...
Time passed uneventfully for two days.
During these two days, Young Clan Leader Wang Shouzhe stayed at the Changning Villa, cultivating his mind and body, sipping spirit tea, cultivating, living a rather leisurely life.
However, in the outside world, things drastically changed over these two days. As wheat matured rapidly, the first wave of insect plagues struck with unexpected swiftness, spreading across the entire Changning Guard Region, throwing all the noble families into disarray.
With reduced production inevitable, the prices of agricultural and sideline products, except for the staple grains strictly controlled by the Daqian Government Office, began to rise. Even Wang's Fish Stall's business in salted fish and smoked fish suddenly improved significantly, with prices also seeing a substantial increase. In the absence of staple grains, preserved salted and smoked fish became a means to sustain life.
All trading companies and rice stores have ceased selling grains externally. As for the rice stores managed by the Daqian Government, they began limiting sales, with long queues forming in front, and the City Guard intervening to maintain order.
While sipping tea and listening to the aggregated news from various sources, Wang Shouzhe's heart was unsettled. If not for the family having a gem like Wang Luojing, they probably would have been in dire straits by now, wouldn't they?
How could one be as leisurely and carefree as now, observing the storm gather?
"Fourth Brother, Qiaan's Trading Company sent a letter," Wang Shouyi personally came to the backyard to deliver the letter, his brow furrowed. "Besides, the salted and smoked fish inventory that Sixth Uncle sent has already sold half in these past two days. I noticed other families' fish stalls have started to limit purchases or significantly raise prices. Should our fish stall also raise prices?"
Even salted fish need to be limited in sales?
After taking the letter, Wang Shouzhe frowned. It seems the news of a large-scale reduction in grain production has already sparked panic. This scene is not unfamiliar to him; during his time on Earth, he saw numerous instances of ordinary people rushing to buy goods during disasters or rumors, collectively panicking.
Moreover, the salted and smoked fish were sold too quickly, weren't they? The inventory gradually delivered over several times amounted to about eight or nine hundred bundles. Before the price hike, salted and smoked fish varied in price from 20 to 30 coins per pound, and a bundle usually ranged from 20 large coppers to 30 large coppers.
Now the price has risen to 30 to 40 large coppers per bundle, yet it's selling even faster.
"What about live and fresh fish?" Wang Shouzhe asked.
"The price for live fish hasn't increased, but fresh fish generally saw a 20% rise," Wang Shouyi reported. "Many people bought fresh fish to marinate or smoke themselves, or to reduce staple loss by consuming more fish, so salt and firewood also rose in price."
Indeed, a slight change can affect everything.
The outbreak of resistant aphids instantly impacted various aspects. Once basic materials like salt, firewood, and coal increase in price, everything else follows suit.
"Second Brother, just increase prices according to the market," Wang Shouzhe said. "As for limiting sales, announce a restriction of twenty bundles per day for salted and smoked fish externally, while internally sell up to fifty bundles."
"Fifty bundles? That's a full five thousand pounds..." Wang Shouyi exclaimed, "Can Sixth Uncle keep up? Even if Sixth Uncle can, the Dingpu Warehouse can't keep up with processing and marinating."
It's the abundant fishing season now. If Wang Dinghai's fishing team operates like past years, ten ships working hard can catch thousands of pounds easily, with each fishing boat averaging only a few hundred pounds of common catch.
Most of them would be marinated or smoked in the Dingpu Warehouse. Under normal circumstances, the drying and smoking fish workshop there can reach up to 800 bundles a month at most.
However, Wang Dinghai has already fully replicated fixed processing equipment, which even ordinary people can operate. During this abundant fishing season, the entire fishing team producing over ten thousand pounds isn't unusual.
"Increase the manpower and space for fish processing, utilize vacant spaces and rooms at Fenggu Farm and Xingsheng Farm. Also, have all household servants and idle family members participate to guarantee a production of over two thousand bundles of smoked and salted fish this month," Wang Shouzhe instructed, "Second Brother, you fully oversee this task."
"As long as Sixth Uncle can keep up, I'm not afraid." In that instant, Wang Shouyi was also fueled with enthusiasm—a monthly production of two thousand bundles of smoked and salted fish requires at least three to four thousand bundles of fresh fish, as the weight significantly reduces after slaughtering, smoking, and drying.
If Sixth Uncle could truly meet the production needs, this is a prime opportunity to profit. How could Wang Shouyi lag behind?
In previous years, the bounty from the fishing season was the cheapest, so a large quantity of common catches would be made into smoked and salted fish to be sold gradually. The total annual production and sales of smoked and salted fish were only two thousand plus bundles in the past. In terms of fresh and live fish, the total annual sales were only two thousand bundles or so.
Overall business revenue struggled to surpass one thousand Qian Gold, of which roughly half had to be allocated to the fishing team's account.
But things are different now.
If this month they could produce over two thousand bundles, selling fifteen hundred bundles of smoked and pickled fish at a raised price of forty large coppers per bundle, the revenue would reach six hundred Qian Gold.
This doesn't even include the sales of fresh and live fish... this month's revenue might potentially reach that of an entire normal year.
That's why Wang Shouyi felt his blood boiling! If not now, then when?
"Alright, then I'll have to trouble Second Brother to handle things on both sides." Wang Shouzhe wrote a clan leader's order, signed it, stamped it with the Clan Leader's Seal, and handed it to him, saying, "With this, you can mobilize household generals and household servants and draw Qian Gold from the family treasury."
"I don't need Qian Gold for now." Wang Shouyi took the letter of mandate, excited, "This time the inventory of salted fish sold too fast. I still have a couple of hundred Qian Gold on hand, enough to operate."
"Second Brother, while busy, be sure not to make mistakes or overlook anything in the accounts," Wang Shouzhe casually warned.
Wang Shouyi was taken aback, his expression turned serious, and he hurriedly said, "Rest assured Fourth Brother, as a member of the family, I would never violate clan rules. I hand over the accounts with Aunt Five overseeing the treasury every month, daring not to overlook anything."
"Thank you, Second Brother." Wang Shouzhe solemnly bowed to him, "Such a rare opportunity, whether the Wang Family can escape decline, requires the entire family to exert their utmost efforts."
Wang Shouzhe was quite satisfied; although his Second Brother's cultivation talent was mediocre, he was very dedicated to the family business. Compared with Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai, who was a rough man, he was much more meticulous and steady.
"Fourth Brother, you're too kind, this is my duty." Wang Shouyi hurriedly bowed back, saying, "In this case, I'll take my leave to handle various affairs."
After he left, Wang Shouzhe composed himself and opened the letter from Qiaan Xue'an, inviting him to meet outside Changning Guard City at [Money Manor]. Through the secret marks left in the letter, Qiaan Xue'an indicated he had fulfilled their agreement.
Though he trusted Qiaan Xue'an, he dared not take risks this time, opting for safety first in all matters.
Decisively, he dressed up a bit, left the city directly, and instead of heading to Money Manor, he rode a black horse towards Shanyang. After a short while, he arrived outside a small estate a few miles from the city and met Wang Zhong.
"Wang Zhong, how did it go?" Wang Shouzhe asked.
"The preparation went well, Young Master," Wang Zhong responded, slightly excited, as he had been waiting outside the estate for over seven to eight hours.
Considering that the Wang Family's influence south of the Anjiang River wasn't strong, they had to rely on the Shanyang Gongsun Family to secure a large number of cargo wagons. Their relationship with the Gongsun Family was in a honeymoon phase, so such a small request wouldn't be rejected.
Meeting with Gongsun Qiang at the small villa outside the city, he clasped his hands and said, "Shouzhe greets you, Uncle-in-law, apologies for keeping you waiting."
"Shouzhe, my dear nephew," Gongsun Qiang, being straightforward and impatient, blurted out with curiosity, "You say you mysteriously asked for heavily laden wagons from me, twenty in all, for transporting ores? What is going on?"
"Just over fifty to sixty thousand bundles of grain, that's all." Since involving him would inevitably reveal the quantity, there was no point in hiding it.
"..."
At that moment, Gongsun Qiang felt his eyes nearly popping out in shock, "Dear Nephew, you do realize that right now grain is scarce as any bundle is hard to come by? And here you are with fifty to sixty thousand bundles..."
Just, that's all?
He felt as if he'd lost his mind to even think badly of himself in comparison to his "clever nephew."
...