Chapter 99 (continued)

Therefore, Qing Mengzhu specifically called Di Xing, who was in charge of purchasing dried chilies, to ask if he still intended to purchase chilies according to the previous contract, and roughly how long he planned to continue purchasing them.

As for Zhou Yan's catering group, Qing Mengzhu has already communicated with them. They hope to continue purchasing chili peppers at this price and frequency until the contract expires on New Year's Day.

They had previously wanted to extend the contract to the following year, but Qing Mengzhu was unsure how the chilies would perform after overwintering, so they didn't renew the contract. They only verbally agreed that if the chilies had a bumper harvest, they would continue to deliver according to the existing contract.

Di Xing was somewhat surprised when he received Qing Mengzhu's call, "Mengzhu?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Brother Di Xing, I wanted to ask about the chili peppers. Our chili peppers are still in peak production, and the yield is not expected to decrease in the next month, and may even increase. Do you still want to continue purchasing them?"

Di Xing replied without hesitation, "I'll take it! I'll take as many chilies as you have, I can eat them all."

Qing Mengzhu curiously, "Are there still wild mushrooms now?"

Di Xing used to use the chili peppers to fry wild mushrooms in oil. Now that the weather is cold, Qing Mengzhu probably thinks there should be very few wild mushrooms left.

Di Xing: "There's still some in the south, plus what we stored before, so we don't expect the mushroom oil production to decrease. Don't worry, we'll continue to use your chili peppers."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "Brother Di Xing, we trust you. I'll ask you first, just to put my mind at ease."

Di Xing: "Of course, we'll keep in touch if there are any problems."

If the chili peppers in the field can be sold, it means that Qing Mengzhu will have a stable income.

Qing Mengzhu felt a great mood every time she thought of this.

These past two days, Qing Mengzhu led Feng Ningxiang and the others up the mountain to cut bamboo, preparing to dry distill a batch of bamboo vinegar to soak seeds after New Year's Day for planting new crops.

Before distilling bamboo vinegar, they could boil fresh bamboo sap, so they built a few simple stoves in the backyard to boil fresh bamboo sap by hand.

Qing Mengzhu was too busy to handle everything, so she had to ask Feng Ningxiang and the others to come and help.

The bamboo in Qing Mengzhu's house has grown even bigger. Now the old bamboo is as thick as a bowl. When making fresh bamboo sap, the bamboo has to be split into four pieces, otherwise it will be difficult to make.

They sawed the bamboo into short sections and slowly boiled them over charcoal.

Fresh bamboo sap dripped into the small jar, filling the backyard with the wonderful aroma of bamboo. Everyone passing by would stop to watch the spectacle.

After receiving the news, Qing Guozhi came over with a bag to buy fresh bamboo sap, saying he wanted to stock up on some because many people in his family are prone to coughing in autumn and winter, and buying some fresh bamboo sap would make them feel better the next time they cough.

Qing Mengzhu refused to accept his money. "Sixteenth Grandpa, please feel free to take it; you don't need to pay."

Qing Guozhi, "Business is business. How can I not take the money? If you don't take the money, I'll feel embarrassed to come and collect it later. If it really comes down to it, you can give me a discount."

Zhao Hexi chuckled twice beside him, "Sixteenth Grandpa, you don't know, he plans to sell it for a high price, so he's embarrassed to accept your money."

Qing Guozhi: "What's wrong with selling at a high price? Good things should be priced higher, otherwise who will be motivated to produce good things in the future? How much? I'll transfer it to you."

Zhao Hexi wasn't that familiar with Qing Guozhi, so she smoothed things over by saying, "We sell it for 288 yuan per 200 grams."

Qing Mengzhu followed Zhao Hexi's words and said, "Pretty much. If it's you, I'll give you a discount, one hundred and fifty yuan for two hundred grams will do."

Qing Guozhi laughed, "Such a big discount? Then give me three kilograms."

Qing Mengzhu: "Please wait a moment. After we finish cooking this batch, we'll send it for filtration and testing. If there are no problems, I'll send it back to you."

Although it is fresh bamboo juice brewed by hand, they still adhere to strict standards and commercial practices when selling it as a product.

After finalizing the purchase of fresh bamboo sap, Qing Guozhi asked, "Why don't you find a factory to process it? It's much more convenient than making it yourself."

Qing Mengzhu: "Finding a factory to do it is also like cooking over a fire; the people there might not even be as dedicated as we are. It's better to cook it ourselves; the heat and ingredients are much better."

Qing Guozhi nodded in agreement. "That's true. The fresh bamboo sap used for medicine can't be taken lightly. It's more reassuring to prepare it ourselves, so as not to ruin our reputation."

Qing Mengzhu: "That's what I thought too. We'll get it after a few more days. But we don't sell it as medicine; we sell it as a health supplement. The approval process for medicines is too strict, and we don't have the necessary qualifications."

Qing Guozhi, "Whatever the name it's sold under, as long as it sells, that's fine."

Zhao Hexi: "You know what, our fresh bamboo juice is selling really well. I was worried it would be a dud at such a high price, but two-thirds of it sold out as soon as it hit the shelves."

Qing Guozhi, "These days, people aren't stupid; they can calculate the costs. Sometimes, people actually feel more at ease with more expensive items."

Qing Mengzhu: "I think so too. We'd rather pay a little more for better quality materials than try to cut costs to lower the price."

The Qing Mengzhu dares to sell at such a high price is mainly because their bamboo is scarce.

They're probably the only ones in the world that have Cloud Mirror Bamboo; you can't buy it anywhere else. Setting the price higher differentiates it from other products and increases brand recognition.

Qing Mengzhu set a price much higher than the market price, and he also paid special attention to the reputation of their batch of fresh bamboo juice.

We live in an era of ubiquitous social media, and there's a lot of feedback online.

He searched online, and the relevant software automatically recommended content about his family's fresh bamboo juice to him.

Online reviews of his fresh bamboo juice are pretty good, but it's never really taken off.

It wasn't until a popular blogger who had previously promoted his tomatoes made a video about his Fresh Bamboo Juice that it gained some popularity, and suddenly there were many reviews online.

[The "Zhuxi" brand, known for its high quality and high price, has surprised me with its new fresh bamboo juice.]

[I'm not really interested in the 28-yuan can of fresh bamboo juice, but I'd definitely like to try the 280-yuan one – a review of "Zhuxi" fresh bamboo juice. (No issues reported.)]

[How I gradually became a die-hard fan of Zhuxi.]

The comments below are even more genuine, with the top-rated ones mostly being positive.

[This brand's fresh bamboo juice is really effective. I had a cough that made my lungs hurt, but after drinking it, I felt much better immediately. I recommend that anyone who coughs frequently grab a can; just dilute it with water and drink it. One can lasts a long time.]

[His fresh bamboo sap is probably brewed, not boiled in water. It has a very strong bamboo aroma, and one jar is equivalent to several jars for a person. It's especially effective for prevention. When you're feeling a bit unwell, you can use it to make honey water, which can directly suppress a cough. It's very useful.]

[You get what you pay for. Their fresh bamboo juice isn't very cost-effective, but it's really effective. I usually mix their fresh bamboo juice with other brands; I drink theirs when I feel unwell, and the others when I only feel a little uncomfortable. Mixing them saves money.]

The fresh bamboo juice from Qing Mengzhu's family was already selling well, but after a little extra profit, it sold even better.

Their production speed can't keep up with their sales speed.

Looking at the sales figures, Zhao Hexi sighed repeatedly, saying that doing business still requires genuine quality, and that doing business nowadays isn't as difficult as he had imagined.

Qing Mengzhu: "The main reason is that people's living standards have improved and their horizons have broadened. They are willing to buy truly good things, even if they are a bit expensive."

Zhao Hexi: "I see that many people buy it for their children, so I even asked them to add some copywriting suggesting that children should dilute it with water and not drink too much at once."

Qing Mengzhu advised, "You could consult a reputable doctor about how to properly consume this fresh bamboo juice."

Zhao Hexi: "I consulted a doctor, who suggested mixing three spoonfuls of fresh bamboo juice with a cup of water. You can see my consultation record."

Qing Mengzhu took his phone, glanced at it, and nodded only after confirming that everything was alright.

Zhao Hexi: "Speaking of which, do you know that big pharmacy?"

He mentioned the name of a nationally renowned pharmacy. "Yesterday, someone from that large pharmacy messaged us privately, saying they wanted to collaborate on a business deal with us."