Chapter 244: Chapter 245: A Blow
After the tour, Ouyang Bing’s head was spinning for a long time.
Ancient Wen Heng wasn’t in a hurry. He simply led him on an aimless walk through the streets.
"This may be a small county town, but it’s on a major trade route. There are plenty of merchants traveling from north to south," Ancient Wen Heng explained kindly, as if the previous blows hadn’t been enough. "Don’t underestimate this little shop of mine that just opened. It’s been bustling with customers day in and day out, without a moment’s rest."
"So the soap that everyone is clamoring for is also your creation?" Ouyang Bing had finally managed to process everything.
But Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. Just as Ouyang Bing was about to breathe a small sigh of relief, he heard him continue, "These are from my wife’s dowry of secret recipes. They don’t have much to do with me."
Ouyang Bing gave him a complicated look. "You certainly know how to pick a wife."
At the same time, he thought to himself, ’Maybe I should have someone look into Jin Qianqian’s true origins. After all, producing so many valuable secret recipes one after another isn’t something an ordinary family can do.’
"So you’re planning to just give this bean recipe to your brothers for free?" Ouyang Bing had to admit that in that moment, he was envious. ’Why couldn’t I have a brother that good?’
The words slipped out before he could stop them. "I wish I had a brother that generous."
Ancient Wen Heng was speechless. ’We’re just trying to solve this once and for all, not being extravagantly generous.’
Realizing he couldn’t sway Ancient Wen Heng with Silver Taels at this point, Ouyang Bing decided the trip couldn’t be a total waste. He spent a good while longer chatting with the Gu brothers and placed an additional large order for bean products with a long shelf life before finally departing with his men.
The moment they were out of Fu County, Ouyang Bing’s face was a mask of despair. "Mudou, tell me, how is it that all my years of hard work don’t even add up to his income for a single year? It just doesn’t feel fair, you know?"
Mudou remained silent. He knew his master was just venting and would go back to business as usual later.
"I really made a fool of myself today. I thought I could impress him by offering a lot of Silver Taels, but who knew I’d stumbled right into a gold mine..."
Ouyang Bing grumbled the entire way, and Mudou remained expressionless throughout. Only when his master finally quieted down did Mudou slowly say, "Master, you forgot to notice. Both Gu Juren’s home and his shop are fitted with glass."
Ouyang Bing whipped his head around to look at him. "Why didn’t you remind me earlier? Are you sure?"
He had been so focused on getting the secret recipe, and then he was hit with one shock after another, so he hadn’t noticed at all.
Mudou nodded. His master had been begging and pleading with everyone he could lately, just trying to get glass installed in his restaurant. To think it was already a done deal in this tiny county town.
"This won’t do. I have to go back and ask him. He must have connections."
Mudou didn’t try to stop him, simply falling in silently behind him.
Seeing him return, Ancient Wen Heng asked in surprise, "Brother Ouyang, did you leave something behind?"
Only then did Ouyang Bing notice that the entire residence, even the guest rooms in the first courtyard, had glass windows.
"Brother Gu, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask. I was wondering where you got all this glass?"
Ancient Wen Heng raised an eyebrow. "This was all specially shipped from the south. Does Brother Ouyang need some as well?"
"Need it? I desperately need it!" Ouyang Bing put on his friendliest smile and fell into step beside him. "I wonder, who did Brother Gu purchase it from? I’d like to place an order myself."
Ancient Wen Heng was at a loss for words. ’Should I crush him again? Seeing him look like he’d lost the will to live earlier... I almost feel bad.’
’Feel bad? Impossible, not for a grown man like him.’ "Well, as it happens, I own a small share in the enterprise. That’s why Prince Bai gave me priority on the supply."
Ouyang Bing forced a pained smile. "Brother Gu, your family’s business is truly massive. I was just wondering if you could do me a small favor. After all, our Tianfu Restaurant is due for a renovation."
But Ancient Wen Heng just spread his hands. "I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do for now. The roads on the way here are rough, and the breakage rate for glass is very high. I doubt Prince Bai would be willing to engage in such a losing venture."
Seeing the disappointment on Ouyang Bing’s face, Ancient Wen Heng paused for a moment before adding, "However, you probably won’t have to wait too long. Prince Bai is in the process of setting up more workshops here. I’m sure you’ll be able to purchase it locally before long."
’Since it’ll benefit my own bottom line,’ Ancient Wen Heng thought, taking the opportunity to promote the business. It was the least he could do.
"Then, I wonder..."
Before he could finish, Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "We have an agreement about the internal operations. I don’t get involved. I hope you can understand, Brother Ouyang."
...
* * *
Having just started, the Gu brothers were ecstatic to receive such a massive order.
Looking at the small workshop they had built in Gu Yuantu’s courtyard, the brothers all agreed it was too small.
"There’s no room to work in a place this small. We should have listened to Seventh and built a new one from scratch somewhere else," Gu Yuanshui said. He’d been in a state of high excitement ever since they received their first payment.
But the space was so cramped; not only was it hard to move around, but there was also no place to store the finished products.
"We’ll make do for now," Gu Yuanjin decided, putting his foot down. "After we work hard for a while and earn some more Silver Taels, we’ll go to the village chief and get a new plot of land."
"Eldest Brother, Father came looking for me today," Gu Yuantu said with a troubled expression.
"What did he want?"
"He asked if we’d sold any tofu, and for how many Silver Taels."
"And you told him?" Gu Yuanhuo frowned. "My wife asked me about it last night, too, but I kept my mouth shut."
Intimidated by the looks from his three older brothers, Gu Yuantu hurriedly said, "I told him I didn’t know anything!"
Gu Yuanshui scoffed. "Father will never believe that. Even our sixth sister cornered me at my door today with her baby, asking why I didn’t include her."
Gu Yuanjin reminded them again, "All of you, listen up. These other things aren’t a big deal, but when it comes to the secret recipe, you have to keep it under wraps."
Ever since they stopped working for Foreman Ding, and with the significant commotion they were now making—plus Ancient Wen Heng having stayed to supervise for several days—everyone in the village was watching them.
Later, when batches of bean products were ready, they sent some to the homes of their elders, and that was when everyone found out what they were up to.
Many people had already started asking around indirectly, trying to find out how they made their products.
After all, if cheap soybeans could be turned into so many delicious foods, anyone who wasn’t a fool knew there was a profit to be made.
"I didn’t even tell my own wife," Gu Yuantu quickly declared. He might not be the most eloquent, but since he’d made a promise, he wouldn’t even tell the person he shared a pillow with.
Gu Yuanjin said, "But this isn’t a long-term solution. Didn’t Seventh say so? If we want to earn more Silver Taels, we’ll have to hire people to help. Otherwise, even if we work ourselves to death, there’s a limit to how much we can produce."
PS: Don’t think the male and female leads are being saints for giving the brothers a way to make money for free.
You can’t have the male lead become a high-ranking, wealthy official while his brothers are still poor and destitute, can you?
Giving them a path to wealth is better than having them show up at his door for every little thing.
