Lychees held an unquestionable status in Fengjing, costing not only fifty taels per catty but also serving as a symbol of status.
In the blink of an eye, the price of lychees from the Liao family dropped to ten taels. What would the noble families who had bought lychees think? And what would the imperial family in the capital think?
The only advantage is probably that it can quickly squeeze out Jiuzhenfang.
“At ten taels, no matter how much we throw in, no one will buy it.” Jiang Sheng was stunned. “Two aristocratic families have already come to cancel their reservations, and it’s only a matter of time before others follow suit.”
"They're even willing to forgo profits just to crush us?" Zhang Xianglian trembled. "The Liao family is determined to take us down with them."
This move is extremely painful, yet fast, accurate, and ruthless.
Jiuzhenfang not only lost its reservations for Lingnan lychees, but also lost customers from Sichuan and Chongqing who wanted lychees.
That's true. If you can afford five ounces a pound, you can grit your teeth and try it if you can afford ten ounces a pound.
It was clear that Jiuzhenfang was losing business, but the Liao family never considered that if the price of lychees couldn't be raised in the future, it would be like they had shot themselves in the foot.
"Don't worry, it won't happen." Zheng Ruqian led Wang Xiaosong in.
Even the usually flamboyant Master Zheng was a little troubled, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly. "This situation looks like a lose-lose situation, but if I were the Liao family, I would have a solution."
When two businesses are competing, defeating the rival is of paramount importance.
As long as the lychee business is not contested and becomes a monopoly, the Liao family can easily raise the price by changing the variety, the sales method, or even the porcelain container.
The offended powerful families could be given more lychees, while the dissatisfied common people had nowhere to voice their grievances.
Only Jiuzhenfang emerged as the biggest loser.
"Then... should we lower the price too?" Jiang Sheng hesitated. "But second brother, we don't have the capital to lose money. If we really have to lower the price, we'd rather not do this business at all."
See, the Liao family's ruthless self-inflicted wounds have paid off.
Jiuzhenfang has no confidence to lose money, nor does it have the capital to fight a contest. The more ruthless the Liao family is, the faster the matter will be resolved.
Although they were enemies, Zheng Ruqian felt that the person who came up with this move was quite skilled.
"Boss, is the fifth batch of lychees still being shipped?" Wang Xiaosong asked timidly from behind. "The fourth batch is already on its way, and there's really no way to stop it."
This is really a headache.
Having been in business for so many years, this was the first time Zheng Ruqian had faced such a difficult business battle. He pondered the situation several times, but still couldn't come up with the best solution.
Giving up the lychee business is something I'm unwilling to do.
They can't afford to give up the lychee business, but they also can't afford to lower prices or gamble.
Seeing that most of the lychees in the basin were untouched, a passing customer was about to buy two pounds to try when his friend pulled him away, saying, "Lychees from Lingnan cost ten taels a pound, who would still eat lychees from Sichuan and Chongqing? Come on, come on, or they'll all be gone."
And so Jiuzhenfang was empty once again.
Zheng Ruqian clenched his fists, and Jiang Sheng was full of resentment. Unfortunately, the brother and sister racked their brains but couldn't come up with a better solution.
Just when they were at their wits' end and almost resigned to their fate.
Three figures suddenly emerged from the clinic next door.
One was tall and elegant with a scholarly air, another was slender and somewhat shy, and yet another had a smile that never quite revealed his thoughts.
These were the three brothers who, despite being busy with their own lives, had gathered together at Jiuzhenfang.
"You guys..." Zheng Ruqian was stunned. "Weren't you busy with your own things?"
"The Imperial College isn't a prison where you can go in and never come out," Xu Mo chuckled.
"It's me, it's me." Doctor Wen said with a blushing face. "I heard about your predicament, so I specially called my eldest brother, Xiao Wu, here."
So, having two shops too close together also has its drawbacks; no secrets can be kept.
“What’s there to hide? Second Brother, just tell us if you’re in trouble. There’s always strength in numbers,” Changyan said with a smile.
Even three cobblers with their mediocre skills can outwit one Zhuge Liang.
Moreover, they are always better than a cobbler.
“You guys…” Zheng Ruqian was speechless several times.
As time passed, it seemed as if everyone had returned to that village, racking their brains to sell the ill-fitting gray coat, running around for days to collect vegetables, and worrying about losing the recipe for cured meat.
Although he has gotten used to traveling alone over the years, getting used to going all over the country, he has gone from being dull to shrewd, and has gradually taken on the appearance of a great businessman.
But whenever he faced major difficulties or difficult decisions, his brothers would stand up for him and stand with him to overcome the challenges and weather the storms.
They are independent individuals, developing along different paths, and thriving.
But they are also a united family, and they will lend a helping hand to anyone who encounters difficulties, working together as one.
“Others have three cobblers, we have six,” Jiang Sheng said, holding up his short, chubby fingers. “So we’re as good as two Zhuge Liangs.”
The brothers all burst into laughter.
Zheng Ruqian laughed until tears streamed down his face. He wiped them away with his knuckles without making a sound, and laid out the problem: "Ten taels is already beyond profit. The Liao family can't lower the price any further, and we can't sell at that price either."
"The Liao family can supply 300 catties of lychees every ten days, earning 3,000 taels of silver per month. The ice alone costs 1,000 taels. The wages for the farmhands plus the purchase of the goods also cost 300 to 500 taels. On the way, they need to change horses and carriages. In addition, there is the labor cost for removing and cleaning the damaged parts. The lychees also need to be chilled after landing. They also need to be delivered to each household in wooden or porcelain basins. After all that, there is almost no profit."
Even if you earn a few hundred taels, it's just a pittance.
"The most crucial point is that we didn't lower our prices when the Liao family reduced them by 25 taels. Now that the Liao family is offering them for 10 taels, we can't lower our prices either. Lowering them would offend people and wouldn't solve the key problem. The Liao family will be ruthless and reduce their prices to 8 taels or 5 taels. There will always be a time when we can't keep up."
If we don't lower the price, this business really can't be done.
What other ways are there to break this deadlock? What else can be done?
Xu Mo tapped the table lightly, Wen Zhiyun sighed deeply, Chang Yan frowned, and Jiang Sheng rested her hands on the back of her hands.
After a long pause, Changyan spoke softly, “In other words, it would cost us ten taels of silver to transport the lychees ourselves.”
"At roughly this price, any business that doesn't make at least double its profit is considered a loss." Zheng Ruqian shook his head. "Fortunately, the lychee tree only bears fruit for a short period, so I only signed short-term contracts and not long-term ones."
Otherwise, they would have been ruined by the Liao family.
Xu Mo looked up and said, "Lychees seem to bear fruit from May to August."
"To be precise, it's from mid-May to mid-August, which is about three months," Zheng Ruqian added. "The ones from the end of August are still edible, but they can't be transported to Fengjing anymore."
It's mid-July now, and there's still a month until the lychees are out of season.
This means the Liao family gave up a profit of 12,000.
Such ruthlessness and such a move can only be backed by a family that has been in business for generations.
How could ordinary people like them, who started from scratch, possibly compete with the Liao family?
Xu Mo sighed deeply, Chang Yan rubbed his forehead, and Zheng Ruqian stared blankly into the distance.
Only Jiang Sheng was unusually saddened, saying, "We won't be able to eat lychees anymore."
"Don't be sad." Wen Zhiyun secretly tugged at her sleeve. "I'll ask Sister Xiaozhu to secretly go to the Liao family to buy you some."
Jiang Sheng shook his head righteously, before he could say anything.
Chang Yan slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Second brother, since the price is the same even if we transport them from Lingnan, why don't we just buy the lychees directly from the Liao family?"
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