By the study window, Song Jinzhao looked up at the sky. For the first time, she found herself hoping it would snow soon.
The initial investment was enormous. The profits from the several shops in Suining Prefecture were limited each month, while the bulk of the earnings had to come from the essential-oil and perfume factory in the capital.
Song Qiming pushed open the door and walked in.
“Elder Sister, government officials from below have been sending letters these past few days, asking to buy cement. Lord Gu also wants to come take a look and, while he’s here, review this year’s administration and tax records for Suining Prefecture.”
“The cement shops need to open as soon as possible. Otherwise, once Gu Zhongxun starts asking for it free of charge, refusing him will be troublesome.”
Song Jinzhao turned and sat down beside the chair.
“The shops will open as soon as the final two roads are finished. Gu Zhongxun is your superior. Not only can we not offend him, we also need to cultivate a good relationship with him.”
“It’s for a public road, so sell it to him at half the original price when the time comes. At the very least, we can’t take a loss.”
Song Qiming nodded in agreement.
“That was my thought as well. The news hasn’t fully spread yet, but once the other prefectures and provinces hear about it, demand will likely grow even more. The capital will want some too.”
Song Jinzhao walked to the map of the empire hanging on the wall and ran her finger along the official roads, which radiated outward in every direction.
“Once the coal and cement plants open, the transport and sales teams will set out immediately. We’ll establish a temporary sales point in every county. This winter is crucial. We can take cement orders first, but even if construction is approved, the work won’t begin until spring.”
“Government runners won’t be working in winter. They’ll be idle anyway—should we have them help with deliveries?”
Song Qiming had been keeping track of the hiring numbers for the two plants, and he knew how to do the math.
Money was flowing out like water every day. If they didn’t start earning soon, he was afraid Song Jinzhao’s purse wouldn’t be able to hold out.
Song Jinzhao shook her head.
“Government runners can’t be used for private work. If anyone investigates, it’ll cause trouble. If the prefecture’s guards aren’t enough, hire people from an escort agency when the time comes.”
“Elder Sister—”
With Song Anhao’s thunderous shout, the study door was flung open from the outside.
Saying that his face was glowing with excitement would have been an understatement. He was practically hopping up and down, grinning so widely that his upper and lower teeth barely came together.
“Brother—” He called out again when he saw Song Qiming, then stopped in front of the desk and looked around at the two of them.
Seeing how delighted he was, Song Jinzhao had already guessed what it was about.
The corners of her lips lifted as she teased, “Did you make a fortune?”
He hadn’t even had the chance to speak before she guessed correctly. Song Anhao’s eagerness to show off instantly dimmed by half.
He puffed out his cheeks and pursed his lips, then pulled a stack of banknotes from his robes and displayed them before the two of them. He spread the notes out in a fan on the desk in front of Song Jinzhao.
“After the Yuelong Escort Agency ordered one hundred thousand copies of The Ballad of Qin Niang and fifty thousand copies of The Wronged Cry Out, several more booksellers ordered four hundred thousand copies. We’ve collected all the remaining payment, for a total of five hundred thousand taels of silver.”
Song Qiming, standing nearby, suddenly widened his eyes. “That much?”
Song Anhao nodded proudly and began counting on his fingers as he explained.
“We’d already sold several tens of thousands of copies before this. After deducting the costs, we made two hundred and eighty thousand taels this time. I gave the workers and managers at the publishing house twenty thousand taels in bonuses, leaving two hundred and sixty thousand taels. It’s all here.”
Only after examining the banknotes did Song Qiming realize that every one of them was worth ten thousand taels.
To earn more than two hundred thousand taels in such a short time was honestly a little frightening.
“I never imagined selling storybooks could be this profitable. If I’d known, I would have written one myself.”
Song Jinzhao smiled and shook her head. “Only a storybook that becomes a runaway success can make this much money. It’s completely different from the essays written for the imperial examinations.”
