Chapter 46

Mother Cheng secretly discussed with Cheng Yu’s Father, her husband, “Our eldest son, the New Year is approaching, and it’s already the 28th day of the 12th month. He wants to get married, but unless he can come up with a few dozen silver coins, there’s no hope. Otherwise, he shouldn’t even think about marrying a good girl.”

Father Cheng felt irritated when he thought of his eldest son. He grumbled: “I understand what you’re saying.”

Mother Cheng continued, “Dear, we’ve spent our lives together. You know what kind of person I am; I’m definitely not the type to stir trouble. I wouldn’t look for reasons to upset our children just because they’re about to enjoy a better life. But now, these children have crawled out of my belly, and I can’t help but think.”

“I naturally know what kind of woman you are. There aren’t many bright and reasonable mothers-in-law like you in the village. If you have any thoughts, feel free to express them. I can’t help but feel heartache; after all, our eldest is my flesh and blood.”

Mother Cheng nodded. Only then did she explain how her nephew had earned so much money, and that her son had also become Zhou Jing. Salesman.

Father Cheng was so shocked that his smoking pipe fell onto his leg, burning a hole in his pants.

He didn’t care about the pain and hurriedly asked: “He could really earn that much? It’s not a scam, right? Xiao Ren has already received the money and Zhou Jing promised to give him a monthly bonus in the future?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not a scam. The reason Wang Ren fell out with his family and stayed at our house is precisely because he wants to marry Shen Lin. Shen Lin’s brother is Shen Mo, who is also the husband of the Zhou family—it is where Xiao Ren brought along our eldest son to work. With this connection, there’s absolutely no way this could be fake.”

Father Cheng finally felt relieved, and he smiled widely, saying, “I didn’t expect that our eldest son would suddenly have such ability at this age.”

“It’s all thanks to Xiao Ren,” Mother Cheng replied. “So, from now on, we shouldn’t ask Xiao Ren some ‘ rent fee’ for staying at our house.”

“Of course.” Father Cheng agreed.

However, Mother Cheng was not as optimistic as Father Cheng—a slight look of worry crossed her face.

“Dear, it’s a good thing that our eldest son can earn money; I’m happy about it. But it’s also what worries me the most.

Think about it, our eldest son is still unmarried and single. No matter how much he earns, it will all come to us and be used for the family expenses.

It’s not that I favor anyone; it’s just that this is very unfair to him. Our eldest makes the most money, yet he has to cover the household expenses.

Meanwhile, the wives and children believe it’s only right, simply because they also contribute what they earn to the family.

But in reality, how much do they earn? Throughout the year, they’re relying on that little bit of land, just doing some work during the busy farming season.

Our eldest has worked as well, and that land wasn’t earned by any of them; it was earned by the two of us. So why should our eldest be the one to support this family with the money he earns on his own?”

If our eldest son had children and a wife, I wouldn’t have this concern.

The problem is that he doesn’t. He brings the money he earns to us, and if we don’t spend it and save it for him if he were to meet a good girl and we gave him a large bride price to marry her, those two daughters-in-law in our house would probably have objections.

They would think about how much we gave for their own marriages and wonder why we would give so much for our eldest son. They would see it as unfair and biased.

By that time, none of them would consider that the money was earned by our eldest himself and had nothing to do with them.

Instead, they would feel that our eldest was taking their money because they have been supporting him all along.”

Father Cheng sighed and said, “You’re so perceptive; I hadn’t thought of this.”

“I can’t help but feel heartache over the blood that comes from my own body.”

Mother Cheng continued: “Because of these concerns, I don’t want our eldest son to work himself to death—earning money only to support a bunch of ingrates. It’s not that it’s impossible; if people become accustomed to something, they’ll naturally feel entitled.

Moreover, we can’t keep this family together forever without separating. As we grow old and our grandchildren grow up, there will eventually come a day when the family will separate.

At that time, the money I hold will have to be divided evenly, but that money was all earned by our eldest.

Why should it be shared with them? But if we don’t divide it, it’ll look like we favor him. That argument holds no weight. If we say that it was all earned by our eldest, they wouldn’t believe it.

They would still think we’re biased toward him, counting the money we earned together as his.”

Father Cheng: “What good plan have you come up with?”

“We can do it this way: tomorrow, let’s gather the wives of our sons and have a talk. I’ll take on the role of the bad guy and say that I feel they’ve become lazy and good-for-nothing lately. Our eldest son, despite having the least strength, is out there trying to find ways to earn money, while they’re just sleeping in at home like parasites.

I’ll tell them to get out and work. Of course, I’ll make it clear that this money isn’t something I want out of greed; it’s for each of their little families.

For the money they earn, I won’t take a single cent of it. They can keep it all for themselves, buying whatever they want; I won’t interfere and it won’t be pooled for the family expenses.

From now on, only the money earned from the family land will be pooled for household use. Each little family will receive the same amount of money from the main family every month for their household expenses.

If I explain it this way, they’ll definitely be thrilled, and they’ll work harder without even thinking about our eldest son’s money.

That way, the money our eldest earns will truly belong to him, and he can use it however he wants in the future—even if he wants to buy an expensive wife, it won’t concern anyone else, and our children won’t feel it’s unfair.”

Cheng Yu’s father eagerly patted his thigh in agreement and spoke to his wife and son about the decision.

They were thrilled, jumping with joy, showing no sign of dissent.

In the village, such a situation was unique; there wasn’t a single mother-in-law who would not keep accounts and allow their daughters-in-law and sons to hide private savings.

When the wives of the second and youngest sons returned to their natal homes and shared the news, their mothers exclaimed how fortunate their daughters were to be part of such an open-minded family. They admitted that they themselves could never do the same.

Cheng Yu understood that his mother was able to take this step entirely for his sake, ensuring that he would have some silver to rely on when he grew old and found himself alone.

This realization fueled Cheng Yu’s determination even more.

—o—o—o—

Wang Ren and the others helped Zhou Jing prepare the sausage and duck goods, and Zhou Jing then inquired about how much they intended to sell.

For safety’s sake, Cheng Yu only requested 10 catties, while Zhao Youxin also asked for 10 catty. Wang Ren took 20 catty. The three of them paid the deposit and then set off to sell their products separately.

Since the three of them were inexperienced in selling, and it was Cheng Yu and Zhao Youxin’s first day selling independently, they had no idea how long it would take to sell everything.

Zhou Jing set a deadline for them: they had to return by noon at the latest. If they didn’t make it back by then, they would have to find their own way home.

—o—o—o—

By the time they sold all the food, it was well past noon. Reluctant to take a ride back, they decided to walk.

When they finally reached home, it was just in time for dinner. Not wanting to head directly to the Zhou family, they hurried back to their own homes to grab a quick bite before returning.

Wang Ren was grinning from ear to ear, his joy evident on his face.

“Brother-in-law, today I landed a deal! It’s for sausage at 5 catties a day and duck goods at 5 catties a day, for a six-month term. Even though it’s a small quantity and a short duration, at least it’s still a bit of meat.”

After landing the deal, Wang Ren felt a bit anxious. He was worried that Zhou Jing would not credit him for the sales performance, especially since Zhou Jing had previously brought him in to sign contracts with a minimum duration of one year.

However, Zhou Jing reassured him, saying, “That’s fine. When we sign contracts with them, the duration can be as long or as short as needed. The purpose is to prevent situations where they want something today but change their minds tomorrow.

If we assume they’re going to take the entire order, only to have them suddenly back out, we’d be stuck with all that sausage we can’t sell.

A six-month contract like yours is perfectly acceptable. Just remember to follow up a few days before the contract ends to discuss the next agreement. If they’re not interested in continuing the partnership, ask them why, and make sure to relay that feedback to me.

We need to improve. Of course, if they don’t want to continue, there’s no need to supply them further, and we’ll need to adjust our production of the sausages accordingly.”

Wang Ren replied, “I’ve noted that down. I’ve kept track of the contract signing dates and the expiration dates for these orders. I’ll make sure to go early to renew them when the time comes.”

“Good.” Zhou Jing said, then turned to the other two. “What about you two?”

Cheng Yu spoke up, “I have written it in my notebook. I’ve got three small orders from different clients who want to try selling for a few days to see how well it goes. If it sells well, they’ll sign a contract with me.”

“That’s fine.” Zhou Jing acknowledged. “But we can only give them a deadline of three to five days to prevent the situation I mentioned earlier, where we end up losing more than we gain.”

“I understand.” Cheng Yu replied.

When it came time for Zhao Youxin to speak, he remained silent for a while.

So, Zhou Jing had to repeat his question again.

Zhao Youxin finally spoke up: “I did sell some, but they wouldn’t accept the price we set. They only offered 15 copper coins instead of 18 copper coins. I figured if I couldn’t sell it, it would just go to waste anyway, so I agreed. That’s one hundred 50 copper coins.” He pulled out the coins and pushed them towards Zhou Jing.

Zhou Jing did not accept the money and replied directly: “Youxin, you don’t need to give this to me. Keep the money for yourself. When you took goods from me yesterday, I made it clear that I wouldn’t be responsible for whether you could sell them or how much you might waste. Now, since you decided to sell it at a price lower than what I provided, I won’t compensate you for the losses.”

“But… but that’s 115 copper coins! I…”

Wang Ren interrupted Zhao Youxin sharply. “Cousin. The boss made it clear to us from the start that we are responsible for our own profits and losses. He specifically told us to take fewer goods, and we all signed the contract. You can’t shift the responsibility onto the boss just because you acted on your own judgment. You should understand that making money in business is no joke; when they offer you a lower price, you can’t just stay silent and go along with whatever they say.”

Cheng Yu added, “Cousin, I’m not trying to pick on you, but this isn’t your first time making this mistake. Remember when we first joined? On the very first day, while we were selling for the boss, a shopkeeper tried to lower the price with you, and you insisted on accepting the money anyway. Luckily, we were all there and managed to stop you in time. The boss explained that such things are absolutely unacceptable. Why are you still making the same mistake today?”

“It was him… who offered me this price. I didn’t agree.” Zhao Youxin mumbled.

“Then why did you leave the goods with them and take the coins back? Doesn’t that mean you accepted it?” Wang Ren pressed.

Zhao Youxin hung his head, feeling dejected.

Zhou Jing said firmly: “Youxin, you have to bear this loss yourself; I absolutely cannot take responsibility. I will definitely be hiring more salesmen in the future, and once that happens, it could open the door for others to exploit the situation.

Consider this a lesson and don’t let it happen again. However, I need to make one thing clear, not just to you but to both of them as well. If anyone dares to unilaterally lower the price I set at 18 copper coins for goods to the shops again, they will not only bear their own losses but will also have to compensate me for my losses.”

“Why?” Zhao Youxin didn’t understand. He had already lost money; there was no loss for Zhou Jing, who would profit from the situation. Why should he have to compensate for Zhou Jing’s losses?

Zhou Jing explained: “Because you are the salesman I hired, when you go out to sell, you are not just representing yourselves, but the entire Zhou Ji Sausage.

If you lower the price and take a loss to sell to the store, no one will believe you; they will think I instructed you to do it. By the time it reaches the larger stores that purchase in bulk, the managers will definitely have their own thoughts.

They will feel it is unfair—why should those who buy less get a discount while those who buy more do not? If they come to me to request a price reduction, what am I supposed to do?

If I were to lower the price to what you suggested today, I wouldn’t make a single cent; I would have worked for nothing. However, I still have to pay the salaries of the salesmen I hired, and this is a big expense that I have to bear. How much would I lose?

If I do not lower the price, people will think poorly of me, and once they have that impression, they may directly refuse to buy my goods. How much would I lose then? Who am I supposed to hold accountable for this? Your so-called small decision could very well cost me my reputation and even ruin my business.”

The three cousins had not anticipated this situation.

Upon hearing Zhou Jing’s explanation, they finally understood that their own losses from unilaterally lowering the price were just minor; the real loss lay with Zhou Jing. His losses were truly incalculable.

Zhao Youxin dared not mention his own losses again and kept his mouth shut.

Wang Ren said: “Cousin, just listen to my advice: you really are not suited for sales. Your personality is too honest and naive; you just take whatever others say at face value.

Our boss isn’t going to hold this against you, but if he really decides to pursue it, you should calculate whether you can afford the compensation this time.

I came to your home to ask you to come and do some temporary work, but you heard how much money could be made and insisted on joining in. As a result, just after one day, such a big issue occurred. If this happens again, your family might have to sell their house and land to cover the compensation.”

Zhao Youxin looked deflated, as if all the air had been let out of him, and said, “I’ll go back and discuss it with my family. Can I give you an answer tomorrow?”

“That’s fine.” Zhou Jing replied.

Once everything was settled for the evening, Zhou Jing noticed that the two brothers, Shen Mo and Shen Lin, were bent over the desk writing something.

Zhou Jing leaned in to take a look, and to his surprise, Shen Mo had created a contract register.

It clearly recorded the names of the stores, the types of food items, the quantity of each item in catty, the date the contract was signed, and the date it would end.

Furthermore, it was organized in the sequence of the contract’s expiration.

Shen Mo looked up at Zhou Jing and said, “I think this way we can have a clear overview. If the salesman forgets something, we can remind them, so we won’t miss any store.”

Zhou Jing smiled and said, “My husband is so smart; he knows exactly what I’m thinking without me even having to say it.”

Shen Mo felt a bit shy at the compliment.

“By the way, I plan to hire three older women as temporary workers for our family. They can help us in the outer area with tasks like slaughtering ducks and plucking feathers. No outsiders should be allowed in the kitchen, and we need to make sure they don’t see anything and try to learn from us.”

Shen Mo replied: “Brother Jing, since we have enough space in our yard, and since we can’t grow vegetables while running a business, why not build three rooms across the way? These rooms can be designated for the temporary workers to work and rest in, which will help keep them separate from us and prevent them from stealing our techniques.”

“This is a good idea, tomorrow, let’s find someone in the village to get it done. We don’t need to build it as elaborately as our own house; it can be completed in ten days.”

—o—o—o—

News of the Zhou family planning to build more houses spread throughout the village, leaving everyone astonished.

They could hardly believe their ears. Just a few months ago, Zhou Jing had constructed such luxurious accommodations, and now he was planning to build again.

This time, Shen Mo didn’t have to go from door to door to ask for help; people were eager to come forward.

As soon as the word got out, villagers began rushing from house to house, digging for information on who might be able to speak on behalf of their families to get a job at the Zhou residence.

No household worried anymore about whether the Zhou family would be able to pay for the work.

Wang Ren and Shen Lin’s engagement had been kept under wraps, with the wedding date set for three months later.

Wang Ren’s parents were even more reluctant to discuss the matter for obvious reasons, so few people in the village knew about it.

However, Wang Ren was living with his aunt and had gotten two of his cousins from his aunt’s and second aunt’s families to work as salesmen at the Zhou residence.

Therefore, those two families were well aware of Wang Ren’s connection to the Zhou family and had come to pay a visit.

—o—o—o—

After finishing his work with the Zhou family, Wang Ren was full of sweat. He set up a basin of water in the courtyard and draped a large cloth over it to wash himself.

Just after he dried off and put on his clothes, his aunt arrived with two men from her household.

“Oh, Auntie, you’re here! If you’re looking for Aunt Cheng, she’s in her room; you can go straight to her.” After Wang Ren stopped talking, he pointed to the window of his aunt’s room.

“I’m not looking for her, I’m looking for you.”

Wang Ren was taken aback, looking at his cousin Zhao Youxin, who was following behind his mother.

His brow furrowed slightly.

“Did Aunt come this time for Youxin’s matter? If it’s about that, I am afraid I can’t help. When we got the goods, the employer made the rules clear to us. It was Youxin who took it upon himself to lower the price with the shopkeeper, so the loss should naturally be borne by him. You know what my relationship is with the Zhou family. If it weren’t for my face, the Boss would definitely have demanded compensation this time given their temperament.”

“Compensation? Isn’t it my son who’s at a loss? Why should we pay Zhou Jing instead?”

“Didn’t Youxin tell you the details when he got back?”

“You know what Youxin is like. He can’t even make a decent statement. No matter what I asked him, he wouldn’t say anything. He just tossed me the coins, and when I counted them, he was short by 115 copper coins. Only then did he tell me he had to pay compensation? But from the sound of your words, is there something else going on here?”

Wang Ren felt a bit frustrated with his cousin’s lack of assertiveness.

He glared at him before detailing the entire situation to his aunt.

Upon hearing this, Mother Zhao was so angry that she stomped her feet, jabbing her finger indignantly at Zhao Youxin’s forehead.

She scolded, “What are you, some kind of fool? Why have you always been like this since you were young? You just go along with whatever others say, not caring if you suffer losses. In the end, it’s you who ends up in trouble, and you drag your father and me into it too. You know your father and I are both easygoing and good-tempered, yet we ended up with such a sullen child like you!”

Zhao Youxin lowered his head, letting his mother scold him without a word or a response, standing there like a wooden post.

After scolding him enough, his mother felt it was pointless and stopped berating him.

“If we really talk about this matter, it’s still thanks to your influence; otherwise, I would have to spend my entire life trying to get some of my family assets back from him. You still need to take your cousin and properly apologize to Zhou Jing and thank him for not pursuing your cousin’s responsibility.”

“My Brother-in-law isn’t concerned with these empty formalities. I will definitely say what needs to be said to him. In the future, just ask my cousin to work harder, and everything will follow.” “Don’t worry, I will speak to him.”