Then Wu Wa held the first official business discussion meeting.
Lu Yun began, "We promised to find a way to earn money to support Uncle Cripple and Uncle Fool. As men, we must keep our word. Don't you agree?"
"Yes!" shouted Si Wa, his face and neck turning red.
Lu Yun scanned each of his younger brothers' faces, finding them full of spirit. He nodded with satisfaction and continued, "Now that Uncle Cripple is cooperating with us, we must make this business a success. So, everyone put your money together as capital. We'll split the profits five ways, and then divide each share into five equal parts."
Except for Lu Yu, who had no money, the other four quickly brought out their cash. Seeing Lu Yu's embarrassment, they comforted him, saying his capital would be considered contributed.
Lu Yu said solemnly, "I won't take advantage of you. I'll make up the capital later, matching whatever you contributed."
"That's fine," Lu Yun decided. For the first time, he felt his younger brothers had backbone. He used to be quite shameless when it came to food.
He continued, "Our capital isn't much. Our biggest expense for now will be buying a set of tools for Uncle Cripple and getting materials for bowstrings and tendons. We can get bamboo and wood ourselves."
"Second Brother, we can ask the little beggars for help," Lu Yu suggested.
Tian Dou nodded, "Yes, we can let the little beggars help find wood and pay them a reasonable reward. They'll surely be willing."
Lu Yun smiled, "That's exactly what I'm planning. Not only for finding wood, but we'll also need their help selling our goods in the future. They call me Brother Yun, so I should help them find a way to eat. It's beneficial for both of us."
Tie Zhu scratched his head, looking a bit troubled, "Brother Yun, we don't have a shop. How will we sell these things later?"
Lu Yun said, "That's simple. We can set up street stalls or buy a small display box to carry on our backs."
Tian Ya raised his hand, "Brother Yun, I think the little beggars responsible for selling should wash their hair and bathe properly and change into clean clothes. Otherwise, customers will see them as dirty little beggars and won't buy anything. Should we buy them some clothes too?"
"Ah, Brother Ya, I almost forgot about that!" Lu Yun patted his forehead. "This is indeed another expense. However, our five sets of clothes and shoes are enough. If each of us lends out two sets, it should be sufficient. What do you all think?"
Tian Dou was the first to agree, "I think it's fine. My clothes are more than enough for changing." Men, after all, aren't that particular.
The other Wu Wa agreed as well.
"Alright, it's settled then. After the meeting, everyone go find two sets of your clothes and shoes," Lu Yun instructed.
Then, he turned to Lu Yu, "Little Brother, you'll be the accountant from now on. You need to keep track of all our expenses and income. Record every single transaction, big or small, just like Sister Du Min does."
"Okay, I can do that. I've seen Sister Du Min's account books," Lu Yu said confidently.
Lu Yun then said to Tian Ya, "Brother Ya, your hands are nimble, so you'll manage the money. If anyone needs money, they'll first record it with Little Yu, then get the money from you with the voucher. The same applies to all income: first report it to Little Yu, then hand the money over to Tian Ya. At the end of each month, we'll do a full accounting and distribute the profits. If you don't understand anything, you can ask my sister or Sister Ge Mei; they are very knowledgeable about these things now."
Tian Ya pursed his lips and said firmly, "Brother Yun, don't worry, I'll do a good job. I'll ask Sister Hua Hua tonight."
Lu Yun pointed to himself, "I'll be in charge of personnel management and allocation. Tie Zhu will be responsible for purchasing wood from the little beggars, and Tian Dou will handle deliveries and attracting customers."
Tian Dou and Tie Zhu nodded repeatedly.
After arranging everything, Wu Wa immediately went to find Guan Zi and the others at the Tu Niang Niang Temple.
Guan Zi and all the little beggars were incredibly excited. Indeed, following Brother Yun meant having food.
Lu Yun explained the specific tasks and requirements to Guan Zi, asking him to divide the little beggars into two groups: one to find wood, and the other to sell goods.
Guan Zi patted his chest, assuring Lu Yun he would do his utmost to complete all the tasks assigned by him. Although this business seemed like a childish prank at the moment, Guan Zi firmly believed it was a rare opportunity. If they worked hard, perhaps they would no longer have to beg, could eat their fill and be warm, and maybe even rent a small house once they saved enough money, instead of sleeping on the streets or in dilapidated temples.
Not only Guan Zi, but the other little beggars at the Tu Niang Niang Temple also felt this way. They seemed to see a glimmer of light in their lives, however small, and they wanted to grasp it tightly to ensure they could eat their fill every day.
Therefore, when Guan Zi told them that the beggars responsible for selling had to wash their hair and bathe daily and dress neatly, everyone decided to scrub themselves thoroughly by the Tu Niang Niang River that night, so as not to disgrace the task.
Guan Zi distributed the clothes and soap that Lu Yun had given them. Those responsible for finding wood also received a set. The little beggars held the clothes as if they were treasures, cherishing them immensely. Some, finding their hands too dirty and afraid of soiling the clothes, carefully tied them with vine and carried them.
After returning home, Lu Yun sidled up to Bai Sheng and stammered, "Sister-in-law, do you know anyone who sells bamboo? I want to buy some bamboo because the five of us want to make and sell small toys." In Lu Yun's memory, his sister-in-law always seemed to magically produce a lot of sturdy bamboo, so he thought of getting supplies from her; it would be both convenient and reliable.
Bai Sheng was slightly surprised, "You all have to go to the academy to study every day, where do you have time for this? What's wrong? Not enough pocket money?"
"We have enough, we have enough!" Lu Yun replied immediately, smiling a bit sheepishly. "Sister-in-law, we just want to learn how to do business. We're using our spare time, and it won't interfere with our studies. Besides, we've met some little beggars who will help us sell our goods, so we don't have to do it ourselves."
"If that's the case, it's not impossible. However, once you decide to do something, you must do it well. Have you all thought about how to operate it?" Bai Sheng didn't want to trouble the children, especially since Lu Yun rarely made requests of her. Moreover, she didn't like children who only focused on studying. If they enjoyed tinkering, let them tinker. Even if they failed, they could learn a lot from it, not to mention that these were things they couldn't learn in the academy.
"Yes, yes, Sister-in-law, don't worry, we've planned everything," Lu Yun said. Si Wa also nodded in agreement.