Free Web NovelChapter 153: Chapter 153: Then I’ll Make You Some Noodles?
By the time Wen Ci got home, the sun had already set.
The cafeteria was already closed for the day. Wen Ci walked with a cheerful spring in his step toward the landline in the living room. Seeing Huo Jingyuan walk over to him, he said, "Huo Jingyuan, I’m hungry. I want to eat noodles."
"Then I’ll make you some noodles?"
"Mm-hm."
While Huo Jingyuan had been in the hospital, Wen Ci had stuffed the kitchen refrigerator full. All sorts of vegetables were in the crisper, and the beef and pork were frozen solid.
"Where’s Wen Yaozu?"
"He’s asleep."
Wen Yaozu had spent the whole day exercising in the yard and was completely exhausted. After dinner, he had yawned and put himself to bed.
Huo Jingyuan took some ingredients from the fridge.
He was going to make braised noodles for Wen Ci.
Noticing a faint, strange smell from the fridge, he frowned. His aunt had brought this refrigerator back from abroad a few years ago, and he had no idea how to get it repaired.
’Should I ask my aunt to send another one?’
But on second thought, Huo Jingyuan considered it more carefully. He and Wen Ci would be in Beijing for half a year at most. By the time a new refrigerator arrived from overseas, they would probably already be back in the Northwest.
On the sofa, Wen Ci called Xu Jinghe, his voice full of excitement. "Xu Jinghe, I might be making a trip down to the Southern region in a few days."
"Did you sell out?"
Wen Ci shook his head. "Not sold out, but I did sell over a thousand pieces of clothing today. I have the military district to thank for that, though. I sold it to the family compound for five yuan a pound, and the military district subsidized three yuan."
After a moment of silence, Xu Jinghe asked, "Weren’t you planning on selling it for nine yuan a pound? With shipping, your cost is already seven yuan a pound. If you sell it for eight, even with forty thousand pieces of clothing, you’re not going to make much."
At these words, Wen Ci’s eyes went wide.
He knew something felt off! It turned out he had quoted the wrong price. His plan to make a two-yuan profit per pound had turned into a one-yuan profit.
A one-yuan profit was still a profit, but it was hardly worth all the effort.
Wen Ci bit his lip. "Then I’ll raise the price tomorrow."
"Don’t you dare," Xu Jinghe quickly stopped him. "Honesty is the most important thing in business. If you’ve already advertised it at eight yuan a pound, then you have to keep selling it at eight. Changing the price can easily damage your credibility."
Wen Ci said, conflicted, "But I only advertised the eight-yuan price in the military family compound. Tomorrow, I’m planning to sell at the city market, and after that, I’ll negotiate with the department stores and wholesale markets."
"That’s a decent strategy, but do you think you can strike a deal with the department stores?"
Clothing factories have dedicated salespeople. Every time a new product comes out, they have to negotiate with the department store managers, and taking them out to meals is an essential part of the process.
With a low-profit sales model like Wen Ci’s, taking people out to expensive meals wasn’t cost-effective.
"I have a way."
They chatted for a few more minutes. Just then, Huo Jingyuan came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of braised noodles. The aroma filled the air. Wen Ci’s gaze fixed on the man, and he swallowed hard.
"I have to go. I’ll report back to you tomorrow."
"Alright."
Wen Ci slammed the receiver back onto the cradle, got up from the sofa, and walked to the dining table. The braised noodles were topped with stir-fried potatoes and meat, and the strands were evenly coated in sauce.
Wen Ci couldn’t help but swallow again.
"Huo Jingyuan, your cooking is getting more and more exquisite."
Huo Jingyuan’s lips curved into a smile. "Honey, you haven’t even taken a bite. How do you know my cooking has gotten more exquisite?"
"You can judge true culinary genius by the aroma alone."
As he spoke, Wen Ci eagerly took the bowl of braised noodles from the man’s hands. The chopsticks were covered in bits of stir-fried potato and meat, and he licked them clean.
"So good."
Immediately, Wen Ci began to eat the noodles in big mouthfuls. In the quiet of the evening, the chatter of the aunties in the family compound could be heard faintly.
