"Brother Fish, do your eyes trouble you?" Fisher's piercing gaze sent a chill down Logan's spine.
"My vision is perfect, thank you very much!" Fisher retorted with a scowl.
"It's merely that I never imagined my brother-in-law to be such a hidden talent, a vintner, no less! You've kept that quite under wraps, haven't you?"
At that moment, Jean chimed in cheerfully, "My father and brother adored the wine I brought home. Father announced he'll be here in two days to purchase a hundred pounds!"
"Why should Uncle have to come himself to buy it? You should take some back for him, it's only right we are family after all," Logan replied, his smile lightening the room.
He wasn't fully aware of his father-in-law's capacity for wine, but it seemed impressive.
"Jean, step aside for a moment; I need to discuss some business dealings with Logan," Fisher interjected abruptly.
"Why should I leave? I'm here to make sure you treat Logan fairly!" Jean shot back defiantly.
Fisher massaged his temples, exasperated. Was this stubborn woman really his sister?
"Fine, stay if you must. He's my brother-in-law. Why would I bully him?"
"Logan, about the Brown Sugar venture, I'm on board with the second proposal you outlined," Fisher declared, shooting a frustrated glance at his sister before turning his attention back to Logan.
"Indeed, at ten silver coins per pound, the sugar is priced well below the cost of jam and fructose," Logan added.
Jam and fructose were considered luxury items, far pricier than any wine.
The market price of ten silver coins per pound was steep, but it was competitive considering the alternatives.
Logan had calculated meticulously: one pound of wheat, an ounce of rice, and an ounce of sweet potato could yield up to one and a half ounces of maltose.
With the basic ingredients costing between eighteen and twenty copper coins, the production cost per pound was around two silver coins, making it several times more expensive than producing wine.
Selling it for ten silver coins seemed lucrative, yet the complexities of maltose production justified the price. Once scaled up, the labor costs alone would be significant.
Fisher knew all too well the saturated market of grain trading, crowded with competitors making it tough to dominate. His eyes had been set on diversifying his business interests, first with brown sugar and now with white wine.
The world of wine trading presented a less crowded field. While grain trading had no barriers to entry, becoming a significant player in the wine market demanded solid connections with winemakers and a steady supply chain. Without these, one could only hope to be a secondary player in the wine industry.
In Fisher's eyes, the wine trade not only held fewer competitors but also wielded more influence and potential for higher profits compared to grain. Thus, his pivot towards becoming a prominent wine merchant wasn't just strategic, it was essential for his aspirations to dominate a sector.
Fisher couldn't help but marvel at the serendipity of his situation. His brother-in-law, not only a skilled winemaker, produced wines that outclassed others. Surely, this was a boon from the Beast God himself. Seizing this chance could catapult him to unmatched prominence, at the helm of a formidable business empire.
Despite his outward calm, Fisher had been restless with anticipation for a long time.
"Let's say four silver coins per pound for the liquor," Logan offered, nodding decisively.
He didn't hesitate much. After all, dealing with family made it easier to reach agreeable terms, and Fisher's prowess as a winemaker was undeniable.
"Four silver coins is a steal!" Fisher managed to keep his exhilaration under wraps, maintaining his usual composed demeanor.
"You are Jean's brother, and thus my family as well, of course you get the family rate," Logan affirmed warmly.
"By the way, I have another proposal for cooperation to discuss with you!" Logan segued smoothly into another business venture.
Given that both sugar and wine production heavily relied on grain as a fundamental ingredient, and Fisher was an established grain merchant, it only made sense for Logan to partner closely with him. It was practical to source materials from someone within the family circle.
Ultimately, Fisher agreed to provide grain to Logan at a generous 20% discount.
Logan felt quite satisfied with this arrangement; the savings over time would be substantial.
After the negotiations, as Fisher prepared to leave, Logan requested, "Please take ten kilograms of liquor back to my father-in-law."
With the deal set, Logan eagerly began planning the construction of additional earthen stoves in his backyard, though this time he wasn't the main laborer, Cardia and others took on the bulk of the physical work while he supervised.
Despite already having seven stoves, Logan's ambitions dictated the need for more, ten stoves in total. His workforce was ample for the task.
"This place feels a bit cramped," Jean remarked, having decided to stay behind rather than return with Fisher.
"It is a little tight, but it will suffice for now. I hadn't fully envisioned its long-term use when we started," Logan agreed, nodding. Though the backyard was expansive, if it was to serve as a permanent processing site, they would eventually need more space.