Chapter 139 The Boss of Tianxiang Tower
At this time, in the backyard of Tianxiang Tower, Xue Zhuang was talking to the short and fat manager.
It seemed that they had been talking for a long time. Hu Qing, who was standing next to them, could no longer sit still and kept pacing back and forth in the room.
"Brother Xue, to be honest, you have seen that business is not easy here in Qili County. The taxes are high and the grain prices are also high. Others only see that Tianxianglou is doing well, but our expenses are also high. We can hardly even afford to buy vegetables." The fat manager rambled on and on.
Xue Zhuang had a gloomy face. He was a soldier and it was already difficult for him to negotiate prices and do business.
Seeing that Tianxianglou wanted to lower the price of vegetables to ten cents per pound, of course he refused.
"Shopkeeper Mi, please stop talking. I, Xue, am a rough man, so please don't get angry if I speak frankly. Tianxianglou charges fifty cents per pound for vegetables, no less. If, if you continue to lower the price, at worst we won't sell them to you and will just keep them for ourselves."
Shopkeeper Mi raised his eyebrows.
Now Tianxianglou not only sells vegetables, but only distinguished guests who spend more than ten taels of silver can receive a portion.
Fresh vegetables became a gimmick to attract customers and brought him a lot of business.
He bargains with everyone he meets, and it's just a habit to lower the price.
Seeing Xue Zhuang was about to get angry, Shopkeeper Mi laughed heartily as if performing a magic trick: "Look, it's just a few dozen coins, and Brother Xue is already getting anxious.
Of course we want the food. We get along well, so fifty cents is fifty cents. Just be generous, brother.
I have one condition, and you must agree to it. That is to sell me more acorn vermicelli."
Xue Zhuang was delighted to hear that he could get fifty coins for the dish, and immediately responded, "That's no problem. From now on, all the acorn vermicelli in Suijin Town will be yours."
That thing is cheap and can't be eaten. What people really need is silver. If you exchange it for money, you can buy whatever you want.
Tianxianglou originally offered acorn vermicelli at six coins per pound, and Xue Zhuang was very satisfied.
If you place an order now, you will be more satisfied.
"Brother Xue, business requires real evidence, so let's sign a contract!" Shopkeeper Mi took out paper and pen.
In fact, this is the purpose of Shopkeeper Mi.
No matter how high the price of fresh vegetables is, Tianxianglou will not buy them again until spring comes and flowers bloom.
When Xue Zhuang brought acorn vermicelli and tried his best to get Tianxianglou to sell it, Manager Mi keenly discovered the business opportunity.
Shopkeeper Mi also came from a poor family and also ate acorns in his early years.
He knew that acorns were bitter and hard to swallow, and that they were eaten to satisfy hunger when food was scarce.
However, the acorn flour and acorn vermicelli sent from Suijin Town are not bitter at all. Instead, they taste chewy and smooth. They are very suitable for those elegant people who are in high positions but want to understand the people's sentiments and return to their original nature.
Those adults can take a bite of the exquisite acorn steamed bread and recite the following line: "Sharing the sufferings and joys of the people! Worrying with the people, yet with a clear conscience!"
But he didn't want to buy too much. After all, this thing was cheap and not worthy of being served in a formal occasion. It could only be given to those people for a taste of novelty.
The contract between Xue Zhuang and Tianxianglou was quickly written in two copies, which required that Suijin Town deliver 1,000 kilograms of acorn vermicelli to Tianxianglou every month for a period of one year.
After signing and sealing the document, Xue Zhuang placed his fingerprint on the last spot.
He was very happy that he could earn a stable income for Suijin Town within a year, and the troubles he had just suffered from being harassed by Manager Mi were gone.
In this way, Suijin Town can get at least six taels of silver from Tianxiang Tower every month.
Hu Qing, who was standing by, couldn't hide his joy on his face. His family was making vermicelli.
Although six taels of silver was not a lot for Tianxianglou, it provided a fixed income every month, and each family would get one tael of silver.
From now on, I can farm during the busy farming season and work during the slack season. I will have food and money and will never have to worry about living a hard life again.
For this business deal, the two men thanked Manager Mi profusely, almost kowtowing to him.
Shopkeeper Mi was also very proud. He would not sell this rare food in Qili County, but would send it to the provincial capital, where it would have a market among high-end people.
Xue Zhuang and Hu Qing left Tianxiang Tower and found a small tavern to relax by themselves, unaware that Song Liyun was also in Tianxiang Tower at this time.
In the lobby of the restaurant, in front of Song Liyun, sat an old man with a white beard, wearing a fur and brocade robe and with an arrogant look on his face.
"Is your surname Song?"
"Surname Song!"
Song Liyun put down her chopsticks and wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth with the cotton towel Yunniang had prepared for her before asking, "Excuse me, who is this old man?"
The old man didn't say a word or even say hello. He just sat opposite him and acted like a very arrogant person.
Although she came to Tianxianglou just to have someone come to her, she really didn't like this approach.
At least you should let people finish eating before serving. Grilled lamb chops will not taste good if they are cold.
Seeing that Song Liyun did not stand up to greet him, a waiter next to him stepped forward and scolded: "This is the owner of Tianxianglou, known as Master Hong. Why don't you bow quickly?"
It turns out that this old man is the boss of Tianxiang Tower, Hong Jingtian, also known as Master Hong.
Song Liyun heard the voice sound familiar. She looked up at the waiter and saw that he was indeed an acquaintance, the one who had snatched her grilled lamb chops last time. She couldn't help but chuckle, "Why is the owner of Tianxianglou so unwilling to let me eat properly that he wants to snatch the lamb chops I ordered?"
The waiter was suddenly speechless, his face flushed red. Although he stayed because of the last incident, he could still be fined monthly wages by the building.
Seeing the waiter was so defeated by a single word, the old man waved his hand and told him to retreat. He no longer acted pretentiously and looked at Song Liyun with a half-smile, saying, "Young lady, you have some tricks up your sleeve. You've taught my unworthy fourth brother a lesson. He deserves it. According to the rules of the underworld, if you can't win, you have to admit defeat. Don't you agree?"
His words made it seem as if the dying Min Gande had learned a lesson, which was quite relaxing.
Song Liyun became alert in her heart, but she did not show it on her face. She just continued to eat the lamb chops calmly.
He even gave a piece of meat to Han Ming, who was already standing next to him with a nervous and alert look on his face: "Uncle Han, don't worry and eat. This is Mr. Hong's shop. He can't destroy his own place!"
It was dinner time. Although the area around Song Liyun had been cleared due to Mr. Hong's arrival, there were still diners in other parts of the lobby.
Moreover, if Mr. Hong wanted to do something, he could just find a reason to call me to a secluded place and kill me or bury me.
Now he has brought it before the public, trying to prove that he is fair.
Since this old man wants to act, I'll just accompany him.
Sure enough, hearing Song Liyun's words, Master Hong laughed and said, "Miss Song is as courageous as a man. Not bad, not bad. It suits my temper very well.
Indeed, things in the underworld are under the underworld.
The girl came to my Tianxianglou for dinner on her own initiative to give face to my Tianxianglou.
To be honest, there are quite a few people from your Suijin Town who come to Qili County, so it's very convenient to find someone to pass on the message, and it's also convenient to inquire about your two brothers...
Please don't misunderstand me, young lady. I just want to see who you are and ask you what happened that day!
Just one sentence: How did Min Gande die?
He spoke in a gentle manner and smiled warmly. To outsiders, it seemed as if he was chatting and having a heart-to-heart talk with his nephews and nieces.
(End of this chapter)
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