Chapter 34: Chapter 34: A Slight Stir Can Affect the Whole
Situation 1
Translator: 549690339
Time passed quietly for two days.
Wang Shouzhe spent these two days in the Changning mansion, cultivating his mind and spirit, enjoying some spiritual tea, practicing cultivation; he was leading a rather comfortable life.
However, outside the mansion, the world had changed within these two days. With the intensification of wheat irrigation, the first wave of insect disaster broke out with a thunderous momentum, spreading across the entire Changning Guard City area; all the clans were in chaos.
As a reduction in crop yield was inevitable, the prices of agricultural byproducts — other than the staple foods strictly controlled by the Daqian government office — started to rise. Even the business of salted and smoked fish from the Wang family’s fish stalls improved greatly, with prices also significantly increased. In the scenario of a shortage of staple food, salted and smoked fish, which can be preserved for a long time, can also maintain life’s continuity.
All the rice merchants have stopped selling grain to the outside world.
Meanwhile, the rice stores run by the Daqian government office have started to sell in limited quantities. Long queues have formed outside these shops and the city guards have intervened to maintain order.
Drinking his tea, Wang Shouzhe heard the news from all sides, causing ripples in his otherwise calm heart. If it weren’t for the fact that his family had a gem like Wang Luo Jing, perhaps they would be fraught with worry and stress right now, wouldn’t they?
Instead, they rather leisurely watched the events unravel.
“Fourth Brother, someone from Qian’s Merchants has delivered a letter.” Wang Shouyi personally delivered the letter to the backyard, his eyebrows knitted in concern, “Besides, half of the salted and smoked fish inventory sent by Sixth Uncle in the past two days has been sold already. Looking at the other clans’ fish stalls, they have all started to limit purchases and significantly raise prices. Should we also raise our prices?”
Limit sales of salted fish too?
Wang Shouzhe frowned as he took the letter. It seemed the news of widespread grain shortage had triggered panic. The scene wasn’t unfamiliar to him; he had seen too many panic-buying crowds triggered by disasters or rumors on Earth. As for the sale of salted and smoked fish going too fast – the inventory that had come over in batches amounted to about 800 or 900 dan. Before the price increase, the price of salted and smoked fish varied from 20 to 30 shillings per catty depending on the quality of the fish. Usually, one dan cost between 20 and 30 copper coins.
The price has now risen to 30 to 40 copper coins per dan, but the demand seemed to be increasing even quicker.
“What about fresh fish and live fish?” Wang Shouzhe asked.
“The price of live fish hasn’t risen, but the price of fresh fish has generally increased by 20%.” Wang Shouyi reported, “Many people buy fresh fish and pickle or smoke them at home, or they reduce the consumption of staple food and eat more fish. Therefore, the prices of salt and firewood have also gone up.”
As expected, when one string is plucked, all are touched.
The outbreak of the drug-resistant aphids immediately impacted all aspects. When the prices of basic necessities such as salt, firewood, coal and other materials rose, the prices of everything else would rise along with them.
“Second Brother, you can follow the market price increase.” Wang Shouzhe said, “As for limiting sales, we can tell the public we are limiting salted and smoked fish to 20 dan per day, but in reality, we will sell up to 50 dan.”
“Fifty dan? That’s a whopping five thousand catties…” Wang Shouyi said in astonishment. “Can Sixth Uncle catch up? Even if Sixth Uncle can, the Dingpu warehouse wouldn’t have the time to smoke and salt that much.”
It is currently the peak fishing season. If Wang Dinghai’s fishing team operates as they usually do, a few thousand catties of fish can be secured by 10 boats working strenuously — each boat averaging a few hundred catties of ordinary fish.
Most of it would be salted or smoked at the Dingpu warehouse. Normally, the capacity of the sun-dried and smoked fish there could just about cope with 800 dan a month.
But Sixth Uncle (Wang Dinghai) has already fully replicated the fixed-moving harp net fishing method, which even ordinary people can operate. The daily output will continue to increase, and during this peak fishing season, it is not unusual for the whole fishing team to catch up to ten thousand catties of fish. “Increase the manpower and space for fish processing. You can use the vacant land and rooms of Fenggu Farm and Prosperous Farm. Also, get our idle servants and clansmen to work. We need to ensure that the output of smoked fish and salted fish exceeds 2,000 dan this month.” Wang Shouzhe ordered, “Second Brother, you will oversee this work.”
As long as Sixth Uncle can keep up, I won’t have any problems.” The fighting spirit ignited instantly in Wang Shouyi. Two thousand dan of smoked and salted fish in a month would require at least three to four thousand dan of fresh fish for production as the weight of the fish would significantly decrease after being butchered and smoked or sun-dried.
If Sixth Uncle could really provide the supply, it would be a perfect opportunity to make money. How could he, Wang Shouyi, lag behind?
During the fishing season in previous years, the catch was the cheapest. Therefore, a large portion of ordinary catches would be processed into smoked and salted fish and slowly sold over time. The annual production and sales of smoked and salted fish were only about 2,000 to 3,000 dan. Meanwhile, the total sales of fresh and live fish amounted to only about 2,000 dan a year.
The total turnover is difficult to exceed one thousand Qian Gold, about half of which has to be credited to the accounts of the fishing team.
But now is different.
If this month truly produces more than two thousand loads, selling fifteen hundred loads of smoked and pickled fish, following the increase to forty copper coins per load, that would equal six hundred Qian Gold in turnover.
This does not include the sale of fresh and live fish… This month could potentially equal the usual annual turnover.
Therefore, Wang Shouyi feels as if his blood is burning! If not now, when would he fight so passionately?
“All right, then I’ll leave the running around to you, second brother.” Wang Shouzhe wrote an order from the clan leader, signed it, sealed it with the leader’s seal, and handed it to him, saying, “With this, you can mobilize the house servants and withdraw Qian Gold from the family treasury.”
“No need for Qian Gold for the time being.” Wang Shouyi took the order letter, emotionally saying, “The salted fish in stock this time sold too quickly, I still have nearly two hundred Qian Gold on my books, enough to operate.” “Second brother, busy is busy, but don’t make mistakes in a rush, overlooking errors in the accounts.” Wang Shouzhe casually warned.
Wang Shouyi was startled, his eyes became serious and he quickly said, “Fourth brother, rest assured, as a member of the family, I will absolutely not violate the family rules. Every month I will hand over the accounts to the accounting room presided over by Aunt Five, and do not dare to overlook anything.’’ “You’ve worked hard, second brother.” Wang Shouzhe formally saluted him, “Such an opportunity is hard to come by in a thousand years, whether the Wang family can escape its fate of decline, it depends on the full efforts of everyone in the clan.”
Wang Shouzhe was still very satisfied, his second brother may have average cultivation talents, but he was very dedicated to the family business. Compared to Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai, the old big farmer, he was far more careful and steady.
“Fourth brother, you are too kind, these are my duties.” Wang Shouyi hurriedly returned the salute and said, “So I will take my leave and handle various matters.”
After he left, Wang Shouzhe settled his mind, before opening the letter from Qian Xuean, inviting him to meet at the Jucui Manor outside Changning Weicheng. The secret mark left on the letter showed that Qian Xuean had fulfilled his promise.
However, even though he trusted Qian Xuean, he didn’t dare to take any risks this time and preferred to be prudent in all things.
Immediately, he dressed up slightly and directly left the city. Instead of going to Jucui Manor first, he rode his black steed towards Shanyang. Not long after, he met Wang Zhong at a small manor a few miles outside the city.
“Wang Zhong, how are things going?” Wang Shouzhe asked.
Repotting to the Family Head, fortunately, I did not disgrace your commands, the Young Clan Leader of Gongsun has come as promised and is waiting in the manor.” Wang Zhong said with slight excitement, he had been waiting outside the manor for seven or eight hours.
Most of the power of the Wang family is located on the south bank of Peace River. If they want to find a large number of transport carriages, they can only rely on the Gongsun clan in Shanyang. Now his relationship with the Gongsun Clan is in the honeymoon phase, and this small request should not be rejected.
He entered this small manor of the Gongsun Clan in Shanyang outside Changning City, and met Gongsun Qiang, and greeted him, “I’ve kept my uncle waiting for a long time.”
“I haven’t been waiting for long, but what is your secret request for twenty horse-drawn carriages, heavy-duty carriages specifically for ore transportation? What do you intend to do?” Gongsun Qiang, a man of low EQ. and impatience, was curious as soon as he saw him.
“It’s nothing special.” Wang Shouzhe said calmly, “Just transporting fifty to sixty thousand loads of aged grain.” Since he was involved, naturally he wouldn’t be able to hide the quantity.
I! fl
At that moment, Gongsun Qiang’s eyes almost popped out, “Favorite nephew, don’t you know nowadays grain is hard to buy? And you want fifty to sixty thousand loads…
At that?
He had an impulse to swear. Compared to this favorite nephew who is a clan leader, he felt that he, a thirty-eight year old “Young Clan Leader”, seemed to have completely wasted his years.