She Became A Downfall Noble Lady-Chapter 81 Talking Business

With this in mind, Shopkeeper He didn’t bother to jostle with Ye Xinyan any longer, and judging by the current situation, sparring with her seemed pointless.

Shopkeeper He spoke frankly, "Lady Qi, let me be honest with you. If you were to collaborate with another establishment, your desserts would certainly affect our restaurant’s business in the summer. However, simply allowing you to ride on the reputation of Great Crane House to grow and launch your business, we feel at a loss. So, our managers suggest you give up a bit more of your profits and continue to partner with us. It would be mutually beneficial."

"Hehe, Shopkeeper He, you flatter me. I dare not presume to ’partner.’ I merely hope that your esteemed establishment would sell our desserts on our behalf. I’ll share the naked truth with you, the 20% of the selling price we’re offering for Ice Cream is because it’s a novelty, one that others won’t be able to replicate easily, and its price is inflated. For the double-layered milk custard and other desserts in the future, there won’t be such high profits, so besides the 20% of the selling price for Ice Cream, we must renegotiate the rest."

Shopkeeper He was taken aback. Just when he thought he had a favorable situation, within a day, everything became passive for him.

Ye Xinyan smiled and said, "Actually, Shopkeeper He, you don’t need to fret. Great Crane House is a place us poor commoners can hardly dream of reaching. Before coming here, my family carefully considered making the greatest profit concession to Great Crane House, hoping to bask in its glory and establish a prestigious and high-quality brand, so our business can successfully take off."

Ye Xinyan wasn’t wrong—speaking of the desserts delivered to the restaurant, when customers order her family’s desserts, they are sent directly to the restaurant. Great Crane House doesn’t have to spend a shred of manpower or resources, nor expend any effort, and yet it can take a 20% commission of the selling price; that income is essentially free money.

Indeed, what Ye Xinyan mentioned was a 20% of the selling price, not 20% of the net profits. In regular business dealings, having a net profit margin of 20% of the selling price is quite good; it’s impossible for the commission to be that high.

Of course, the profits from Ice Cream cannot be measured by the standards of usual business, as it contains physics knowledge accumulated over a millennium. Therefore, a higher selling price originates from the priceless nature of knowledge and the business rule of scarcity creating value.

Ye Xinyan paused for a moment, then continued, "Also, making frozen treats during the peak of summer is a selling point for Ice Cream. But no matter the secrecy, the techniques for making Ice Cream will ultimately be revealed. Hence, our Qi family needs to sign a supply contract with Great Crane House with a set duration—one year at a time, or perhaps every six months."

Shopkeeper He shook his head with a wry smile, "It seems that it was a grave mistake on my part to leave Lady Qi unattended in the restaurant. It looks like during this time, Lady Qi has considered even more matters."

Qi Jia sat obediently beside Ye Xinyan, sipping water and rotating his shiny eyes between the two of them. He didn’t understand what his sister and Uncle He were discussing. Why couldn’t he comprehend it?

Ye Xinyan smiled and said, "It has nothing to do with the wait today; when it comes to business deals, it’s only right to use some clever strategy and set up a harmless scenario to gain an advantage. Mainly because my family runs a small-scale business, and we wish to lean on your grand restaurant for our operations, it’s only natural that we plan ahead for every eventuality. Otherwise, how could we handle many unforeseen situations?"

Shopkeeper He was utterly helpless; this young woman was exceptionally shrewd. It wouldn’t be easy to change anything now that she had thoroughly thought things through beforehand. Yet, he couldn’t let go of this business deal. If he let her cooperate with another restaurant, her frozen desserts during the summer would surely steal a portion of his patrons. Once customers became familiar with another establishment, that restaurant might eventually have a chance to outdo Great Crane House.

"Lady Qi, give me a straight answer. When you say you want to open a small eatery, you truly plan to stick to desserts and soups, right? We wouldn’t have such a peaceful business relationship if our restaurant helps you prosper, only for you to start selling alcohol and dishes. That would complicate matters," said Shopkeeper He.

It’s no wonder Shopkeeper He is being cautious; money has a way of tempting the heart. Faced with the lure of silver coin, there are plenty who would turn their back once they’ve crossed the bridge. Don’t be fooled by the woman’s current appearance of sincerity from her impoverished household— who knows how she might change once her business becomes successful? By then, if she really starts a food and beverage business, with her clever mind, even if we’re a prominent family in the county town, dealing with a resourceful Lady Qi could prove challenging, and might even drag in some trouble.

If that’s the case, it might be better not to engage in this business at all and instead, start thinking early on about other ways to curb her shop’s trade. At least we could come up with a dish or food item early on to compete with the Qi family’s delicacies.

Although Shopkeeper He is a man of principle when it comes to business, he couldn’t help but worry that Ye Xinyan’s business might grow too large and threaten Great Crane House, so naturally, he had to consider things more thoroughly.

Ye Xinyan understood his concerns but had her own considerations, "Shopkeeper He has thought things through very thoroughly. No one can be certain about future affairs. Although my family has no plans to pursue the food and beverage business, I also can’t guarantee that we will never enter this field in the future. However, I can assure you that we will absolutely not engage in the banquet business in Qingyuan County. Does that work for you?"

Shopkeeper He frowned, and Ye Xinyan quickly clarified, "Shopkeeper He, I don’t want to make absolute statements. No matter who it is, if they have accumulated a certain capital, they always aim to expand their business. Having a beautiful dream is human nature; whether or not it can be realized is another matter. I promise you, as long as your restaurant is in business, we will not engage in the restaurant trade in Qingyuan County. As for outside Qingyuan County... since it poses no threat to your establishment, it shouldn’t matter. Don’t you agree?"

That was indeed a valid point.

Ye Xinyan’s words did put Shopkeeper He somewhat at ease; since the woman could speak so candidly without making empty promises, it appeared she was a person who took commitments seriously.

Shopkeeper He asked, "Then, can Lady Qi’s promise be put into a written agreement?"

Ye Xinyan nodded, "Certainly."

Shopkeeper He sighed inwardly. Such a unique, customer-drawing delicacy couldn’t be managed by his restaurant, which truly was regrettable. If it’s not part of the restaurant’s trade, no matter how many promises there are, in the end, there’s always an element of uncertainty.

"There’s another matter. Lady Qi, your Ice Cream can only be a summer business. Once summer is over, what other kind of specialty would your leisure shop offer to attract patrons? Can these specialties also be sold on consignment at Great Crane House?"

Ye Xinyan smiled. Ice cream, if made delicate enough and tasty, would have customers even in winter. But this wasn’t something to discuss with the owner of Great Crane House at the moment. If Shopkeeper He knew that Ice Cream remained popular even in winter, wouldn’t he have even more regrets? It could potentially affect the deal they had just agreed upon.

"Shopkeeper He, rest assured, since my family runs a snack shop, we won’t only sell one or two items; naturally, there will be other specialties available. These items can all be delivered to Great Crane House, and we’ll share profits with you just the same." freeweɓnovel.cøm

"In that case, let’s discuss the details of our collaboration," Shopkeeper He said. He wasn’t particularly interested in the share of the profits; rather, it was the Qi family’s exceptional specialties that caught his eye. If the Qi family’s other snacks were as outstanding and delicious, they could certainly attract more customers for Great Crane House.