Chapter 394 Cunning
The first batch of sweet potato noodles was about to be sent out. Although Song Lubai was heavily pregnant, she was worried that others would try to negotiate a lower price with Song Hai, so she insisted on getting on the tractor carrying the sweet potato noodles.
Sweet potato starch becomes a bit brittle after drying, so it needs to be carefully packed into burlap sacks.
Even with the utmost care, some items still broke off when they were transported to the supply and marketing cooperative in the city.
Song Lubai had previously asked Director Liu to send samples to the city, and Song Hai knew that this batch of sweet potato flour was of good quality.
Previously, the supply and marketing cooperative only sold thin vermicelli, never this kind of wide vermicelli, but Song Hai knew that wide vermicelli was just as delicious as thin vermicelli.
After inspecting the goods, Song Lubai and Song Hai sat in the office and discussed the price.
Song Hai said, thinking he was being very straightforward, "This isn't the first time we've worked together. I'll give you the normal wholesale price, 24.5 cents. You know the market price for sweet potato starch is 26 cents. This price is the normal wholesale price."
Song Hai felt there was nothing to discuss, unaware that Song Lubai was secretly planning to raise the wholesale price.
She nodded and said, "Two cents and four and a half cents is the price of sweet potato vermicelli, but sir, I can't give you wide vermicelli at that price."
Song Hai was taken aback, then frowned.
"They're all made from sweet potatoes, but they're all the same thickness, so why are the wider ones more expensive?"
Song Lubai said, "I had someone send you samples before. Tell me yourself, what's the difference in taste between thin and wide rice noodles?"
Both are sweet potato noodles and are very chewy, so Song Hai couldn't say which one had a better texture.
He thought about it several times but couldn't figure it out. "They all taste the same to me."
Song Lubai slapped the table in surprise and said, "How can they all be the same? Wide rice noodles have a higher starch content and an extra processing step compared to thin sweet potato noodles. They should be chewier and have a better texture. How come you didn't notice?"
She's talking nonsense. In fact, the production process of wide rice noodles is simpler than that of thin rice noodles, and more water is added. In fact, wide rice noodles are cheaper.
Song Hai didn't know how sweet potato noodles were made, but seeing how seriously she spoke, he actually believed her. However, he didn't want to be led by the nose by Song Lubai.
"How much do you want for the wide rice noodles?"
Song Lubai gestured and said, "Two and a half cents, that's the bottom line for our workshop."
Song Hai almost jumped up, but he quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, the purchase price is higher than the selling price of sweet potato starch, we can't sell it."
Song Lubai said calmly, "Why can't we sell them? If the purchase price is higher, you can just raise the selling price accordingly. I dare say that anyone who has eaten wide rice noodles will find the texture better than thin rice noodles. You get what you pay for. The cost is there, and I can't confuse the price of wide rice noodles with that of thin rice noodles. If I really did that, I would be criticized by our team leader Yu when I got back. The yield of sweet potatoes in our Xinjiang province is already low. Nearly 10,000 jin of sweet potatoes only produced less than 800 jin of rice noodles. You can do the math yourself and you'll know whether we made a profit or not..."
Song Lubai mumbled a lot, while Song Hai remained silent.
When she stopped, he said, "At most 25 cents."
Song Lubai stood up and said, "Then let's give the sweet potato starch to your supply and marketing cooperative first, and I'll keep the wide rice noodles for now."
Song Hai knew she was resorting to threats again.
What are we keeping it for? We'll send it to other department stores later.
And believe it or not, this wide rice noodle shop is only available at the Sixteenth Regiment; you can't buy it anywhere else.
"Okay, okay, two cents it is."
Song Hai: "I don't know who you take after, but you're not willing to budge on prices at all."
Song Lubai didn't show a smug expression, but said with a bitter face, "I have no choice. My team leader gave me a strict order: I really can't give you the wide vermicelli at the price of the thin vermicelli. I didn't even discuss the price of the thin vermicelli with you because I trusted you wouldn't cheat me. Similarly, I won't cheat you either."
Song Lubai's expression was sincere, and she seemed like an honest person. Song Hai was charmed by her and nodded, saying, "That's true. It's really not easy for you to come and deliver goods while you're heavily pregnant."
"The Chinese New Year is just over two months away, which is the peak season for sweet potato starch. These 700-plus jin (350 kg) won't last long, so hurry up and finish making them. We'll buy as many as you have."
Song Lubai started complaining again, "You have no idea how busy our food workshop is. Making sweet potato starch is too troublesome. I just did the math the day before yesterday. Ten thousand catties of sweet potatoes only made less than eight hundred catties of sweet potato starch. After deducting the cost of oil, labor, and all kinds of equipment, brother, guess what?"
Song Hai asked, "What's wrong?"
Song Lubai shook her head and said, "It doesn't make any money at all. I was the one who took the lead in setting up this workshop, but it doesn't make any money! It doesn't generate any revenue for the troupe. When the troupe holds its next meeting to summarize the situation, how will I have any face left?"
Song Hai said seriously, "How can there be no profit? The food workshop supports so many workers and reduces the burden on the regiment. You should think positively."
Song Lubai: "..."
She suspected that Song Hai did it on purpose.
For a moment she had no reason to refute it.
"You're right, but that's not what I originally thought. In my plan, I could earn tens of yuan for our group every month..."
After venting his frustrations, Song Hai's resentment at being forced to raise prices dissipated.
Speaking with the air of someone who's been there, he said, "This is just the beginning. Hang in there and see where you can cut costs in the workshop, or get the workers to speed things up. You have to believe there's always a solution..."
Song Hai took a sip of water and asked, "Didn't you say you were going to make pickled radishes?"
Song Lubai nodded and said, "We have to do it, but the food workshop is making sweet potato starch, so we can't spare the time for now. The main thing is that there won't be many vegetables to eat from spring to June. That period is a good time to sell pickled vegetables. We plan to store up more radishes and cabbages and make it later."
Song Hai nodded and said, "It's good that you have a plan. Girl, you're doing well. Keep up the good work and bring honor to the Song family in the future."
Song Lubai smiled.
She doesn't even know many members of the Song family, and she's working hard for her own benefit.
We've talked a lot today, achieved our goals, and unloaded all the goods. The people delivering the receipts are about to arrive, but Song Hai still shows no sign of settling the bill. Song Lubai can only remind him, "Brother, you have to settle the bill for us first. We need to take the money to other farms to buy sweet potatoes. Who will give us sweet potatoes if we don't have money?"
Instead of bringing up the bill, Song Hai asked, "What was the price of the sweet potatoes you bought?"
In a flash of inspiration, Song Lubai said, "Our troupe previously calculated it to be 1.2 fen per jin, and even at that, we're not making any money."
Song Hai knew how to do the math. He did the math in his head and said with a sidelong glance, "Little Song, are you kidding me? Even if you only made 780 jin of vermicelli from 10,000 jin, you still made nearly 80 yuan. That's quite a lot."
Song Lubai shook her head and said casually, "Brother, do you know how many workers we have in our workshop? You haven't even included the cost of fuel and other miscellaneous expenses. I don't need to tell you about those. There are twenty workers. You can calculate it yourself."
Song Hai fell silent.
With only a penny or two cents left, their supply and marketing cooperative wasn't making any money, and Song Hai didn't dare to say a word.
Song Lubai tentatively said, "Brother, I'm willing to buy it even if it's just a penny cheaper. Could you ask around for me?"
Song Hai pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll ask around for you and let you know when I get news, but don't get your hopes up too high, since the price is too low."
Song Lubai chuckled inwardly. Regardless of whether Song Hai could get an even lower price, it was certain that the purchase price of sweet potatoes would be reduced by three-tenths in the future.
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