The two of them continued their conversation for a while, and the awkwardness gradually eased. Huo Yuan then discussed with her about starting a ginseng business.
Simply put, a ginseng business involves selling ginseng in a shop. Ginseng is rare and expensive, and so the profits are extremely high. Many people would like to run such businesses, but without seventy or eighty thousand silver coins for capital, they cannot open a decent ginseng shop. Thus, throughout the Great Jin Nation, there are only seven or eight reputable ginseng shops, and Huo Family alone owns three of them.
To open a good ginseng shop, choosing the right location is crucial. Unlike regular restaurants and teahouses that everyone can afford, not many people can afford ginseng due to its high price. Therefore, the shop must be located in relatively affluent cities, such as the commercial hub of Jiangnan, the aristocratic city of the capital, or Bianzhou, where ginseng is mainly produced.
Furthermore, the shopkeeper is also important. This person must have experience in the ginseng industry and should be able to judge the grade, type, and age of ginseng at a glance. They must also have extensive connections, not just for buying ginseng at the cheapest price, but also for selling it at the highest value.
In addition, the owner of the ginseng shop needs to have a strong backing because the people who can afford ginseng are mostly the elite. In this context, troublesome people are bound to appear. If something happens during the sale, the owner must have the ability to settle it smoothly.
Given all these aspects, the idea of Wei’er opening a ginseng shop is simply unrealistic. She lacks all the basic conditions required to start such a business.
However, what she lacks, he possesses. Although opening a ginseng shop is not an easy task for him either, he has already mobilized the funds and decided to give it a go. If this can win her heart, it’s absolutely a profitable deal for him.
With these thoughts in mind, he has no idea what Cai Wei is thinking.
Although Cai Wei asked Huo Yuan about opening a ginseng business, she never thought about relying on him to do so. She has the needed initial capital for starting the business, which she obtained from a scam the night before—it’s just enough for a preliminary investment. As for the manager of the shop, Zhao Yun can take that role, and all she needs is to find a knowledgeable shopkeeper. As for the supply, she only needs to take out the ginseng from the space and sell it directly.
The only difficulty now is how to legitimately display those ginsengs without arousing suspicion about their origin. She came up with many methods, but they were all eventually dismissed....
Seeing her frowning in deep thought with a rarely serious expression on her little face, Huo Yuan thought she was intimidated by his words. He comforted her in a soft voice, "Since Wei’er has decided to open a ginseng shop, I will assist wholeheartedly. You don’t need to worry about these trivial matters. Just get ready to be a thriving boss."
After hearing this, Cai Wei showed a grateful smile and said, "I appreciate Young Master Huo’s kind intentions, but it is better to rely on oneself than others. If I were not capable of opening a ginseng shop, I would not have meddled in this muddy water."
Huo Yuan was rather taken aback, he had not expected her to say that.
Of course, he did not believe that this young girl could really open a ginseng shop. Her saying so was probably due to her strong pride that made her unwilling to ask for help, or maybe because she was like a fearless calf facing a tiger, ignorant of the perils in the business sea. Or perhaps she had no idea what assistance from the Huo Family meant for her?
In Great Jin Nation, any merchant who could get help from the Huo Family could become fabulously wealthy. Everyone who could establish any connection with the Huo Family could have a firm standing in the business sea. Many merchants were dreaming of the protection of the Huo family, yet she did not take it into consideration at all!