Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C284. Business Partners.

Chapter 284: Business Partners

"What's done is done," Hua Zhi didn't want to dwell on the past and continued talking about the previous matter. "The cost of the canned goods can be calculated. Last year, the jars cost two silver each. This year, I arranged specifications and styles in advance with the kiln factory, and the price remains the same, but they look much nicer. Uncle can easily check this expense. Then there's the cost of the goods themselves, they aren't expensive, but I have to bring them from out of town, and I also arranged for an icehouse in advance. The price of rock sugar is fixed, plus labor and other expenses. Even the cheapest citrus canned goods require a base price of five taels of silver for us to make some profit."

Bai Mingxia objected without much thought, "Five taels is too expensive. This item can sell for ten taels in the capital city, but not necessarily outside. I also have to bear the shipping costs and losses during transit, as well as rent, labor, and so on. When everything is calculated, the profit might be similar to what we had at the restaurant before."

"The selling price cannot be lowered. In fact, many items from the capital city can fetch higher prices outside. Our business is not about low margins and high turnover. This canned goods business mainly targets the elderly, women, and children from wealthy households. If you lower the price, they might not even be interested. Also, Yunlai Restaurant is the only one, and later on, a considerable portion went to shops. The quantity is limited. If Uncle has the ability to spread this business all over the country, imagine the volume needed? When everything is added up, how high would the profit be? Let me calculate it for Uncle."

After some back and forth negotiation, they settled on a price for the citrus at four taels seven liang and the peach at four taels six liang.

"I plan to introduce a few new products - lychee, hawthorn, and pear. You can taste them first before we set the prices."

"Can these fruits be made into canned goods as well?"

"Any fruit can be made, but some may not taste good when processed, or they may not store well, like grapes. By the way, when selling the hawthorn canned goods, make sure to mention that pregnant women should not consume them as it can lead to miscarriage."

Bai Mingxia noted this important information. "How much of last year's canned goods are left?"

"There should be enough to support a few shops. Since these items are quite expensive, the sales volume is not high per day. Let's take it slow and not spread ourselves too thin at the beginning. Also," Hua Zhi looked at Bai Mingxia solemnly, "I trust you, not the Bai family. I hope Uncle can handle the family matters well and avoid trouble later on."

"As soon as I leave the capital city, my elder brother will not continue to bother me. Rest assured, I will secure what needs to be done and come back to finalize the partnership with you. Two months should be enough."

Hua Zhi checked the time. "Perfect, that's when the fruits will be ripe. I may need Uncle's help at that time."

After a detailed discussion and two more cups of tea, they paused. As Bai Mingxia looked outside and noticed it was getting dark, he slapped his forehead, "It's already this late; I can't escort you. Hurry back; other matters can wait."

Hua Zhi glanced outside and then stood up to respectfully bid farewell.

In the capital city, people had a consensus that the Shi Zai restaurant was a place for enjoying delicious food. The more people praised it, the higher its reputation became. No one would engage in inappropriate behavior or go wild there, especially not with alcohol.

The Shi Zai Restaurant only served fruit wine and the choice of wine depended on the dish. If it was a mushroom feast, fruit wine wouldn't even be served, let alone consumed.