Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Chen Sandao gripped the paper, his hand trembling slightly.

He raised ducks and worked as a cook for half his life.

I've been beaten, scolded, lost money, and made money; I've had my ups and downs to get to where I am today.

But no one ever said they believed in him or told him to go ahead and do it.

Since the young master trusts him so much, Chen Sandao is determined to make a name for himself in this duck-raising business!

"Boss, I have an idea."

"explain."

"Could we cook the duck ourselves?"

Gu Mingyue raised an eyebrow.

Chen Sandao quickly explained, "Several of my men can cook. We can make braised duck, roast duck, and soy sauce-braised duck."

"Why sell all the good feed from the aquaculture farm to others? We can keep some for ourselves, process it into ready-made food, and sell it. That way, we can make a lot of money."

Chen Sandao was filled with excitement, his eyes shining, as if he could already see a glorious future.

He stared intently at Gu Mingyue, awaiting his employer's decision.

Gu Mingyue's lips twitched.

No! She doesn't want to double her profits!

However, if she wants to generate more sales, she definitely needs to expand her business as much as possible.

Cooking duck is a derivative industry, and if a team is actually formed, it will also incur labor costs.

Moreover, Lao Chen is good at this, and he has plenty of manpower available.

A small team with limited output is unlikely to bring much additional revenue to the business unit, but it can help build brand awareness.

This will facilitate the expansion of Pujitang's scale and provide more opportunities for investment and spending.

Most importantly, once Pujitang is fully operational, she will have an excuse to continue asking her father for money.

So Gu Mingyue nodded.

"Then let's do it this way. I'll allocate five hundred taels of silver to you to assemble a duck-making team."

"Please draft a product list. List out the method of production, materials, labor hours, and price for each product clearly."

"The requirement is the same: standardized production processes to ensure quality."

"You can make the arrangements for the rest."

Chen Sandao beamed and patted his chest, "Alright! Don't worry, boss, I guarantee I'll handle this perfectly!"

Make arrangements for raising ducks.

Gu Mingyue glanced at the sun; it was getting late.

She still needs to visit the fabric shops in the city to see if there are any established textile teams or talents she can recruit.

The first batch of custom-made textile machines has already been shipped, costing a thousand taels.

On paper, it doesn't seem like a small amount, but compared to the total amount of 220,000 taels of silver needed for the task at hand, this amount of money is practically nothing.

The textile team in Jiangzhou must be assembled as soon as possible.

Gu Mingyue came out of the Jiangzhou branch of Pujitang and walked east along the alley.

Tao Zhi followed beside him, while Gong Huo lagged three steps behind, his eyes warily scanning the shops on both sides and the passersby.

Jiangzhou City has changed quite a bit in the past two weeks.

Seventy or eighty percent of the shops on the street were open, and shouts of vendors rose and fell.

There were grain sellers, vegetable sellers, pot and bowl repairmen, and peddlers carrying loads on their shoulders and hawking their wares along the streets.

Although it can't compare to the bustling metropolis of Kyoto, the streets are lively and full of life, which is a good sign.

Gu Mingyue suddenly slowed down.

Her gaze fell on a shop with a narrow storefront on the street corner.

The shop was small, with two old wooden doors half-open, large patches of paint peeling off the door panels.

A faded wooden plaque hung above the door, from which the four characters "Su Ji Cloth Shop" could still be faintly discerned.

There was a woman standing at the door.

He was in his early twenties, thin, and wore a faded indigo shirt with frayed cuffs, but it was very clean.

She was squatting in front of the threshold, draping several bolts of cloth onto the bamboo frame.

His movements were light and quick; he was clearly an experienced worker.

Gu Mingyue took another look at the texture of the cloth.

She had seen a lot of linen sold in Jiangzhou these past few days, and most of it was rough and loose, with visibly sparse warp and weft threads, and it felt rough to the touch.

But the cloth in the woman's hand had a fine, even weave and neat edges.

This is not linen.

Gu Mingyue walked over.

"Did you weave this cloth?"

The woman raised her head.

There's a sense of vigilance in his eyes.

His gaze swept over Gu Mingyue.

Dressed in silk robes, with an exquisite purse at her waist, she was followed by maids and guards with swords.

A young lady from a wealthy family.

"Yes."

The woman stood up, gathered the cloth onto the bamboo rack behind her, and quickly put on a welcoming smile.

"Would you like to take a look at the fabric, sir?"

Gu Mingyue gave a soft "hmm" and reached out to touch the edge of the cloth draped over the bamboo frame.

When you run your fingertip over it, it feels soft and the yarn is tight, without any broken ends or lumps.

She turned it over and looked at the other side. The warp and weft threads were neatly interwoven, without a single skipped thread.

This is cotton fabric!

Gu Mingyue looked up at the woman.

"The cotton yarn is twisted very tightly. Cotton yarn spun on an ordinary spinning wheel cannot achieve this density."

She lowered the edge of the fabric and pressed her fingers against the surface.

"And the thickness is very evenly controlled; it wasn't just woven randomly. Did you modify the twisting process?"

The female shopkeeper's expression changed slightly.

I can't say whether it was surprise or unexpected.

Most people come to look at the fabric, touch it, ask a few questions, and leave. This is the first time she has met someone who understands and appreciates her work.

"Make some changes."

Just as Gu Mingyue was about to ask another question, she heard heavy footsteps behind her, along with the sound of people talking.

"Su Wan!"

A portly middle-aged man walked across the street, followed by two men with their hats askew.

The three people walked sideways, taking up half the street, and pedestrians had to make way for them.

The man had an oily face, a gold sash around his waist, and was panting as he walked. He looked like a local with some but limited wealth.

Su Wan's face darkened.

There was no response.

He lowered his head and continued arranging the fabric, his movements much faster than before.

The fat man walked to the shop entrance, didn't even look at Gu Mingyue, and spoke directly to Su Wan.

"Su Wan, you're having such a good time! My nephew just passed away a month ago, he's still in mourning, and you're already busy setting up your business?"

"Do you even respect the rules of the Shen family?"

Su Wan clutched the corner of the cloth without looking up, and only spoke after he finished speaking.

"Uncle, my husband's hundred-day mourning period hasn't passed yet. If the shop doesn't open, what will I eat and drink? This cloth shop is part of my dowry from my family. It has nothing to do with the Shen family."

"A dowry from the bride's family?" The fat man scoffed, and with a wave of his hand, he knocked over the bamboo frame.

Several bolts of newly laid cotton cloth tumbled down and lay scattered on the ground, covering the street with dust.

Su Wan suddenly looked up.

The fat man stood with his hands on his hips, looking completely unconcerned.

"Once you marry into the Shen family, your things belong to the Shen family."

"Now that my nephew is gone, it is only natural that we, his uncles, should take care of the shop, the cloth, and the spinning wheel."

Su Wan squatted down to pick up the cloth, her hands trembling, but she carefully patted the dust off each piece.

"Uncle, aren't you afraid the officials will hear you saying that? The deed is in my hands, and this shop is my property. That's the law no matter who comes."

"A contract?" A waiter behind the fat man stepped forward and interjected sarcastically, "What does a woman know about contracts?"

"Could it be that they're hiding it to try and take all the family fortune for themselves?"

"Besides, you've been married into the Shen family for two years and haven't even had a child, ending the Shen family line. How dare you still guard the shop left by my poor nephew?"

Su Wan stopped lifting the cloth.

She didn't speak, her lips were tightly pursed, and her eyes were red-rimmed, but she didn't shed any tears.