Making kimchi was simply because she loved to eat it. Qi Zhenzhen hadn't really thought about it before. Then she recalled that in her past life, there were many small shops selling kimchi, and as long as the taste was good, their business was always booming.
"Look, after you make it, have your brother Shan sell it from village to village. In winter, there are only a few types of vegetables available. Eating the same few things repeatedly can get tiresome. Our kimchi tastes great, so why worry about not selling it?" Li Shan's wife was very excited.
"Sister-in-law, I'll go back and think about it. If it's feasible, we'll sell it." Qi Zhenzhen didn't agree directly.
For Li Shan's wife, not refusing directly was good enough. In her eyes, Qi Zhenzhen was a discerning person, and this matter was very likely to succeed.
After returning home, Qi Zhenzhen went to Qi Yi's room. She found a stone slab and charcoal pencils and started writing and calculating. A head of cabbage typically weighed about four catties, yielding two catties of kimchi. Each cabbage cost one wen. Although various ingredients were many, the main ones were glutinous rice flour, chili powder, and fine salt. As for others, the quantities used were limited. Calculating it, the cost of one catty of kimchi was about two wen. Selling it for four wen per catty would yield a net profit of two wen. Although the profit wasn't much, if business was good, it would accumulate into a considerable sum.
Thus, this business was worth doing.
With the prospect of making money, Qi Zhenzhen was highly motivated. Without any delay, she went to Li Shan's home again.
After discussing it with Li Shan's wife, the matter was settled.
The two of them pondered for a while longer and finally decided not to sell the kimchi by the catty, but by portion. They would pack it in bamboo tubes, with each portion being about half a catty, selling for four wen.
Li Shan went to chop bamboo to make the tubes, while Li Shan's wife helped Qi Zhenzhen prepare the cabbage. The most crucial part, the sauce, was made by Qi Zhenzhen herself. This was considered a trade secret, of course, and had to be kept well-guarded.
Including Yun shi, the four of them worked diligently for a day, finally producing two hundred catties of kimchi by evening. Nearly half of the Napa cabbage in Qi Zhenzhen's cellar was used.
One catty of kimchi was packed into two portions, so two hundred catties made four hundred portions. If all of them were sold, it would amount to one thousand six hundred wen. With a cost of two wen per catty, the net profit was one thousand two hundred wen. Splitting it evenly between the two families, each would get six hundred wen.
Li Shan's wife's eyes sparkled. She excitedly clasped Qi Zhenzhen's hand, "Zhenzhen, your brother Shan usually earns this much in half a month, and we've made it in one day. If we save for a few months, our family can renovate our house, and next spring we can send Hu Zi to school. My parents won't have to worry about me suffering with Shan anymore."
If it could be sold, they could earn quite a bit over the winter.
Li Shan's wife was very confident. "This kimchi has a special flavor and goes well with meals, so it will definitely sell well. Let's give away a jar of kimchi, bring some chopsticks, and let them taste before buying. I don't believe they won't like it after tasting it. The surrounding villages aren't poor, and many people will be willing to spend four wen for a portion of kimchi."
Qi Zhenzhen didn't know much about these matters, but seeing Li Shan's wife speak so resolutely, and thinking that she was a native of this era and had a certain understanding of the consumption capacity of the people around them, she put aside her own apprehension. Whether it would succeed or not, the answer would be revealed by tomorrow evening.
The next morning, Li Shan and his wife arrived pushing a modified single-wheeled cart. It was layered, widened, and had side guards, making it very suitable for carrying kimchi without worrying about spills.
"You just wait for our good news at home," Li Shan's wife said excitedly after loading the cart.
"You're going too?" Yun shi was a little surprised.
"Yes, I'm accompanying Brother Shan."
After saying that, the couple pushed the cart and left.
"Mother, although women rarely show themselves in business, Brother Shan is with them, and Brother Shan doesn't object, so what are you worried about?" Qi Zhenzhen understood Yun shi's thoughts from her expression and quickly explained.
Indeed, if her husband didn't object, what was there for her to worry about?
For a while, both Qi Zhenzhen and Yun shi were somewhat absent-minded, feeling uneasy about everything they did. It wasn't until noon, when Qi Yi came to say he was hungry, that they remembered to make a meal.
The family had been eating kimchi these past few days, and it was a bit too much. Qi Zhenzhen thought for a moment, then went to get a winter melon, peeled and sliced it, added some cured meat slices and dried shrimp, and simmered a refreshing winter melon soup. Steaming a pot of rice would complete the meal.
"Auntie, Zhenzhen." Li Shan's wife's clear, loud voice carried from afar.
Qi Zhenzhen quickly wiped her hands and went to meet them. The couple was pushing the cart, nearly at the entrance.
As they got closer, Qi Zhenzhen saw clearly that the cart, which was full in the morning, was now empty. All of it had been sold.
They pushed the cart into the yard. Qi Zhenzhen invited them inside. Yun shi had already poured water, and the couple each picked up a bowl and drank it down in gulps.
"Oh my, my mouth hasn't stopped all morning. My throat is parched, and my stomach is rumbling," Li Shan's wife said, wiping her mouth with a brilliant smile.
Qi Zhenzhen quickly set the table. Each person got a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. As they ate, she said,
"We originally thought we'd have to go to many villages, but we only went to four villages this morning before we ran out of things to sell," Li Shan's wife said between bites of rice. "At first, they all thought it was expensive, but after tasting it, they all said it was delicious. In winter, people get tired of eating radishes and cabbage, so who would miss out on such delicious kimchi?"
Li Shan ate quickly. After finishing his bowl of rice, he chimed in, "Generally, they buy four or five portions. It's usually a whole family eating together, and buying too little really isn't enough."
After eating, Li Shan's wife poured out all the money from the money bag. She first counted out the principal, then excitedly gestured at the rest, "Zhenzhen, this is all our profit."
Li Shan chuckled, "I've never made so much money in a single day before."
"Tomorrow, we'll go to different villages, even if it's a longer journey. Although this thing is delicious, those who bought it today might not buy it tomorrow. We'll give it a few days' gap before returning to sell," Li Shan's wife said.
This was indeed true. Strictly speaking, this item wasn't cheap. Buying four portions was equivalent to buying a catty of meat. It was about the novelty. Eating it every day, they would eventually get tired of it and wouldn't be willing to buy it.
"Sister-in-law, you've thought of everything."
After tidying up, the four of them divided the work again: some chopped bamboo, and some made kimchi.
They continued with the plan of making two hundred catties. After today, there wouldn't be much cabbage left in the Qi family's cellar.
"I still have quite a bit in my cellar, and my parents' family also grew a lot. I'll send a message to my brother and sister-in-law, asking them to save some for winter. The rest, they can send over, and we'll buy it at market price, only the good ones, one wen per head," Li Shan's wife said. "Every household in our village also grows quite a bit. In past years, they couldn't finish it by spring and used it to feed pigs. We can also spread the word, and I'm sure they'll be willing to sell!"