Chapter 2385: Chapter 2360: The Deal Fell Through (April Bonus Update 19)
Zhou Wulang’s eyebrows twitched fiercely. He offered Director Xiao’s price of ninety wen per hundred catties, but by the time it reached the steward, the price had more than doubled.
Who does business like this?
A buyer rushing to offer a price to the seller?
Zhou Wulang was never one to cheat people, and now he felt a bit panicked. Thinking further about Manbao working under Director Xiao, if he lowered the price at the front then later raised it to sell to the Imperial Hospital, what would Director Xiao think of Manbao?
So, already feeling it was inappropriate, Zhou Wulang shook his head straight and saw the steward’s face turn displeased. He simply picked up two vegetable baskets and said, "I won’t sell."
With that, he turned his head and left.
The steward froze for a moment before silently cursing, "Crafty little thing, are you trying to take all our orders or what?"
"Steward, should we go and stop him?"
The steward wanted to throw a tantrum and say don’t bother; it was always others begging to sell things to him. This was the first time he had to chase someone to buy things.
This feeling was extremely frustrating.
But thinking about Director Xiao’s servant personally bringing him over and what Zhou Man said yesterday, there must be suspicion in Director Xiao’s heart. If he squeezed out the person he recommended, who knows what Director Xiao would think.
Although the Imperial Hospital’s expenses over at the imperial estate were partially borne by the Ministry of Revenue and the emperor, the money didn’t go directly to him but was on the Imperial Hospital’s books. Only with Director Xiao’s signature and agreement could he take the order to the Imperial Hospital to get the money.
So Director Xiao was very important.
The steward gritted his teeth and still managed to squeeze out a smile to chase Zhou Wulang. Catching up with him in the estate, he directly pulled him aside to talk, "Lord Zhou Wu, if you’re not satisfied with the price, we can negotiate."
Zhou Wulang was also unwilling to let this business go to waste. Mainly, if they were willing to place an order, the vegetables, eggs, and even pigs from many families in the estate would have a place to go, so they wouldn’t have to sell to hawkers or retail.
So he stopped as well, directly naming his price, "Alright, if we can talk about the price, then eggs are two wen each, pumpkins ninety wen per hundred catties, and I’ll give you a better deal on wax gourds, eighty-five wen per hundred catties..."
Steward: "... We don’t want to take advantage of Lord Zhou Wu. The eggs will be five wen, or otherwise six wen. As for pumpkins, two hundred wen per hundred catties, and wax gourds we’ll count as one hundred ninety wen per hundred catties..."
The people who came with the steward to chase him watched the two haggle back and forth, only it was reversed from typical haggling, the buyer persistently raising the price and the seller persistently lowering it.
This muddled their understanding, almost making them think Zhou Wulang was the buyer.
Finally, Zhou Wulang found that they couldn’t communicate effectively and simply picked up the vegetable basket again, intending to leave. The steward grabbed him, his expression twisting before forcing out a smile, saying, "Lord Zhou Wu, with everything else you can’t get along with money, can you?"
"How about this, we each take a step back, and settle with eggs at four wen each, how about it?"
Zhou Wulang gave him a deep look and said, "Steward, although we sell some eggs, ducks, and vegetables, we also understand righteousness. This is the market price; at most, we can give you a bit cheaper. If you’re not satisfied, the most I can do is sell to you at market price, two and a half wen per egg, but if you want to give me such a high price, I’ll feel guilty and won’t sleep at night."
The more Zhou Wulang thought, the more reason he found for his stance, "These eggs are half the tenant farmers’, meaning out of a thousand eggs, I only own five hundred. Eating poorly and sleeping poorly for a string of cash, how could I be so narrow-minded?"
The steward held back his anger, silently cursing, then why are you here? It would be better not to do this business. You’ve even contacted Director Xiao, and now you say the price is too high, trying to play with me?
The steward explained briefly, "Lord Zhou Wu may not know, but if you offer a low price here, you’ll inevitably offend other suppliers, which isn’t good."
Zhou Wulang muttered to himself: Who are you fooling? He had been buying for his family’s restaurant for a few years, naturally understanding these nuances.
Those suppliers probably didn’t sell to him at such high prices either, and the extra money likely went into their own pockets.
But this person was too greedy. He had dealt with many restaurant and hotel purchases, and they were all quite familiar. Everyone took some benefits.
Small benefits meant accepting vegetables and meat from farmers and butchers; larger ones were cash takings, but no one dared be excessive. Both the store owner and the clerk knew the prices of vegetables and meat and eggs.
This was the first time seeing someone hike the price over double like the steward had.
If it weren’t for Manbao working in this imperial estate, having to stay there for a while and not daring to offend the steward, he would have exposed these matters before leaving.
But thinking about Manbao inside, he could only hold his anger, unwilling to burn his bridges with the steward and unwilling to accept the absurdity of offending Director Xiao.
He tangled with the steward for a long time until he finally came up with a solution. He said to the steward, "Just let me go. If Director Xiao asks, I’ll say the estate got hit with frost, vegetables were ruined, hens were frightened, many stopped laying eggs, and now the remaining simply can’t supply the imperial estate, so let this business go."
The steward’s grip slackened upon hearing this, hesitatingly saying, "But over at Imperial Doctor Zhou..."
"I’ll talk to her," Zhou Wulang said immediately, "She’s an imperial doctor, doesn’t concern herself with household matters, doesn’t know the situation in the estate. Naturally, whatever we say goes. I’ll tell her even supplying our own family restaurant is tight, let alone selling externally, okay?"
The steward’s eyes turned, seeing that Zhou Wulang truly didn’t want to collude—ahem, cooperate—with him. He glanced up at the overhead sun, realizing it had been nearly two hours of wrangling without much point in continuing.
He pulled out a bag of coins to Zhou Wulang, "Then please trouble Lord Zhou Wu."
Zhou Wulang didn’t want it, pushing it back, but the steward tightly wedged it in his hand, hinting, "Lord Zhou Wu, this is a small token of our appreciation. It’s inappropriate to have you run a trip for nothing. You’ll still need to explain in person to Director Xiao, so think of this as travel and refreshment expenses. If you refuse, it leaves us in a difficult spot to ask you again."
Seeing the stubborn stance the steward took, ready for another two-hour bout, Zhou Wulang took the pouch, moved.
Though the January sun wasn’t hot, and was even warm, baking under it too long made him dizzy, and he was hungry now.
Watching Zhou Wulang accept the money, the steward finally smiled, personally escorting him out of the estate.
The Xiao family’s servant had only brought him to the imperial estate to introduce the steward and then left. At this moment, at the entrance, only Zhou Wulang’s mule cart was there. He loaded the vegetables and eggs onto the cart and drove it away.
The steward realized in hindsight, was this kid so unwilling even to give him a basket of eggs? Would he really keep his promise after going back?
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