Chapter 435: Discussion
Chapter 435: Discussion
Hearing Xue Ya’er’s words, Yao Zhi nodded. "I do have a method. But this method is my family’s secret, so I can’t tell you the details."
Xue Ya’er went silent for a moment before she nodded. "I understand. What’s your plan next?"
Yao Zhi took out 2 pieces of paper from her system’s storage and placed them on the desk. "I drafted a contract for our cooperation."
"I will be responsible for mining the rock salt and transporting it to the warehouse. You will be responsible for refining the salt and selling it. We will split the net income 50–50."
Xue Ya’er read the contract carefully before she nodded. "I have no objection to your terms."
After a moment of pause, she added, "Yao Zhi, if possible, can you give a discount when we sell the salt to the army?"
Since her main goal was to help Lu Qianxuan seize the throne from the current Emperor, Yao Zhi had no objection to it.
"The matter regarding marketing and pricing will be entirely up to you. I trust that you know the bottom line."
Hearing this, Xue Ya’er heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank you for your trust, Yao Zhi."
"We are friends. I naturally trust you."
Now that they had no objections to the terms, both of them signed their names and put their fingerprints on the contract.
Yao Zhi stored the contract in her system’s storage and said, "Ya’er, when you find a suitable location for the warehouse, you can inform me."
She finished her tea and stood up. "I still need to check the farmland. I will take my leave now."
Xue Ya’er nodded and saw her off. Then, she changed her clothes and went to the military camp with Ah Jun. The matter of finding a suitable warehouse would be left to her husband.
Almost an hour later, a carriage drove into the military camp.
By now, most of the patrolling soldiers already knew that their victory was also thanks to the General’s wife.
If not for her rushing over without stopping, the divine weapons might have been delayed. Without the divine weapons, it would have been impossible for them to reclaim the city so easily.
Because of this, Xue Ya’er’s reputation among the soldiers had reached a new high. Whenever they saw her, they would bow and greet her with respect.
At first, she was unaccustomed to this, but over time, she was no longer as awkward as before. When she stepped out of the carriage, a group of soldiers noticed her and greeted her in unison.
"Greetings, Madam!"
Xue Ya’er nodded at them and smiled. "Everyone, no need for formalities."
The soldiers bowed to her before continuing their patrol duties.
Since the General’s tent was the place with the highest security, even though she was the General’s wife, she still had to wait outside while the guard went in to report her arrival.
Xue Ya’er waited for a few minutes before she was invited into the tent, while Ah Jun remained outside.
The moment Lu Qianxuan saw his wife, he walked over and held her hands. As he led her to a chair, he asked, "Wife, what brought you here today? If you need to see me, just have Ah Jun send a message. I will come and see you."
"There is no need to trouble you. It’s more convenient for me to visit you," Xue Ya’er replied with a smile.
After she took her seat, she tugged gently at her husband’s hand. Noticing this, Lu Qianxuan sat beside her and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong?"
Xue Ya’er lowered her voice and told her husband about her cooperation with Yao Zhi.
When she finished recounting everything, she asked, "Husband, can you help me find a place that is far from public areas but secure enough to store the salt?"
Hearing his wife’s request, Lu Qianxuan thought for a while before replying, "Wife, rather than finding an available place, I think it would be better if we build it ourselves."
"Salt is a lucrative business. It also holds great importance for both the commoners and the army. If the refining method given by Young Master Lei is able to remove the toxins from the salt, it will benefit countless people."
The salt consumed by the commoners was coarse salt of the lowest quality. It was not only dirty but also tasted bitter. Consuming too much of it would also affect their health.
Despite knowing that eating coarse salt would harm their health, they had no other option. After all, refined salt was expensive.
One tael of refined salt costs 10 taels of silver. For a commoner, that was a sky-high price. Except for wealthy merchants, only noble families and the Royal Family were able to use refined salt.
Xue Ya’er understood the importance of this matter and nodded.
"Husband, besides the warehouse, it’s better to build the workshop underground as well. For ventilation, we can use bamboo pipes. It won’t attract attention even if people see them."
Lu Qianxuan thought for a moment and asked, "Wife, did Young Master Lei set the price for the salt?"
Shaking her head, Xue Ya’er replied, "She gave me full authority to handle the sales, including setting the price. She also agreed to lower the price if the salt is sold to the military."
"That’s great."
Seeing how delighted her husband was, Xue Ya’er couldn’t help but smile.
During their marriage, this was the first time she had seen her husband show his emotions so freely. Before, he always restrained himself whenever he was with her.
Her harmonious relationship with her husband was all thanks to her friend’s help.
Without Yao Zhi, she might have accepted Su Jiaoyi as her husband’s concubine. By then, it would have been impossible for her to open her heart and accept her husband completely.
She knew her personality very well. If her husband accepted another woman, she might not say anything, but she would definitely leave him sooner or later.
Deep inside, she was a possessive person and would never be able to share her husband with another woman.
Fortunately, everything was going well now.