"Yes." Song Nianchu nodded.
She knew very well that as a woman doing business, being married could shield her from many unnecessary troubles.
"Comrade Song, you really married young," Xiang Tianyi remarked, his tone carrying a hint of something unreadable.
"No choice. It was love at first sight with my husband. If I didn’t marry him early, I was afraid someone else would snatch him away," Song Nianchu said bluntly.
Cough, cough…
Manager Li and Wu Gang couldn’t help but clear their throats at her words.
She really dared to say it!
"Haha, I didn’t expect Comrade Song to be such a straightforward person. I’d love to meet your husband someday and see what kind of outstanding man could make you so eager to marry," Xiang Tianyi said, clearly appreciating her frankness.
"Of course. I’ll introduce you when there’s a chance," Song Nianchu replied without a trace of hesitation in her eyes.
Xiang Tianyi could tell that Song Nianchu was genuinely satisfied with her husband.
"So, Manager Xiang, shall we sign the contract now?" Song Nianchu steered the conversation back to business.
"We can sign, but I have a few conditions. If Comrade Song agrees, I’ll have someone prepare it immediately," Xiang Tianyi said.
"Go ahead, Manager Xiang." Song Nianchu had expected that such a large deal wouldn’t be so easy to close.
"First, since my order volume is so large, shouldn’t Comrade Song offer me a discount?" Xiang Tianyi leaned back in his chair, exuding the air of someone in charge.
"Manager Xiang, you’re well-informed. You must know our village’s canned goods barely make a profit—it’s all hard-earned money. The price I give you will be the same as Manager Li’s. That’s the best I can do," Song Nianchu said with utmost sincerity.
Manager Li, standing nearby, felt particularly pleased hearing this.
"But with such a large quantity, even a small profit would add up," Xiang Tianyi said, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"You’re not wrong, Manager Xiang. But larger orders also mean higher costs. When you average it out, it’s the same. Still, your order will help many in our village put food on the table. On their behalf, I offer my deepest gratitude!" Song Nianchu stood up and bowed to Xiang Tianyi.
This instantly put Xiang Tianyi in an awkward position. He froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Comrade Song, you’re making it hard for me to bargain with you."
"But the price I’ve given you is already the most favorable," Song Nianchu insisted.
"Manager Xiang, I’ve known Comrade Song for a long time. She’s telling the truth," Manager Li chimed in to support her.
"Fine, we’ll leave the price as is. But the labels on the cans need to be revised according to my specifications," Xiang Tianyi said, not one to haggle over small things, especially with Manager Li backing her up.
"Labels? What changes do you want?" Song Nianchu had suspected this was coming, but she hadn’t expected him to actually demand it.
"First, the name needs to change. Second, the manufacturer and production address must be replaced with the ones I provide," Xiang Tianyi stated his terms.
The others were baffled. What kind of request was this?
But to everyone’s surprise, Song Nianchu met Xiang Tianyi’s gaze, her smile fading slightly.
"Manager Xiang, isn’t this request a bit too much?"
"Too much? It’s a reasonable demand. I can’t very well sell products in my restaurant with your address on them," Xiang Tianyi retorted, taken aback by her refusal.
"Manager Xiang, perhaps we should revisit the pricing discussion," Song Nianchu raised an eyebrow.
"Comrade Song, you’d rather give a discount than change the labels?" Xiang Tianyi narrowed his eyes, studying her.
"I’m sorry, but the labels are non-negotiable. If you insist on changing them, we’ll have to call off the deal," Song Nianchu said, preparing to leave.
"Comrade Song, don’t be hasty. Let’s sit down and talk this through. Walking away over a disagreement isn’t the way," Manager Li quickly interjected, trying to mediate.
"Manager Li, thank you for helping our village find new clients. But not every deal works out. No hard feelings," Song Nianchu said cheerfully.
"You…" Manager Li, unable to persuade her, turned helplessly to Xiang Tianyi.
"Manager Xiang, it’s just a label. The products in our store all bear Comrade Song’s labels, and they sell just fine. Weren’t you very interested in this deal earlier?"
"Comrade Song, you really won’t budge at all?" Xiang Tianyi ignored Manager Li, his gaze fixed on Song Nianchu.
"No. The labels are where I draw the line," Song Nianchu replied, still smiling despite her firm refusal.
"Fine. In that case, this deal is off. Manager Li, please see Comrade Song and her team out," Xiang Tianyi said, losing patience as he headed upstairs.
"Manager Xiang…" Manager Li tried to follow and salvage the situation, but Song Nianchu was already walking away.
"Nianchu…" Manager Li had no choice but to chase after her.
With the deal falling through, Song Nianchu felt it inappropriate to ride back in their car, so she told Manager Li they’d walk.
Eager to understand her refusal, Manager Li joined them on foot.
"Nianchu, why did you reject Manager Xiang’s request? It’s just a label—what’s the harm in changing it? That’s two thousand cans a day! Do you realize what that means? Your village could live comfortably just from this one deal!" Manager Li said anxiously.
Though he stood to gain from the deal, he genuinely cared for Song Nianchu as a mentor would and wanted what was best for her.
"Manager Li, don’t be fooled by Manager Xiang’s bait. If the label truly didn’t matter, why would he cancel the entire deal the moment I refused to change it?" Song Nianchu countered.
Manager Li was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he ventured,
"Maybe he thought you were being rude?"
Song Nianchu smiled wryly.
"Do you really think someone like Manager Xiang would call off a deal over a minor disagreement?"
"If not that, then what?" Manager Li asked, puzzled.
