Chapter 133: The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife
Chapter 133: The Phone
Wen Li took a sip of tea, attempting to calm her restlessness, but it had no effect.
After some small talk, she was forced to open the conversation by proposing a price increase: "Bai Lu, let me be straightforward. We also have some chestnuts at home and were thinking of boosting our fruit store's business by making sugar-coated chestnuts. Your sugar-coated chestnuts taste good, and we're wondering if you're interested in partnering with us?"
"We can offer ten thousand yuan to learn the method."
Ten thousand yuan for the recipe? Isn't that asking for the moon? If Bai Lu were an inexperienced country girl, she might have been tempted by this meager profit.
However, Bai Lu, with her keen business sense, saw through Gao Jianchuan and Wen Li's intentions of monopolizing the market after obtaining the method.
"Rare for you both to appreciate sugar-coated chestnuts. I quite like the current business model, and I'm not planning to explore a new path for now," Bai Lu calmly responded.
Gao Jianchuan sensed Bai Lu's dissatisfaction with the price and suggested an increase: "If you're not satisfied with this price, we can discuss it further. Eleven thousand, how about that?"
Bai Lu smiled, "The income from sugar-coated chestnuts is stable for now; there's no rush for quick money."
"You see, partnering isn't about making quick money. If you sell us the method, there will just be another store selling sugar-coated chestnuts in the market. You can continue selling your sugar-coated chestnuts, and with our store opening outside the city, the reputation of sugar-coated chestnuts will spread even further. Our sugar-coated chestnut business will be better than it is now. It's a win-win situation!" Wen Li, using her business perspective, tried to amplify the benefits, attempting to change Bai Lu's mind.
Gao Jianchuan also highlighted the potential benefits Bai Lu could gain after selling the method.
However, Bai Lu remained silent and didn't respond to their proposals.
After elaborating on the benefits for a long time, Gao Jianchuan and Wen Li were puzzled by Bai Lu's lack of reaction.
They began to suspect whether Bai Lu was a fool for not seizing an opportunity to earn big and quick money.
However, Bai Lu continued to dodge their questions about where she sourced the chestnuts, completely disrupting their prepared strategies.
In the end, Gao Jianchuan and Wen Li could only buy a few dozen sugar-coated chestnuts and leave. Whether they would continue to cooperate in selling chestnuts depended on whether they could figure out the recipe.
After a busy morning, Bai Lu finally sent away all the buyers and sellers of chestnuts.
As she closed the door, ready to go to the market to buy vegetables with a small basket, another customer knocked on the door.
Opening it, she found a middle-aged couple she didn't know.
The woman held a moderately sized new box, and the man had a small toolbox in his hand.
"We're here to install the telephone. Is this the home of Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu?"
Bai Lu was momentarily stunned but nodded, "Yes, it's our home."
The woman, assuming there were no other voices in the house, concluded that the girl in front of her must be the mistress of the house, Bai Lu. She explained the situation, "Your husband, Xiao Cheng, bought a telephone from our store yesterday, already paid for it. He asked us to come today to install it but told us not to come too early. So, here we are at this time."
"Xiao Cheng mentioned that there's his wife, Bai Lu, at home, and we just need to find Bai Lu."
"Oh... alright."
Bai Lu opened the courtyard gate and invited the two in.
The telephone couple was led into the main house.
While the woman unpacked the new box, she asked Bai Lu, "Have you decided where you want the telephone installed?"
Bai Lu, pouring tea for the two, felt a bit puzzled, "Didn't Xiao Cheng say anything?"
The woman smiled and said, "He said it's entirely up to you. You can decide where you'd like it installed."
Bai Lu looked slightly dazed, smiled, and handed the tea to the telephone couple, "Then let's install it in the main house."
The telephone couple drank the tea and started installing the telephone.
Throughout the process, the man, from entering to leaving after the installation was complete, didn't exchange a single word with Bai Lu.
The woman, meanwhile, communicated with Bai Lu throughout the installation.
Bai Lu felt a bit perplexed but didn't dwell on it. Perhaps, like Xiao Cheng, this man wasn't much of a talker.
Once the telephone was installed, usage instructions, phone number, service hotline, and various precautions were explained to Bai Lu. After completing their job, the telephone couple left.
As Bai Lu escorted them to the door, Xiao Wei, who had just returned from school, stood outside the gate, watching attentively and following the couple with his gaze as they left.
As soon as they were gone, the little guy rushed into the house, stood still, and stared at Bai Lu with a serious and vigilant expression. There was a subtle hint of wariness in his tone as he asked, "Are they the new chestnut sellers?"
"No."
Bai Lu noticed the little guy's alertness, wanted to pat his head, but refrained, thinking it might hurt. She smiled and nodded, "They came to install the telephone."
"Did we get a telephone?"
Xiao Wei, with his small school bag on his back, was full of excitement and eagerness in his bright eyes.
Bai Lu couldn't resist and patted his bald head, "Yes."
"Is it the one I passed by Li Shuxian's store today, where the owner picked it up, talked to someone, and there was a person talking inside the phone?"
The little bald head, full of excitement, seemed ready to burst into little flower buds.
Bai Lu couldn't help but laugh, nodding, "Exactly. Your brother said he would call every day."
"Why would my brother call you?"
The little guy, with a slightly mistrustful expression, excitedly asked, "Did he say he would call me?"
Bai Lu: "..."
Why would he call her? The aloof and tsundere big brother wouldn't say such things. If it were a tipsy three-year-old, it might be possible. Xiao Wei seemed to have misunderstood again.
On May 19, 1997, Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu's home finally got its first telephone.
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