896 Making a Deal
“So Auntie, what about the price?” Zhao Fei asked.
“My daughter thinks that it should be four dollars a pound. However, I feel that you and I are already old acquaintances and you’re a young man who often takes care of me, so I discussed with my daughter about giving it to you at three dollars and fifty cents. What do you think?” Li Gui asked in a gentle manner.
Qiao Mei had taught her to say it in this way. Qiao Mei knew that Zhao Fei was an experienced merchant and would definitely bargain with Li Gui. If they lowered the price on their end first, Zhao Fei would feel too embarrassed to bargain with Li Gui anymore.
It happened exactly as Qiao Mei had expected. Zhao Fei was quite happy that Li Gui thought so highly of him, but three dollars and fifty cents a pound was still a little too much. If he accepted it, he would not be able to earn much money.
“Sister, can you go back and discuss it again or I won’t be able to earn much each time. It’s really not easy to do business in winter. Can you go back and discuss it with young sister again?” Zhao Fei said awkwardly.
Zhao Fei was so anxious that he even made a mistake in their seniority. He was already unable to differentiate whether the women were his peers, his seniors or his juniors.
“Our popcorn tastes different from what other people sell. It’s definitely unique. You should know this,” Li Gui said confidently.
Li Gui was indeed telling the truth. Actually, Zhao Fei had also gone home and secretly attempted to make the popcorn many times. He tried all kinds of methods and even tried different brands of sugar, but he still could not produce the same taste as what Li Gui sold. If not for this, he would not have agreed to work with Li Gui.
“Then how do you make it? Can you tell me?” Zhao Fei looked at Li Gui expectantly.
“Xiao Zhao! I’m relying on this skill to support my family. If I tell you, how am I going to survive? The corn and production methods are all our own, so no one else knows. My daughter says that if you’re willing to work with us, she’ll make you our exclusive agent,” Li Gui said slowly. She had worked very hard to memorize all these, especially the phrase “exclusive agent”. She had repeated the words several times at home, worried that she would say it wrongly and show how fearful she actually was.
“Auntie, what do you mean by ‘exclusive agent’?” Zhao Fei was uneducated and did not understand such technical terms.
Li Gui carefully recalled what Qiao Mei had told her and said slowly, “It means… you’re the only one who gets to sell our products. No one else will be able to do it.”
When Zhao Fei heard this news, he reacted as if he was on steroids. He knew that many peddlers outside were also eyeing Li Gui’s products covetously. There were even people who wanted to band together to get the stocks from Li Gui. If he was the only person who could sell it, he would definitely make more money than before!
“Our popcorn business is only temporary. When spring comes, we still have to grow and harvest the seeds. It’s actually not so convenient to sell popcorn as I need to make trips back and forth. I still have to support so many children in the family. This price is already the best. If we’re not selling to you, my daughter would want to sell it for four dollars a pound!” Li Gui said exaggeratedly.
Only then did Zhao Fei understand that the popcorn was just a test for him. The real thing they wanted to sell to him were the seeds. If they worked together now, there would be many more opportunities for him to earn money in the future.
“Seeds are good! Seeds are good! Seeds also won’t take up too much space! I’ll take the popcorn for three dollars and fifty cents a pound! But how do I take delivery of the goods?” Zhao Fei asked.
What Qiao Mei wanted to do was for them to prepare the popcorn at home and then bring the goods to a designated place. Zhao Fei could then pick them up from that spot and it would be more convenient for everyone.
“Auntie, how much can you produce every day?” Zhao Fei asked.
Li Gui hesitated for a moment and said, “Probably about 60 pounds.”
Zhao Fei widened his eyes and looked at Li Gui. An amount of 60 pounds was too little. In this way, he could only make a few dollars a day. He could not earn much from selling it like this.
“Auntie, can’t you make more?” Zhao Fei said.
“Our family is facing a special situation right now. My daughter is about to give birth and we can’t handle all the chores at home for now. Would it be alright if we make more for you after this period?” Li Gui said.
Zhao Fei could only agree with Li Gui. The two of them agreed on the location and time before Li Gui went home.
As 60 pounds of goods a day was actually not that small an amount, Zhao Fei also needed to go home and see if he had enough money to pay Li Gui. If he really could not afford to do that, he would have to sell first and pay up later, settling the bill at the end of each day.
