The joy inside Jiuzhenfang turned to silence, while Jiang San and Jiang Si outside followed suit, pounding their feet and beating their chests.
It was just a little while, just a little while.
"How could this happen?" Zhang Xianglian's anxious voice came from inside the house. "What are we going to do now that the Liao family has done this?"
The master chef's figure grew increasingly lonely and desolate. The courage he had just mustered vanished into thin air. He turned around in a disheveled state and fled before being discovered.
"What can we do? They've all lowered their prices, so we have to too," Zheng Ruqian said calmly.
Previously, the Liao family monopolized the lychee market, causing the price to rise to fifty taels of silver per catty, which was outrageous.
Jiuzhenfang followed this price without hesitation and made a killing.
Honestly, even if the price of lychees were halved, the profits would still be substantial.
"I thought the Liao family would have some tricks up their sleeve, but all they did was lower the price." Jiang Sheng clicked her tongue. "Couldn't they have been a little more clever?"
Zheng Ruqian chuckled.
In reality, there are only a few modes of business warfare: squeezing profits, slander and defamation, and creating trouble.
Since the Liao family didn't dare to take action, they could only play the price game, which coincided with the trend of the pastry shop across the street selling roasted chestnuts.
“If they lower their prices, we’ll lower ours too.” Zhang Xianglian said worriedly, “If the Liao family sells at a loss, we’ll sell at a loss too.”
Transporting lychees has costs, but the Liao family is very wealthy; even if they lose money for two years, they can afford it.
On the contrary, they can't afford to lose money. When the time comes, they will have to close down and the lychee business will return to the Liao family, who can set their own prices.
By any measure, the Liao family has the confidence to lower prices or even lose money.
“We have them too, and we sell cheap lychees.” Zheng Ruqian smiled slyly. “But not now. We’ll wait for the third batch of lychees to arrive. No rush.”
Zhang Xianglian had no choice but to give up.
"Oh dear, Auntie, don't worry." Zheng Ruqian went over to comfort her, "You just focus on making the lychee-flavored pastries, and leave the rest to me."
He was no longer the kid who took out eight coins to pawn his book, only to be ripped off by the shopkeeper.
Life taught him countless lessons. His travels were not about appreciating local customs and culture, but about dealing with countless shrewd people. He suffered losses and also gained advantages.
Nearly five years have passed, and the once wailing young master has long since become a shrewd businessman.
“Yes, Auntie, Second Brother is the smartest.” Jiang Sheng was as trusting and carefree as ever. “If he says it’s okay, then it’s definitely okay.”
Zheng Ruqian was just about to burst into triumphant laughter.
Jiang Sheng added, "Even if he loses money making lychees, we still have pastries and workshops, so we'll still have enough to eat."
Zheng Ruqian's laughter caught in his throat again.
It turns out it wasn't trust, but rather a consistent lack of ambition; being content with just having enough to eat was enough.
"Don't worry, this lychee business battle will definitely not result in losses." He poked the little dumpling bun. "Your second brother is going to watch this."
Zheng Ruqian waved his hand and took Wang Xiaosong out to make a living.
Zhang Xianglian was left to work with Jiang Sheng to continue researching the proportions of various lychee-flavored pastries.
Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.
The Liao family's price war was indeed very effective. Apart from some aristocratic families who continued to place orders out of respect for the Jiang family, almost all the families switched to ordering from the Liao family. I heard that they have already pre-ordered 300 catties.
Zhang Xianglian was so anxious that she became angry. She pulled Zheng Ruqian aside several times and asked, "Xiaoqian, what should we do? This can't go on. Do you have any ideas?"
Zheng Ruqian just smiled mysteriously.
Fortunately, Aunt Zhang has a good temper; if it were Magistrate Pang, he probably would have slapped her on the back of the head long ago.
At the end of June (lunar calendar), Gao Yan and a stranger drove two carts full of lychees to the entrance of Jiuzhenfang, opened the car doors and started unloading them.
Zhang Xianglian was startled and hurriedly brought over an ice basin, then called Miao Zhaoying and her daughter over to sort the ice.
It was at this time that they discovered this truckload of lychees was very different.
The lychees were all slightly smaller in shape and size, and had fewer branches. Normally, a truckload of lychees from Lingnan could only carry a maximum of thirty catties, but this truckload carried a full hundred catties.
Jiang Sheng had just finished making lychee pastries when she curiously picked one up to try. She almost broke her teeth when she bit into it. After spitting out the pit, she realized, "The flesh of this lychee is thinner than the previous ones."
The size is already inferior, and the pit is even larger, so the flesh is thin.
It can be said that this lychee variety is a grade lower than those transported from Lingnan.
It wasn't even as good as the red and green dish that Liao gave to Jiang Sheng.
"Would people be willing to sell these lychees?" Zhang Xianglian began to worry again, her brows furrowing deeply.
Fortunately, Zheng Ruqian appeared, waving his folding fan. "Don't worry, Aunt, I won't sell this for too much. It's only five taels of silver per catty."
What?
Lychees that cost fifty taels a catty were directly reduced to five taels of silver a catty.
This is even more ruthless and extravagant than the Liao family's half-price discount.
“Auntie, don’t be afraid. These are lychees from Sichuan and Chongqing.” Zheng Ruqian pointed with his fan. “They are only three days and three nights away from Fengjing. The shorter time means fewer branches need to be cut, so we can transport more each time. Even if we only sell them for one tael, let alone five taels, I will still make a profit.”
As for why it's not sold for one or two ounces...
Who would complain about having too much money?
Thanks to his knowledgeable older brother, Zheng Ruqian only just learned that the "Imperial Concubine's Smile" in the poem "A courier gallops through the dust to greet the imperial concubine" is actually not a lychee from the Lingnan region.
The imperial concubine was born and raised in Sichuan and Chongqing. The taste of her childhood must have come from Sichuan and Chongqing. How could she have gone to Lingnan? Therefore, it can be inferred that lychees are also grown in Sichuan and Chongqing.
Further research into ancient texts revealed that people did indeed consume lychees from Sichuan and Chongqing a hundred years ago. It wasn't until a ten-day preservation method for lychees from Lingnan was discovered that lychees from Sichuan and Chongqing were abandoned by people.
Lychees that cost 50 taels per catty (approximately 250 grams) are obviously more popular than those with thin flesh, large pits, and a sweet and sour taste.
But when lychees cost five taels of silver per catty, the allure of their high price faded, and cheapness became the key.
“But five taels of silver is quite expensive,” Miao Zhaoying exclaimed.
Zheng Ruqian laughed beside him.
I used to think that the world was only divided into rich and poor. The rich spent money like water, while the poor struggled to even eat meat.
After seeing more of the world, I realized that there are many people who live quite well between the rich and the poor.
They may not seem wealthy, but they can afford to eat lavish meals and satisfy their needs.
While they may seem wealthy, they are cautious about buying expensive items and generally avoid luxury goods.
These kinds of people are reluctant to eat lychees that cost fifty taels per catty, but they will definitely try the ones that cost five taels per catty. The Sichuan and Chongqing lychees are used to fill this market gap and to make money off them!
Zheng Ruqian spoke passionately, and the entire Jiuzhenfang fell silent the moment his voice fell.
Everyone was worried about the Liao family lowering their prices, but this kid actually secretly went to transport other varieties of lychees. He's really cunning.
"But, but how could the Liao family not know this? Why didn't they transport it?" In the silence, Daya asked weakly.
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