As he untied the bundle on the table, the clinking sound of silver immediately rang out. He had never found any sound so delightful.
Instantly, large and small chunks of silver scattered across the table, along with several silver notes.
Huo Shu watched the person before the table, looking like a money-grubber, but said nothing. He went to fetch the account book for him.
Then, sitting beside him, he continued massaging his legs and feet.
If he didn’t loosen the muscles properly today, the soreness tomorrow would be unbearable.
Ji Taoyu counted the money meticulously, separating the silver and notes into two piles, jotting down figures on paper.
After a while, he looked up in stunned disbelief at Huo Shu: "This trip, we sold a total of five thousand two hundred eighty taels worth of fabric!"
Huo Shu gave a nod. "Should be about right."
They had brought a hundred twenty bolts of fabric, gifted a few along the way, and still had over a hundred left.
On average, the four types of fabric sold for about forty to fifty taels per bolt, so a rough estimate would be four to five thousand taels.
But since they sold retail, prices were marked up, and the patterned fabrics fetched even higher prices, so exceeding expectations was reasonable.
"I’ve never seen so much money in my life! We’re rich!"
Ji Taoyu’s joy was written all over his face—not just for the profit, but also because their journey hadn’t been in vain.
He picked up the brush and continued calculating.
After deducting the three hundred taels spent on purchasing the fabric, they still had four thousand nine hundred eighty taels left.
Then, based on the current records in the ledger, their expenses for food, clothing, and supplies since departing from Tongzhou totaled one hundred taels.
Earlier, unsure if they’d even make money, everyone had been frugal during the trip, so expenses were low. The bulk of the spending came after reaching the northern frontier, where they stayed at better inns and treated themselves to a proper meal, which alone cost nearly twenty taels.
Ji Taoyu estimated that the return trip would cost another few dozen taels.
"But that’s manageable. The real issue is everyone’s wages."
Ji Taoyu looked at Huo Shu.
"Pay them three times the standard wage in Tongzhou."
At the time, things were a mess, and they hadn’t properly settled the wage details before leaving.
It was mostly out of trust and goodwill from the villagers that they’d followed along without much complaint.
Huo Shu had discussed it with Ge Liang and thought this arrangement was fair.
"Also, set aside some profits as bonuses."
A reward for everyone seeing the journey through to the end.
Ji Taoyu agreed - triple wages weren’t excessive.
Given the hardships and dangers of the journey, they deserved it. Even his stingy eldest uncle paid laborers a hundred copper coins per day when leading work crews, and their trip had been far riskier—triple wages were justified.
He was only responsible for calculations, not how they distributed the money.
This was the villagers’ first time venturing out for business, and Huo Shu’s first time leading such an endeavor. None had experience, nor a proper system in place.
First time clumsy, second time skilled—they’d learn the problems and how to set rules along the way.
This trip was just a trial run.
Ji Taoyu did a quick estimate: in Tongzhou, a laborer typically earned about eighty copper coins per day.
At triple that rate, one person would cost two hundred forty copper coins daily.
Excluding the two of them, there were twelve others. They’d left in late February, and now it was May—over two months already.
A rough calculation put wages for the trip at nearly two hundred taels, with the return trip adding another half.
After tallying expenses for goods, travel, and wages, Ji Taoyu figured they’d spend around two thousand taels.
Even so, they’d still turn a profit.
As for the horses traded for tea, how many they could bring back and their resale value would have to be calculated later.
Either way, the profits from the fabric sales had already covered all their expenses with plenty to spare—they were unquestionably making money
With these calculations done, Ji Taoyu felt relieved.
He said to Huo Shu, "Since wages are settled this way, we shouldn’t delay. Let’s try to pick the horses tomorrow and hurry back."
That would save a few days’ wages, and if they made good time, they might even catch the autumn harvest.
After all, most of them were farmers at heart, anxious about the families they'd left behind—which explained the tensions when they first started the journey.
Huo Shu replied gently, "Alright."
With money in their pockets, Ji Taoyu indulged in a feast of northern frontier specialties that night.
Mutton here was cheap, tender, and free of gaminess. He drank the broth and ate the meat, utterly content.
With no pressing matters, everyone drank freely.
The crew took turns challenging Huo Shu to drinking contests, determined to make him stumble. But after just one round of toasts, he turned the tables by switching to a finger-guessing game.
As a battle-hardened army veteran, he played with ruthless precision. One by one, the men fell to his strategy, leaving them dazed from losses.
Watching them enjoy themselves, Ji Taoyu grew curious about the local liquor.
Sneaking a pour behind Huo Shu’s back, he barely filled his cup before a hand reached down and snatched it away, replacing it with a large cup of milk tea.
Ji Taoyu narrowed his eyes and shot Huo Shu a glare.
"You’ll have a headache tomorrow if you drink. Have this instead."
Ji Taoyu huffed softly but took a sip of the warm milk tea—rich and creamy, surprisingly delicious.
By the time they returned to their room, Ji Taoyu felt stuffed and sluggish.
The moment he touched the bed, exhaustion overwhelmed him. Too tired to even digest properly, he drifted off to the sound of wind rattling the windows.
Despite the howling gusts, he felt warm all over. Half-asleep, he vaguely sensed Huo Shu tucking him under the blankets, though his nose felt oddly dry.
In the dead of night, Huo Shu, shirtless, suddenly felt something wet and sticky on his chest.
The slight discomfort was enough to rouse him from light sleep.
Looking down at the person resting peacefully against him, his brow furrowed slightly.
He shifted gently, trying to prevent any drool from soaking his skin.
But as he lifted Ji Taoyu’s head to cradle it in the crook of his arm, something dripped onto his hand.
Huo Shu bolted upright in alarm, sweeping the blankets aside and pulling Ji Taoyu up:
"Xiao Taozi, your nose is bleeding!"
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