Profits
They didn't even have a scale, and in the end, it was the lady from the kitchen who brought out a scale to weigh the mountain yams.
They dug up a lot of mountain yams, and they were heavy, totaling twenty-five catties and six taels.
Mǎn Bǎo generously gave them the six taels as well.
The lady glanced at Zhōu Wǔláng and, seeing no objection from him, knew that the young girl could make decisions. She smiled and calculated the money for them, saying, "If you have more mountain yams next time, bring them to our mansion." Our elderly lady at home adores mountain yam cakes, and we are delighted to receive any quantity.
Zhōu Wǔláng happily agreed, thinking that selling the yams to wealthy households would be even more profitable.
Mǎn Bǎo also thought so, and secretly suspected that the seemingly friendly shopkeeper was a swindler.
The system then said, "Host, the price given by Shopkeeper Zhèng is reasonable."
Mǎn Bǎo asked, "Is the price given by the Fù family unreasonable?"
The system replied, "It's reasonable." "Even if it's fifty wen, as long as you can sell it, it's reasonable."
The system continued, "Mountain yams can be cultivated, but there is no artificial cultivation in your area." Therefore, dried mountain yams can be bought and sold at medicine shops, but fresh mountain yams are not easily obtained.
"And Jìshìtáng buys medicine to do business." They also conduct business in medicinal materials. After purchasing medicinal materials from you, customers can not only use them personally but also resell them to other pharmacies or higher-tier medicine shops," the system explained. "Dried mountain yams are usually priced at two or three qian in medicinal prescriptions." "When I scanned the items at the medicine shop, I found that their pricing was one qian for one catty of mountain yams."
Mǎn Bǎo sat on the cart, counting on her fingers. One catty is sixteen taels, one tael is ten qian, and one qian is one wen…
As Man Bao calculated, her eyes gradually widened. Dried mountain yams were priced at twenty wen per catty. Shopkeeper Zhèng managed to sell them for one hundred and sixty wen in a single transaction.
Mǎn Bǎo couldn't help but mutter, "Unscrupulous merchant!"
Zhōu Wǔláng, who had just finished the candy business with Qiū Yuè, immediately covered her mouth and whispered, "My little ancestor, how can you say that about your own brother? "I've shared several candies with her." How is that unscrupulous?
Mǎn Bǎo pulled his hand away and said, "I wasn't talking about you; I was talking about Shopkeeper Zhèng."
After thinking for a moment, Zhōu Wǔláng nodded and said, "Indeed, quite unscrupulous. They buy fresh ones for two qian and sell them to us for twenty wen." We won't sell to them next time.
Zhōu Wǔláng also regretted giving away the mountain yam, saying, "You shouldn't have given her the mountain yam just now." It would have been better to sell it. It weighed over a catty.
Mǎn Bǎo turned away from him and fell silent.
Zhōu Wǔláng didn't mind and helped her onto the cart, saying happily, "Never mind, today is a big harvest." Mǎn Bǎo, let's go buy some meat, and let's buy a little more.
Mǎn Bǎo ignored him and continued conversing with Kēkē in her mind.
When Mǎn Bǎo called Shopkeeper Zhèng an unscrupulous merchant, the system reminded her, "Think about the book in your arms."
So Mǎn Bǎo was in a dilemma, unsure whether to define Shopkeeper Zhèng as an unscrupulous merchant.
Seeing that Mǎn Bǎo was struggling, Kēkē explained, "The prices of medicines sold by pharmacies are generally uniform, especially for large pharmacies like Jìshìtáng; the prices are basically the same in different locations."
Mǎn Bǎo didn't understand, and then what?
The system said, "The cost of transportation is very high." For example, if they have to transport a batch of medicinal materials to Hebei, it will take approximately two months on the road. They need escorts, as well as funds for food, drinks, lodging, and transportation. "There are also labor costs, and the pharmacy also needs to make a profit..."
After calculating, Mǎn Bǎo felt much better.
The system continued, "Of course, medicinal materials are still very profitable, but the price he offered you is reasonable because this purchase price is universal." So, for your own benefit, I suggest that in the future, you refrain from taking such medications to the pharmacy. Selling them directly in the local area is a good idea.
It also provided an example, "For instance, the snow lotus, despite being lightweight, commands a high price due to local purchase and consumption, which eliminates transportation costs and offers a generous price."
Mǎn Bǎo curiously asked, "What other medicinal materials can be used for daily meals?"
Kēkē said, "This will depend on the host to discover."
Mǎn Bǎo turned her eyes and thought that she should take Kēkē to the mountains when she had time.
Having found good things from the mountains twice in a row, she could not only earn points but also money. In Mǎn Bǎo's eyes, the mountain had transformed into a treasure mountain.
It seemed to be hiding many treasures inside.
Mǎn Bǎo made up her mind and started humming an off-tune song.
Zhōu Wǔláng urged her to buy meat.
There were not many meat stalls in the market at that time. People didn't like to eat pork, and there was more mutton available, especially as winter approached and the weather turned cold. More people wanted to eat mutton to stay warm.
Zhōu Wǔláng led a group of children to the mutton stall, picked out a piece, and asked the stall owner to cut two catties.
Mǎn Bǎo was responsible for paying with the fifty wen given by Zhōu Wǔláng.
After buying the meat, everyone gathered happily, realizing that the charm of the county town was not as strong as they had anticipated. They wanted to go home and eat meat!
So, they didn't go window shopping. Instead, they quickly made their way through the county town, pushing the cart to find the Zhōu brothers at the grain shop.
There was no one in the grain shop, so they turned and went to the nearby cloth shop.
Mǎn Bǎo and Dà Yā Er Yā ran the fastest, and they rushed into the cloth shop. They saw Zhōu Èr Láng negotiating with the shopkeeper while holding a ball of cotton.
Zhōu Èr Láng was hesitating, but when he saw Mǎn Bǎo rushing in like a little calf, he realized that Mǎn Bǎo had grown a little taller since spring.
Perhaps because she had been eating well, or perhaps it was genetic, her height had already surpassed her peers by half a head. She had just had her mother alter her clothes last year, and now they were too small again. Her wrists were now exposed, and if she reached out, half of her forearm would be exposed. It didn't seem like a big deal now, but in another month, it would be too cold.
Zhōu Èr Láng gritted his teeth and said to the shopkeeper, "Add another catty, and increase the cloth by five feet."
The shopkeeper smiled and agreed, then looked at the children who had rushed in and said, "Your daughter at home is really growing up nicely."
Zhōu Èr Láng smiled at the shopkeeper, reached out, and touched Mǎn Bǎo and Dà Yā Er Yā's heads.
After buying the cloth and cotton, Zhōu Èr Láng decided not to eat in the county town anymore. He asked a nearby shopkeeper for some hot water and soaked the dry cakes before they ate them.
Because Dà Tóu and the others were added at the last minute this morning, the dry rations they brought were not sufficient. Therefore, the Qián family gave them extra copper coins with the purpose of enabling them to buy some food in the county town.
They didn't expect the medicine sale to go so smoothly, and it was only just past noon. Zhōu Dà Láng and Zhōu Èr Láng tightened their belts and decided to go home.
Buying food outside was not cheap.
Despite the dryness of the cakes, Mǎn Bǎo still ate them with relish. Seeing her older and younger brothers only drinking water and not eating, she slipped off the cart and was about to run to buy baked cakes.
But she had just taken two steps when Zhōu Dà Láng scooped her up, his face stern as he said, "Don't run." What if someone takes you away? Sit still.