The shopkeeper nodded and said, "County Master, how are you going to sell this soybean oil?"
An Ning had already calculated that three catties of pig fat could produce one catty of lard, and one catty of pig fat cost thirty coins, which means one catty of lard would cost ninety coins. Five catties of soybeans could produce one catty of soybean oil, which means one catty of soybean oil would cost fifty coins. With the addition of labor and other miscellaneous expenses, the cost of one catty of soybean oil was about sixty coins.
However, the price An Ning paid for soybeans this year was two cents higher than in previous years. The reason for this was, firstly, because there were fewer soybeans this year, and secondly, because An Ning wanted to stimulate the people and make them feel that they could make money by growing soybeans.
An Ning calculated that when more soybeans are planted next year, the price of soybeans will be two cents cheaper per pound, and the profit will be even greater. So An Ning said, "Boss, I want to sell this oil for 70 cents per pound. Do you think you can accept this price?"
The shopkeeper calculated in his mind that this pound of soybean oil was 20 cents cheaper than a pound of lard, so he could accept this price. But in business, bargaining is always necessary, so the shopkeeper said, "County Master, to be honest, this price is a bit high. Although the price of lard is a bit more expensive, the lard residue from lard can also be reused. After all the calculations, your soybean oil price is not competitive."
An Ning didn't expect the shopkeeper to agree right away, so he said, "Shopkeeper, although the price of my soybean oil is not competitive now, the price can be reduced next year when the people grow soybeans on a large scale. And soybean oil has its own advantages. Foods cooked with soybean oil are much better than lard." An Ning thought for a moment and said, "How about this, shopkeeper, I'll charge you 68 coins per pound and give priority to you."
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Okay, since the county lady said so, I can't not give her this face. How about this, keep all the soybean oil you brought today. From today on, I will promote dishes fried with soybean oil and see how they sell in the future. If they sell well, I will buy more soybean oil. What do you think?"
An Ning knew that the shopkeeper didn't take this seriously, so she didn't force it. She nodded and said, "Okay, then please weigh it."
The shopkeeper nodded and called the waiter to weigh the oil. An Ning didn't bring much this time, only three large jars, each containing 20 catties, a total of 60 catties, and the soybean oil was sold for a total of 4 taels of silver and 80 coins.
An Ning took the silver, said goodbye to the shopkeeper, and walked out of the restaurant. Because An Dashan was at home guarding the workshop, An Ning came to the county town with a servant. After finishing their business, they didn't stay for long and went home directly.
As soon as the two of them returned home, the sharp-eyed An Dashan saw An Ning and the others. He put down his work, walked over quickly, and said, "Ning Ning, is everything going well today? How are the soybean oil sales?"
An Ning smiled, took out the silver in his arms, and said, "I brought three jars of soybean oil today and sold them, but I saw that the shopkeeper didn't seem to take the soybean oil seriously. I will take the soybean oil to other places tomorrow."
An Dashan nodded and said, "Don't be disappointed. It's already pretty good to have sold so many on the first day."
An Ning also knew this was the truth. After all, it was a new thing and most people were still unwilling to try it. Once everyone understood the benefits of soybean oil, there would be no need to worry about sales of soybean oil.
The next morning, An Dashan and An Ning got on a mule cart, loaded a few jars of soybean oil, and planned to go to the nearby county town. To get to the next county town, they had to pass through Beichuan County. Before the father and daughter drove the mule cart to the city gate, they saw a horse carriage coming towards them.
An Dashan thought the other party was in a hurry for something, so he quickly pulled the mule cart to the side, wanting to let the other party pass first.
Unexpectedly, the carriage stopped next to the An family's mule carriage, and then the owner of the restaurant yesterday lifted the curtain, got off the carriage, bowed to An Dashan, and said, "I pay my respects to Lord Rongchang."
An Dashan nodded and said, "Boss, where are we going?"
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "I was just planning to visit you at home, but I didn't expect to meet you here. Why don't we go over to my place and talk in detail?"
An Dashan said with some embarrassment: "Boss, it's such a bad coincidence. I have something else to do. If you have anything to say, just tell me directly."
At this time, An Ning also opened the curtain and said, "Does the shopkeeper want to talk to us about the soybean oil?"
The shopkeeper nodded and said, "You guessed it. Yesterday, our boss happened to come over, and I told him about the soybean oil. Unexpectedly, he was very fond of the soybean oil. He immediately asked the chef to cook a few dishes and fried some meatballs with soybean oil according to your request. Our boss was very satisfied with the dishes and meatballs made with soybean oil, so he asked me to come to you to discuss cooperation."
An Ning nodded and said, "Dad, this is not the place to talk. Let's follow the shopkeeper to the restaurant!"
An Dashan nodded and said, "Boss, let's go to the restaurant and discuss it in detail!"
The shopkeeper nodded, got on the carriage again, and led the way. This place was not far from the city gate, and they arrived at the restaurant in a short while.
At this time, the restaurant had not yet opened for business, and only a few waiters were there cleaning. The shopkeeper took An Dashan and his daughter directly to the private room on the second floor and said, "Wait a moment here, I'll go and invite our boss over."
An Dashan nodded and said, "Okay."
The shopkeeper asked the waiter to serve tea to An Dashan and his daughter, and then turned to the backyard. The owner of the restaurant lived in the backyard. The shopkeeper came to the door of the owner's room with ease, knocked on the door, and said, "Boss, Rongchang Bo and Yongjia County Lady are here."
After a while, the door creaked open from the inside, and a middle-aged man in his thirties walked out. He said to the shopkeeper, "Let's go over there quickly, don't keep Rong Changbo and the others waiting for too long."
The shopkeeper agreed and brought the boss to the box where An Dashan and the others were.
The host entered the private room, bowed to An Dashan and An Ning, and said, "I greet the Earl of Rongchang and the Princess of Yongjia County."
The owner of this restaurant was a merchant. His sister married the county magistrate, Lord Wu, and this time he came to visit the county magistrate's wife. Although his family was wealthy, he had no official position, so he kept a low profile.
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