Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 669 - 344: The Want_1

Second watch of the night, a request for pink.

**...***

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang both inhaled sharply. Xiao Qi’s eyes immediately lit up with two gold ingots, while Wu Lang and Lian Zhizhi remained relatively calm, though their faces also turned slightly red with joy.

"We still have to deduct Boss Woo’s consignment fee, right?" Lian Shouxin said after his excitement had passed.

"Yes, assuming it’s four hundred and eighty taels, and after removing the twenty percent consignment fee, we could take home three hundred and eighty-four taels of silver. Sister, did I calculate that right?" Xiao Qi spoke up. Xiao Qi could do these calculations in his head without needing an abacus.

Lian Manman nodded, Xiao Qi had calculated correctly.

"We might not make this much money even after farming for ten years," Lian Shouxin sighed.

"But this money, I’m afraid we can only earn it this one season," Wu Lang added.

The family fell silent. Lian Manman had also considered this matter. If they couldn’t control the corn seeds, then they could indeed only sell this highly-priced tender corn for one season.

So, should they control the corn seeds?

It should be difficult, even with the help of the Shen Family. Within this prefecture, perhaps the Shen Family was the sole source of corn seeds, but nationally, this might not be the case. Firstly, the Royal Family had them, and the Royal Family probably did not award the corn seeds to the Shen Family alone. Even if the Shen Family controlled the corn seeds in the prefecture, it would be difficult to control the influx of corn seeds from other places.

Moreover, controlling the corn seeds was not Lian Manman’s original intention. Her aim was to start from her own home, promoting this high-yield crop far and wide.

Of course, as the "first one to eat crabs," during the promotion process, she had calculated the maximum benefits she could obtain.

In short, Lian Manman was kind-hearted, but she was not a Bodhisattva who intended to liberate all sentient beings. She didn’t plan to monopolize the corn seeds; she wanted more people to have enough to eat and live better lives. This did not hinder her plan to ensure her own family lived better than others in the process.

When it came to corn, her specific plan was to first make money by selling tender corn, and then earn another sum by selling the corn seeds.

The more money earned from selling tender corn, the greater impact it would have on the promotion of corn seed sales in the future.

Woo Zhonglian and Shopkeeper Wu agreed to the twenty percent consignment fee because the corn seeds were obtained by Lian Manman from the Shen Family; that was one reason. Another reason was that they were seasoned businessmen who didn’t just focus on the consignment fee itself but also saw the reputation and customer flow the Golden Corn would bring to their restaurant. It was foreseeable that once the restaurant started offering Golden Corn, Woo Zhonglian’s restaurant would undoubtedly become the most famous and sought-after restaurant in the prefecture.

The profit this intangible capital would bring was simply immeasurable.

And Lian Manman also needed Woo Zhonglian’s restaurant as a sales channel to promote corn, which would greatly increase the value of the corn seeds.

"We need to keep an eye on the corn in our vegetable garden, and the corn in our fields too, as I see they have also begun to tassel," Lady Zhang said.

"We have to watch them all," Lian Shouxin declared.

"Father, we can’t watch them ourselves; we need to hire watchers, right?" Wu Lang suggested.

"Right, I’ll find some people tomorrow," Lian Shouxin agreed.

"Sister, after we sell the corn from our garden, do we continue to sell the corn from the fields?" Xiao Qi asked, "Or do we keep all the field corn as seeds?"

"After we sell the garden corn, we’ll choose the ripest from the fields to sell for another hundred or two hundred taels of silver. The rest, we keep as seeds," Lian Manman decided.

The corn in the fields was sown later than the garden corn, so the tasseling and maturity would naturally be later. Lian Manman calculated the time in her mind, thinking the field tender corn should be able to sell for a few days, but only for a few days, after which it could no longer be sold. Firstly, rarity increased its value, and even if available, it should not be overly sold. Secondly, there was an abundance of field corn, and by late summer and early autumn, the corn maturation was extremely fast, taking only a few days. The tender corn would soon become tough, and no longer tasty when cooked.

Moreover...

"We also have to see how the Shen Family responds to us," Lian Manman reflected. If the Shen Family did not intervene, then they could make their own decisions; if the Shen Family did intervene, then they would have to comply with the Shen Family’s opinions.

The Shen Family would certainly not ignore this matter; Lian Manman was sure of that. What she was unsure about was how the Shen Family would manage it.

Regardless, as the "first one to eat the corn," the benefits she deserved would not be shortchanged by the Shen Family.