Too high to reach

Chapter 31 Stealing Our Partners
Mo Yi and Song Jiafu exchanged a glance.

Mr. Zhang looked very happy and clapped his hands. "Mr. Mo! I thought you were just joking around, but I didn't expect the business to be so good. It's almost a big business! Jiafu is busy all day long, and my two young apprentices are always helping him!"

"Haha, is that right?! I appreciate Brother Zhang's kindness! Here, this is a gift for your little grandson. I'll be coming to your house to offer New Year's greetings in a few days..."

"Mr. Mo, there's no need for such formalities! To be honest, we not only have a good relationship, but we also share the same vision. There's something I'd like to discuss with you!"

"Oh? Brother Zhang, please go ahead."

“I see that you’re doing a good job in this business, but your scale is a bit small.”

Mo Ruhai laughed again: "Brother Zhang, you don't know this! The jade business is not something to be trifled with! There are many intricacies involved! Furthermore, if you want to make a big splash, the investment is beyond my financial means."

"That's just you being modest! You were originally a scholar, and you also had official duties; you were a government official! This so-called business is really just your hobby! Making a profit from your hobby is a higher level of achievement!"

Mo Ruhai found these words pleasing to the ear and nodded smugly.

Mr. Zhang then said, "I was thinking... since you brought back some good stuff, why don't we..."

"Daddy!"

"Daughter! Come and greet your Uncle Zhang!" Mo Ruhai waved to his daughter.

"Hello, Uncle Zhang!" Mo Yi gave a curtsy.

"Oh, Miss Mo! It's been a while! You've grown quite a bit taller. You're a beautiful young lady now!"

Seeing Mo Yi's neat and tidy appearance, Boss Zhang couldn't help but start making plans. His youngest son wasn't engaged yet, and it seemed that she was a good match for him in age. If they became in-laws...

Mo Rushan held a high-ranking official position and owned property. Mo Ruhai was a scholar, not a commoner, and worked for his superior, so he must have earned quite a bit. His wife's family was wealthy.

This girl's dowry will probably be quite substantial.

When Mo Ruhai first mentioned wanting to rent a counter, I didn't take it seriously and didn't rip him off; I only asked for a small rent. Once the stall was set up, Song Jiafu was in the shop every day, helping with cleaning, stocking shelves, and even greeting customers and selling goods! He was just as good as a shop assistant!

I was even happy about this decision. The rent, high or low, is better than nothing!
Unexpectedly, this business is so good!

He was itching to try it himself, but the results weren't good. It seemed the other person had some tricks up their sleeve! Given Mo Ruhai's naive nature, if they were to cooperate, he'd definitely gain the upper hand!
If they were to become in-laws...

Mo Yi tugged at her father's sleeve, "Father, it's getting late, you promised your daughter you'd go..." She stopped talking...

Mo Ruhai didn't understand her meaning. "Daughter, should we wait a little longer? Your Uncle Zhang is looking for his father..."

"Father..." Mo Yi shook him, looking rather pitiful.

Mo Ruhai's heart softened immediately, "Brother Zhang, what do you think..."

Mr. Zhang smiled and said, "Mr. Mo, please go ahead with your business. We can discuss our matters later!"

Song Jiaxing followed the father and daughter, while Song Jiafu stood at the door, smiling and with his hands tucked in his pockets, watching them leave.

After walking for a while, he said, "Dad, shall we sit in this teahouse? I need to talk to Brother Jiaxing about something."

Mo Ruhai nodded and led the two of them inside, where they asked for a tea table.

Song Jiaxing placed the bundle he was carrying on the table; inside were silver and several account sheets. "Miss, have you seen the goods Jiafu is holding?"

Mo Yi took the paper. "I see. There aren't many left. I took a look, and they're all in very poor condition. Tell Jiafu not to rush to sell them. When our new stock arrives next year, we'll treat them as a bonus with the better quality ones—buy one get one free."

"Yes. Here are two hundred and fifty taels of silver notes and thirty-seven taels of cash. This is the account. Also, since the master has been away for several months, our monthly wages and some expenses... are recorded on this piece of paper..."

The accounts, goods, and money were all in Mo Yi's mind; a quick check and they matched.

First, have your father put away the money and the accounts.

He then took out a few more bags of steamed buns and handed them to Song Jiaxing: "We don't have time today, so go back and distribute the buns to them. Tell Li Qi that we'll go over when we have time in the next couple of days. We've also prepared New Year's goods and bonuses. Our business has been good this year, so we can make sure everyone has a good New Year!"

Song Jiaxing was overjoyed, "Thank you, sir! Thank you, young lady!"

Mo Ruhai was used to Mo Yi making the decisions, so he didn't interrupt.

"Go ahead and get busy!" After sending Song Jiaxing away, he turned to ask, "Dad, what did you say to Boss Zhang?"

"Oh, he asked me how the trip went. And what my plans are for next year. Hehe, I told him I brought in a batch of good stuff." Mo Ruhai was quite proud of himself.

“Father…” Mo Yi said helplessly.

"what happened?"

"Song Jiafu said that Boss Zhang is a little envious of our good business and is probably planning to get into this business too."

"Huh? He..." Mo Ruhai was somewhat confused, "But..."

After thinking for a while, he said, "No wonder he kept asking me...wait, daughter..." He was still unaware of the impact this had on him: "Is this...not a good thing?!"

“Dad, we’ve been to many jade shops before, especially the big ones. They’ve been in business for generations. They know their stuff, they have sources of goods, they have craftsmen, they have stores, and they have customers. These are things we can’t compare to.”

Our small business, run by my daughter and me, succeeds because of its ingenuity. We don't deal in large quantities; we only make small trinkets that big stores wouldn't even consider. We also make them meticulously and price them cheaply. Plus, Li Qi and Song Jiafu are both very capable, which is why we've made money.

If we were to do a big business, firstly, we couldn't afford the investment. Secondly, these small gadgets don't have that many customers! We can't scale it up!

Mo Ruhai scratched his temple, "Then..."

"Song Jiafu said: Boss Zhang also bought a few items a while ago. He just didn't understand the ins and outs. He couldn't afford the high-end items and couldn't sell them. The low-end items were poorly made and nobody wanted them. He bought ten items, but so far he has only sold two or three. And it was all Song Jiafu who helped him sell them."

"This is troublesome..." Mo Ruhai murmured, realizing that things were not simple.

"Boss Zhang even had his employees secretly learn from Song Youfu. If they couldn't learn it, they would ask him to help them sell the products. He also promised them a commission for each sale."

"Is that so? This is clearly an attempt to poach our employees!"

"Father, don't worry. Song Jiafu didn't discuss it with you and me, so I couldn't refuse outright. I agreed to help when I had free time, but I didn't want his commission. Song Jiafu said that Boss Zhang would be happy if he sold something. If he didn't sell something, he would be unhappy. And there would always be some talk about the selling price."

Mo Ruhai blinked his beautiful eyes at his daughter, and after a long while, he said, "I never expected him to be this kind of person."

(End of this chapter)