Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 12 Tian Qingluan

Tianji Salt Shop, inner room.

Tian Kun was as restless as an ant on a hot pan, his eyes frequently glancing towards the door.

Lin Xuan sat calmly to the side, occasionally picking up the teacup on the table and taking a small sip.

With its refreshing aroma and sweet aftertaste, this is a rare and excellent tea.

He had actually wanted to purify crude salt for a long time.

The coarse salt sold in the city's various salt shops not only has large grains and many impurities, but also leaves an unpleasant bitter taste when used in cooking, which is simply unacceptable to a seasoned foodie.

This opportunity not only satisfies one's appetite but also allows one to complete the task—a win-win situation.

If we can earn some more money, that would be killing three birds with one stone, so why not?
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, a light and rhythmic footstep sounded from afar, and then the curtain was elegantly lifted by a slender, fair hand, bringing with it a faint and delicate fragrance.

A woman in her early twenties walked in gracefully. She had a beautiful face, a gentle temperament, and a pair of calm and deep eyes.

The woman looked at Tian Kun, her voice clear and melodious yet dignified: "Third Uncle, what's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"

"Miss!"

Upon seeing the woman, Tian Kun felt as if he had found his pillar of support. He hurried forward and carefully presented the coarse cloth bag with both hands, his voice trembling with excitement: "Please take a look at this!"

Tian Qingluan raised her eyebrows slightly, took the cloth bag, and gently untied the rope.

Upon seeing what was in the bag, Tian Qingluan's calm gaze froze instantly. She picked up a small pinch of salt with her slender fingers, first bringing it close to her nose for a deep sniff, then, after a slight hesitation, slowly put the salt grains from her fingertips into her mouth.

The pure saltiness burst on her tongue, and Tian Qingluan's pupils contracted slightly.

As the new leader of the Tian family, she knew very well what this meant.

A salt-making method that completely surpasses the existing techniques of the Tian family!
The Tian family's current salt-making method can only produce coarse salt of poor quality, with large grains and a bitter taste, priced at around fifty copper coins per pound.

Even if the price of this quality refined salt increases tenfold or twentyfold, people will still rush to buy it.

Once this advanced salt-making technique is mastered, the family's salt-selling profits will increase more than tenfold!
She looked up abruptly, her gaze burning and sharp, locking onto Lin Xuan as if it were a physical object: "Did you bring this salt?"

Lin Xuan stood up and nodded slightly: "It's me."

At this moment, Tian Kun walked to Tian Qingluan's side and whispered a few words in her ear.

Tian Qingluan looked at Lin Xuan and gave him a gentle smile: "How should I address you, young master?"

"Lin Xuan."

Tian Qingluan gracefully sat down opposite Lin Xuan, smiling as she looked directly at him: "What kind of business is Young Master Lin referring to?"

Lin Xuan sat down again, composed, and said, "It's very simple. I have a brand-new salt-making process that can significantly reduce water consumption, shorten salt-making time by several times, and greatly improve the quality and yield of mineral salt. I can teach this process to the Tian family..."

Tian Qingluan's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. By drastically reducing water consumption and shortening salt production time by several times, the quality and yield of the mineral salt were greatly improved...

How can all of these be done at the same time?
Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, she calmly met Lin Xuan's gaze and softly asked, "What does Young Master Lin want?"

Lin Xuan met her gaze and slowly said, "I want one thousand taels of silver. In addition, I want 30% of the profits from the sale of Tian family refined salt within ten years as payment for teaching the salt-making technique."

"Thirty percent!"

Tian Kun couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

A thousand taels of silver for this refined salt production process is indeed a good deal, even considered cheap, but a 30% profit margin is simply outrageous. Tian Qingluan stared calmly at Lin Xuan, without immediately refuting him.

A thousand taels of silver, though not a small sum, was absolutely worth it to acquire the salt-making technology that could change the fate of the family.

While a 30% profit margin is certainly high, the new sales channels brought about by the new technology can easily make up for this loss, so it's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.

Of course, as a businesswoman, she wouldn't agree to Lin Xuan's request so easily.

After pondering for a long time, a troubled look appeared on Tian Qingluan's face. She frowned slightly and said, "Mr. Lin, I admire the exquisite craftsmanship of this refined salt. Its value is indeed immeasurable. I can accept one thousand taels of silver right now..."

Then, she changed the subject again, saying, "However, a 30% profit... Forgive my bluntness, but it's a bit unreasonable. The salt mine is the ancestral business of my Tian family. It's not easy to mine, and it costs a lot of money. Salt production and sales require a lot of manpower, vehicles, and shops. It also requires bribing officials at all levels and smoothing things over. All the risks are borne by my Tian family. If you, sir, enjoy 30% of the pure profit... how can I explain this to the elders of the clan and the hardworking villagers?"

She paused, then said sincerely, "Qingluan truly wants to cooperate with you, sir. How about this: we'll pay you the full 1,000 taels in cash, but could we reduce the profit sharing to 10%?"

Lin Xuan had anticipated this.

Negotiations aren't always about asking for the moon and then settling for less.

His initial offer of a 30% profit margin was intended to leave room for the other party to negotiate the price.

He's an expert at bargaining.

In the beginning, he had to haggle a lot with those businessmen to help the villagers sell their agricultural products at a good price.

Lin Xuan shook his head, his tone filled with undeniable confidence: "Miss Tian, ​​let's not beat around the bush. The value of this craft far exceeds a thousand taels of silver and a ten percent profit. It will free the Tian family from the shackles of water scarcity, double the salt production efficiency, and produce salt of unparalleled quality in Sizhou and even the entire Dayong. What does this mean?"

Lin Xuan answered his own question slowly, saying, "This means that the Tian family's salt will become a golden brand, and sales will be unimpeded. The production bottleneck that was previously limited by water resources will be completely broken. The money the Tian family can earn will be several times that of the past. A mere 30% profit can buy the Tian family ten years or even longer of immense wealth. Miss, I believe you can do the math..."

Tian Qingluan looked at Lin Xuan, extremely surprised.

He was younger than me, but the way he bargained was like that of a seasoned veteran in the business world.

Tian Qingluan was speechless for a moment. Lin Xuan was right. In the long run, the Tian family would make a profit, but a 30% net profit was still painful for her.

She paused for a moment, looked at Lin Xuan, and spoke again: "Mr. Lin's words are indeed reasonable, but 30% is too high and the clan will not agree. How about this, the 1,000 taels of silver will remain unchanged, and the profit sharing... My Tian family will grit our teeth and compromise, and set it at 20%. This is the maximum I can decide!"

Her words were resolute: "If you agree, we will sign the contract immediately. If you insist on a 30% stake... then I regret to inform you that you will have to find another buyer."

Two-tenths is exactly the target price that Lin Xuan expected.

He looked thoughtful, as if making a difficult decision. After a moment, he seemed to have made up his mind and sighed heavily: "Miss Tian is straightforward and sincere. Very well, I, Lin, will treat Miss Tian as a friend. Two parts, two parts!"

A huge weight lifted from Tian Qingluan's heart, and she said without hesitation, "Alright, it's a deal. As long as Mr. Lin's salt-making process is truly as you say, saving water and time and producing refined salt of this quality, Qingluan guarantees with the reputation of the Tian family, offering one thousand taels of silver in cash. Within ten years, twenty percent of the Tian family's refined salt sales profits will also be given to you, sir. I can sign a written agreement right now..."

Tian Qingluan ordered Tian Kun to bring her paper and pen. With her slender wrist hanging down, she wrote the contract quickly and swiftly.

The contract was made in duplicate, and the two people each pressed their fingerprints on it.

Having done all this, she looked at Lin Xuan again, her gaze fervent: "The agreement is finalized. Qingluan wants to see with her own eyes how you produced this top-grade refined salt..."

Lin Xuan nodded slightly, stood up, and said, "Please take ten catties of coarse salt, and also prepare charcoal, fine gauze, a large pot, clean water, a wooden bucket, and a wooden basin..."

Without any hesitation, Tian Qingluan instructed Tian Kun, "Third Uncle, immediately prepare all these things according to Mr. Lin's requirements..."

　Thank you to the patron "Ignore and Don't Care" for the generous donation. The patron will add more chapters after the book is published.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)