"Why does the shopkeeper only ask about tiger bones? Don't you need anything else?" Jiang Qinyu asked with a smile.
When Manager Zheng saw that it was a young man speaking, he went to look at Meng Tianze. However, Meng Tianze looked like he was waiting for Jiang Qinyu to make the decision. Manager Zheng immediately understood that this young man was the one who could make decisions among this group.
"It's not that I don't need it, but my father is suffering from a strange illness. A few days ago, a famous doctor in the city told me about a folk remedy that requires tiger bone as a medicine, so I was a little anxious," Manager Zheng said, cupping his hands in greeting.
Jiang Qinyu quickly considered the situation in her mind, then smiled and said, "Innkeeper, could we check in first? We've been traveling for days and are really exhausted, what do you think..."
"Alright, alright, Gun'er, you take care of these guests." Seeing that they looked travel-worn, Manager Zheng knew that this was not the time to discuss business, so he quickly gave the order.
The waiter named Gun'er immediately relayed Jiang Qinyu's previous request, and Manager Zheng granted it without hesitation.
Chen Shao and the others drove the carriage to the backyard first, leaving Jiang Qinyu and Meng Tianze to speak with Manager Zheng alone.
"Gentlemen, may I take a look at the tiger bone?" Manager Zheng couldn't hold back his words, thinking of his bedridden father.
He knew that rushing into deals like this in the last round could easily lead to being ripped off, but he still couldn't resist.
The tiger bones were processed separately, and Jiang Qinyu packed them in a bundle, which she happened to be carrying in her hand.
Seeing the shopkeeper's eagerness, Jiang Qinyu didn't keep him in suspense and simply laid out the tiger bones, saying, "The bones of a whole tiger are here."
Manager Zheng had seen tiger bones before and could tell whether the ones Jiang Qinyu took out were real tiger bones. He quickly confirmed that this was what he wanted.
"Name your price, both of you!" Manager Zheng said, bowing earnestly.
Jiang Qinyu and Meng Tianze exchanged a glance. In fact, they hadn't had time to discuss the price yet, since neither of them expected to encounter a buyer who wanted to buy tiger bones as soon as they arrived in the prefectural city!
But since they've already offered it to them, they can't just turn down the business, can they?
“The shopkeeper seems like an honest man,” Jiang Qinyu said. “Our tiger bones are also very intact. As for the price, I don’t need to mention it. To thank the shopkeeper for letting so many of us stay in the carriage in the backyard, please name your price!”
With so many people sharing one room, and since shared rooms don't make money, Jiang Qinyu and her group are actually getting a good deal.
The main reason why Manager Zheng's shop hasn't grown much over the years is that he is too honest, meticulous in his work, and kind-hearted. Otherwise, Kangyue Inn wouldn't be in its current state.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. I don't have many customers here anyway, I'm just doing you a favor." Manager Zheng waved his hand dismissively. "I can tell that your tiger bones are good stuff, but there aren't many people who collect tiger bones these days, and they might not fetch a good price in Yukang Prefecture."
He paused for a moment, then looked at Jiang Qinyu and said, "I won't beat around the bush. I'll give you a fair price: eighty taels of silver for a whole set of tiger bones. How about that?"
Upon hearing "eighty taels," Meng Tianze was already dizzy, only Jiang Qinyu remained conscious. "How about you give us an auspicious number, eighty-eight taels? It wasn't easy for us to come all the way from Yongshan County, and there are many of us, so what do you think..."
The meaning is that eighty taels seems like a lot, but when it's divided among them, it's not much.
Thinking of his elderly father, Manager Zheng gritted his teeth and nodded, "Deal!"
"Would you like some of our other wild game, innkeeper?" Jiang Qinyu noticed that the inn also offered meals, and she figured she could sell some of them.
Manager Zheng, carrying the bundle of tiger bones, felt relieved, his heart at ease, and smiled warmly. "You mostly have mutton, right?"
“Yes, and there’s also wolf and wild boar meat,” Jiang Qinyu added.
Manager Zheng thought for a moment and said, "My shop is small, so I can only take one sheep. You'll have to ask somewhere else for the rest."
"Does the shopkeeper have any recommendations? We're new here and not familiar with the area," Jiang Qinyu immediately asked.
Manager Zheng was a truly good man. Remembering that someone had sold him tiger bones, he recommended several large restaurants in the city.
"The manager of Zuixianju is not easy to talk to, so go there last. Go to Shiweizhai first, as they mainly sell all kinds of fresh food. You can decide which other shops to visit later."
Jiang Qinyu was overjoyed upon hearing this and stood up gratefully, saying, "Thank you so much, shopkeeper!"
Shopkeeper Zheng waved his hand and hurried home to get medicine for his elderly father.
Jiang Qinyu and Meng Tianze took the money and went straight back to the room they had just booked.
After the others were settled, they also squeezed into the room.
"So, what did you sell?"
When asked by the crowd, Meng Tianze grinned from ear to ear, “Sold it, a whole set of tiger bones.”
"How much silver?"
This is the question that everyone is most concerned about.
Jiang Qinyu smiled and laid out a fifty-tael silver note, three ten-tael silver ingots, and the remaining eight taels of loose silver.
"So many?" Everyone gasped.
How much silver does a whole tiger cost? Tiger bones can sell for eighty-eight taels?
Jiang Qinyu smiled and said, "We've met a benefactor; we wouldn't normally get this price."
Those in the know will understand how to use tiger bones, while those who don't won't care.
"Ah Shao, pinch me! Our luck is just too good!" Liu Yazi said to Chen Shao, still feeling dizzy.
Chen Shao slapped him on the back of the head. "Wake up! Sister-in-law Lu said we're just lucky. We don't know how much the other things will sell for."
“Speaking of which,” Jiang Qinyu said thoughtfully, “let’s set a price first, mainly for the mutton.”
There's relatively little wolf meat, pork, and tiger meat, so we should be able to get rid of it quickly. But there's too much mutton, and we don't know how much the big restaurants in Yukang Prefecture will take. They'll have to sell the rest themselves.
Meng Tianze had experience with this. "Before, in Yongshan County, I hunted sheep and sold them whole. The most expensive price was about 15 taels, which works out to about 60 wen per jin of meat."
A wild goat weighs over 200 jin (approximately 100 kg), so this price isn't considered expensive.
"Sixty coins?" Jiang Qinyu shook her head. "No, it's hard to sell at that price."
We have several thousand kilograms of wild goat meat in total, and we need to find another way to get it.
"How about this, tomorrow we'll go to various restaurants and eateries to ask about the situation. We'll sell as much as we can, and then we'll set up a stall to sell the rest at 45 coins per catty. What do you think?" Jiang Qinyu asked, looking at everyone.
Meng Tianze nodded first, "We'll listen to my sister-in-law. We only make money when we sell things; if they're stuck in our hands, they're worthless."
Once things were settled, Meng Tianze arranged for the others to rest. Jiang Qinyu also went into her private space to wash up before going to sleep.
The next morning, Jiang Qinyu and the others began their business in Yukang Prefecture.
As instructed by Manager Zheng, Jiang Qinyu and her group split into five groups, each heading to a different restaurant. Each group drove a horse-drawn carriage, carrying different types of meat.
Jiang Qinyu and Meng Tianze came to Zuixianju, a restaurant where the manager was said to have a bad temper.
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