Chapter 71 Discussing Business
Wan Qiqi peeled the pomelo segments one by one and placed them in front of Pingping and An'an.
Seeing that everyone was enjoying the meal, she shared her thoughts.
"Mother, Yongnian, I want to start a business and make money."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone's eyes were on Wan Qiqi.
“We can’t always live off the wild grass and fruits on the mountain. If too many people come to pick them, we won’t be able to find much. And when the weather gets cold, there will be even less to eat.” Wan Qiqi stopped and observed everyone’s reaction.
Chen Yongnian stared at her, as if waiting for what would happen next.
Chen Yongxing and Li Chongniang frowned, as if they were thinking about the problem.
Chen Yongliang rolled his eyes and said, "I've also considered this issue."
Wang continued, "These past two years have been so difficult for everyone due to the drought and floods."
Wan Qiqi nodded. "No one can do anything about natural disasters. We can't just keep focusing on this. We need to find a solution, right? Do you want to live like this for the past two years?"
The three brothers all shook their heads.
Who wants to live like this? Who wants to starve to death in a famine? Who wants to fight with others for a little something?
But what can we do?
If you don't fight and compete, you'll starve to death in the famine.
Nobody wants to lose their life!
Wan Qiqi was born in an era where she didn't have to worry about these things, so she never considered these issues.
But times have changed. She now lives in an era of frequent disasters and even food is a problem, so she has to worry about these things.
Before, it was for making a living; now it's for "making a living".
Li Chongniang watched for a long time before finally saying calmly, "Doing business is not as easy as you think. You not only need to be good at arithmetic, but also literate and know how to manage a business."
Wan Qiqi nodded, agreeing with her statement. She said she knew it all, but the ancient Wan Qiqi didn't!
She tentatively asked, "I remember my second brother learned to read and write, so he should be able to do arithmetic, right?"
Chen Yongxing awkwardly scratched his head. "I did learn from someone, but... I don't know much. I'm alright at math. I used to sell wild animals, and I could calculate very clearly!"
Is the calculation clear?
Wan Qiqi didn't want to expose him.
She always felt that the weight of the bag of brown rice that had been stolen was wrong.
At market price, one pound of white rice can be exchanged for three pounds of brown rice. Even if you've already eaten some, you can still exchange it for about ten pounds of brown rice. But when you bring it back, the weight is obviously less than ten pounds.
The Wu family, consisting of two people, had other stored grains at home; it's impossible for them to have eaten so much in just a few meals! It can only mean that there was already a problem when they exchanged the rice.
However, it's hard to say whether Chen Yongxing miscalculated or the rice seller cheated.
Li Chongniang didn't give Chen Yongxing any face and directly exposed him, "You have the nerve to say you're good at math? Last time I asked you to sell things, you didn't even count the money properly, and you were short several coins!"
Chen Yongxing hurriedly explained, "Wife, I didn't say anything because I felt sorry for the old man."
"Just because others are pitiful doesn't mean I'm not! Those few coins are enough for me to eat eggs for several meals!"
Wan Qiqi felt a headache coming on as she watched the two bickering.
We were clearly talking about doing business, how did we end up talking about this?
Seizing the opportunity, Chen Yongliang interjected, "Sister-in-law, I can help with the promotion! Trust me, I'll definitely attract customers for you!"
Wan Qiqi believed in Chen Yongliang's eloquence, but felt he was more suited to storytelling.
If you opened a teahouse and gave Chen Yongliang a table, he would definitely be able to talk a wonderful story to people.
However, attracting customers is a skill; good speaking skills alone are not enough. You also need emotional intelligence. Chen Yongliang is a bit of a "straight man," and she was really afraid that she would offend people instead of attracting customers.
The family members chattered incessantly, each expressing their own opinions, and Wan Qiqi didn't hear a single reliable word.
She finally realized how difficult it was for people in ancient times to do business.
Children from poor families have no opportunity to study and learn to read and write; they can only make a living through manual labor. Doing business requires intelligence and literacy, which is naturally beyond the reach of poor families.
Doing business requires costs.
These people already have a hard time just surviving, where would they find the money to do anything else?
Although the government did not suppress commerce in this era, it was difficult to make money through business without some wealth and influence.
However, these were not difficulties for Wan Qiqi.
Aside from lacking power, she fits all the criteria, if not explicitly stated, at least to the point of being close.
Finally, amidst the murmurs, Wan Qiqi heard something she longed to hear.
"Wife, what kind of business do you want to do?" Chen Yongnian's voice was not loud, but it silenced the others.
Chen Yongliang then asked, "Sister-in-law, what are you planning to sell?"
Amidst the attention of everyone, Wan Qiqi brought in the honey grapefruit jam she had made.
Chen Yongxing leaned over and smelled it. "It smells so good, sister-in-law, did you add honey?"
Wan Qiqi nodded.
Chen Yongliang reached out to try it, but Wan Qiqi slapped him hard.
Then, Wan Qiqi scooped half a spoonful for Chen Yongliang.
Chen Yongliang took a bite, and the sweetness made him feel nauseous. He said, "Sister-in-law, you seem to have put too much honey in!"
Wan Qiqi smiled faintly and asked Chen Yongnian to bring in the warm water she had prepared. She also brought in several bowls, put a spoonful of honey grapefruit jam in each bowl, and then added warm water and stirred.
"Try it again."
Everyone looked at the bowl of water in front of them with these doubts, but still tasted it as Wan Qiqi suggested.
"Delicious!"
"So sweet!"
After the two little ones finished drinking, their eyes crinkled with laughter. They stared at the jam in the small jar, wanting another bowl.
Chen Yongliang licked his lips and said, "It's fragrant and delicious, sweet but not cloying. This bowl of sweet soup is really good!"
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