Chapter 48: Chili Peppers Pushed Again
It seems like they're giving you a chance to back out.
The thought suddenly popped into Ge Ermazi's mind. Just as he was about to speak, he caught a glimpse of Shen Zhiyi out of the corner of his eye and could almost picture her calling him "Auntie." He quickly dismissed the idea and said, "It's two hundred coins! Only I have such a good deal."
"Aren't we going to check out the side room?" Shen Zhiyi asked.
But the crew-cut guy was very happy and pulled the preoccupied San Tou to see the side room.
After they left, Shen Zhiyi took out two hundred coins and handed them over, calmly saying, "Here's a month's rent for you."
Ge Ermazi, his eyes lighting up at the sight of money, quickly grabbed the copper coins, counting them as he asked, "Why are you paying? Aren't we going to sign a contract?"
"I believe you," Shen Zhiyi said slowly, without mentioning the power of her aunt.
Ge Ermazi silently handed the fifty coins back to Shen Zhiyi, turned his face away and said, "I can't stand hearing this kind of talk. Fine, fine, I'll just consider you a friend. But the rule of renting for one hundred and fifty coins a month can't be changed anymore."
Completely unexpectedly, Shen Zhiyi accepted the money and said, "Then I'll be going now. I have things to take care of, so I'll finish them as soon as possible and get back to the village."
She looked back at Zheng San, and the two of them left the courtyard and headed towards the front of the alley.
During the journey, Shen Zhiyi said, "Third Brother, go and call Uncle Liang to wait for us in a spacious part of the alley."
"Where are you going?" Zheng San couldn't help but ask.
"I'll go ask about the chili peppers," Shen Zhiyi said, turning and heading towards the noodle shop.
The liveliness was only temporary. When Shen Zhiyi returned to the noodle shop, only the couple who owned the shop were inside.
Hui Niang turned her head and immediately got up and walked over, hurriedly asking, "Miss, can we sell the chili peppers now?"
“Of course, but the price of these chilies needs to be discussed separately,” Shen Zhiyi said with a smile.
Hui Niang's enthusiasm suddenly waned, and she revealed a helpless expression.
“If you’re planning to become a wholesaler, then the quality of the chili peppers we used this noon will be thirty coins per pound, and you can’t sell them for more than forty coins,” Shen Zhiyi said gently.
"Please, young lady, tell me more," the male shopkeeper suddenly said.
Hui Niang's enthusiasm returned, and she pulled Shen Zhiyi to sit down nearby, saying, "Oh, come and have some water, tell me slowly."
Shen Zhiyi didn't mind this change in attitude and continued, "If you want to be a wholesaler, it means you need a large quantity of goods, at least 100 catties of chili peppers."
The male shopkeeper was deep in thought, and Hui Niang remained silent.
She silently picked up her water glass and took a couple of sips of cool water to moisten her throat.
After a moment, the male shopkeeper said, "Miss, my surname is Xu. My family has been operating here for seventy years, starting with my grandfather. We have a good reputation."
“Of course I believe in Brother Xu and Hui Niang’s character,” Shen Zhiyi said slowly. “That’s why you two should have more influence in this alley. Judging from how things were this afternoon, other shopkeepers must be envious, right?”
“Furthermore, these chilies can not only be chopped and added to noodle soup, but also dried, ground into powder, or made into pickles,” Shen Zhiyi said calmly, paying close attention to their reactions. “I have finished products of these, but they are currently stored in the village and will have to wait until tomorrow.”
"If Brother Xu and Hui Niang can't make a decision right now, then I'll come again tomorrow?" Shen Zhiyi asked gently.
"Thank you for your understanding, young lady. I will give you an answer tomorrow," Xu Yuan said politely.
After all, three taels of silver is a big deal for a small household. Besides, it's getting late, so why not take this opportunity to make a good sale?
“No problem, I’ll come again tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM).” Shen Zhiyi said slowly, and calmly left the noodle shop.
As soon as Shen Zhiyi reached the alley entrance, she saw a carriage waiting beside her. To save time, she got into the carriage and briefly told Zheng San about what they had discussed at the noodle shop.
Zheng San had originally thought that he would at least get a share of the twenty taels of silver, but upon hearing that there was also the matter of selling chili peppers, he couldn't help but worry and ask, "Will you be able to sell them?"
"Our chili peppers are so good, we're sure we'll be able to sell them!" Shen Zhiyi said confidently.
Hearing this, Zheng San grinned. Why did he like this kind of energy so much?
As the sun slowly sets, its afterglow spills onto the road home, making it exceptionally beautiful.
"Sister is back!" The boy and girl's voices mingled together, letting everyone in Xiaba Village know that Shen Zhiyi had returned.
The 100 jin of chili peppers in the truck were still at the village chief's house. When Shen Zhiyi walked into the village chief's courtyard, she turned her head and saw Zheng San's sticky eyes, so much so that the village chief couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Did you get sand in your eyes?"
"No, no," Zheng San hurriedly replied, but showed no intention of leaving.
Shen Zhiyi knew why, and said to the village chief, "We went to the restaurant today to settle the contract..."
She explained the restaurant's situation clearly and logically, and the village chief listened and nodded repeatedly: "You did the right thing! Our village wouldn't even bother with a business like this."
"I was thinking of taking this opportunity to lower the price of this grade of chili peppers. At the same time, I was worried that other villagers would object, so I planned to use the restaurant's compensation money to give to the village," Shen Zhiyi said slowly, then mentioned her plan to get wholesalers.
Zheng San hadn't heard about the wholesaler while in the carriage, but this time he listened very carefully and then asked, "Sister, is it this business? Can other people do it? Don't worry, it's definitely not in our county, so they can't steal our business."
"Zheng San knows people doing business in other counties?" Shen Zhiyi asked in surprise.
The village chief then looked towards Zheng San, his face full of curiosity.
“It’s Huang Hua’s uncle. He owns a shop in the next county…” Zheng San said cautiously.
“Sure, as long as he meets my requirements, this is the wholesale price.” Shen Zhiyi said seriously, “However, we only have 100 catties of chili peppers left, which were originally 56 wen each. If Brother Xu in the county wants them, you’ll have to wait for the next chili pepper harvest, Third Brother.”
"Hey, I know that. I'll explain it to him later," Zheng Sanxi said with a smile.
"Father, are we going to strike it?" Li Shitou asked, holding the gong.
"Knock on the door and get the head of each household to come to the ancestral hall. Don't let them all come like last time; it'll be too crowded!" Village Chief Li reminded them.
"Alright!" Li Shitou replied, running and banging the gong as he went, "Heads of all the families, come to the ancestral hall for a meeting!"
Before it got dark, Shen Zhiyi and the others hurried to the ancestral hall. As they walked, people joined them from time to time. When they finally reached the ancestral hall, they looked back and saw a crowd of people.
"When you hear stones striking like gongs, you know it's a good thing!"
"I wish I could hear it every single day!"
"It must be because of the chili peppers!"
From the scattered conversation, the village chief guessed the general situation. She nodded to Shen Zhiyi, indicating that everyone had arrived, and then said, "Today, the supply contract with Jufu Restaurant is officially terminated."
I thought that once these words were spoken, the people present would immediately start arguing, but instead, they were all completely silent.
This trust is so precious.
"We received twenty taels of silver as compensation for the restaurant. Although we lost the restaurant, there are other markets waiting to be explored. At the same time, the price of the lowest-priced chili peppers will be adjusted..." Shen Zhiyi explained in detail, finishing the story.
All they heard were words of concern, and Zheng San added to the "thrilling" parts in a storytelling style, leaving everyone stunned.
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but ask herself, is it really that difficult?
However, if we go back to each step, half of it was due to the appearance of that young master Qian, who was driven by Ge Ermazi behind the scenes.
It must be said that sometimes luck is also a component of ability.
The next day, as soon as the sun broke through the sky, the morning dew on the cabbage leaves had not yet dissipated. Although it was the usual time to go out, the sun seemed to rise even more slowly.
Shen Zhiyi couldn't help but sigh at the weather when there was a knock on the courtyard gate. She called out, "Coming!"
As soon as the courtyard gate was opened, Shen Zhi saw Zheng San rubbing his hands and waiting, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Third Brother."
"It's not hard work! It's not hard work! Going out with a girl is great!" Zheng San said happily.
Shen Zhiyi still remembers the scene of Zheng San being surrounded yesterday. He probably found something to talk about and gained confidence from it, which made him exceptionally positive today.
I tried the pickled peppers last night, and I have to say the pickling technique is superb. I must write it down so it won't be lost in the future!
Everyone insisted that this was just an ordinary craft, which Shen Zhi found utterly baffling.
Zheng San carried the pickling jars into the carriage by himself, and said cheerfully, "Have you brought everything? Shall we go?"
"Let's go and come back quickly," Shen Zhiyi replied.
The cold, gloomy weather made everyone walk in a hurry, and business was not good for shops in the county town. Even the grain shops, which were usually crowded, were deserted.
When Shen Zhiyi and Zheng San arrived at the noodle shop, there was an old man with a white beard sitting there. As soon as their eyes met, they knew that he was someone they could talk to.
She walked to the bench in front of the other person and sat down. Hui Niang poured her some hot tea and said, "Miss, you've finally arrived! Ever since we heard the news last night, the whole family has been unable to sleep. We've been waiting for you to come early today!"
Judging from her tone, Shen Zhiyi knew that the cooperation was progressing smoothly, and she replied, "I'm looking forward to it too."
Zheng San silently took out the jar of pickled peppers and neatly placed them in a bowl.
"Is this a chili pepper?" the old man asked.
"Yes, but it's a bit spicy after being pickled." As soon as Shen Zhiyi finished speaking, the old man picked up his chopsticks and ate the whole chili pepper, exclaiming "So satisfying!" without drinking any water.
"Dad, eat slowly," Xu Yuan whispered to his father.
"I'm already this old, I don't know how much longer I have to live, so I should eat as much as I can," the old man said magnanimously, then looked at Shen Zhiyi, "Young lady, your pickled chilies are quite good!"
Finding a kindred spirit made Shen Zhiyi even happier, and she said hurriedly, "It's the skill of the aunt in our village. I always said she was good at cooking, but she didn't think so. When I go back and see her, I will definitely pass on Grandpa's praise."
"These chilies are wonderful! They warm you up so much!" the old man exclaimed. "They're especially perfect for cold weather like this."
“Yes, it’s best if it’s both spicy and sour, that’s when it’s most satisfying,” Shen Zhiyi chimed in.
“Young lady, you know your stuff! And the items you sell are pretty good too. How about we talk about the prices?” the old man said cheerfully, completely ignoring the countless glances he received from his son beside him.
He was confident in his judgment of character, and his own little rascal still had much to learn.
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