At the end of the summer harvest, the county magistrate Li Yi sent someone to send ten coins to the Gu family.
This is Shaomai Silver.
According to the law, those who kill people to pay for their lives will be required to burn and bury one or two taels of silver. Those who do not pay will be asked to collect twenty taels of silver.
Wang Fugui was in custody, and repaying his life was only a matter of time, so he could only give the Gu family ten guan of money, which was the personal injury compensation in the early Ming Dynasty.
If the "Da Ming Law" comes out next year, the Gu family will not even be able to get the ten coins, because this clause will be cancelled. The reason is roughly "If you are punished severely, you will not be beaten, and if you are beaten severely, you will not be punished."
The White Sugar Courtyard was built, not far from the river, and it was very convenient to get yellow mud water.
Within the high wall are thirty-two simple thatched houses, corresponding to the thirty-two households in Dayan Village.
Special funnel-shaped tiles, special stoves, wooden barrels, firewood, etc. are all available.
A well was also drilled in the yard, and stone tables and benches were installed.
Sun Bing sat on the stone bench and said to Gu Zhengchen who came over after the inspection: "According to your instructions, everything is ready, but is there any problem?"
"This tree has just been transplanted. Please pick two less." Gu Zhengchen sat down, glanced at Liang Fengyang who was picking apricots, and then said to Sun Bing: "Has the supply of brown sugar been laid out?"
Sun Bing nodded slightly: "It's no problem."
Gu Zhengchen took out a piece of paper from his arms, put it on the table, and pushed it to Sun Bing: "This is the art of making sugar. Which step you can take depends on your ability."
Liang Fengyang spit out the apricot kernel and quickly came over to look at the "secret recipe" with Sun Bing.
The flesh on Sun Bing's face trembled slightly: "Gu Juren, are you kidding me? Can you make white sugar by pouring yellow mud water into it?"
Liang Fengyang looked at Gu Zhengchen who got up to go to the Huohuo Apricot Tree, then looked at the paper, and said to Sun Bing: "What Gu Juren said is correct. I have nothing to do today. Let's make sugar ourselves."
Sun Bing got up and said, "I'll light the fire, and you can fetch the yellow mud water."
Liang Fengyang stared: "Why should I go to fight the yellow mud?"
Sun Bing patted his big belly: "If I go, aren't you afraid that you won't be able to see sugar next year?"
"..."
Liang Fengyang had no choice but to leave the compound.
Boil brown sugar, let sugar paste stand, yellow mud decolorization method, etc.
The procedure is not complicated, it just takes time.
After having a meal at Gu's house, Sun Bing and Liang Fengyang returned to Baitang Courtyard and finally saw Baitang, and they were completely relieved. The paper recording the method of making sugar was also stuffed into the bottom of the pot and burned. It was better not to leave any writing on this matter.
"How do you plan to sell sugar?"
Gu Zhengchen asked, looking at Sun Bing and Liang Fengyang eating sugar.
Liang Fengyang chuckled: "How else can I sell it? Send it to the shop and wait for people to buy it. We have chosen good locations for shops. For example, a shop in Rencheng is located just outside Fuya Street. There are many wealthy families. .”
Sun Bing patted his chubby hands, shook off the sugar, and said to Gu Zhengchen: "Brother Gu, don't worry about business matters. We are experts in business, and we will definitely make a fortune this time. "
Gu Zhengchen bit an apricot and asked calmly: "How do you plan to create a sensation? In three days, everyone in Rencheng, Jining, Qufu and other cities will know it. In one month, everyone in Shandong will know it. In half a year, everyone in Shandong will know it." , is everyone aware of it?”
"ah?"
Sun Bing's eyes widened.
Liang Fengyang's mouth trembled a little.
Three months, everyone knows?
is it possible?
Gu Zhengchen looked at Sun Bing: "You are not an expert in business, you should have some ideas, right?"
Sun Bing shook his head and said quickly: "This is impossible. It is impossible for any business to be known to everyone in the Ming Dynasty. This is sugar, a business, not a law. You can post notices to inform everyone."
Gu Zhengchen flicked the apricot kernel up and reached out to grab it in his hand: "Open a shop, wait for people to come to your door, provide passive service, there is no overwhelming advertising, no offline logistics and distribution, and you don't even take the initiative to do door-to-door sales. In this way, This is all you can do in business..."
Gudong.
Sun Bing was a little shocked. Although he couldn't understand what Gu Zhengchen was talking about, he still felt it was somewhat profound.
Liang Fengyang looked at Gu Zhengchen and asked in a low voice: "Within half a year, can you make the sugar business known to the world?"
The corner of Gu Zhengchen's mouth moved slightly: "Of course you can."
"really?"
Sun Bing couldn't believe it.
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly and his expression became solemn: "But before that, I must remind you that you must not be careless in matters involving the imperial court. There must be no shortage in either land taxes or commercial taxes. The imperial court The grain chief system is now implemented in Jiangnan, and it will definitely become popular in the future. By then, you will probably be the grain chief of Teng County. My opinion is that if you can't be the grain chief, don't be."
Sun Bing frowned slightly: "Why, isn't it good to be a grain chief to run errands for the court? I heard that many grain chiefs in Jiangnan can meet the emperor. This is a lifetime honor."
Gu Zhengchen knocked on the table with an apricot kernel and said with a cold face: "Brother Sun, Brother Liang, there are some things I can't explain clearly. All I can say is, don't keep too many fields at home, and don't become the head of grain. These words , can’t forget it within fifteen years!”
Sun Bing and Liang Fengyang looked at each other. Although they didn't know Zhu Yunwen's intention, they still nodded in agreement.
Grain growers naturally choose large households with many fields. As long as there are not many fields, they will not become grain growers.
If your family has money, buy more shops and the value will still be preserved.
Gu Zhengchen didn't know where Guo Huan and Guo Sanwan were wandering around at this time. There were very few records of him in history, and the most solemn one was devoted to his death.
Many officials died, taking wealthy grain growers with them on the road.
Gu Zhengchen was grateful to the Liang family and the Sun family. Naturally, he didn't want them to go to Caishikou to bask in the sun. It would have been better to have warned them earlier.
"Keep these words in your stomach and don't say them to outsiders."
Gu Zhengchen reminded.
Sun Bing and Liang Fengyang naturally agreed.
Liang Fengyang asked: "How do you make the sugar business known to everyone?"
Gu Zhengchen grabbed a little sugar, let it fall from his palm, and said softly: "It's simple. You just need to come up with a name that people will remember after hearing it once and be willing to tell others. Listen, what do you think of this name..."
Sun Bing and Liang Fengyang left in admiration.
Large quantities of brown sugar began to be shipped to Dayan Village. The villagers took advantage of the short free time after the summer harvest to do something. Considering the prospects of sugar, the Sun family and the Liang family built sugar workshops in their yards.
June 15th.
A product called "Juren White Sugar" appeared in shops in Tengxian, Zouxian, Rencheng, Jining and Qufu at the same time, accompanied by a euphemistic and touching story:
There are scholars in Teng County, but they are poor and helpless.
Dreaming about white sugar means being filial and kind to your mother.
If you can eat sugar, you can win, and if you win, you can win.
There is also a folk song that is constantly sung among children:
If you eat sugar, you will win the exam. Promote filial piety and integrity, lift spirit...
White sugar was linked to imperial examinations, examinations, filial piety, and spirituality, and was dubbed the word "juren" to catch people's attention. Once white sugar came out, it attracted the attention of wealthy families and started to buy it one after another. Ordinary people saw that wealthy families were following them, and they wanted to buy some sugar to save money on food and clothing. At home, use it as a town house...
