Seeking cooperation
The effects of Lingquan water go far beyond making vegetables grow well and taste good.
Long-term consumption can improve people's physical fitness, enhance energy, and even prolong life.
Of course, the effect of the diluted spiritual spring water is not that obvious, but it will always show up over time.
And this is the first step of her plan - word-of-mouth fermentation.
She wants to spread the reputation of the "divine dish" thoroughly.
It spread throughout the city and even further.
Only when the reputation is loud enough can it pave the way for her subsequent plans.
As for those secret spying, gossips, and even coveting, Zhong Ling didn't care at all.
In the face of absolute strength, all conspiracies and tricks are nothing but clownish tricks.
She has enough patience and means to clear up all those troubles one by one.
This evening
As usual, Zhong Ling finished her work in the vegetable garden and was about to go back home.
Suddenly, the sound of a car engine came from the direction of the village entrance.
In Yunxi Village, where the population is mainly elderly, cars are a rarity.
When villagers travel, they either walk or ride bicycles; motorcycles are rarely seen.
Not to mention cars.
Zhong Ling raised her eyebrows slightly, stopped and looked towards the village entrance.
A black car slowly drove into the village.
The car paused briefly at the entrance of the village, as if trying to identify the direction, and then drove along the village road towards the old house.
Finally, it stopped at the door of Zhong Ling's old house.
The car door opened and two people got out.
Walking in front was a middle-aged man in a suit, with shiny hair, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and a briefcase in his hand, looking smart and capable.
Following behind him was a middle-aged woman who was dressed simply and looked a little uneasy. She was Zhang Qinglan, the wife of Lao Li, the vegetable vendor who had seen Zhongling vegetables in the market before.
After the two got off the car, the middle-aged man looked up at the farmyard in front of him, then looked at the surrounding environment, with a slightly disgusted expression on his face.
He pushed his glasses, turned around and said something to Zhang Qinglan behind him, then walked towards the gate of the old house.
Zhong Ling stood in the yard, watching them quietly.
She didn't take the initiative to come forward, nor did she ask.
He just folded his arms, leaned against the fence and watched them.
The middle-aged man walked to the gate of the courtyard, cleared his throat, forced a smile on his face, and spoke to Zhong Ling.
"Excuse me, is this Miss Zhong Lingzhong?"
His tone was quite polite, but his eyes were filled with the shrewdness and scrutiny of a businessman.
"It's me."
Zhong Ling's voice was light and no emotion could be heard.
The smile on the middle-aged man's face deepened.
"Hello, Miss Zhong. I'm the manager of the Lvyuan Fresh Market in the city. My last name is Huang Jianming."
He pulled a business card from his pocket and held it out across the fence.
“This is my business card.”
Zhong Ling didn't take it, but just glanced at the business card indifferently.
"What's up?"
Huang Jianming's hand froze slightly in mid-air, but he quickly withdrew it, with the smile on his face unchanged.
"It's like this, Miss Zhong. I heard from Mrs. Zhang that the vegetables you grow here are of very good quality, is that right?"
He turned sideways and pointed at Zhang Qinglan who was following behind him.
Zhang Qinglan quickly gave Zhong Ling a flattering smile and rubbed her hands nervously.
"Yes, Miss Zhong, my husband is Lao Li, a vegetable seller at the city market. Last time, I had the pleasure of trying your vegetable leaves, and they were absolutely delicious!"
She gave a thumbs-up, her tone exaggerated.
Huang Jianming continued.
"Mrs. Zhang told me about the situation. I'm very interested in the vegetables you grow, Miss Zhong."
"Our Green Source Fresh Market is the largest wholesale market in the city, mainly catering to customers who have high demands for quality of life."
"If Miss Zhong's vegetables are truly as high-quality as Mrs. Zhang claims, we hope to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with you."
He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone filled with unquestionable confidence.
"As for the price, we will definitely give you a figure that satisfies you."
After hearing this, Zhong Ling's face remained expressionless.
"I have no problem selling my vegetables."
She spoke slowly, her voice not loud, but clearly heard by both of them.
These words made the smile on Huang Jianming's face pause slightly.
Zhang Qinglan was also a little embarrassed.
Huang Jianming obviously didn't expect to get such an answer.
In his opinion, a country girl who grows some vegetables can be noticed by the largest supermarket in the city and be actively approached to discuss cooperation. Isn't that a pie in the sky?
At least you should be flattered, or at least actively cooperate.
But this girl was too calm, almost abnormally so.
"Ms. Zhong, that's not what I meant."
Huang Jianming adjusted his mood and tried to put on a more convincing attitude.
"No matter how good your vegetables are, if you only sell them in the village or sell them in small quantities, how much can you sell? And how long can they last?"
"Cooperating with our supermarket will provide you with stable sales and large volumes. This is the long-term solution for you."
"Moreover, our Green Source Fresh brand can also bring higher value to your vegetables."
He spoke sincerely, trying to convince Zhong Ling.
Zhong Ling just sneered softly.
"I know how much my food is worth."
"As for sales..."
She paused and glanced at Huang Jianming and Zhang Qinglan behind him.
"Manager Huang, don't worry about that."
This rude refusal finally made Huang Jianming look a little embarrassed.
He frowned and his tone hardened.
"Ms. Zhong, I know young people are arrogant. But business is not about acting on impulse."
"At 20 yuan per kilogram, selling it in the village might attract some buyers for its novelty, but it's impossible to sell it in large quantities for a long time."
"When we purchase from the market, we also have to consider cost and market acceptance."
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Zhang Qinglan quickly came out to smooth things over.
"Yes, yes, Miss Zhong, Manager Huang means well. Lvyuan Supermarket is a big place. If you can sell your vegetables there, you will become famous!"
Zhong Ling ignored her and just looked at Huang Jianming.
"My price is twenty-one pounds."
"One cent less, no sale."
"As for whether it can sell in large quantities and whether the market can accept it, that's my business."
Her tone was firm and unquestionable.
Huang Jianming was choked and speechless.
He had seen difficult suppliers, but he had never seen one so stubborn and with such an inexplicable confidence.
Where does a country girl get her confidence from?
He took a deep breath and suppressed the unhappiness in his heart.
"Ms. Zhong, twenty yuan is too high. Our supermarket has its own pricing system, and we can't accept this price."
"How about this? I'll give in. Ten yuan a pound, what do you say?"
"This price is the highest sincerity we can offer."
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