Boss Cai noticed that Qiao Lian'er looked very serious, as if she had something very important to say.
He then instructed the shop assistant to weigh the items with the Qiao family, invited Qiao Lian'er to the backyard, and had tea served.
"Little girl, go ahead and tell me."
Qiao Lian'er said, "I've heard some rumors that the local government has been instructed to inspect the operations of the restaurants and shops, and to levy silver when necessary. They should be taking action in the next couple of days."
This news was like a bolt from the blue for anyone in business; Mr. Cai froze for a moment.
"Little girl, is what you're saying true? Do you have any evidence?"
"This, this is no joke."
"I'm not joking. I've been keeping an eye on things. We're in business, how can we not be careful?"
Boss Cai glanced at her face again. It was calm, but it gave off a feeling that a storm was brewing.
"You, all of you in the yard, get out, get out," Boss Cai said irritably, even though Qiao Lian'er had spoken softly and no one else could hear her.
After everyone had been cleared out, Boss Cai took a deep breath.
"Little girl, although you are young, you are a person with your own opinions."
“You couldn’t have just told me this; you must have your own thoughts and ways of dealing with it.”
Businessmen like them already pay heavy taxes. If they were to have all their money stolen, all their hard work over the past ten years would be for nothing. Why would they be willing to do that?
"I'm thinking about my own situation. Of course, if Mr. Cai is willing to cooperate with me, he can pay less."
The reason Qiao Lian'er went to talk to Boss Cai about this was because he was in complete control of the restaurant, and Boss Cai was a decent and honest person.
She dared not easily tell anyone about such a crucial and life-threatening matter.
"Okay, go ahead and I'm listening."
Qiao Lian'er said, "Boss Cai needs to make another real account so that we can compare it privately. The ingredients sold to Boss Cai should be written down at a lower price on the official account, including the price of the dishes. As for the reason for today's price reduction, note that the seller's cost of purchasing from foreign merchants has decreased. Boss Cai should know better than me how to do it."
“From today until those people leave, I will not sell my ingredients to anyone else but Boss Cai, because the previous accounts are already settled, and there will be inconsistencies if we investigate.”
She had considered that she still needed to earn money during this period. The war in the north of Daze Kingdom required silver, and she would contribute her share. However, it was impossible for them to take everything away from her.
Moreover, at such times, the things taken from the people far exceed the actual needs, and many people take advantage of this opportunity to fish in troubled waters, causing widespread suffering.
She would never let these people get away with it.
After careful consideration, Boss Cai realized that even if what Qiao Lian'er said wasn't true, he would only be keeping an extra ledger. Moreover, the fact that Qiao Lian'er only sold to him during this period meant that she was only communicating with him. She didn't tell more people because she was afraid that leaks would implicate her. This proved both the credibility of the information and the trust she placed in him.
“Okay, Miss Qiao, you trust me, and I trust you. Let’s agree on a price and stick to the same word.”
Mr. Cai said with a solemn expression.
"How much longer until they arrive?"
"About a month after the autumn harvest."
"Okay, that's more than enough. I'm just worried that if we rush things, we won't be prepared for many things, and we might easily be exposed later."
“I come here every three to five days. We’ll weigh the ingredients at the back door. Otherwise, other restaurants will also have to buy ingredients from me, and the prices will be different, which will cause trouble.”
Now, Qiao Lian'er would rather earn less than compromise on safety.
Seeing that Qiao Lian'er wasn't even willing to earn more money, the boss felt even more convinced that the matter was true.
Moreover, he was the only one who could earn money from these ingredients during this period, and the thought of it filled him with excitement.
"Don't worry, Miss Qiao. It's better if those people don't come. Even if they do, our losses won't be too great," said Boss Cai.
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