Yu San urged: "Pick something useful and tell me how much it costs?"
Boss Li showed a cunning look on his face: "One hundred and fifty taels, this price is already very fair. If it were someone else, I would never exchange such a good contract..."
Yu San was instantly angry.
But he was not the one in charge after all, and had to follow Zhu Hao's orders in everything.
Zhu Hao smiled and said, "Sir, do you think that we are sincere enough to pay the deposit, so you are over-quoting the price... and you are sure that we have to do this business with you?"
Troupe Master Li looked ashamed and angry, as if he had been insulted, and hurriedly defended himself : "Young master, since you also said that you have had contact with other troupes, you should be aware of the market situation...
"A seven or eight-year-old girl who doesn't know anything when she's bought. Not only do I need to provide her with food and shelter, but I also need to find someone to teach her. When she grows up and can go on stage, it will cost at least ten taels of silver. Look at me, they are all ready-made musicians who can go on stage, and each of them can take the lead. There are sixteen of them at once... Is this price expensive?"
Zhu Hao said calmly: "Is it you, Mr. Li, who doesn't understand the market? The shortest contract you have is only one year left. What can you do in one year? You can't even serve tea or water, and you have to take care of food and drink, find someone to serve you, and don't you want to pay for housing and wages?
"Nowadays, if you can earn one or two taels of silver from a performance , it's considered good. And there are so many people to share... Do you not need to pay for the costumes? Or do you not need to buy a carriage and horses?"
When Mr. Li heard this, he looked a little annoyed.
I thought the other party was a rich guy, but I didn't know that he had done a thorough market research.
"If these people stay with you, they will be a burden. If I were you, I would send them away as soon as possible. Otherwise, no one will want them even if you give them away for free, because no one can afford to support them. Besides, what's the point of supporting them? What benefit can they bring? I won't give you any empty words. Now I have fifty taels of silver and the contract will be given to you directly. If you are not satisfied, go find someone else. Don't waste our time."
Zhu Hao directly bargained down the price and sold it for two-thirds.
Even though Mr. Li had expected the other party to bargain so hard, he didn't expect it to be so severe.
Yu San chimed in: "Cash, is there anyone else as generous as our boss?"
Boss Li frowned, "Little boss, don't bluff me. It's just fifty taels... not to mention getting back the money from the original contract, even the money for their food and clothing over the past few years is more than this amount. How about this... one hundred and twenty taels..."
Zhu Hao stood up with a smile.
He wanted to take Yu San away immediately.
Boss Li said hurriedly, "We can negotiate for a hundred taels... or eighty taels, no lower... the minimum is seventy taels, any lower is out of the question."
Zhu Hao stopped, turned around and looked over with a smile.
Boss Li thought that Zhu Hao had changed his mind and felt relieved for the time being.
"Sir, you haven't figured out the situation yet. This is a buyer's market. Even if it's fifty taels, I still have to check the person to make sure they are presentable before I buy them. They also have to pass the government's household registration, lest you find some street thugs to pretend to be a musician, and then after I give you the money, you and your people disappear from the face of the earth..."
"This time I'm offering fifty taels. If you want to negotiate with me next time, you won't even give me forty taels... I don't like to negotiate business with people who are not sincere."
Zhu Hao's tone was firm, far beyond what a seven-year-old child should have. It also gave Boss Li a wake-up call that he should not treat the boy in front of him as an ordinary child.
Yu San said: "One chance. If you agree, take us to see the person. If you don't agree, you can take your people away from Anlu... There is definitely no one in the local area who can offer a higher price than us. Or you can look around Anlu and the surrounding areas to see if anyone wants you to perform... Boss, let's go."
Boss Li was in a dilemma.
Fifty taels of silver...
Although it did not meet expectations, it was not too low.
Just as Zhu Hao said, if these people were kept in his hands, he would have to provide them with food and drink, and they would not bring him any profit. He had been losing money before, so it would be better for him to sell them off earlier so that he could get rid of them earlier. Fifty taels of silver could not solve all the difficulties, but perhaps he could invest them in a small business and have a way out in the future.
"You two, just fifty taels of silver. I don't ask for more. I just ask that you treat those people well. They have followed me for a long time..."
Mr. Li is also a decent man.
If you find that you can't fight, then just give up, bring a few cars of people to Anlu, and leave alone.
Zhu Hao said: "Let's go and see your people."
…
…
Walk to the yard where the troupe is temporarily staying.
When a troupe goes to a place to perform, because there are too many people and the cost of staying in an inn is high, they rent a courtyard to live in, eat, drink, defecate and urinate in the courtyard, and also do their daily training in the courtyard.
Zhu Hao specifically asked Yu San to bring a few brothers to take over the troupe.
On the way.
Mr. Li told more about the troupe. At first, his family was prominent, so it was no problem for him to support a troupe. Unfortunately, his family's backers fell, and several businesses lost money in succession. His family fell into decline. He could only travel around with the troupe, hoping to earn some hard-earned money, but reality slapped him in the face. He couldn't make any money at all...
Zhu Hao smiled. What the other party said was very vivid. It was just to create a personal image, indicating that it was not his intention to attack the troupe.
When they arrived at the place, the long-time attendant of Boss Li went in first to explain the situation to the people in the troupe.
At this time, the troupe's training stopped.
Seeing that the troupe that had provided them with a stable livelihood was about to change hands, everyone was very confused. It was like a change of owner, and they had no idea what the new owner would be like. What if he bought their troupe to take them to the northwest or the cold and bitter places outside the Great Wall to perform, or had any ill intentions towards them? There was no way for them to escape.
The gate of the courtyard opened wide and two people came out.
One old and one young.
The elder one was a man in his fifties, with an ordinary appearance. The younger one was a woman in her twenties, with a pretty face, almond eyes, thin eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and skin as white as snow. Even without makeup, wearing only a gray coarse linen dress and a thorn hairpin, she was a beauty. Judging from her age, she was already a woman, but the situation of the opera troupe was different from that of ordinary families, so it was impossible to tell whether she was married.
"Boss, I heard that you want to sell all of us. Why don't you discuss it with us?" The old man was a musician in the troupe, which was equivalent to a manager, and his expression was sad.
I thought I could retire in the opera troupe. Regardless of whether it is good or not, at least I can live a stable life and not end up living on the streets.
Once the new club takes over, they may not use him and he may have to find his own way out.
This is also one of the reasons why Zhu Hao lowered the price.
Not all of the sixteen contracts can bring benefits. Some people will not leave even if you drive them away, so they are invalid contracts. The truly useful ones are the contracts that can bring profits to the troupe.
Boss Li said with a bitter face, "You have known my situation for a long time. I can't afford to support me and I don't want to continue to support me. I'll sell it out to get some money to start a small business, or buy a few acres of land for retirement. I'm really sorry."
The woman's eyes fell on Yu San. In her opinion, this young man was the new owner of the troupe.
When I saw this guy...
He doesn't seem like a decent person.
With my looks and figure, if I meet someone like this, my reputation will most likely be ruined.
And she had another reason not to let Boss Li compromise: "...Boss, my contract will expire at the end of next year. If you want to transfer it to someone else, should you ask for my opinion first? At least let me buy my freedom first?"
Some people want to spend their retirement in a theatre troupe, while others want to gain freedom.
When they were young, they were bought back and signed a contract to sell themselves for more than ten years or even decades. When they grew up, they wanted to be free and no longer be bound by others. They didn’t have to worry about being abused and defiled during performances. Not only women, but even young men in the troupe basically had this idea...
As an actor, no one wants to do this job if they can avoid it. Even if they have to, it is best to work alone or as a couple. At least they don't have to be exploited or restricted by others.
Boss Li seemed to feel sorry for the woman, not daring to raise his head, and sighed: "The situation is forced, if you want to buy your freedom, go and talk to your new employer, don't cause me any trouble."
Yu San laughed and said, "You are quite handsome!"
The woman couldn't help but frown when she heard that.
This young man who looked like a new boss had a bad look on his face before he spoke, but once he spoke...
His true nature is simply exposed, this kind of person is the best way to describe him as treacherous and shameless!
But she didn't know that Yu San was just a smooth talker and not a bad person at heart.
Zhu Hao said, "Go in first and check on the others as well. Everyone should be able to match up. We still need to go to the government to register them."
The old musician and the girl then noticed that there was a child standing there, speaking in a loud voice, as if he was arranging everything. It was really puzzling. What puzzled them even more was that Master Li and Yu San, who seemed to be the boss, actually obeyed their orders and led the child inside.
In the yard.
All the members of the troupe who had signed the indentureship and who had not stood there were more than twenty of them.
The troupe leader Li had explained the situation before. Some people in the troupe were considered odd jobs, responsible for the food, drink, defecation and urination of the entire troupe. These people were of good birthright and were forced to join the troupe as long-term workers due to life pressures. They did not sign a contract to sell themselves and received a monthly salary. If the new owner did not want them, they could be dismissed on the spot. If they stayed, they would be paid according to the previous agreement.
There are a total of six such people in the troupe, five men and one woman. The woman is an old widow in her fifties, who is responsible for washing clothes and taking care of the female family members.
Six actors had indentures, and ten had long-term contracts.
Those who signed the indenture were generally young. Five of them were between thirteen and fifteen years old, and the remaining one was a little girl who was eight years old. There were three boys and three girls, all of whom were quite good-looking, but their stage presence and ability to handle situations were poor. They were extras on the stage. The little girl was the child of a couple in the troupe, and she signed the indenture when she was young and worked and learned skills in the troupe.
These children can only terminate their contract when they are in their twenties. The indentures of musicians are different from ordinary indentures in that they do not interfere with their marriages or funerals. Even after they become adults, the troupe will help them get married. This is mainly because the marriage options for musicians are limited. If they do not get married by the age of 20, the government fine will have to be paid by the troupe's owner. Therefore, the owner is eager for them to get married early, or even have more "second-generation musicians" to complete the internal cycle.
As for the ten long contracts, three musicians are all men, and the remaining seven are all actors, three men and four women... The three male actors can also play various instruments and sing , and can temporarily act as musicians. Two of the four women are married, around twenty years old, and they are all combinations of old man and young wife, and the husband is the official musician in the troupe.
The remaining two women are not married. One of them is the beautiful woman you just saw who has one year left on her contract, and she is already nineteen years old. The other one is a little less pretty, she is seventeen years old, and has five years left on her contract. Both of them are eligible to leave the troupe and become free after they turn twenty.
Since all the women in the troupe are musicians, they have no choice but to marry men who are also musicians. Priority is given to marrying musicians because musicians have a relatively higher status in the troupe. Even if they work alone, a husband-and-wife troupe can be formed immediately with one playing music and the other performing. They don't have to rely on others, and the musician can also serve as the wife's "agent."
More importantly, male actors are often helpless. How can they protect their wives if they can't even protect themselves? Many male actors are desperately learning the skills of musicians, striving to become musicians in a troupe, but a troupe itself needs a limited number of musicians, and those who are not good enough cannot become musicians.