CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 88: THE SOURCE OF EARNING MONEY

Mr. Ji had money, and taking advantage of the Zhao Family’s reputation in Ru Nan, he directly purchased a large amount of grain from local gentry and grain merchants.

As the summer harvest progressed, he pressed the prices down repeatedly, "Except for Yingchuan, the harvest in Yu State this year is quite good. The new grains are about to come, and the grain prices will inevitably drop. What’s the use of holding onto old grain?"

Although storing old grain for three to five years is not a big problem, it greatly affects the taste, and the longer the grain is stored, the cheaper it becomes.

Mr. Ji said, "Why don’t you sell your old grain to me? My family’s lady mainly uses it for charitable purposes, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be new grain."

Everyone gladly agreed, so cart after cart of grain was transported into the estate.

The people in the estate saw these grain carts coming in, and gradually felt more secure, working harder and harder.

The wheat in the fields decreased every day, and the harvested wheat was brought back to dry, then the women and children threshed it at home.

To separate the work for building houses, three hundred people from the estate were allocated to build houses and repair roads. Even Zhao Ju personally took part, every day either teaching Zhao Erlang martial arts or leading everyone to lay foundations.

By the time Mr. Ji finished his tour in Ru Nan and returned, rows upon rows of houses had already risen in the estate, and now Fu Tinghan could control the success rate of brick firing to above ninety percent.

He no longer managed this matter, leaving Lu Kun to lead the long-term workers in firing bricks, while he hid in his room daily doing his own things, rarely coming out except to occasionally practice martial arts with Zhao Hanzhang.

Ji Yuan stood at the intersection looking towards the smoking brick kilns in the distance, amazed, "In just half a month, so many houses have been built?"

When Zhao Ju went out with people to inspect other estates, they happened to run into him on the road, so the two groups returned together. He glanced to one side indifferently and said, "With fired bricks for building houses, can the speed not be fast?"

He said, "Now the brick kiln can produce thirty thousand bricks a day."

"Bricks are available, but what about glutinous rice soup? Building so many houses, how much glutinous rice soup will be needed?"

Brick laying requires lime mortar, but lime mortar is very coarse; the constructed houses cannot be very tall, and they leak during rainy days, lacking sturdiness.

Only by mixing the lime mortar with glutinous rice soup can the walls become both sealed and sturdy.

Zhao Ju said, "Third Lady asked Uncle Cheng to take the grain to the county and Wu Castle to exchange for glutinous rice. With so many people in the estate, nothing will be wasted. However, Third Lady also said that if good sticky yellow clay can be found, it would replace the glutinous rice soup. Uncle Cheng is leading people to look for it, but they haven’t found it yet."

Ji Yuan saw that they had arranged everything so methodically and breathed a sigh of relief.

He rode back to see Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang had nothing to do, so she was practicing spear techniques in the courtyard with a long spear. Teaching her was the centurion Ji Ping.

He was a cavalryman, most skilled in spear techniques. His spear had previously been damaged in a raid, so he switched to a broadsword, but at the estate, he started thinking of making a new spear.

Zhao Hanzhang saw him wielding it powerfully and was very envious, so she wanted to learn with him.

When Ji Yuan arrived, she turned around and thrust a spear straight at his face, startling Ji Yuan.

Zhao Hanzhang swiftly retrieved the spear and tossed it to Ji Ping. She took a towel from Ting He to wipe her sweat, then smiled and approached, "Mr. Ji is back."

Ji Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and approached to greet her, "Why did the lady suddenly think of practicing martial arts?"

"I practice because I like it," Zhao Hanzhang invited Mr. Ji to the main hall, asking, "Is there any news from outside recently?"

"The court is still displaced outside, Luoyang has not been retaken yet, and more and more people are escaping from Luoyang recently," Ji Yuan said, "Since you mentioned buying grain for charity, why doesn’t Third Lady take the opportunity to recruit some refugees?"

This would also be doing charity.

Zhao Hanzhang agreed gladly, "I was thinking the same. Many of my fields are not cultivated or are cultivated carelessly, all due to a shortage of manpower."

Zhao Hanzhang had plenty of land, especially the ones Zhao Zhongyu exchanged with her, but the tenant farmers and long-term workers left behind were not very diligent. Coupled with the severe population decline in recent years due to various reasons, much of the land lay abandoned.

So as long as she recruited people, there would be land for them to cultivate; she only needed to ensure their food and lodging during work.

And at this moment, the refugees only sought a place to settle.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Mr. Ji, I still need to entrust this matter to you. You take the grain to the city gate to recruit people."

She said, "Those who have left their homes might not be thinking of settling down and establishing a career outside; we can relax the conditions a bit. Anyone recruited as long-term workers and tenant farmers will sign for just three years. After three years, if they wish to leave, we won’t stop them."

"What about the pay?"

"Long-term workers’ wages will follow market rates, and we will cover their food and lodging. For tenant farmers, in the first year we will provide them with food for sustenance and collect 40% of the rent. After the second year, we will only collect 20% of the rent."

Mr. Ji was surprised, "Third Lady, but this rent is too low; the current rent in Ru Nan is between 40% and 50%."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "It’s not too low. Grain and money in the hands of the estate residents versus in my hands make little difference. This estate is originally composed of estate residents, since I said I would support them, naturally I must leave enough room."

"But you’re also supporting the troops; with just 20% rent, can you afford them?"

"As long as we have enough fields and tenant farmers, we can naturally afford it."

Mr. Ji said, "Then there are also weapons and horses, and armor, all of which require money."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Though grain prices have risen substantially, grain is a basic survival need; relying on basic survival resources for military supplies won’t work."

She said, "Military supplies shouldn’t come from selling grain. In the future, we will try to reserve our grain for our use, and not sell it if we can avoid it. As for the money for buying military supplies..."

Zhao Hanzhang pondered for a moment and said, "I’ll figure out a way."

Ji Yuan looked at Zhao Hanzhang in astonishment, "Third Lady truly is the granddaughter of the lord; the lord also said that the money spent on the family’s troops shouldn’t be obtained from grain."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang was intrigued and quickly asked, "Then where did grandfather’s money come from?"

"From running shops, restaurants, gardens, and the like," said Ji Yuan, "But the profitable shops, restaurants, and gardens are mostly in Luoyang and Chang’an, so..."

Not to mention that Luoyang and Chang’an are currently plunged into war, even in peacetime Zhao Hanzhang had exchanged them all with Zhao Zhongyu.

Upon hearing the locations, Zhao Hanzhang immediately lost interest, "We’ll find another way."

Ji Yuan became anxious, "But what options do we have? Shangcai may not be poor, but it’s also not rich; although you have shops in the county, there are no wealthy people, and things are difficult to sell. Moreover, what good things do we have?"

Zhao Hanzhang thought again and again, "Do you think we could sell bricks?"

Ji Yuan was stunned, "Huh?"

Zhao Hanzhang, however, seemed to have had a breakthrough, clapped her hands and said, "Start small and accumulate gradually; first sell bricks, then when Mr. Fu Dalang creates glass and other fine products, we sell more valuable things."