Chapter 1103: Chapter 1100: Capital’s Rouge Shop
Even in times of abundance when the prices are lower, grain remains a necessity.
Yet, even though the Great Chu appears prosperous, it is not militarily strong, and many civilians are struggling to find enough to eat.
She could afford to wait until a true golden age to research better-tasting grains and sell the produce at higher prices to the wealthy families. After all, buying land to grow grain would not lead to losses.
Other crops include coarse grains like sweet potatoes, corn, and potatoes. All the sweet potatoes from her family’s manor were made into flour, which wasn’t even enough to supply the mandant under the Shen family’s army, leaving no surplus.
The corn was ground up to feed chickens and ducks.
All things considered, she didn’t have much grain at her disposal.
...
Ye Muyu decisively chose to buy three more manors. Land in the north could be bought for three taels per mu, while land in the Jiangnan area was more expensive, costing at least six taels per mu. Given the sparsity of people and the expanse of land in the north, she opted for the northern fields, a vast plain that would be convenient for farming.
However, she did not have much choice in location; she could only choose lands near the state government office of Yuzhou. Any farther would be difficult to manage, and she might face trouble from the local gentry.
Ultimately, Ye Muyu decided on land to the north of Yuzhou, in Hui State, a decision that would require Tang Dongfeng’s assistance.
Besides that, the account books from the Capital’s Rouge Shop had also been sent over.
Looking at the figures, Ye Muyu gasped. The monthly profits exceeded three thousand taels of silver, a number far more tangible than the quarterly reports she received from Tang Dongfeng regarding the shop’s earnings.
The price of each jar of cream never fell below twenty taels.
Ye Muyu couldn’t help but marvel at the abundance of wealth among the rich families in the capital.
The number of cream jars sold was limited, which was part of the reason the profit wasn’t even higher.
Limits on the production of cream were set not only due to a lack of materials or insufficient labor, which were just excuses, but also to avoid drawing too much attention.
If the monthly ine were to exceed ten thousand taels, she would almost certainly face difficulties from others.
With the current revenue being discreet, people knew she was making money, but the modest quantity meant they would feel at most envy and wouldn’t entertain the idea of violently seizing or entrapping her.
This was the level of profit Chu Heng’s current status could maintain.
Even so, there were still many who seized the opportunity to inquire about the maker of the cream, indicating that earning this silver was fraught with danger. Had it not been for Chu Heng’s recent promotion due to the high-yield rice, someone would have likely taken action already, given the high profits from the cream.
The key was that for the moment, no one could replicate the product or even knew how it was made.
As nobody was aware of the exact ingredients involved.
“My lady, Shopkeeper Tang has arrived,” Su Mei’s voice came from outside the door. Ye Muyu responded and then,
Tang Dongfeng lifted the curtain and entered.
“My lady,” Tang Dongfeng bowed in greeting.
“Please sit.”
“Thank you, my lady.” Tang Dongfeng, without further ado, found a seat below her.
Ye Muyu went straight to the point, “Has the rouge shop in the capital encountered any trouble?”
“Speaking of which, there have been quite a few nobles who have approached the shopkeeper seeking a partnership,” Tang Dongfeng said with a serious tone.
Ye Muyu frowned, “Yet neither my husband nor I received any message about this. They bypassed the true owners to talk to subordinates, which shows that the Capital’s Rouge Shop has indeed caught someone’s eye.”
“What do you think we should do, my lady?” asked Tang Dongfeng.
“Who do you think we could partner with?” Ye Muyu knew this was inevitable; sooner or later, someone would covet the cream making process. Perhaps the noble families with plenty of silver to burn would not resort to force.
User Comments
0 comments from readers