by N/A
Li Xue Qing had never eaten grapes before, thus she didn't have a comparison for grape wine. But now, drinking this tangerine wine, she is further able to perceive this fruit wine's miraculousness.
"Madam, how's the taste?" Du Xiao Li saw Li Xue Qing take a sip and asked.
"Not bad, has the aroma of tangerines, and also has the taste of alcohol." Li Xue Qing answered.
"Madam, this recipe of mine only needs to be slightly adjusted, and it'll be able to suit any season's fruit, so the production room won't be left idle. In fact, it'll be very busy all year round. However many fruit varieties there are, the profits within, you don't need Xiao Li to explain right?" Du Xiao Li took a sip herself and didn't say anymore.
Li Xue Qing ran the calculations in her mind and said, "But this share for you is still too high. Although the profits are significant, we still need to unblock the sales channels and whatnot, that is also a very large expenditure."
"If madam really wants to work together with Xiao Li, then Xiao Li can yield another five percent. Forty-five for me, and fifty-five for madam." Du Xiao Li said.
A forty-five split was already the furthest she's willing to yield. If Li Xue Qing is still unwilling, then it's not like it has to be the Li family winery anyways.
Li Xue Qing also guessed some of Du Xiao Li's thoughts, and after some pondering, she said, "Fine, then forty-five for you, and fifty-five for me. You really are a good fit for business."
"Madam is overpraising." Du Xiao Li smiled.
"Then what is this contract?" Li Xue Qing asked.
"A contract is more or less the same as a pact. We write down the partnership arrangements on paper, have two exact copies, and then let the county magistrate be our witness. In the future, if anyone were to go against the contract, then they will need to compensate according to what's written on the contract." Du Xiao Li explained.
"That way is also good." Li Xue Qing nodded, "Then today, think about your requirements, and I'll also go back and think about mine. Tomorrow, we'll come together at Tonglai Inn and have this contract drafted out. Afterwards, take it to my brother-in-law to sign as a witness."
"Okay." Du Xiao Li also felt she needed to properly think over her conditions, thus nodded her head in agreement.
"Then I'll be heading back now. Tomorrow at si-hour(9-11AM), I will be waiting for you at Tonglai Inn." Li Xue Qing said, and then prepared to get up and leave.
"I'll definitely head there on time." Du Xiao Li said.
"Need me to send a carriage to pick you up?" Li Xue Qing asked.
"No need, I will go to the county seat on my own." Du Xiao Li said.
After Li Xue Qing left, Luo Qi came out from his room. Leaning against the doorway, he said, "You really sure are a good fit for business! That Li Xue Qing has been in the business world for this many years, yet only said a little bit about the split."
Du Xiao Li laughed and said, " It's mainly because she was too impatient and lost the upper hand. However, I didn't skimp on her either. This fruit wine's development is very significant. Alright, I'm going to go find big brother Yi to borrow the horse carriage. Do you want to go together?"
"You go, I'll wait for you at home." Luo Qi said. Suddenly saying the word home, his heart felt like it was overflowing with something, as if this was really his own home.
"Okay, then you drink the medicine first. I already made it. Wait for me to come back to make lunch." Du Xiao Li finished saying, and then headed down the mountain.
Luo Qi looked to the medicine bowl placed on the stove, knowing that was for treating his memory loss. Suddenly, he felt somewhat jittery. If he doesn't drink, then this way, his memory won't recover. But this thought also just lasted for a moment. He couldn't just stay here forever. Those people that are after him, he can't just let off, and he further can't bring danger to Du Xiao Li.
Thinking to here, he lifted the medicine bowl and downed it in one gulp.
Ch. 057.1 – Our Family's Daughter Has Grown Up (1)
Our Family's Daughter Has Grown Up (1)
T/N: Chapter (8/8) sponsored by Madam Daim! Thank you for sponsoring!
The last chapter in the first arc. Chapter 57 is by far the longest chapter in the novel, totaling 16k characters in length. In order to not die while translating this giant chapter, I will be dividing it up into 8 parts of 2k characters each, since the previous chapters have all been 2k chara in length. In future, longer chapters will all be divided into 2k length parts since that has been the standard length for the chapters up until now. Thank you for understanding.
"Big brother Yi!" When Du Xiao Li arrived at Niu Jing's house, she loudly shouted towards the house.
"Girl, why did you come?" Leng Er came out from the house, and upon seeing Du Xiao Li, said with a smile.
"I came to find big brother Yi to borrow the horse carriage. Tomorrow, are you all going to use the horse carriage?" Du Xiao Li looked to Leng Er and asked.
"This, you'll have to ask young master. However, it seems like there isn't anything tomorrow." Leng Er thought for a moment and said.
"Then I'll go in to find big brother Yi." Du Xiao Li said as she ran into the house, directly entering Han Ming Yi's room.
Han Ming Yi was already aware when Du Xiao Li had arrived. He, who was originally reading, had the book placed down, waiting for her to come in.
Starting from when did she slowly walk into his own world, letting him who was uninterested in the outside world begin to wonder when she'll come, wondering what kind of surprise she'll bring himself this time. With her around, he was always able to forget the conspiracies of the capital, forget those unpleasant thing, and willfully enjoy this peaceful countryside life.
Clearly a seven year old small child, yet he always can't help but treat her as someone of the same age.
Thinking to the kiddy engagement mentioned that day in the tangerine orchard, although it was just a joke, he strangely felt somewhat happy. Just, after thinking about his own environment, he felt somewhat dejected again, lastly forming a bitter laugh.
"Big brother Yi." When Du Xiao Li entered, she surprisingly saw Han Ming Yi absentmindedly sitting there, so she moved in closer and called out.
"Xiao Li." Compared to everyone all calling her 'girl', he liked calling her name more, like as if she wasn't just a child in front of himself.
"Big brother Yi, what are you doing?" Du Xiao Li asked, "You didn't even hear me knocking."
"I was reading. What's wrong?" Han Ming Yi unnaturally coughed and said.
"I wanted to ask if you had something to do tomorrow? If not, then I want to borrow your horse carriage." Du Xiao Li has never once doubted Han Ming Yi's words. After all, a twelve year old boy, in her eyes, was still just a child. Although this child puts on quite a bit of air.
"What do you need it for?" Han Ming Yi asked.
"I need to go to the county seat tomorrow. That Li Xue Qing came looking for me." Du Xiao Li told Han Ming Yi about the partnership agreement with Li Xue Qing.
Han Ming Yi originally had planned on going together with Du Xiao Li, but immediately recalled this morning when Niu Jing excitedly came to tell him that tomorrow they'll be going to the mountains to bring back that 'medicine' that they've been waiting on for several years now for him to use. That's why he didn't have the time.
"Tomorrow, I'll let Leng Er go with you." Han Ming Yi said.
"Alright, thank you big brother Yi! Then tomorrow morning, I'll come look for Leng Er! Hehe, continue reading your book, I'm going to go back and think about what all I need to suggest." Du Xiao Li said, and then started heading out.
"I'll think with you." Han Ming Yi suddenly spoke.
Du Xiao Li felt it was okay, thus came back, and sat by the table, "Okay, three foolish cobblers add up to a Zhuge Liang."
(T/N: Zhuge Liang was the genius military strategist during the Three Kingdom period. I see his military strategies referenced in a lot of webnovels lol, most common one is the empty city stratagem; I can think of
at least five novels that use that one.)
Han Ming Yi had Leng Yi fetch his brush, ink, and paper, and together with Du Xiao Li had the things she needed to pay attention to listed out.
Du Xiao Li stared at the small densely packed characters written in regular script. Didn't expect that Han Ming Yi's handwriting would actually be this pretty!
(T/N: He writes in a style that's called 'fly-head small kai', which is a calligraphy style where the characters are really small like a fly's head.)
"Aiyaa, I forgot to go back and cook lunch for big brother Luo Qi!" Du Xiao Li suddenly tapped her forehead, hastily had the paper that Han Ming Yi wrote on placed into her little satchel, and said, "It's already this late. I'll head back first, come again tomorrow. Big brother Yi goodbye!"
With that said, she then quickly bolted out.
When Du Xiao Li returned home, she saw that Luo Qi had already made lunch. Although the dishes were very simple, and the rice also somewhat undercooked.
Luo Qi's expression was somewhat awkward, but this was also his first time cooking for someone.
"Need to throw this away, and make from scratch again." Luo Qi scratched the back of his head and said.
"No need, we can just recook it!" Du Xiao Li had the half-cooked rice poured out and added some water into the pot. When the water boiled, she had the half-cooked rice poured in and cooked into a pot of white rice porridge.
"If big brother Luo Qi wants to cook, I can teach you sometime!" Du Xiao Li said while lighting the cooking fire.
"Okay, when you're free, teach me." Luo Qi replied with a smile.
In the afternoon, Du Xiao Li and Luo Qi went over the discussion results with Han Ming Yi this morning again to see if there was anything they overlooked. Luo Qi looked to the figure hunched over the table holding a charcoal piece, intently drawing on the paper, and pouting her little mouth. If he hadn't known what was on the paper, he would have really thought it was just a child's random scribbles on the paper.
"Done!" After Du Xiao Li attentively looked over the words on the paper twice, she nodded her head in satisfaction, "Now just need to draft out a template for this contract!"
When she gave the finished contract to Luo Qi to read, Luo Qi got blinded by that crooked and ugly handwriting. Fortunately, this was just a draft. Tomorrow, they can have Li Xue Qing find someone to rewrite a new copy.
The next day, Du Xiao Li gave Luo Qi a makeover, and then called up Leng Er to go to the county seat together. Not long after they left, Niu Jing and the others went into the mountains.
When Du Xiao Li and crew arrived at Tonglai Inn, it still hadn't reached si-hour(9AM) yet, but Li Xue Qing was already waiting in the private room. The waiter saw the three of them and went up, "Are you all here to look for Madam Li?"
Du Xiao Li nodded.
The waiter waved his tablecloth and said, "Madam Li is already here waiting in the private room upstairs. You all follow me."
Li Xue Qing had told him beforehand that in a while, there will be a seven year old little girl coming to find her. And when she arrives, just directly bring her to the private room. Because Du Xiao Li was too conspicuous, the waiter immediately recognized her.
Du Xiao Li and the others followed the waiter to the private room, watched him knock a few times, and said, "Boss Li, Madam Li, the person has come."
"Come in." Li Xue Qing's voice came from inside.
The waiter pushed open the door and waited for Du Xiao Li and the others to enter, before closing the door behind, and headed back downstairs.
After Du Xiao Li entered, she saw that aside from Li Xue Qing and her husband Li Xu Quan, there was also a forty some year old man inside. At first, she thought that it was her old father, but judging from his clothes, he didn't seem to be.
"Xiao Li, you've come." Li Xue Qing looked to Du Xiao Li and said, "This is my husband, you can just call him brother Li. And this person is our winery's Manager Xu."
"Brother Li, Manager Xu." Du Xiao Li greeted the two of them, and then introduced Luo Qi and Leng Er to Li Xue Qing.
"Now that introductions are done with, let's start the discussion." Li Xue Qing said. She had the paper on the table handed to Du Xiao Li, saying: "Don't know what kind of requests you have?"
Du Xiao Li took out the paper in her little satchel and said, "This is the contract big brother Luo and I drafted together. It has our side's obligations and rights all written clearly on there, please look over."
"You have it all written down already!" Li Xue Qing never thought that Du Xiao Li would be this meticulous. She picked up the paper and began looking it over with Li Xu Quan. The more they read, the more shocked they were. It had the things she needed to do, and also the things the winery needed to do all clearly written on there. All aspects were covered. In fact, it was even more thorough than what they'd thought up!
Was this really from the hands of a small child?
Looking to Luo Qi, who was next to Du Xiao Li, and recalling that Du Xiao Li had said this was discussed together with Luo Qi just now, they both subconsciously believed that this was thought up by Luo Qi for her.
Seeing that Li Xue Qing and Li Xu Quan have finished looking it over, Du Xiao Li asked, "Madam Li, is there any objections?"
Li Xue Qing handed Du Xiao Li's paper to Manager Xu and said with a smile, "You were very meticulous, even including some things that we didn't even consider. However, I feel there are still some matters that need to be discussed again. Before that, first look over what we wrote."
Du Xiao Li was also aware that these conditions she suggested can't completely be agreed on by the other party. Hearing Li Xue Qing's words, she didn't show surprise or appear upset either. She accepted the paper that Li Xue Qing handed over and earnestly began looking it over, discovering that there were also places on there that she, Luo Qi, and Han Ming Yi didn't think of.
After quickly reading it through, Du Xiao Li discovered that the biggest problem right now was actually the profit split! She just knew Li Xue Qing wouldn't agree just like that.
Ch. 057.2 – Our Family's Daughter Has Grown Up (2)
Our Family's Daughter Has Grown Up (2)
"Madam Li, what is the meaning of this? Yesterday, we agreed the split would be you all fifty-five, and I take forty-five, how come now it's sixty for you, and forty for me?" Du Xiao Li placed the paper onto the table, and looked to Li Xue Qing asking.
"It's like this, Xiao Li, after I'd gone back, I calculated with your brother Li and discovered that with this split, our Li family winery's profits are meager. That's why, we had no choice but to adjust the ratio higher." Li Xue Qing explained. "Look, even if the winery's equipment, raw materials, and also workers are set aside, our currently existing sales channel is also considered our asset. Furthermore, buying(bribing) relations isn't a small amount either."
"But our profit shares are all based on after those initial costs are eliminated." Du Xiao Li said.
"But we still have to invest energy and effort, our side getting a little more is also reasonable." Li Xu Quan said.
His words were somewhat harsh. Looks like he was unwilling to discuss more with her. After all, in Zhou county, they can be considered a large family, and this county magistrate was also the Li family's in-law. If Sun Zheng doesn't know Du Xiao Li, then they can completely just take the recipe by force. Right now, sitting here and discussing with her was already considered giving her face!
"If you want to divide like this, it's also doable, but in the future, if I want to buy wine, you all have to give me a discount. Moreover, the few types of fruit wine that I point out, those wine you can only produce according to the amount I decide." Du Xiao Li somewhat reluctantly said.
"Produce according to the amount you decide? If you only let us produce a little bit, wouldn't the winery suffer a loss?" Li Xu Quan said with a frown.
"Don't worry, since my profits are also tied to the winery, I definitely won't let the winery suffer!" Du Xiao Li said, "As the saying goes, 'the
rarer something is, the greater its value'. If all of it becomes mass produced wine, then the winery's grade will be reduced."
As soon as Li Xue Qing heard, her two eyes lit up. She was smarter than Li Xu Quan, so hearing Du Xiao Li say this, she immediately understood her meaning, "Fine, we'll just do as you say! Look and see if there's still any other objections."
The two sides stayed in the private room and discussed for about four hours. At noon, they ordered some dishes, and after eating lunch, continued discussing, all the way until the two sides were both satisfied. Finally, they let Manager Xu draft two copies of the contract on paper.
After it was done, Du Xiao Li carefully looked it over. Feeling that it was pretty good, she signed her own name on there, and also stamped her fingerprint. Li Xue Qing also wrote her own full name and stamped her fingerprint on there.
"Alright, let's head to the magistrate office to find my brother-in-law for a notarization, and this matter will thus be settled." Seeing that the matter was finally finalized, Li Xue Qing let out a long sigh of relief.
"Wait." Just then, Leng Er, who'd been quiet the whole time, suddenly spoke.
"What's wrong?"
Everyone all looked to Leng Er in confusion.
Leng Er took out a small seal and said, "My family's young master said, after you've drafted the agreement, he will also be a witness."
With that said, he just stamped the seal onto the spot for the witness on the two contracts.
Li Xue Qing didn't know Han Ming Yi's identity, but as a citizen of Feng Ming, when she saw the name stamped onto the contract, she entirely blanked! "This, this is......." fifth prince!?
Leng Er interrupted her words, "My family's young master said, he's only going to be a secondary witness, the main witness is still Sir Sun."
"Since that's the case, let's go look for my brother-in-law." She could tell, Leng Er had purposefully stopped her words. It should be because Du Xiao Li still doesn't know Han Ming Yi's identity.