Chapter 482 - 183: Business (3)
Chapter 482: Chapter 183: Business (3)
In other words, she had to bear all the risk while Xie Ming didn’t, so Xie Ming had actually gotten the better end of the deal.
But with this fifty-fifty split, Chen Wanqing didn’t need to provide a thing. She was using her fragrance formula as her investment for a fifty percent share of the profits. Truth be told, she was the one getting the better deal this time.
She had seized upon the concept of a "seller’s market," figuring that if things didn’t work out with the Kangning Fragrance Workshop, there were still two other workshops she could go to. That was the leverage she held over them. If it weren’t for the fact that this incense was genuinely profitable, the female manager of the Kangning Fragrance Workshop really would not have wanted to deal with her.
After settling the details for Green Plum Boiled Snow, they moved on to discussing "Moonlight Fragrance."
The pressure of supplying Moonlight Fragrance to other prefectures would be immense. If Chen Wanqing started collecting the ingredients on a large scale, the formula would inevitably be discovered.
But she couldn’t bring herself to hand over the Moonlight Fragrance formula as well.
Finally, Chen Wanqing thought of the concept of "hunger marketing."
Her mother had told her that sometimes, appropriately limiting the supply was actually better for sales.
After much consideration, Chen Wanqing finally decided not to provide the formula. Instead, she would supply a fixed amount of Moonlight Fragrance each month.
The female manager had expected as much. After all, if she had such a cash cow in her hands, she wouldn’t be willing to part with it either.
"But, to be frank," the manager said, "this will cause significant delays. Shipping from Xinghuai Prefecture to the various prefectures in the Southeast takes at least two months. Think of how much Silver we’ll lose out on. On top of that, there are potential losses during transit, not to mention the unpredictable mountain bandits and river pirates along the way. Whether the goods can even arrive safely and on time is a major concern."
"But this is what I built my business on. It’s also the very first fragrance formula I developed myself. I still want to keep it."
"Since you insist, then we’ll do it your way."
They signed two contracts with the manager and then went to the government office to have them officially registered.
When she returned from the government office, the Kangning Fragrance Workshop sent over her first share of the profits.
The batch of Green Plum Boiled Snow that Chen Wanqing had made earlier was sent by the female manager to the workshop’s owners in the Capital City.
The owner liked it after trying it and gained favor by sharing it with relatives and friends.
The owner was not a stingy man and cared a great deal about propriety, so he naturally wouldn’t use Chen Wanqing’s product for free. He had the female manager give her extra silver, treating it as if he had purchased the incense from her.
And so, from a single box of incense, she earned nearly one hundred taels of silver.
When Zhao Jing saw Chen Wanqing return with several Silver Ingots, he smiled and said, "Sister, you must have caught the eye of the God of Wealth. The speed at which you’re raking in money for our family truly puts me to shame."
Chen Wanqing replied, "Jing, don’t be so modest. You just focus on your studies, become an official as soon as you can, and strive to one day hold high office as a trusted confidant of the Emperor. I’ve heard that the Emperor casually bestows rewards of ten thousand taels of Gold. If you can really earn that much, our family will be rich. This bit that I’m earning now might seem like a lot, but it’s just a drop in the bucket, not even worth mentioning."
Zhao Jing laughed heartily. "I hope I can fulfill your wish, Sister, and one day earn ten thousand taels of Gold to give to you..."
"Ten thousand taels won’t be enough. You’d better earn several tens of thousands."
"I’m afraid I’d have to work myself to death for the Emperor to do that."
Another heavy snow began to fall. Just before it started, Chen Wanqing delivered a batch of goods to the Kangning Fragrance Workshop.
This shipment was destined for the Capital City, and from there, it would head south... or perhaps it wouldn’t make it that far. After all, the quantity was so small, it would likely be completely bought up by the nobles in the Capital City.
It was already the Little New Year, and Moonlight Fragrance made for an excellent New Year’s gift. If the recipient’s family had a scholar, giving it as a gift was not only respectable and thoughtful but also showed high regard for the younger generation, making the whole family happy.
Two days after the Little New Year, Chen Wanqing received a letter from her mother.
The letter said that she had done her best to stop him, but she couldn’t.
River pirates were rampant, and the people were suffering terribly. When the Prefecture’s notice calling for a campaign to suppress them was posted, Chen Song was the first to step forward, volunteering to lead the troops on the people’s behalf.
To receive such a letter right when she was feeling happy... it would be a lie to say Chen Wanqing wasn’t anxious.
She was so anxious she couldn’t sleep at night. But upon reflection, ’Isn’t this something I saw coming?’
’All I can hope for now is that Father will be alright. Even if something does go wrong, the medicinal pills I had someone deliver should help. Please let Father stay healthy and come back safely.’
By the twenty-fifth of the twelfth lunar month, the Prefecture Academy finally let out for the holidays, and both Zhao Jing and De’an returned home.
With two more people in the house, it suddenly became much livelier.
De’an was especially boisterous. One day he would take Xiang’er out to watch acrobats, the next he would take her to buy couplets for the New Year. The two of them were running outside every day, making Mrs. Zhao shake her head in exasperation.