novelraw Chapter 50: Young Man, Why Not Start a Business?
Chapter 50: Young Man, Why Not Start a Business?
"So you're a little brother from the mountains."
The old shopkeeper didn't pursue the questions further. He was in business, not a jianghu person. Asking more wouldn't be appropriate.
"This chuanshanlong is indeed very aged and rare on the market. I wonder how much money little brother wants for it?"
Li Qiuchen smiled, "My buddy brought me here, and all along the way he only praised how righteous you are, a rare good person on this street. I'll trust him this once. You name your price, and I won't bargain."
Beside him, Hu Hai'er's face was full of excitement.
This brother really made him look good.
The old shopkeeper had a smile on his face, but inwardly grumbled that today he'd encountered a slippery little loach.
Chuanshanlong was a very common herbal medicine and not expensive. But chuanshanlong aged this old was indeed hard to find on the market.
This was excellent material for making medicinal wine.
Of course, not for boosting masculine vigor, but for relaxing muscles and promoting blood circulation, primarily treating bruises and injuries.As they say, the poor study literature while the rich practice martial arts. Wealthy martial artists would purchase this kind of medicinal material in large quantities over long periods.
The medicine was good medicine, but the old shopkeeper's thoughts weren't on this chuanshanlong root.
Mountain guests coming down from the mountains wouldn't only carry this thing out.
Don't look at this kid's young age, he might just be a scout, with his father and brothers waiting outside.
Who knows how many valuable goods he had.
Thinking of this, the old shopkeeper coughed and said, "Little brother, as you can see, this old man's shop normally doesn't do this kind of business. However, since you've said you came for my reputation, I must naturally appreciate this sentiment."
"It just so happens my little grandson at home practices martial arts and needs top-quality medicinal materials to make medicinal wine. Your chuanshanlong, if put on the market, should normally sell for about ten taels. This old man will offer fifteen taels to take it. What do you think?"
Fifteen taels?
Hu Hai'er's eyes went straight when he heard this.
He'd never seen this much money in his entire life.
If you randomly found a restaurant in town and ate a good meal in a rush, it would cost at most a few hundred wen at the absolute limit.
If I had fifteen taels of silver, why would I still drive carts? I'd go home and marry a wife!
"Alright!"
Li Qiuchen waved his hand, "You said fifteen taels, then fifteen taels it is. I won't argue with you. Since you just said your little grandson practices martial arts, let me ask one more thing. Do you buy other medicinal materials?"
The old shopkeeper smiled, "Of course I do. As long as they're aged enough medicinal materials, you can bring them all to me. Still today's standard. No matter the market price, I'll uniformly add fifty percent for you."
"However, regarding this matter, please don't speak carelessly about it outside, little brother. If those bosses outside find out, they'll complain that I'm disrupting the market and affecting their business."
"Understood! Don't worry!"
What's not to understand about this?
Outside was wholesale price, here was retail price.
The old shopkeeper's business on the surface was white affairs. Even if he bought medicinal materials, it was under his personal name.
For his own family's use, as long as they were good quality, not competing with you all for business.
Only this way could he avoid much trouble.
Li Qiuchen brought quite a few medicinal materials this time. Chuanshanlong was just one of the main medicines he needed when cultivating his body tempering technique. He had others too, but wasn't in a hurry to sell them.
Fifteen taels of silver was already quite eye-catching.
Any more would easily invite trouble.
Better to be cautious.
Of the thirty-six stratagems, being steady was the best strategy.
Coming out of the shop, Li Qiuchen asked Hu Hai'er quietly, "According to the rules, how much should I give you?"
Hu Hai'er scratched the back of his head, "I don't know?"
You damn... forget it. The old shopkeeper wasn't a proper shopkeeper, he himself wasn't a proper mountain guest, and Hu Hai'er wasn't a proper middleman either.
This transaction was just muddled through somehow.
Li Qiuchen put his arm around Hu Hai'er's shoulder and smiled, "Tell me the truth. If you make money, how do you want to spend it?"
Hu Hai'er laughed foolishly, "I just want to buy Er Niu'er some good food."
"Your wife?"
"No... not yet."
"Someone else's wife?"
"No!"
"From back home? An unmarried girl?"
"Yeah."
"Are your families well-matched?"
"Her dad's a pig butcher."
"A butcher? Then their family must have a ton of money, right?"
Hu Hai'er nodded but didn't speak.
"You and Er Niu'er are fond of each other. Do your dad and her dad know?"
"They know. Her dad looks down on my family for being poor and speaks harshly. My dad's temperament is also stubborn and looks down on her dad."
Li Qiuchen understood. He pulled Hu Hai'er aside and lowered his voice to ask, "Kiddo, I see you're someone with brains. Have you thought about how much money you'd need to save to really marry this wife, and how long it would take? Can Er Niu'er wait for you until then?"
Hu Hai'er was completely stunned. After standing there dazed for a long time, he squatted down holding his head and began to worry.
Li Qiuchen squatted beside him and said quietly, "The reason I'm asking you this is because last night I saw your eyes light up watching us gamble. When you found me today, at first I thought you wanted to get some money to satisfy that itch."
"No, no!"
Hu Hai'er hurriedly shook his head, "Don't talk nonsense. I was just squatting to the side watching the excitement. If I really dared to gamble, my dad would beat me to death!"
"That's right. Who knew you were aiming to marry a wife?"
"So what?"
Li Qiuchen smiled, "If you were gambling, I'd give you two hundred wen to gamble with as you pleased."
Hu Hai'er waved his hands repeatedly, "I won't gamble, I won't gamble. I'll just watch."
"If you're marrying a wife, I'll give you five taels."
"Huh?"
Hu Hai'er was startled and quickly shook his head, "That won't do. Too much. That's not the rule. If my dad finds out, he'll beat me to death."
"Of course I won't give it to you now, that would be harming you. That's why I'm asking you how much money you need to marry Er Niu'er. Is twenty taels enough?"
"Enough! More than enough!"
"Then that's settled."
Li Qiuchen pulled out a string of copper coins from his robe and tossed it into Hu Hai'er's hands, "I'll give you these first. Keep some for yourself, give the rest to your dad when you get back. Tell your dad the truth, say you earned it from me. I'll keep the rest for you. We two brothers will use this money as capital to do some business in Blue Stone Platform. What do you think?"
Hu Hai'er stared blankly at Li Qiuchen, bit his teeth and nodded, "I think it'll work!"
The two were squatting at the doorway talking when they saw a family servant running over in a panic. As soon as he entered, he shouted loudly, "Third Uncle! You must quickly go home and see! The old master has been possessed by a ghost! He's chopping people at home right now!"
Not only were Li Qiuchen and Hu Hai'er left dumbfounded, the old shopkeeper was also confused.
"What nonsense are you saying!"
What do you mean possessed by a ghost and chopping people at home? Are those words from a human being?
After he came to his senses, the old shopkeeper panicked even more, "If he's possessed by a ghost, go find a master to perform an exorcism. What are you looking for me for? I sell incense and candles here. Where would I get the ability to catch ghosts?"
"Didn't the officials arrest all the masters? The first madam sent me to find you, saying to try anything even if it's hopeless..."
"But that's not the way to try it. Go find Liu Po!"
"Which Liu Po?"
"Liu Gouzheng's family... forget it, I'll go myself."
The old shopkeeper rushed out the door in a panic. Looking down, he saw the two kids squatting at his shop entrance and immediately had an idea.
"You two come with me!"
[NEXT CHAPTER]