Chapter 176: Business Success
Editor: Atlas Studios
When Mu Yangling saw that only one assistant shopkeeper had come out, she knew that this business was most likely not going to work.
She did not know what her father had discussed with the restaurant. At that time, he only said that she was sending large prey to sell at the prefectural capital, she should look for Prosperity Restaurant.
Perhaps it was because their family came so suddenly that they no longer needed the goods?
Just as this thought flashed across her mind, Mu Yangling nodded with a smile. “I understand. Sorry to trouble you to make an extra trip.”
Seeing that Mu Yangling was easy to talk to, the assistant shopkeeper’s smile deepened. “This is what I should do.”
“Then I’ll go ask at Red Taste Restaurant.”
When the assistant shopkeeper saw that Mu Yangling was really pushing the cart towards the Red Taste Restaurant, he could not help but open his mouth wide. He had just mentioned it casually. Who did not know that Prosperity Restaurant and Red Taste Restaurant were rivals?
How could someone send goods rejected by Prosperity Restaurant to Red Taste Restaurant? Red Taste Restaurant probably wouldn’t want it either, right?
However, seeing that she had already reached the entrance of the alley, the assistant shopkeeper did not stop her. Before he returned, he glanced at Mu Yangling’s cart and saw a fat black wild boar on it. There were large leaves covering its head and body, most likely to prevent dust from dirtying the wild boar’s wounds.
Mu Yangling had not told them that the wild boar was still alive. On the way, in order to prevent the wild boar from being exposed to the sun, she specially picked some large leaves to cover its head. As the little wild boars were still young, five or six leaves were sufficient to cover them. Mu Yangling was not stingy and directly covered the little wild boars.
Red Taste Restaurant was diagonally opposite Prosperity Restaurant and not far away. She was about to push the cart to the side door when she heard the conversation between two people walking out of Red Taste Restaurant and stopped in her tracks.
According to the rules of the industry, if one wanted to deliver or recommend goods to a restaurant or eatery, other than high-grade wine and dried fruits, they had to go to the back door.
It was for no other reason than to make the guests in front feel comfortable. Otherwise, if they saw chickens, ducks, geese, and vegetables the moment they entered the door to drink and eat, wouldn’t it make for an unpleasant experience? Therefore, the front door was only meant for the guests.
Mu Yangling stopped and looked at the two of them.
One of them stopped the other and cupped his hands. “Boss Li, you don’t have to send me off further. I can go back myself. Go ahead and get back to your own matters.”
“Mr. Chen, I welcome you at Red Taste Restaurant at any time. Once you’ve thought it through, you can look for me here at any time.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Boss Li. I’ll think about it when I get back.”
After watching Mr. Chen leave, Mu Yangling called out to Boss Li, who was about to turn around and go back. “Boss Li, please wait.”
Boss Li looked in the direction of the voice and met a pair of smiling eyes. Just as Boss Li was about to praise the handsome young man in his heart, he realized that the other party was a little girl. However, with her hair tied up and being clad in a short coat, she looked just like a boy.
A smile appeared on Boss Li’s face as he asked politely, “Young lady, are you looking for me?”
Mu Yangling nodded and smiled. “Boss Li, you’re the boss of Red Taste Restaurant, right? I really wanted to do business with you. It’s a coincidence that I should meet you here.”
Seeing that she was standing at the entrance of the alley and the cart had already entered half of the alley, Boss Li knew that she understood the rules of the industry. Seeing that she did not chase after him, he was satisfied. He took two steps towards her and asked with a smile, “Young lady, what business is it regarding?”
“My family caught some wild animals and I brought them to the prefectural capital to sell. I’m hoping I could find an eatery or restaurant that would buy them all at one go.”
Seeing that the other party was so honest, Boss Li laughed and went forward to lift a leaf on her cart. He commented, “This is really a wild boar. However, its meat looks quite tough and it’s a female one. It’s not delicious. I’m afraid our restaurant doesn’t want it.”
Mu Yangling lifted the other leaves and asked, “What about these few?”
The leaves parted to reveal five fat, small, and black little wild boars.
Boss Li exclaimed and asked, “Are these also wild boars?”
Mu Yangling nodded. “They’re caught with this big wild boar.”
“When were they caught?”
“Yesterday, they’re still alive.”
Boss Li reached out to touch one of the little wild boars in surprise. As expected, it was still alive. At this moment, he was a little suspicious. “You caught it alive? Then why is it unconscious?”
“They were knocked unconscious.” Mu Yangling said matter-of-factly, “So if you want to buy them, you have to buy four at once. Otherwise, I’ll have to knock them out again before I can bring them back. In spite of their small size, they can still attack people when they get ferocious.”
Boss Li’s eyes lit up. “Then do you have a way to wake them up?”
Mu Yangling shook her head. “I only have a way to knock them out.”
Boss Li thought for a moment and said, “Follow me to the backyard. Try splashing water on them. I want to see lively wild boars.”
Mu Yangling thought that this was Boss Li’s special hobby, so she pushed the cart and followed.
The way to wake a pig up was to splash water on its face. Mu Yangling only knew that it was useful for humans, but she did not expect it to be useful for pigs as well.
Seeing that there was a small one in the cart, Boss Li asked, “Why aren’t you bringing this one up?”
Mu Yangling smiled and said, “That’s not for sale. It’s a gift.”
Boss Li didn’t ask further. Instead, he looked at the little wild boars that had already jumped up and were running around the courtyard. Boss Li now believed that these were real wild boars, but he couldn’t do anything to them.
Mu Yangling went forward and knocked them unconscious again. Wiping her sweat, she asked Boss Li, “How is it? Do you want them?” It would be embarrassing to reject her after subjecting her wild boars to such torture, right?
However, Boss Li had already nodded with a smile. “Yes, of course. I want all four.”
Thinking that the one left outside also appeared excellent, he tempted her and said, “You can choose other things as a gift, right? I think that big wild boar is not bad. You can always cut seven to eight catties of pork from that big wild boar and gift that instead. Why don’t you sell me that little wild boar too?”
Mu Yangling shook her head. “This has long been reserved for others. Besides, how can a big wild boar compare to a small wild boar? Boss Li, I’ll sell four of them. Do you want that big wild boar? Since your restaurant is so big, you’ll definitely be able to find some use for it.”
Boss Li shook his head and asked someone to retrieve eight taels of silver from the accounts. He said, “That wild boar meat is too tough. Our restaurant won’t accept it. In the future, if there are small or tender ones like this, send them to me. I’ll take as much as you have.” Boss Li handed her eight taels of silver and said, “These little wild boars cost two taels of silver each. Four of them cost a total of eight taels of silver. Please count the money properly.”
Mu Yangling held the money in her arms and said, “Alright, I’ll head to another restaurant now. I wish you a prosperous business.”
Boss Li watched her leave with a smile and replied, “I wish you a prosperous business, too.”
Mu Yangling directly pushed the big wild boar to the meat stall. After some bargaining, it was sold for 3 taels and 625 copper coins. After receiving the money, Mu Yangling turned around and went to the General’s Residence. The remaining little wild boar was for Qi Xiuyuan.
When Mu Yangling carried her things to the General’s Residence, the people from the General’s Residence recognized her and let her in.
Mu Yangling carried the little wild boar to the kitchen and put it down. “This is for the General. If he asks, just say that I have something on and am in a hurry to go back.”