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This made the shopkeeper surnamed Yang raise an eyebrow, but he quickly smiled and nodded: "Then please wait a moment."
This attitude made Cheng Xi realize that "replying" was not important. No wonder Mr. Lu demanded that the letter be delivered within half a month, but could delay the reply for two months.
But these have nothing to do with her. The 30% off rice is her goal.
No one offered tea. Cheng Xi stood in the lobby for about ten minutes before Shopkeeper Yang came out and handed back the sealed wooden box. "Here's the reply. Thank you."
Cheng Xi accepted it without changing his expression.
Seeing her put away the wooden box, Shopkeeper Yang smiled again and said, "It's not easy for you to come from so far away. If you like anything, I can give you a discount."
This sounded like a polite gesture, but in reality it was an attempt to get rid of the messenger. It seemed the shopkeeper didn't care about the messenger.
Cheng Xi looked around and suddenly asked, "Does your store sell pepper?"
Delivering a letter and selling goods at the same time, are you trying to take advantage of the verbal benefits?
Shopkeeper Yang raised his eyebrows in surprise and laughed, "My boss will definitely like your personality. Well, how much pepper should I give you? Let's see."
The words sounded like a friendly solicitation, yet they were strangely frivolous. Cheng Xi ignored them, went out to get the box of pepper, and handed it to Shopkeeper Yang.
The other party opened the lid and sniffed it carefully, then tasted two more before saying, "Not bad at all. How about fifteen taels per pound?"
This is much higher than the market price, but it's only five pounds, so I can't give it much away. I'll just consider it a favor.
Cheng Xi naturally understood what the other party meant, but if she could make two more bucks, why not? And a grocery store that even sold spices like pepper obviously had a wider business than she had imagined. She also wondered what the owner of this store was like.
Without further ado, the pepper was weighed and seventy-five taels of silver were in hand. Cheng Xi had no intention of staying any longer and bowed and said goodbye.
Even though she had money, she didn't stay in the city for long.
Things in Panyu City are definitely more expensive than those in the private port, so there is no need to purchase goods here. The group simply left the city and went home.
The round trip took only half a day. When Cheng Xi returned to the boat, Li Niu was surprised: "Why are you back so soon? Panyu is a great place, with so many beautiful women. Why don't you stay overnight?"
Before Cheng Xi could answer, Sun Erlang chuckled, "Brother Li, you may not know that pretty men don't really care about Hua Niang."
Li Niu immediately puffed his beard and glared: "Sun Er, what do you mean? I was also very handsome in my early years. I don't know how many girls cried and made a fuss to sleep with me!"
For a group of men drifting on the sea, isn't it natural for them to make dirty jokes?
Of course, this was also because they had escaped death and made a lot of money, so the two wanted to get closer.
Although Cheng Xi understood the situation, he did not respond. Instead, he said, "I came to Panyu this time to deliver a letter for the owner of the grain store. Now that the letter has been delivered, I have to send a reply."
Hearing this, both of them fell silent. Li Niu frowned, "You're suggesting another trip, is it to deliver a letter?"
Sun Erlang thought for a moment before saying, "Could it be that this is how they negotiated the 30% discount on the rice price?"
"That's right." Cheng Xi answered their questions with two words.
Li Niu was shocked. "What kind of letter is this? They're actually offering you a 30% discount on the grain price as a reward?"
Is the owner of this shop crazy? Or is he hiding some shady trick, waiting for them to fall for it?
Cheng Xi shook his head. "He originally wanted to waive the grain fee for the entire ship, but I refused, so he changed it to a discount. As long as it's a ship I lead, they can buy grain at this price."
Li Niu's voice suddenly became hoarse.
This, isn't this a bargain for them? If they take the money directly, the benefits will all fall into the hands of the Lin family and this kid. No matter how much or how little, they will make money first.
But if it is converted into a discount, how many ships are needed to load a certain amount of grain. Since they provide the ships and work hard, they naturally have to share the profits. This is the difference between one company making money and three companies making money.
Now that he was told that these were the benefits he had gained from delivering the letter, he was at a loss for words.
Sun Erlang suddenly said, "To spend such a huge amount of money, I'm afraid the owner of the grain store is not an ordinary person. Will he get into trouble?"
This question was truly mature and measured. Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Isn't the risk of going to sea big enough? I dared to cross Luoling Island, so it's worth taking a risk."
These words were a bit arrogant, but they struck a chord with Sun Erlang and Li Niu. What's a risky way to go to sea? Now that the Great General Zhenhai is no longer guarding the area, who knows how many bandits and tyrants will emerge in the future.
If one wants to support themselves, money is always necessary. If this grain route can be established, at least they will not be forced by the government to risk their lives.
Li Niu gritted his teeth twice and suddenly said, "Let's go back and see how Mengzi's grain is selling. If it can be sold, it's not impossible to consider it."
He was the one who was the most stubborn, but now he has given in. It must be because he has figured it out.
It is difficult to sustain business alone. Only by relying on friends and family can you ensure the stability of your business.
Sun Erlang nodded in agreement and added, "My goods have been sold out, and I made a total of 380 taels this trip. Thanks to Brother Cheng for helping me treat my brothers, I'm willing to give you an extra 20% and give you 76 taels."
"Hiss!" Li Niu couldn't help but smack his lips when he heard this. This was half a percent more!
While they had indeed benefited greatly, that battle had also made Li Niu deeply aware of the importance of training. Without Cheng Xi's guidance, they might have been eaten alive by the fish. Therefore, a little more than half a point wouldn't be too much.
After thinking clearly about the pros and cons, Li Niu clapped his hands and said, "I'm not an ungrateful person. I'll give you half of it. I haven't sold all the goods yet, but the profit is at least 400 taels. Brother Cheng, don't refuse the 80 taels!"
As a result, Cheng Xi's assets increased by more than 150 taels, and with the Lin family's share of at least 60%, her capital increased several times.
However, Cheng Xi didn't care about money. She thought for a moment and said, "The most important thing now is to go out to sea. Since we have an extra large ship, I can finance the stocking, and you three will be responsible for replenishing the crew. I will take 40% of the profits, and you three will split it equally."
Li Niu's eyes lit up. This was a good idea! All three families had contributed to the battle, but the greatest contributions were undoubtedly made by the Lin family and Cheng Xi. Therefore, no matter how the ship was divided, it would be inappropriate. Dividing it into three or four would make it difficult to manage the crew.
But now the boat has been transferred to Cheng Xi's name, and she will provide the funds and stock the goods. The three companies will jointly provide manpower and share the profits, and no one will complain.
Large ships naturally have more advantages when going out to sea, and Cheng Xi is undoubtedly the best at commanding among all people.
Letting her take charge of the largest ship is obviously better than staying on the Lin family's small boat.
In just a few words, he laid out everything clearly. Even someone as arrogant as Li Niu couldn't help but admire: "Brother Cheng is really thoughtful!"
Li Niu nodded in agreement. Lin Meng naturally sided with his benefactor. Sun Erlang smiled and said, "From now on, we will obey Master Cheng's orders."
This attitude is different from Li Niu's, and it seems a bit like he is obeying orders.
Li Niu hadn't expected Sun Er to change so quickly, but he was, after all, an experienced captain with over a decade of experience. How could he be willing to obey a young man's orders? He laughed heartily, pretending not to understand.
After discussing the important matters, the few people cleared out their goods and replenished their stocks in preparation for the next voyage.
Cheng Xi wandered around the private port for a long time and finally reached an agreement with a merchant who did not plan to go south. He took a shipload of cotton and cotton cloth, and the other party also promised to deliver the goods to his door, which saved him a lot of trouble.
The price of this transaction was quite considerable. The advance deposit alone emptied Cheng Xi's pocket. The rest would have to wait for the Lin family to sell the goods and give her a share.
But no matter how high the price was, it was still a bargain. The cotton on board was originally intended to be shipped to Hepu, but the sudden appearance of pirates made the ship owner want to withdraw and leave quickly.
If this shipload of cargo is shipped to Hepu, the profit will more than double, and the profit share will be even more astonishing.
Li Niu was also convinced. Even he didn't dare to invest all the money he had just earned before it even warmed up.
It is true that people with great skills are bold and capable, and people with abilities have different ambitions from others!
With this, the preparations for setting sail again were almost complete, and without further delay, the few of them returned directly with the newly replenished cargo. Although everyone moved quickly, the round trip took seven days.
Back at Xiaziwo, before he could even mention the boat, Lin Meng came up to him, his face beaming. "My benefactor, we've sold all the rice! The price of rice in the county has gone up a bit recently. We're selling it for nine cents a stone, and everyone's rushing to buy it! Some people who don't have much money are using seafood as a substitute, and the price is even cheaper than what we bought! We've doubled our profit on this boat alone!"
After deducting the loss from sea transportation, the profit was indeed doubled. Who would have thought that such a small amount of rice could bring in so much money?
Cheng Xi smiled and said, "The autumn harvest hasn't arrived yet, so it's only natural that we're making a lot of money. Once we get the 30% off rice, the profit will increase even more."
Li Niu couldn't help but look at Sun Erlang, and found that they couldn't suppress the joy in each other's eyes.
Although the profits from sea voyages are high, their small businesses are not actually very profitable. They are lucky if they can make 70% to 80% profit, and most of the time they only make about 50%.
Now that rice can be sold at double the price, isn’t this a golden road?
It’s true that you won’t lose out if you follow someone with a smart mind!
Lin Meng was so excited that his heart almost jumped out of his chest! He doubled his money every time he went back and forth. He only had 100 taels of capital when he left, but when he came back, it turned into 400 taels!
You have to know that they were at their wit's end and almost became bandits, but they didn't expect that a lucky star would appear out of nowhere.
Even if only 40% of the three hundred taels of net profit was split, it would still be as much as their previous sea voyage, effectively saving the lives of their entire village! And that wasn't all; if they made another trip, they might even make even more money, completely turning their fortunes around!
Thinking of this, Lin Meng hurriedly added: "Our ships are almost fully stocked, but that large ship hasn't been stocked yet. The nearby sea goods have been emptied out, and I'm afraid it will take a while to get enough."
"It's okay. I've already found a shipload of cotton, and the ship owner is here too. I just need to find someone to move the goods. I've also agreed with the two captains that I'll fund and stock the ship, and you three will provide the manpower. I'll take 40% of the profit, and the rest will be split equally. It all depends on what the Lin family thinks." Cheng Xi said.
However, upon hearing this, Lin Meng hurriedly shook his head: "How can that be possible?! The men were trained by the benefactor, the ship was captured using the benefactor's methods, and now the goods are also prepared by the benefactor. How can you let us take all the benefits? The Lin family cannot accept these 20%!"
Li Niu was listening to this, his mouth almost twisted with anger. "You don't want a share of the profits, but we still want them!" Talking like that, how could they put their faces aside? Besides, every family contributed people to the war, so it can't all be attributed to one person, right?
Just as I was thinking about how to refute him, Cheng Xi spoke first: "Going to sea is a life-threatening job. How can we let people work in vain? This time, everyone is preparing the goods independently, so there is no need to say more. In the current situation, working together is definitely better than fighting alone. We are tied together. The more united we are, the more we can accomplish."
These words persuaded Lin Meng and made Li Niu feel relieved, but Sun Erlang on the side couldn't help but look at Cheng Xi again.
He understood the deep meaning in the words and didn't need to say much this time. So, when they arrived in Hepu, how would they divide the profits after transporting the grain together?
And at that time, who will have the final say?
Perhaps the young man had thought of this when he agreed to a 30% discount on the grain price, and after the enemy was defeated in one battle, there were no more obstacles.
In the future, the three families would inevitably be controlled by one person. Sun Erlang did not reject this outcome.
As Cheng Xi said, in the current situation, we cannot survive by fighting alone. Only by working together can we avoid being overturned by the waves.
At this time, we need a powerful person to take charge.
He had been in charge of the Sun family's ship for several years and had never dared to act recklessly. This young man had only set out to sea once, yet he had already found a path others hadn't considered and a backer others hadn't expected. Such a person was worth following, and the sooner the better!
As his eyes passed over the man, Sun Erlang sighed secretly. What a pity, why wasn't it their Sun family who first encountered this young man?
Now that everything was settled, the rest was easy. Unloading and loading cargo, restocking water supplies, and arranging experienced sailors to man the ship. Whether intentionally or not, all three companies had sent their best men to the new ship. With Cheng Xi as their "chief instructor," this new ship instantly became the strongest force in the fleet.
For this reason, Cheng Xi specially designed a set of tactics with this large ship as the core, making it the backbone of the fleet, that is, the real "flagship".
Once everything was arranged, they set sail without further delay. If they wanted to get the rice in before the autumn harvest, they had to hurry.
With this large two-masted ship, the situation was indeed different. We didn't encounter any pirates blocking the way along the way.
Often, the alert would be lifted just after the watchtower sounded the alarm. It seemed that their deterrent effect on these thieves had been further enhanced.
Yes, the imperial court had previously cracked down on bandits and burned countless large brigs. Those who still have the strength to operate such ships now basically have some background. Who would dare to cause trouble easily?
It was the windy season, and with no obstacles, the fleet returned to Hepu without any setbacks. After arriving at the private port, it was time to discuss business, and Li Niu immediately expressed his desire to go with Cheng Xi to meet the grain shop owner.
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