Rebirth: I Am Not the Movie Queen This Time-Chapter 17 Our Business

Seeing the sincere smile on the young girl’s face and hearing her continuous talk, Boss Wu’s wife softened her heart first.

She made a gesture to her husband, then said, "The young girl makes a good point. I’ll give it a try then. How do you plan to sell these pickles?"

Upon hearing this, Wan Chu’er was thrilled, and her smile brightened even more. She said, "Thank you, Boss Wu, for giving me this opportunity. I sell these pickled cucumbers by the pound, one yuan per pound. They can be divided into ten small dishes, and you can sell each dish for twenty cents. This way, you can make one yuan per pound.

For the other pickles and salted vegetables, I’ll set the price after discussing with my family. I’ll bring the other pickles over in a couple of days for you to try before deciding whether you want them."

Boss Wu nodded, finding the price quite reasonable. If they could really sell, profits weren’t bad either. Intrigued, he asked:

"Why is it just you, a young girl, who is selling these pickles for your family?"

Wan Chu’er had prepared for this question. She decided to tell the truth since her situation as a widow with a mother might elicit more sympathy. If it could help her achieve her goals, she felt there was no shame in it. After all, she wasn’t lying nor was she deceiving or exploiting anyone. She relied on her own hands to make a living, and there wasn’t much to overthink.

"It’s just my mom and me at home. My mom made these pickled cucumbers. She is very skilled but not very social, so I took a leave today and bravely undertook this business negotiation. Thank you, Boss and Boss Wu, for agreeing to this collaboration."

As expected, upon hearing Wan Chu’er’s words, Boss Wu’s wife couldn’t help but ask, "What about your father?"

Wan Chu’er paused, her smile fading as she lowered her gaze, and softly said, "My father has passed away."

"Was your father a soldier?" Boss Wu asked curiously, the word ’sacrificed’ often being associated with the liberation army.

"Yes."

Wan Chu’er didn’t want to continue talking about her father, Wan Shiguo, so she shifted the topic, saying, "I’ll deliver the pickled cucumbers in three days. How many pounds would you like for the first time?"

Boss Wu’s wife quickly replied, "Let’s start with three pounds to see how the customers respond, and then we can decide on future quantities."

"Okay."

After these arrangements, Wan Chu’er promised to deliver three pounds of pickled cucumbers in three days and started to pack up to leave.

Seeing her put the bottle of pickled cucumbers back into her bag, Boss Wu said with a smile, "Leave that bottle of pickled cucumbers for us, it’s quite tasty."

Wan Chu’er paused and then sincerely said, "I’m sorry, I still need this bottle of pickled cucumbers today. If you need some, I can bring a little over tomorrow."

Boss Wu’s wife curiously asked, "Oh, what else do you need it for?"

Wan Chu’er answered truthfully, "I need to negotiate with other restaurants about partnerships."

The Wu couple was somewhat surprised, but then it made sense. Relying solely on their restaurant indeed wouldn’t be enough. If they only sold three pounds a week, the mother and daughter would still struggle.

With the successful start at Wu Family Noodle House, Wan Chu’er confidently moved on to her next target.

Over the next half day, she tirelessly visited more than thirty restaurants of various sizes in Wutong County. Some welcomed her, some flat-out rejected her, and others even made some disparaging remarks.

Despite rejections, Wan Chu’er wasn’t discouraged; she just considered those people to be short-sighted, turning down the chance to make money. She then boldly continued to find the next restaurant.

Eventually, including Wu Family Noodle House, she successfully negotiated with ten restaurants in total, all agreeing to receive deliveries in three days.

After each successful negotiation, she recorded it in her notebook. After finishing the last restaurant, she totaled it up to fifty pounds and couldn’t help but display a smile filled with a sense of achievement.

Today’s afternoon has exhausted a lifetime of smiles. Rubbing her sore cheeks, she increasingly found that a smile is indeed a powerful weapon.

Having finished tasting the three jars of pickled cucumbers she brought from home, she couldn’t help but give herself a big thumbs up.

If I, Wan Chu’er, set my mind to do something, the results are always top-notch! At the moment, her confidence was soaring.

Looking up, she noticed the street lights were already on. Thinking of Bai Zhixi, she muttered to herself, "Oh no," and hurried home.

When she arrived, Bai Zhixi was indeed back, the dinner was ready, and she was sitting at the dining table, lost in thought, not even noticing Wan Chu’er entering the house.

Wan Chu’er was a bit surprised, wondering what had happened for her to be so absorbed.

"Mom, I’m back," Wan Chu’er called out to greet her.

Bai Zhixi suddenly looked up, her face blossoming into a smile upon seeing her daughter, showing a bit of excitement.

"I was worried you might have... It’s good you’re back, it’s good. Come, let’s eat. I made your favorite dishes."

It turns out that when Bai Zhixi got home and found it empty with dinner ready and Wan Chu’er still not back, she waited till 8 o’clock. She couldn’t help but speculate wildly, thinking her daughter had reverted to old habits, not returning home until bedtime, and not telling her about her whereabouts.

No wonder Bai Zhixi speculated wildly; who would believe that a daughter who’d been rebellious for years could change overnight?

Sensing her mother’s unease, Wan Chu’er bit her lip, took Bai Zhixi’s hand, and said earnestly:

"Mom, I’ve told you, I won’t lose my temper with you like before, or leave the house without telling you. I’ll be your good daughter and protect and respect you. So, when I’m not around, don’t worry needlessly, I’ll definitely come back to you."

Bai Zhixi slowly smiled, tears in her eyes, nodded, and said, "I believe you, I won’t worry needlessly anymore."

Wan Chu’er smiled too, saying, "Let’s eat first, and after dinner, I have some good news to share with you."

"Okay."

Bai Zhixi let her daughter lead her to the dining table.

After quietly finishing their meal, Wan Chu’er took out a small notebook used to record order details and pushed it towards Bai Zhixi.

Bai Zhixi opened the notebook, puzzled, not understanding the content.

"Wu Family Noodle House, three pounds of pickled cucumber, address: No. 14 East Street, diagonally opposite the county government."

"Wutong Snacks, two pounds of pickled cucumber, address..."

After reading two entries, she looked up at Wan Chu’er, "Chuchu, what is this?"

"This is our business," Wan Chu’er placed the empty jars on the dining table.

Bai Zhixi saw the four characters on them "Bai’s Pickles."

Wan Chu’er confidently stated, "Our business: Bai’s Pickles," her face full of resolute ambition.