CHAPTER 228: CHAPTER 225: CHEN FAMILY VILLAGE ARRIVAL

Tian Chengyou had not heard about Chen Family Village setting up a warehouse, but he quickly understood.

Tian Chengyou said: "It’s because we suffered a loss last time in Daming Prefecture, so..."

Chen Yongsheng nodded: "However, Miss Chen had already considered this. Setting up a warehouse is not just for wool products; after the autumn harvest, there will also be medicinal herbs to sell.

Before the warehouse, wherever goods were needed, even if we started to inquire clearly, there would always be changes. Especially in places that are somewhat distant, gathering information would take a lot of time. By the time goods were transported, who knows if they were still needed.

Tian Chengyou said: "That’s true."

Chen Yongsheng said: "After setting up warehouses in several places, transporting goods to one location ensures that the surrounding states and counties can be covered. If this state’s shop doesn’t need it anymore, we can send it back to the warehouse and transfer it to other places. Miss Chen and Mr. Dongli calculated that although renting a yard is expensive, it’s worth it in the long run."

Chen Yongsheng may not be good at calculating, but he listens. Miss Chen said, if the goods are exchanged more than five times a month, with goods exceeding seven cartloads, then the rental cost is recovered.

Not to mention that Chen Family Village has its own warehouse, which will reassure those shopkeepers. After all, with new goods, no one knows if they will sell well. This time, Chen Family Village will tell the shopkeepers that if the unsold goods are intact, Chen Family Village can take back the goods and refund the money.

Tian Chengyou said: "With a warehouse, we can also free up manpower."

Chen Yongsheng and Tian Chengyou discussed sending goods to Xingzhou first, and then to the slightly further Qi State and Chan State, which all require the Tian Family Trading Team to handle.

The trading team that sets out from Xingzhou will go to the nearby Mingzhou, Daming Prefecture, including westwards to Cizhou and Lu State. The team from Qi State will take an eastern route.

Chan State will continue southward.

These three warehouses will be set up first to see how things go and to pave the way for Chen Family Village.

Xingzhou has been entrusted to Nanny Miao’s nephew, Miao Zigui, who is an old acquaintance of Tian Chengyou. After Nanny Miao came to Chen Family Village, Miao Zigui specifically came to the village several times. Though he doesn’t have many people under him, he is most knowledgeable about the wool threads made by Chen Family Village. He has also accumulated a considerable amount of silver, hired staff, and purchased carts and horses, ready to make a big push together.

Tian Chengyou is not very confident about Qi State, so he sent one of his stewards there.

Chen State is handled personally by Tian Chengyou.

After discussing all this, Xie Liangchen and Tian Chengyou reviewed the map from start to finish, and only then did the Tian Family Trading Team leave Zhenzhou.

Xie Liangchen walked back to the weaving room.

The villagers were busy washing wool and making threads. Once the goods were sent out, no one dared to slack off. When the goods reached Xingzhou, people would understand what Chen Family Village was doing, and perhaps they might mimic Chen Family Village to spin threads to sell, so they must get most of the goods out before others could spin threads.

All the villagers were diligent, and every day the village chiefs would report the number of threads spun by their villages together. Xiahe Village, with fewer people, spun the fewest threads, but they were always unsatisfied and spun more threads day by day, doing a job as good as Da Liu Village.

The village chief of Da Liu Village would mention Xiahe Village every day after returning home, saying that the women there were impressive, and the men were strong, with their spinning wheels rarely stopping for a few hours from morning to night.

Nanny Miao would always remind daily: "Threads must be made not only quickly but also well."

Old Mrs. Chen, hands behind her back, said: "We inspect every single thread. If the quality is not satisfactory, it must be redone, which takes more effort and deductions from the silver coin.

The old ladies do less work as they age, and they earn less silver too, but their eyes are sharp. We rely on you to make up the silver."

The village chiefs laughed and said: "I’m afraid that won’t do. If you want to get rich, you’ll have to find other ways."

The village chiefs chatted for a while and continued standing in the courtyard.

Old Mrs. Chen asked puzzled: "Is there anything else today, gentlemen?"

Fan Lizheng said: "We have yet to see Liangchen, perhaps Liangchen has something else to tell us."

Old Mrs. Chen muttered in her heart, if Miss Chen had anything, she would have let Chen Yuyu pass on the message. The village chiefs understood; they were just used to seeing Miss Chen, and felt uneasy not seeing her.

Old Mrs. Chen didn’t bother with this; let them wait if they wanted, as it wasn’t interrupting any work. She still had to follow Nanny Miao and the others to inspect the threads.

Only the threads that they had inspected could be packed into boxes.

Old Mrs. Chen thought about it and felt delighted. Her granddaughter said this was an important task and now it’s under the care of Mr. Miao and herself.

See, she is now on par with Mr. Miao.

In a few days, when Mr. Miao goes to check the fine threads spun from fine wool, this lot will depend on her.

Old Mrs. Chen touched the purse tied around her waist, which was still empty; no one would fool her under her watchful eyes.

Nanny Miao and several women were waiting for Old Mrs. Chen, and upon seeing her, Fan Lizheng from Beishan Village smiled: "Just waiting for you."

Old Mrs. Chen felt more invigorated: "After we’ve rested, let’s continue working."

Xie Liangchen was in the weaving room observing the spinning wheels.

The women were feeding wool into the spinning wheels, everyone focused on the wheels and spindles, with hardly any sound of conversation.

Xie Liangchen looked at Liu Erniang, who was bringing in the wool: "Take a break before you continue."

Liu Erniang, shy by nature and seldom speaking, nodded upon hearing this: "We will rest once we finish moving these, then we’ll rest together."

Xie Liangchen reminded: "Remember to wear the cloth mask over your face."

The villagers who beat the wool all wore cloth masks to avoid inhaling the wool, as several villagers had coughed because of it. After Xie Liangchen and Mr. Xu looked into it, they established this rule.

Liu Erniang nodded.

Hei Dan said: "Sister, the village chiefs haven’t left yet."

Xie Liangchen responded and quickly walked out.

Liu Erniang, watching the back of Miss Xie, tightly clutched the basket in her hands. After being in Chen Family Village for so long, she gradually understood what the good days that Old General Zhang spoke of were like. But the longer she stayed, the more unsettled she felt, and every time she closed her eyes, she could think of Old General Zhang.

She heard from Hei Dan that the military camp at Baimaling was now under General Song’s command. Once she had finished spinning the wool in her hands, she wanted to ask Miss Xie if she could visit Baimaling.

...

Daming Prefecture.

Miss Lin had just woken up and was being assisted by the housekeeper in getting dressed. Today, Third Master Du was arriving in Daming Prefecture. She needed to dress well to leave a lingering impression on Third Master Du.

"Miss," the steward reported from the doorway, "the Chen Family Village trading team has arrived."

Miss Lin raised her eyebrows in surprise: "What?"

The steward walked into the room, visibly anxious: "It’s the Tian Family Trading Team, which delivered goods to Xingzhou and now dispatched small trading teams carrying goods all around. One of them is about to arrive at Daming Prefecture."

Miss Lin took a deep breath to calm herself: "Are they wool products?"

The steward nodded and then shook his head: "I... I’m not sure... I’ve heard they are... but no one has actually seen them."

Miss Lin sternly scolded: "Then what are you panicking for? It’s definitely not wool products. Even if Chen Family Village employed dozens of weavers, they couldn’t finish it so quickly."

Miss Lin hadn’t finished her words when there was a commotion in the courtyard.

Then came the urgent voice of Third Master Du: "Where is your Second Miss? I need to see her right away."

Third Master Du’s voice sounded very anxious, and Miss Lin couldn’t help but feel a chill.