Now, the time has come.
The crops grown in the fields need to be sold, and vegetables and fruits also need to be sold.
Later, when the cotton matures, it needs to be sold, whether it's cotton itself or processed into goods.
In this way, each of them will need a suitable place.
Ning Yao owns many shops, but they are too scattered, and Licheng is not a small city.
Putting aside everything else, the two pharmacies are located on opposite sides of the street, far apart.
She wanted to organize these shops and create a unified plan.
There are thirteen shops, five of which are close to each other, separated only by a few other shops.
After careful consideration, Ning Yao chose one of the locations. She wanted to buy all the shops in between, or exchange them for shops from other places.
The slave trader hesitated, "Well, that's a bit difficult. These shops are doing quite well. If we want them to give them up willingly, it will probably cost a lot."
Ning Yao said, "You just go and talk to them. Give me a detailed list of their requirements and what they do, and I'll have a way to handle it."
Since Ning Yao had said so, the slave trader had no choice but to agree to give it a try.
However, the news brought back by the human traffickers was not so ideal.
Ning Yao frowned as she looked at the list brought back by the human trafficker.
"Did they suggest this themselves?"
The list contained information on three businesses: a grocery store, a clothing store, and a liquor store.
The three families didn't seem to be from the same family, but their demands were surprisingly consistent.
They can give up the shop, but not sell it; they can only rent it out for twenty taels of gold a year.
"Third Miss, although they all have the same story and there is some suspicion of collusion, this price is really not expensive. You have to look at the location; this is considered one of the better locations in Licheng."
“In some crowded areas, such as near Pinglanlou, rents have increased significantly.”
Ning Yao tapped her fingers lightly, making a tapping sound.
After a long pause, she said, "I only want to buy, not rent. The price is five thousand taels of silver. If it's acceptable, then we'll settle the deal. If not, then you can show this to them."
Ning Yao handed three pieces of paper to the broker.
"I'd appreciate it if you could make another trip and get some ice from the ice shop later."
The human trafficker grinned, and the restlessness he felt from running around in the summer heat instantly vanished.
He nodded repeatedly: "No trouble at all! No trouble at all!"
The human traffickers were extremely fast; they found the owners of the three shops immediately after leaving the Ning family.
He proposed a price of five thousand taels, which the three families, as expected, refused.
The rent is twenty taels of gold per year, which is two hundred taels of silver. This price is not expensive.
However, gold is more valuable than silver, and even if it is not used as currency, it is more valuable for other purposes.
Five thousand taels of silver is equivalent to five hundred taels of gold; it would take twenty years to earn that amount by renting it out.
If the broker were to choose, he would definitely choose to sell the shop in one go and get five thousand taels of silver.
But he didn't understand why these three families were so insistent.
Left with no other choice, he took out the papers Ning Yao had given him and handed them to the three of them.
"This is what the young master showed you because he said you didn't agree to the five thousand taels condition."
The three pairs exchanged glances and then took the papers.
"contract?"
What is this?
The slave trader shook his head, equally bewildered: "I don't know."
All three families were business people, seasoned veterans with over a decade of experience, and they quickly discovered the differences in the contract.
The contract states that after the shop is sold to the other party, each of the three families will be allocated a corresponding shop space to continue operating the business themselves, and they will be paid wages every month.
"What does this mean? Does it mean we've gone from being the owners of the shop to being just shopkeepers doing work for others?" the general store owner said.
The owner of the clothing shop frowned: "How can this be! Absolutely not! I own this shop, why would I be doing work for someone else?"
The wine shop owner looked thoughtful: "It says here that it's five thousand taels for the shop, and our monthly salary as the manager... Oh, isn't that different?"
"What does 'basic monthly salary of twenty taels' mean? And there's also commission? What does this all mean?"
The slave trader quickly replied, "I know that. Commission means that if you sell a piece of clothing, you get an extra ten or twenty coins as payment."
"Or, if you sell 100 taels of goods this month, 10 taels of silver will be set aside as a reward for you."
"Of course, I'm just using an example, but that's the principle. How much more you'll get depends on how well the business is."
The grocery store owner's eyes lit up: "So, if I can sell a hundred taels this month, plus the original twenty taels, then my monthly salary will be thirty taels?"
"Wow, this is more than I earn in a month!"
The wine shop owner nodded in agreement: "That's true. Based on the profits of my shop, if I agree to this contract, I can earn at least a hundred taels a month."
"Although my wine shop seems to be making a lot of money, to be honest, I only make about fifty taels a month in net profit."
In the end, only the tailor shop owner remained disapproving: "Why do I find this so unreliable? Twenty taels of silver is already a good wage, and to give such a high bonus? Who would give away their hard-earned money for nothing? Is this person stupid?"
The clothing store owner was actually quite tempted, as his clothing store business had always been very good.
According to this calculation method, his monthly income would be at least seventy or eighty taels, which is indeed more than he could earn by running his own shop.
But he was still uneasy, feeling that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
Seeing that the other two had relented, but the clothing shop owner was still considering, the slave trader added fuel to the fire.
"Oh my, you're a businessman too. Putting aside what five thousand taels of silver means, just look at the treatment the young master is offering—it's the first of its kind in Licheng!"
"I can guarantee that this is even the best in the surrounding cities!"
The clothing store owner remained unmoved: "What good is your guarantee?"
The human trafficker was so anxious he was itching to speak, but also somewhat helpless: "Let me put it this way! Do you know who owns Shuiyunjian, Yingkelai, Pinglanlou, which were so popular a while ago, as well as Jishetang, which started giving away free heatstroke medicine a while ago, and the cold drink shop and ice cream shop that recently opened?"
All three were stunned, their pupils widening in shock.
"Are these all the young master's people that you mentioned?"
The slave trader felt instantly pleased when he saw their reaction.
He said with a hint of smugness, "So, do you three still think the young master can't afford the money promised in the contract?"
The three were still in shock and didn't care about the slave trader's smug expression.
They had only one thought in their minds.
The owner of Pinglanlou, who makes tens of thousands of dollars a day, is now taking the initiative to seek cooperation with them!
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