Li's Grocery Store.
Chen Qingqing walked in and looked around. The shop wasn't big, but it sold a wide variety of things.
The waiter greeted the customers warmly, "What would you two like to order?"
Chen Qingqing smiled and said, "Little brother, I want to see your manager."
"Please wait a moment." The shop assistant turned and walked into the inner room. He returned shortly with a thin, middle-aged man.
"Shopkeeper, these are the two people who are looking for you."
The shopkeeper sized up Chen Qingqing, looking quite puzzled. "Young lady, my name is Li Fu. May I ask what brings you here?"
"Hello, Manager Li, I'd like to ask if you need any brown sugar here?"
Manager Li frowned and said in a calm tone, "I'm sorry, our store has its own suppliers, and we don't accept goods from just anyone."
Chen Qingqing wasn't annoyed by the closed door. "Take a look at the goods first before making a decision. What if you like them?"
A slight hesitation crossed Manager Li's face. "Alright, let me take a look."
Chen Qingqing took the cloth bag from Chen Xiaoyu, took out a small piece of brown sugar, placed it on the counter with parchment paper, and casually said,
"My brown sugar is of good quality and has a pure taste. If you like it, I can supply you with it on a long-term basis."
Manager Li dipped his finger in the mixture, put it in his mouth, and savored it. His expression softened. "The quality is alright, but I wonder about the wholesale price..."
Chen Qingqing smiled slightly and said unhurriedly, "Manager Li is an expert, so you can set the price. I believe the price you offer will be fair and reasonable."
Chen Qingqing said this with a purpose: to get the other party to quote a price first. This would allow her to see if the shop owner was a good person and worth cooperating with long-term, and she could also obtain market information based on the quote, so she could estimate the purchase price of brown sugar.
Manager Li was a shrewd businessman, more calculating than anyone else. He secretly plotted in his mind...
Although brown sugar sells for a high price, its purchase price is also high, nearly ninety copper coins per pound, leaving a difference of only about ten copper coins.
The profit is considerable, but if we could really bring down the purchase price, we could earn even more.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Chen Qingqing. The girl was quite young; if he wasn't mistaken, she probably had no prior experience in business.
Since that's the case, it's better to take a step back and quote a low price first. If she's not satisfied, we can gradually raise it.
With his years of business experience, he was sure he could handle a young girl.
Having made up his mind, he said in a serious tone, "Miss Chen, don't be fooled by the fact that brown sugar is sold at a high price on the market. Our purchase price is quite low. To be honest, our usual purchase price is fifty copper coins per catty."
Chen Qingqing shook her head and smiled. These few words alone revealed the character of the Li family's grocery store owner; he was cunning.
How could there be a 50% profit margin on brown sugar sold for 100 coins? It's obvious he doesn't want to do this business.
"Manager Li, you're joking. A pound of brown sugar costs fifty coins to buy. Do you think I'm a three-year-old child, or do you think my sugar won't sell?"
Manager Li was speechless, and his face immediately darkened. "Since you asked me to quote a price, and I gave you one but you think it's too low, how much per kilogram are you planning to supply?"
"My brown sugar is of superior quality. Is it really reasonable for you to offer such a low price?"
Manager Li felt as if someone had seen into his thoughts; his face instantly turned bright red, and he gave an awkward laugh.
"Since Miss Chen is so straightforward, then I'll be frank. My usual purchase price is seventy copper coins per catty. Is this price acceptable to you?"
"My target price is ninety coins per pound." Chen Qingqing didn't want to waste any more words with this person and directly revealed her bottom line.
Manager Li was taken aback at first, then laughed sarcastically, "I definitely won't take your price, since I can choose whether or not to buy your goods."
Chen Qingqing stood up. "Manager Li, even if the deal falls through, we can still be on good terms. I won't bother you any longer. Farewell."
"Take care, I won't see you off." Manager Li's face immediately turned cold.
Seeing Chen Qingqing and her companion turn and leave, the waiter was puzzled. "Manager, the brown sugar we buy costs ninety copper coins a pound. Why don't you want this young lady's? If she sells it to another shop, it will definitely affect our business."
Manager Li shook his head and smiled indifferently, "It's alright. A young girl is just trying to be opportunistic. She'll find a few pounds of brown sugar somewhere and try to exchange it for some pocket money. People like that won't amount to anything and aren't worth cooperating with."
"Yes, yes, the shopkeeper is wise."
******
Leaving Li's Grocery Store,
Xiao Yu thought Chen Qingqing was angry, so he quickly whispered to comfort her, "Don't worry, my wife. That person was blind to her talent, he will definitely regret it."
“I’m not angry. You’re right, he’ll definitely regret it.”
"I'm relieved that my wife isn't angry," Xiaoyu said with a happy smile.
Chen Qingqing saw that his eyes were clear, his face had a sincere smile, and his handsome face made him look very good, but she was dumbfounded.
She sighed regretfully and said, "Let's go, let's go check out other places."
Xiao Yu nodded obediently and followed behind Chen Qingqing. The two then headed towards another smaller general store.
Liu's Grocery Store.
As soon as Chen Qingqing stepped into the house, she saw the shopkeeper idly sweeping and waving a feather duster...
Upon seeing the guests arrive, they hurriedly greeted them warmly, "Sir, what would you like to order?"
Chen Qingqing went straight to the point, "Shopkeeper, do you need brown sugar here?"
"Does the young lady have brown sugar?"
"Yes."
The shopkeeper was overjoyed to hear this. Brown sugar was a scarce commodity, and in Qingshui Town, only Li's Grocery Store sold it. The supplier from the south didn't give him any chance to buy it.
Upon hearing the affirmative answer, he hurriedly invited Chen Qingqing and the other person to sit down.
"Miss, my surname is Liu. May I ask your surname?"
"My surname is Chen, and I am from Nanshan Village."
"Nanshan Village isn't far. I wonder where Miss Chen got her brown sugar from, and whether the quality is guaranteed?"
"I make the brown sugar myself, so you can rest assured about the quality. It's definitely top-quality sugar."
Manager Liu was overjoyed; his wish had come true.
I was just getting anxious and stressed because the shop didn't have any brown sugar, but now it's been delivered right to my door!
With brown sugar, his grocery store business will definitely get better and better.
Those regular customers who frequent his place will definitely patronize his business.
Manager Li hurriedly poured tea and water before speaking again, "Since it's top-quality sugar, could you bring a sample so I can see the quality of your brown sugar?"
......
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