activa-t Chapter 29: Sweet potatoes are priced twice as high as grains!
Chapter 29: Sweet potatoes are priced twice as high as grains!
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang quickly raised his hand to rub his eyes and explained awkwardly, "I didn't... I didn't cry. It's just that the sandstorm was too strong and got into my eyes, making them sting a bit. I didn't cry."
After saying that, his gaze fell on the oven and sweet potatoes in front of Zhu Yao, his eyes instantly becoming eager, and his tone becoming excited: "Yao'er, these sweet potatoes of yours have a huge business potential!"
"Think about it, these sweet potatoes have a high yield, taste great, and are drought-resistant and can thrive in poor soil. Whether people eat them themselves or sell them at the market, they will definitely be very popular. If they can be grown on a large scale and sold all over the country, we are bound to make a lot of money!"
This time, Zhu Yuanzhang was smarter. He knew that Zhu Yao was stubborn and unwilling to serve in the court or have too much involvement with it. Rather than persuading him to serve the court, he decided to focus on business and use benefits to win him over.
He continued, "At that time, we can cultivate sweet potato seeds and sell them to people and merchants in various places. We can also teach them planting methods and charge them a certain tuition fee."
"Besides, roasted sweet potatoes can also be a business; you can sell them anywhere, and you're guaranteed to make a fortune!"
At that moment, Zhu Yuanzhang felt like a business genius!
Zhu Yao rolled his eyes at Zhu Yuanzhang's excited and rambling manner, his tone full of helplessness: "Father, do you think I haven't thought about these things?"
"I saw the business opportunity in sweet potatoes a long time ago, but I gave up on it in the end."
Zhu Yuanzhang's excitement froze instantly, and he asked with a face full of doubt, "Give up? Why? Such a good business opportunity, what a waste to let it go!"
"What a pity?" Zhu Yao scoffed and shook his head. "Father, you only see the business opportunity, but you don't see how much harm this sweet potato will bring me once it's widely promoted."
"These sweet potatoes have an extremely high yield. If I were to cultivate them on a large scale and then promote them to other regions, it would surely attract the attention of the imperial court."
"When the time comes, Old Zhu will definitely send people to investigate. If they find out that I have such good crops, he will either force me to hand over the seeds and planting methods, or he will suspect that I have ulterior motives. At that time, my peaceful days will be over."
"Moreover, the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow. Once I make a fortune from sweet potatoes, it will inevitably attract the jealousy of other merchants and the exploitation of officials. In that case, I will not only fail to make money, but also get into a lot of trouble, which will be a loss."
Zhu Yao thought to himself, those people who traveled to the Ming Dynasty were all like madmen, searching everywhere for sweet potato vines and corn seeds, and then immediately presenting them to the emperor, thinking that this would lead to a meteoric rise in rank and high office. They were just too naive!
Little did they know that under imperial power, there is no favor without reason. If you possess a treasure that can influence the world, you will either fall into the emperor's hands or become the emperor's enemy, ultimately ending up like a rabbit being killed after the hunt. It's not that easy to rise to the top in one step!
Having worked hard to establish himself in Chenzhou and finally settled down, he didn't want to get involved in court intrigues over a sweet potato, nor did he want to become someone that Zhu Yuanzhang feared. Rather than risk making uncertain money, he preferred to stick to his own little life and live a peaceful existence.
Looking at Zhu Yao's disdainful expression and listening to his words, Zhu Yuanzhang gradually realized that he had overlooked the fact that what Zhu Yao cared about most was never money, but stability.
Yes, the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. Given Zhu Yao's personality, he certainly wouldn't be willing to take such a risk.
Wait a minute, I'm the emperor! How can I be thinking from Zhu Yao's perspective?!
Liu Bowen stood aside and nodded, secretly praising Zhu Yao's insight. Young Master Zhu may seem unruly, but he is actually meticulous and considers things very thoroughly. It is precisely this insight that allows him to stand firmly in this chaotic world.
If I had been more low-key back then and didn't have such a big reputation, I wouldn't have been captured by Zhu Yuanzhang to serve him.
Seeing Zhu Yao's resolute attitude, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that no matter how much he tried to persuade him with business opportunities, Zhu Yao wouldn't budge. After pondering for a moment, he gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, as if he had made a huge decision, and said, "Yao'er, since you're unwilling to promote it, then I'll compromise. We'll buy the goods from you and then sell them ourselves. Is that alright?"
His tone was earnest yet also anxious, as if he feared Zhu Yaolian would reject the suggestion.
After all, these sweet potatoes are a matter of great importance to the people, and he has to get his hands on them no matter what, even if it means spending money to buy them.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao's eyes lit up instantly, all traces of disdain and resistance vanishing from his face. He nodded hurriedly, his tone filled with joy: "Of course! Absolutely!"
"To be honest, I have too many sweet potatoes planted here. The people of Chenzhou can't eat them all, and there's too much left over. It spoils easily, so I've been feeding them to the pigs. I'm just worried about not having a market for them. Your willingness to buy them is a real help to me!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yao grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang's hand, his face full of sincerity and his tone extremely earnest: "Father, you are truly a good man, the number one person in the Ming Dynasty to help farmers!"
"That's great! The farmers can sell their sweet potatoes and earn more money!"
"On behalf of the people, we thank you!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was a little embarrassed by Zhu Yao's praise. He scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, "Hey, we're all family, don't be so formal. Let's quickly discuss how much these sweet potatoes cost per pound so I can buy them in bulk."
Zhu Yao nodded, his smile fading slightly, and his tone becoming serious: "Dad, let's get this straight. Farmers work hard to grow sweet potatoes, getting up early and working late, exposed to the wind and sun. The price can't be too low."
"Moreover, this sweet potato is a new thing. Most people in the world have never seen or eaten it before. Things are valued for their scarcity. If the price is set too low, it will not only hurt farmers but also fail to reflect its value. I think we should set the price at ten times that of grain."
"What? Ten times more expensive?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Bowen both widened their eyes in shock, exclaiming in unison with disbelief in their eyes.
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, his tone full of confusion and rebuttal: "Yao'er, your pricing is too high!"
"Ordinary grains cost only a few coins per pound, but your sweet potatoes are ten times more expensive. How can ordinary people afford them? Even wealthy families might not be willing to spend so much money on something like this!"
Liu Bowen quickly echoed, stroking his beard and saying in a serious tone, "Yes, Young Master Zhu, this price is indeed too high. If the price is set so high, the sales will probably be poor. In that case, not only will we not make any money, but we may also ruin the reputation of sweet potatoes."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao couldn't help but roll his eyes, his tone full of helplessness: "Dad, Mr. Liu, do you two not know how to do business? Don't you know the concept of scarcity increasing value?"