Di Ming

Chapter 103 Business Experience

Ning Qingchen was truly heartbroken.

If you're sick, you'd rather be a dusty dog; if you're healthy, you'd be better off as a dog.

I won't take her with me for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

My tools!

The baby's emotions overwhelmed her, making her unable to be rational. She just whimpered and cried.

I'm going to be willful!
Zhu Yin could only sit on the ground with her, looking at her pitiful little face, and said:
"Today, I cracked a major case: Jesuit spies had planted gunpowder inside a statue of Confucius, attempting to detonate the Confucius Temple..."

"Huh?" Ning Qingchen raised her tear-streaked face in disbelief, her voice slightly hoarse as she said, "Really?"

Zhu Yin nodded solemnly, "The news of this will soon reach the village. Would I lie through my teeth? If it weren't for me, many people would have died tonight."

Ning Qingchen immediately stopped crying, her adult thinking instantly overriding her infantile emotions. "That was dangerous! Luckily you found out."

"That's right!" Zhu Yin held the baby's hand. "I still feel scared when I think about it now. Your sister and I didn't have a single thought about playing."

"It was so close. If I hadn't been a former special agent, developed a habit of being suspicious of everything, and been familiar with history, I would never have discovered it."

Ning Qingchen's eyes were filled with admiration. "Thanks to you, you're amazing!"

“Sister.” Ning Caiwei’s eyes glistened with tears. “Do you know how dangerous it was back then? A group of Japanese pirates were going to detonate gunpowder and kill us.”

“Those constables were all cowards and dared not fight. As a result, when the Japanese pirates rushed over, if it weren’t for Hongying blocking them, you would not have seen your sister and brother-in-law.”

"You have no idea how dangerous it was back then. There were corpses everywhere. If that had happened, you would be the only one left in the world."

"Really?" Ning Qingchen felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing this and seeing her sister's tears. "It's good that you're alright. Oh, you scared me to death."

Ning Caiwei picked her up and said, "How could I not care about you? I was thinking, if Little Tiger and I were to die at the hands of the Japanese pirates today, who would take care of you?"

"Waaah..." Ning Qingchen hugged her sister's neck, unable to hold back her tears.

Ning Caiwei patted the baby's back and wiped away her tears, "Okay, okay, your sister is alright now. Qingchen isn't a three-month-old baby anymore, don't cry."

"Giggle..." Ning Qing burst into laughter through her tears, bubbles coming out of her nose.

What the hell? It's not a three-month-old baby, sis, you're such a goofball.

Ning Caiwei and Zhu Yin exchanged a glance, both smiling slightly.

Haha. This little sister is definitely prone to tears, but she's also easily amused.

After the two of them comforted their younger sister, they learned that the wet nurse, Zhao Chan'er, had fed her three times that day and had spent a long time with her.

This wet nurse is indeed quite good.

Ning Qingchen said, "Aunt Zhao and Aunt Jilan are both very kind to me."

Ning Caiwei smiled and tapped her nose, "Then grow up quickly and repay Aunt Jilan and Aunt Zhao."

Ning Qingchen said in a childish voice, "I miss my mother Jilan. I wonder how she is. It's so far away beyond the Great Wall. I don't know when I'll be able to see her again."

She was crying and her voice was a little hoarse.

"Qingchen, stop talking," Zhu Yin said. "Your vocal cords are still very tender; you should rest."

"In another six months, once your vocal cords have developed a bit more, you'll be able to talk more."

Ning Qingchen nodded obediently and remained silent.

She squirmed a few times in Ning Caiwei's arms and then stretched out her two tender, lotus-root-like arms to Zhu Yin.

It means, hug me.

Zhu Yin had no choice but to take her in his arms, lift her up and spin her around a few times, making the baby giggle.

Ning Caiwei suddenly realized with a sense of helplessness that her younger sister listened to the little tiger more.

In fact, he's even closer to the tiger cub than to himself?

No…didn’t you say before that Zhu Yin wanted to live off a woman and that you were going to force him to resign?

It's only been less than a year.

I'm your real sister!

Ning Caiwei was a little jealous.

But Ning Caiwei also knew that ever since she killed her younger sister's pet spider, the Magnificent Rainforest, which she had raised for two or three years when her sister was in elementary school, her sister had been holding a grudge against her.

In fact, the reason for killing the beautiful rainforest was also out of concern for her.

Because the spider was the size of a fist and was poisonous, and because spiders cannot be tamed and will not recognize their owner, it posed a danger to the child.

A bite won't be fatal, but if it injures your eyes, it could be very troublesome.

So, with a little trick, he killed the beautiful blue spider.

Of course, Ning Caiwei herself admitted that she was being domineering.

The intention was good. But after all, the spider girl had been raised for over 800 days, from the size of a fingertip to the size of a palm, so there must have been some affection for her.

Was it right or wrong to kill my sister's pet and hurt her feelings in the name of love and under the pretext of "I'm doing this for your own good"?
Ultimately, the spider never harmed the younger sister; on the contrary, it brought her a lot of joy.

Zhu Yin quickly coaxed Ning Qingchen to sleep, then put her on the bed and covered her with a small blanket.

Then, the two went to the outer room, sat by the railing, and looked at the bright moon in the sky.

"Here, lotus root. I won at the Confucius Temple today." Ning Caiwei opened the package, took out a piece, and fed it to Zhu Yin.

Zhu Yin took a bite of the piece, her face twitched, and she exclaimed, "It's so sweet, it's sweet to the core!"

"Sweet, isn't it?" Ning Caiwei giggled, stuffing the remaining half into her mouth. "It's sweet and crunchy, the taste is not bad."

"White sugar in the Ming Dynasty was much cheaper than I imagined. One pound of white sugar was only equivalent to five pounds of rice. I read in a novel that white sugar was very expensive in the Ming Dynasty, and some books even said that one ounce of silver was equivalent to one ounce of white sugar, haha."

"I do have an idea."

Zhu Yin also laughed and said:

"It's not that the author doesn't understand. It's that the author wants the protagonist to make a fortune by manufacturing sugar. If sugar is cheap, how can the protagonist get rich?"

"What, you're not thinking of starting a sugar business, are you?"

Ning Caiwei ate the stuffed lotus root with a serious expression. "Is it not okay? I think this project is feasible."

Zhu Yin shook his head and explained, "Sugar was cheap in the late Ming Dynasty, even cheaper than in the Republic of China era. The standard of living of ordinary people during the Wanli era far exceeded that of any period in the three hundred years from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China."

"It is true that the government was corrupt during the Wanli period, but the living standards of the people were also quite good for the feudal period."

"There are instances of people struggling to make ends meet and going hungry, but those are mainly due to natural disasters or man-made calamities, and are not the norm. In most areas, people have enough to eat and wear, and their lives are stable; sugar is not a rare commodity."

"You don't have much of an advantage in the sugar business."

Ning Caiwei nodded, "That's true. In Nanjing, a pound of pork costs only twenty coins, a pound of fish only seven or eight coins, and a pound of white sugar only thirty-odd coins."

Why do you think white sugar is so cheap?

Zhu Yin ate the second piece of stuffed lotus root. "The Ming Dynasty possessed the most advanced sugar-making technology in the world today, namely the yellow mud water extraction method described in 'Tiangong Kaiwu' (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature)."

"The Ming Dynasty produced inexpensive and high-quality white sugar, which is at least 60 years ago, and the technology has long been widespread."

"This technology spread to India, and from India to Europe. During the late Ming Dynasty, sugar was one of the four major export commodities."

"So in Hindi, white sugar is called China, just as the British call China porcelain."

"White sugar was no longer a luxury in foreign countries at that time. More than ten years ago, Chosokabe presented Oda Nobunaga with three thousand catties of white sugar at once."

Ning Caiwei chuckled, "You mean, sugar was cheap in the Ming Dynasty because the technology was more widespread, but what about the raw materials? Do you think there were many sugarcane plantations in the Ming Dynasty?"

"I've been in the Ming Dynasty for almost a year now, and I haven't seen a single sugarcane plantation. Yet, in Nanjing's fresh fruit shops, sugarcane costs eight times as much as pears!"

"Do you think the price of sugarcane is too high? White sugar is only thirty-odd wen per pound, is that really cheap? What was the average sugar consumption per person in the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Yin was stumped by the question and frowned, saying, "What does that prove? In short, sugar is only five times the price of rice, so it's definitely not a luxury item."

Ning Caiwei shook her head. "So, you really don't have a business mindset. Your perspective on this is a bit superficial."

"It is obvious that sugarcane production in the Ming Dynasty was very low. There were very few sugarcane plantations in the Ming Dynasty, so the yield could not have been very high."

"With such limited production, we still have to export overseas. There's even less left for domestic production."

"Logically speaking, white sugar should be very expensive. After all, the production of raw materials is limited. But the problem is that it is only five times the price of rice."

"What's the problem?"

Zhu Yin seemed to understand. "You mean, the demand for white sugar among the people of the Ming Dynasty is small. If the demand is small, even if the production is low, the value won't be very high?"

Ning Caiwei nodded, "Yes, you've got it. Just like chocolate in later generations, the production volume is very small, but it's not a luxury item because the demand is small."

"When production is low and demand is also low, the market is in equilibrium and prices won't be high. But the market is also small, so it can only be a secondary market."

"But what if this demand skyrockets? For example, triples?"

She smiled confidently, “Why did the people of the Ming Dynasty have a low demand for white sugar? Because white sugar was only used as a condiment, just like seasoning.”

"White sugar isn't a snack; it's just a condiment. And it's not even an essential condiment like salt, so how big can the market demand be?"

Zhu Yin finally understood Ning Caiwei's intention: "You want to make candy?"

Ning Caiwei clapped her hands. "That's it! I want to make candy! White sugar is too sweet, too cloying, and can't be used as a snack. But if we use white sugar as a raw material to make candy, turning white sugar into a snack, the demand for white sugar will explode."

Zhu Yin laughed, "That's true. In the Ming Dynasty, there were only sweets like candied hawthorn and candied fruit; there really weren't any candies in later generations."

"Moreover, candy consumption is very high, and it can be considered a semi-essential need for children."

Ning Caiwei looked at the full moon in the sky. "Talking about money while gazing at the moon on Mid-Autumn Festival is indeed a real eyesore and utterly vulgar. But that's the point of my conversation tonight."

"Making candy is one of the business strategies I've been thinking about lately."

"I've thought about it a lot and discovered an awkward problem. For businesses that are currently profitable, it's difficult for newcomers like us to see quick results."

“Silk, salt, tea, and porcelain are all power-intensive industries with large amounts of capital and are monopolized. These industries are also very mature and have long established a set of industry standards and business rules.”

"If I were to start doing these kinds of business right away, I would inevitably have to abide by the established business rules and seize the existing market."

"In this way, the competition comes down to capital, manpower, channels, power... We have no advantage in any of these, so if we want to catch up, it will be a lot of effort for little result."

"With the same amount of capital invested, the operating costs are higher, the returns are slower, the risks are greater, and the cycle is too long."

"We can't manufacture technologically advanced products. And if we try to create inventions without any technical difficulty, there's no patent protection; it's just doing work for others." "We don't have the capital or the market for real estate."

"Mining is very profitable, but metal mines are monopolized by the imperial court, making it difficult for private individuals to get involved. Mining coal and limestone, which are more privately funded, requires a large number of miners..."

"In the maritime trade... we have neither a source of goods, nor large ships, nor smuggling channels..."

"None of these industries are suitable for us to start a business in."

"Of the four basic necessities of life—clothing, food, housing, and transportation—the food business is the easiest to start and carries the least risk."

Zhu Yin asked, "Wouldn't clothing work? How about opening a clothing supermarket? Although there were ready-made clothing stores in the Ming Dynasty, there weren't enough clothes..."

Ning Caiwei shook her head, "The clothing wholesale market in later generations was built on the basis of industrialized clothing production, which resulted in low manufacturing costs. Therefore, the cost of stockpiling goods was low."

"In ancient times, there was no mechanized mass production, and clothing manufacturing relied entirely on manual labor. The costs were too high, and the risk of being squeezed out was difficult to control."

"And even if it works, there are no barriers to entry, and it will be copied very quickly."

"Candy is the most suitable. Although the candy recipe is just a piece of paper, it is not something that others can imitate in a short time."

"Moreover, the cost is low and the implementation is quick. Because no one else is doing it, we can take advantage of our first-mover advantage and quickly seize market share."

"In this brand new market, we will soon be able to make our first pot of gold, and a lot of it."

"By the time others realized what was happening, we had already spread everywhere, mastered brand advantages, pricing power, industry standards, sales channels, and raw materials, and were the first to form an industry association."

"By then, we will be the kings of candy. Then, with candy as our core product, we will launch a series of foods that the Ming Dynasty did not have, such as milk powder."

"Three years later, we will have accumulated enough capital and market resources to start other businesses."

"In the early stages of doing business, the worst thing you can do is to be greedy and try to do everything. First, master one industry, and then expand strategically into other industries."

"My plan is pretty much finalized; I just want to discuss it with you. For the first three years, we'll focus solely on confectionery and food!"

Ning Caiwei laughed as she said this, "Back then, during my summer vacation, I worked at a food factory under the Ning Group, so I have a lot of knowledge about food production and manufacturing."

Zhu Yin was quite moved by what he heard.

The Candy King. This is a great business to start with.

In the novels he read, many of the protagonists made money by firing modern glass and making modern soap.

Unfortunately, both firing modern glass and making modern soap are difficult due to the limitations of ancient raw materials.

It requires a large amount of raw materials and a long period of trial and error to gain experience.

Moreover, even if it were manufactured, its market and sales would be highly questionable. The effects of scented soap were even stronger than modern soap.

Modern glass, regardless of whether ancient people liked it or not, was certainly not a necessity.

Making high-proof liquor? Sorry, high-proof liquor has existed for a long time now.

Baijiu (Chinese liquor) in the late Ming Dynasty not only had a high alcohol content, but also came in a wide variety of types, with many famous liquors having an alcohol content of 30 to 50 degrees.

Famous liquors such as Moutai, Shuijingfang, and Guojiao all existed as early as the Ming Dynasty.

Making big money by producing liquor during this period? Dream on.

As for perfumes, cosmetics, and pearl farming... each one is more difficult than the last, all of which are experience-intensive technologies that require a lot of time and money to explore and learn from mistakes.

Unless, of course, they were already doing this.

And then there's the idea of ​​opening a bank in ancient times—that's even more ridiculous. People in ancient times kept their money tightly hidden at home; who would dare deposit it in a bank you opened? What made them think they would?

After much thought, he couldn't find a business opportunity more suitable for establishing a foothold than modern candy, and one that could also be scaled up.

Ning Caiwei continued, "Modern confectionery technology isn't difficult, but when it comes to specific recipes, it becomes quite challenging. The ancients couldn't figure it out within a few years."

"Given the living standards during the Wanli era, the number of consumers was considerable."

"Kids love it, and milk candy is also a good source of calcium, so it's practically a necessity. How can you greet your friends without a few candies in your pocket? It's also a fast-moving consumer good, so the market potential is huge."

"Candy has a long shelf life and is easy to store, transport, package, and quantify. Even if it spoils, it can be repackaged and exported. Anyway, foreigners and Japanese won't die from eating it, and it will still taste sweet."

"Moreover, it is easy to establish a brand effect and spread quickly. Products are easy to categorize, encompassing high-end, mid-range, and budget products."

"In addition, candy can also play the cultural card through packaging design, and be associated with various occasions such as weddings, banquets, imperial examinations, and festivals."

"It could even be used as military supplies, provided to the Ming army as energy food to replenish their physical strength..."

"Little Tiger, we can make a lot of money."

Ning Caiwei held up five fingers, her expression calm, "I want to earn this amount within three years."

"Fifty thousand taels?" Zhu Yin said. "Is that possible? Do you know how much fifty thousand taels was in the Ming Dynasty?"

Ning Caiwei shook her head, "It's not fifty thousand taels, it's five hundred thousand taels!"

What? Zhu Yin was startled, his face showing disbelief.

"Three years? You want to earn 500,000 taels of silver?! With candy?"

"Mr. Ning, you may not be good at history, but this is the Ming Dynasty. Do you know what 500,000 taels of silver means?"

"This is not the late Qing Dynasty when silver was plentiful."

Ning Caiwei gently shook her head. "Only when I succeed will you realize this isn't just wishful thinking. Once capital finds the right business opportunity and the right timing, and achieves a monopoly within a certain period, the rate of growth is terrifying."

She smiled slightly, "You don't understand. Three years from now, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, I will show you an income of 500,000 taels of silver. How about we make a bet?"

Zhu Yin's throat went dry as he thought of the 500,000 taels of silver. "What kind of bet?"

Ning Caiwei smiled and said, "If I can earn 500,000 taels of silver within three years, then you will give me a promise."

Zhu Yin asked, "What promise?"

Ning Caiwei shook her head, "I won't tell you now. We'll talk about it later. In short, it's a reasonable and justifiable request."

"Alright, I promise you." Zhu Yin still didn't believe her; she could earn 500,000 taels in three years. "As long as it's reasonable, I'll give you that promise. But what if you lose?"

Ning Caiwei's face was incredibly beautiful in the soft moonlight, her starry eyes looking directly into Zhu Yin's eyes. "Little Tiger, if I lose, I'll give you a promise."

Zhu Yin laughed, "Caiwei, aren't you going to renege on your promise? What promise isn't up to you? This won't do."

Ning Caiwei giggled, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Zhu Yin stroked his chin and thought for a moment, "I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I do."

"Alright." Ning Caiwei knew the little tiger wasn't easy to fool, so she changed the subject:

"I need to sign stable supply contracts with sugar workshops, and I also need to sign contracts with sugarcane plantation owners in Nanzhili."

"That's all easy to handle. If the price is fair and we offer a reasonable discount, we can finalize the deal. But I need a batch of milk powder!"

“Milk powder can be made using traditional methods, but I don’t have a source of milk.”

Zhu Yin's face turned green. "You don't even have a milk source, so what are you making milk candy for? And you still said you could earn 500,000 taels in three years?"

"The imperial court has very tight control over trade with the Mongols and the Jurchens. If you want to source milk through the Mongols and Jurchens, it's simply impossible right now."

"Oh dear, you really have no business sense," Ning Caiwei stamped her foot. "Why would I insist on getting my milk source from the Mongol Jurchens?"

"Otherwise what?" Zhu Yin spread his hands. "Where in the mainland can we find large-scale milk sources? The Tibetans? We control the Tibetan trade routes very tightly, and Tibet is too far away."

Zhu Yin, at this point, was also speechless about the Ming Dynasty.

Speaking of which, Gansu was directly under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty, so it should have had milk sources. However, the Han people in Gansu did not have the habit of raising cattle and milking. Although the Tibetans in Gansu had milk sources, trade was restricted by the imperial court, and trade routes were not smooth.

Ning Caiwei shook her head, "You've forgotten about a milk source."

"Would I dare to make milk candy if I didn't find out the details?"

Zhu Yin slapped his forehead. "I remember now! Southwest! You asked Cen Xiubing?"

How could he forget about the Southwest? There are ethnic minorities and herders in the Southwest.

Ning Caiwei laughed and said, "Smart, it was your sister Xiubing who told me. Do you know about Tianxian Grassland and Nanshan Ranch in Guangxi? They are under the control of the Cen clan chieftain."

“There are hundreds of thousands of acres of high-quality grassland there. Xiubing said that just ten years ago, a type of spotted cow was introduced from overseas. It produces a lot of milk, several times more than the local cows.”

"However, the Zhuang and Yao people there don't like to drink milk, so they don't raise many spotted cows, only a little over a hundred."

“They are European dairy cows!” Zhu Yin said without hesitation. “I’m reminded of the relevant history. During the late Ming Dynasty, Western missionaries brought hybrid dairy cows to Yunnan.”

"Since it can be introduced to Yunnan, it's quite normal to introduce it to Guangxi as well."

Ning Caiwei said, "If you also think it's about dairy cows, then you're right. Your sister Xiubing will definitely help you. This partnership will be easy to finalize."

“It is safe to manufacture milk powder on her turf.”

"With over a hundred crossbred dairy cows, if raised properly, they can produce at least hundreds of thousands of kilograms of fresh milk each year. Eight kilograms of fresh milk can make one kilogram of milk powder, which means tens of thousands of kilograms of milk powder!"

"It's enough for us for at least the first year. We'll have more milk in the second and third years."

"I've already mentioned this to her before, so it's been groundwork laid. Without further ado, I'll go to Guangxi to see her in a while."

Zhu Yin was a little surprised, "You're going so soon?"

Ning Caiwei nodded, "You need to make money quickly. Once you enter officialdom, you'll need a lot of money. There's also the money for building ships on Daishan Island, building cannons, and recruiting soldiers. You need to make all of that."

"Without money to arm a fleet, how can you, the military governor of Daishan, seize the foreigners' colonies and trade routes?"

"Once you enroll in the Imperial Academy, I'll go on a business trip to Guangxi. Hongying and Galo will accompany me, and four sailors will be enough."

"After I leave, Qingchen will be in your care."

"I'll be very busy in the last few months of the year. The business framework needs to be fully set up before the Chinese New Year."

Zhu Yin was a little reluctant to let her go, "I'm a little worried about you going so far away."

Ning Caiwei thought of something else, "Before going to Guangxi to solve the milk source problem, there is one more thing I need to do, and that is Tianyuge!"

"Tianyu Pavilion might be in trouble. Aren't you a spy? Find out what's wrong with Tianyu Pavilion. If you get the chance, acquire this time-honored jewelry store!"

"I want to achieve great results with minimal effort, and use Tianyu Pavilion to carry out a simple capital operation!"

Zhu Yin nodded: "Alright! I'll send you the information about Tianyu Pavilion soon!"

PS: For information on the standard of living during the Wanli era, please refer to Chen Shun's *Records of Turmoil and Rebellion*, Matteo Ricci's *Chinese Journal*, Kluge's *China History*, and Zheng Lian's *A Brief Account of the Henan Rebellion*. Of course, the relatively high standard of living for ordinary people in the late Ming dynasty was not due to Wanli's reign, but rather a result of the development of productive forces in late Ming society.

(End of this chapter)