While Xiao Wu was lost in thought, He Youyou decided to go up and greet the guests from the neighboring country.
She walked up to the Wuhuan man's stall and asked with a smile, "Shopkeeper, how much do you sell your ginseng for?"
The man sitting behind the stall glanced at her, his cold face expressionless.
A man who appeared to be his attendant answered for him, "We only exchange for grain, we don't sell."
He Youyou smiled meaningfully: "This year's harvest is bad, everyone is short of food, and even if I work hard, I won't have any surplus. Shopkeeper, how about exchanging some silk or porcelain? These are all our country's specialties, top-quality items, guaranteed to be of excellent quality and reasonably priced. They'll definitely be snapped up when we get back."
The seated man heard this and slowly spoke, his voice low and deep: "We'll only exchange for grain. If there's none, we won't exchange."
He Youyou thought to herself, "This person is really stubborn."
But she wasn't someone who could be scared off by a single slap in the face.
Seeing his sarcastic remarks only motivated me to keep posting.
She smiled at the man and said, "I wonder if this is the shopkeeper or the owner? My name is He Youyou. May I ask your honorable name?"
The man replied, "Wuhuan, Chakchin."
He Youyou patiently discussed with him, "Grain prices have risen quite a bit this year. Even if I had grain, you would probably think it's too expensive and wouldn't be willing to buy it. Why don't we sell these goods first, and then you can buy grain after the summer wheat is harvested?"
When the man heard that she had grain, a glimmer of hope appeared on his face: "I can't wait, I want it now, no matter how much it costs, I don't mind the price."
He Youyou understood.
This person is definitely not a businessman.
In the business world, why be so eager to reveal your urgency when you're playing the game of Tai Chi?
Why not just let yourself be slaughtered like a fat duck?
He Youyou smiled and said, "Young Master Cha, it seems you've encountered some difficulties. I'm a soft-hearted woman and can't bear to see a hero like you in such a predicament. How about this, I'll go and think of a solution for you."
A hint of emotion flickered across the man's face.
He Youyou left his stall and went back to find Cheng Tingrui.
I explained it to him in this way.
“The goods he has are rare. Young Master Cheng, we must take this fat sheep.”
He Youyou couldn't believe that someone as capable as Cheng Tingrui couldn't even get a few cartloads of grain.
Cheng Tingrui frowned slightly: "We have grain, but I estimate that grain prices will rise later. I'm afraid that if I sell now, I'll miss out on the later market opportunities."
Hearing him say that, He Youyou suddenly remembered what Ma Xiuyuan had told her last time.
Matthew Yuan said that many counties and townships in the north suffered losses due to the severe cold and heavy snow.
It seems unlikely that the upward trend in grain prices this year will be contained.
When Ma Xiuyuan suggested stockpiling grain, He Youyou objected.
Stockpiling food at this time is not a good idea.
However, since Cheng Tingrui is here, she might as well take this opportunity to have a proper discussion with him about this matter.
He Youyou then dragged him to that tea stall.
Xiao Wu followed behind, wagging his tail.
The tea stall is still the same dilapidated tea stall, and the teacup is still the same dilapidated teacup.
Cheng Tingrui held a broken teacup and drank the unpalatable tea, yet he remained an exceptionally handsome and elegant gentleman.
"Master Cheng, I have a little bit of an idea about the grain. Would you like to hear it and see if it works?" He Youyou leaned closer to him and said mysteriously.
Cheng Tingrui looked up at her and said, "Please speak, Madam."
Are you familiar with the Jiangnan region?
Cheng Tingrui nodded: "I'm fairly familiar with it. The Cheng family also has branches and estates in Jiangnan. I have to make one or two trips to Jiangnan every year."
"That's good. Where has the news of the disaster in the north reached yet?"
Cheng Tingrui replied, "For now, the news is only circulating in a few northern prefectures and counties; it hasn't reached the south yet. However, several of the larger merchants here have probably noticed it, and some have already started stockpiling grain near the capital."
He Youyou said, "My suggestion is to let other merchants seize grain in Jiangbei, and we won't compete with them. Before the news reaches the south, we should strike first, bypassing several northern states and heading directly to the heart of Jiangnan..."
"Buy grain in Jiangnan?" Cheng Tingrui pondered after hearing her words. "While grain prices in Jiangnan are lower than in the north at this time, the round-trip transportation costs would probably be considerable."
He Youyou smiled and said, "Who said I wanted to buy grain?"
"Not buying grain? Then you want to..." Cheng Tingrui, who was usually clever, was completely baffled at this moment and could not guess He Youyou's plan at all.
He Youyou took a sip of tea, slowly put down the teacup, and revealed a mysterious smile.
"I want to...buy seedlings."
Cheng Tingrui was taken aback.
He clearly hadn't heard of the term.
However, he was exceptionally intelligent from a young age.
From the literal meaning of these three words, one can roughly guess what He Youyou wants to do.
Green seedlings...
It has to be said, this idea is very bold.
He stared intently at He Youyou in front of him.
He had never seen such a bold woman before.
He Youyou didn't urge him, but quietly looked at him.
Neither of them spoke, but their eyes seemed to be exchanging glances and constantly clashing.
Cheng Tingrui's eyes held doubt, contemplation, confusion, and worry.
He Youyou's eyes were clear, calm, and composed, with a confidence that radiated from within.
Seeing that Cheng Tingrui remained silent, she continued, "Here's what we'll do: if you have any concerns, this deal is on me. I'll cover all the costs. You just need to provide me with some information and connections, and arrange some errand runners. Regardless of profit or loss, I'll bear the consequences myself."
"Are you determined to do this?" Cheng Tingrui asked.
“I insist on doing so,” He Youyou replied.
"Alright, since you've made up your mind, I'll help you make the arrangements."
"Also, I suggest that Youruitang buy up all the goods from the Wuhuan people now. As the old saying goes, 'Buy when others sell, sell when others buy.' Now that they are in a hurry for grain and selling it cheaply, we should buy it up in large quantities. This is the principle of buying low and selling high."
When the two signed the contract, they agreed that He Youyou would not interfere with the management.
She didn't mean to interfere; she offered the idea as a suggestion to Cheng Tingrui, rather than imposing it on him.
She believed that Cheng Tingrui was a smart man, and even more so a smart businessman, and would understand what she meant.
After listening, Cheng Tingrui understood.
“I’ll have Xiao Qianshan return to Youzhou immediately and bring over several cartloads of grain.”
That night, in the central command tent of the Grand Commander of the Army.
Zhao Changqing sat in the tent with a sullen face.
His mind was still replaying his conversation with Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu followed He Youyou and wandered around the military market all day.
Zhao Changqing seemed very interested in the military market, and as soon as Xiao Wu returned, he pulled him aside and asked him all sorts of questions.
What did you and He Youyou do today?
"Master, Madam took me to see that Wuhuan spies' stall."
Zhao Changqing: ...Why are you reciting tongue twisters now...?
"Hmm, how's the spy?"
Xiao Wu reported, "Madam said that this spy is good-looking."
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