Master Liu gave a dry cough, she was leaving absolutely no room for negotiation!
Master Liu hesitated for a long time before finally relenting and nodding his head, "Fine, fine. Since you’ve already said it, I have nothing to say. Let’s agree on this."
Ji Xinhe laughed, "Then let’s sign the contract now, and I’ll order my men to immediately send the three hundred catties of grape wine to Guilin Ju."
The grape wine had already been brewed in large quantities. There were still a thousand catties, prepared in anticipation of opening for business in a couple of days. The goods were naturally plentiful.
Master Liu gladly slapped the table, "Miss Ji is really a straightforward person!"
Ji Xinhe laughed and said, "I do business for the sake of being happy. We straightforward people don’t talk in riddles. I will have the goods delivered to you immediately after we make a clear and transparent transaction."
Master Liu then hesitated, "But your shop hasn’t opened yet, and you’re already sending goods to my Guilin Ju?"
This Ji Xinhe was cunning, she must have anticipated that if Guilin Ju started selling grape wine first, they would naturally attract attention first.
Ji Xinhe didn’t seem to mind as she laughed, "Is Master Liu afraid that Guilin Ju will steal the limelight from my Qinghe shop? Master Liu need not worry. Guilin Ju is a restaurant, while my Qinghe shop is a direct sale. There is a huge difference between the two, and there’s no conflict. Customers can go to Guilin Ju for a meal and then conveniently drop by Qinghe shop on their way home to pick up a pot of wine to drink."
Not only would it not steal the limelight from Qinghe shop, but it could also help her make her pre-launch publicity.
Master Liu’s eyes flashed with understanding of the girl’s calculations, "No wonder you’re so generous!"
Ji Xinhe laughed, "If Guilin Ju really threatened my business, would Master Liu think I’d be willing to share the profits with them? Master Liu can rest assured, between us, we will only be cooperating friends without conflicts. There’s no need to be so cautious with me. In my heart, our two families can cooperate and achieve a win-win situation, don’t you think?"
Master Liu stroked his beard and laughed heartily. It was rare to meet such a smart person, "Well then, let’s sign the contract quickly."
A young servant immediately brought up the prepared contract. There were two copies, and both signed their names and affixed their seals to finalize the deal.
Ji Xinhe then told the young servant, "You go to the workshop and convey my message to Fuquan. Tell him to directly send the three hundred catties of grape wine to Guilin Ju."
"Yes, I’ll go right away." The young servant quickly ran off.
Master Liu looked pleased as he stood up to leave, "In that case, I won’t stay much longer. I’m looking forward to seeing Miss Ji’s grand opening."
"You flatter me, Master Liu," Ji Xinhe smiled as she escorted Master Liu out, feeling a sense of relief in her heart.
These days, in preparation for today’s negotiations, she and Master Liu had both been holding their breath and not actively seeking each other out. Finally, he’d come today, otherwise, the opening of Qinghe Shop might not be very lively.
Without Guilin Ju’s pre-opening promotion, Ji Xinhe would actually be at a disadvantage.
In business, sometimes you just have to take a gamble, and if you win, everyone’s happy.
Ji Xinhe slightly curved her lips, then turned and re-entered the shop to tell the busy maids and servants, "Get everything organized and ready quickly. We’ll prepare for the grand opening tomorrow morning." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
"Yes."
As she finished speaking, an elegantly dressed woman approached.
Ji Xinhe smiled and said, "We’re not opening until tomorrow. If you want to buy something, you’ll have to wait until then."
Lu Lan, however, walked straight in and said with a smile, "I’ve come to make an early reservation for a business transaction with you."
Ji Xinhe raised her eyebrows slightly, "What would you like to reserve?"
"Grape wine." Lu Lan directly took out her identity token from the manor and handed it to Ji Xinhe, "I am a servant from Le Yuanhou’s Mansion. Today, I am here by my master’s order to specially find Miss Ji and ask her to reserve fifty catties of grape wine. In three days, it will be my master’s birthday banquet, and the wine will be delivered then. I’ve brought the deposit for you."
Ji Xinhe’s first instinct was to refuse, as she hadn’t opened for business yet and didn’t want to set a precedent by selling early. However, as she heard that the young maid was from Le Yuanhou’s Mansion, she hesitated a bit.
One of the reasons she came to the capital city was to investigate the secret hidden behind the handkerchief. According to Duan Lan, the handkerchief was clearly from the hands of nobles. As a newcomer to the business world in the capital, her foundation wasn’t stable. How many chances would she have to interact with nobles?
If she wanted to keep investigating as her business continued to grow, she feared it would be too late. A rare opportunity was now right in front of her, and it would be a pity to let it slip away. She had heard a little about Le Yuanhou’s Mansion during her time in the capital, a truly aristocratic family. For three generations, they had served as officials, producing many capable civil and military officials, and were highly valued by the Emperor. Such a family could indeed be considered true nobility.
If she could use this opportunity to get close to Le Yuanhou’s Mansion, it would also be a chance and a way to investigate.
Ji Xinhe pondered for a moment before asking, "So, do I deliver the wine directly to your mansion three days later?"
"Exactly," Lu Lan replied, relieved to see her agree.
Ji Xinhe continued, "I can accept the deal, but I’m afraid I can’t supply that much wine. After all, there’s only so much grape wine produced at once. Fifty catties is a bit difficult; twenty catties at most."
Rarity makes things valuable. She couldn’t sell a large quantity in her direct sales shop, as it would actually degrade its value.
Lu Lan didn’t mind this, and nodded, "Alright, twenty catties it is. Here is a deposit of one hundred taels of silver. Once the wine is delivered to Le Yuanhou’s Mansion in three days, we’ll make up the rest of the payment according to the market price."
Ji Xinhe nodded, "Alright."
Le Yuanhou’s Mansion wasn’t short of money, so a deposit of a hundred taels was almost half the price of twenty catties of grape wine. Paying half for the deposit was customary.
Lu Lan then said, "By the way, my master specifically instructed me to invite the owner of Qinghe Shop to come as well. My master is particularly fond of grape wine and would like to have you help with the tasting."
Ji Xinhe smiled, "I’d be happy to."
Even if Lu Lan hadn’t mentioned it, she would have gone in person. The whole reason for accepting this deal was to investigate clues; if she didn’t go, wouldn’t it be a waste of an opportunity?
Both women had their own calculations in mind, but neither revealed their thoughts to the other.
As Lu Lan left Qinghe Shop, having completed her mission, a cold, mocking smile crept up the corners of her mouth. In three days, it would be entertaining to see the consequences for those who dared to overstep their bounds and seduce her young mistress’s man. Her young mistress guessed they were in for a harsh lesson.
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