After signing all the contracts and showering them with compliments, the group from Wuweilou couldn't wait to leave Huang Xiaosan's courtyard.
After everyone left, Jiang Nuan picked up a cup of tea, took a leisurely sip, and then said, "Xiao San, remember to take good care of your father-in-law in the future."
“Mother,” Huang Xiaosan said unhappily, “he’s bullying you with the others.”
This old fox, scheming against his own family, was determined to skin the fox and use it as a footstool.
“That’s just the surface,” Jiang Nuan smiled mysteriously. “You’ll know later.”
"Mother~" Madam Xie tugged at Jiang Nuan's arm, her voice tender and seductive, "Tell me what happened~"
“Mother,” Huang Xiaosan said, his eyes wide as he leaned closer, “Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly.”
Although Jin didn't say anything, she kept stealing glances at Jiang Nuan, very curious.
"You want to know?" Jiang Nuan straightened up, took another sip of tea, and then turned to look at Huang Xiaosan with a sigh. "Xiaosan, you're very lucky to have such a father-in-law protecting you. You'll avoid many detours compared to others."
"Mother," Huang Xiaosan said anxiously, "Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened. It was clearly my father-in-law who tried to lower the price, so why are you speaking up for him?"
"Mother~" Xie looked at Jiang Nuan expectantly, "Your daughter-in-law also wants to know."
She still feels like she's dreaming.
Unexpectedly, in just a short time, Mother earned eight hundred taels of silver.
Even if you give 500 taels to the mistress to cancel the marriage contract, you'll still have 300 taels left!
Three hundred taels of silver—no family in Huangjiakou has that much money.
Xie was so overwhelmed by the money that she felt dizzy and lightheaded, as if she were floating in a wine jar.
"Alright," Jiang Nuan smiled, "I'll explain the ins and outs of this to you, so you can broaden your horizons."
After a pause, Jiang Nuan spoke, "That bargaining, which looked like Manager Jin was trying to lower the price, was actually a win-win situation!"
"A win-win situation?" Huang Xiaosan's eyes flickered. "Benefits both sides?"
“That’s right,” Jiang Nuan gave him a look that suggested he was a promising student. “The value of this recipe is far more than a thousand taels of silver, but it depends on where it is.”
"In Ping'an County, the fact that it could sell for eight hundred taels is largely thanks to your father-in-law."
“What does that have to do with my father-in-law trying to lower the price?” Huang Xiaosan was still indignant. “If he hadn’t kept trying to lower the price, my mother wouldn’t have raised it to eight hundred taels.”
Huang Xiaosan was actually somewhat gloating. If the old fox hadn't insisted on lowering the price, he wouldn't have had to pay an extra three hundred taels of silver.
“If he doesn’t bargain, he won’t be able to explain it to the master,” Jiang Nuan explained softly. “Given our family’s status, even if Mother has already given him a 50% discount because we’re relatives, he still won’t be able to explain it to the master once they find out.”
"Why?" Madam Xie asked, puzzled. "Mother, Wuweilou has already benefited, why is the owner still not satisfied?"
“Things that are too easily obtained, even if they are truly worth their price, will raise suspicions,” Jiang Nuan tapped the table. “If Manager Jin agrees immediately, the owners will think, ‘If he had tried harder to negotiate the price down, would it have been even cheaper?’ Then they will feel like they’ve spent more money and are losing out!”
"You can do that?" Huang Xiaosan stared in astonishment. "How could they be so greedy?"
“It’s not greed,” Jiang Nuan sighed, “it’s human nature! People always want to get more benefits with less capital.”
“But,” Huang Xiaosan stammered, “our price increased by three hundred taels later.”
“That’s why I said your father-in-law is a very good person,” Jiang Nuan said, spreading her hands. “If it weren’t for his cooperation, we wouldn’t have been able to get these three hundred taels at all.”
"How so?" Huang Xiaosan felt his usually quick-witted brain wasn't quite up to par. "What does this have to do with him?"
“Don’t be fooled by your father-in-law’s constant attempts to lower the price,” Jiang Nuan said with a light smile, “because he didn’t object to the price your mother raised, which is actually a tacit agreement.”
A normal person would at least object when she raised the price to six hundred taels.
"You can do that?" Huang Xiaosan touched his nose. "Mom, how did you know?"
He watched from the sidelines as one side pushed the other further and the other refused to back down, completely oblivious to anything amiss.
“What do you think?” Jiang Nuan rolled her eyes at her son. “You’ll understand these things once you’ve experienced them a lot. It’s like declining three times and then offering three times; you can’t say it outright.”
“I see,” Huang Xiaosan said awkwardly. “Looking at it this way, my father-in-law is alright.”
“Husband,” Jin said reproachfully, giving Huang Xiaosan a reproachful look, “that’s my father.”
"Mother," reminded by Jin, Huang Xiaosan put aside his dissatisfaction, "Won't my father-in-law be blamed by the master for doing this?"
The item, which was originally worth 500 taels, was raised to 800 taels, which is no small sum.
“No,” Jiang Nuan shook her head. “Your father-in-law knows what he’s doing, don’t worry.”
“Mother,” Xie suddenly interjected, “there’s something I don’t quite understand.”
"What is it?" Jiang Nuan looked at her curiously. "Tell me about it."
"Why do they insist on spending so much money to buy recipes when it would be simpler to help the mistress absolve herself of her contract?"
This question had been weighing on Xie's mind for a long time.
She really didn't understand why people would pay such a high price for something they could get for free. Were these people out of their minds?
“I know,” Jin’s clear and melodious voice rang out, “The contract of indenture requires the master’s personal approval and must be purchased with silver. Father can decide for himself.”
Jin's words were rather cryptic, but Jiang Nuanque understood them perfectly.
“That’s right,” she said, giving Jin an approving look. “On the surface, the cost of the balance of power seems lower, but Wuweilou doesn’t benefit from doing so.”
"Spending money to buy it doesn't seem worthwhile, but Manager Jin and his group can gain more benefits. First, they can claim credit for bringing the dead back to life; second, the money originally belonged to the master family, so whether they spend it or not, it won't end up in their own pockets; and third, it proves their abilities." Jiang Nuan raised her eyes. "Tell me, if it were you, what would you choose?"
"This, this, this..." Huang Xiaosan was so stunned that he couldn't speak.
He never imagined it could be explained this way.
However, he understood Jiang Nuan's meaning: to be generous with other people's money and benefit himself.
"Mother," Huang Xiaosan gently tugged at Jiang Nuan's sleeve, her face flushed, "Wouldn't the master be at a great loss in this way?"
“How can you say that?” Jiang Nuan tapped her son’s head. “Eight hundred taels of silver for ten recipes, which is 20% lower than the market price, where did they lose money?”
"Forehead……"
Huang Xiaosan found himself speechless.
But deep down I felt I shouldn't have done that.
Blushing, she wanted to retort, but didn't know what to say, so she simply made an excuse to go help out in front and slipped away.
"Silly roe deer!" Jiang Nuan shook her head and chuckled as she watched Huang Xiaosan's disappearing figure.
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