25. First Proposal

"Ba Jin! Ba Jin!! Ba Jin!!!", a woman shouted calling after a ten years old boy that was playing with other kids on their compound.

"Yes!!! I'm coming please.", Ba Jin said as he left playing with his friends and ran to the woman who had called. "Here I am please.", he asked.

"Go into your room and call your mother. Tell him that the person who brought the spices here has come again. He told me to have him called whenever he came back here. So go and call him here.", she said.

"Yes please.", Ba Jin ran off to go into their room and give his mother the message. He found his mother in their kitchen.

"Mama.", he called

"Ba Jin, what are you doing here? Aren't you playing with your friends anymore?", Ba Jin's mother asked.

"I was told to come and tell you that the person who brought the spices is here.", he relayed the message to his mother.

"Oh. Okay. You go back and continue with what you were doing. Just tell them that I'll be there in a minute.", Mama Jin said.

Ba Jin left his mama's side and went to report back the message his mama gave him.

Mama Jin was very glad to hear this. He hurried into their room to change before he came out to see the spices seller.

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Yun Lui and Muchen have been moving from one house to the other for their feedbacks. They had only covered about twenty houses. Now they feel so tired that they decided to go back home after five more houses.

Before they had left the house, he had thought that since it was only about seeking their feedbacks, they could finish early and go to those shops and inns, all in today.

He had never been so wrong! They got delayed everywhere they went, not by only those he had given the samples to but more by those he didn't even see when he first went there.

Their response were mostly positive and better than he had expected. Even the negative ones were not really negative since they'll also yield positive results when considered.

They were on their last, 25th house for today. It's noon now and he wanted to go home for lunch. He was sure his brother too was hungry but he wouldn't complain.

Now they were waiting for the person that the kid says will be with them in a minute. Luckily that person showed up just about five minutes after the kid left.

"Good afternoon.", Mama Jin greeted.

"Good afternoon.", they responded.

"I am very sorry to have kept you waiting. You may not know me yet, just as I too have never seen either of you before now. Please I'm called Mama Jin. May I please know your names?"

"I'm Chi Muchen.", he said with a bow.

"I'm Yun Lui.", he too said with a bow.

"Chi Muchen and Yun Lui. Please welcome.", he said and bowed to Muchen, but with Yun Lui he gave him a handshake since they were of the same sex.

"Please, would you mind that we continue our discussion in my living room? The kids are making too much noise here." Mama Jin asked.

Yun Lui turned to look at Muchen and when he had gotten his approval before they both followed Mama Jin to his room, leaving behind the woman who had called him for them after thanking her.

"So, are both of the manufacturers of the products or which one of you is the owner?", Mama Jin asked as he placed a cup of water each infront of them, which they gladly gulped down.

"He is." Muchen pointed to Yun Lui.

Both of them could see the surprised look on Mama Jin's face before he smiled afterwards.

Mama Jin looked at Yun Lui and said, "The thing is this, I was not here when you came to give out the samples but my sister-in-law was. She showed it to me after trying it once and I used the rest twice myself.

I really liked it and so I told my husband about. He asked me to find out if you're interested in giving it out to wholesalers. He takes goods from here in the capital and supply them to other traders in other towns and villages.

He also owns a number of shops so he retails the goods too. I need to tell you that he is very eager to work with you if you will accept. He only has two conditions.

You can also list your conditions and once both of you have reached a consensus, you can start. But even before considering these conditions let me asked my question, are you interested in supplying to wholesalers?"

Yun Lui was shocked to receive this offer. Especially from someone at home, who wasn't even around when he was handing out the samples. He was pleased. It's like the hunger and tiredness that he felt had just vanished.

All throughout the day he had heard mostly positive reviews and many of them asking for the product which he informed them will be ready in a month's time. He could see from their reactions that they were not happy to hear that.

This made him believe that indeed they liked the product. But this proposal is his first business proposal and so he was excited. He'll think about it again later to then decide.

"Wholesalers and retailers are my main target. I only brought the samples to the houses because they are the final consumers.

Their opinions are the most valuable. And also because they were more likely to use the samples and give me genuine feedbacks faster.", Yun Lui answered.

"That is very smart of you. My husband will be home again in a week's time. Can you please make it here. He'll stay for only two days and leave again.", Mama Jin asked.

"Sure. I'll come to see him. Before then, you made mention of some two conditions of his, can you tell me now.

I'll also tell you mine and then we can all think about them before our next meeting so as to not waste much time when we meet again.