It took over half a month for the city to fully stabilize. During this time, it wasn't completely impossible to go out, but for safety, they temporarily stopped sending people out to forage. Instead, they focused on training at home and helping at the nearby processing workshop.
That's right.
The processing workshop continued to operate as scheduled, and with the addition of the men, their output increased, and they earned a considerable amount of money.
Many of the shops that had ordered pastries from the Cheng family even sent people to pick up the goods.
The processing workshop was much more worry-free.
If they needed ingredients, they could have them delivered, and customers came to pick up the finished products.
They only needed to focus on making pastries at home.
This shows how much peace of mind a stable income can bring at any time.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao did not venture out again. They only sent word to Cao Lishong, explaining the situation and telling him to continue making printing tools. They would go out once the situation outside stabilized a bit more.
Cao Lishong also replied that everything was fine and that no one was leaving his carpentry workshop either.
As long as they were all safe and well, that was enough.
He also had woodworking to do.
If anything came up, they could contact each other by letter.
After all, the yamen had issued a decree prohibiting people from lingering on the streets for too long.
The yamen runners were also going door to door, checking household registration books and entry records, so it wasn't difficult to catch refugees who had snuck in from outside the city.
They were all caught within a few days.
However, because everyone was afraid of any stragglers, there were very few people on the streets. Most people stayed in their homes to hide.
Those who occasionally went out to buy provisions would do so quickly and return, never lingering on the streets.
Therefore, the outside was much more desolate.
The bustling city from before was now as quiet as an empty city.
The entertainment venues, however, were not closed. There was still singing and revelry every night, but there were many more patrol guards, and they were very strict.
Though it was only in certain areas.
However, consumption in those areas still existed, and pastries could still be sold.
As for the regular customers among other residents, even if they couldn't go out to buy pastries themselves, they would send their servants to pick them up, which did not cause any disruption.
In this kind of world, it's the people at the bottom who suffer the most. The servants would have to go out, wouldn't they?
What else could they do when their masters gave the order?
Therefore, the business of the Cheng family's pastry processing workshop continued to thrive, with orders only increasing and money pouring into their pockets like a flowing stream. This feeling of earning money was so reassuring, and their hearts were steady.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao were also very generous with their purchases. They usually asked the people delivering materials to bring back more food and seasonings for them, so their meals were truly good.
They ate fine grains for every meal, with plenty of meat and vegetables, and everyone could eat their fill.
After all, everyone worked hard, and they didn't want anyone to suffer. Naturally, everyone knew that the young couple treated them exceptionally well.
Therefore, they worked even harder, for themselves and for the couple.
The head of the Cheng family found this hard to believe, but later, he was more happy. After all, his own business hadn't improved, but his eldest son was capable enough to create a pastry processing workshop.
Its reputation had spread far and wide, and the money it earned was an amount he couldn't even calculate at the moment.
The head of the Cheng family's heart was itching, so he inquired about the processing workshop from time to time. Cheng Hao brushed him off, as he couldn't help it.
Finally, he thought.
After all, he was his eldest son, so this money was also his.
And wasn't he being treated well in terms of food and drink now?
Therefore, he was no longer anxious.
He planned to cultivate their relationship more later, and then regain his authority.
The head of the Cheng family had a good plan.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao were not foolish. The profits from the pastry processing workshop all went to them. They dealt in cash every time. They only accepted silver or gold later, as the paper money used within the city was not very stable.
What if the city fell?
Later, this paper money would be useless. Gold and silver would be better.
Indeed.
After receiving it, they directly put it into their space. There was no better place than this.
It was very safe.
Although the head of the Cheng family provided the initial capital, without the couple's abilities, none of this would have happened, let alone the money they earned. Moreover, he enjoyed everything without doing any work, so it was only right that he paid.
Was there anything where one gave nothing but wanted to enjoy the benefits of the caravan?
Weren't the food and drinks they had all earned through the collective effort?
In the past, in the wilderness, they relied on their strength to forage and hunt. Now, in the city, they spent their energy to earn money to buy food and daily necessities. Didn't everything cost money?
The head of the Cheng family and his wife ate and drank every day without doing anything. Although it was the head of the Cheng family's money, they had to contribute something.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao calculated the accounts clearly in their hearts. The collective effort in the wilderness earlier was their contribution. After entering the city, it was reasonable for the head of the Cheng family to pay for their entry. Now, living in the city, it was also acceptable for him to provide a sum of money as start-up capital. Therefore, the couple felt no guilt.
They took it as their due.
It was what he should have paid.
They worked their minds and bodies hard, and it was only natural that they received most of the money.
After all, they were in charge and controlled most of the money. If they had to make any decisions later and arrange everyone's future lives, wouldn't it all cost money? Therefore, they had no pressure in receiving the money.
It was also what they deserved.
What's more, they didn't keep it all to themselves. They provided everyone with great benefits and a good life. How could this be wrong?
Everyone was also convinced.
They worked hard every day and received their own share of the money to save.
They didn't have to worry or be afraid.
All of this was because the couple above was reliable in managing household affairs.
During the days when the couple didn't go out, they were not idle. They occasionally wrote and drew to record important ideas and information, so as not to miss anything.
Su Miaomiao said, "We can increase the inventory later and buy more grain to stock up. Looking at the recent rising prices of materials, it's definitely because there are too many people in the city, and the daily consumption of grain is substantial. It's certain that the price of grain will soar later."
She drew a statistical table, and the increase in the past few days had indeed been exaggerated, so they had to pay attention.
Although they had earned less money recently, the expenses for so many people were also considerable.
Moreover, they were currently making printing tools. Although the investment was large, the later returns would definitely not be small. And in the current situation of widespread panic, it would also make people vigilant. It was not impossible for them to return to a nomadic life later, so their herbal books would definitely become a hit.
Now, all they needed to do was finish making the printing tools and then buy a large amount of paper. Once they sold the books, the money would multiply several times over.
During this time, they could modify the vehicles and then settle the final payment.
The money earned from selling books could be used to purchase weapons and some hidden weapons.
Then they wouldn't have to fear embarking on the path of fleeing again.
In fact, both of them had a vague premonition that with the current practices of Quezhou City, it wouldn't last long unless the war ended before Quezhou City collapsed, and everyone could return to their homes.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao had planned quite well, and it was always good to make multiple preparations.
Hearing his childhood sweetheart say this, Cheng Hao wasn't surprised. He nodded in agreement and said, "Then let's buy more. It's a good time to stock up on some grain ourselves. There have been many natural disasters nearby. This year's late frost was bad for spring plowing, and even many wild vegetables in the wilderness have frozen to death."
Therefore, the proportion of wild vegetables in the mountain goods collected by Li Datou and others was very small. Consequently, grain would only become scarcer, and the price increase was normal. However, the two of them didn't know where Quezhou City got so much grain to supply the entire city's consumption like this?
Why hadn't it collapsed yet?