"Get lost, you bumpkin, why are you still here?" The胖子厨师 (fat cook) saw Lin Xiao Tian still there and immediately rushed over to chase him away.
"Zeng Yue, stop!" The black silk beauty glared at the胖子厨师.
Then, she walked in front of Lin Xiao Tian.
"Are you here to sell fish? How much fish do you have?" The black silk beauty glanced at Lin Xiao Tian.
"I have a cartload of fish, including black fish, grass carp, and soft-shelled turtles," Lin Mo replied.
"Is that soft-shelled turtle in the bamboo basket on your back? Can I see it?" the black silk beauty continued.
Lin Mo nodded, opened the bamboo basket, and placed it in front of the black silk beauty.
Having run a restaurant for many years, the black silk beauty could tell good ingredients at a glance. When she saw the soft-shelled turtles Lin Xiao Tian brought, her eyes immediately lit up.
The胖子厨师 next to her also widened his eyes, "The shell of these soft-shelled turtles is smooth and flat, the skin is thin and uniform, and their claws are sharp. These are purely wild, aren't they!"
"Is there more?" The black silk beauty ignored him and looked at Lin Xiao Tian, her beautiful eyes sparkling.
"Yes, outside. Come with me!" Lin Xiao Tian started to lead the way.
Soon, the black silk beauty saw the goods Lin Xiao Tian brought.
"Soft-shelled turtles, black fish, and grass carp. I'll take all of them. Name your price!" the black silk beauty said readily.
Seeing the black silk beauty's anxious expression, Lin Xiao Tian smiled faintly.
"No rush. Aren't you in a hurry for the dishes? We can talk after the dishes are done."
Seeing Lin Xiao Tian's promptness, the black silk beauty couldn't help but feel a bit more admiration in her gaze.
"Xiao Zhi, take our distinguished guests inside to sit. I'll come over after I'm done," the black silk beauty instructed, then hurried into the hotel.
In a private room of the restaurant, Xiao Zhi served tea to Lin Xiao Tian and Li Er Guai, then brought out a few small dishes before leaving the room.
After Xiao Zhi left, Li Er Guai quickly leaned over to Lin Xiao Tian.
"I say, Xiao Tian, you're really foolish! She said she wanted to pay just now, why didn't you take it? You insisted on waiting for her to finish cooking before settling. What if she reneges on the deal?" Li Er Guai looked at Lin Xiao Tian with disappointment.
Facing Li Er Guai's questioning, Lin Xiao Tian smiled faintly.
"At this point, you're still smiling? I think we shouldn't eat. Should we go out and demand the money now?" Li Er Guai suggested.
"Brother Er Guai, don't be anxious. I have my own plans," Lin Xiao Tian replied.
Looking at Lin Xiao Tian's confident demeanor, Li Er Guai suddenly felt suspicious.
"Xiao Tian, tell me the truth, what are you really thinking?"
Lin Xiao Tian glanced at Li Er Guai and asked, "Brother Er Guai, do you know the market price of soft-shelled turtles?"
Li Er Guai shook his head, "I don't know. I heard they're about a hundred yuan each?"
"That's for farmed soft-shelled turtles. Are they the same price for purely wild ones like ours?"
"They should be more expensive, right?" Li Er Guai scratched his head.
As someone who rarely left the village, he had only been to the market a few times. How could he know these things?
"We don't know the exact price of wild soft-shelled turtles, but those who run hotels definitely know more than us. If we rashly quote a price, we might get ripped off. It's better to leave the choice to them.
"Besides, they have important customers now and need to please them. I believe that as long as the chef isn't an idiot, the dishes made from my fish will satisfy them. By then, our fish will be quoted at a higher price."
Hearing Lin Xiao Tian's words, Li Er Guai suddenly understood.
"Okay, you sly fox! Your plan is quite clever! I thought you were going to take a loss and felt worried for nothing."
After learning Lin Xiao Tian's true intentions, Li Er Guai visibly relaxed.
He had been restless before, but now he was leisurely eating the small dishes.
"Xiao Tian, the girls in the city are so charming. Look at that Xiao Zhi, with her slim waist and big hips, tsk tsk. Wouldn't it be great to marry her?" Li Er Guai teased.
Lin Xiao Tian didn't answer him. He had no interest in discussing such matters with a bachelor who had been single for thirty years.
"That beautiful manager is also good. Her skin is fair, her legs are long, and her figure is great. I think you two would be a perfect match, and she's so wealthy."
"Brother Er Guai, you're just making random matches. How are we a match?" Lin Xiao Tian couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"What? You don't like her?" Li Er Guai lecherously leaned closer. "However, compared to Yu Xiang, they're still far behind, wouldn't you say?"
"Why are you bringing up Sister Yu Xiang again?"
"Xiao Tian, don't deny it. I, Er Guai, am a good judge of character. Be honest, aren't you tempted by Yu Xiang? Now that Li Da Zhu is gone, you need to seize the opportunity!"
"Alright, Brother Er Guai, stop talking nonsense!" Lin Xiao Tian pushed Li Er Guai away.
As they were talking, there was a knock at the door.
"Gentlemen, Manager Xue asked me to invite you over," Xiao Zhi's gentle voice came.
A moment later, led by Xiao Zhi, they arrived at the black silk beauty's office.
In the office, the black silk beauty sat on the sofa, a faint smile on her face.
Lin Xiao Tian and Li Er Guai sat opposite her. Li Er Guai appeared very restrained, but Lin Xiao Tian was very natural.
"Let me introduce myself, I am Xue Zi Yan, the manager of this restaurant. What should I call you?"
"My name is Lin Xiao Tian, and this is Li Er Guai. We are from Jinsha Village," Lin Xiao Tian replied.
Looking at Lin Xiao Tian's organized response, Xue Zi Yan's impression of him grew even more favorable.
"The quality of those soft-shelled turtles, black fish, and grass carp is indeed excellent. If it weren't for the goods you brought, our restaurant's reputation would be at stake," Xue Zi Yan said with a slight smile.
"How about this, I'll pay 110 yuan per jin for the soft-shelled turtles, and for those larger ones, I'll pay 150 yuan per jin. The grass carp will be 30 yuan per jin. The exact amount will be calculated by the finance department later. Do you have any issues with this?"
150 yuan per jin for soft-shelled turtles!
Lin Xiao Tian had never imagined such a price.
He remembered that when people in the village bought soft-shelled turtles before, they were only forty or fifty yuan per jin. This was more than a threefold increase!
However, despite his inner joy, Lin Xiao Tian maintained a calm demeanor on the surface.
"Manager Xue is an expert. I trust your judgment."
"Good, then it's settled. You can discuss the specifics with the purchasing department and the finance department. I've already spoken to them," Xue Zi Yan said with a smile.
"Actually, we have quite a lot of such wild fish back there, and supply isn't a problem. It's just that the roads are bad, so we can't transport much," Lin Xiao Tian suddenly said.
Xue Zi Yan's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
Did this mean they could continue to provide such wild fish?
The quality of all the fish Lin Xiao Tian brought, whether grass carp, black fish, or soft-shelled turtles, was excellent. The guests who ate them were full of praise. If they could be supplied in bulk, it would definitely attract more repeat customers.
"How much of this high-quality produce can you supply per day?" Xue Zi Yan immediately asked.
"For grass carp and black fish, a hundred to two hundred jin per day is no problem. Soft-shelled turtles depend on the situation, but I can guarantee some every day."
Upon hearing Lin Xiao Tian's affirmative answer, Xue Zi Yan's face bloomed with a brilliant smile.
"Then how about we sign a contract? From now on, your fish will be exclusively supplied to our restaurant!"
"No problem!" Lin Xiao Tian nodded.
"Great, then I wish us a successful cooperation!" Xue Zi Yan extended her hand to Lin Xiao Tian.
"Cooperation is a pleasure," Lin Xiao Tian replied politely and shook Xue Zi Yan's hand.
After confirming the contract, Xue Zi Yan personally escorted Lin Xiao Tian to the entrance and then had her assistant accompany Lin Xiao Tian to the finance and purchasing departments.
Along the way, Lin Xiao Tian's tattered clothing attracted the attention of many employees. However, seeing that he was accompanied by the manager's secretary, people looked at Lin Xiao Tian with more respect.
In the finance office, Lin Xiao Tian, accompanied by the secretary, began to settle the money from selling the fish. Li Er Guai kept sneaking glances, afraid that they would miscalculate.
Lin Xiao Tian was also looking forward to it. He wondered how much money he would sell for this time.