gnovel Chapter 61 Pre-sale Model
Chapter 61 Pre-sale Model
"no."
Cheng Chumo decisively put down his teacup, his tone resolute.
"Brother Wang, 30% is too much. I'll take 20%."
"What are you talking about? I'm in charge of this. The amount I've set is thirty percent."
Wang Zhihuan's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
"You're letting me get away with this for nothing."
Cheng Chumo shook his head, his expression sincere.
"Managing customers and running errands are my daily duties, so taking 30% is too generous and makes me uneasy."
"Brother Cheng, let me finish what I have to say."
Wang Zhihuan raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone becoming more serious.
"I'm giving you 30% of the payment not so you can take advantage of me, but because you're worth the price."
He slowly recounted the difficulties involved.
"First, you need to visit all the mansions of powerful and wealthy families in Chang'an, figure out their preferences, and manage your relationships with them. This will require a lot of effort and time."
"Secondly, the wine jars are fragile and the journey is long. You will have to take good care of them during transport and make sure there is no damage."
"Third, as the reputation of the drinks spreads in the future, there will inevitably be people who try to use connections to ask for drinks. You will have to deal with all these trivial matters that might offend people."
After all, you know my frail arms and legs; I can't handle something this big. This kind of thing needs to be done by you, Brother Cheng. With your reputation as the eldest son of the Cheng family, who would dare to mess with you?
"Besides, these tedious and trivial matters are time-consuming and laborious. Others might not be willing to do them diligently. The 30% reward is neither more nor less. You can just accept it without worry."
Cheng Chumo opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't find the words to refute him. His heart was filled with warmth and emotion. He knew that what his brother Wang said made some sense, but more than that, he didn't want to feel guilty.
Cheng Chuliang, who was listening from the side, was even more excited and immediately slammed his hand on the stone table.
"Brother! Brother Wang has already put it this way, so just agree! From now on, we brothers will handle everything perfectly and never let Brother Wang down!"
From now on, if anyone dares to offend Brother Wang, we two brothers will skin them alive!
Startled by the sudden noise, Ah Huang, who was standing at his feet, jumped up, looked around, and finding no danger, reluctantly lay back down and continued to doze off.
"……good."
Cheng Chumo remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded solemnly.
He picked up the teacup on the stone table, held it with both hands, and respectfully offered it to Wang Zhihuan.
"Brother Wang, I, Cheng Chumo, will remember this kindness and trust!"
"From now on, if anything happens, just let me know. In this Chang'an city, I, Cheng Chumo, still have some influence. If I can't handle it, there's always my father."
Wang Zhi didn't stand on ceremony with him; he simply picked up his teacup and lightly clinked it against his.
Two rough porcelain teacups clinked together, making a crisp sound that startled several sparrows perched in the jujube tree.
Next, the two meticulously finalized all the details of the charter.
In terms of production, Wang Zhihuan set extremely conservative targets: only twenty jars of Songlao wine would be produced each month, and only five jars of Yunmenchun wine would be produced each month.
It's not that the distilleries can't brew more, but rather that they deliberately suppress production capacity, making things scarce and valuable.
The fewer the quantity, the more precious the wine becomes, and the more sought-after it is by the elite.
Cheng Chumo agreed wholeheartedly and added: the monthly quota will be sold out and there will be no additional quotas at any time. No matter who pleads for leniency, there will be no exceptions.
"Brother Cheng, there's one more thing I need to tell you."
Wang Zhihuan put down his teacup, his expression relaxing somewhat.
"Right now, the wine is aging in the cellar and cannot be delivered for the time being. We can't just wait during this gap; we need to build our reputation and get noticed by the elite circles in Chang'an."
He got up, walked to the wooden shelf to the side, and took down a small pottery jar.
The jar has a warm glaze and is smaller than a regular wine jar. The mouth of the jar is sealed tightly with mountain yellow clay and straw. Even from a distance, you can smell a clear and mellow aroma of wine.
This jar contains the first distillation of the last batch of liquor. Although it has only been aged for less than a month, it is still quite strong, but strong enough to command respect.
"Remember, this is a sample bottle; we're only giving it away, not selling it."
Wang Zhi also placed the small pottery jar in front of Cheng Chumo.
"The first batch consists of ten jars, specifically for the most prominent noble families in Chang'an."
"Each household will receive only a small jar, along with a simple note that reads, 'A friend's homemade wine, shared for your enjoyment.' No money will be charged, and no reward is sought; it is purely for appreciation."
Cheng Chumo carefully took the wine jar, and even through the jar's walls, he could feel the rich aroma of the wine.
A clear list instantly appeared in his mind: Yuchi Gong, Qin Shubao, Li Jing, Fang Xuanling...
Sending out these ten jars of wine is tantamount to scattering ten seeds of fire in the elite circles of Chang'an, which will soon ignite a prairie fire.
"Once they've tasted it, they'll be eager to try it and will naturally come to ask about it."
"We will inform you that there is no stock available at the time, and you can only pre-order. A deposit is required for pre-orders, and you will be placed in a queue in order of priority. You can pick up the wine only after the aging period is over."
Wang Zhihuan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and spoke calmly.
"What we need to do is let the market come to us and to our wine, rather than us bringing our wine to cater to the market."
Cheng Chumo gave Wang Zhihuan a deep look, his heart filled with admiration.
This person claims to be lazy and doesn't know how to do business, but his set of tactics—tiered pricing, pre-sales, sample tasting, and scarcity marketing—are all interconnected, showing a clear understanding of people's hearts.
Their methods were several times more sophisticated than those of the most astute merchants in Chang'an.
"Also, I have arrangements for Tianlu."
Wang Zhihuan got up again and took another small pottery jar from the wooden shelf.
The body of the jar is inscribed with a few small characters in ink. The characters are not neat, but they have a unique style.
"This jar was specially prepared for General Yuchi. These ten jars were prepared using a special method to reduce the time required, at a great cost."
Last time I heard you mention the banquet held at the Li residence. Those old brothers argued over the wine; they must be true wine lovers.
"This jar doesn't require a deposit; consider it a gift from me to him when we first meet."
However, it must be stated beforehand that Tianlu only produces ten jars each year, and two jars have already been given away this year, leaving only eight jars. Each jar is exceptionally precious.
Cheng Chumo carefully took the wine jar, and instantly understood.
One of the two jars of Tianlu liquor was given to Yuchi Gong, and the other, needless to say, was reserved for that mysterious old friend of "Master Li".
Only ten altars are produced each year, and to receive the Heavenly Blessing is itself a symbol of top-tier status.
With the entire charter finalized, Cheng Chumo placed the heavy money bag on the stone table, then untied the pouch from his waist and poured out a few gold leaves.
He explained earnestly that this was a deposit and an initial payment, and earnestly requested that Wang Zhihuan accept it.
Wang Zhi glanced at it briefly, then nodded and put it away.
He then turned and went into the winery's cellar, taking out four small jars of pine lees sample wine that had not yet reached the aging period.
He instructed that these jars could be taken home for General Cheng and General Yuchi to taste in advance, and that they would be given as a gift without charge.
"But there's one bottom line I need to make clear to you."
Wang Zhihuan looked at Cheng Chumo with a solemn expression.
"The pine syrup needs to be aged for at least another half month. During this half month, you just need to send samples, spread the word, accept pre-orders, and collect deposits. You must not deliver any wine that has not reached the aging period in advance."
"If the quality of the drinks is not up to par, we would rather postpone the event than ruin our reputation."
"I understand! Rest assured, Brother Wang, I would never dare to break the rules!"
Cheng Chumo nodded emphatically.
"In the next two weeks, I will deliver all ten jars of samples and prepare the order list. There will be absolutely no mistakes."