mesbooks Chapter 281 Good news: I made money; bad news: one-third of it was in the form of IOUs.
Chapter 281 Good news: I made money; bad news: one-third of it was in the form of IOUs.
The image of "Happy Mushroom" lingered in Gao Mengli's mind until she got home and infected Lin Xi with it!
As Lin Xi pasted up the Spring Festival couplets, she hummed, "Ahhh, happy mushrooms, growing sticky mycelium—"
Even Da Niu was standing next to him, saying "Hey~ Hey~"
Gao Mengli chuckled beside her, then looked up at Lin Xi, who was standing on a stool with her bottom sticking out, pasting Spring Festival couplets: "Xi Xi, let's go to the county town tomorrow and buy some New Year's goods!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xi paused in her work, almost sticking the Spring Festival couplets crooked.
He turned to look at Gao Mengli, his face full of excitement: "Yes, let's leave earlier tomorrow."
Gao Mengli nodded.
After the Spring Festival couplets were pasted up, Gao Mengli turned and went back to the accounting room, not forgetting to turn back to look at Da Niu: "Da Niu, come to the accounting room!"
Upon hearing this, Da Niu realized that his mother wanted him to help with the accounting.
He quickly put the paste on the ground, took out his abacus from his pocket, and hurriedly followed his mother.
Da Niu took out his ledger and started calculating page by page, the sound of his abacus clicking and clattering in the room.
"Mother, this month the oil mill's profit is 2,800 taels, the pottery village will receive 220 taels, and the two restaurants will receive 630 taels."
The profit from the iron stove and coal was 260 taels, and the preserved eggs and ash tofu also brought in a decent amount of 1,600 taels!
However, as in previous months, our family's share of the brick kiln's profits was only three hundred taels, which was put on account for Lord Dou; we didn't make any money.
Another issue is the villagers' wages; some villagers are demanding double wages.
"Mother, isn't this wrong?"
Gao Mengli tapped the table lightly, looked up at the place Da Niu was pointing to, and said slowly, "Oh, this place is fine."
Da Niu looked completely bewildered.
no problem?
The main thing is that there are also wages owed to some villagers whom we don't know, each receiving three taels of silver per month.
That month alone, they spent 150 taels of silver. Their food expenses were also recorded in her mother's account, totaling 100 taels of silver per month.
Seeing Da Niu frowning as he stared at the ledger, Gao Mengli didn't bother to explain.
After all, they were blacksmiths and villagers from the back mountain, and she wasn't going to explain to Da Niu.
Because Jiang Bei was in charge of his studies and was very strict with him, Da Niu hadn't touched his family's accounts for a long time.
At first, I was excited and thrilled to see the profits from my own shop, but the more I calculated, the more I felt something was wrong.
Da Niu could understand that the clothing workshop wasn't making money, since his mother had said that this year the workshop was prioritizing the supply of winter clothing for the border guards and wasn't planning to make a profit.
The remaining bills showed a profit of 730 taels from his father's "private kitchen" dishes.
The rest were almost all investments with no returns.
For example, the inn that was completed after the New Year, as well as the workshops for cured meat and blood tofu, were major expenses.
The profits from the old house's rough paper, soap, and toothpaste also came in, totaling 160 taels.
But this silver isn't in the accounts; instead, it's become Lord Dou's IOU?
"Mother, why is Lord Dou borrowing so much silver from our family?"
When Da Niu went through the accounts, he was dumbfounded when he came to the two boxes where the accounts were tight.
All of them, big and small, add up to a staggering five thousand taels.
Gao Mengli: ……
Dou Weiyi would borrow one or two hundred taels each time, and she never calculated the exact amount.
It's only been three months, and they've already borrowed so much?!
She quickly cleared her throat and said, "Um... Previously, the famine victims gathered in various counties, and the imperial court told local officials to handle it themselves, so no disaster relief funds were allocated."
The county magistrate was implementing a work-for-relief program, but he didn't have any of that "relief" money, so he borrowed some from his mother.
"Oh, I see!"
Da Niu nodded in sudden realization, then continued typing away on his abacus.
"By the way, set aside two hundred taels to give as New Year's gifts to the villagers who work in restaurants, oil mills, and preserved egg workshops."
As Gao Mengli spoke, she carefully recorded everything in the ledger.
"We must prepare a generous New Year's gift; everyone has worked hard for more than half a year."
Also, Da Niu, go and ask the village chief for help later.
Also prepare some rapeseed oil, cured meat, blood tofu, and preserved eggs from the oil mill to distribute to the villagers going to work.
Da Niu nodded quickly: "Yes, Mom, the accounts are almost settled, I'll go now!"
After Da Niu finished typing the last number in the ledger, he picked up the abacus, slammed it to the zero, stuffed it into his arms, and hurriedly rushed out.
Gao Mengli watched Da Niu's hurried figure and shook her head helplessly, but a smile played on her lips: "This child is so impulsive, just like his father."
"Don't wrong me, I'm not impulsive at all!"
At this moment, Lin Xi pushed the door open and came in, her face full of disapproval.
He plopped down next to Gao Mengli and rummaged through the two boxes of IOUs on the table. “Lord Dou owes so much. I don’t know when he’ll be able to pay it back.”
Gao Mengli's lips twitched as well.
No matter how much Dou Weiyi earns from those public toilets, it's just a drop in the ocean compared to what he's doing.
Unless his "position" changes in the future, it will indeed take him a very long time to repay this money, relying on his "fake accounts" of commercial taxes, the revenue from public toilets, and the "protection fee" of one-tenth of the oil mill's revenue.
After Lin Xi finished her calculations, she quickly organized the account books.
Then he happily ran out to cook, after all, he was in charge of the household, while Gao Mengli was in charge of external affairs.
He doesn't need to worry about these foreign trade and economic matters!
The following day, Gao Mengli and Lin Xi took Da Niu to Pingyao.
Today is the day before Lunar New Year's Eve, and the county town is packed with people and bustling with activity.
The family of three didn't actually buy much, since they always had meat, fish, fruits and vegetables stocked up thanks to Lin Xi's "private kitchen" at the village entrance.
The clothes they were wearing from head to toe were either made by their eldest aunt or by Jiang Shuzhi.
Even Mengze's aunt, Gan Ermei, would occasionally make shoes for the family of three.
Lin Xi's goal was the Golden Pavilion in Dongcheng.
After all, it's been almost a year since I came to this other world, and I haven't properly bought any gifts for the people in the old house yet.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Golden Pavilion. The Golden Pavilion, which was usually deserted, became a bit more lively because of the New Year.
There were also many women selecting jewelry on the first floor.
Lin Xi jumped out of the car first, then turned around and helped Gao Mengli and Da Niu down.
As soon as they entered, the shopkeeper, with his sharp eyes, quickly greeted them personally: "Oh, distinguished guests, please come in and see if there's anything that suits your taste."
Lin Xi got straight to the point and said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, we want to buy some gold jewelry!"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper realized they were "customers" from the second floor and quickly instructed his waiter to lead them upstairs.
He, on the other hand, stayed on the first floor and continued to sell the "cheap goods" that had accumulated on the first floor.
The “cheap goods” that cost hundreds of thousands of yuan are a source of tears.
When Da Niu went upstairs, he glanced down and saw the shopkeeper introducing the silver hairpin in his hand to someone.
That hairpin didn't use much material, costing only two hundred coins, but it was exquisitely crafted.
The shopkeeper's face looked stiff from smiling so much that he only sold one or two items.
Da Niu tugged at Lin Xi's hand: "Dad, I want to go see that!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Xi followed Da Niu's gaze and saw the hairpin in the shopkeeper's hand. She frowned and said, "Da Niu, it's the New Year, we're not buying that."