noffsinger Chapter 226 Demand exceeds supply
Chapter 226 Demand exceeds supply
Madam Hu looked around and confirmed that there was no one around, then she took Xu Liyun's hand and sat down on the stone bench side by side. She lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Madam Zhang, I'll be frank. I run a rouge shop in the capital. I bought a batch of soaps and soaps a few years ago, but the sales were not satisfactory at the beginning. Coincidentally, the wife of Shangshu Zhuang in the capital used one of the soaps by chance, and not long after, her skin became whiter, tenderer and more delicate."
"This news soon spread throughout the capital. In pursuit of beauty, ladies in the city flocked to my shop to grab soap. The quantity of goods became less and less, and my shopkeeper had to raise the price to five taels of silver per piece, but it was still in short supply. Later, we tried to sell soap. Although the fragrance and fineness were not as good as soap, the effect was equally significant. Those who couldn't get soap turned to buy soap. Now the price of soap has also risen to three taels of silver per piece. This letter arrived a few days ago, and I just remembered to open it and read it."
Xu Liyun timely refilled the tea for Mrs. Hu, who took a sip, then held Xu Liyun's hand tightly and said earnestly: "Mrs. Zhang, I think you already understand why I came. The reason why I am so frank is that I hope to reach a cooperation with your family. You are responsible for providing the soap and soap, and I will be responsible for sales and transportation in Beijing. The profit will be split 40% and 60%. What do you think?"
While Xu Liyun was surprised, she was also secretly amazed at this sudden business opportunity.
She thought to herself that although the cost of making her own soap was not high, if the profit was split 40% to 60%, it would undoubtedly be a very favorable condition.
"Of course I am willing to do so, but you know the manufacturing costs of this soap and soap. If we can get 60% of the profit just by providing the product, it seems too preferential to me."
She originally thought that Mrs. Hu came to replenish the stock, but she didn't expect it to be such a proposal for cooperation. She couldn't help but wonder if there was really such a good thing as pie in the sky.
Mrs. Hu saw Xu Liyun's concerns and generously admitted her preliminary investigation.
"No, no, the cost of soap is low, but almost no one in the outside world knows where it comes from, and some people have never even heard of it. Since you have a special purchase channel, I am naturally very willing to cooperate with you and share the profits together."
When Xiao Youniang heard this, her face changed slightly, and she was obviously worried that large-scale online shopping would attract attention from outsiders.
Perhaps, as she thought, it was time for her parents to consider building a soap-making workshop and hiring some neighbors to help. This would not only solve production problems, but also avoid the embarrassment of being asked about the source of goods in the future.
Xu Liyun caught her daughter's subtle emotional changes, touched her gently, and thought to herself: Can we really properly grasp this sudden wealth?
Xiao Youniang woke up from her contemplation and nodded firmly: "Mother, this is a good thing. You should agree to Mrs. Hu's request for cooperation."
Xu Liyun hesitated for a moment, worried that if the true source of the soap was revealed, it might cause a lot of trouble.
Mrs. Hu misunderstood Xu Liyun's hesitation and thought that her private investigation had caused dissatisfaction on the other side: "Mrs. Zhang, please rest assured that you will not suffer any loss by cooperating with me. I can also guarantee the safety of this batch of goods and prevent anyone from having bad intentions."
After a brief thought, Xu Liyun realized that in this era of supreme imperial power, any special product could cause trouble. If it touched the interests of the rich and powerful, the consequences would be unpredictable.
"Okay, that's settled then."
When Mrs. Hu heard this, a trace of joy flashed in her eyes, and then she ordered Liu Niang to take out the cooperation contract that had been prepared long ago: "Mrs. Zhang is straightforward, this is our cooperation agreement, two identical copies, you can take a look first, and sign it if there is no problem."
Xu Liyun raised the corner of her mouth, took the contract, and then handed it to her daughter Xiao Youniang beside her. After all, only young people could quickly understand those complicated ancient characters.
Xiao Youniang carefully read the contents of the contract with her mother. Most of the terms were in her family's favor, except for one restriction, which was that the soap could not be sold to others.
"Mom, it's no problem. Mrs. Hu's offer is too good. We only need to provide the goods and we can get 40% of the profit. Where can we find such a good deal?"
Finally, the agreement was finalized after both parties carefully signed and stamped their fingerprints.
Mrs. Hu handed over another document that had been prepared long ago, which was stamped with a big red seal from the county government, showing her importance to this cooperation and her careful preparation.
In fact, cooperating with Mrs. Hu is a good choice. After all, the two have known each other for some time.
Compared to joining forces with those greedy and unfamiliar businessmen, the family is more willing to trust Mrs. Hu. At least she is sincere and has good intentions.
"Madam Zhang, we urgently need a batch of goods to be sent to the capital."
There was urgency in Mrs. Hu's words, and it was clear that market demand was waiting to be met.
"Mrs. Hu, please wait for a moment. I will personally deliver the soap you need to your house tomorrow morning."
Xu Liyun thought that ordering on the Internet was convenient but also troublesome. She would need to carefully come up with an excuse later to avoid unnecessary complications and verbal disputes.
"Okay, then I won't bother you, Madam Zhang, and I'll take my leave first!"
After Mrs. Hu finished speaking, she turned around and left with her servants, her clothes fluttering.
Only when the ornate carriage gradually melted into the dust in the distance did Xu Liyun dare to breathe a sigh of relief. She raised her voice and said to her daughter beside her: "Young lady, do you think that someone will investigate the origin of this batch of soap in the future? I still feel very worried."
"Mother, in this world, once something becomes popular, it will attract everyone's attention. Mrs. Hu is in a hurry to seek cooperation this time, and her words hint that she has already made some observations. I'm afraid that her investigation has been fruitless, so she has no choice but to win us over to share the dividends."
There was a hint of calmness and insight in Xiao Youniang's tone.
"Then how should we deal with it? If someone really wants to know the truth, how can we justify ourselves?"
A trace of worry flashed across Xu Liyun's brows.
Xiao Youniang frowned slightly, then smiled: "Mom, let's just build a soap workshop, hire the idle labor in the village to help, and buy finished products when there are urgent orders. This way, even if someone asks, we can confidently say that we produce and sell our own products, and the source is clean."
"This is indeed a good idea. Without further delay, let's go find your father and grandfather and discuss this matter together."
The mother and daughter walked through the lush green hills behind the mountain and came to a long-abandoned greenhouse, where Grandpa Zhang and Zhang Laoer were busy.
"Grandpa, Dad, come quickly, we have something important to discuss."
Xiao Youniang's clear voice echoed in the empty valley. Unexpectedly, Zhang Wuya, who had just come out of the toilet, was also attracted by the hustle and bustle and came forward curiously to find out what was going on.
The family of four formed a small circle. Xiao Youniang and Xu Liyun took turns telling the story of their relationship with Mrs. Hu. The atmosphere was warm and tense.