426: 415 426: 415 Erlang imdiately got anxious, “Dad, have you been cheated?
Who cheated you, I’ll go beat him up for you!”
Shanbao suggested, “Should we report it to the officials?”
Manbao then said, “Or let’s call the village chief, get everyone from the village to co with us.
We’ll be in greater numbers, and make him cough up all the money he deceived from us.”
Is this how you use ‘greater numbers’?
Old Master Bai looked at his three children with great frustration and asked weakly, “Did you three buy up all the new wheat seeds in the village?”
All three nodded together, “Yeah!”
“When did you buy them?”
“Just today!”
Old Master Bai was at a loss for words for a mont, thinking why his three children were so excited and enthusiastic this morning.
Feeling a bit of pain in his heart, he couldn’t help but ask, “So, what price do you plan to sell them to for?”
Manbao said with concern, “Shouldn’t we chase after the scamr first?
The business deal isn’t urgent; after all, we’ll keep waiting for you.”
Shanbao nodded, “Let’s report it to the officials first.
We’re familiar with County Magistrate Yang, he can work overti to catch the guy.”
Erlang nodded repeatedly, and even showed filial piety by stepping forward to support his father.
Old Master Bai didn’t feel comforted at all, and with a wave of his hand he said weakly, “I haven’t been cheated by anyone, nor have I bought any wheat seeds.
I was just bluffing you.”
The eyes of the three children sparkled all at once, like six bright oil lamps, piercingly bright, and smiles spread across their faces simultaneously.
Old Master Bai covered his forehead, taking the opportunity to shield his eyes.
Taking a deep breath to steady his spirit, he then asked, “What price do you intend to sell them to for?”
Erlang couldn’t help but burst into laughter, holding his waist proudly, and announced loudly, “One hundred and fifty wen per dou, not one wen less!”
Old Master Bai: …
This is the original price!
This is the original price, right?
Old Master Bai stared at the three children for a while and suddenly beca spirited again, laughing heartily just like them.
The three children looked at him confused, unsure whether he was just overly shocked.
But Old Master Bai felt completely relaxed.
He laughed so hard tears almost ca out, and then he looked down and asked, “Did you co up with this idea that day in the study?”
The three children nodded absently.
Old Master Bai then laughed openly again, and while tugging at his small beard nodded continuously, “Good, good, very good!”
He looked at the three children seriously for a mont, chuckled, and gestured with his hand, “Co on, no need for tea and pastries, let’s talk in the study.”
The three children looked at each other, mystified, and followed Old Master Bai to the study.
Old Master Bai took the seat of honor and told the children to sit wherever they liked, then smilingly asked, “Do you really think I must buy your wheat seeds?”
Shanbao stood up and said, “Uncle, wait for for a mont.”
With those words, he dashed off, and after a good while, Old Master Bai hadn’t seen him return and asked Manbao, “What’s he running off to do?”
“He’s gone to get our recorded figures,” Manbao also felt it was slow, “If you had gone to our study for tea and desserts, then he wouldn’t have to run back and forth.”
Old Master Bai: …So inviting over wasn’t for tea and desserts, but because you had prepared sothing there?
Shanbao ran back gasping for breath, with a stack of paper in hand, which he handed to Old Master Bai, saying, “Our teacher taught us to do this, please have a look.”
Old Master Bai looked down to see so data recorded, divided into two sections, one part being the yield data of wheat from the year before last, and the other part being this year’s.
But the numbers were not that many; what stood out more was the analysis written upon flipping the page, and Old Master Bai even spotted his son’s handwriting in it.
No matter the data, what was written afterward was enough to excite even soone as experienced as Old Master Bai.
The three children watched Old Master Bai with keen eyes.
Manbao added, “Uncle Bai, the grain shop sells their seeds for one hundred and forty-four wen per dou.
If you look at it this way, our seeds are only half a wen more expensive per pound, but with our seeds, you can grow so much more wheat.”
Shanbao nodded in agreent, “Uncle, we’re family.
Would we cheat you?”
“That’s right, Dad, we’re family.
The price is truly fair.
We’re selling it to outsiders for one hundred and eighty wen per pound.”
Old Master Bai looked at Erlang intently and asked Bai Shan and Manbao, “Are you really planning to sell these seeds to others?”
The two nodded together, with Erlang also nodding along.
“One hundred and eighty wen per pound?”
All three nodded together.
Old Master Bai swirled the teacup in his hands, then laughed spontaneously, “Do you think you can find other buyers?”
Bai Shan and Manbao looked at Erlang simultaneously and then nodded.
Old Master Bai turned his gaze to Erlang along with theirs, hesitating to ask, “The buyer you’re talking about – who is it?”
Erlang eagerly said, “It’s Uncle Wu!”
They had it all planned.
As soon as his dad bought the seeds, they’d go to Uncle Wu and tell him that even their dad bought the seeds at a high price, so wouldn’t he want to get so too?
Old Master Bai realized if there was a child in this world who was truly born to outwit his father, that child would definitely be his son.
Old Master Bai forced a smile, put down his teacup, and said, “Alright, one hundred and fifty wen per dou it is, but I want all the wheat seeds you have.”
“No way,” Shanbao said seriously, “I have to keep so for my own family.”
Manbao imdiately said, “It’s also one hundred and fifty wen per dou.”
Shanbao glared, and Manbao said seriously, “The thing is that we’ve already sold them.”
Okay, this was sothing they hadn’t discussed before.
Shanbao sighed, “I have to ask my grandmother about this.”
Old Master Bai smiled cheerfully, “No rush, no rush.
Your grandmother will be back after the Dragon Boat Festival, just keep so wheat seeds.
If your family doesn’t buy them, you can always sell them to later.”
Shanbao looked at Manbao and Erlang for their opinion, because the seeds weren’t just his but also theirs.
Manbao indicated no problem, nodding her head.
Erlang naturally nodded too.
“Then let’s draw up a contract,” Shanbao suggested.
Old Master Bai smiled cheerfully, “You even know about drawing up contracts?”
“Of course we know.
We learned it from our teacher.” Just the other day, Mr.
Zhuang specially used it as an example, making them each draft a contract and then revised it over and over.
So Shanbao could directly write down the contract then and there.
Old Master Bai looked on with emotion, realizing that Mr.
Zhuang must have known about this.
Mr.
Zhuang truly lived up to his reputation, earning his keep.
Manbao then took the chance to ask Old Master Bai, “Uncle Bai, my family also has wheat seeds, even better quality than the ones in the village.
Do you want so?”
Old Master Bai looked at Manbao enviously, thinking this was truly a child of his own household, unlike his own son…
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