Chapter 58 Someone Wants to Buy the Son
Cheng Wanwan had expected that someone would come to buy the house after hearing about it, but she didn't expect them to come so quickly.
She had only been selling ice jelly for a few days and hadn't earned much money. Selling the recipe would be cutting off her own source of income, and she also had other plans.
She smiled politely and said, "This is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation. My ancestors instructed that it must be passed down from generation to generation, so I cannot sell it."
The shopkeeper lowered his voice and said, "I can offer this much."
He held up five fingers.
Cheng Wanwan thought that this probably meant five taels of silver.
According to her current business progress, she can earn more than half a tael of silver a day, which means five taels of silver in ten days. This hot weather will probably last for more than a month, and she may be able to earn twenty taels by selling ice jelly.
She refused without hesitation: "I'm sorry, the recipe really can't be sold."
The shopkeeper's expression darkened: "If this lady regrets her decision and wants to sell in a few days, the price won't be so high."
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "If that day ever comes, the shopkeeper is free to lower the price."
Seeing that she wouldn't listen to reason, the shopkeeper turned and left.
Zhao Ergou frowned: "Mom, I have a feeling this shopkeeper might cause some trouble?"
Zhao Sanniu clenched his fist: "If he dares to cause trouble, I'll punch him to death."
Cheng Wanwan narrowed her eyes.
They came from the neighboring town of Ping'an to run a small business, and they really couldn't compete with a local restaurant owner.
If the shopkeeper were to hire a few people to cause trouble, such as falsely accusing the ice jelly of being unclean and causing poisoning or death if eaten, even if she could clarify the matter, she might not be able to stop the rumors, and it would be difficult to expand the ice jelly business in the future.
The current sales volume is three buckets of ice jelly per day. After deducting losses, it can produce about 300 bowls. It requires two catties of agar seeds and four catties of lanterns to peel one catty of agar seeds. That is to say, the amount of lanterns used is less than ten catties.
The lanterns that the village children bring each day weigh more than 20 kilograms.
We must expand the market and increase sales, otherwise this business will be impossible once summer is over.
Cheng Wanwan's gaze fell on the four large characters "Nanfu Academy," the bold and elegant characters conveying solemnity and reverence.
She walked out towards the main gate of Nanfu Academy.
The four sons quickly followed, carrying their belongings.
Outsiders are not allowed to enter the Nanfu Academy, and there is an old man in his fifties guarding the entrance.
Cheng Wanwan scooped out the remaining loosely shaped ice powder from the wooden bucket, piled it into a bowl, and handed it over with a smile, saying, "Grandpa, would you like to try some?"
The old man guarding the door looked at her warily: "What are you going to do?"
"Sir, I'd like to ask you to help me make a connection. I'd like to say a few words to the manager of the canteen at Nanfu Academy." Cheng Wanwan lowered her voice. "If you can help me call the canteen manager out, I'll give you two coins as a tip."
The old man guarding the gate took the ice jelly from him, drank half a bowl in one gulp, and closed his eyes comfortably.
No wonder all the students in the academy praised it. It turns out that this ice jelly can really relieve summer heat. One sip of it will make your whole body feel refreshed. No wonder a bowl costs three cents.
The gatekeeper finished his ice jelly before getting up to call for help.
It was midday, and the students of the academy were having lunch. It was the busiest time in the canteen. Cheng Wanwan and her four sons waited for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before a man who was nearly thirty years old was led out by the gatekeeper.
The manager of the cafeteria is named Chen He. He is round and fat with a greasy face. You can tell at first glance that he works in the kitchen.
As soon as he saw Cheng Wanwan, his face darkened: "I was wondering why there were so few people in the cafeteria at lunchtime these past two days. Turns out it was all your doing."
In her past life, Cheng Wanwan encountered countless cold shoulders when she was doing business. Cold shoulders and harsh words were nothing compared to what she feared most: people wouldn't even give her a chance to meet them.
She smiled and picked up a bowl of crushed ice jelly: "Shopkeeper Chen, don't be fooled by the size of this bowl of ice jelly. It's not actually very filling. Those students who buy ice jelly from me still eat in the cafeteria. In this sweltering heat, how can students stand being cooped up indoors reading and writing? This stuff is for cooling off. Shopkeeper Chen, have a taste. Consider this a treat from your sister-in-law."
With her smiling face, Chen He couldn't continue to keep a straight face. Besides, he really wanted to try what the ice jelly tasted like. Why were all the students rushing over here as soon as get out of class was over?
He took the bowl, took a small bite, and froze.
He was initially furious, feeling that Cheng Wanwan had stolen his business, but now his anger had dissipated.
You can't blame this woman; you can only blame yourself for not being able to make such delicious pastries.
He was a grown man who had just eaten a large bowl of millet and a multigrain pancake. Even though he was full, he was still able to drink a large bowl of crushed ice jelly in one go.
Cheng Wanwan still had a smile on her face: "Manager Chen, do you think this thing would sell if it were sold in the cafeteria?"
Manager Chen's heart skipped a beat. He somewhat understood why this woman had called him out, but he wasn't sure. He tentatively asked, "Sister-in-law, what do you mean?"
“I’ll supply the goods, and Manager Chen will sell them, how about that?” Cheng Wanwan continued, “I’ve been selling at the entrance of Nanfu Academy for two or three days and I’ve done the math. There are about three hundred students at Nanfu Academy, plus teachers and some odd jobs, making it close to four hundred. Not everyone can afford three coins for ice jelly, so let’s say half of them. That means Nanfu Academy can sell at least two hundred bowls of ice jelly a day, which is six hundred coins in revenue.”
Manager Chen was a businessman, so he could naturally figure out the math. He had worked at the Nanfu Academy for seven or eight years. On the surface, it seemed to be going well, but in reality, his monthly income was not high. He could earn five or six taels of silver a month, but he had to pay wages to others and give kickbacks to the headmaster of the academy. In the end, he only had three taels of silver left in his hands each month.
So, he only earned about a hundred copper coins a day.
And this woman in front of us, despite her tattered clothes, can earn several hundred coins a day at the entrance of Nanfu Academy.
Having figured this out, Chen He, who had been somewhat aloof just moments before, inexplicably lowered his stance and asked in a very polite tone, "How much do you pay for the goods I get from my sister-in-law?"
Cheng Wanwan sighed, "Making this ice jelly is really difficult, it uses a lot of ingredients, and I only earn half a copper coin for every bowl I sell. This business is very tiring, otherwise I wouldn't have thought of cooperating with Manager Chen. How about this, Manager Chen will buy the ingredients from me at a cost of two copper coins per bowl, and Manager Chen will be responsible for the side ingredients such as brown sugar, hawthorn, and peanuts. How about that?"
Chen He had already calculated in his mind: the purchase price was two coins, the selling price was three coins, and if he sold two hundred bowls a day, he would earn two hundred coins. As for the peanuts and brown sugar, if he controlled the amount used, one pound of brown sugar could probably make enough syrup to drench five hundred bowls of ice jelly... Besides, peanuts were not a necessity... After deducting some necessary costs, he could earn at least one hundred and sixty coins a day just from selling ice jelly.
After a flurry of calculations, Chen He swallowed hard.
He suppressed his excitement and tried to keep his voice calm: "When will the supply begin?"
Cheng Wanwan smiled: "My son will deliver the goods tomorrow morning. Cash on delivery, how about that?"
Chen He nodded vigorously, and a business deal was considered settled.
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