Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 105 - 104: Manufacturing Plant

When Liu Ji got home after doing the laundry and learned that someone wanted to order a water mill stone grinder, he was even more excited than Qin Yao.

"That small water mill is three taels per set. You and Liu the carpenter could earn half, right?"

"Half would be one tael and five maces of silver, split evenly, that’s seven maces and fifty cents, and for three sets... that’s over two taels and two maces!"

Liu Ji excitedly swung a freshly washed garment onto the drying bamboo pole, "Wife, our family is going to prosper!"

"Or maybe I should just stay home and help you with the work. We’re a family, what’s yours is mine, what’s mine is yours. You just need to give me two or three taels a month, I won’t ask for more... ouch!"

The back of his head took a hit, and the excited Liu Ji cried out in pain. When he turned around, Qin Yao was holding up a wooden club.

"Hang your clothes. These aren’t things a househusband like you should worry about."

Liu Ji rubbed the back of his head, suspecting it might swell, "Wife, what do you mean by househusband?"

She always came up with strange words. Do people from the Northern Land all speak like this?

Qin Yao: "Someone like you, you fit the description yourself."

She tossed down the club and strode out the door, heading straight to Liu the carpenter’s house.

Qin Yao shared the matter about Manager Wu, and Liu the carpenter was quite excited, but he also thought that more people might come in the future. "We need to set a price. We can’t just judge by the situation every time."

Qin Yao agreed and picked up Liu the carpenter’s pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote on a scrap board:

Small water mill set three taels, medium set five taels eight, large set starts at fifteen taels; specific situations can be analyzed in detail.

Provide your own stone grinder, eight maces of silver are deducted for each grinder.

Note: Within Kaiyang County, delivery and installation are included.

"What do you think of this pricing?"

Qin Yao handed the board to Liu the carpenter, who counted on his fingers several times, nodding, "This works!"

But how would they split the profits between the two of them in the future?

Qin Yao had thought about it on the way there. If two people are working together, and the money is not divided properly, it won’t last long.

Qin Yao said: "From now on, let’s assume we’ve set up a water mill manufacturing factory together, temporarily dividing the factory into three departments."

"One water mill department, one stone grinder department, and one reception, installation, and after-sales department."

"You take charge of the first one, I’ll take charge of the latter two. We’ll each put in three taels of silver into a public account. Material costs will be drawn from here, and after collecting the accounts, we’ll refill the public account. At the end of each month on the thirtieth, we’ll tally expenses and surplus, and profit will be divided equally between us."

Liu the carpenter listened and exclaimed in admiration.

"But I don’t know how to do accounting, so you’d better be the bookkeeper, Miss Qin," Liu the carpenter said with an awkward smile.

He had no problem with small figures usually, but if it involved what Qin Yao described, it was too complicated for him.

Qin Yao nodded, "As long as you trust me, I’m fine with it."

Liu the carpenter quickly replied, "Of course I trust you. Without you, Miss Qin, we wouldn’t have been able to set up this manufactory. With just me, a small carpenter, how could I have thought of turning water mills into a business?"

Qin Yao earnestly said, "Without you, the skillful carpenter, I wouldn’t be able to make these things. We achieve success together."

"In that case, I’ll draft an agreement and invite the Clan Leader, Village Chief, and Liu Dafu to witness it, so there will be a basis for actions in the future."

"Alright, alright," Liu the carpenter sighed in admiration again, "Miss Qin, if you were a man, you’d be remarkable!"

"Why? Am I not remarkable now as a woman?" Qin Yao jokingly retorted.

Liu the carpenter waved his hands frantically, "No, no, no, I mean to say, you’re already remarkable now!"

Qin Yao chuckled, feeling very pleased, asked for paper and pen, and drafted a partner equity agreement. After reading it to Liu the carpenter and getting his approval, she made two copies, sending Liu the carpenter’s son to invite people over, and they had dinner at Liu the carpenter’s house.

The Village Chief was quite surprised and didn’t expect Qin Yao and Liu the carpenter to be so formal about making water mill stone grinders, as if it were some big business.

Qin Yao earnestly said, "Village Chief, water mill stone grinders might be small, but if done well, they can mean a lot to Liu Family Village."

"Oh?" The Village Chief asked curiously, "What do you mean by that?"

Qin Yao explained, "Our village has stone mountains, and the woods have timber. These two things are just what we need to build a water mill. If others place orders with us, won’t Liu the carpenter and I need to purchase these raw materials?"

"This way, villagers who can’t sell or have to sell timber at a low price can earn more income."

"And the stone mountains, although everyone can use them freely, if we can make and sell stone grinders, we will pay the village twenty cents for materials for each grinder sold. One is twenty cents, ten are two hundred cents, a hundred are two taels of silver."

"With this money, can the village repair our roads?"

"With good roads, travel becomes convenient, won’t it be easier for the village children to go outside?"

"And there’s more. If there are a lot of orders, Liu the carpenter and I won’t be able to do it all alone. Then we’ll surely need to hire village labor to help, bringing extra income right at people’s doorsteps."

The more they listened, the more surprised the Village Chief and Clan Leader were. They had never thought of these things before.

If it were truly as she said, then this... The two exchanged a glance, so excited their facial hair trembled.

Liu Dafu, who often went to town, could easily envision what Qin Yao was talking about.

He was a member of Liu Family Village, and if the village roads were improved, it would be easier for him to go to the city to sell grain. He immediately said:

"Miss Qin, if you need ox-carts in the future, just let me know."

Qin Yao gratefully nodded to him and continued: "For a region to develop its economy well, a sustainable pillar industry needs to be established. Only in this way can we firmly grasp the economic lifeblood, thrive, shed poverty, and achieve prosperity for all..."

Stop, stop!

Qin Yao suddenly snapped out of it, realizing this wasn’t a civil service exam setting. If she continued, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself.

But the half she had said was enough for the Village Chief, Clan Leader, and Liu Dafu to ponder for several nights.

The more they considered it, the more ingenious it seemed. How could someone be clever enough to summarize such empirical truth and wisdom?

When Qin Yao returned home, it was already late, and the five family members were already asleep.

She sat by the window, pulling out the shareholding contract from her pocket, reading it three times before carefully folding and storing it in the drawer.

She had actually started a manufacturing factory in ancient times; it was such a fascinating feeling.

Hmm, it would be good to give the factory a name, how about Liu Family Village Water Mill Factory?

Although very ordinary, it carries the regional identity and could incidentally promote Liu Family Village.

Later, she decided to tell Liu the carpenter to carve the name of the Liu Family Village Water Mill Factory on the water mill.

And she would engrave the same on the stone grinder, using this as Liu Family Village’s brand to spread the word!