BXBX NOVEL Chapter 50 - 50: Bargaining
Upon hearing that, Shopkeeper He concealed his disappointment and asked, “How do you plan to sell this tofu?”
“Six wen per catty.” Qiao Xiaomai stated the number she had already planned in her mind.
A catty of soybeans is three wen, which can make about three catties of tofu. Three catties of tofu costs eighteen wen. Aside from the cost of soybeans and firewood, vinegar, and labor, Qiao Xiaomai believed that her quoted price was very fair.
“This price is a bit high. A serving of stir-fried bean jelly only cost five wen.” He Zhanggui lost his smile and took on a serious posture. He then took out his abacus to calculate for Qiao Xiaomai, “A catty of live chicken only costs seven or eight wen, and your tofu is almost the same price as meat. If I have to fry it or make a soup, plus the cost of various seasonings and labor, a plate of tofu alone will have to be sold for at least twelve wen.”
“Miss Qiao, in my restaurant, a serving of ordinary meat only costs less than twenty wen. Your tofu is catching up with the price of meat.”
“It’s called tofu and it’s made from beans, right? Soybeans? A catty of soybeans only costs three wen. With a lot of water added, a catty of soybeans can probably make five or six catties of tofu. If we count six catties, it would be thirty-six wen.”
“Let’s round that up to forty wen. Miss Qiao, you’re turning three wen into forty wen. That’s outrageous profit!”
Qiao Xiaomai,”…”
This shopkeeper really likes to exaggerate the numbers!
She cleared her throat and began her own calculation, “Shopkeeper He, a catty of soybeans can only make three catties of tofu. I earn eighteen wen from three wen, but I have to deduct the essential costs for making tofu. I have to go up the mountain to collect firewood. 1 have to do a lot of work, and finally, I have to carry a basket on my back for half an hour to deliver it to you.”
“My father is lame, my younger brother is only seven years old, and I’m the backbone of my family. 1 do almost all of these tasks, deduct all the costs and labor, what I actually earn is just a few wen.”
“We don’t have any farmland at home and we only rely on a few wen for living. Times are really tough for us, this price is truly the lowest I can offer.”
“Shopkeeper He, considering that we will have regular cooperation in the future, and that I am a honest person, let’s settle for this price.”
He Zhanggui,”…”
As a merchant, haggling over price is his habit.
However, just like last time, this young lady greatly reduced his inflated number and even played the sympathy card.
Especially that last line indirectly questioning his honesty.
This reaction was nothing like the simple-minded girls from the countryside.
“Alright, let’s go by your price,” He Zhanggui stroked his beard and nodded his agreement.
“But once the tofu is sold to me, you can’t sell it to others.”
“That won’t do, 1 also plan to do business elsewhere in the village.” Qiao Xiaomai shook her head in refusal.
“Why bother with all that trouble? We can take all of your tofu. It would be much faster than selling it in small amounts.”
Qiao Xiaomai considered this, then nodded, “That can work, but since only your restaurant will have it, then 1 need to raise the price.”
If only his restaurant has tofu, he will definitely sell it at a high price. Considering this, she felt somewhat at a loss.
Originally, she planned to sell some tofu in the village every day, letting villagers taste something new, improving her reputation and changing the villagers’ impression of her family.
Since his restaurant wants to monopolize the supply, she won’t be able to improve her reputation. He has to compensate for this loss.
He Zhanggui, “…how much do you plan to increase?”