The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 102: Bargaining

"Aunt Tong, you haven’t set up your stall, and there are many people at the entrance of Crispy Food Garden asking about you," Ma Huateng said, sipping his tea and exchanging pleasantries with Tong Huaqiong.

"I’ve been too exhausted from setting up the stall recently, so I’ve decided to take a break for a few days," Tong Huaqiong replied.

It was not surprising that the customers who were used to Taohua Dessert’s pastries were asking about her absence; Tong Huaqiong wasn’t surprised at all.

Ma Huateng nodded, didn’t bring up the shop issue, but instead shared some news that excited Tong Huaqiong.

"Aunt Tong, something big happened at Crispy Food Garden today. In the two days you haven’t been setting up, they’ve started selling taro puffs and meat floss buns just like Taohua Desserts. They look like yours, but they taste completely different. Some customers were dissatisfied and wanted refunds. Crispy Food Garden stated that once the pastries are sold, there’s no refund after consumption, which led to disputes. By the time I arrived, the commotion at Crispy Food Garden was disrupting their business."

Shopkeeper Feng wanted Taohua Desserts’ recipe, and Tong Huaqiong generously shared it, but replicating the exact taste was impossible.

To say nothing else, especially for pastries and meat floss pastries, even with a master baker at Crispy Food Garden using the same recipe and baking time, it couldn’t replicate the taste of Taohua Desserts.

The reason was simple: it’s purely due to the difference in ingredients.

Traditional Chinese-style pastries and meat floss pastries mainly use lard and pork as key ingredients. However, pigs in this era often have a faint odor that even baked into pastries cannot be masked.

When there was only Crispy Food Garden before, everyone got used to it and didn’t mind; without an odor, it wouldn’t be authentic.

But Tong Huaqiong, using some tricky means, created pastries with modern odorless lard and meat floss. The resulting pastries were nothing but fragrant, and once people tried Taohua Desserts and compared it with Crispy Food Garden, they would easily discern which tasted better.

Surely Crispy Food Garden was working day and night using Tong Huaqiong’s recipes for the pastries, but so what?

If they didn’t sell the same pastries as Taohua Desserts, their disadvantage wouldn’t be as prominent.

Now, Manager Feng might as well say he’s shot himself in the foot.

Gu Taohua, Chen Sufen, and Liu Yueer, upon hearing from Ma Huateng that Crispy Food Garden botched the taro puffs and meat floss buns, were so delighted they almost clapped in celebration.

Serves them right.

Actually, Crispy Food Garden had its signature products, like mung bean and traditional Chinese pastries. They made those beautiful and delicious traditional pastries yet chose to abandon their specialties to compete with Taohua Desserts’ signature products.

Not only did they lose their signature products, but also their reputation.

Crispy Food Garden’s mistake lay in its intolerance for any competition.

"Business is like this, various risks are inevitable," Tong Huaqiong said with a smiling expression.

Ma Huateng expressed his admiration, thinking perhaps Aunt Tong’s absence from her stall was due to Crispy Food Garden not allowing her to set up nearby; otherwise, why would Crispy Food Garden start selling pastries identical to Taohua Desserts?

If it were anyone else, they’d already be slapping their leg, cursing Crispy Food Garden. Yet Aunt Tong was handling the situation light-heartedly.

She had the demeanor of a leader.

Just like his father’s style when running the wine shop back in the day.

Could it be that transferring his family’s shop to Aunt Tong was meant to be?

Ma Huateng, after a bit of internal monologue, said to Tong Huaqiong, "I didn’t come here to waste your time, Aunt Tong. I’ve discussed it with my mother, and we’ve agreed to sell the shop to you, and I’d like to find a role in your shop too."

Tong Huaqiong smiled without replying immediately; she had anticipated this outcome.

For Ma Huateng to secure a position, he had to sell her the shop.

She didn’t respond right away because she wanted Ma Huateng to initiate the price discussion.

On the business battlefield, whoever discusses the price first loses, right?

When Ma Huateng saw Tong Huaqiong not speaking, he gathered his courage and said, "Aunt Tong, how much do you plan to offer for our shop?"

Adding, "It’s a prime location; in the past couple of days, several parties have inquired after hearing it’s for sale."

The emphasis on the shop being a prime location and having multiple inquiries was taught by his mother, aimed at pressuring Tong Huaqiong with the idea of "lost opportunity" if she hesitates.

In truth, the shop was prime only when it was in his father’s hands.

After witnessing the business decline under his management, indeed, a few inquired, but they treated him like a foolish landlord’s son, trying to get the shop for practically nothing.

He might struggle with business, but he could see through their intentions.

Tong Huaqiong calmly ate a biscuit and laughed, "If there are several interested parties, Little Ma, why not sell to them? Instead, you’ve come all the way to Qinghe Bay to find me."

Tricking her? No way.

Ma Huateng thought once they discussed the price, she’d naturally continue. Unexpectedly, she countered instead.

Who said rural women are easy to mislead?

Not only was Aunt Tong not easy to trick, she was sharp herself.

Ma Huateng responded, "Because I promised Aunt Tong I’d think about it for two days and get back to you. Doing business requires maintaining credibility, so I refused others. I came to your home with genuine sincerity to sell the shop to you so I can tell others it’s already sold to you."

Tong Huaqiong remained composed, tossing the ball back to Ma Huateng, "Since you’re sincere, I’ll ask, how much is your shop selling for?"

As for the shop’s price, Ma Huateng was prepared; he’d discussed with his mother and decided on two hundred taels of silver.

"Two hundred taels, the lowest," Ma Huateng stated.

This price wasn’t high or low for Rouge Alley, including a courtyard behind the shop with storage rooms, making it very reasonable.

If Aunt Tong were wise, she’d know he wasn’t asking for much more.

Tong Huaqiong contemplated, Ma Huateng’s price was indeed fair.

But people, whenever buying, like to haggle, even if the price is cheap, not bargaining feels like a loss.

Having lived two lifetimes, Tong Huaqiong wasn’t an exception.

"It’s expensive," Tong Huaqiong said.

"Expensive?" Ma Huateng was so surprised he spat out the water he was drinking.

He couldn’t help but raise his voice, "Aunt Tong, I haven’t charged a penny more. Ask around about the price of surrounding shops, and you’ll see how fair my price to you is."

Tong Huaqiong wasn’t to be outdone, "I’m buying this shop for selling pastries. Your shop, in terms of traffic, doesn’t compare to Crispy Food Garden. In terms of surroundings, most are selling rouge or fabrics, and there’s an establishment of ill-repute nearby. If my shop’s there, attracting new customers won’t be easy, mostly relying on regulars. If I were opening a Rouge Shop, it wouldn’t be overpriced, but for a pastry shop, it is."

Ma Huateng was in awe, Widow Tong’s bargaining approach was unconventional, and he couldn’t even refute it.

Being unfamiliar with business, he didn’t know if a pastry shop fit in Rouge Alley.

So he resorted to flattery, "With your skills, wherever you open a shop, business won’t be an issue."

That was true.

Tong Huaqiong enjoyed the compliments.

"Aunt Tong, how much are you willing to offer?"

"One hundred seventy taels," Tong Huaqiong replied.

Ma Huateng stepped back slightly, "One hundred ninety taels."

Tong Huaqiong advanced a step, "One hundred eighty taels, and we seal the deal today."