Chapter 453 - 455: Slap and then a Sweet
After a morning of hard work, they had prepared most of the raw materials that had been delivered, with the excess that could not be assigned being stored away. Zhang Liliang carefully noted the quantities for future reference.
After lunch, Bai Ruozhu asked her eldest brother to go out and find a horse carriage. She specifically instructed that, if possible, they should find the coachman who had driven them home that day. Bai Zehao, having an excellent memory, returned shortly with the coachman.
The coachman was particularly pleased to see Bai Ruozhu. To be honest, his horse carriage business was not doing well in Anyuan Town because many people preferred to save money and ride in donkey carts, and some even chose to travel in slow ox carts when returning to their villages.
However, Bai Ruozhu was generous and tipped well, so he was very willing to take her business.
"You help us transport some goods and ourselves to the town’s Welcome Inn. Then wait for us outside and take us back when we’re done," Bai Ruozhu said, handing him a small bunch of copper coins, amounting to about fifty in total.
Thrilled, the coachman thanked them profusely: "Thank you, madam, thank you," he repeated, helping Bai Zepei and Zhang Liliang load jars onto the carriage with nimble movement.
"Be careful, don’t break these jars," Zhang Liliang reminded, considering each jar as valuable as money.
"Yes, yes," the coachman humbly replied, being extra careful in his actions.
In no time, everything was loaded onto the carriage. The three of them got on and headed to the Welcome Inn.
Bai Ruozhu had privately discussed with Bai Zehao, suggesting he accompany Zhang Liliang to learn how to do business. Bai Zehao was indeed glad. He always worried about not being as smart as his younger brother and sister and feared being the most useless one in the family. Now he had the opportunity to learn about business, he was naturally enthusiastic.
However, Bai Ruozhu reminded him about managing his time well. She would arrange business matters for Zehao in the future, but she also hoped Zehao could continue studying. Even getting a minor degree would make it easier for him to travel outside in the future.
Danliang Country had many policies that were beneficial to educated people.
Bai Zehao fully agreed with his sister’s view, and Wan Caiyue also hoped that Bai Zehao would strive for more.
Soon, the group arrived at the Welcome Inn. The shopkeeper recognized Bai Ruozhu and hurried up smiling, "Mrs. Bai, why are you here at this time? Shall I notify the Dong Family?"
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "That would be a troublesome for you. Just tell them I brought the goods."
The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up. It seemed that Shen Lu had given him a heads up. He quickly agreed and arranged for his assistant to go notify Shen Lu. At this moment, Shen Lu was not in his shop, so the shopkeeper arranged for staff to help unload jars from the carriage into the backyard. He served some tea and snacks for the three of them, asking them to wait in the hall for a little while.
Soon, Shen Lu arrived in a hurry, revealing his anticipation for the fresh soup paste.
"Mrs. Bai, I’ve been waiting for your goods for quite some time, why didn’t you notify me before you came? I would’ve been here waiting for you," Shen Lu said.
Bai Ruozhu stood up to salute him, saying with a smile, "I really apologize for my abrupt visit, but we are on a tight schedule. We are moving to Beiyu City early the day after tomorrow."
Seeing Shen Lu’s face color change, she hurriedly added, "However, Shen Lu, please rest assured that our cooperation will not be affected. You also have a branch in Beiyu City. How about I deliver there in the future?"
"I have noticed that you only brought 23 jars today. There is not much, and it’s not enough for my main stores. Is it possible for you to deliver more goods to me before you move? Otherwise, it will delay the delivery after you move," Shen Lu didn’t answer Bai Ruozhu’s question, instead, he complained about the insufficient quantity of the fresh soup paste.
Zhang Liliang frowned slightly. He was already trying to gather supplies as fast as he could, but the counterpart was still not satisfied.
Unexpectedly, Bai Ruozhu said, "Good things cannot be made in a rush. Moreover, this fresh soup paste fears humidity the most. If you purchase too much at once and it gets affected by moisture, it will lose flavor."
While they were talking, the middle-aged man who used to stand behind Shen Lu and protect him stepped out and soon returned with a small jar.
Shen Lu opened the seal, dabbed a bit and carefully tasted it, nodding in approval, "Indeed, it’s good. However, these amounts are far from enough. Mrs. Bai, why not produce another batch for me before moving. This way, it would avoid any delay caused by moving."
Zhang Liliang and Bai Zehao, standing by the side, immediately glanced at Bai Ruozhu. They had come today just to observe and had not planned on intervening in the negotiation, but Shen Lu’s demand seemed a bit unreasonable. Wasn’t it Bai Ruozhu who had to plead him to sell the fresh soup paste?
Bai Ruozhu felt a bit displeased, but her face revealed nothing. She continued smiling and saying, "I totally understand your concerns, Shen Lu. I would naturally also like to produce another batch of goods for you. With the New Year approaching, I was thinking about receiving more income for a more prosperous year, but..."
She dragged out the word, which indeed made Shen Lu get nervous and stare at her.
"The reason why we’re moving this time is because we got a command from the city lord’s old lady in Beiyu City. Even our residence in Beiyu City was arranged by Old Lady Meng. She’s waiting for me to treat her teeth. So, she specifically instructed us to move over the day after tomorrow. I really can’t defy her."
Bai Ruozhu sighed regretfully, actually feeling delighted inside watching the change of Shen Lu’s expressions.
From the beginning when Shen Lu confronted her, to their collaboration, Shen Lu had always had the upper hand. He even showed implicitly that if the Bai Family dared to trick him, he had plenty of ways to deal with them since he doubted the Bai Family’s connections.
How could a person who had experienced ups and downs in business for decades be an easy target?
Just like at present, in order to receive more goods, he directly ordered Bai Ruozhu in an almost commanding tone to deliver another batch of goods before moving. Did he really think Bai Ruozhu was easy to bully?
It took Shen Lu quite a while to come back to his senses. He had considered that Bai Ruozhu might be bluffing, but he also knew that given her shrewdness, she wouldn’t tell such lies casually. He had contacts in Beiyu City too. By having someone inquire, he would find out the truth.
The Meng Family was almost considered as the "sky" in Beiyu City, and they were certainly not people he could afford to offend. In fact, his eyes narrowed slightly; he had always wanted an opportunity to get connected with Meng Liangshen. Perhaps Bai Ruozhu could be a good approach toward that.
However, immediately after, Shen Lu’s face clouded over again. Once Bai Ruozhu had the Meng Family as her backing, wouldn’t she be able to easily kick him away?
He couldn’t help but recall that a little over half a year ago, she was a pregnant woman who had sold him a bag of fresh soup paste. After receiving thirty silvers, she was incredibly happy. At that time, he even had an attitude of charity. However, in a blink of an eye, he found himself at her mercy. Truly, changes in life were unpredictable.
"However, Shen Lu, don’t worry. Once I have settled down, any future business collaboration will definitely consider you as the priority."
Bai Ruozhu had already guessed what Shen Lu was thinking. Although she was not satisfied with his previous arrogance, she didn’t plan on terminating their cooperation. Despite his high-handed attitude, Shen Lu was trustworthy in business. Therefore, she decided to slap him first and then offer candy, so he wouldn’t lose face.