Chapter 47
47 Cooperation
After dinner, Zhou Jia stopped Li Yu. “Miss Li, I want to discuss cooperation and business with you. Are you willing?”
“Mr. Zhou, go ahead.” Li Yu watched as Zhou Jia sat back down.
Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. “I saw the school bag you made for Ah Qing just now. I think we can work together. I have shops in Green Mountain City and beside Green Mountain Academy. You’ll be in charge of making the school bag and I’ll be in charge of selling it. Also, I can help you sell the bean paste and tea oil you make to the restaurants. What do you think?”
Li Yu thought for a moment. “Mr. Zhou, how do you think we should cooperate?”
“Just cooperate and sell bags!” Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in confusion.
Li Yu continued, “For example, if we make a school bag, we have to consider the customers who buy bags. How old are they? Are there more adults or more children? There’s also the problem of buying cloth to make cloth shells, tung oil, and hiring people to process it. How should we split the responsibility and the profits? Also, it’s great for you to help me sell my bean paste. How should we calculate the fees that arise in the middle?”
Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and felt that the girl in front of him was like a mystery. The more he interacted with her, the more he wanted to investigate. The more he wanted to know what else she could do to surprise him.
Seeing that Zhou Jia was silent, Li Yu stood up and wanted to continue pressing the oil. Zhou Jia raised his hand to stop Li Yu. “Miss Li, there are two academies in Green Mountain City. Most of the students in the academy are 17 or 18 years old. I’ll prepare the funds, cloth, and tung oil. You can also hand over the sale to me. You’ll be in charge of recruiting people to make bags. Our profits will be 50-50. I’ll charge a commission of 10% in regard to your bean paste and tea oil. What do you think?”
Li Yu was a little surprised when she heard that. If this was the case, Scholar Zhou would be at a disadvantage. She was not related to him, so she could not take advantage of him.
Li Yu shook her head and said, “Mr. Zhou, since you’re sincere about cooperating with me, so be it! I’ll take 40% of the profits and you take 60%. After discussing the details, we’ll sign a contract.”
Zhou Jia smiled when he heard that and thought to himself, What a good girl. “Alright, let’s do as Miss Li says. We’ll write the contract.”
The two of them discussed some details. Li Yu went into the house to get a pen and paper. Zhou Jia began to write the contract.
After Zhou Jia finished writing, he felt that Li Yu might not be able to read. He read the contract to Li Yu again. “Miss Li, if you’re worried, you can get someone else to take a look.”
“There’s no need. How can Mr. Zhou be such a faithless person?” Li Yu took a pen and signed her name.
After the two of them signed, Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu’s crooked words and pursed his lips into a smile. “I’ll get Ji Xiang to bring the ink for pressing our fingerprints.”
Li Yu nodded and glared at him again. “Mr. Zhou, the inner layer of the school bag is made of rough cloth. We have to use a stronger thin cloth for the outer layer. Not only can we make a school bag, but we can also make bags for going out. Also, we don’t have to buy good cloth to make a cloth shell. We can just get someone to buy leftovers from the cloth shop.”
Zhou Jia stood up and said with a smile, “Alright, I’ll get someone to prepare it. Miss Li, I think I’ll help you pull these tea oil seeds to the oil mill to squeeze them, okay?”
Li Yu nodded. “Alright! I want to keep half of the oil for myself. Sell the rest for me. Also, this oil is much more expensive than vegetable seed oil. The cheapest bean paste is 20 copper coins a catty.”
Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled. “Didn’t you say that tea oil is good for the body? The bean paste is unique to your family. I promise to sell it for a good price.”
Li Yu smiled and did not reply. Zhou Jia went out to get Ji Xiang to drive the mule cart over. Li Yu passed Ji Xiang jars of bean paste and the remaining tea seeds.
After Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang left, Auntie Qian looked at the stone mortar that had only been used for half a day. As she washed it, she sighed. “It can still be used! Why did you drag the seeds away?”
Li Yu went to the stove and found a charcoal stick. After sharpening it, she wrapped it in a cloth and drew a rough image of the bags in her previous life.
Li Yu took the blueprint to Li Mei’s house. After showing it to Li Mei, she asked her, “Aunt, how long will it take for you to make such a bag?”
Li Mei looked at the blueprint in her hand and shook her head. “I don’t understand how you made this. If you can make one like the bag Ah Qing is carrying and show me, I’ll know how to do it.”
“All right then! I’ll go back and get the fabric. We’ll make the look first. You’ll specialize in cutting it from now on.”
Li Mei stopped Li Yu. “Girl, you haven’t told me why you want to make so many bags.”
Only then did Li Yu remember that she had yet to tell Li Mei that she was working with Mr. Zhou. Li Yu hurriedly explained to Li Yu.
Li Mei was a little worried when she heard that. “Yu’er, why would he help you like this?”
Li Yu said casually, “It’s probably because I saved them when he and his bookworm encountered a wolf on the mountain last time!”
“Girl.” Li Mei patted Li Yu. “You even dare to provoke a wolf? Have you forgotten why your father left? Don’t force yourself in the future, understand?”
Li Yu leaned against Li Mei and smiled. “Aunt, don’t worry. I only went out to help because I felt that I could kill the wolf.”
“Yes! In short, you have to be careful when you go up the mountain, understand?” Li Mei instructed.
Li Yu went home and brought the oilcloth and cloth shell to Li Mei’s house. The aunt and niece lay on the sun pad. After Li Yu finished drawing, Li Mei cut it and Zhaodi helped sew it together. She made several inferior products in succession.
“Yu’er, it’s such a waste.” Li Mei looked at the ruined fabric with heartache. “With them cut like this, they can only be used for shoes.”
Li Yu looked at it and chuckled. “It’s not a waste if you can still make shoes.”
They experimented several times before making the most suitable size. Li Yu used a cloth shell to cut out a sample version, preparing to cut it as usual in the future.
Li Yu asked Liu Changmin to go to the carpenter’s house to customize two sewing boards. She recalled that there was not even a decent dining table and desk at home. The central room was still empty. She was concerned that, when the time came, the people who came to do needlework would not even have a place to sit.
Li Yu simply drew two sets of tables and chairs, a desk, and two sets of furniture. She went to the carpenter’s house with Li Mei to customize the furniture.
The two of them returned to Li Mei’s house from the carpenter’s house. Li Yu said to Liu Changmin, “Uncle, please help me buy some lime and ask someone to help me paint the house.”
“Child, why are you being so polite with Uncle!” Liu Changmin happily drove the ox cart to buy lime.