HLnovel Chapter 159 Not farming doesn't mean you can't earn money from the land.
Chapter 159 Not farming doesn't mean you can't earn money from the land.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Dad, Grandma Xiangqin is getting old and can't help Uncle Shuisheng. It's hard to run a business without anyone's support. Why don't we hire her to deliver braised pig's trotters for us?"
what?
Lin Qingchuan was somewhat bewildered. He asked doubtfully, "We only have this one deal. We've already bought Jiu'er back. We don't need so many people to deliver her all at once, do we?"
"Dad, one deal certainly doesn't require four people, but negotiating another one is a different story. Once the crops in the fields are all done and you and Uncle Shuisheng have some free time, we can go to Pingding County and talk to the managers of a few restaurants to see if any of them are willing to supply us with braised pig trotters."
"If we can negotiate with one restaurant, that'll be fine. We can arrange for Uncle Shuisheng and Xiao Jiu to deliver the goods. Then we can buy a horse and build a carriage. They can deliver to Wanhe Restaurant, and we can deliver to Pingding County Restaurant. Wouldn't that be perfect?"
After all, Yunlai Restaurant and Wanhe Restaurant were both supplied by her and her father. Especially Wanhe Restaurant, several restaurants in the county had already followed suit and started selling it. As long as the restaurant owners in Pingding County made a little inquiry, they would understand that supplying braised pig trotters to them would definitely help their restaurants make money. As long as the owners weren't stupid, they would naturally be willing to cooperate.
That way, we can earn more money and pay Uncle Shuisheng and Xiao Jiu higher wages. This will not only help Uncle Shuisheng, but also help our family business grow bigger and stronger, earning more and more money, and realize our plan to open a braised pig's trotter shop sooner.
She thought it was the perfect idea!
Lin Qingchuan's eyes lit up. His daughter was absolutely right. All he needed to do now was deliver the goods to Wanhe Restaurant in Dushui County. The restaurant in town would come to his house to pick them up. If he could negotiate a deal with a restaurant in Pingding County, he could earn several dozen taels a month. Then he could pay Shuisheng and Xiaojiu higher wages, which would help Shuisheng and allow his family to earn more money.
How come he didn't think of such a good thing?
He was so happy he couldn't stop smiling, and immediately nodded vigorously, "Tang'er's idea is great, let's do it this way. After we finish harvesting the crops in the fields, we'll go to Pingding County to talk to restaurants. As long as we can get one, we'll immediately ask your Uncle Shuisheng to pay him. We'll discuss it further, and if it doesn't work out, we'll just rent out the fields in the village."
After thinking it over, Lin Xiaotang decided that it was best not to plant any crops in the fields, as it would be a waste of time and energy. For now, she could just focus on selling braised pig's trotters and make a steady income.
She looked at her father and said earnestly, "Dad, let's stop farming the fields in the village. We've earned money, and buying food won't cost us much. Otherwise, when the harvest comes, you and Uncle Shuisheng will be too busy to take care of either."
Lin Qingchuan thought about it and realized that it made sense.
He sighed and said, "You're right to worry. We only have a few acres of land at home. If we can't manage to farm it, we just won't. It's a bit of a pity, though. A season of turmeric can sell for a lot of money."
Lin Xiaotang understood her father's feelings. He had lived for over twenty years and farmed for so many years. The farthest he had ever been was the county. For him, farming was the most secure guarantee. The harvest of a season was there for him, so it was normal for him to be reluctant to give it up.
However, not farming doesn't mean you can't earn money from the land.
She earnestly analyzed with her father, "Dad, once our turmeric harvest is complete, we'll take it to the herbal medicine shop in town and sell it for ten or eight catties. Then we'll tell the villagers the price we sold it for, and spread the word that if anyone wants to rent our land to grow turmeric, we'll sell them some turmeric seeds cheaply. Of course, the price will be cheaper than at the herbal medicine shop but more expensive than rice. Next year, we'll buy it at the same price as the seeds. Once some people in the village start growing turmeric, next year we'll harvest everyone's turmeric and sell it to the herbal medicine shop in the county, making a profit from the price difference. By then, we'll earn more than just the money from our few acres of harvest."
After listening, Lin Qingchuan pondered the matter carefully before finally understanding the method of profiting from the price difference.
His mouth was agape with surprise. "Tang'er, your idea is brilliant, but I don't quite understand. We can get a high price from the medicine shops in town, but the price you set for the seeds is only higher than the price of rice. What if they don't sell to us next year and just sell to the medicine shops?"
Lin Xiaotang smiled confidently, turned her face to look at the road ahead and continued driving the carriage. She continued, "If the seed price is too high, people will be reluctant to buy it because they are worried about the money. Maybe no one will plant it. We can only set the price lower. But we can't sell seeds at a low price and buy them at a high price to resell. We won't make much of a profit that way."
You're worried that people will think we're offering too low a price and won't sell to us from the herbal medicine shops. But there's no need to worry too much. We've already checked out the herbal medicine shops in town, and only Feng's Herbal Medicine Shop has the capacity to buy in large quantities. Besides, he's not very honest, so the villagers definitely won't get a high price the first time they go there. If we take the cash back to the village to buy, there will always be someone willing to sell to us.
Only my great-grandfather's family in the village has an oxcart; no one else does. Besides him, no one else can sell their produce to the county. My great-grandfather is the type to look down on those who are poor and fear those who are rich. He's the kind of person who makes money quietly. If he grows crops, he won't sell them to us; he'll secretly go to the county to sell them. He won't dare come back to the village and tell anyone, afraid of a leak. Other families are doing better than him, so we don't need to worry.”
As for the sales outlet, they decided to go to Baicaotang for the time being. When they sent Xue Ruifeng home, she and her father had already asked the shopkeepers at Baicaotang in Pingding County.
If we can successfully get the villagers to grow turmeric, then we can inquire about sales channels in larger areas. In short, if we want to make a profit, we need to seize the opportunity.
Listening to his daughter's well-reasoned and comprehensive explanation, Lin Qingchuan couldn't help but admire her.
"Tang'er, you are so young, yet you understand so much without even studying. You are truly a genius. I admire and envy you. Let's work together with your Uncle Shuisheng. If we succeed, we will definitely make a lot of money. I never dreamed that such a thing as getting rich would fall into our laps."
Lin Xiaotang smiled sweetly, a little embarrassed, "Look how much Dad is praising me. It's not that I can learn without studying. It's just that you're too busy. I stay at home every day, listening to Grandpa teach my uncles to read, and that's how I learned the tricks."
Lin Qingchuan frowned, somewhat puzzled, "You're so young and you already understand these things, so why don't your grandpa and uncles understand them?"
My father was a scholar and a schoolteacher, and my younger brothers have studied for many years, so why doesn't any of them know how to do business?
Lin Xiaotang said proudly, "Grandpa and my uncles are all focused on passing the imperial examinations. How could people as ambitious as them possibly apply what they read in books to business? Besides, even if they wanted to do business, they would need the brains and skills."
Just as Tang'er said, Dad and his brothers are all very lazy. Before the family was divided, they did not do any housework. They spent their days thinking about taking the imperial examinations, but they have not achieved anything after so many years. The braised pig's trotters they secretly made were a complete mess. What kind of business could they possibly run?
His daughter Tang'er is quick-witted and hardworking. She can cook and do business. She has secretly listened to some books and has been able to understand the ways of doing business. In his opinion, Tang'er is more talented than anyone else in the whole family.
He immediately said proudly, "Tang'er, if you were a boy, you would definitely be able to pass the imperial examination after studying for a few years."
Lin Xiaotang's smile immediately vanished. In her father's eyes, she could only pass the preliminary examination.