Chapter 439 The Essence
The scalper's argument was reasonable and convincing, which convinced Lin Yuesha. Throughout history, there have been some basic rules for interacting with people: when asking someone for a favor, you should always give them something in return.
Lin Yuesha hesitated not because scalpers make money—after all, who would want to do business at a loss? She was considering the value and whether it was worthwhile; she didn't want to be ripped off.
Do you have a boat ticket?
Jia San understood what Huang Niu meant and said directly, "Brother, we have a lot of people and we need five first-class cabins."
Money was easy to come by; Jia San had plenty of money and didn't care about the cost. As long as they could buy it, that was enough, and they were in a hurry to get going.
"Fifty taels each, no matter how many you buy, it's the same price, and I only have five left."
The scalper pulled out an oil paper package from his chest. Inside the package were five cabins, all of the highest quality.
"Brother, seeing that you're from out of town, I won't cheat you. There are many high-ranking officials and nobles heading to the capital. The ship departs tomorrow night, and time is too tight. I have all the top-class tickets, and that's all I have."
He's the boss in this line of work, and there are a few lowly employees working for him.
After he got the tickets, he had to distribute them and sell them piecemeal.
Lin Yuesha and her group arrived at a good time; he was running to Xiankelai to resell theater tickets and hadn't had a chance to meet his subordinate, Xiao Huangniu.
"The reason I keep them is because I'm not worried about selling them. Whenever it's time to board the ship, there are people at the dock who urgently need tickets, and I might be able to buy them for an even higher price."
However, this opportunity depends on chance. If you hold onto the ticket but can't find anyone, all your investment will be wasted.
The scalper needs to recoup his investment as quickly as possible, so he only cares about the money he gets. As long as the money meets his criteria, he will sell it immediately.
"Wait, let's discuss this."
Lin Yuesha asked Jia San about the ticket situation and learned that a first-class cabin on the official ship only cost ten taels of silver, while the scalpers were charging five times that amount.
"Miss Lin, I've inquired, and it seems we really do have to travel by official boat."
Firstly, the official ship was large and didn't rock as much, which was better for people who get seasick. Secondly, they were carrying several carriages and goods, and only the official ship had the capacity to transport the carriages, so they had no other choice.
The price for tomorrow night's ticket is fifty taels of silver, and the price for the day after tomorrow will be the same; it won't be much cheaper.
"Brother Xiao is in a hurry to go to the capital to see a doctor, so let's not delay him."
Jia San suggested that we follow the previous plan and leave Cangzhou City tomorrow night.
Although Cangzhou is a prosperous city, it is far inferior to the capital. Everything that Cangzhou has, the capital also has, and even things that Cangzhou does not have, the capital also has.
"Uncle Jia, I'd like to buy two front-row tickets for my parents. Can I bargain with that person?"
The boat ticket cost exactly the same price; I wonder if the theater ticket could be cheaper.
Lin Yuesha had two free theater tickets, which she sold to a scalper for ten taels of silver. She then added some more silver to exchange for front-row tickets.
One of the scalpers' words struck a chord with her: since she was going to have to pay to see Qiuyue's singing performance anyway, she might as well spend a little more money to buy a good seat and enjoy it to the fullest.
Lin Yuesha never skimped on spending money on her parents.
"Call me Third Uncle, and I'll pay for this money for you."
Jia San readily agreed and was about to buy tickets from a scalper when Lin Yuesha stopped him.
"Third Uncle, I must pay for this myself."
The theater tickets were a gift from Lin Yuesha to her parents, and she didn't want others to pay for them. Besides, her family had been taking advantage of her the whole way, and she already felt embarrassed.
It was Doctor Yan who saved the person, not her. Lin Yuesha just freeloaded and only contributed a little effort. Not only that, she also obtained a lot of useful and precious medicinal herbs from Madam He.
Seeing this, Jia San stopped insisting, gave the money for the boat ticket to Lin Yuesha, turned around and went upstairs, leaving Lin Yuesha to continue haggling with the scalper.
"Miss, you're well-suited for business."
The scalper checked the time and realized that buying all five tickets at once would be a big deal. He offered the lowest price: eighty taels of silver for two people to sit in the front row of Qiuyue's troupe.
"The front row."
The scalper added that this is the going rate for the Qiuyue Class; it has almost never been lower than this price. If you happen to meet a generous customer, they will offer a hundred taels of silver for a ticket.
"Two free tickets are worth ten taels of silver, so you only need to pay seventy taels of silver."
The scalper stated that this was the lowest price, and if Lin Yuesha bargained, the deal would be canceled; he wouldn't do business at a loss.
"Okay, I'll take the boat ticket and the theater ticket."
Lin Yuesha and the scalper went to one side of the stairs to make the transaction, exchanging money for goods.
Just as he paid the scalper and received the boat and theater tickets, a young scalper ran up to him, panting, and said, "Boss, someone's offering a hundred taels of silver for a cabin for tomorrow night's boat tickets! How many do you have left?"
The little ox clutched a silver note in his hand, a deposit from someone, a token of their sincerity.
If they arrived a step too late, there wouldn't be a single ticket left, meaning they'd lose fifty taels of silver for each ticket sold. The scalper was devastated and beat his chest in frustration.
Lin Yuesha glanced at the ticket scalper and realized that he hadn't lied; there really were people willing to pay high prices for tickets.
"Miss, please wait a moment."
The scalper immediately called out to Lin Yuesha, who was about to leave. He was filled with regret and glared angrily at his underling. They were just one step away from a potentially disastrous loss.
"What, are you trying to back out?"
Having obtained the ticket, Lin Yuesha refused to return it under any circumstances, as the ticket for the official ship was irreplaceable.
"No, that's not what I meant."
The scalper rolled his eyes and suggested, "How about this, I'm willing to add ten taels of silver to each ticket and buy them back?"
In this way, Lin Yuesha could earn fifty taels of silver by reselling, just like him.
Lin Yuesha shook her head, unmoved.
"Add twenty taels?"
The scalper persisted, "Add twenty taels, and you'll earn a hundred taels in such a short time! That's like paying for the tickets and making money for free, isn't that great?"
Lin Yuesha remained calm and collected, eventually forcing the scalper to raise the price to ninety taels of silver per note, which was the highest price he could offer. After all, doing this business involved costs and considerable risks.
“It’s not that I don’t want to agree, but I’m in a hurry to take my family to Beijing for medical treatment.”
Lin Yuesha explained in a good-natured manner that she didn't want to delay even a quarter of an hour if she could leave. The official ships departed at fixed times, and there were no ships tonight, otherwise they would have left tonight.
So it's not that she doesn't want to earn this money, but that she's in a hurry.
"My father is seriously ill, and there are women in our group, so it's impossible for us to stay in a lower-class cabin."
After Lin Yuesha finished speaking, the scalper gave up, but he was still frustrated by the money he had lost and hadn't been able to enjoy his food for the past few days.
Through her conversation with the scalpers, Lin Yuesha grasped the essence of doing business: making money from the price difference. She had previously mastered this trick, and she would continue to work on it, repeatedly reselling items to make money with ease.
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