The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 262: The First Workshop

Manpower.

Sang Luo looked at Shen Ning and then at Shen Lie, and simply said to keep busy.

On the seventh day of the New Year, besides Sang Luo, who needed to take care of the two children, the rest of the family was bustling with activity. Shen Lie probably didn’t return to his room until the early hours of the morning.

On the morning of the seventh, they were busy again. By noon, the goods were delivered. The three carts, with six servants, received everything their respective masters wanted to buy and left Daxing Village fully loaded. Sang Luo received three more boxes of silver.

Holding the heavy silver in her hands, Sang Luo couldn’t help but reflect, “Making money is something you have to start early.”

Although it’s not a good thing to say, the prices of food in the entire Da Qi are indeed high right now. The damage from years of war has been too severe, and prices for grain and meat might not decrease much within a year or two.

The people of Shezhou are relatively better off thanks to Concubine Fan, the governor’s wife, whose efforts have sped up the recovery compared to other counties in Da Qi.

In Daxing Village, the situation is even better. The previous efforts in the mountains to help the government bring people out, along with the increased land and resources, have resulted in significant gains for the Shen family. With the government’s support, Shen Lie’s earnings, and the emperor’s gifts, there is a substantial amount.

So, given the timing, these two years are the best opportunity to maximize the value of the village’s produce, not just limited to the village.

Sang Luo locked up the silver and asked Shen Lie, “Will you come with me?”

“To where?”

“First to the Chen family, then to the state office.”

Upon hearing about the Chen family and the state office, the three siblings were momentarily confused. They vaguely guessed it was related to business but couldn’t figure out how these two were connected.

Sang Luo smiled, “You mentioned that the state office lacks funds, so I’m going to provide some.”

Shen Lie raised his eyebrows, “Are you planning to expand the production of preserved tofu and vermicelli? Renting land from the state office?”

He was quick to catch on.

Sang Luo nodded, “Vermicelli production requires drying space, and expanding the scale would need more land than Chen’s place can provide.”

In the Chen family’s backyard, besides Zhou Ge, who was taking care of the children, everyone else was busy. When they saw Sang Luo and Shen Lie arrive, they stopped their work. Qin Fangniang welcomed them, “What brings you here at this time?”

Sang Luo explained her purpose.

“Expanding vermicelli production?” Old Man Chen was taken aback. “Will it sell?”

“Selling to other counties,” Sang Luo replied. “Did you see the three carts that came to our village yesterday and today? They came specifically to buy goods. Our vermicelli is now a tribute to the emperor, and it sells well in Shezhou. It should be the same in other counties. Plus, it doesn’t spoil easily. We need to seize the opportunity while it’s in season.”

“Then we need to hire more people?” Chen Dashan asked. “Will the recipe be leaked?”

“We’ll hire trustworthy people, and we can let others handle less critical aspects. Key processes will still be done by us. We’ll deduct the labor costs and expenses for sales from the total cost.”

Qin Fangniang, who has been helping with the production, immediately responded, “Our place might not be enough.”

“I came to ask for your opinions. If you agree, I’ll find a solution.”

Chen Dashan understood that Sang Luo had a plan: “Alright, we have no objections. This is your business, and you should make the decisions.”

Old Man Chen and Chen Youtian also nodded. Old Man Chen said, “If you’re making money, there’s no need to ask our opinion. We understand our role and will work according to your plan. Don’t let our opinions restrict you.”

In less than half a year of partnership with Sang Luo, the Chen family has earned a significant amount. They could now afford to build a grand new house, but space was limited. They were very satisfied with their current situation.

Sang Luo smiled at their response, “Since it’s a partnership, I should consider your opinions. If you agree, I’ll find a location. Don’t worry, the expansion will be a joint effort. We’ll split the profits as we did before, and we’ll just earn more.”

Moving from a small family workshop to a small factory means keeping the recipes in-house is crucial, but it’s also important to be open to new opportunities, or else progress will be hindered.

With two kids at home, they might cry if they wake up and don’t see her. Sang Luo couldn’t stay out for too long, so she bid farewell to Chen Dashan and the others and headed back to the city.

Discussing renting land from the state office was something she couldn’t handle with Concubine Fan, so Shen Lie came along. Shen Lie first inquired with Chu Qichang. This was a new endeavor with no precedents, so they asked Director He first, but new regulations meant there were few examples to follow. They eventually sought advice from Zeng Ziqian.

“Setting up a vermicelli workshop?”

Sang Luo nodded, “Yes. We might also engage in other activities later, but mainly we need land, buildings, and open space. It’s best if it’s close to Daxing Village.”

Such places do exist.

The state office still has some properties, especially small estates originally bought by wealthy families from the city. These properties were reclaimed during the chaotic times when their owners disappeared. They remain under the state office’s control, and they’re considered state property.

Currently, with land distribution, such properties are not sold off as the population will increase, and there will need to be land available for future allocation.

But renting is possible.

Zeng Ziqian smiled, “This can be arranged. The rent will go into the state office’s public account for official expenses.”

He managed the matter well and let Sang Luo discuss her requirements with Chu Qichang. Once a suitable property was selected, the pricing would be discussed with the state office.

After bidding farewell to Zeng Ziqian, the couple followed Chu Qichang outside the city to view the estate. Given the relationship between Chu Qichang and Shen Lie, the matter was straightforward, and the recommendations were the best available.

The property wasn’t too far from Daxing Village. It was a small estate with buildings and open space that met Sang Luo’s requirements. The multiple courtyards were perfect for a production line, and there was ample space for drying and storing materials. After some minor adjustments, it would be ready for use.

After negotiating the price and signing the contract, Shen Lie handled the details. Sang Luo received a key from Chu Qichang, returned to Daxing Village, and eagerly led the Chen family to the new estate.

Mrs. Chen was stunned. She had only helped visit a potential bride for Mrs. Lu and returned to find that the family was starting a workshop and had already secured a location.

As they toured the estate, Sang Luo explained which courtyard would handle which process, what preparations were needed, and how many workers should be hired.

Old Man Chen, who was well-versed in these processes, observed that if they worked in separate courtyards, they could indeed manage the key stages of production themselves.

“There’s just one thing: how do we hire people? What counts as trustworthy?” Old Man Chen was genuinely concerned about managing the confidentiality of Sang Luo’s recipe.

Sang Luo replied, “Start with the reliable families from nearby villages. Honest workers who can only work during the spring and autumn are fine. For vermicelli production, we need positions for women, men, and teenagers aged fourteen or fifteen. We don’t have strict requirements, and all workers will sign a confidentiality agreement.”

“For the critical stages, your family will handle them.” She paused and added, “You can also involve Ah Ge’s father and brothers.”

The Zhou family was genuinely trustworthy.

Sang Luo admitted that confidentiality agreements are more effective against honorable people than against the dishonest, but having such an agreement means that any blatant breach of confidentiality is prohibited.

Of course, it’s unlikely that the people hired for the workshop would break the agreement.

Old Man Chen trusted Sang Luo on this matter.

Chen Dashan asked, “Aren’t we hiring people from our village?”

Sang Luo smiled, “We will, but they won’t be working directly in the workshop. Since we need to sell a lot of vermicelli, I’m also preparing to distribute goods to surrounding counties. We’ll need people to run errands and handle sales in those places.”

“Running errands requires skill—strength, quick thinking, communication skills, and business acumen. All are necessary. You and Ershan can also step away from the workshop’s daily operations to handle this part. Honestly, this is what the workshop owner should focus on.”

Qin Fangniang laughed, “He’s not the owner. You are.”

Sang Luo chuckled, “He’s also a co-owner. I’m serious; the workshop will rely on your family to sustain it. My time and energy for this are limited.”

What the Shen family lacks most is people.

And who knows, if Shen Lie passes the imperial examinations and moves to the capital, she will need to follow him, and managing things here will be impossible.

The Chen family clearly understood this. Mrs. Chen patted her chest and said, “Don’t worry. I can judge people well. Let Dashan and Ershan learn to handle external matters. Inside the workshop, I’ll make sure everything is in order with your grandfather.”

Sang Luo trusted Mrs. Chen. Although she was older, she was reliable: “Thank you for your hard work.”

Old Man Chen was more reserved in his happiness, but Mrs. Chen was genuinely pleased: “Hard work? After working with you for half a year, just count how much silver you’ve given us.”

Apart from the money Chen Dashan earned from the state office, the income from their land, and Sang Luo’s dividends, the silver saved had exceeded a hundred taels by the end of the year.

Tofu, vermicelli, honey, chickens, ducks, sheep, pigs, rabbits, vegetables, and yams sold to other counties—the combined earnings from these items were substantial.

In just one year, they saved a hundred taels. Though other families didn’t have the tofu and vermicelli dividends, they also earned a good amount. Such prosperity was something they had never even dared to imagine before.

Sang Luo smiled and said, “I’m afraid of tiring you out. It’s better this way—hiring more people will make things easier.”

She handed the key to Mrs. Chen: “The contract with the state office is signed. You keep this key. Once we finalize the contract today, you can start setting things up tomorrow.”

Mrs. Chen carefully took the key and asked, “How long is the lease?”

Sang Luo shook her head, “Not sure yet. Shen Lie will handle it. I told him to aim for a ten-year lease with an option to renew.”

The lease shouldn’t expire while the state office might reclaim the property.

Mrs. Chen sighed in relief: “Ten years is good. When summer comes and we stop making vermicelli, we’ll start building the house. Sang Luo, can you give us a copy of your plans? We want to build a house similar to yours.”

The Shen family’s clean toilet was the envy of the village.

Sang Luo laughed, “You can come by my place later to pick them up. I’ll also gather everyone to discuss the business and see if anyone is interested in running errands. I’ll also collect some more beans.”