Before He Jiuniang spoke, the Lu family did not understand the market for gemstones. They even thought it was unreliable that the Zhang brothers had spent all their savings to buy these things without even understanding the market.
But the Lu family meant well. They had even considered the worst-case scenario, thinking that even if they were scammed, it wouldn't matter, as they still had business dividends. If things really got too bad, everyone could just lend them a hand.
Unexpectedly, He Jiuniang also thought this had great potential, so there was hope for the future.
Hearing He Jiuniang say this, Zhang Song said, "Alright, we're all family, so we'll just pay the cost price. But my brother and I have decided to make a few more trips after the New Year. If Third Sister-in-law likes it, we'll bring her some more!"
"Are you still going?"
Sun's eyes widened. In her opinion, this trip was already a lot of suffering. If she had to go again, what would happen?
Besides, her daughter is still young, and it's not appropriate for Zhang Song to be running around outside every day.
Zhang Song didn't know what Sun was thinking, so he nodded honestly and said, "We've discovered that there's no salt, tea, or cloth on the grasslands. We can bring them over from here to sell, or we can trade them for gems and spices. Once we have those things, we can bring them back and sell them to make a lot of money!"
Although this trip was dangerous, it was indeed profitable. He still has a lot of goods that he hasn't sold yet, but he has already broken even and even made a small profit. Once he sells these goods, he will definitely make a big profit.
There are many wealthy people in Jingzhou and the capital who like these things, so this is a way to make money.
"Big brother, second brother, third brother, we don't trust just anyone, and we've done a lot of inquiries to confirm that it can make money. Do you want to join us?"
Doing it together is like other family businesses: you put up an initial investment, and then receive a share of the profits.
They are able to live this kind of life now thanks to the Lu family's help. Although they know the Lu family is not short of money, it is unreasonable for them not to appreciate the Lu family's kindness when the Lu family helped them.
The three Lu brothers didn't say anything, but subconsciously looked at He Jiuniang.
To be precise, it wasn't just the three brothers looking at her; the entire family's eyes were on her.
When it comes to doing business, everyone thinks it all depends on He Jiuniang. She says that if it can succeed, it definitely will, and if it can't, then there's no hope.
He Jiuniang nodded and said, "I think it's worth doing. I had this idea before."
When Zhang Song and Zhang Yong set off, she specifically mentioned that they should take a good look at the spices and gems there. She didn't expect the two brothers to be so savvy and clear the way on their first trip.
Zhang Song and Zhang Yong used to be pig butchers, which was a business to some extent. This shows the business acumen that business people have. It's really good.
Hearing He Jiuniang say this, everyone was very happy, especially Lu Guilan and Shen Shi. Although they knew that their husbands had made money on this trip, they were still a little uneasy and wanted to wait for He Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan to come back and ask them. Now that they heard He Jiuniang's confirmation, they felt relieved instantly.
"Third sister-in-law, I'm relieved to hear you say that. These two have been talking about going a few more times lately, and I've been so worried. I just felt like it wasn't going to work out, but I didn't know how to persuade them. These two brothers are like they're possessed; they won't listen to anyone's advice!"
Lu Guilan sighed, holding He Jiuniang's hand. Her husband had been away for several months, and she was more anxious than anyone else. When she returned and saw them like this, she often hid and shed tears, fearing that something had happened to her husband outside.
She's already survived such a difficult time fleeing famine; she can't afford to have anything happen to her now, or she really won't be able to handle it.
"Yes, it's profitable, but it's also very dangerous! We have a business now, so let's not do such risky things. You all have families, what if something happens?"
Sun also tried to dissuade them, thinking that after suffering so much, they wouldn't want to go again. Who knew they would want to go several more times? Were they courting death?
The two Zhang brothers remained silent, especially Zhang Song. Sun was his mother-in-law, and he understood that she meant well. However, this was the first time they had carved out a path to wealth on their own, and they didn't want to give up so easily.
He Jiuniang could guess what they were thinking just by looking at them, so she didn't say much and instead asked directly, "Brother-in-law, what are your plans?"
They're both adults, and the Zhang brothers aren't brainless. They brought back so many good things and even made money from it, so they must be smart and wouldn't put themselves in danger.
Hearing He Jiuniang ask for his thoughts at this time, Zhang Song felt grateful and hurriedly said, "We know this road is dangerous. This time, we had a lot of people going, and the people Third Brother sent us were very capable, which is why we were able to return safely. We can't always rely on the officials to escort us, so we decided to hire a security escort agency. This way, it will be safer and more reliable."
He Jiuniang nodded. That was indeed a good idea, but the road was extremely dangerous and not something an ordinary escort agency could handle. For their safety, He Jiuniang still felt they needed to find a more reliable agency.
Zhang Song and Zhang Yong had two reasons for inviting the Lu family to join them. First, it was a mutual assistance arrangement; they wanted to help the Lu family with their new source of income. Second, they didn't have enough money to do it on their own, and it wouldn't be worthwhile to make a trip without bringing back some valuable items. Having allies was naturally better.
The Lu family doesn't need to show their faces; the two brothers can handle it all, and they'll get their share of the profits.
"Since my third sister-in-law has said so, we naturally have no objections. We also happen to have some savings, so my family will take it!"
Yu was busy in the kitchen and was unaware of what was happening here, so it was Boss Lu who made the decision.
Qin was in confinement after childbirth and it was inconvenient for her to come out or be present. After listening to everyone's analysis, Lu Lao Er also agreed. Anyway, his third sister-in-law was going to do it, so they could just follow along. Even if their wives were there, they would still make the same choice.
As for Lu Baichuan, needless to say, he listens to his wife.
However, he did have something to say: "If you really want to go, I can give you a token, so that you can have a smoother journey."
The situation now is different from that thousands of years later. If the Zhang brothers really started doing this, they would be considered merchants. Merchants have a low status. Even if they don't encounter bandits or outlaws, they will be harassed by the city guards. But with his token, it's different. It lets those people know that they have a powerful backer, so they naturally won't dare to act recklessly.
Upon hearing this, the two Zhang brothers' eyes lit up, and they repeatedly agreed.
They had seen quite a bit of the truth on the road. They were only spared trouble because they had Lu Baichuan's men protecting them, but other merchants were different. They were all robbed by the soldiers at the checkpoints, which greatly reduced their profits.
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