My domineering ex-husband is living off his wife in ancient times.

Chapter 118 The Society's Death Came Too Suddenly

Cheng Ruoan never expected that Yang the bricklayer was really so honest and straightforward.

It seems that asking Aunt Zhang and Uncle Zhang about the people and things in Huangyang Town was indeed the right thing to do.

This bricklayer, Yang, was recommended by Aunt Zhang.

Cheng Ruoan smiled faintly: "Master Yang, actually you secretly took my drawings to take on similar jobs without my knowledge."

Yang, the bricklayer, let out a soft "Hai".

“If I really did that, what kind of person would I be? Besides, we locals in the North rarely cheat or cheat; we're all honest.”

Cheng Ruoan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, wondering to herself if the people of Sijia Village were not from the North.

"So, Master Yang, how do you plan to buy these blueprints from me?" Cheng Ruoan actually had a plan in mind.

The drawings weren't actually that detailed. For example, she only drew the shape of the squat toilet, and only sketched the general direction of the drainpipe.

She didn't draw the U-shaped pipe that was crucial for preventing odors.

So she's really not afraid of having her ideas stolen by bricklayers.

But the blueprints will definitely be sold.

Or rather, what they're selling isn't just blueprints, but the idea of ​​building a toilet.

Before Cheng Ruoan came to find Master Yang, she had already decided that if he was a good person, she wouldn't overcharge him.

If someone is particularly cunning and tries to buy these "blueprints," they'll definitely get ripped off. If they don't buy them and just steal them, she guarantees they won't get any more toilet-building jobs outside.

Master Yang thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and held up three fingers, "Three hundred taels."

But I can't come up with that much money all at once. We can sign a contract first, and I'll pay you half upfront. For every toilet like this that someone hires me to build, I'll send you ten taels of silver!

Three hundred taels is considered a very reasonable price in Huangyang Town.

This is Yang the tiler's preliminary estimate; he estimates that he can earn 60-70% of the income from similar orders in the north within a year.

Cheng Ruoan looked at Yang the bricklayer with some appreciation, "Since you've mentioned 'installment payments,' why don't we cooperate directly? I'll provide you with detailed drawings, technical guidance, and the first batch of customers, and we'll split the profits 30/70, how about that?"

Yang the bricklayer was shocked. “That won’t do! Madam Cheng, we’re both straightforward people. I’ll be frank: even if you find all the customers for me afterward, I can’t do this job with a 70/30 split. At most, it’ll be 50/50!”

Cheng Ruoan: ?

She held up her finger and pointed to herself: "Do I look that much like a shrewd businesswoman?"

Yang the bricklayer: "Huh?"

Cheng Ruoan was both amused and exasperated: "How could I possibly say something as ridiculous as 'I get eight and you get two'? What I meant was 'you get seven and I get three.' If Master Yang thinks my idea is bad, then we can do it your way."

"No, no, no, how could you be a cunning merchant, Madam Cheng? That's not what I meant... Oh, look at my mouth, I'm so sorry. We'll do it your way! Come, come, let's go to Shangxia and see how to write this contract."

"can."

Yang the bricklayer quickly called out to his wife behind the curtain, asking her to come out and watch the shop. Then he took Cheng Ruoan to the tea stall across the street and sat down to discuss things in detail.

After sitting down, Yang the bricklayer frankly admitted that he bought the blueprints with the intention of taking orders in several surrounding counties. Even if Cheng Ruoan did not help to connect him with the first batch of customers, he still had a way to find seven or eight orders.

"Don't underestimate these seven or eight households, Madam Cheng. They are all wealthy families from various counties who love novelties. They are all respectable people. Their toilets are clean and have little odor. One household alone would need to build four or five of them."

Cheng Ruoan was somewhat surprised, "You also have shops in several surrounding counties?"

"Oh, it wasn't me, it was our Yang family..."

The Yang family owned their own brick and tile factory, and there were many brothers in the family. Their father decided that several brothers would choose a county town to open a brick and tile shop.

He was originally supposed to open a shop in Songshan County, but his wife's family lived in Huangyang Town, and she was the only daughter in the family. In order to take better care of his parents-in-law, he chose to open a shop in Huangyang Town instead.

"So, if other counties are doing this toilet-building business, are you going to bring your brothers along with you?"

Then I suggest that the price for building toilets, including materials, be set at ten to twelve taels, mainly depending on how many the customer wants at once.

If the calculation Yang the bricklayer gave her was true, eight taels per toilet, then with so many people sharing the money, she was afraid they wouldn't be able to keep it up for long before losing interest.

Yang the bricklayer grinned, "Alright, the price's set, shall we just write a 50/50 split in the contract?"

Cheng Ruoan quickly waved her hand, "30/70, 30/70, I get 30% and you get 70%. I'm just offering an idea, occasionally helping to introduce customers, it won't make up 50%."

However, our contract must stipulate that I have the right to inspect the accounts at any time.

Yang the bricklayer smiled even more broadly, "Of course. Thank you so much, Madam Cheng, for your consideration of our hard work as craftsmen. Consider your toilet a good practice spot!"

After saying that, he raised his teacup.

What he meant was that not only the labor costs, but also the material costs would be waived.

Cheng Ruoan didn't stand on ceremony with him, and smiled as she raised her teacup to clink with his.

After discussing when to start construction, Yang the bricklayer said he had to go arrange the workers, since Cheng Ruoan's family still had a row of back-facing houses that needed to be converted into shops.

As he was leaving, Cheng Ruoan suddenly remembered something and asked Yang the bricklayer, "You brothers are acquainted with the stewards and servants of wealthy families. Do the women in those families have connections with the maids and old women in those households?"

Yang the bricklayer scratched his head, thought carefully for a moment, and then said, "We can exchange a few words, but we're not exactly close."

Cheng Ruoan smiled and said, "That's enough. When you get the job and go to someone's house to build a toilet, I'll send some small gifts to the women in your family."

This opens up another sales channel for hand cream, doesn't it?

When Cheng Ruoan returned to the Cheng residence, she was starving, but when she ran to the dining room in the front yard, she found that everyone had already finished eating and left!

She grabbed Xiao Mian'er and asked, "It's only a quarter past noon, how come everyone has already finished eating?!"

Cheng Ruoan was so hungry that she felt anxious, which startled Xiao Mian'er.

Xiao Mian'er was thirteen years old. She was a maid who was bought into the family by Cheng's mother along with Xiao Cui'er, and she was in the same batch as Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang.

They were all government slaves from Beiming Prefecture and could only work within the Beiming Prefecture area.

Unlike other slaves, they could not move with their master to other places.

The Zhang family, including Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang, were the previous owners who got promoted but couldn't take their property with them, so they sold it back to the brokerage firm.

However, Xiao Mian'er and Xiao Cui'er were both family members of minor officials, which is why they were exiled to the status of slaves.

This is the first time that Cheng has served as a slave in the Cheng family. Xiao Cui'er is aloof and doesn't talk much, while Xiao Mian'er is more timid than a rabbit.

Xiao Mian'er said timidly, "Second Miss, please don't be angry. It's because Madam said everyone is rushing to finish their work, so we're having our meals earlier each day. But Madam also instructed that if anyone misses their meal, they'll be given a separate meal in the kitchen..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Cheng Ruoan's stomach growled twice.

Little Mian'er wasn't afraid of her anymore; her eyes widened as she stared at Cheng Ruo'an's belly.

Cheng Ruoan: ...

The company's demise came far too suddenly.