She knew that the Great Wei could now trade with other countries, but seeing a caravan of foreign tribes in the city still shocked her.
These foreigners, some of whom looked like people from Europe and America, really broadened her horizons.
However, by this time, the Great Wei was already able to build ships for the sea.
Later, when she heard that the caravan members weren't speaking English, she felt relieved.
It's understandable that the northern Husai region, along with some not-too-distant countries, had trade relations with the Great Wei.
Ye Lingyu seemed a little nervous after arriving in the city.
He seemed uninterested and often drifted off into thought.
For lunch, Liu Baisheng invited Cheng Qingyan to have lunch with his friend.
Whether it's business or not, let's get to know each other first.
Liu Baisheng's good friend, the head steward of the wealthy Luo family in the city. His name is Luo Ji, and he is fifty years old this year.
Luo Ji seems to be more shrewd than Liu Baisheng, probably because he has been a steward in wealthy families for a long time and has seen too much.
The meeting was at Fuxi Restaurant in the county town, which was opposite the inn where Cheng Qingyan and the others were staying.
Jiang Jiang's fearlessness of strangers and her sweet talk kept Luo Ji laughing.
After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, we began to get down to business.
The Luo family is in the cloth business. The Luo family in the county town is just a branch of the family, responsible for managing the business of the shops from the provincial capital to the county town.
Despite its small size, the Luo family in the county town has nearly a hundred people, including the whole family, servants, and elders.
For a hundred people, the daily cost of food is not a small amount.
Of course, Luo Ji also had his own network of connections and ideas.
He and Liu Baisheng were old friends, and when he saw the vegetables that Cheng Qingyan had sent over, he immediately had an idea.
So, in reality, it was more accurate to say that he wanted to invite Cheng Qingyan to this meal, rather than Cheng Qingyan insisting on eating with him.
Luo Ji worked as a steward in a merchant's household, and he was the head steward, so he was naturally very quick-witted.
He didn't hide anything about vegetable prices either. These are all open and transparent; you can find out the prices of various vegetables simply by going to the street to buy some.
After drinking the wine, his face turned a little red: "Young Master Cheng, I still have some connections in the county town. As long as you can supply the vegetables, you don't need to worry about the sales at all."
Cheng Qingyan wasn't worried about sales channels, but she lacked connections, which was her weakness.
"Then we'll have Butler Luo to help us. I just wonder what Butler Luo's requirements are regarding the types of dishes?"
Liu Baisheng remained calm and took a sip of wine.
He chuckled inwardly. This Cheng Qingyan was quite different from what he had told him before. He had previously told her that what vegetables to plant depended on her mood, not on the buyer's decision.
Luo Ji stroked his mustache, thought for a moment, and said, "It would be best if the food was not easily damaged during transport, since it will take us one or two days to get here and there. If it gets badly damaged during transport, it will affect the quality of the food."
"Of course, if it's inconvenient, you can just follow the seasonal vegetable category."
Cheng Qingyan smiled confidently and said, "No problem, but vegetables, chicken and fish will have to wait at least two or three months before they can be provided."
Luo Ji and Liu Baisheng said it was no problem at all; it was good stuff, and they weren't afraid to wait.
Ye Lingyu and Jiang Jiang had already left their seats, and it was at this moment that Cheng Qingyan began to understand the differences between men and women.
Men can discuss business at the dinner table, but women, even if they are at the table, only eat their fill and then leave; they are not qualified to participate in business discussions.
She had originally planned to have Ye Lingyu stay and talk to her about these things, but Ye Lingyu didn't seem to like staying there any longer and left early with Jiang Jiang.
Noticing Ye Lingyu's unusual behavior, and unable to leave the scene, Cheng Qingyan felt somewhat anxious.
She wanted to go back and see what was going on, but she hadn't done the things Ye Lingyu had asked her to do.
He frowned, took out a few bars of soap, and placed them on the table.
Liu Baisheng and Luo Ji were drawn to the scene, wondering what Cheng Qingyan was up to.
Cheng Qingyan pushed the soap forward: "Please take a look, gentlemen. This is the soap I made. Please take a look and give it your opinion."
Luo Ji took a piece, pinched it, and smelled it: "I didn't expect Young Master Cheng to have such abilities. Impressive, impressive."
"But this seems different from the soaps sold in the market. What is it made of?"
Liu Baisheng also became interested and picked it up to examine it carefully.
Cheng Qingyan humbly said, "I also learned this from a senior. This one uses mutton fat, so I call it mutton fat soap."
Luo Ji broke off a small piece, rubbed it between his fingers, and sniffed it. "Not bad, not bad. Young Master Cheng, are you thinking of starting a business with this soap?"
"I have that idea, but the price of soap in this county town seems to be too high. Does Butler Luo know why?"
Luo Ji nodded; "Indeed, the soap in the cosmetic shops in the city is quite expensive. But there are other places that sell soap for a slightly lower price, around twenty coins."
"The texture is rough, but it's quite popular. I've never seen a mutton fat soap like Cheng Langjun's on the market before."
Pig pancreas is often used to make soap. But he had never seen soap made directly from mutton fat.
I had to look at Cheng Qingyan in a new light; it turned out he wasn't just good at growing vegetables and raising chickens, but also a craftsman.
Cheng Qingyan understood; her wife was truly clever. Having been the steward of the county town for so long, Luo Ji knew the Luo family's relationships perfectly well.
Anyone connected to the Luo family would at least give Luo Ji some face.
The butler, or head butler, not only manages the servants of the household, but also accompanies the master to meet various business partners.
Cheng Qingyan asked Luo Ji, "I wonder if my soap, if it costs twenty coins a piece, would have a market in the county town?"
Luo Ji understood immediately and smiled, "That depends on what form Young Master Cheng wants to take to bring the mutton fat soap into the market."
As Ye Lingyu had previously stated, 20% of the profits from the sale of vegetables and meat in the county town were given to Luo Ji.
They no longer manage the sales and supply in the city.
As for the mutton fat soap, Cheng Qingyan also gave it to Luo Ji at the same discounted price.
In that case, how much money Luo Ji can make will depend on how much stuff he can sell.
As for how Liu Baisheng and Luo Ji would divide the spoils, she didn't care.
Once the matter was settled, Luo Ji told Cheng Qingyan that starting in the spring, they would plant at least 100 to 200 mu of vegetables to supply the county town.
At least let some of the mansions that are on good terms with Luo Ji use their dishes.
As for the soap, the order must be at least one thousand pieces.
Vegetables, chicken, duck, and fish are not a problem; if she doesn't have time, she can make up for it with what she has in her space.
But making lanolin soap would take her a long time if she were alone.
It looks like I'll need to find some help when I get back.
After bidding farewell to Luo Ji and Liu Baisheng, Cheng Qingyan went straight to the inn to find Ye Lingyu.
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