Chapter 123

Chen Wuji doesn't really understand this line of business.

But being immersed in the larger environment, he actually knows quite a bit.

He should be able to outclass most scholars of the Dayu Dynasty by seventy or eighty streets.

For any product, quality and efficiency are like a lifeline.

He offers a method that can greatly boost both quality and efficiency; taking thirty or forty percent of their profits would not be excessive, right?

"Little friend Chen isn't joking with the two of us, is he?" Han Chunshen's expression turned solemn, with a hint of seriousness.

Chen Wuji stopped what he was doing, "Shopkeeper Han, what's the point of joking about this? I never like to boast; I prefer to speak cautiously, so others' expectations don't get too high."

Han Chunshen's eyes flickered, his expression barely concealing surprise as he asked: "In other words, the thirty percent you mentioned, little friend Chen, is just a conservative estimate?"

"It's pretty conservative!" Chen Wuji nodded.

Chen Wuji has also recently looked into how they handle furs.

Compared to how his family handled furs when he was young and the results they got, a thirty percent improvement really doesn't seem like much.

Huaxia's farmers have always been jacks-of-all-trades.

The shoes, clothes, quilts, mattresses, mats, schoolbags, and umbrellas Chen Wuji wore or used as a child were almost all made at home.

Throughout his childhood, the things his family needed to buy from outside were very few—basically just tobacco, alcohol, sugar, tea, and some cloth and festival supplies.

When his father was alive, even the candles they used at home were homemade by him.

And he is probably the last generation to live this way.

Such days lasted only through his childhood; later life gradually improved, home handicrafts decreased, and they even started needing trash bags.

"What does little friend Chen need?" Han Chunshen asked.

"Thirty percent of your profits." Chen Wuji said.

Before inviting them to a meal, this answer had already been in his heart.

"Thirty percent..." Han Chunshen shook his head.

"The fur trade may be a lucrative business, but thirty percent is too high. Even if efficiency improves by thirty percent and the resulting fur garments are better, for us there's an even bigger problem: good pelts are scarce. If it weren't so, why would I and my niece have to personally come to little friend Chen's place to collect them?"

"If we had enough furs, then perhaps little friend Chen would bring the furs to us, though we might not even get to see him."

Chen Wuji nodded, "That makes sense."

"But the fur I'm talking about isn't badger or Wolf Skin pelts—those are uncommon; the main one is actually sheepskin. Shopkeeper Han, you probably aren't short on sheepskin, right? A hide that can only be made into low‑grade fur coats and sells for little—if it could fetch a better price because of this, would a thirty percent cut still be too much?"

Compared to other furs, sheepskin is a bit harder to process.

That muttony smell can linger on the garment for years, even after it's made into a coat.

Because of that, sheepskin coats naturally become low‑end goods.

Mostly worn by ordinary folk with a little spare cash; the wealthy wouldn't be seen in them.

The wealthy prefer pelts like tiger, wolf, sable, and badger—attractive and comfortable.

"Twenty percent profit, I'll give it a try!" Xiao Yuji suddenly said.

"Thirty percent!"

Xiao Yuji put her hands on her hips and shouted, "Can't you be a little less inflexible?"

Huh?

Chen Wuji blinked, wondering why that sounded weird.

Fortunately, Xiao Yuji doesn't know how inflexible he is.

"Is it more than thirty percent?" Chen Wuji countered.

"How could it not be?" Xiao Yuji shouted, "Turning a hide into a coat and selling it requires a lot of labor and materials; even though there's a decent markup in the middle, if you take thirty percent, we barely make anything."

"Being so inflexible, even if we're interested in what you say, we wouldn't dare try it lightly."

Han Chunshen nodded, showing his agreement.

"Let's each step back: a twenty percent profit, and you can find a person of high moral standing to witness and audit the accounts at will." Xiao Yuji said.

Chen Wuji ordered Yuan Jinshi to tend the fire, thought it over, then nodded and agreed.

Twenty percent it is, then.

A spur‑of‑the‑moment idea—twenty percent is acceptable enough.

"The method is rather complex; you two should find something to write it down on." Chen Wuji said.

"Chunsheng, Chunsheng, bring in a piece of cloth!" Han Chunshen bellowed again.

Understood, sir!

Chen Wuji was curious about the name Han Chunshen gave his servant and couldn't help asking, "Shopkeeper Han, why did you give your servant a name just like yours? Shouldn't you avoid that?"

Han Chunshen laughed, "They sound the same but the characters differ. I'm 'deep and thick', he's 'vigorous'. Besides, this name isn't one I gave him—he already had it. Still, I kept him close because his name is so similar to mine."

"Shopkeeper Han is quite a character." Chen Wuji praised with a smile.

Many people avoid certain things, but he does the opposite.

Chunsheng grabbed a piece of cloth and ran over, "Sir, cloth!"

"May I borrow little friend Chen's four treasures of the study?" Han Chunshen asked.

Chen Wuji laughed and shook his head, "That really puts me in a spot, sir—I'm a hunter's household, we don't have use for those things. My uncle San Shu's place does, though; I'll send someone to fetch them."

Before Chen Wuji could speak, Chen Bushi had already heard, stood up, brushed off his clothes, and said, "Let me get it instead—just don't send someone. Those few jars of wine at my place are probably going to be totally ruined today. From now on we can't store liquor at home; the rats are too big, there's nowhere to put them."

"Enough with the nagging—that wine wasn't drunk by you lot. I've been running around nonstop; get lost!" Chen Wuji cursed.

Chen Bushi wobbled away, shaking his head.

On his trip home, the chattering Chen Bushi not only brought back brush and ink, but also carried two jars of wine.

Who knows what he meant by those rats.

Han Chunshen spread out a silk cloth, half‑crouched with brush in hand, and said, "Little friend, you may begin."

Chen Wuji nodded, "The things needed for tanning are two: one is convenient and easy to obtain, using alum; the other is purchasing waste from the mine; among these wastes, what is needed is that black, shiny-looking ore, which is called chromite."

"The effect of chromite is better than that of alum, but the process is also somewhat more complicated, requiring the roasting method. Mix chromite and charcoal in equal proportions in a kiln and roast; then add plant ash or limestone to the resulting product; finally, soak the product in water and filter out the residue—then the process is complete."

Xiao Yuji watched from the side and couldn't help but sigh, "It's really complicated."

"If it were that simple, how could I dare to ask for a thirty percent share?" Chen Wuji said.

This method, after all, counts as a major advancement in the tanning trade; how could it be finished with just a few words? We've only just begun.