Chapter 1119: Business from Enemy Countries, Don't Rob
requests, Madam Zong Please speak."“As long as it is within my capabilities, I will do my best.”Fang Jinxiu raised an eyebrow. With Pan Zhian letting his guard down, she had already accomplished half...Chapter 1119: A Merchant from an Enemy Country, Don't Cheat for Free!
When Dang Jinxiu saw the Wumeng merchant take out a salt crystal to trade with her for tea leaves, she forcefully suppressed the excitement in her heart.
This is salt! They actually traded for salt with the Wumeng people!
The Wumeng merchants were still somewhat crafty. When they took out the salt crystal, they didn't say anything at all, waiting to observe Fang Jinshu's expression. After confirming that she seemed to know the difference between a salt crystal and edible salt, a hint of disappointment appeared in their eyes.
Fang Jinshi saw this and smiled.
"Salt crystals, you can't sell them as salt, let alone trade them for the wild tea in my hands."
"I see that neither of you has any sincerity in wanting to do business. This salt crystal, if eaten, will make one sick! You're trying to deceive me with it. Do you really think a businessman like Daxixi would be so naive"
The merchants of Wumeng had indeed traded a lot of good things for salt crystals in Daxhi, but they also knew when to stop. The trade fair only happened once every four years, so after they finished trading, they left and waited until four years later. By then, no one remembered the event or recognized them.
I didn't expect to run into Fang Jinshu this time, it seems I've hit a nail!
"My lady, my lady, please don't be angry. We didn't mean to deceive you."
Although this salt crystal is not as safe and convenient as table salt, it can indeed be used as a substitute. Just crush it and filter out the impurities slightly before eating, and you'll be fine.
"And on the price, we can negotiate!"
In Wumeng, Dahxi's tea leaves and silk are very popular, especially among noble ladies who are particularly willing to spend money on these items.
The top-grade tea leaves that Yu Ke Lai Dai Ke served were wild mountain teas sent from Jinxiu Mountain Villa. To be frank, these wild mountain teas weren't particularly valuable. They were simply irrigated by spring water and possessed a unique fragrance characteristic of mountain tea, making them quite popular in the capital city.
The merchants of Wumeng are still quite discerning.
Fang Jinshi was just putting on a show when she got angry just now. Others didn't know, but as someone who studied chemistry in modern times, how could she not know what salt crystals are
Simply put, this is naturally solidified salt. However, compared to table salt extracted directly from seawater, rock salt solidifies in the natural environment, inevitably incorporating many other substances within it.
These are the things that are harmful to the human body.
The filtration method that the Wumeng merchants use, they had never told the Dah Xi merchants who traded with them before. Now that Fang Jinshi was hard to deceive, they had no choice but to take it out.
Upon hearing this, Fang Jinshui laughed.
Even if this rough filtration method could extract edible salt, it would still contain impurities and fall far short of the quality of premium salt.
She has a better way of refining it herself.
Although she still expressed distrust towards the Wumeng merchants, she wanted to squeeze them for a lower price.
"Alright, even if your filtration method works and gives us edible salt, I'll still need to buy the filtering tools. This just adds more cost for me."
“The tea leaves in my hand are all well-prepared, ready-to-drink tea. Merchants from the other two countries have also come here in large numbers. With such good tea in hand, what can I exchange it for with them”
The Wu Meng merchant upon hearing this, was immediately flustered and hurriedly stood up.
"Madam, I know you're interested in salt crystals. How about this: we trade one catty of tea leaves for twenty catties of salt crystals What do you think"
The price they were discussing just now was twelve jin of salt crystals for every jin of tea leaves, but now they've reduced it by eight jin all at once.
Looking at their expressions, Fang Jinshu felt that the price could still be negotiated.
"No, one jin of tea leaves for forty jin of salt crystals."
The two people opposite stood up abruptly, the other with a haughty lion's mouth wide open, looking somewhat angry.
"Madam, no matter how you say it, this is just salt! Isn't your price a bit too high"
Seeing their urgency, Fang Jinshu might have thought forty jin was indeed a bit too much. She smiled.
"You can haggle."
The two people across from each other looked at each other, and one spoke with a resolute expression.
"A jin of tea leaves for twenty-two jin of salt crystals, this is the bottom line, I can't give more, really, my lady."
Fang Jinshu didn't listen to his nonsense and directly spoke.
"Thirty-eight jin."
Opposite gritted his teeth and continued bargaining, "Twenty-five kilograms! This is really the bottom line, madam!"
Fang Jinshu, composed and tranquil, took a sip of tea. "Thirty-five kilograms."
The merchant from Wumeng had beads of sweat on his forehead. He'd probably never encountered such a difficult trading partner in Daxixi before. Yet, the tea leaves he held were unique to Beijing, something no one else possessed.
Thus, the two had no choice but to make concessions once again.
"Thirty catties for a fixed price, Madam, I truly cannot add any more. This is our bottom line."
"Thirty catties of salt crystals, if the filtration technology is more mature, almost half of it can be edible salt. You know how high the price of salt will be in the future."
The best fine salt in the capital, one jin and half taels of silver.
Even common coarse salt, used by the people, costs six copper coins a jin.
Those nobles purchased wild osmanthus tea from Jinxiu Villa, at a price of twenty taels of silver per jin. Therefore, with this exchange, she could earn four times the money using wild osmanthus tea, showing just how rare and sought-after tea leaves are in Wumeng Country.
Fang Jinshi narrowed her eyes slightly. Logically speaking, most people would be satisfied if they reached this point and quadrupled their earnings.
But she didn't forget that it was because of these people from the Wu Meng country that Ao Yu had been separated from her for four years. How many people in Xi Zhou had died under the hooves of the Wu Meng army
An enemy nation's merchants, don't cheat them without making a profit!
"Thirty-three pounds, this is also my last bottom line."
Let me be honest with you, this wild mountain tea is only found in my hands. You could search the entire city of Kyoto, even the whole of Great Xi, and you wouldn't find tea leaves with such a unique flavor.
“The Si Kingdoms Trade Fair rotates between each nation. If we can’t make a deal today, I’m not worried. When it reaches your Wu Meng capital, I will personally sell wild mountain tea there and surely earn even more than now.”
"Finally, after these four years of being delayed in the middle, you two needn't worry about me. My tea leaves are quite popular in Daxi and sell very well. I'm not short of business at all."
"As for the two of you, if you miss my shop in this village, there won't be another one."
The two merchants from Wumeng were unnerved by Fang Jinxiu's words, which were a mixture of threats and enticements. To think about it, if she came to Wumeng herself in four years and traded directly with the nobles, she would probably make several times more than she was making now.
Over these four years, how much have they lost
It's just adding three catties of salt crystals, right I already gave you thirty catties, so it's not a big deal to add another three.
One person slammed their hand on the table and stood up.
"Okay, thirty-three jin is thirty-three jin, deal!"
"The method of filtering salt crystals, madam, can send a trustworthy subordinate. I will have my men teach him."
"Furthermore, we have one more condition."
The business deal was finalized, and Fang Jinshi was in a good mood.
"Please speak."
We hope that, madam, you will no longer trade with other Wumeng merchants for this tea.
If they are not exclusive, after going back the price of tea leaves will not be able to sell up this deal would be a loss.
Fang Jinshi smiled. "That's natural, please rest assured, both of you."
When she was leaving, the two Umeng merchants eyed her unfinished half-can of tea with smiles, obviously wanting it and hoping that Fang Jinshu would give it to them.
If the other party were someone else, Fang Jinshui would definitely have sent a gift as a courtesy.
She pretended not to understand the two's meaning and picked up the tea leaves and handed them to Xiaoyue.
"It's getting late, Xiaoyue. Let's pack up and head back."
Fang Jinshu strode away from the dumbfounded two Umeng merchants, leaving the pair speechless. They had never encountered such a stingy Xi merchant before.t, as well as Prince Jing who was sitting beside her, still drinking as if nothing had happened.The Emperor furrowed his brow."Shangyu, what's going on""You go with that one." The emperor paused, Fan...