If it's half an acre, fifteen taels would be enough. Including taxes, that's twenty taels. Building the kind of house the governor built in the Protestant Church wouldn't cost much. A few of us could scrape together five or six taels to build a simple shop.”
Xie Yushu waved her hand
"Keep that little bit of money for buying rice and flour and hiring workers! I'll give you thirty taels. Since we're building a shop, we can't be too sloppy."
My villa is a tile-making facility, not too far from here. You can go find Qu Xiaodie and ask her to organize people to make a batch of tiles for you and bring them over. You can arrange the rest yourselves; I estimate it should be enough.
Xie Yushu was about to take out some silver when she realized she didn't have any on her. She only had a few taels of loose silver and a few large gold and silver notes. So she told them to wait a while and went to the bank to get a hundred-tael silver note. She exchanged it for a fifty-tael note and five ten-tael notes, pocketed seventy taels for herself, and gave the three ten-tael notes to Xie Tianqi.
Although the deal was given to Xie Tianqi, it was a joint venture between Liu Qiang and his partners. Liu Qiang wanted to give Xie Yushu an IOU, but Xie Yushu refused, saying...
"I consider you all my brothers. Consider this thirty taels as my donation to you. If you make a profit, it's yours; if you lose, it's mine. But there's one thing: as the old saying goes, business partnerships are hard to run. Many brothers have parted ways over a little bit of profit. I hope you won't ruin your friendship over money!"
Liu Qiang and his brothers, along with Xie Tianqi and Xie Tianming, were stunned for a moment. Then, realizing what they meant, they looked at each other and patted their chests, guaranteeing...
"No way! We're not that kind of people!"
"That's right, we've been through thick and thin together, there's no reason why we can't do something shady!"
Xie Yushu nodded
"I'm just giving you a heads-up. Remember what you said today. If anyone fails to keep their word, they'll be slapping themselves in the face!"
"OK!"
After chatting and laughing for a while, the group went to their respective duties.
Xie Yushu and Xie Baotian also took a boat to Jinyang.
Xie Baotian was deeply moved on the way.
"Your mother and I have always pampered you like our little daughter. We never imagined that after two years of severe drought, we would be counting on you to support the family!"
"Father, why are you saying this? We are all blood relatives, brothers. Whoever has the ability should help the other. I used to hope that Xiao Yi could support me, but now I don't know where Xiao Yi is. I have to look for him. If I find him, that's fine. If I don't find him, the only thing I can rely on is my maternal brothers. As for the Liu brothers, they are still a step away!"
Besides, I only feel confident when you're doing well. By the way, I plan to buy some sugar and hawthorns when I go to Jinyang this time. I'll teach you how to make candied hawthorns later.
This stuff is easy to make and doesn't require much capital. This year, the farmers in our area probably can't afford it, so you should sell it to landlords or merchants in town. They're willing to spend money on snacks for their children, and you can earn some pocket money too.”
Sugar costs fifty copper coins per pound, while hawthorn is cheap, costing only one copper coin per pound. However, hawthorn can invigorate the spleen and stimulate appetite. People usually dislike it because it is sour, but when it is coated with sugar and made into candied hawthorn skewers, it is just the right sweet and sour taste, and it is good for both the elderly and children. One pound of sugar can make thirty to forty candied hawthorn skewers.
Even if you sell 30 strings, the cost is about 52 or 53 copper coins. If you sell each string for 3 copper coins, then 30 strings would be 90 copper coins. You can make a net profit of 37 or 38 copper coins from 30 strings.
Even after deducting some losses, such as if it was eaten by acquaintances and fell on the ground, and you count seven or eight, you would still have thirty copper coins left. If you, my second uncle, and my eldest brother each sell thirty skewers a day, then each of you would earn thirty copper coins. If you sell skewers, then each of you would earn sixty copper coins!
Conservatively speaking, each person could earn one or two taels of silver per month.
This is much more profitable than working for a landlord; a landlord only gets ten copper coins a day!
"Well, that's fine. Anyway, we'll be staying home all winter, so at least we have something to do!"
Xie Baotian instinctively wanted to refuse, but after hearing Xie Yushu's calculations, he was immediately tempted. Thinking that his daughter wasn't short of money, he agreed, believing that a larger share of income for his family would put her at ease.
As they talked, time seemed to fly by. Before they had finished talking, they arrived at Li Daniu's blacksmith shop. When they got there, they found that the blacksmith shop was closed!
Xie Yushu inquired with the people nearby and learned that Li's wife had taken her child back to the countryside. Xie Yushu asked for directions and followed the trail to Li's shop in the countryside, where she found Li Daniu's wife.
"Sister-in-law Li, Brother Li and two soldiers came to my house a few days ago. Xiao Yi and Xiao Jinyu both left with Brother Li. Are they with you?"
Li Daniu's wife listened to Xie Yushu's words and said
“No, Li Daniu is gone too. Before he left, he sold the shop and sent my mother and me here. He only told me to look after the house and take good care of the children. He didn’t say anything else.”
"Do you know roughly where they're going? Or where they used to be, and what they did?"
"I don't know. He won't let me ask about things outside, and he won't tell me anything!"
Xie Yushu was speechless!
Seeing that Li Shi's complexion was not as good as the last time she saw her, and her face was full of fatigue, Xie Yushu couldn't help but ask...
"Sister Li, is there anything I can help you with? Are you sure you can take care of three children by yourself? Why don't you come back with me?"
"No need, I've already adapted, and I have people from my tribe to look after me here."
There is a small channel
"When Old Li left, he bought five acres of land for us, my mother and me, and left me some money. If I leave, it will be difficult to get this land back if someone else takes it."
Don't worry, girl, I can manage.
Seeing that she said that, Xie Yushu left with Xie Baotian.
Since Li Daniu was able to settle his wife and children, they must have had a purpose in leaving. The reason why Xiao Yi didn't leave a single word was probably because she wasn't home, or perhaps he thought she was unimportant.
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