The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

“Look if this could be done…”

Dong Dazhu didn’t hide anything, and told Zhuang Qingning all his thoughts and the general reasons.

They often interacted, and Zhuang Qingning knew that Dong Dazhu was straightforward and honest, trustworthy and methodical. But his cousin…

Zhuang Qingning smiled faintly and said: “Brother Dong, this isn’t a small matter. We need to discuss it thoroughly before making a decision. I can’t promise you anything right now.”

“For others, it may just seem like selling tofu. As a tofu grinder, if someone is willing to buy from you or even open a shop to sell your product, you should be grateful. But tofu is not like beans or wheat. It’s not something you can stock up at home and simply rejoice when someone comes over to buy.”

“Tofu has to be ground fresh. You have to set up a stall in advance. Just like my tofu shop, every day how much tofu, tofu skin, dried tofu we produce is almost predetermined. If someone needs more one day, it’s simply not possible.”

“If we are to open a tofu shop, I will have to expand the tofu pots, buy grinders, hire more people, and the output would be nearly fixed. If this tofu has to be sold according to the quantity each day and your shop can’t sell it, if you’re ordering varying quantities each day, it would make things difficult for me.”

“Generally, I am a seller, and you’re the buyer. What you do with the product after buying is your business. If it can’t be sold or rots in the shop, it has nothing to do with my tofu shop. But I intend for my tofu shop to continue long term. You must ensure constant demand and reputation for the tofu shop to succeed. If a shop is opened merely for the sake of it, without maintaining the reputation, it may turn people away. In the future, my market in the county town would be completely cut off, causing a loss.”

“Moreover, while my tofu shop may not make a lot, it makes a steady income. If a shop was opened all of a sudden, causing more stalls to be set up, I would have to bear the risk of potential loss. This would cause unease, and it would be a loss.”

“So, this isn’t something we can just casually decide. We need to ensure at least 80% success probability before we can do this. We need to discuss all aspects carefully. But since you’re not the one opening the shop, it’s not exactly in your place to discuss this.”

“Does Miss Zhuang mean…” Dong Dazhu scratched his ears.

“If it’s your cousin who wants to do this, why not let him talk to me about it? That way, I can assess the situation before making a decision.” Zhuang Qingning smiled.

“I get it, Miss Zhuang. This really isn’t a simple matter, and it’s not something I can decide by passing along a message. We really do need to discuss it well.”

Dong Dazhu said, “In that case, I’ll talk to my cousin when I get home. He also has to prepare how big the shop will be, where it will be opened, how it will sell, and how much inventory he will need from you every day. We will also need to set up a meeting where he can speak with you carefully about this.”

“That’s exactly what I was saying.” Zhuang Qingning smiled, “Not to hide anything from Brother Dong, but I have been thinking about opening a shop in the county town. I’m just too occupied with the tofu shop and the one in the town to consider anything else.”

“As of now, business is doing well, and Qingsui and I don’t have huge expenses. The money that we earn is more than enough for us. So, I’m not in a hurry to open a shop.”

Her meaning was clear: if his cousin was serious about this, she was willing to discuss it. If it was a spur of the moment idea, then there was no need. Zhuang Qingning wasn’t in a rush to do this.

Dong Dazhu understood Zhuang Qingning’s words. He nodded and reassured her, “I understand, Miss Zhuang. I will definitely pass the message onto my cousin. After that, we can arrange a time for a detailed discussion.”

No matter what, he was just a middleman. Both parties needed to talk thoroughly for this to work.

“Alright, I’ll wait for Brother Dong’s news,” Zhuang Qingning replied with a smile.

With that said, she had shown great sincerity. Dong Dazhu understood, and after exchanging a few more words, he hurriedly drove the bullock cart towards the county town, seeing that it was getting late.

Zhuang Qingning went to find Zhuang Jingye to discuss the matter of the bean seeds.

“In my opinion, Ning, don’t say this has anything to do with you. Say it’s my idea. After all, you’re running the tofu shop. If you say too much, it might make others overthink. Even if you’re being considerate, others might misunderstand. It’s better to say it’s my idea, which might make people feel more comfortable.”

Zhuang Jingye continued, “Also, don’t rush this matter. The kinder you are, the more skeptical they might be. Once we’ve said our piece, they can decide how to proceed.”

“By the time it’s autumn and they need to harvest beans, if people see that those with the new seed variety have a good harvest, they’ll know what to do next.”

“Don’t rush this, Ning. We have a long time ahead of us. We should build our business slowly and work patiently with people.”

“That makes sense,” Zhuang Qingning nodded.

She certainly understood word of mouth marketing. However, with the task at hand, she had used this method to speed up the process.

But this couldn’t be shared with others. Zhuang Qingning also felt that if she rushed to do this, it might create a backlash. If her attitude was careless and people felt like it was up to them whether to plant or not, it could create resistance, leading to them thinking it’s a good idea because there are no tricks. On the other hand, her nonchalant attitude might make them feel that it is indeed a good idea and adopt it fearlessly.

In short, Zhuang Jingye’s current thought process was correct.

Seeing that it was about time to finish the farm work, people would soon be returning from the fields. Smoke was rising from the chimneys of the houses. Zhuang Jingye, with his hands behind his back, walked with Zhuang Qingning to the large tung tree in front of the village ancestral hall and blew a loud signal on the bamboo whistle.

The sound of the whistle was a signal for villagers to gather when there was something important to discuss in the village. All households recognized this signal. Upon hearing the whistle, villagers began to gather under the big tung tree in front of the ancestral hall.