Chapter 38
On the first day, after the herbs were half dried, their weight increased from five pounds to three and a half pounds.
Yu Ying took these few pounds of herbs to Penglai Inn.
In order to avoid suspicion, we did not go directly to the guest room and talked in the lobby.
When Yu Ying arrived, she didn't even need to tell her anything, as the waiter Afu was very smart and went to invite the drug dealer.
Wu, the drug dealer, was a middle-aged man. Initially, when he heard about a woman collecting herbs to sell, he had no interest. But after hearing that she had signed a contract with a big drug dealer for hundreds of kilograms of herbs, he began to wonder if the waiter was exaggerating.
After asking around with the innkeeper, I found out that this was indeed the case, which aroused my curiosity.
If the quality of this medicinal material is not good, the big drug dealer would not order so much of it at once.
After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to take a look at the quality of these medicinal herbs before making a decision.
He did not say which herbs he wanted, only that he wanted herbs to treat colds, because he wanted to find out whether the Madam Yu mentioned by the waiter was really capable.
After arriving at the inn lobby, the waiter led the way to a young woman.
Seeing the black spots on the woman's face, they were a bit eye-catching at first glance, but when you look closely, you will find that apart from those spots, the woman's facial features are actually delicate.
He put away his strange gaze and did not sit down. He just raised his chin and looked at the woman, saying nonchalantly, "Are you Madam Yu?"
Yu Ying sensed the other person's arrogance and disrespect. She paused as she was about to stand, her smile fading. Without standing, she replied calmly, "I am Madam Yu. May I know your name, sir?"
"My last name is Wu..." The drug dealer paused. She answered in such a calm manner while sitting, which made her look like someone who was replying to him. He couldn't help but frown.
Yu Ying still needed this business, so she stood up and said slowly, "It's Mr. Wu." She smiled and said, "If you have some free time, why not take a moment to sit down and look at my medicinal herbs?"
The druggist was quite pleased to hear the word "Sir".
After he sat down, he glanced at the woman and said, "Then bring the herbs over for us to see."
Yu Ying knew that not everyone was as easy to talk to as Shopkeeper Chen and the previous drug dealer named Zhao. She would always meet all kinds of strange people, but she was not annoyed by his attitude.
For her, making money is the most important thing for now.
Yu Ying took out several pounds of herbs from the backpack and placed them on the table. She then said, "Mr. Wu said we needed herbs for treating colds and febrile diseases. Due to time constraints, we only found these herbs: patchouli, indigo, gardenia, and honeysuckle."
Yu Ying pointed at the herbs one by one and said their names at the same time.
As a drug dealer, one must have some knowledge of medicinal materials.
Although Wu the medicine merchant did not have a comprehensive understanding, he originally came to collect medicinal materials for treating colds and febrile diseases. So when he heard about these medicinal materials, he sat on the table and pondered for a while, and knew that none of them were wrong.
He put away his contemptuous look and carefully examined the medicinal herbs she mentioned.
The medicinal materials were cleaned very thoroughly, and you could tell from the looks of it that they were picked in the last two days and were not old herbs.
After pondering for a moment, he looked up at the woman across from him and said, "I've already ordered a batch of herbs from the local clinic and can't break the contract. So even if your herbs are good, Madam Yu, I'm afraid I can't take much of them."
To be honest, the drug dealer felt a little sorry, but if he broke the contract, not only would he have to pay a large sum of money, but he would also not be able to get the medicinal materials back. It was not worth it.
When Yu Ying heard the drug dealer say that he had already ordered the medicinal materials from the clinic, her heart sank a little, and she thought the deal was going to fail. But when she heard him say that it wouldn't cost much, her hope was instantly ignited.
She smiled and said, "I wonder how many herbs you would like, sir?"
The drug dealer pondered for a moment before speaking, "Thirty kilograms of herbs for treating colds and febrile diseases. The price is also calculated by the kilogram."
He looked down at the herbs on the table, thought for a moment, and named a price: "Ten coins per pound."
When she heard the price, Yu Ying's smile slowly faded.
Previously, the drug dealer surnamed Zhao said that the medicinal materials would be given to her according to the purchase price of the clinic, which means that the price of these medicinal materials might be set by the clinic.
The price is generally the same for the quantity that Pharmacist Zhao wants, and the price for small drug dealers is even harder to negotiate.
Yu Ying was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly: "Sir, this price may be much higher than the price the clinic charges me for the medicinal materials, but it is also much lower than the price you charge the clinic for the medicine."
The drug dealer raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "I have already ordered the herbs. I only asked for thirty kilograms reluctantly because of the good quality of Madam Yu's herbs. If Madam Yu thinks the price is too low, there is no need to negotiate with me."
The drug dealer seemed to be certain that the woman in front of him was short of money and would definitely sell the drug at a low price.
Yu Ying added, "The dangers in the mountains are no less than the journey you've taken thousands of miles to buy herbs from. Furthermore, if I sell them to you at such a low price today, then there will be no standard for buying and selling herbs in the future. Who would be willing to pay the normal price for my herbs?"
The drug dealer said, "You and I set the price, but we don't tell anyone. How can others know?"
Yu Ying smiled and then said, "What if I share it with others?"
The drug dealer looked puzzled, then heard her say, "The mountains are treacherous. How could a woman like me go in there to collect herbs? The people who went in with me, and the waiter who introduced me, I can't offer a high price and then pay them a pittance. If I do that, will they still be willing to work for me?"
"Even if I pay them a high salary, am I going to work so hard just to earn a meager profit? Furthermore, there's no guarantee they'll keep their mouth shut about this."
The drug dealer was silent for a moment, still not planning to raise the price. He said with embarrassment, "The main reason is that after acquiring the clinic's medicinal materials, my budget is insufficient. Besides..."
He paused, then painted a picture for the woman across from him, saying, "I'll come to Yun County again in October to buy herbs. I won't be ordering from the clinic, but directly from you, Madam Yu. We'll recalculate the price then. What do you think, Madam Yu?"
Yu Ying smiled faintly: "Okay."
The drug dealer was delighted when he heard this, for he knew that women were easy to fool.
"Then we'll sign a written contract. The price for common medicinal herbs will be based on the twenty-one coins per pound that the drug dealer quoted me earlier, starting at one hundred pounds."
The drug dealer's expression froze.
Although twenty-one cents was still one cent lower than the price at the clinic, he was originally a small-time drug dealer, and he only came to collect medicine in autumn and summer. This time he came to Lingnan to collect medicinal materials, and next time he would go to the north to collect them...
A verbal agreement and a signed contract are two completely different things.
Yu Ying had long guessed that the drug dealer was trying to fool her, and from his slightly stiff expression, it could be seen that her guess was correct.
Yu Yingfu smiled faintly, "How about this, let's each make a concession. Sixteen coins per catty, and the quality should be kept at 95%. What do you think, sir?"
Uncle He and his men earned six or seven cents, and after deducting the waiter's share, she had to make at least half the profit, otherwise there would be no point in doing this business.
Otherwise, once a low price starts, there will be many low prices.
Upon hearing this, the drug dealer immediately frowned and stood up, saying, "It's just twelve cents. If you don't want to sell it, forget it."
Although he stood up, he had no intention of leaving immediately.
Yu Ying saw it clearly, now it depends on who can sit still first.
She also stood up and began to put the herbs on the table in an orderly manner. The druggist's eyebrows jumped when he saw this, but he still secretly held on to a lucky heart, thinking that the woman was bluffing.
After Yu Ying put all the herbs into the basket and put it on her back, she said slowly, "Since we couldn't agree on a good price, it's a shame. I hope I can have the opportunity to do business with you next time."
After saying that, Yu Ying and the drug dealer nodded slightly, then turned and left.
The drug dealer's face gradually hardened.
The price offered by the clinic was twenty-two cents, but if he sold it to a clinic in the north, he could get twice as much.
And the medicinal materials this woman sells are of good quality, so she can definitely raise the price.
Sixteen cents is not only not a loss, but you will also earn some extra money.
Seeing that the woman had already gone out, the drug dealer considered it for a moment and decided to chase after her.
Ah Fu, who was watching from the side, felt his heart in his throat.
He had just been thinking that twelve cents was already good, so why did Madam Yu refuse? If it was twelve cents per catty, and there were thirty catties, he could earn thirty-six cents.
When he was disappointed, he saw the drug dealer chasing after him, and he instantly felt hopeful again. He was immediately filled with admiration for Madam Yu.
The drug dealer caught up with her, which also proved that Yu Ying made the right bet.
The deal was done.
*
When I returned to the restaurant at noon, it happened that Manager Chen had also made connections, and the yamen runner had agreed to the banquet, which was scheduled for the next evening.
After returning, Yu Ying told Uncle He and Aunt He the news and asked them to continue to go into the mountains with her to collect herbs the next day, and then go to Yu County with Uncle He the day after tomorrow.
Uncle He was a little nervous about the banquet, but when he heard that the deal was done, all his nervousness disappeared.
When he went to talk to his eldest son about the time to have dinner with the official, he kept looking at the herbs he had picked earlier so that he could remember what they looked like.
After Yu Ying returned home and sent Fu Ning and Fu An out after dinner, she also told Fu Wei about these two things.
Fu Wei pondered for a moment, then said, "The purpose of treating the guests is nothing more than flattering the yamen runner and making him happy. As for the business..."
Yu Ying asked, "Is there anything wrong?"
Fu Wei looked at her with a serious expression. "After all, before, the drug dealers all went to the clinic to purchase medicinal materials. Now that there are fewer traveling merchants, the clinic won't be suspicious. But if you set your price too low, those traveling merchants will come to you after hearing the news. I'm afraid several drug stores will unite to deal with you. So, until you make a name for yourself, it's better to keep a low profile."
After hearing what Fu Wei said, Yu Ying also fell into deep thought.
The market price is like that. If she suddenly breaks the low price, she will definitely become a thorn in the eyes of her peers.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "At the time, I thought that this was the first time Uncle He and Aunt He had done business with us, so I was eager to get it done and didn't think things through."
Fu Wei shook his head and said, "After all, the quantity is small, and the price is not extremely low. Once or twice won't have much impact."
After thinking it over, Yu Ying said, "Then we'll have to stick to the previous price from now on. Although we might not be able to compete with the clinic, it's better at saving us a lot of trouble. Besides, competing on low prices is not a legitimate method. It's not good for others, and it's not good for ourselves either."
After hearing her words, Fu Wei suddenly smiled and said, "Talking with you makes me feel comfortable."
When others point out her shortcomings, she will not rush to deny them, but will seriously think about the shortcomings and then admit them. What is rare is that she can listen to other people's good suggestions.
Yu Ying smiled faintly and said nothing.
*
In the morning, Yu Ying went into the mountains with Uncle He and Aunt He to collect herbs. It was her second time collecting herbs, and she was much more skilled than the first time. However, because they were designated herbs, she only collected about nine pounds.
The next day, I had to go into the city, so I only picked some for a while and then went back. The harvest was probably a little over four pounds.
After these fourteen pounds were half dried, they only weighed about eleven pounds. Adding the three pounds from before, it was about fifteen pounds.
It is estimated that it will take another two days to collect the remaining 15.5 kilograms of dried herbs, so there is no need to rush.
When entertaining the yamen runners, Yu Ying bought two jars of wine, each costing fifty cents, which was considered fine wine for the common people of Xun.
She gave one jar to Shopkeeper Chen and kept another jar for entertainment.
At the same time, they also went to Penglai Inn in advance to book two ordinary guest rooms, so that the few people who had drunk would have a place to rest and could rest more comfortably.
She told the shopkeeper Chen that she had booked a room.
Then he put the wrapped five hundred coins under the basket filled with fruit, and then Uncle He handed it to the yamen runner.
When it was almost dark, Yu Ying went back first.
Because she was worried about the reception, Yu Ying couldn't sleep at night.
After turning over the next moment, Fu Wei, who was standing beside the bed, lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry too much. The yamen runners just want to make some money and don't want to make a big deal out of it. So if there's enough money, they'll naturally help."
Upon hearing this, Yu Ying turned around again, facing Fu Wei in the darkness, and asked, "Back in the day, when I was in Wuling County, were the county officials also like this?"
Fu Wei was silent for a moment before he said, "There is no place with completely clear water, nor is there a place with completely turbid water."
What Fu Wei said was indeed correct. Whether now or in the future, there is no place with completely clear water, nor is there a place with completely turbid water.
After thinking about it, she said casually, "Forget it, I won't think about it anymore. I'll know the result tomorrow. If I can't sleep thinking about it now, it will only cause me more trouble."
After turning over and counting sheep, I actually fell asleep.
*
After a night, the He family father and son walked back from Yu County the next morning.
Uncle He said, "Three yamen runners came with us. Seeing how well we treated them to delicious food and wine, they were delighted. Wu Dong's cousin readily agreed to go to the quarry. He told us to pay the ransom money as soon as possible, and then he would get the order from the master to accompany us."
At this point, Uncle He added, "Thank goodness Liu Niang arranged everything properly. They praised the wine highly, and I heard they had a place to rest at the inn on the next street. When they left the next day, they still had smiles on their faces."
After hearing Uncle He's words, Yu Ying felt relieved.
The task of establishing connections is half done. All that’s left is to collect the herbs and hand them over. We can set off for the quarry in three days.
He Dalang thought that even if he went there today, his wages for the entire day would be deducted. It would be better for him to help at home for the morning and then go there to work in the afternoon.
With He Dalang's help, they had collected about 15 pounds of herbs by noon. After another day of work tomorrow, all the work would be done.
After finishing the work, it's time to go to the quarry.
Thinking of this, Yu Ying looked thoughtfully in the direction of the quarry pointed out by Uncle He, and couldn't help feeling a little worried.
——I don’t know what kind of people Fu Dalang and his wife are, and whether they are easy to get along with.
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