When Wu Xingwang arrived in Cangwu County, he didn't need to ask around to find out that the Deng family not only had three thousand retainers and tens of thousands of good slaves, but the person in charge of the military government was also Deng Kang's brother-in-law.
Previously, officials from the imperial court would come to inspect the area from time to time, and the Deng family dared not go too far, which is why they kept such a low profile. Now that such concerns are gone, the Deng family urgently needs more money and grain to support themselves.
As for the Deng family's decision to marry Su Yunru, a small aristocratic family that had just established itself in Cangwu County, they naturally had their own considerations.
“Since Mr. Deng says so, then I’m relieved,” Wu Xingwang said.
Deng Kang asked, "How much does your salt cost?"
Wu Xingwang didn't keep them in suspense any longer and said directly, "You've seen the quality of our salt before. Coarse salt costs sixty coins, and fine salt costs eighty coins."
"One pound?"
Deng Kang was somewhat unsure, knowing that the salt in Cangwu County was entirely controlled by the No. 1 family, and after the war, the price of salt had risen to nearly 300 wen per catty.
“Yes, the price is per pound.” Wu Xingwang nodded and continued, “However, we also have conditions for cooperation.”
Deng Kang and his son exchanged a glance, and they knew that the two types of salt were of superior quality and would not be so easily obtained.
"Tell me your conditions." Deng Kang was already prepared; no matter the conditions, he was determined to secure the sales rights for Cangwu County.
Wu Xingwang said, “The unified retail price set by Longtan is 130 wen, and cannot exceed 150 wen. If it exceeds this price, we will stop supplying goods. I wonder if Mr. Deng can accept this?”
Deng Kang and his son breathed a sigh of relief. They thought they would have to pay some price, but it turned out to be just this.
"Of course!" Deng Kang agreed. "As long as you have a sufficient supply, I'll sell it for ninety coins if you want."
"Don't worry, there's plenty of stock."
What a joke! The ocean has an inexhaustible supply of water; it's a business with no capital investment. Why would we worry about a lack of supply?
Deng Kangchao gave Wu Xingwang a thumbs up, saying, "You people from Longtan are kind and considerate, and you always think about the common people."
"Not at all, our city lord said that it was precisely because he himself had been caught in the rain that he wanted to hold an umbrella for others." Wu Xingwang was a little embarrassed by the praise, so he could only repeat what Lin Yinan had said.
Upon hearing this, Deng Shifa's eyes lit up. "Uncle Wu, there's a shortage of salt and grain everywhere right now. How exactly do you handle this?"
Wu Xingwang took a sip of tea, put down his cup, and said unhurriedly, "Our retail price is more than half lower than the market price. In addition to the possibility of unscrupulous people taking the opportunity to cause trouble, we also need to guard against powerful families maliciously buying up our stock. Therefore, our city lord said that when the sale begins, each local resident can only purchase one jin (500g)."
Deng Kang's eyes lit up immediately. "That's a great idea!"
"However, when selling, you also need to distinguish which village or town the people are buying from and where they are buying. The shop assistants should keep a record to prevent anyone from taking advantage of this." Wu Yuan had participated in the training and was very familiar with the content.
Deng Shifa got up and went to his desk to find paper and pen, wanting to take notes.
Wu Xingwang hurriedly stopped him, "Nephew, don't rush. These contents are in the agreement. After you sign the agreement, you can take your time to read them."
The city lord had already thought of these contents when signing the agreement with Chen Xianming, and Wu Xingwang, who came from a merchant family, could only applaud them.
Lord City Lord is truly a genius!
Are there any regulations regarding the sale?
The more Deng Kang talked, the more he wished he could promote the affordable salt to the public the very next day.
"Yes, our two prefectures in the South will be selling them on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month after the New Year. Before coming here, the city lord instructed that your sales time should be the same as that in the South."
"Are you trying to catch all the powerful families off guard?" Deng Kang immediately understood Lin Yinan's intention.
This is a golden opportunity to bring Longtan into the public eye, Wu Xingwang said. "That's right."
After pondering for a moment, Deng Kang said, "Cangwu County and Longtan are not close. Can so much salt be transported over by the fifteenth of the first lunar month?"
"We have ships and can ship by sea. I wonder if it's convenient at your port?"
Wu Yuan glanced at his father out of the corner of his eye without showing any emotion. He knew perfectly well what was going on. Before approaching the Deng family, the secret guards had already investigated all the major families in Cangwu County.
The reason the Deng family was chosen was because the Cangwu County dock was controlled by the Deng family, which allowed them to transport goods in without anyone noticing.
"You actually have a boat?"
Deng Kang was speechless. He said they had only been fleeing famine to Longtan for half a year. Who would believe that?
Wu Xingwang now knew that Lin Yinan and the Yun brothers were truly extraordinary. He chuckled twice and said somewhat embarrassedly, "We snatched a few from the Japanese pirates, which is barely enough to haul goods."
Wu Yuan looked at his father, afraid that even telling the truth would frighten him.
Their boats in Longtan were barely able to carry cargo. If Yun Er were here, he would proudly say that the few boats they had seized from the Japanese pirates were later modified by Lin Yinan and all equipped with two homemade cannons.
Although the distance from which the cannons fired from the ship was not far, their power was great.
The two parties then agreed on the delivery time and location and signed a supply agreement.
Deng Kang readily paid a 30% deposit for the goods.
Wu Xingwang and his son returned to the inn to pack up, preparing to head home soon.
In the blink of an eye, Su Yunru returned home for her wedding.
Su Kunliang took his three sons and Deng Shifa to the study, while Su Yunru went to the main courtyard with Zhu Jinhui.
Su Yunru told Zhu Jinhui about the valuable jewelry that Wu Xingwang had given her.
“It is an honor to receive a gift from an elder. He gave it to you out of consideration for your father’s feelings for him, so please accept it,” Zhu Jinhui said.
Seeing the maid outside, Su Yunru lowered her voice and asked, "Mother, do you know that Lin Yinan and the others are at Dragon Pool?"
She heard everything Wu Xingwang and Su Kunliang said that day, and then told her daughter everything.
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