nycdaug Chapter 139 Breaking the Stalemate and Selling Fruit Encounters a Treacherous Official
Chapter 139 Breaking the Stalemate and Selling Fruit Encounters a Treacherous Official
Breaking the deadlock and selling fruit encountered treacherous officials
Su Yunlan gazed at the mountain of bright red, juicy fruits, the air thick with their sweet aroma, yet her brows furrowed slightly.
Before the joy of the harvest had completely faded, the problem of sales weighed heavily on their minds like a boulder.
"Yuhan, I want to go to the fruit market." Su Yunlan's voice was clear and firm.
Xiao Yuhan gazed at her, his eyes filled with both worry and deep trust.
"I'll accompany you."
Under the sunlight, the two walked side by side, their figures gradually blending into the bustling fruit market.
The air was filled with the aroma of various fruits, and shouts and bargaining filled the air, creating a lively and bustling scene of everyday life.
However, behind this bustling scene lies fierce competition and unknown challenges.
Su Yunlan's gaze swept across the various stalls, and finally, she stopped in front of a stall with a sign that read "Wu's Fruit Products".
The stall owner, Wu Guoshang, was slightly overweight, with a seemingly kind smile on his face, but his eyes gleamed with shrewdness.
"Hello, Mr. Wu. I'm here to discuss selling fruit," Su Yunlan said, getting straight to the point.
Wu, the fruit merchant, sized up Su Yunlan, then glanced at Xiao Yuhan behind her, and said with a smile, "May I ask which orchard you own, madam? How much fruit do you have to sell?"
"Our orchard has had a bumper harvest this year, and the quality is excellent," Su Yunlan said confidently.
Wu Guoshang picked up an apple, wiped it casually, and took a bite.
"Hmm, the taste is alright. However, there are so many fruits on the market now, I've never seen the fruits from your orchard before, they're not very well-known."
Su Yunlan's heart sank, knowing that she had encountered a formidable opponent.
"So, what price is Mr. Wu planning to offer?" She tried to keep her tone calm.
Wu Guoshang put down the apple and held up three fingers. "That's the most I can count."
"Three copper coins a pound?" Upon hearing this, Chen Guonong immediately became anxious, his voice trembling slightly, "This...this isn't even enough to cover the cost!"
Wu Guoshang curled his lip and said dismissively, "You think it's too low? Then you can go ask other stores. This is the price I, Wu, always charge in business."
Su Yunlan looked at Wu Guoshang's treacherous face and felt a surge of anger.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her emotions, but still had a faint smile on her face.
“Mr. Wu is right. Doing business is all about mutual consent. However, the fruit in our orchard is no ordinary fruit.”
She took out a delicate silk pouch from her sleeve, slowly opened it, revealing several brightly colored fruits that emitted an enticing aroma.
These fruits were improved by her using spiritual spring water from her space, and their quality far surpasses that of ordinary fruits.
Wu Guoshang's gaze was instantly drawn to the fruits.
Wu Guoshang's eyes were fixed greedily on the fruit in Su Yunlan's hand.
The fruit's vibrant color resembled glass, refracting a mesmerizing halo in the sunlight. A gentle sniff revealed a sweet aroma that almost made one's mouth water.
The flesh of the fruit seemed to gleam faintly under the subtle light, tempting the taste buds of every viewer.
Seeing this, the vendors gathered around, and the crowd grew larger. Whispers filled the air: "This fruit is so beautiful! I've never seen such a luster before." "Yeah, it looks so good, will it be very expensive?" A mix of amazement and curiosity filled the crowd, attracting even more passersby to stop and watch.
Wu Guoshang's smile seemed somewhat forced; he realized he had underestimated the seemingly eloquent and straightforward hostess.
In order not to lose face in front of everyone, he pretended to be calm and said, "My lady is indeed quite capable. Tell me quickly, what kind of divine fruit is this?"
Su Yunlan smiled and leaned slightly towards Xiao Yuhan behind her.
His hand, gently resting on her shoulder, conveyed encouragement and support, warming her heart and revealing a subtle gratitude.
To outsiders, such actions are a true testament to the deep affection between husband and wife, and some even show expressions of envy.
"This fruit is called 'Spirit Crystal.' It is carefully cultivated in the orchard and nourished by the water of the Spirit Spring, resulting in an extraordinary taste and nutritional value," Su Yunlan explained calmly, her tone gentle yet firm, just like the way she led everyone out of their predicament.
Upon hearing this, a murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd, everyone eager to know if the Spirit Crystal Fruit was truly as Su Yunlan had described.
Wu Guoshang looked grim. His original strategy of lowering prices seemed ineffective. He realized that if he didn't change his plan, he would inevitably lose a business deal.
“Spirit Crystal Fruit? It does sound extraordinary…but—” Just as Wu, the fruit merchant, was about to try and lower the price again, Su Yunlan spoke first, her tone even more resolute than the enticing aroma of the fruit: “Mr. Wu, in business, I, Su Yunlan, believe in win-win situations. I wonder what your sincerity is?”
Her calm and composed demeanor left Wu Guoshang speechless for a moment, and the seemingly simple negotiation took an unexpected turn.
Xiao Yuhan, who was standing to the side, never left Su Yunlan's side; his very presence gave her a silent strength.
Su Yunlan's gaze swept over Wu Guoshang with a sharp yet calm intensity, like the tip of a sword. At this moment, the tense atmosphere in the air was particularly pronounced, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Wu Guoshang's response.
However, Su Yunlan changed the subject at the end with a slight smile, which diverted everyone's attention.
"Mr. Wu, if this deal cannot be reached, I'm afraid it will be a regret for us." Wu Guoshang was stumped by these words, yet unwilling to admit defeat.
The scene fell silent for a moment, as if frozen in this meaningful instant.
Wu, the fruit merchant, was taken aback by Su Yunlan's sharp tongue. He cursed her inwardly, but still maintained a smile on his face: "No problem, no problem, it's a win-win situation! However, I heard that your orchard has only just recovered this year, so I'm afraid the yield can't keep up, right? When I do business, I value large and stable quantities the most."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a clear voice came from behind the crowd: "Mr. Wu, you are mistaken! Our orchard's yield has already been estimated, and we will certainly not disappoint you!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Young Master Xiao, holding an account book, slowly walking forward.
He handed the ledger to Su Yunlan, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "This is a detailed yield estimate we made based on the growth, flowering period, and fruit set of the fruit trees. The yield and ripening time of each type of fruit are recorded clearly."
Wu Guoshang took the ledger, casually flipped through a few pages, and his face immediately turned ugly.
The data in the ledgers was detailed and accurate, giving him no chance to find fault.
He sullenly tossed the ledger back to Young Master Xiao, his tone tinged with annoyance: "Hmph, just having a good yield isn't enough, we also need to see if your fruit can keep! If it rots in a few days, I won't dare to buy it!"
Su Yunlan smiled slightly, having been prepared all along.
She took out a wooden box from her spatial storage, opened it, and inside were several fresh-looking fruits neatly arranged.
These fruits were picked by her half a month ago. After being treated with space preservation technology, they are still bright and juicy, as if they were just picked from the tree.
"Mr. Wu, please take a look. These fruits have been stored for half a month and are still as fresh as ever. We have unique preservation methods to ensure that the fruits will not have any problems during transportation and sales," Su Yunlan said confidently.
This made the surrounding fruit vendors restless.
They all gathered around, carefully examining the fruit in the wooden box.
"These fruits are incredibly fresh! To maintain this condition after half a month is truly remarkable!"
"Yes, yes! If we could learn this preservation method, we wouldn't have to worry about selling our fruit!"
Immediately, exclamations of praise and inquiries filled the air, and Wu Guoshang's face turned ashen.
He originally intended to use production volume and preservation issues to lower prices, but unexpectedly, he ended up benefiting Su Yunlan by attracting more buyers.
He felt he had lost control and was furious.
Looking at Wu Guoshang's embarrassed appearance, Su Yunlan felt a sense of control over the situation.
Just then, a sharp and sarcastic voice suddenly rang out: "Hmph, you talk a good game, but who knows if there's anything wrong with your fruit? Maybe you used some underhanded methods to make the fruit grow so well!"
The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw a short, sleazy-looking vendor standing outside the crowd, speaking in a sarcastic tone.
This person was none other than Zhou the peddler.
Su Yunlan frowned slightly, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
She stared at Zhou the peddler and asked in a cold voice, "What do you mean by that?"
Zhou, the peddler, smiled smugly and said in a low voice, "What do you mean? Hehe, I advise you to be careful. This fruit... might have some problems."
Upon hearing this, a murmur arose from the crowd, and some people hesitated and put down the fruit in their hands, as if it were some kind of monstrous flood.
Su Yunlan's eyes narrowed, and she was about to speak to clarify when she saw Xiao Yuhan whisper something in her ear.
Su Yunlan's gaze darkened, a cold smile playing on her lips. She looked meaningfully at the direction of the street vendor and said, "Is that so? That's quite something..." Before she could finish speaking, Su Yunlan gracefully moved away from the crowd...