Chapter 69: The Offer for the Top-Grade Ginseng
Wen Nuan Nuan only worried for a brief moment.
In traditional craftsmanship, she couldn’t compare to professionals in the field, but when it came to food, she was still quite confident.
After all, the braising sauce packet was developed by referencing recipes from several master chef bloggers and repeatedly adjusting it, making it a culmination of various strengths.
In Huaguo, there were debates over salty versus sweet flavors and differences between northern and southern cuisines, but these were internal competitions within Huaguo. To the outside world, Huaguo’s cuisine was considered unparalleled.
Take hotpot alone—the variety was countless. Not only did it differ between the north and south, but even between provinces and counties, there could be variations.
It was precisely because of this that Huaguo’s culinary scene flourished so brilliantly.
It also fostered an incredibly confident food culture.
Even though Wen Nuan Nuan had traveled to this fictional, unknown dynasty, she had absolute confidence in Huaguo’s culinary flavors!
Besides, what was the point of having a brain if not to use it? Even if she encountered difficulties, she could always adjust the recipes, adding or subtracting ingredients to suit the local palate.
Once they reached Jingcheng, she could continuously refine the recipes based on the tastes of the people there, optimizing them to their best state.
She could even create several flavors, such as five-spice, spicy, and non-spicy.
Thinking this way, Wen Nuan Nuan felt she was back on track!
“Sister-in-law, we also went to Renxin Hall. The shopkeeper said they’ve received a reply from Jingcheng.”
Hearing Leng Tian speak, the two little ones realized it was about the offer for the century-old ginseng. They lost interest in touching the padded jackets and instead looked at Leng Tian with nervous eyes.
Wen Nuan Nuan, reminded of the top-grade ginseng, immediately perked up, her eyes gleaming as if she were receiving her salary. “What did they say? What’s the offer?”
Based on the information they had gathered earlier, the age of the ginseng was the most important factor, followed by its appearance.
That made sense. In modern times, ginseng was categorized as either cultivated or wild, but in this dynasty, there was no cultivated ginseng—it was all wild. The only things to compare were its age and appearance.
“The main store in Jingcheng is willing to offer one thousand… one thousand two hundred taels!” Leng Tian stammered nervously as he spoke.
The other three were so shocked by the number that they momentarily forgot how to speak.
They didn’t even know what to say at that moment.
This was the first time Wen Nuan Nuan had heard of an amount exceeding a thousand taels!
Their family’s current savings totaled just over eight hundred taels. This offer was far more than their entire savings!
“Did Eldest Brother agree?” Leng Yun asked, frowning after the initial excitement wore off.
Wen Nuan Nuan also turned to look at Leng Tian, hesitating to speak.
Actually, she wanted to say that they weren’t short of money at the moment, so why not take the ginseng to Jingcheng to sell?
After all, they were planning to go to Jingcheng next year anyway.
She knew that cash was good and that having money in hand was secure, but they were in a remote mountain valley. Even for a rare, top-grade ginseng like this, the purchase price offered by people here couldn’t compare to what they might get in Jingcheng.
However, such a large sum of money was at stake, and since it was Eldest Brother Leng Xiao who had found the ginseng, the decision naturally rested with him and his brothers.
Moreover, if there was a drought next year, the market demand for such premium tonics might decrease, or the offered price might drop due to financial constraints.
This was an unknown market risk. She didn’t understand the market demand and rules here, so it was better not to recklessly offer advice.
Wen Nuan Nuan looked at Leng Tian, waiting to hear his response.
A puzzled expression appeared on Leng Tian’s honest face. “Eldest Brother told the shopkeeper that the price was fair, but since we’re going to Jingcheng, we won’t trouble him with it.”
The three listeners simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing the three of them react differently from him, Leng Tian grew even more puzzled. He asked anxiously, “Why aren’t you worried or concerned? I’m almost dying of anxiety listening to this. I don’t understand why Eldest Brother said the shopkeeper’s price was fair, yet still wants to take it to Jingcheng to sell?”
The price was certainly generous, but after years of listening to Eldest Brother analyze situations and explain local customs, he understood that prices in Jingcheng would definitely differ from those in their small Tongcheng—perhaps even drastically.
He just couldn’t grasp why, after Eldest Brother clearly stated the price was fair, they still needed to take it to Jingcheng. Wouldn’t it be more reassuring to sell it sooner and get the silver?
“That was just a polite remark from your Eldest Brother. He couldn’t outright tell the shopkeeper the price was too low, could he? Don’t take it too seriously,” Wen Nuan Nuan realized that Eldest Brother was even more naive than she was.
When others told her “let’s meet next time” or “I’ll treat you to a meal next time,” she could already tell if it was just politeness. Usually, everyone understood implicitly and would just smile and move on.
But Eldest Brother was still young. At his age and in this place, she might not have been able to discern or understand such subtleties either.
“When Eldest Brother mentioned going to Jingcheng, the shopkeeper would likely consult with the main branch. Next time, the main branch would quote a price based on Jingcheng’s market conditions.
Well, it might not be just one price. They might give the shopkeeper several options to gauge our reaction, gradually increasing the offer. They have a baseline in mind and are testing ours too.
Eldest Brother told me before that when the pharmacy encounters rare medicinal herbs that can’t be purchased at a fixed price, this is how they negotiate. I think it’s the same this time.” After speaking, Leng Yun smiled shyly, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Since receiving praise from his sister-in-law last time, he had started sharing his thoughts with his family.
But unsure if his analysis was correct this time, he watched his sister-in-law’s reaction with slight unease.
Wen Nuan Nuan gave him a thumbs-up. “Little Brother explained it quite well.”
In business, quoting, bargaining, and negotiating were the most common processes—especially for high-end goods like this.
They had the space to store it, but if they didn’t, they might have settled for the twelve hundred taels. After all, if the ginseng were damaged by pests or improperly stored, the silver would be lost.
Moreover, the journey to Jingcheng was long and perilous. If it were lost or stolen, there would be no place to cry over it.
For a moment, Wen Nuan Nuan even considered whether to try storing this top-grade ginseng in the refrigerator, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
With such a rare and precious ginseng, if she could produce one every day, not only would ginseng eventually become as cheap as white radishes, but she would also attract fatal trouble long before that! This was also the main reason she hadn’t bought any ginseng to store in the refrigerator after asking Eldest Brother to inquire about its price in town during her first visit.
One tael of ginseng cost one tael of silver—such a rare and valuable item. With over four hundred taels of savings, if she bought and stored ginseng in the refrigerator, within a few years, she would undoubtedly become the ginseng magnate of the Ling Kingdom—provided she survived that long.
Moreover, Wen Nuan Nuan had always felt, deep down, that even if she tried storing it, it probably wouldn’t work.
From the refrigerator’s inability to regenerate containers and its restriction on packaging unsuitable for this era, she had been cautious since arriving here. She neither took out packaging that could disrupt this era nor added anything unnecessary to the refrigerator.
She couldn’t be too greedy. With eggs, meat, vegetables, rice, and flour now, wasn’t that enough? What more could she possibly want?
She could rely on her knowledge and life experience to earn silver. As long as the refrigerator was stocked with food, she felt secure and at ease, free from worries even in this unfamiliar dynasty.