Yang Caiyun quickly said, "About five hundred pounds a day."
"Five hundred pounds?"
The vendor was taken aback.
This figure definitely caught him by surprise.
"Haha, what’s wrong, boss? Is the fish from your farm not enough?" Chen Yang asked, smiling.
The vendor paused for a moment, not answering Chen Yang right away. He did some quick calculations in his head and then said, "Well, my fish farm isn’t that large, but if it’s a long-term supply you need, I can source it for you. The condition, though, is that we sign a contract for mutual assurance."
Upon hearing this, Yang Caiyun immediately responded, "That’s not a problem. As long as the price is reasonable and you can deliver, we can sign a contract."
Regarding the river fish business, Chen Yang wasn’t very familiar, so he let Yang Caiyun handle the responses without saying much himself.
"Alright, since that’s the case, why don’t you come to my place and we’ll discuss the price? If everything checks out, we can collaborate." The vendor was intrigued by Yang Caiyun’s decisive agreement.
After all, a daily business of five hundred pounds was indeed substantial.
Yang Caiyun and Chen Yang both nodded, and then they waited for the vendor to climb out of the pond. Together, they left the fields and headed into the village.
The vendor was a local and led Chen Yang and Yang Caiyun through the village to his home.
"Please, have a seat first. I’ll change into fresh clothes and bring you some tea. Then, we can discuss things leisurely," the vendor said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yang and Yang Caiyun politely sat down in the living room.
After about ten minutes, the vendor returned, freshly changed and bringing tea for the two of them.
Chen Yang and Yang Caiyun accepted the tea, took a courteous sip, and then placed their cups on the table beside them.
They then began discussing the main matter at hand.
"Haha, boss, lady boss, you’re probably aware of the recent increase in river fish prices, right?" The vendor started the conversation.
"Yes, we are aware of it; otherwise, we wouldn’t have abruptly decided to switch suppliers," Yang Caiyun replied with a smile, indicating she was informed about the situation.
The vendor chuckled upon hearing her response, "Haha, well, it seems the lady boss is quite knowledgeable about the river fish market. That actually makes things easier—we won’t need to beat around the bush."
"Let’s talk price directly. The lowest I can offer you is ten yuan per pound."
The vendor quoted his price outright.
Yang Caiyun hesitated briefly upon hearing the price.
It was hard to tell if she was surprised or dissatisfied.
"Lady boss, you know the river fish prices have been climbing lately. The price I’m offering is already quite fair," the vendor quickly added after noticing her reaction.
Yang Caiyun forced a smile, "You’re quite sincere with this price, but have you thought about the fact that we’re aiming for a long-term partnership? I don’t need to spell out the profit margins involved here, so I think your price isn’t quite the lowest you can offer."
While Yang Caiyun was negotiating prices with the vendor, Chen Yang remained silent, as this wasn’t his area of expertise. He simply sat on the side and listened.
After some back-and-forth haggling, the vendor finally conceded.
"Alright, alright, lady boss. Since you’re genuinely interested, I’ll take a step back. Let’s go with the price you suggested—nine yuan per pound, okay?"
"Haha, great, thank you, boss!"
Seeing the vendor make a concession, Yang Caiyun decisively agreed.
"So it’s settled then. When shall we sign the contract?" The vendor asked.
Yang Caiyun thought for a moment and then said, "We can hold off on signing for a couple of days. I’ll give you an address now, and starting tomorrow, you can deliver the fish there. If everything is good after a few days, we’ll proceed with the contract."
The vendor was reasonable enough to understand. Though their discussion had gone smoothly, this was still their first meeting, and trust wasn’t fully established yet.
"Alright, no problem."
The vendor agreed readily, and then Yang Caiyun provided him with the address of her river fish shop, including the shop’s name.
"Deliver the fish to this address tomorrow; I’ll be there for inspection," Yang Caiyun said.
"Alright, no problem."
The vendor nodded in agreement.
With everything settled, Yang Caiyun had no intention of lingering further.
"We’ll be leaving now, boss. Looking forward to collaborating in the future."
"Yes, yes, looking forward to it. Safe travels," the vendor said with a smile, sending Chen Yang and Yang Caiyun off. The two of them walked out of the village and made their way to their van parked at the village entrance.
Once back in the van, Chen Yang asked, "Sis, is nine yuan a reasonable price?"
Yang Caiyun couldn’t hide her joy, "Of course it’s reasonable. You have no idea—my previous supplier charged me twelve or thirteen per pound, and even during negotiations with others, the lowest was eleven. So when he quoted ten earlier, I was already tempted."
Hearing this, Chen Yang was happy for her.
"Haha, then you really scored big!"
"Absolutely! A small difference of a few yuan may seem minor, but over time, in long-term transactions, it adds up to a substantial amount," Yang Caiyun said with a proud expression.
Chen Yang chuckled, started the van, and prepared to get going, thinking they could relax after this and discuss more calmly later.
But just as he started the engine, a group of men dressed in water-resistant gear and holding fishing nets approached.
Leading the group was a bald man who appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties, followed by several young guys in their twenties.
"Oh, isn’t this Lady Yang? Heading back so soon? Did you already find fish to buy?" The bald man called out loudly as he spotted Yang Caiyun from afar.
Chen Yang, noticing this man knew Yang Caiyun, asked, "Sis, who’s that?"
Yang Caiyun glanced at the bald man and a trace of disgust flickered across her face. She responded in a low voice, "That’s my previous supplier—the one who raised prices just because my business was thriving."
Learning the bald guy was her old supplier, Chen Yang instantly felt no goodwill toward him.
At first, seeing his enthusiastic demeanor, Chen Yang thought he might’ve been one of Yang Caiyun’s friends.
"Hey, Lady Yang, business is business, but courtesy is still courtesy. Why aren’t you responding when I talk to you?" The bald man walked up to their van, his tone peculiar.
Despite her irritation, Yang Caiyun didn’t want to escalate things and replied coolly, "You were too far away; I didn’t hear you."
"Ah, I see. Then let me ask again."
The bald man grinned smugly, showing off his yellowed teeth, "Did you manage to buy fish, Lady Yang? If not, why not reconsider working with me? I’ll bring my price down—eleven yuan per pound."
"No need, I found fish at a better price," Yang Caiyun replied decisively.
Hearing this, the bald man’s expression shifted.
"Oh? What’s the price, and whose farm?"
"I can’t disclose the supplier, but the price is significantly cheaper than yours—only nine yuan per pound."
"Nine yuan? That’s impossible!"
The bald man was visibly shocked upon hearing the price.
"Why not? River fish prices naturally fluctuate—it’s just that someone got too greedy. Anyway, I need to get back to my shop now. See you next time." Yang Caiyun retorted sarcastically before signaling to Chen Yang with her eyes.
Chen Yang immediately got the hint and started the van, driving off without giving the bald man a chance to say anything more.