novelhk Chapter 141 Business Opportunities
Chapter 141 Business Opportunities
The broker continued smiling, "That's why we say it's the cheapest here!"
Then, changing the subject, he said, "However, this cow doesn't have an immediately fatal disease, but it does affect our work. But look closely! This cow is very strong. Even if you slaughter it and sell the meat, you won't lose money."
Bai Shaoan didn't believe his nonsense. "If that's really the case, why doesn't the owner of the cow slaughter it and sell the meat himself?"
When the broker saw that he had been exposed, he chuckled and said, "Sir, you don't know this. This cow was raised by that family from a cub to adulthood. After so many years of living together, they have developed a bond with it. How could they bear to slaughter it? Besides, slaughtering a cow requires registration with the government, which is really troublesome."
"But he was indeed sick, so he couldn't work in the fields anymore, which is why he was sent here."
“According to market prices, a cow of our size would cost at least 30 taels! But if you want this one, I can give you that price.”
The broker gestured with a hand gesture indicating 25 taels.
Bai Shaoan remained unmoved. "I don't need these five taels of silver. I just want my little sister to have a head of hair that she can work efficiently."
He turned to look for Lin Chang'er, only to find her already squatting in front of the ox, gently touching its protruding belly.
Bai Shaoan: "..." What is Lin Daiyu doing?
Fearing she might be cheated by a broker, he went over and said, "Sister Chang'er, if we don't find a place we like here, we can go to the prefectural city to buy one." After all, they were going to the prefectural city to find connections anyway.
Lin Chang'er didn't get up, but instead asked him in a low voice, "How much silver did that broker tell you for this ox?"
Bai Shaoan said, "Don't be tempted by 25 taels. If you are, you'll only get ripped off."
The broker had already realized that the young girl held the reins among these people. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly stepped forward to probe, "How about it, sir? If you are truly interested, we can offer you a further discount." After all, it was a sick ox, and it was best to get rid of it as soon as possible.
If I were to die from this illness someday, it would be a huge loss.
Lin Chang'er wasn't in a hurry to bargain. Instead, she asked, "Did his belly only recently become like this?"
The broker laughed and said, "We don't know either."
Bai Shaoan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by 'unclear'? You dare to bring it in and sell it? Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble and becoming the bystander?"
The broker's face stiffened, and he changed his words, saying, "The previous owner said it had been around for many years, but it was never this big before. But as you see, it's been so many years and it's still alive, which means this disease isn't life-threatening..."
The broker was working hard to promote the product.
Bai Shaoan poured cold water on the idea, saying, "Sister Chang'er, we're buying him to haul goods, not to pamper him like a pet. Look at how sickly he is. You never know, you might end up spending more than 5 taels of silver just to hire a veterinarian to treat him!" So, don't be impulsive.
Lin Chang'er lowered her eyes in thought, feeling a little hesitant. But when she raised her eyelids, she met a pair of large, bulging eyes, filled with tears that were welling up and gushing out.
Lin Chang'er felt a little uneasy and turned to look at the broker, "You said there could be an even bigger discount, how much?"
Seeing that there was hope, the broker perked up even more, saying, "24 taels is the lowest I can offer."
Lin Chang'er: "16 taels!"
The broker paused, then hurriedly said, "Sir, take a closer look. This is a fully grown ox. It's definitely not 16 taels. If you're really interested, give me a fair price."
Lin Chang'er: "18 taels!"
The broker's smile was still a bit stiff. "Sir, is this how you haggle? Our ox normally sells for 30 taels! You're asking for 16 or 18 at a time. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're here to cause trouble!"
"Then it'll be 15 taels!"
"Hey, hey, hey, why are they shouting less and less?"
"Fine, then we won't sell it."
"18 taels, 18 taels it is!" The broker quickly changed his mind, but fearing that Bai Shaoan would persuade Lin Chang'er again and she would change her mind, he hurriedly pulled Lin Chang'er to complete the formalities.
He didn't dare say anything during the transaction, and only after the money and goods were settled did he say, "Sir, you've gotten a great deal today. Remember to come back to me if you need to buy these animals again!"
That's what they say, but actually the bottom price the landlord offered was 15 taels, and 18 taels would still be a profit.
Lin Chang'er naturally understood, but there was no need to spell it out, so she simply said okay.
Bai Shaoan's expression darkened. "Sister Chang'er, why did you... Sigh, never mind, as long as you like it." She paid for it herself, so why should he have a say?
Then he thought of his third brother. If his third brother were here, he would definitely be able to persuade Chang'er. Unfortunately, he didn't know how his third brother was doing, where he was, or whether he was safe.
Although she had already bought the ox and the donkey, the donkey was cheap, costing less than 20 taels including the carriage. She originally needed to buy another carriage, but the ox was definitely not going to work for the time being, so she wasn't in a hurry.
He entrusted the ox to Grandpa Zhou and Lao Liu, telling them to go back to town first, while he and Bai Shaoan drove the donkey cart to find Lao Liang.
Old Liang's shop was located on Wuzhi Street, the most bustling street in the county town. Pei Sihai sent someone over early in the morning with a message.
When Lin Chang'er and Bai Shao'an arrived, Lao Liang had already looked back and forth at the shop entrance at least dozens of times.
Finally seeing that people had arrived, they hurriedly invited them inside, saying, "If you hadn't come soon, I would have thought that you had been kidnapped. After noon, I was going to go to the county government office with Lao Chen and Lao Zhu to report the case."
"You're so humorous," Lin Chang'er laughed. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. We spent some time buying the cattle, which is why we were delayed."
Old Liang laughed and said, "It's alright, I was just joking with you. You took it seriously. It's rare to see you come to the city. I've booked a table at Yunlai Restaurant. Let's go over there and sit down to chat now."
Lin Chang'er and Bai Shaoan did not refuse. When they arrived at the restaurant, Lao Zhu and Lao Chen also arrived, and the group went to a private room.
As soon as he sat down, Old Zhu said, "Old Li and Old Zheng went to check on the estate and went to the prefectural city to buy goods. They just happen to be away. When you come back next time, let us know earlier and we'll cancel everything."
Lin Chang'er nodded and said, "To be honest, this was a sudden idea of mine. It's the off-season for farming right now, so I've taken on some helper work. We can't sell seafood inland for the time being, so we can only try to find a way around us. I thought I'd see if there were any connections in the county town or the prefectural city."
"Oh, I see!" Old Chen said, "Then you've come to the right person. Old Zhu's nephew-in-law owns a restaurant, but the food is just so-so..."
"Go away, go away, how can you be so disrespectful?" Old Zhu chimed in, "It's only because you went to Sihai Restaurant that your palate has become so picky. You never used to be so disdainful."
Old Chen chuckled, and Old Liang chimed in, "Chang'er, you don't know, these two old folks are always nagging about sending that young man to Sihai Restaurant to learn the craft! But how can this secret recipe be passed on to outsiders, right?"
Lin Chang'er was taken aback. Actually, it was possible. As long as it wasn't shared with outsiders, she could join as a franchisee!