Xu Ying sensed Director Yang’s shift in demeanor and felt a surge of confidence. After a firm handshake, she entered his office, a plan already forming in her mind.
“Whisper, “she urged Zhang Caiban, “lower the price even further, all the way down to five cents.”
Zhang Caiban’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding? That’s too low! Will they even sell it? Don’t just snatch a piece of wool!”
Xu Ying merely blinked. “Just do as I say. If the price is lowered, you’ll save a lot of money. When the leaders find out, it won’t all be the result of Qian Zhang’s purchase.” The implication was clear: credit for the savings would go to Zhang Caiban. His face lit up. If her audacious claim proved true, she truly was capable.
Director Yang, his anxiety barely concealed, ushered them into his office, eager to discuss the terms of cooperation. Zhang Caiban, too, noticed the director’s haste. Was there something wrong with these ducks? If so, he wouldn’t dare purchase them.
“Now that you’ve seen the ducks, have the quantities you mentioned earlier been determined?” Director Yang asked, attempting to sound calm, though his inner joy simmered beneath the surface.
Zhang Caiban and his subordinate took their seats. “What about the price?” he inquired.
Director Yang looked embarrassed. “You only want these duck heads, duck wings, and so on, but leaving the duck body is a bit difficult. We still have to find a buyer for that, otherwise it will spoil quickly. So the price will naturally be higher.” He quoted a price several cents higher than what Zhang Caiban had anticipated. Zhang Caiban suddenly hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
“Director Yang, who said we don’t want duck bodies? We also want some, though not much. But we may increase the number in the future, and perhaps they will all be whole ducks,” Xu Ying interjected, her voice firm. “Your price is a bit too high. We sincerely want to discuss cooperation, so don’t make such false claims.”
Hearing that she also wanted whole ducks, Director Yang immediately lowered the price by a few cents, bringing it closer to Zhang Caiban’s original expectation. “I’m discounting the price by five cents. This is already my lowest price. It’s troublesome to raise these ducks. You have to let me earn something,” he pleaded, feigning a look of great sacrifice.
Zhang Caiban felt a wave of relief. The price was already excellent. He glanced at Xu Ying, ready to agree. But before he could speak, Xu Ying stood up, her smile fading slightly. “Since Director Yang doesn’t truly intend to cooperate, then forget it.”
Panic flickered in Director Yang’s eyes. His workers were on the verge of missing another payday. “I have shown my sincerity,” he insisted. “This is already the lowest price. If you don’t believe me, go and inquire elsewhere. Everyone is paying this price.”
Xu Ying turned back, her voice clear and resonant. “Don’t look at the small quantity we’ve ordered now, but it will increase in the future. And if we sign a contract, it will definitely be a long-term one. We won’t casually stop cooperation with you.” She wasn’t just talking nonsense. One restaurant might not need much, but there were several. She was confident Director Hong would eventually come to her for the recipe, allowing other restaurants to sell it too. With dozens of restaurants in the county, the combined demand would be substantial. Furthermore, all restaurants were state-owned. If the duck products sold well and boosted the county’s economy, other counties would surely follow suit, and they would demand the ducks from here.
Xu Ying raised her voice, letting her words hang in the air. “I can guarantee that the duck volume next month will be twice as much as now, or even three or four times, and it will definitely continue to grow in the future.”
Zhang Caiban’s jaw dropped. He stared at Xu Ying, utterly bewildered, whispering frantically, “My ancestor, what nonsense are you talking about? Shut up quickly!”
Director Yang, too, was startled by Xu Ying’s bold claims. He hadn’t dared to dream so big. Maintaining current wages was his sole concern. The rest was beyond his wildest imagination.
“If Director Yang sincerely cooperates, then we can reduce the price by another five cents. We will cooperate with you for a long time. As long as our restaurant is here, we will keep ordering your goods. But you must also give priority to shipping to us.” Xu Ying pressed her advantage, her eyes fixed on him. Director Yang’s face turned bitter at the mention of priority shipping. They only had a few sporadic partners now. If they could secure such a large order, he would be ecstatic. Other partners could come later.
Seeing the resolute glint in Xu Ying’s eyes, Director Yang was swayed. He gritted his teeth and made the agonizing decision. Selling at this price was still better than letting the ducks rot in the factory. “Okay, I’ll sign the contract as you said.”
Zhang Caiban was dumbfounded. It was done. The factory director must have been utterly foolish to believe Xu Ying’s wild boasts. But the sheer amount of money saved brought a wide grin to Zhang Caiban’s face. He hadn’t expected such a smooth negotiation. His boss would surely praise him upon his return. Yay, Xu Ying is his lucky star, he thought.
After successfully signing the contract, Zhang Caiban immediately paid the deposit, promising the remainder upon delivery of the goods. Factory Director Yang, finally holding a substantial sum, was so overjoyed that he invited them to dinner. Xu Ying, still worried about her sister-in-law, politely declined. Director Yang, seeing their urgency, didn’t press the issue. After sending them off, he rushed to pay his workers, even if it wasn’t the full amount, it was enough for immediate needs.
On the way back, Zhang Caiban couldn’t help but marvel at Xu Ying. “That mouth of yours almost scared me to death! You dare to say anything! If you can’t get so many goods in a month, I’ll see what you do then.”
Xu Ying, unfazed, was brimming with confidence. “Sorry, I will definitely be able to get so many goods. If it happens, Brother Zhang will treat me to dinner.”
Zhang Caiban smirked. “If you do, not only will I treat you to dinner, but I’ll give you two movie tickets.” He happened to have a pair he didn’t need, a small thank you for her help.
Xu Ying, never one to refuse a good offer, readily agreed. “Okay, I’ll be waiting for your movie tickets.”
Zhang Caiban smiled, planning to wait until Xu Ying had completed the task before handing them over, just in case she failed. The three arrived back in the county by car, personally driven by someone Director Yang had hired. They even received a complimentary duck, a testament to the farm’s confidence in their product.
Xu Ying planned to visit her sister-in-law at her natal home. Zhang Caiban took his attendant to the guesthouse, intending to stay overnight and return the next day. Xu Ying, however, had other plans. According to the business trip system, she didn’t have to work on the day she returned. She intended to take her sister-in-law to a doctor the following day, then explore the county town before heading back.
Carrying the duck, and having retrieved a few kilograms of pork from her space, Xu Ying headed toward the Zhao family courtyard. Upon her arrival, she found Sister-in-law Xu had already been discharged from the hospital. The doctor had prescribed some medicine and sent her home. The medical science of that era was simply not advanced enough to cure the blood stasis in her head. They could only observe or hope it would dissipate on its own. The doctor had said that as long as the patient avoided further stimulation, she would likely be fine.