Summary of the previous chapter: Ma Xiaoquan plans to start with small businesses that the Zhang family doesn’t care about...
After lunch, several servants who had gone out to investigate rushed back to report the situation to Ma Xiaoquan.
After learning what the Zhang family did specifically, Ma Xiaoquan was surprised.
"Salt and water...it's actually a salt and water business..." Ma Xiaoquan smiled helplessly.
Ma Xiaoquan originally thought that the Zhang family's business was engaged in "real estate development" like his, but now it seems that their business is much more high-end than his.
As a human being, you need to drink water every day and eat salt every day when you eat.
In the Ming Dynasty, there was no so-called pure water, and there was not much demand for industrial salt. However, the water that the people drank and the salt they ate every day were actually consumed, and the consumption was huge.
There weren't many laws about water in ancient times, but there were one after another about salt. Generally speaking, the salt business is monopolized by the state.
What Ma Xiaoquan didn't expect was that... the Zhang family actually launched something called "Wild Landscape" in terms of water management.
Just as the servant in charge of the investigation brought back a bottle, Ma Xiaoquan opened the "Wild Landscape" without thinking.
After pouring a cup, Ma Xiaoquan took a careful sip.
"Huh? This... this water is very soft. There is no astringent feeling in the mouth..." Ma Xiaoquan put down the water glass in surprise, nodded and asked, "Where can I buy this water?"
of?"
"In reply to the fourth young master, this water is sold in a store called Mingshui Tang not far from our heaven and earth."
"Oh, how is the sale of this water?"
"The sales are very good. Many dignitaries from wealthy families in the capital come to buy it. Oh, I heard that Prince Xin also likes to drink this water."
Ma Xiaoquan smiled bitterly, poured himself another glass of water, and drank it all.
This "wild mountain water" tastes very good and soft, and it doesn't irritate your throat at all when you drink it.
Although there was not much environmental pollution in the Ming Dynasty, everyone basically drank groundwater.
Groundwater is cool in nature and has a harsh taste, and the taste may be different depending on where the groundwater is taken from.
The groundwater in Beijing cannot be said to be bad, but it is definitely not much better. Ma Xiaoquan has never cared about the water used for cooking at home, but after just tasting Zhang's "wild mountain water", Ma Xiaoquan has a new problem.
"Where does the water at home come from?" Ma Xiaoquan asked.
"Replying to the fourth young master, most of the water at home is brought from the suburbs. The emperor has regulations that privately digging wells is strictly prohibited in the city."
"Drilling wells is strictly prohibited? How many wells are there in a yard as big as my Ma's house?" Ma Xiaoquan was a little surprised.
“Only one mouthful”
"Only one?" Ma Xiaoquan frowned. No wonder most of the water had to be drawn from the suburbs. After a long time of trouble, there was only one well at home. If the well dried up, wouldn't the whole family be without water?
"Well," Ma Xiaoquan slapped his left palm with his right hand and murmured, "It's no wonder that the Zhang family is in the water business. Private drilling of water wells is strictly prohibited in Beijing, so the number of wells produced must be very small. If
It was me, and I would also want to start a water business."
"Not only that, Fourth Young Master, I also heard that the Zhang family has opened up the internal and external relationships. Now it is not impossible to dig a well at home, but it will cost a lot, a lot."
Ma Xiaoquan scolded: "Damn it, no wonder the Zhang family is so rich, um, so about the salt business, are all the information you inquired about true?"
"What I said to the fourth young master is absolutely conclusive."
"Yeah, salt, salt, we eat it every day... I'm confused. Salt is something that officials must control. It seems like no one in the Zhang family has someone in the officialdom, right? How do they manage to monopolize salt?
Business?"
Ma Xiaoquan is very envious, really very envious. If his Ma family wants to have a business like the Zhang family's, then he doesn't have to worry about how to make money. Although his life is very prosperous now, the war in Ningyuan City consumes a lot of money.
, the consumption is much greater than usual. If it were not for Ma Xiaoquan's wise management, I am afraid that the Ma family would really be unable to make ends meet now.
After waving their hands, the servants all left respectfully.
Ma Xiaoquan closed his eyes. He needed to think carefully about how to proceed with the next step...
It's evening in a blink of an eye...
Just as he was preparing to have dinner, a servant suddenly came to report that he had discovered the origin of the Zhang family's salt business.
Ma Xiaoquan put down his bowls and chopsticks and immediately ordered the servant to report to the study.
Entering the study and closing the door, no one knew what the master and servant were talking about in the study. An hour later, the door opened.
The servant left expressionlessly, while Ma Xiaoquan continued to stay in the study.
Li Qinghan's three daughters were curious and entered the study and asked: "Ma Xiaoquan, what on earth did you talk about?"
Ma Xiaoquan smiled slightly and said, "Don't reveal the secret of heaven..."
"Hey." The three girls didn't mean to continue asking. Seeing that Ma Xiaoquan refused to talk, they didn't press any further.
"Ma Xiaoquan, since the Zhang family is in the water and salt business and has it under control, what should we do?" Li Qinghan asked.
Ma Xiaoquan pondered for a moment and said: "I'm afraid the Ma family can't handle the salt business alone. We can participate more or less in the water business. Of course, if we don't want the Zhang family to feel in danger, we can't handle the water business."
There is a possibility of cooperation. As for the salt business, well, I plan to lure the wolf into the house..."
"Cooperation? Luring the wolf into the house? What are you going to do?"
Ma Xiaoquan raised the corner of his mouth and signaled Dongfang Qingxue to close the study door.
Dongfang Qingxue nodded, closed the door and window, and leaned against the door and window to listen. After confirming that there was no one outside, Dongfang Qingxue nodded to Ma Xiaoquan to signal safety.
Ma Xiaoquan hummed softly. Although there is no need to do this in the Ma family, there is no guarantee that the servants of the Ma family will be bribed by other external forces to act as spies. It is better to be cautious than to be careless.
The four of them gathered at the table and communicated in a low voice that could only be heard by the four of them.
Bei Mingshuang has not "rested" since she appeared. She has firmly occupied her body these days. As for the other person in her body, Bei Mingxue, according to Bei Mingshuang, she is temporarily dormant.
Ma Xiaoquan was not worried. After all, Bei Mingshuang and Bei Mingxue shared a body. No matter where the body was damaged, it would not benefit anyone.
Bei Mingshuang asked: "Ma Xiaoquan, you just said that we should also participate in the water business, but now there is a problem, we have no source of water?"