kingnovel Chapter 513: Progress
Chapter 513: Progress
Zhou Guo said: "Compared to what you sell, mine is not expensive. Besides, if there are too many mushrooms in the mountains behind, I can bring them back for you."
Shopkeeper Qin doesn't know about her yet, little fox. If he dares to say that he wants to transfer her back, then there won't be many mushrooms here this year.
The price went up by a hundred coins at once, and Shopkeeper Qin's heart was bleeding. "Can it be lower? Look, although I sell it at a high price, my costs are high. You can't raise the price so much at once! I sell it at a high price to begin with, and if it goes any higher, I guess no one will want to eat here!"
Zhou Guo shook her head. She had expected less when she first sold it last year. But she didn't expect that she would charge 200 wen per catty, but others would sell it for 5 or 6 guan per catty.
"I know your costs are high, so I've only raised the price by 100 wen, not 400 or 500 wen per jin. What are you afraid of? Think about it, you charge 40 or 50 guan per jin, and you only give me 200 wen. It's increased so much. I want 300 wen per jin, which I think is good enough. We villagers go up and down the mountain, from the old ladies in their 70s and 80s to the children of two or three years old. We have to make them work hard for a month, so that they can buy a few feet of cotton cloth to make a new set of clothes and eat a few pounds of meat during the New Year, right?"
Shopkeeper Qin shook his head, "Mr. Zhou only sees that we are buying expensive, but he doesn't know that our restaurant's expenses are the biggest. Three hundred coins per catty is too expensive for us at Fu Man Lou. How about reducing it by forty coins to two hundred and sixty coins per catty?"
Zhou Guo smiled and did not give in at all. "Manager Qin, you are a straightforward person, and so am I. I am not raising the price just for you. There really aren't that many mushrooms in the mountains this year. You know, even if there are fewer things, there are still so many people who want them, so there is less for everyone to share."
The implication is that whoever offers a higher price will get more.
Although Manager Qin is very sensible and kind, business is still a one-size-fits-all business. Besides, this is not just her business, but everyone in the village's business. If the deal is concluded, she will have to raise the price for the villagers when she returns.
They were all businessmen, so they naturally heard what she hadn't said. Shopkeeper Qin thought about it and decided that although three hundred coins per catty was a big increase, it was indeed not much compared to the price they were selling at.
And this Madam Zhou did tell her the same thing, that once the things entered their restaurant, it was none of their business how much they could sell them for. Knowing that they could sell one flower for seven or eight hundred coins, she didn't say anything, but instead kept smiling and said that the goods were all of the best quality.
Thinking of this, he pretended to grit his teeth and said, "Okay, three hundred coins is three hundred coins, you need to sign the document."
Zhou Guo smiled and picked up the folding fan, fanning himself, "Of course, the document must be signed."
Wu Jiang and others were full of admiration for Zhou Guo, and with just a few words they raised the price of the pine mushroom by one hundred coins.
However, compared to their selling price, they felt that three hundred coins per catty was still a bit low. The price of one flower from other people was more than half more expensive than theirs!
Zhou Guo formally signed his name on the document.
"Huh?" Shopkeeper Qin took a closer look and praised, "Mr. Zhou's handwriting has improved a lot!"
Zhou Guo smiled and said, "That's also thanks to the pens, ink and paper that the shopkeeper gave me. You know my family is poor and I can't afford such good things. With the things you gave me, I practiced whenever I had nothing to do at home. I used up half of the paper. After a year, I only made such a little progress. I can't let your kindness go to waste."
Shopkeeper Qin twitched his lips, "Even if your family was poor before, are you still poor after selling pine mushrooms last year?"
Zhou Guo said: "Although I can eat well and wear warm clothes now, I am still far from being able to afford such good things. I still have to work hard. Shopkeeper Qin has also raised the price for me. I have to thank you very much. Come, Shopkeeper Qin, I'll toast you a glass."
Shopkeeper Qin took the cup and said with a smile, "No, no, I should toast to Madam Zhou, no, Master Zhou. I feel honored to cooperate with Master Zhou. If Master Zhou becomes rich someday, I can show off this to others."
Zhou Guo smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Qin is my benefactor."
The two sides clinked their glasses.
Zhou Guo picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. What a great wine!
Both parties pay the money and deliver the goods.
Shopkeeper Qin also knew that she would not come back for a few days, so he had someone carry out another box before she left.
Zhou Guo raised an eyebrow when he saw the familiar box.
Shopkeeper Qin bowed and said, "Mr. Zhou is gone now, and I don't know if he will come back this year. This is a small gift I prepared for you, some writing materials, as a token of my appreciation."
Zhou Guo said, "Shopkeeper Qin, you gave me a gift for my visit. How can I ask you to raise the price in the future?"
Shopkeeper Qin's mouth twitched, and he muttered, "I gave you so many gifts, but you never gave in to me when I raised the price, did you take even a penny less?"
He smiled and said, "Why are you saying all that? These are just some of my gifts. Mr. Zhou has given me a lot of gifts, such as walnuts, salted fish, and roe deer legs. They are all wild delicacies. How can these ordinary things of mine be compared to them?"
Although the price increased so much, he gave it away willingly and sincerely.
Zhou Guo declined for a while before accepting it. She had given them a lot of things. There were so many things in the mountains. When her sheep mushrooms were grown next year, she would give them some as well. She also had wild boar meat, pheasant and other rare game. There was a lot she could give them.
I went back with a lot of harvest, wondering what was happening in the other places.
There will definitely be no problem with the master. Wang Fugui is a businessman, so there shouldn't be any big problem there either. As for Zhou Gu, I think he has Zhou Suli and Hu Zi's help, so it shouldn't be a problem to negotiate with him.
She had calculated for them before she left. The price of each family would have to increase at least. Since Yunzhou was close, the price could not be less than eighty cents.
Yunzhou is Zhou Gu and Zhou Suli. Although the chubby shopkeeper Yang doesn’t know Zhou Gu very well, he knows Zhou Suli. Zhou Guo took him everywhere last year, so it’s hard not to know him.
He greeted the two brothers with a smile and asked Zhou Su, "Where is Madam Zhou?"
Zhou Su also smiled, "Sister has decided to go. She said she will come to see Manager Yang next time."
At the dinner table, Shopkeeper Yang heard that there were few new mushrooms produced in the village this year and that the price per pound would increase by another 100 wen compared to last year. He raised his eyebrows and after a few words, he got the two men to reveal the bottom price Zhou Guo had given them, and finally they readily agreed.
Three hundred coins per pound, he earned it all back with just half a flower.
Zhou Su was very annoyed when he saw him agree with a smile. How could he not keep his promise and reveal the reserve price so quickly?
Zhou Gu felt that it was pretty good. They had kept the bottom price given by Zhou Guo. That was pretty good. Now it was already three hundred coins, which was already amazing.