Chapter 6 Marketing Partners

Mud Tang Family

At the village entrance of the Ni Tang family, Tang Youweng, who was over forty years old, was taken aback. He trembled with astonishment, staring incredulously at Qin Shou, trying to confirm that Qin Shou was not just playing a prank on him.

As soon as Qin Shou finished speaking, Nie Ming exclaimed in surprise, staring at Qin Shou with wide eyes in disbelief, almost thinking that there was something wrong with his ears

In Changle Village, Chang sat by his doorstep, roasting by the fire and waiting for idle chatter from passersby. He looked with a puzzled expression as Qin Shou ran to the mud Tang family at the village head, then hurried off to the Heiniu family, wondering what on earth Qin Shou was so busy with.

Uncle Nie, Aunt Nie, I hope I am not disturbing you during your meal by dropping by unannounced

Well, it's good that it has swelled. Tomorrow we can take it out and transfer it to the mud vat for cultivation. Mother, you need to pay attention; after it sprouts, it cannot be soaked in water, as that would drown it

"Put everything on, sigh... really!" Before Jia Rong could finish speaking, Qin Shou had already opened the door and disappeared without a trace, leaving Jia Rong staring at the five coins and the pawn ticket on the table, shaking his head and sighing.

Shou'er spoke with great authority; where did he learn such peculiar planting methods? Jia Rong stared blankly at the five coins on the table, unable to comprehend where Qin Shou had acquired such strange planting techniques.

Mud Tang family? Wait for me, Shou Ge'er!

After Hei Niu entered his home in Qin Shou, he hurriedly ran back, set aside the empty, worn wooden basin and bowl, moved over a river stone weighing over ten kilograms to serve as a chair, and sat down honestly beside Qin Shou

When did this foolish fellow become so scholarly? Nie Ming and his wife looked puzzled and bewildered, but out of courtesy and familiarity, Nie Ming warmly invited Qin Shou to dine together

Qin Shou stepped into the relatively spacious home of the Heiniu family, bowing politely to apologize, leaving the couple Nie Ming and He Yunling, who were frowning with worry over the plans for tomorrow, utterly astonished.

"Mother, the child will first go to the village to discuss matters with the Ni family. You take your time..." Qin Shou, after ensuring that Jia Rong had remembered enough, quickly grabbed ten wen and hurriedly ran out.

Cultivating bean sprouts requires a small investment and yields quick results, making it a highly profitable industry. As long as there is a few square meters of space in any corner of the home, one can produce 300 to 400 jin of bean sprouts at a time

Thank you, sir! I will give you the money first, and I will take my leave now! Qin Shou did not expect that as soon as Madam Tang spoke, she offered such a large discount. He was overjoyed and hurriedly put down the five wen, fearing that Tang Youweng might change his mind, and left in a rush

How is Shouer?

"Xiao Qinzi, where are you talking from? If that deadbeat dares to charge you more, I will make him kneel on a washboard every night!"

Qin Shou, under the warm hospitality of Nie Ming, declined Nie Ming's kind offer and directly stated the purpose of his visit

Qin Shoutao elaborated to Jia Rong about the growth requirements of bean sprouts, detailing the need for air, temperature, and humidity. He also instructed her to water them every fifteen minutes, ensuring that each watering completely submerged the beans, and to drain the excess water from the mud jar within seven and a half minutes.

A word is a promise, farewell

Qin Shou, drenched in sweat, glanced at the gluttonous Hei Niu, and without looking back, hurriedly ran outside, having no time to engage in idle chatter with the glutton who was draining his family's resources, to place an order for a batch of clay jars to start cultivation tomorrow

Have a meal before leaving

To make money, one cannot afford to be inconsistent in their efforts. Moreover, this skill is easily learned by the villagers. Before the widespread popularity of bean sprouts, Qin Shou planned to accumulate sufficient capital to continue investing in other ventures and achieve wealth.

No need!

Xiao Qin, have you eaten? Come, let's eat together

Shou'er, can what you refer to as the matter of sprouting beans at hetushu.com succeed

Foodie, you are not included!

"Xiao Qinzi, do not use me for your amusement!" After his initial surprise, Nie Ming looked at Qin Shou with a face full of discontent. What is the situation at his home? Does Nie Ming not know the circumstances of the neighbors?

Qin Shou explained marketing in simple terms, which made Nie Ming suddenly enlightened. After Qin Shou reported the profit return, Nie Ming agreed without a second thought!

However, he is now in urgent need of money; without funds, he finds it difficult to make any progress and is unable to accomplish anything. Qin Shou has no choice but to muster the courage to pawn his belongings. After all, he can redeem them later and is not worried about the pawnbroker running away. The pawnbroker would not abandon a shop whose land value is soaring for a piece of jade bracelet.

As soon as Qin Shougang returned home, Jia Rong immediately closed the door tightly and anxiously inquired about Qin Shou's pawn of the jade bracelet, worried that Qin Shou had been deceived during his first experience with pawning.

Madam Tang warmly urged him to stay, but Qin Shou did not respond and hurried away. After finishing this matter, he had other tasks to prepare for. With his diligent work ethic, Qin Shou had no time to waste at all

The black cow did not know what Qin Shou was doing at the Ni Tang family, so it picked up a bowl and wooden basin, chasing after Qin Shou while running and scooping large mouthfuls of white rice. The villagers had long been accustomed to the sight of the black cow running around while eating.

Uncle Nie, one must not generalize in all matters. The young man does not understand the ways of commerce; otherwise, there would be no need for me to seek your assistance in partnership marketing!

The black cow, feeling quite aggrieved, left with a large wooden bowl of rice under the stern gaze of Tang Youweng, who had issued an eviction order. The sight of that figure, moving away in the chilly wind, left Tang Youweng both amused and exasperated. Who would dare to let this glutton, who could eat the poor into poverty, stay for a meal? Surely, it would guarantee a night of hunger!

Before dawn, twenty-five specially made clay jars are needed? Tang Youweng gazed thoughtfully at the sketch of the clay jar drawn on the ground by Qin Shou, which was two feet high and five feet wide. Most astonishingly, the bottom also required a drainage outlet. What is this for?

After Qin Shou agreed, he let out a sigh of relief, clasped his fists in a gesture of respect, and left with a flourish of his sleeves, leaving Nie Ming's family to happily discuss their plans for the long term.

Changle Township is comprised of about a hundred households built closely together, with the activities of each household visible under the watchful eye of the village head. Considering his advanced age, the old village head is troubled about who will succeed him in the next term.

Marketing? What is marketing? May I ask where the vegetables come from? Hearing this peculiar phrase for the second time, Nie Ming became intrigued, and of course, his greatest curiosity stemmed from where Qin Shou obtained the vegetables

Qin Shou patted his chest and made a guarantee, leaving Jia Rong helplessly shaking his head and sighing. He could only hope that it would indeed be as Qin Shou said; otherwise, he truly did not know how to face Qin Shou's grandmother, who had turned to dust in the future

Qin Shouxin solemnly guaranteed, but in the end, he became somewhat uneasy. How much would it cost to fire fifty clay jars? Qin Shou had no clear idea, but in the entire Changle Township, only Tang Youweng operated a pottery kiln; there was no other.

Tang Youweng coughed lightly to conceal his embarrassment of being dominated at home, taking a step back to express that he would only sell at his original cost, emphasizing that no matter how familiar the situation, he must recover his expenses.

"Madam, when did this young Qin become so extravagant?" After Hei Niu left, Tang Youweng closed the door and looked at his wife, who was setting the chopsticks, with a puzzled expression

Rest assured, my dear, there are many things in this world that you cannot anticipate. With this sum of money, after some time, you can just wait to enjoy a life of comfort!

Oh!

Well... alright, Xiao Qin, we are all family here. I won't charge you much, fifty clay jars for five wen, just give me back my cost and that will be enough for me

Even Nie Ming's wife wore a similarly astonished expression, while the black cow beside Qin Shou scratched its head and licked its lips, reminiscing about the delicious dishes made with good oil at Tang Youweng's home

"Oh? What is it?" Nie Ming felt a great curiosity upon hearing this. As his wife He Yunling served him a coarse tea to cleanse the palate, the cup of coarse tea was already placed in front of Qin Shou.

"Stop the nonsense, hurry up and eat well so you can get to work in your kiln. What does other people's hard-earned money have to do with you?" Lady Tang scolded Tang Youweng for meddling in others' affairs, urging him to eat quickly and get to work making clay pots.

Jia Rong shook his head to indicate that he was not yet awake. Suddenly recalling Qin Shou's instructions, a wave of worry prompted him to mention the swelling of the soybeans. Having never dealt with such matters, Jia Rong feared that he might make a mistake and ruin all hope.

The black cow squatted to one side, waiting for an opportunity to sneak in and grab a few vegetables while Tang Youweng's wife was serving the meal. As for why Qin Shou wanted to order a jar, the black cow had neither the mood nor the interest to find out; filling its belly was the most important thing.

Looking at a row of fifteen Kaiyuan Tongbao coins, Jia Rong felt uncertain and couldn't help but ask Qin Shou again. Growing vegetables in the middle of winter was truly a first for him, especially indoors. Jia Rong thought left and right and found it somewhat absurd and unreliable

It is like this, Uncle Nie: in five days, I will have a batch of fresh vegetables to sell, and I would like your assistance in marketing them

What? You want fifty clay jars

At dusk, Qin Shou, with an empty stomach, walked back to Changle Township from Chang'an City, holding in his arms fifteen wen of money obtained from pawning a jade bracelet. The unscrupulous pawnshop owner deceived him into believing he needed to redeem it, deliberately lowering the price by more than half.

Not bad, fifty of them, Uncle Tang. Tomorrow morning I need twenty-five. Is that alright? As long as the price isn't too high...

The vegetables available before winter are all those stored in the earth ovens after autumn, most of which are dried goods, with a small portion being vegetables that have not yet succumbed to the cold of early winter. In a few days, it is likely that not a single fresh vegetable will be seen.

Qin Shou had a well-thought-out plan and engaged in lengthy discussions to persuade Nie Ming to partner with him in planting. However, there was no inquiry about the topic at hand. The issue arose that once the crops were harvested, someone needed to sell them. Qin Shou had never sold vegetables before and was particularly troubled by the decimal system of weights and measures. Nie Ming, who frequently grew and sold vegetables, was just the right person for the job

Uncle Nie, there is no need for formalities; I have come to seek your assistance on a matter

Good! Nephew, I am waiting for your good news. If you dare to make a fool of me, be careful, for I will go through the entire village with a stick to seek retribution

"Hey? Shou Ge, where are you off to?" Qin Shou had just run out of the house when Hei Niu came out carrying a worn wooden basin with bite marks. A steaming plate of white rice was accompanied by only a few pieces of pork and a few strips of cabbage.

Not yet, Shou'er, the soybeans have been soaked for so long, they have all swollen up

Ah?

After the onset of winter, the price of fresh vegetables in Chang'an has skyrocketed. Vegetables that used to sell for a mere one wen per jin are now likely to be snatched up even at ten wen. Eating meat every day can become tiresome, don't you think

This little Qin has been busy all day long, but what is he busy with?

Well... marketing, in simple terms, is this: I provide the vegetables, and you are responsible for selling them. Uncle Nie, if there are no objections, we will split the profits 70-30. Seventy percent means ten coins; I take seven, and you take three

Madam Tang suppressed her laughter at the sight of the black cow sneaking away with the vegetables, shaking her head in both anger and amusement. She issued a stern warning to Tang Youweng and the villagers, forbidding them from making ill-gotten gains. Madam Tang was well aware of Qin Shou's family circumstances, and besides, during the busy farming season, Jia Rong had often helped with their agricultural work, so even if no payment was involved, assistance was still necessary.

Mother, fifteen wen, neither too much nor too little, the wicked pawnshop! Qin Shou lightly shook off the snowflakes clinging to his shoulders, exhaled a breath of warmth, and placed the fifteen wen and the pawn redemption receipt, which he had hidden at his waist, on the low table before him.

"By the way, Mother, has Sophie woken up yet?" Thinking about the addition of a living person, Sophie, in the house, Qin Shou suddenly slapped his forehead, inquiring of Jia Rong, who was shaking his head with a wry smile.