When Young Master Tang’s housekeeper heard their back-and-forth conversation that wasn’t reaching the point, he said,
"Housekeeper Meng, the Li family brothers heard you want to sell your land and were wondering if the price of this estate could be lowered a bit."
Housekeeper Meng understood upon hearing this, realizing it wasn’t the Tang Family buying the land, but rather he had become an intermediary.
His face expressed difficulty as he said,
"Li family brothers, you certainly know how expensive the land was when we bought it, and then the silver we spent on building the houses wasn’t small. Honestly, we’re not making money on this price. Do you see how I look now? I’ve changed so much in the last half year!"
Housekeeper Meng spoke so pitifully that those who had seen him before knew, indeed, they were putting him in a tough spot. A person who doesn’t know how to manage crops, wouldn’t it be hard for him being sent to manage them?
Compassion is one thing, but regarding money, even a copper coin less is a loss.
With such thoughts, Li Zhihao started to bargain, beginning with cutting down 100 silver taels.
Young Master Tang’s housekeeper, upon hearing this, covered his face; he couldn’t handle it anymore! Let these two fight it out!
"Steward Li, aren’t you being a bit too greedy? Do you think 100 silver taels is just a copper coin? We can’t talk anymore!"
Housekeeper Meng thought about walking away. The entire estate was worth only 400 silver taels, and lowering it by 100 taels, wasn’t that the original money spent on buying the land?
But they had also spent around 100 taels of silver on building the houses; how could they fill this huge gap... Moreover, he couldn’t fail in his duties!
"Housekeeper Meng, don’t be angry. Isn’t this just a negotiation? There’s always some bargaining involved!"
Li Zhihao did not get angry due to the other’s fury, remaining grinning, his demeanor unchanging!
"Hmph, do you think this is like selling cabbage? What price to give you?"
Housekeeper Meng’s face turned red with anger, he almost slammed the table, but a shred of rationality remained, as he was eager to sell off the estate.
"Housekeeper Meng, we can’t just stick to one price, can we? Even rice prices fluctuate, going up and down!"
Housekeeper Meng was angry, of course, not cooling down so quickly, continuously addressing:
"But you can’t just drop it by 100 taels right from the start. This isn’t even my estate, how should I explain this? Is there even a need to continue talking?"
"Then make it 310 taels."
"Nonsense. Who is going to fill this gap of 90 taels?"
Young Master Tang’s housekeeper listened as they bargained from 100 taels, initially dropping by ten taels at a time, then by one copper coin at a time.
It was his first time seeing such business dealings; indeed, it was different, much like selling vegetables. When wealthy people buy things, the prices only go up, but these kinds of negotiations involved price decreases, which he found quite amusing.
The two continued discussing till mealtime and had not settled on a price yet.
Housekeeper Meng was looking for a buyer, not wanting to reduce the price by even a copper coin.
However, Li Zhihao was of the view that negotiations shouldn’t be fixed-price, willing to make the other party reduce even a single copper coin if possible.
He thought it was his hard-earned money, not to be wasted frivolously.
"Let’s have lunch first, have lunch, then talk," he said.
Young Master Tang’s housekeeper, hearing this, had to speak up. Regardless of the negotiated price and no matter who was hosting, he felt his job was done, and he would leave after eating.
Whether they succeeded in their negotiations afterward didn’t matter; his role as the intermediary was finished.
He wouldn’t waste any more time on their verbal sparring.
"Lunch, lunch," Li Zhihao said, taking a tea cup and drinking it all at once, his mouth dry from talking too much.
"Lunch, and we don’t have to talk afterward; it’ll be dark if we keep going."
Housekeeper Meng glared at Li Zhihao, feeling even more pain in his cracked lips, as speaking through the pain had not been easy.
Their throats were hoarse from the lengthy discussion.
"Heh heh, we are only eating lunch now; surely, Housekeeper Meng, you’re not planning to have dinner with me too? That can’t be; the cattle don’t move at night."
Then, as they ate, the two didn’t stay idle but continued their verbal duel.
Young Master Tang’s housekeeper had hardly eaten a few bites when he no longer wanted to eat; the two kept spitting as they spoke, and he laid down his chopsticks to avoid viruses.
The two engrossed in conversation didn’t care about him, and after Young Master Tang’s housekeeper announced he would leave, whether they paid the bill was unknown to them.
They continued to discuss the price, forgetting Young Master Tang’s housekeeper.
In the end, they were always haggling over five silver coins but stopped at 395 taels and wouldn’t budge.
Li Zhihao, after wasting half the day’s effort, could only reduce by five taels of silver, but he didn’t feel it was unjustified as those five taels of silver represented his one month’s salary.
He felt he had earned those five taels for himself, and was quite proud; he could have cut down ten taels of silver if only Housekeeper Meng hadn’t been so difficult, negotiating with him, a simple farmer, for so long. He did look rather pitiful.