The Blessed

Having been used to a busy life, even though they were rich now, they still couldn’t stay idle. After lunch, Ling Chenglong started to be busy with his carpenter work in and out. Now and then Song Gengniu and Ling Jingpeng would come to help. But today Ling Jingxuan let Ling Jingpeng stay, and also called Ling Jinghan who was about to go to the pavilion to read books, and then took them and Zhao&Han couple to his own room.

His house imitated the modern three-bedroom style, with facilities like the guest room and bathroom. One room was used as the bedroom, one as a working room, and the other one was empty for now. The living room hadn’t been decorated now, only a set of wooden chairs he specially asked the carpenter to make for him. Each room had such a set, and a specially made tea table, If only looking at the furnishings in the living room, one would think it was a modern house, thought a bit too simple.

“The reason I called all of you here today is to talk about our jam business. This month, Xinyuan came to collect the jam three times. One time, it was all small canned ones, one thousand and three hundred in total, the other two times, it was all big jars, sixty jars in total, so it’s six thousand jin in total. As for the small-jared ones, it’s one tael of silver for each one, and for the big ones, the price is one tael of silver for one jin, so it’s seven thousand and three hundred taels of silver. For the three hundred, I’ll keep it to myself, which would be used to pay for the fees for Laowang who baked those jars for us and other stuff, the books management and this money, I’ll leave it all to Jinghan. As for the rest seven thousand, I divided it into ten shares. Shengrui and I take four, Brother Zhao and Han take two, Jingpeng and Jinghan, two for each of you. If you have no objections, we will share it now.”

Taking out the books he had already prepared, Ling Jingxuan said so as he looking at them calmly. Correct counting keeps good friendship. Before he didn’t share the money because it wasn’t much, and he also hadn’t expected that the business would be this good. Now everything was on the right track gradually, he wouldn’t treat his brothers and friends unfairly. Money, they’d earn together, a good life, they’d live together!

“No! You brought in the business all by yourself, and it was also you alone who figured out how to make jam, we just did a little help, how can we take so much? No! Jingxuan, this won’t do! We have already received enough for you. We can’t take it.”

Han Fei refused without thinking, even if it was only 20 percent, it was fourteen hundred taels of silver, which would scare the shit out of him if he really took it in his hand! He still couldn’t accept the fact he earned five hundred silver taels today .

“Xiaofei is right. You already let us earn enough. We can’t take more.”

Rarely, even Zhao Dalong who had been silent all the time showed his stand, and Ling Jingpeng standing aside also said, frowning, “Big brother, you keep the money. The thing we should focus on now is to make our days better. As for money, whether to divide it or not, does it matter?”

“This time I agree with Jingpeng. Big brother, we are family, we are blood brothers, there is no need to calculate it so clearly, besides, they all helped you a lot, while I only read books everyday. How can I take the money?”

Ling Jinghan also didn’t approve of his decision. Except Yan Shengrui who didn’t take a stand, others all objected. Ling Jingxuan helplessly shook his head, and decided to handle them one by one. Of course he’d start from Zhao&Han couple.

“Brother Han, Brother Zhao, I know that you are both honest and kind-hearted and wouldn’t take the money that doesn’t belong to you. But you both have your share of this money. If you hadn’t helped me pick the wild fruit, how can I earn so much money? Today Shopkeeper Zhang told me to run up a large sum of small-jared jam, saying his boss would take them to the imperial capital, and if we can open the market in the imperial capital, it wouldn’t be only a few thousand taels of silver. If you still wouldn’t accept this money now, what about in the future? How to divide the money? Besides, I didn’t take any advantage of you. First, I didn’t divide up the money for selling the wine, because you started to help after I brewed it. Secondly, Shengrui and I take forty percent, twice the money you take. So, do you still think you shouldn’t take it?”

He had ever said he wouldn’t treat them unfairly and he meant it. Not only the jam business, all the project he’d do in the future, if they were willing to work with him, he’d all share with them according to this standard. Money, one would never be able it earn it all. But the thing is they treated him with their heart, so it was only reasonable he should give them the reward.

“But, after all, this is your own business, and we really take too much. How about this? We take ten percent?”

Han Fei looked at Zhao Dalong who also didn’t know what to do. Even ten percent, it was seven hundred taels of silver, plus the money they earned from the openers, they just earned one thousand and two hundred altogether. That was really too much! Before today, they even dared not think of this!

“Hehe...what's the difference between 20% and 10%? Brother Han, you may have forgotten one thing. Do you remember what I said when I took my kids to the market for the first time? We only do the jam business till the end of September, but in early September, I will go to town to find the magistrate to buy that half-saline land, I’ll buy as much as I can, and then hire people to assart it before the sea water flows back. If you trust me, take it. After I buy the land, I promise that we’ll earn much more by this time next year.”

He has said this to Ling Jingpeng several times. Even Yan Shengrui didn’t know it. Now was still in the middle of July. Till early in September, he could at least earn another few thousand taels of silver. So he was planning to use all the forty thousand taels of silver he earned from selling the wine on buying land. As for how much for one mu of land, it all depended on what the magistrate would say.