Chapter 75: Savings Increased Again
The carriage fell into silence, with no one speaking.
Wen Nuan Nuan looked at the two lost in thought and felt relieved.
Leng Xiao and Leng Chen were essentially the same type of people—deep thinkers, meticulous in their actions, with strong comprehension skills.
She had explained things so clearly just now; surely they had understood.
Wen Nuan Nuan’s worries about Leng Chen were finally put to rest.
The carriage clip-clopped toward the city gate. After paying the copper coins for entry, it slowed down and swayed its way to the entrance of Renxin Hall.
As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, Wen Nuan Nuan felt invigorated!
Time to earn some silver!
The hardships, injuries, and exhaustion Leng Xiao and Leng Tian had endured in the mountains were finally about to pay off.
“Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law, you go inside. I’ll take the carriage to the open space nearby and wait for you,” Leng Tian offered with a smile after the four of them had alighted and stood steady.
Leng Xiao nodded without a word.
Wen Nuan Nuan understood that the four of them had a clear division of labor in everything they did, each assigned tasks based on their strengths and abilities.
Two horses were extremely valuable assets in Tongcheng. Among the five of them, only Leng Xiao and Leng Tian currently knew how to drive and guard the carriage. Leng Xiao was indispensable for negotiating the price of the top-grade ginseng, so it was indeed most suitable for Eldest Brother to watch over the carriage.
Wen Nuan Nuan took out a bag of candies wrapped in oiled paper from the small bamboo basket she carried and handed it over. “Eldest Brother, have these while you wait for us.”
She now carried a small bamboo basket covered with cotton cloth whenever she went out, making it convenient to take things out from the refrigerator.
“Thank you, Sister-in-law!” Leng Tian happily accepted it, his smile radiant.
Going out with Sister-in-law was the best!
She always prepared lots of delicious treats and gave them out at just the right times.
As soon as the four of them entered the main hall of the medicine shop, an apprentice in a long gown came forward to greet them. Upon seeing Leng Xiao, he cleverly led them directly to the inner hall.
“Please have some tea, everyone. Our shopkeeper will be here shortly,” the apprentice said before bowing and stepping back.
“Alright, no rush. Please go about your business,” Leng Yun replied with a beaming smile, politely seeing him off to the entrance of the inner hall.
Wen Nuan Nuan thought to herself that this young apprentice’s discernment, service level, and professional skills were top-notch!
He recognized Leng Xiao as soon as he saw him, immediately realized it was about negotiating the price of top-grade ginseng, and led them directly to the quiet inner hall with fewer people.
Even in ancient times, being a worker wasn’t easy.
However, workers seemed to have a certain social status. From what she had observed so far, scholars wore long gowns, and shop assistants also wore long gowns to greet customers. People like Eldest Brother and Little Brother, who needed to do heavy physical labor, wore short jackets with narrow sleeves, as did most people on the streets.
Well, even in blacksmith shops, where heavy labor was required, they also wore short jackets with narrow sleeves.
It seemed clothing was a way to distinguish whether the work involved physical exertion.
No wonder long gowns and wide sleeves were revered in ancient times—they weren’t suitable for labor.
While Wen Nuan Nuan and Leng Yun were staring at a painting hanging on the wall in the inner room, arguing whether it depicted ginseng leaves, the door to the inner room was hurriedly opened.
Shopkeeper Sun, plump and fair-skinned, wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke apologetically, “My apologies, I’m late, I’m late! I was delayed by an emergency case. Have you all been waiting long?”
“It’s fine,” Leng Xiao stood up and exchanged polite gestures with Shopkeeper Sun before they both took their seats on either side of the main position.
Wen Nuan Nuan and Leng Yun quickly stopped their argument and retreated to the lower seats, sitting down beside Leng Chen.
Shopkeeper Sun’s gaze fell on the untouched tea on the table, and he called out loudly, “A Jin, bring some sweet water for these two young gentlemen, and serve some pastries for Madam Leng.”
Sweet water and pastries—Wen Nuan Nuan thought to herself that this treatment was absolutely considered generous in this era. It seemed the top-grade ginseng was likely to sell today.
With Leng Xiao here, there was no need to worry. Wen Nuan Nuan quietly pulled the two little ones along, nibbling on pastries while observing the bargaining scene.
Shopkeeper Sun’s plump face was full of amiability. “We’ve been friends for many years. Over these years, any good medicinal herbs have always been supplied to Renxin Hall first. You know my character—I never quote unreasonable prices. This time, the amount is just too large, so it’s entirely up to the main branch to decide.”
This was an emotional appeal, Wen Nuan Nuan analyzed as she took a bite of sesame peanut brittle. So sweet!
“Precious medicinal herbs like century-old ginseng—not to mention Tongcheng, even in the capital, few pharmacies can afford them. First, the price is too high, and second, the demand is low. Not many people can afford to use them.”
This was an analysis of pros and cons. Wen Nuan Nuan’s small hand quietly reached for the hawthorn cake. As soon as she took a bite, her little face scrunched up—too little sugar, so sour!
She quickly took a sip of tea to wash away the sourness.
“And you also know that ginseng is different from other medicinal herbs. The longer it’s stored, the more valuable it becomes. But if ginseng is stored for too long, it becomes no different from wood, with almost no medicinal effect. Having thousands of taels tied up like that is just too risky.”
These words almost meant the deal was done.
Wen Nuan Nuan felt reassured. She picked up a piece of cloud slice cake, tearing it off slice by slice and eating it leisurely.
“Sister-in-law, why does it sound like they can’t reach an agreement?” Leng Yun, who usually tried everything as long as there was food, now wore a worried expression on his little face. He had no appetite for the pastries on the table and sat stiffly, looking at the two people in the main seats.
“Not at all. This is a tactic of first suppressing, then elevating—first establishing rapport, then explaining their own difficulties, and finally downplaying the goods. Only someone who wants to buy would do this.
If someone doesn’t want to buy, they wouldn’t waste time talking to you. They wouldn’t say anything offensive either—they’d just praise you a bit and send you on your way.” After all, even if the deal falls through, goodwill remains. Businesspeople value harmony to generate wealth. If they weren’t genuinely interested in buying or negotiating the price, why would they go through all these layers of conversation with you?
Wouldn’t that just be a waste of breath?
Besides, the two sides have always had a supplier relationship. Even if this deal doesn’t work out, they still have to consider the next one.
“Don’t you see your Eldest Brother has been quietly listening the whole time? He hasn’t interrupted once. He’s waiting for Shopkeeper Sun to continue and reveal the price set by the main branch.
Since your Eldest Brother isn’t responding, Shopkeeper Sun has no idea what he’s thinking and can’t analyze whether he’s satisfied or not. He can only quote the main branch’s price on the higher side. Someone who wants to buy definitely has a bottom price in mind, but they won’t reveal it right away. Everyone wants to buy the best goods at the lowest price.” Wen Nuan Nuan had experienced the same when buying her own old, dilapidated two-bedroom apartment.
Before that, she had looked at countless houses. When she saw ones she didn’t want, she either stayed silent or praised them a bit, saying they just weren’t suitable for her.
But when she saw one she liked, she would nitpick—the floor, the lighting, the location, the noise—all just to lower the price. After all, houses are expensive, and even a slight reduction in price could equal several months or even a whole year of her hard work.
Both sides have their own ideas and bottom lines, and they negotiate within those limits.
Leng Xiao and Shopkeeper Sun were in an even better position than when she was buying her house, since theirs was a long-term cooperative relationship. Both sides were polite, so the negotiations wouldn’t break down.
Leng Yun listened intently to Wen Nuan Nuan’s explanation, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the two seated at the head of the table.
He was particularly earnest and interested.
Shopkeeper Sun, seated in the position to the right of the head of the table, gritted his teeth as if making a great decision. “The main store is willing to add another six hundred taels, bringing the total to one thousand eight hundred taels. How does that sound?”
Sure enough, the price had increased.
Leng Yun’s little face could hardly conceal his joy. Excited, he turned to praise his sister-in-law but quickly realized the setting was inappropriate, so he suppressed his happiness on his own.
“Shopkeeper Sun, we are deeply grateful for your support. However, this ginseng root is of exceptional shape, and we still wish to try our luck in Jingcheng,” Leng Xiao stood up gracefully, his expression cool and unreadable.
So he hadn’t agreed.
Shopkeeper Sun quickly rose to his feet, stepping forward earnestly to persuade them. “Let me be frank. The main store has granted me the authority to increase the price by up to five hundred taels. If the shape of the root is truly outstanding, I can make the decision within that range. What do you think?”