PCJ – Chapter 356 Worth More Than Gold

“Over a hundred per gram—are they selling this like gold? Zhao Jinyuan remembered that the gold necklace he bought for his wife was only around ninety-something per gram. Could this tea be more expensive than gold?

Zhang Jiaohua tugged at Zhao Jinyuan’s sleeve. “Uncle Zhao, is a hundred or more per gram really expensive?”

When Zhang Jiaohua said this, there was a slight rural accent from Xintian County. Shen Bing, who was born in the Jiangnan area, couldn’t understand it, and the foreign translator accompanying them certainly wouldn’t be able to grasp it either.

Zhao Jinyuan nodded, “It’s not bad.”

It suddenly dawned on Zhao Jinyuan that no matter how surprising the price was, he couldn’t show too much shock. He still needed to maintain a certain composure.

Such a situation would shock not just Zhao Jinyuan and the others; even someone like Shen Bing, who had seen the world abroad, couldn’t help but be astonished. The extravagance of high society abroad was indeed breathtaking.

Margaret Ross sat quietly, waiting for Zhao Jinyuan’s response. This woman’s temperament was quite extraordinary; one could tell just by looking that she had a significant background. Such grace could not have been cultivated by an ordinary girl.

Zhao Jinyuan thought calmly for a moment and spoke, “To be honest, the fact that Biyu Xianyin can be sold at a price higher than gold truly surprises me. Although I know that Biyu Xianyin is indeed worth more than gold, there aren’t many people in the world who have that kind of insight. However, I find it difficult to meet all your demands. First, I must clarify that Biyu Xianyin is not a mass-produced tea; there is only one person in the world who can make it. From picking to processing, every step is completed by hand. Even the packaging of Biyu Xianyin is crafted from natural bamboo by hand. All of these elements contribute to the tea’s perfect quality. The complexity of the craftsmanship is beyond the comprehension of outsiders.”

Since no one had witnessed Zhang Jiaohua producing Biyu Xianyin, no one could refute Zhao Jinyuan’s claims no matter how he spoke.

Margaret Ross nodded, “Indeed, such fine tea isn’t easily obtained. But we can continue our cooperation. Your honesty has shown me that you are truly passionate about tea. By the way, has the tea master who produces Biyu Xianyin come to London? I really want to meet the tea master who created such an intoxicating tea.”

“He has come, but I think if you knew who the tea master was, it would surprise you,” Zhao Jinyuan was unsure whether he should tell Margaret Ross.

“Really? Can I meet that incredible tea master?” Margaret Ross asked excitedly.

“Far away yet close at hand. Actually, he is the tea master. Only he in the entire world can produce Biyu Xianyin. In the future, he might also create tea that surpasses Biyu Xianyin, but it will definitely come from his hands,” Zhao Jinyuan decided not to hide the truth from Margaret Ross.

Margaret Ross looked at Zhang Jiaohua in surprise; even with her poise, she couldn’t completely mask her astonishment.

“Ah! Is it true? He is the one who made Biyu Xianyin?” Margaret Ross exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand.

Margaret Ross only cared about the quality of the tea and didn’t mind the price, making their cooperation proceed very smoothly. Although they only reached a preliminary cooperation agreement and not a purchase contract, further collaboration between the two parties was only a matter of time.

After returning to the consulate, Shen Bing explained the significance of their counterpart.

“She is a member of the British royal family, and she is also involved in the luxury goods business in high society, handling some high-end consumer goods procurement for the royals. A large part of the Biyu Xianyin she wants to purchase will likely be for royal procurement. Securing this deal will provide your tea factory with a very promising future,” Shen Bing said with a smile.

Zhao Jinyuan was shocked, “I never expected that woman would have such a big background; luckily we didn’t embarrass ourselves. Oh, these foreigners are really wealthy. I initially thought it was pretty good to sell a barrel of tea for a few hundred. I didn’t expect it could be sold for over ten thousand in London. Jiaohua, heh heh.”

Zhao Jinyuan looked at Zhang Jiaohua with a mischievous glint, making her uneasy.

“Uncle Zhao, why are you looking at me like that?” Zhang Jiaohua felt a bit nervous.

“Jiaohua, look, a barrel of tea can sell for ten thousand! If you don’t manage to get a few thousand or tens of thousands of barrels, you won’t be able to afford the foreigners!” Zhao Jinyuan said.

But Zhang Jiaohua was adamant, “A few thousand or tens of thousands! Do you really think others have money burning a hole in their pockets? If there were thousands of barrels of tea, would they still pay high prices to buy it? Scarcity increases value; if there’s too much, it won’t be worth anything.”

Zhao Jinyuan scratched his head, “I guess that’s a reasonable point.”

“Jiaohua is right; the sales of luxury goods abroad pay great attention to controlling quantity. They call it ‘hunger marketing.’ Customers are never allowed to buy products freely; it’s not like they can buy as much as they want. They strictly control the quantity, which in turn allows them to reap high profits. Since only Jiaohua can produce this tea, what are you worried about? Just control the sales quantity each year and store some of it. I’ve heard that some teas, when stored for a few years, undergo very unique changes, similar to aged wine, and the flavor becomes richer. Such tea is incredibly valuable,” Shen Bing said.

“Ah? There’s such a way to sell things?” Zhang Jiaohua thought it was best to sell things quickly for cash, not realizing that some intentionally hold onto their goods and don’t sell.

“Scarcity increases value!” Shen Jinmao nodded. “Comrade Shen is absolutely right; we should sell this fine tea as if it were gold. We want others to spend high prices yet feel it’s worth it.”

Ji Jiaxin, however, felt a bit sad. It was so nice to have a little friend, and now she would be going back to her country.

“Jiaohua brother, when I return to my country, I will definitely visit your village,” Ji Jiaxin said with red eyes.

“Okay, when you come to our village, I will take you to the mountains to catch wild rabbits,” Zhang Jiaohua said with a smile.

“Then you have to let that little chubby monkey be my friend.” Ji Jiaxin was really curious about how many pets Zhang Jiaohua had in her garden.

“Of course! The little chubby monkey is very friendly; as long as you give him something to eat, he will surely be friends with you.” Zhang Jiaohua recalled how the little chubby monkey always carried a small pouch filled with various snacks and found it amusing.

Having been away for several days, she suddenly felt an overwhelming longing for home. What were her parents doing at this moment?

At the Meizi’ao Garden.

Liu Qiaoye led the village women to pick tea leaves in the garden.

“Everyone, be careful; the tea leaves must be picked according to the markings. Now that Master Zhou is overseeing production management, he has very strict quality requirements for the tea, and the quality inspectors are experienced old workers who are very strict in their work. If the tea leaves you pick don’t meet the standards, not only will they be returned directly, but there will also be heavy fines,” Liu Qiaoye reminded the women picking tea leaves from time to time.

“Qiaoye, you are the boss lady. How would they dare to scold you?” someone asked.

“Just because I’m the boss lady, I should support their work. This is actually beneficial for everyone. If the factory is doing well, they will need more workers. Once the factory grows, everyone in the village will have work, and they won’t have to run to Guangdong,” Liu Qiaoye said.

“Qiaoye, tell us about Guangdong! Is it really a land of opportunity? How tall are the buildings in big cities?”

The villagers envied Zhang Youping and his wife for having been to Guangdong. Ever since they went there, they had changed entirely from the rest of the villagers. Their horizons had broadened, and they started to think about things rather than muddling through life like most people in the village.

“Is Youping out again today?”

“Of course, ever since he became the president of the Tea Association, he’s been running to the county every day. The Tea Association is just getting started, and there’s a lot to do. Youping wants to develop this tea association, and in the future, all the tea gardens and tea factories in the county will work together to boost the reputation of Xintian County’s tea, paving the way for the tea industry here to expand,” Liu Qiaoye was very satisfied with her husband and child, her heart full of happiness.

“Is Youping also a big shot now? Isn’t he even higher than the local government officials?”

Liu Qiaoye smiled, “This president is not an official.”

The villagers were a bit puzzled. Since Zhang Youping’s position as president was so influential, why wasn’t he considered an official?

Zhang Youping was currently in the county seat, where the county had provided an office for the Tea Association, hoping that it would become more organized and truly promote the entire tea industry in Xintian County.

“The mistakes made by the county tea factory must be dealt with severely. Such matters cannot be tolerated. If they pass this time, no one can guarantee that there won’t be a next time. The county has decided to impose strict penalties on the county tea factory. This time, we are making an example of the county tea factory to let everyone know that the county follows through on its words. Even county-run enterprises have no exceptions. The penalties collected will be used as operating funds for the Xintian County Tea Association. Youping, I hope you can organize the Tea Association well and quickly formulate industry rules so that all practitioners in the tea industry can operate under these rules,” Luo Changjun said, handing the decision regarding the penalty for the county tea factory to Zhang Youping.

This time the punishment was indeed serious, with a fine of ten thousand yuan. This hit the county tea factory hard. One should know that this batch of tea wouldn’t earn much profit. After deducting salaries and various expenses, they might end up with little left.

“County Head Luo, don’t worry. I will do my best to handle this matter well.” Zhang Youping was also determined. Since his child was doing so well, this father needed to achieve something as well.