Stepmother in charge: Making a fortune through farming and raising her children to fight back

"Fleece-bearded sheep?" Yun Zhenzhen was a little curious.

After the waiter wrapped the mutton in oil paper, he tied it with hemp rope neatly and handed it over with both hands, still talking incessantly.

"Yes, it's called a cashmere-bearded sheep. We don't have that kind of sheep here. You have to go to the Tibetan counties in the north to raise them. Their hair is much longer and looks better than our hairless sheep."

"But they look good but are useless. The sheep don't grow big, the meat is of poor quality, and has a strong fishy smell. They are not suitable for eating at all. Generally, only poor families raise them for meat."

"If my family hadn't been cooking mutton for three generations, I wouldn't have known about this. I can guarantee that our mutton is the most authentic in the entire county. Besides this, we also have mutton soup and braised mutton bones..."

Just as the waiter was about to announce the dish, Yun Zhenzhen interrupted and asked, "Young man, do you know where these cashmere-bearded sheep are raised?"

The man seemed to be surprised by her question. He paused for a moment and scratched his head. “I think it’s in Zang County. It’s not too far from here. It’s next to the grassland and there are many families raising sheep there.”

"Okay, thank you, brother." Yun Zhenzhen thanked him with a smile.

"You're welcome. Come back after you've eaten." After the waiter said this, he flicked the cloth strip and turned around to greet the new customer.

After several people walked out of the mutton restaurant, Yun Zhenzhen looked at the hairless sheep tied at the door, thoughts racing through her mind.

Now that the weather is getting colder, the temperature difference between day and night is huge. Covering yourself with a willow catkin quilt at night is no longer enough. When it comes to deep winter, people will definitely not be able to bear it.

What's more, it snows in winter, so it's not feasible to go out and do small business. But I can change my business and go to Tibet to wholesale wool and make clothes.

By studying wool spinning, we can weave woolen sweaters and woolen blankets, the warmth of which cannot be matched by willow catkins.

When Qin Li saw that his mother hadn't spoken for a long time, he knew that she must be thinking about some new business.

"Mother..." Qin Li spoke tentatively.

Yun Zhenzhen thought it over and looked at him with a smile: "Do you want to learn how to start a new business?"

When Qin Li heard the word "business", his eyes lit up instantly.

"miss you!"

"Since wool can keep sheep warm, can we also use it to make clothes? What do you think about spinning wool into yarn?"

"Wool spinning..." Qin Li muttered to himself and felt that it was very feasible.

This winter came cold earlier than last year, and willow catkins alone are definitely not enough to withstand the cold. If I could buy some warm things from somewhere else, I could use them for myself or sell them.

The more Qin Li thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He was thinking about his plan to make money all the way.

They stood at the old place and waited for about a quarter of an hour before Uncle Niu hurried over in his ox cart.

When the sun was about to set, the group could barely see the entrance of Qinjia Village.

evening.

The setting sun shines obliquely into the yard.

Yun Zhenzhen pushed open the door, took the mutton and went into the kitchen to slice it and put it on a plate. The children at home had already prepared the staple food and other dishes when they had nothing to do, so they could eat directly.

"Everyone go wash your hands before eating."

Qin Li walked to the water tank, scooped out a bucket of water, quickly washed his face, and sat down to prepare for dinner.

When the children saw the still hot mutton slices, they ate them happily, taking turns to eat with their chopsticks, and laughter suddenly broke out at the dinner table.

Everyone was full, and Qin Li spoke loudly.

"Today we went to town, and Mom discovered a new business. Now that the weather is getting colder, the prices of warm materials like willow catkins and reed catkins have risen sharply."

"My mother thought that wool from sheep can keep people warm, so we thought we could make clothes out of it. So we went to find out where wool is grown in abundance, hoping to buy it wholesale from there and make it into yarn, clothing, quilts, and so on."

Yun Jing put down his chopsticks, surprise in his eyes: "It sounds like a good business, but I don't know if I can find the place."

Qin Wen also raised his head from the bowl: "Also, no one wears woolen clothes after all. What if they don't keep me warm and I lose money?"

Qin Li continued, "Whether I can find it or not, I'm going to try. I'll buy a small amount wholesale and make a few ourselves. Even if wool isn't very warm, it's definitely warmer than catkins. At worst, we can just not sell it and keep it for our own use. We can still have a warm winter."

Yun Zhenzhen couldn't help nodding as she listened. She had just suggested that this could be done, but since the boss had thought so much about it, it meant that he was really thinking about it seriously.

She asked, "Then are you just going to let go of the wonton and braised food business?"

"This business is very stable now, and we have many old customers. When the time comes, I will hand it over to my uncles and let them do it. It will be the same with or without me." Qin Li said with an embarrassed smile.

"You can make money from small business, but you can't make big money."

He also wanted to make money as soon as possible, buy a house and shop for his mother in town, find a wife for his younger brother, and send them to school.

He had also inquired around and found out that a house in the town would cost several hundred taels. If he continued to make money through small businesses, he was afraid that he would never be able to afford it in his lifetime.

Yun Zhenzhen was also thinking. Ever since she came here, she has been doing things step by step and in a steady manner. She was also afraid that others would notice that she had changed too quickly and that something was wrong, so she was always hesitant in doing things.

But it can't always be like this. If she wants to give herself and her children a better life, she can't restrict them too much. She has to give them opportunities to go out and try their luck, which is better than staying at home all the time.

She smiled and said, "Boss, I think your idea is very good. Don't be afraid of failure. You can give it a try first. At worst, you can start over again."

Qin Wen also patted his chest and assured: "Brother, you can go without worry. I am still at home and will definitely take good care of mother and the land."

Yun Jing also nodded: "And me."

Xiao Nan quickly raised her hand: "I...I am also a little adult now."

Xu Linger caressed her head lovingly and said with a smile, "I can help a lot with the housework, Brother Qin, just go ahead and do it without worry."

Qin Li looked at the people in the room who were looking forward to him, and his mind became more resolute.

In the past, it was his mother who came up with the idea of ​​running the wonton and braised meat business. Now he also wants to try to open up a broader world. If he can really accomplish this, it means that he is capable of doing something well and protecting his mother and siblings.

Yun Zhenzhen continued to remind him, "When you go out, take good care of yourself. When discussing business, don't take too many steps at once. Take your time. Also, learn about the market conditions there, the market price, and our needs..."

Qin Li nodded heavily: "Don't worry, mother, I will."

Yun Zhenzhen handed him all the eighteen taels of silver she had received today: "This is your support for your start-up capital, travel expenses, and food expenses. I'll give you extra tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mom~" Qin Li nodded with a smile.

Then she looked at the other children.

Xiaonan and Awen have been concentrating on their studies these days and have already started reading the Four Books and Five Classics. At this rate, they will be able to be sent to school in town by the beginning of this year.

I don’t expect all my children to pass the imperial examination and become scholars. I just want them to read more and understand more, which will be of great benefit to their future development.