Chapter 409 - Vegetable Production Base (1/2)
Steward Liu hesitated for a moment and wondered if there was a possibility for the other party to lower the price. At this time, Yu Xiaocao spoke up again, “Steward Liu, you also know about our family’s relationship with your future head of the household. How about this? We’ll give your third young master face and sell one catty of seeds for forty copper coins! However, we’ll need Steward Liu to keep this a secret and tell outsiders that you bought them for fifty copper coins per catty!”
After removing ten copper coins per catty, they had taken off a total of one hundred taels for the five hundred mu ah! Steward Liu looked at Yu Hai. Upon seeing that he didn’t have any objections, he thought, ‘Everyone says that the one who truly manages the Yu Household is the family’s youngest daughter. Many of the best-selling and delicious dishes of Zhenxiu Restaurant, which was the starting point of Third Young Master’s success, are made by her.’
In the past, he had thought that the rumors were exaggerated. How could a little girl have such capability? She was just being pampered by her family, and thus they gave her all the credit. But, after today, he really believed it! One hundred taels wasn’t considered a small sum of money for any families of peasant origin.
This was especially true for Dongshan Village, which had just experienced the burning, killing, and looting of Wokou pirates. The entire village had to rebuild their houses. With one hundred taels, they could build a decent house! However, the little girl didn’t even discuss this matter with her family and made the decision to lower the price herself. Moreover, her father appeared to be quite used to this behavior. It seemed like there was a reason as to why the mother-son pair of the second branch was on friendly terms with Miss Yu.
Steward Liu thought to himself that he mustn’t slight this young girl in the future. He must treat her like how he treated his masters. Weren’t the workers in Zhenxiu Restaurant, who had a good relationship with her, all promoted to management level positions? He had been in charge of the ritual fields for over twenty years, so he should move somewhere else…
With that thought in mind, he appeared somewhat more respectful as he said with a simple, “No need, no need! With the good relationship between the Yu Family and our master, you definitely wouldn’t demand an outrageous price. If Third Young Master finds out that this old servant tried to bargain with Miss Yu, he will definitely strip me of the position of a steward! Let’s just agree on the price of fifty copper coins per catty!”
Yu Xiaocao raised her brows. So there were really people who didn’t take advantage of others even when given the chance ah! Since Steward Liu was so tactful, she wouldn’t let him go back empty-handed. Yu Xiaocao didn’t say anything else in regard to the price and agreed on the price of fifty copper coins per catty. Then she weighed ten thousand catties of seeds for Steward Liu. Steward Liu smoothly paid five hundred taels for the seeds.
Before leaving, Yu Xiaocao quietly gave him fifty taels, saying that it was for all the hard work that Steward Liu had done. Steward Liu was very stunned and hurriedly gave it back to her, “No, this won’t do! If the masters know that this old servant had embezzled the money for the seeds, wouldn’t they skin me alive?”
Yu Xiaocao quickly offered him a reason to accept the money, “Look at what you’re saying. How is this considered embezzlement? Didn’t you already pay for the seeds? You have been working hard the whole day, so this is for you to get something to drink…”
“No, no! This old servant has worked at the ritual fields for over twenty years, I have always kept my hands clean. Miss Yu, please don’t lead others to commit crimes! If someone finds out, this old servant’s reputation will be completely ruined!” With a mournful expression, Steward Liu tightly clenched his sleeves, for fear that she would forcibly give him the money.
What a joke! His primary goal was to befriend the Yu Family, especially Miss Yu Xiaocao. Although fifty taels was a large sum and about the same as his annual salary, he couldn’t lose the main goal because of small gains ah! He knew that as long as Miss Yu put in a good word for him in front of Third Young Master then he could walk on a smooth road in the future!
Seeing that he really didn’t want to take it, Yu Xiaocao had a slightly better impression of Steward Liu. She thought about it, and then took out several pills from her pouch. There were pills for diarrhea, cold, and coughing. These were good medicines that were hard to buy even if one lined up in front of Tongren Medicine Hall, especially after that stinky guy Zhu Junyang promoted her family’s workshop. Now, they were short in supplies. She heard that the price of one pill in the capital’s Tongren Medicine Hall had inflated to one hundred taels.
One must admit that this wasn’t an unreasonable price. Tongren Medicine Hall’s medicine pills and wound balms were very effective. For example, one might not be able to completely cure a cold even after drinking bitter medicine for three to five days. However, the illness could be completely cured after taking a pill, or if more serious, two pills. It was the same for the wound balm. When injured, one just needed to put some on the wound, and it would immediately stop the bleeding and pain. The chance of inflammation was also greatly reduced. The wound would be completely healed after three to five days. If it was some other wound balm, it would take at least eight to ten days to remove the scab!
The capital didn’t lack rich people, so they would definitely be happy to spend a hundred taels in exchange for less suffering. Especially for those big merchants with thriving businesses. If they were healed a day earlier, wouldn’t they be able to earn a day more of money? The pampered children of noble families couldn’t stand the torture of illness. For pills that could get rid of illness, not to mention one hundred taels, but they would be willing to buy it even if it was more expensive.
Allegedly, that person in the palace was already eyeing Tongren Medicine Hall for the next selection of imperial merchants. They had already decided behind closed doors that all kinds of pills and medicinal syrups would be appointed as tribute to the Imperial Palace!
Within the entire Tanggu Town, only a few families could afford to use the pills. Patriarch Zhou was getting old, so his health had been deteriorating. Thus, they had prepared several of these pills at home for emergencies. When the young masters and young misses of the first branch coughed a little, they would clamor about wanting to drink the sweet medicine.