Chapter 344: First Volume, Chapter 344: High-End Luxury Goods

First Volume, Chapter 344: High-End Luxury Goods

Pricing is also a science.

White sugar itself is a high-end luxury; candy is one tier above white sugar, and since I've monopolized the candy industry, the real question now is how to maximize profit.

This stuff can't be sold by the catty!

After a moment's deliberation, Qin Feng made up his mind: "Tea candy at one liang silver per piece, health sugar at two liang per piece."

Hearing Qin Feng's pricing, Xiao Xiangxiang was stunned. "Young Master, that's way too cheap!"

Jing Qianying didn't understand the Way of Commerce, but her sense for money was exceptionally sharp.

In her view, this unheard-of, unseen delicacy—with perfect color, aroma, and taste—would draw countless buyers even if priced at five taels per piece.

Moreover, this candy lasts so long; if held in the mouth, it can last one incense stick time—alone, this is an advantage no ordinary sugar frost or white sugar can match.

Beside him, Li Lang's eyes gleamed. He yanked out a hundred-tael silver note from his robe, eager: "Give me a hundred pieces of tea candy first—I'll take them home for Father and Elder Brother to taste."

Qin Feng was quick—he took the money and handed over the goods.

Seeing Qin Feng was serious, even Zhao Yulong was tempted. After much hesitation, he bought a hundred pieces of health sugar, paying two hundred taels of silver.

Even Qin Xiaofu had the audacity to ask Qin Feng for fifty pieces of tea candy, claiming he wanted to save them as gifts. As for payment? He flatly refused, declaring Qin Feng should deduct it from his annual salary.

Qin Feng simply gave Wu Wei ten pieces—and even the accompanying attendants each received five.

Everyone got something for free, naturally beaming with joy. Wu Wei treasured the candy, hiding it close to his body, and said solemnly: "Young Master, the ingredients for this candy are already precious. You're selling it far too cheaply. Tianji Camp is short on funds—why not raise the price, earn more, and ease the pressure on Second Miss?"

Qin Xiaofu quickly chimed in: "Exactly! Such a wonderful thing, sold for just one tael? A hundred pieces only make a hundred taels! Young Master, you went through so much effort to make even this little—do you even cover your costs? In your own words, aren't you a heartless, ruthless capitalist? Why are you suddenly acting foolish?"

That brat Qin Xiaofu was growing increasingly disrespectful—daring to publicly scold his own Young Master!

Qin Feng clenched his fist and gave Qin Xiaofu a sharp knock on the forehead. "What do you know? When have I ever run a losing business? If you're so smart, I'll give you the position of Commander of Tianji Camp—you take over, or shut up."

As the saying goes: the buyer is never as shrewd as the seller.

This first batch took so long because the cost of trial and error was enormous—whether controlling the temperament of boiling and concentrating the syrup, or the ingredient ratios, Qin Feng sweated buckets.

But once you succeed once, and record the successful method, it becomes a fortune with minimal effort.

Qin Feng is limited by space and cannot produce on a large scale.

If he simply writes down the detailed production process in a manual and hands it to the Tianji Camp Gongfang for full-scale production, daily output could break tens of thousands—even hundreds of thousands of pieces.

After all, one large pot of concentrated sugar paste yields over a thousand sugar cubes when cut.

Given Liang's current economic level, if daily candy sales can exceed ten thousand pieces, Qin Feng could wake up laughing in his dreams.

Besides, right now, due to ingredient limitations, only tea candy and health sugar have been developed. Once future solutions solve the ingredient issue, a variety of elaborate candies will follow. Then, we can classify them into tiers and price them accordingly.

The current priority is promoting the candy—once it becomes the new status symbol among nobles and local strongmen, on par with tea and wine, how could sales possibly fail?

No time to waste. Qin Feng immediately returned to the workshop cart, filled out the candy production manual, then summoned his accompanying servant.

The servant was only nineteen, unremarkable in appearance, even a bit short—but he was a Jin Yi Wei spy planted beside Qin Feng, the sole channel for their communication.

Qin Feng handed the manual to the Jin Yi Wei messenger and lowered his voice: "Tell Jin Yi Wei not to return to Tianji Camp headquarters—go to Beixi County. Have Lu Ming build a Tianji Camp branch there, centered on a workshop. Then have Lu Ming produce candy according to this manual, while Mother oversees sales and promotion."

"Oh!"

"One percent of the candy's profit must be sent to the sugarcane plantation. The plantation has been nearly wiped out by Di ambushes—blood must be poured into it, or the sugar industry will die."

Qin Feng chose Beixi County as the Tianji Camp branch and candy production base for three reasons.

First, Beixi County is close to the sugarcane plantation, eliminating the need for intermediate raw material transport.

Second, a massive influx of starving refugees has flooded Beixi County, turning a poor, labor-starved county into a place of extreme surplus labor—yet the county alone cannot absorb so many people, and Di ambushes make agriculture impossible.

The excess population can be directed into the candy industry. Once candy starts earning profit, some of these people can be relocated to the sugarcane plantation for labor. This solves civilian livelihoods while securing raw material supply—a win-win.

Third—and most importantly—Qin Feng must now shift his center of development away from Jingdu.

The Liang Emperor's appetite grows larger every day. Qin Feng will never forget the humiliation he suffered over the glassware!

If Qin Feng expands the candy business under the Liang Emperor's nose, the Emperor's nature ensures he'll stick his fingers in.

That finger could easily cut Qin Feng's profit in half—easily!

Even if the Emperor swallowed the entire candy industry and kicked Qin Feng out, Qin Feng would have no recourse.

Moreover, the larger Qin Feng's operations become in Jingdu, the tighter the Liang Emperor's grip on him. Qin Feng refuses to become a mere tool of the Emperor—otherwise, he'll end up like Grand Commandant Gao: when the rabbits are dead, the hunting dogs are cooked; when the birds are gone, the fine bow is put away!

Qin Feng can be loyal—but never foolishly loyal. He must plan at least some escape routes, just in case.

…

In Beixi County, the situation continues to deteriorate.

The New Army transferred from Tianji Camp headquarters has lost over a hundred men; among civilian laborers and new recruits hired along the way, the casualty rate is even higher—one in five dies. Serving as a garrison soldier in Beixi County has become an extremely high-risk occupation. Even with Tianji Camp's unprecedented "high benefits," the civilian-based garrison still contemplates desertion.

The population of Beixi County's Inner City has reached absolute saturation; material supplies have hit their limit, and food rationing has begun.