The two got off and walked slowly to the grocery store with their maid.
After entering, the maid asked the waiter, "Do you have Xuji spices here?"
When the maid asked, Lin Qiuran looked around the shop and didn't see the two spices on the surface.
The waiter smiled apologetically and said, "Your arrival is unfortunate. Otherwise, come back tomorrow. If you really need it urgently, we have peppercorns and star anise. Take some back first. If you want fresh mushrooms, we have dried mushrooms in the shop. They are also delicious when fried."
Lin Qiuran smiled and shook his head, then went to the second shop, which was also sold out. He knew the result before he even went into the third shop, because he heard the previous customer ask at the door, and the shopkeeper said, "We don't have these two items right now, but they will be available tonight."
Only by replenishing out-of-stock items in a timely manner can business be good.
Lin Qiuran didn't go to other shops, but he estimated that they were about the same. There should be some backlog of goods, but they could all be sold out now.
Sun couldn't help but sigh, "Business must have been booming in the past few months. Qiuran, you're really capable, and Mr. Xu is a natural at business."
Last time, Manager Xu gave Lin Qiuran three thousand taels to buy spices to stock up. She had a few kinds, and Xu Yuanheng had a few more, so the money invested was more than this.
Adding up to 7,000 to 8,000 taels of silver, the profit could reach tens of thousands of taels. Once the money comes back and is reinvested, the share will be much larger. However, Lin Qiuran estimated that since business would be the main focus in the next few months, the share would not be much. He would wait until the end of the year to get a larger share.
Lin Qiuran said, "It was also good luck. I happened to be chosen as a tribute and happened to benefit from it."
Sun said, "Your good luck is due to your own ability. Mother is optimistic about you. Let's go out for dinner tonight. Let's go shopping and buy some jewelry. I'll have the maid go back and tell Xiao Xun and Tang Yuan."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Let's go."
After visiting several jewelry stores, Lin Qiuran bought Sun a pair of jade bracelets, spending over eight hundred taels. Sun felt they were heavy and worried about getting dinged. "I'm wearing a whole shop on my wrist. If it gets dinged..."
Lin Qiuran said, "It won't break easily. Otherwise, who would dare to sell this thing? Just keep it. It suits you perfectly. If you find something you like in the future, you can exchange it."
Although the profit from Thirteen Spices will be less for a few months, the farmers will soon finish the autumn harvest, and there will be so much grain that they cannot be eaten at home. Some of it will be sent to the shop to reduce costs, a small part will be stored to be prepared for any eventuality, and the rest can be sold for a large sum of money.
Lin Qiuran estimated that he had 40,000 to 50,000 taels of silver, which was enough to buy a pair of bracelets.
The dinner was paid for by Sun. Lin Qiuran wanted to pay, but Sun stood up and said, "Don't fight with me."
She was the oldest, so Lin Qiuran didn't dare to stop her and let her pay. Even an elderly person needed to feel needed.
After dinner, the family took a walk by the moat. The autumn wind was soft but cool, blowing on the body like willow branches in spring, which had just sprouted tender buds and hit the heads and faces of passers-by.
Gently, but not annoying.
On one side of Lin Qiuran was Xiao Xun, and on the other was Sun. She looked at Sun, who was staring at Tang Yuan with a smile, "Move aside, don't run so fast."
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but smile.
Xiao Xun kept looking at Lin Qiuran for a while, then asked, "Are you cold?"
Lin Qiuran shook his head, "Not cold."
Xiao Xun moved closer to Lin Qiuran, "I'm a little cold."
Lin Qiuran looked at him with a smile and said, "It's getting late, let's go back."
She called Sun and Tangyuan back, and the family headed home. When they were almost home, Tangyuan said, "Mom, there will be a child exam next spring, and the teacher said I should go and try it."
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