Chapter 229: Forming Partnership To Sell Firewood
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
When he saw that the Song family’s business was doing so well, and also heard that bean sprouts were being sold for five copper coins per catty, Wang Laoshuan had to take off his hat completely to the Song family.
When he faced the Song family members, he couldn’t help lowering his head.
On the way back, Wang Laoshuan could not help but sigh to his son.
He felt that the Song family was different from what they were in the past. They had really struck it rich.
Wang Dashan simply listened and did not respond.
“The weather isn’t that hot anymore nowadays. I’m going to leave the town later to take a look at the mountains outside the town and see if I can gather some dry wood. We’re also short of firewood in our own house.”
Fortunately, the kitchen in the Liu family’s courtyard was big enough, and there was a straw shed next to it where they could store firewood.
In the future, they didn’t have to worry about not having space to pile up the firewood. “I’ll go with you!” Wang Laoshuan immediately said.
Now that they had settled down, it was time to work hard to earn money with his son. Food was so expensive, so they had to make good use of their time to earn more money. “Forget it. With one more person leaving the town, the entrance fee when we return will be increased.”
“Tidy up the house and go to the areas nearby to familiarize yourself with the surroundings.”
“We ll leave the town together tomorrow morning. When we’re out of town, you will only come back at night,” Wang Dashan said.
As for Wang Dashan, he would probably have to go in and out of the town several times.
After all, he had to sell the firewood.
Wang Laoshuan thought for a while and nodded.
“Alright,” he replied.
After returning home, Wang Dashan pushed the handcart and went out.
After leaving the town, he traveled along the main road to go to the nearest mountain forest.
Then, without another word, he started to get busy.
The amount of firewood in the mountain forest here was not as much as that in the back of the mountains in Brook Falls Village.
However, due to the drought, there were many dried-up trees in the mountains.
He didn’t spend much effort chopping and gathering firewood.
Wang Dashan worked hard by himself and finally managed to get a big handcart full of firewood before dark.
Then, he rushed back into town before the town gates closed.
As the time was too late, Wang Dashan did not proceed to sell the firewood. Instead, he pushed the firewood back to the Liu family’s house directly.
When the Liu family members saw this, they all praised Wang Dashan for his competence.
He had only gone out for a short while and had managed to bring back so much firewood.
Aunt Liu asked Wang Dashan about the selling price of the firewood.
After learning that the firewood was now sold for five copper coins for two bundles, she instantly had an idea.
There were probably eight bundles of firewood on the Dashan’s handcart. Two bundles were sold for five copper coins, so eight bundles would be twenty copper coins.
If he could sell all of them, he would make quite a lot of money.
“Thank you for lending us some firewood in the afternoon and evening.”
“Consider this bundle of firewood as our repayment to you. I’ll help you bring it to the kitchen!” As Wang Dashan spoke, he took a bundle of firewood from the handcart.
Then, he walked toward the Liu family’s kitchen.
As Aunt Liu gushed that he was being too polite, she also smiled and told him to take it easy.
After entering the Liu family’s kitchen, Wang Dashan placed the firewood behind the stove.
He then prepared to leave.
However, he was stopped by Aunt Liu.
“Dashan, I heard from my daughter that your younger sister said that you’re doing quite well in the firewood business?”
Wang Dashan was stunned.
“Aunt Liu, you’re jesting. How can my work be considered a business?” he responded.
“Huh? Why not?”
“I heard that in Yong An Lane, there are no less than ten families who have ordered firewood from you. Also, every time you bring firewood to the town to sell, it’s sold out very quickly!”
“That’s true, right?” Aunt Liu smiled and looked at Wang Dashan.
Wang Dashan scratched his head in embarrassment.
“That’s because the firewood my father and I gathered is too little. That’s why it is sold off so quickly,” he answered.
Aunt Liu’s eyes lit up when she heard this.
“Does this mean that if there’s a lot of firewood, you can also sell everything off?” she asked immediately.
Wang Dashan thought for a moment. “I think so. After all, there are many families in town that need firewood.”
Aunt Liu’s eyes lit up even more.
Her eyes flickered, and she actually pulled Wang Dashan back.
Wang Dashan almost jumped in shock.
Only then did Aunt Liu let go of Wang Dashan and smiled at him in embarrassment.
“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t have any ulterior motives.”
“I just wanted to ask if you could let your Uncle Liu and Brother Erniu gather firewood and sell it with you?” Aunt Liu finally spoke her mind.
Thanks to the 1000 catties of grain they had bought from the Song family, their family was no longer under so much pressure worrying about food shortage.
However, after stocking up on food, the family’s savings had decreased substantially.
Later on, her family had to make preparations for the winter, so how could they not make good use of their time to earn more money?
Aunt Liu’s eldest son had already gone to work at the dock. Although it was hard work, at least he had an income every day.
However, her youngest son had been looking for work for many days, but he had had no success.
As for her old man, he was already so old so it was even less likely he could land a job.
If her youngest son and the old man could follow the Wang family’s father and son to gather firewood to sell, it would at least be a way of making money.
Wang Dashan was silent. He thought for a while but didn’t reply.
Aunt Liu quickly smiled in a conciliatory manner.
“You can just treat them as your assistants. In terms of salary, you can just give them a share of the money you earn!” she said.
It was normal for the child to hesitate.
After all, almost everyone could do something like gathering firewood to sell.
If Wang Dashan taught his disciple well, the disciple might very well compete with the master for business. At that point, the master’s business would be affected.
Wang Dashan quickly looked at Aunt Liu with a smile.
“Aunt Liu, you are jesting with me. If Uncle Liu and Brother Erniu really want to work for me, I naturally can’t treat them shabbily,” he said.
In the current situation, it was true he didn’t have to worry about selling the firewood.
If Wang Dashan could have two more people to help him gather more firewood a day, he would naturally be able to earn more.
Furthermore, he was living with his father in the Liu family’s place.
Now that Aunt Liu had come to talk to him about this matter, if he rejected her, the two families might be estranged in the future.
Wang Dashan thought for a moment.
“How about this? The price of firewood in town now is five copper coins for two bundles.” “If Uncle Liu and Brother Erniu are willing, they can sell firewood to me at half price.” “They just need to help me bring the firewood to the side of the main road. I’ll do the rest.”
This way, he only needed to focus on delivering the firewood into town and selling the firewood once inside.
With his father and the Liu family’s father and son helping him gather firewood, the amount of firewood he could sell every day would increase by a lot.
Aunt Liu muttered to herself for a while.
Wang Dashan’s idea was similar to the previous partnership arrangement between the
Song family’s daughter-in-law and their family.
Their family would focus on working and delivering the goods, and then the other party would receive the goods and sell them.
“We only need to bring the firewood to the side of the main road and not into town?”
Aunt Liu asked.
The current entrance fee was not low.
If the handcart was really filled to the brim with firewood, it would cost six copper coins to enter the town per trip.
If the handcart was loaded with eight bundles of firewood, they would only earn 40 copper coins per trip.
After deducting the entrance fee of six copper coins, they were left with 34 copper coins.
After deducting the wages for her old man and her second son, then… there were only 16 copper coins left…
Although 16 copper coins were not a small sum, they had to go in and out of the town and go through the streets and alleys to sell firewood.
If it wasn’t managed well, the effort of selling the firewood might be more than gathering the firewood.
When she thought of this, Aunt Liu had already determined that this job was feasible in principle..