kvmb Chapter 1499 Selling cloth is better than selling grain
Chapter 1499 Selling cloth is better than selling grain
From Dege'er's boasting and Sun Dali's simple words, Sun Shan roughly understood what happened next.
As soon as the Sun and Wang families landed, they sold their grain and then looked for a place to stay.
Then Dege'er, Wang Jijun, and Deputy Steward Wang wandered around looking for goods.
Dege and Steward Wang took a fancy to a batch of cotton cloth from Songjiang Prefecture.
Of course, they were initially interested in silk, but unfortunately the price was too high, and Chenzhou Prefecture was not a very developed prefecture, so even if they managed to get the goods, they might not be able to sell them.
After discussing it for a while, the three decided to take a batch of high-quality, inexpensive cotton cloth and sell it in Chenzhou Prefecture.
Since he didn't want to bother two people, Dege'er, relying on his relationship with Sun Shan and Chen Dongling, went to Master Chen again.
Later, through Mr. Chen, he met Mr. Zhou, a businessman from Zhejiang. After some haggling, he bought a large quantity of cotton cloth.
Dege'er said happily, "Shanzi, the cotton cloth from Songjiang Prefecture is really good. It's affordable and durable, and it's so finely made and soft. It's worlds apart from the cotton cloth from Huangyang County. Oh, I've seen a lot of good things on this business trip. I want to go again next time."
"The kapok tree originated in Fujian and Guangdong and can be used to make cloth. During the Song Dynasty, the villagers first introduced it to Wunijing Town. Today, it is widely planted in coastal Gaoxiang."
Songjiang switched from rice to cotton, and almost every household, both in urban and rural areas, began spinning yarn and weaving cloth, gradually becoming the national textile center.
Dongting Lake is also connected to the Jiangnan region, and a lot of fabrics were transported here via waterways.
Dege'er saw batches of goods being unloaded and loaded onto ships, especially fabrics, which seemed to be coming in an endless stream.
I was immediately drawn to Songjiang cotton fabric, which is known for its fineness, durability, and beauty, with a smooth and flat surface and vibrant colors.
Dege'er continued in his loud voice, "Shanzi, we were able to buy a batch of good goods this time entirely thanks to Master Chen. Ah, my Shanzi has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances everywhere. Without my Shanzi, the business would definitely not have gone so smoothly."
Dege'er looked at Sun Shan with sparkling eyes, his gaze full of admiration.
Sun Shan: ...
I got goosebumps.
He forcefully blocked her gaze and asked, "You only took the fabric, nothing else?"
Dege shook his head and said, "I didn't take it. I only made a little money from selling grain. I don't have money to buy anything else. It was such a hard trip, and I only made a hundred or so taels. It was really exhausting."
While listening to Dege'er complain about earning less this time, Sun Shan checked the account books.
It takes about 8 days to travel from Yuanlu County to Dongting Lake.
The Sun and Wang families sent a total of 55 people to trade grain this time, transporting 4 catties of grain. The price of grain was 6 wen per catty, and a total of 240 catties of grain were sold.
Labor costs, animal power consumption (such as fodder for donkeys), vehicle miscellaneous expenses, and transportation costs.
As for accommodation, there is no cost for sleeping in the wild or in temples, only a small cost for food.
The miscellaneous expenses added up to 30 taels.
Total income 240 taels - miscellaneous expenses 35 taels - rice cost 100 taels = 105 taels.
In other words, he only made 105 taels of silver from this grain trade.
Sun Shan stared blankly at the profit figures, and suddenly felt that money was really hard to earn.
With so many people traveling and taking on such great risks, this money was earned only because Sun Shan's official position helped him avoid extortion and because he had acquaintances who paved the way for him.
It's like comparing heaven and earth to those businesses that make a fortune every day.
Sun Shan still felt that being poisoned by pig dolphin meant he could just lie down and die, and that earning Xu Guogong's 6000 taels of silver would be a quicker way to make money.
Sun Shan gathered his thoughts and continued to look at the accounts for the return trip.
Dege'er and Steward Wang used the profits from selling grain, along with the 300 taels given to them by Sun Shan and County Magistrate Wang, to buy Songjiang cloth.
The two first sold a batch in Changde Prefecture, then bought another batch of tung oil and returned to Chenzhou Prefecture to sell it.
When it came to returning to the city, Dege'er became happy and said cheerfully, "Shanzi, selling cloth is worse than selling grain. Oh my, one bolt of cloth can earn more than a bushel of grain. It's a pity that there are too few of us going, so we can't take more goods."
Speaking of manpower, Dege'er's thoughts jumped out again: "Shanzi, we should build a large granary in Chenzhou Prefecture, transport the grain from Yuanlu County there first, and then transport the grain from there to Dongting Lake. Alas, we had no experience the first time, and it was a miscalculation."
Dege'er and his group simply transported the grain to Chenzhou Wharf, unloaded the mules and donkeys at Wang's house, and then simply boarded a boat and set off.
We had enough manpower to manage an additional 20,000 to 30,000 jin of grain to take north, which would have earned us more money.
Sun Shan agreed, saying, "You're right, we don't have experience the first time. But that's okay, as long as we don't lose money this time."
Sun Shan finally saw that the total profit from goods such as grain, cloth, and tung oil was as high as 300 taels. No wonder De Ge'er said that selling cloth was more profitable than selling grain.
Dege asked with a grin, "Shanzi, when do you plan to set off next? Master Chen is still waiting for our provisions."
He said that since there was another batch of grain to be transported north before the Lunar New Year, if we sold it early, we wouldn't be able to do so until after the New Year.
Winter is coming, and the canal is either dry or frozen, making it impossible to continue work.
Sun Shan looked at De Ge'er with admiration and said, "De Ge'er, it seems you've really learned a lot on this business trip. You're much more capable than before."
Look at this positive and ambitious attitude, it's truly impressive.
Dege is usually carefree and unreliable.
I never imagined that just one transaction would lead to so many things on my mind. I've learned that the most important thing in doing business is timing.
Seize the opportunity and make a quick profit.
Dege scratched his head.
He chuckled foolishly and said, "Shanzi, you see, I promised Master Chen I would transport the grain up there. It would be so embarrassing if I broke my promise and we met again. A gentleman's word is as good as his bond; whether it's in life, work, or business, you can't go back on your word."
Sun Shan closed the ledger and patted De Ge'er on the shoulder.
He encouraged him, "Brother De, you haven't disappointed me. This trade trip was a great success. Although you didn't earn much, you've taken the most important step. It will be much easier to go out again, and you'll earn much more."
When Dege heard Sun Shan's affirmation, he was not modest at all.
He said smugly, "Shanzi, of course. Who am I? Of course I'll do what I promised you, or I'll be too ashamed to face you."
"Shanzi, let me tell you, I was born to do business. From now on, you'll be in the back, and I'll be in the front. If we brothers are of one mind, our strength can break even metal. Hehe, our Sun family not only needs high-ranking officials, but also great merchants!"
Dege'er became more and more excited as he spoke, his mind filled with images of the wonderful life of Master Sun: living in a large house, wearing fine clothes, having servants at his beck and call, beautiful wives and concubines, and a house full of children and grandchildren.
Dege patted Sun Shan's shoulder hard and said solemnly and seriously, "Shanzi, from now on, don't be lazy. Be a good official, a high-ranking official, and look after me from behind."
Shanzi, the scale of my business depends entirely on the extent of your official position. Shanzi, don't you dare hold me back!
Sun Shan: .......