Qin Xiaozhou read from the ledger, "Today, we sold out 30 original flavor cakes, 30 taro cakes, and 30 fruit cakes. Each cake cost 66 coins, totaling 5,940 coins. We also sold 85 towel rolls at 18 coins each, totaling 1,530 coins. We sold 47 lotus and begonia pastries at 26 coins each, 423 milk teas at 6 coins each, totaling 2,538 coins, and 96 milk puddings and caramel puddings at 5 coins each. Today's total income is 11,710 coins."
Eleven taels and seven mace a day!
One thousand copper coins could be exchanged for one tael of silver, and one hundred copper coins were worth one qian. Silver was not widely circulated in the market. Ordinary people would spend tens of coins to buy something, or at most a few hundred coins. Silver was hard to change, so copper coins were more convenient. Therefore, Qin Xiaozhou collected all the loose silver.
After dinner, Qin Xiaozhou gathered the Lu family together and explained the situation at the store over the past few days, which was a kind of simple family meeting. "It's been four days since we opened, and our store's total turnover is 46,826 wen. Everything has gone smoothly, thanks to everyone's concerted efforts."
Zhao Fang was astonished. There were more than 46,000 copper coins, which they couldn't even count. Lu Yan tried to count on her fingers but couldn't figure it out. "Sister-in-law, how much is 46,826 coins?"
"Forty-six taels, eight mace, and twenty-six cash."
In the village, a family's annual income is only five or six taels of silver. This family earned more than forty-six taels of silver in just four days. It's like money falling from the sky and they could just catch it in a basket.
Lu Yu was so shocked by what he saw that he could hardly sit still. His blood was boiling, and he got up and walked around a couple of times. "This, so much! If we ran this business for a month, wouldn't we make over a hundred taels?!"
If, if she is forced into marriage by the government, will she have enough money to ask them for a longer period? Perhaps she really can pay the fine!
Lu Yu became more and more excited as she thought about it, and suddenly she was no longer as afraid of getting married in six months.
After finishing talking about the sales figures, Qin Xiaozhou pointed out the shortcomings, "The fruits will ripen one after another, and then the fruit cakes will be further divided into two categories. Mother and sister-in-law will have to work harder to help Jing and Jingyue get familiar with the cake-making production line as soon as possible. The demand for baked cake bases will be higher, so we need to install an oven in our own kitchen. Otherwise, the shop won't be able to make that many. There's also something else. We need to build a house in the backyard. We'll demolish the stable and build a reverse-style house. After it's built, Jingyue and Jinghe will move in."
There are only three rooms available for living. Lu Yunfeng has a room by himself, Lu Yu and Jing Yue and Jing He have a room by themselves, and the rest of the people live in the middle room, which Qin Xiaozhou finds extremely inconvenient.
Moreover, as the business grows bigger in the future, two helpers may not be enough. It would be better to build staff quarters now, three to five rooms, so that there will be room for more people to stay when they come. Buying this yard was really worth it; the backyard is so big, and there is a lot of room for renovation.
After arranging things, he started making grand promises to boost morale: "As long as we work hard, we won't have to worry about money in the future. We can build houses in Wangjia Village in a month, and everyone will have their own house!"
Lu Yan was overjoyed, "Sister-in-law, I'll still share a room with you then!"
She had never lived in a room by herself before and didn't know the pleasure of having a room to herself, so she wanted to be next to Qin Xiaozhou.
Zhao Fang poked her forehead, "Shameless."
How can a sister-in-law always sleep in the same bed as her husband's sister?! Of course, the young couple should live together for a harmonious life. But why doesn't she seem worried about this daughter-in-law at all?
The next morning, Qin Xiaozhou had just gotten up when she found that Jinghe had already boiled water in the private kitchen in the courtyard. He was holding back as he filled a wooden basin with water for her to wash her face. "Madam, the porridge you wanted for breakfast is ready. I'll go get it for you now."
Last night before going to bed, Qin Xiaozhou casually mentioned wanting to eat vegetable and lean meat porridge. Unexpectedly, it was available when she woke up. She couldn't help but take another look at Jing He. Not bad, he was hardworking and had good ears. Jing Yue was also good. Although she was quiet and timid, she always hid in a corner and worked quietly. No matter how dirty or tiring the work was, she would bury herself in it and do it all by herself. She was just too shy and would subconsciously avoid people.
They must have suffered a lot on their way from Youzhou.
The day was just breaking when the group finished breakfast. Birds chirped and hopped on the rooftops, waking the sleeping town. There was a knock on the back door, and Lu Yunfeng opened it, smiling as he asked, "Brother Li San is here. Why are you here so early today?"
It was 15 minutes earlier than usual.
The river was crystal clear in mid-spring. Li Ji steered the boat steady and unloaded the milk from it. "Now that the sun is getting longer and the weather is getting hotter, I'm afraid that if I deliver it late, the milk will spoil before you have a chance to process it."
Lu Yunfeng carried the milk into the house, and Qin Xiaozhou took out copper coins to settle the money for the past few days for Li Ji. "Brother Li, this is 1,350 coins, that's the money for the past three days. Count it."
The initial agreement was 150 coins per bucket of milk, with three buckets delivered per day and settlement every three days.
Holding the heavy sum of money, Li Ji's smile was genuine. "Brother Lu, sister, you are both honest and capable people."
He rowed his boat home, and as soon as he entered the house, he couldn't wait to take out the money and give it to his wife. "Look, the Lu family really paid us back without any debts, just as promised, every three days. They paid us so generously. From now on, we can survive even if we only do business with the Lu family."
Li Qiuyue took the money with a smile. The family was already struggling financially. The children's clothes were patched and mended repeatedly, and the rice, oil, and salt were running low. She was worried about not having enough salt in the dishes for lunch. But the Lu family's payment was a real lifesaver!
“These past two years haven’t been easy for your parents either. They’ve been cutting grass and feeding the cattle every day. Now, you should take 100 coins to show your respect. Go and give it to your mother. I’ll go to the village to buy oil and salt, and then I’ll buy a bolt of cloth to make clothes for you. Look at your clothes, aren’t you ashamed of these big patches?”
The youngest son rushed over, "Mother, I want to eat meat!"
He hadn't eaten meat in a very long time, and his four- or five-year-old child's mouth watered at the thought of it, saying, "I want to eat lots of pieces."
Li Ji, a grown man, had tears in his eyes. He picked up his youngest son and said, "Okay, eat meat. Let your mother go buy some."
He instructed his wife, "Just buy one string of meat; let's have a good meal today."
Li Qiuyue was also craving it so much that she didn't dare to put too much oil in her cooking. Her stomach was completely dry. If it weren't for the unsold milk she made for the children every morning, these three children would probably be incredibly thin!
She still smiled and poked her youngest son's head, jokingly scolding him for being greedy, "Mom will go buy some right now."
The second daughter, with her big eyes wide open, sucked on her fingers and said, "Mother, I want candied hawthorns."
Li Qiuyue also grants her eldest and second daughters' every request, saying, "I'll buy them both today."
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