I’m the Farmgirl You Can’t Mess With
Chapter 936 - Chapter 936 Inspiration

Chapter 936: Inspiration Chapter 936: Inspiration Editor: Atlas Studios Mu Yangling was looking at the list of imported and exported goods, while Qi Haoran had brought Little Bear to the military camp early in the morning.

Meanwhile, Little An was sitting on a blanket not far from Mu Yangling’s feet, tearing apart the music box.

Little Lion and Tiger Head sat cross-legged at the side and watched.

With Little Fu in her arms, Little Madam Xia saw that they were about to ruin a perfectly good treasure.

Knowing that she couldn’t control them, she poked Mu Yangling.

“They’re really going to tear it apart.

I heard that such a small music box is worth 20 taels of silver.” With a smile, Mu Yangling said, “Let them be.

Little An can take it apart and assemble it back.

If not, just get him a few more music boxes.” This time, when the Zhou family’s ship returned, they brought back more than a hundred music boxes.

However, this thing was indeed very expensiveaEUR”20 taels of silver for just a toy.

Even among the upper echelons of the nobles, very few people bought it.

This was because other than playing with it, this thing really had no other use.

Unless it was used to show off, everyone would only find it novel briefly.

The reason why Mu Yangling dared to say this was because she had done a poll among her four children.

When Little Bear heard that a small music box would cost him two months of his monthly allowance, he immediately felt the pinch.

“I can buy four to five books for the children in the academy with 20 taels of silver.

Those four to five books can be used for at least 20 years.

It can educateaEUR|” Mu Yangling quickly interrupted him, indicating that she understood what he meant.

She turned to look at Little An, who also shook his head.

“It’s too expensive and not worth it considering there’s no other use for it.

If I want to listen to music, we can sing it ourselves.

Regarding the dancing part, we can do it ourselves too.” Little Lion and Tiger Head added, “Besides, they only know how to dance in circles.

They don’t even dance as well as we do.

Even the music is just a short piece.” In short, everyone disdained it.

Little An had only taken this thing because he wanted to know where the music came from even though there was no one playing it.

Little Lion and Tiger Head were purely watching the fun.

On the other hand, Little Bear supported Little An’s actions and said, “Just go ahead and tear it apart.

It’s best if you can draw a blueprint.

I’ll get Heizi and the others to try and see if they can make it later.

If they succeed in making it, we’ll be rich considering it’s 20 taels of silver each.” It was Little Bear’s words that reminded Mu Yangling that she had asked Steward Zhu to get the list of goods today.

Could it be that they could only import these novel things from the Westerners and export silk, tea leaves, and porcelain?

Other than porcelain, silk and tea leaves needed to be produced from land resources.

Meanwhile, the other party’s music box, firearm, and glass could all be manufactured.

As a result, their manufacturing could produce more employment opportunities for their country’s labor force.

As for Great Qi, producing tea leaves and silk would occupy more land resources.

No matter when, grains were the foundation of a country.

No amount of gold or silver was as useful as grains.

It was said that gold and silver were hard currencies, but in fact, regardless of whether it was a prosperous era or a chaotic era, grains were the foundation of a country.

In a world with a developed economy like her previous life, grain reserve was still the most important thing for a country.

Therefore, Mu Yangling did not want businesses to take up more land resources before the grain production went up.

Regardless of whether it was planting tea leaves or breeding silk, it required a large amount of land resources.

Now, regardless of whether it was Westerners or Great Qi people, silk and tea leaves were an indispensable export.

Even though the sea trade had just started, the consumption was already huge.

The price of raw silk and tea leaves in various regions along the coast had nearly tripled.

When the sea trade became more and more prosperous and the prices of these two things became higher, more people would definitely give up on planting grains and instead plant tea and mulberry silkworms.

The person currently in charge of the inner treasury lived next to her, and he’d previously been in charge of filling the national treasury.

Other than the Emperor and the Minister of Revenue, no one else knew more about the national treasury and grain warehouses than him.

Whenever Mu Yangling thought of the land lost to Great Jin and West Xia that had yet to be recovered and that there might be another war within ten years, she could not help but worry.

Meanwhile, Qi Xiuyuan had been discussing with Qi Haoran about repairing the water conservancy facilities and dredging the Yellow River some time ago.

Whether it was fighting a war or building a water conservancy project, grains were needed.

Therefore, Mu Yangling hoped to change the export structure of Great Qi.

While tea leaves and satin would still be exported, the main items should be handicrafts, such as porcelain.

For example, they could also make cheaper and prettier music boxes, or glassware, clocks, and other things.

As there were ready-made music boxes, Mu Yangling only needed to find a craftsman to study them and learn the principles behind them before making them and improving them.

As for glassware, it was even simpler.

It had been made in China as early as BC.

Alright, this thing first appeared in Egypt because of the volcanic eruption, back when everyone was still living in tribes.

Although it was hazy and not transparent, at least everyone knew how to make it.

Mu Yangling also knew how the transparent and beautiful glass was made.

Please forgive her.

There was no formula written in the history books in the military academy, but it didn’t matter.

Now, the transparency of the glassware sold to them by the Westerners was already pretty great.

What she had to do was to get someone to study it and reduce the cost.

Then, she would turn the glass into beautiful mirrors, clocks, and even glass windowsaEUR| In this world, clocks were still clumsy mechanical clocks.

Coincidentally, she knew the internal structure and basic principles of how watches worked.

With that knowledge, making watches and clocks would definitely not be a problem.

As special forces soldiers, watches were something they often used, so everyone knew how to disassemble and assemble them.

Hence, it was not difficult for her to draw a structural diagram.

Having finally found her position in the sea trade, Mu Yangling found Fan Zijin and told him, “I want to build a glass factory and a clock factory.

As for the music box, I’ll leave it to the children to make it.” Fan Zijin could not help but hold his forehead and ask, “Let’s not talk about the latter first.

Where’s your formula for the former?

Also, how are you so sure that Westerners will use your glass and clock?

If nobody wants to buy it after you make it, won’t you have wasted all your investment in the early stages?” Mu Yangling blinked and said, “If the Westerners won’t buy it, I’ll just sell them to the Great Qi people.

Anyway, they’ll have to buy these two things when they go out to sea.

Now, they can buy them without going out to sea.

How good is that?” Fan Zijin couldn’t help but pat his head, thinking Mu Yangling had really become stupid after spending so much time with Haoran.

To think she asked such a stupid question.

Nodding, he said, “Alright, go ahead and do it.

But why are you telling me?” Mu Yangling chuckled and said ingratiatingly, “Zijin, I felt that I shouldn’t keep the benefits of these two lucrative businesses alone.

How about our two families work together?” Speechless, Fan Zijin asked, “The autumn harvest has just ended.

Considering you and Haoran have so many farmsteads and shops, where did all that profit go?” Mu Yangling said weakly, “I asked Steward Zhu to open a Harvest Grain Store outlet in each prefecture, so the expenditure is a little highaEUR|” Fan Zijin could not help but widen his eyes and say in a sharp voice, “Every prefecture?” Mu Yangling probably also realized that she had done something stupid and nodded.

Almost angered to death, Fan Zijin pointed at her and scolded, “I knew Haoran is insensible.

But why are you a wastrel too?”