Chapter Sixty: Cost Price

As dusk fell and the sky grew dark, Zhang Xiu'e returned with her group.

"Nothing happened while I was gone, right?" she asked.

Seeing Tang Long shake his head, Zhang Xiu'e finally breathed a sigh of relief. Whenever she left, she always worried that something might happen at home.

"We're all adults—no one's as fragile as you imagine," Tang Long teased, grinning mischievously as he drew closer to Zhang Xiu'e when no one else was around.

Before he could make a move, Zhang Xiu'e sidestepped him, casting a warning glance. "It's broad daylight. Don't try anything funny!"

Tang Long, both amused and helpless, shrugged, as if to say he was completely innocent. Besides, night had already fallen—it could hardly be called daytime anymore.

"If anyone sees us, it won't look good. You need to be patient!" Zhang Xiu'e blushed, soothing him quietly.

Tang Long pursed his lips; she really was treating him like a child.

Dinner that night was unusually lavish.

After the meal and drinks, Jiang Xue returned to her tent and lay down, her mind drifting back to the midday fishing contest with Tang Long. She had won, yes, but she couldn't shake the feeling that everything had been under his control, even the final catch—a massive catfish.

"Tang Long," she murmured, her cheeks flushing. She couldn't explain why, but lately, he kept coming to mind.

These past few days, the sun had shone brightly by day and the night sky was clear and deep—a stroke of luck, with no clouds, rain, or wind.

In the middle of the night, Zhang Xiu'e crawled out of her tent and approached the night watch, Shan Xiu, her cheeks tinged red. "Go get some sleep now. I'll take over watch for the latter half."

Shan Xiu rolled her eyes, rose from her chair, and walked away without a word. She knew perfectly well what Zhang Xiu'e was up to, sneaking out at this hour. Muttering "shameless couple" under her breath, she wondered how they could be so eager with tourists still around.

Tang Long grinned wickedly, patting his thigh to invite Zhang Xiu'e over.

Zhang Xiu'e blushed and glared at him, waited until Shan Xiu had disappeared into her tent, then walked over to where Tang Long sat.

"Behave yourself. I need to talk business," she said sternly, ignoring him and sitting down beside him.

Tang Long couldn't help but laugh. The term "pretending to be proper" described her perfectly. Who would bother paying attention to them at this hour? Even if someone noticed, they wouldn't be foolish enough to interrupt.

"Go on, then."

Zhang Xiu'e hesitated, then said, "I bought small gifts today, about ten yuan each. They're little stone carvings—quite delicately made."

Tang Long nodded, letting her finish. Giving each student a parting gift had been something they'd agreed upon. Regardless of profit, Jiang Xue's effort in organizing the trip to Fishhead Village was a favor, both to Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e, and to the village as well.

So, her classmates weren't just tourists—they were friends. Friends of Fishhead Village, of Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e.

Even if the gifts weren't worth much, they represented Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e's heartfelt gratitude.

At ten yuan apiece, two hundred gifts only totaled two thousand yuan—a sum both Tang Long and the village could afford.

As the saying goes, it's the thought that counts.

"Besides the gifts, the bus I arranged from the county town will arrive around ten to pick everyone up. One bus costs five hundred, two will be a thousand."

Tang Long understood—Zhang Xiu'e's "business talk" was about calculating the expenses for these few days.

No need to wait until tomorrow; they could tally up the cost tonight.

"We bought five sheep for four thousand yuan."

"Wild vegetables and pork from neighboring villages cost a thousand."

"Ten cases of beer—there's still some left—four hundred and fifty-five yuan in total."

"Drinking water..."

The expenses only included food and drink for Jiang Xue's group, not the costs for repairing and planning Gouwa and Fishhead Village.

"So, the total expenditure over these three days—adding it all up—was just over ten thousand yuan," Zhang Xiu'e concluded, looking up at Tang Long. "Jiang Xue's group had two hundred and eight people. At eighty-eight yuan per person, we didn't lose money—in fact, we made a few thousand yuan!"

Tang Long smiled. "So even if we only charge eighty-eight yuan per person, we're guaranteed a profit?"

"Actually, we lose," Zhang Xiu'e shook her head. "The flour used for steamed buns, many wild vegetables consumed, were taken from villagers' homes and haven't been accounted for. If we include everything—except labor costs—we barely break even. If we factor in villagers' wages, we'd be operating at a loss."

From the supply stations, night watch, Ghost King Cave guides, to daily patrols, over a hundred villagers were involved each day to serve the university students—a huge manpower investment.

The low local consumption made food costs manageable—even with abundant meat and fish, fifty yuan per person for three days and two nights, five meals, should suffice.

Ticket sales for Ghost King Cave hadn't been included; that was essentially a free offering from Fishhead Village. Accommodation, Gouwa, and local sightseeing were nearly cost-free.

If they only charged eighty-eight yuan for three days and two nights, Fishhead Village would be losing money, subsidizing the experience at the expense of villagers' labor.

"Do you think this route is viable?" Tang Long pondered, speaking softly to Zhang Xiu'e.

"The route itself is fine," Zhang Xiu'e replied. "But the details need improvement—like accommodation areas, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and activities. We need to elevate the food to the same priority as entertainment."

"And drinks?" Tang Long smiled.

Zhang Xiu'e frowned slightly. "I'm not really in favor, but if tourists want alcohol, we can recommend they buy it themselves. In the future, Fishhead Village should offer delicious, healthy, and affordable food. For drinks, we can promote rice wine, fruit wine, and local brews. Beer, baijiu, and red wine should be priced high, so people lose interest."

Tang Long could tell Zhang Xiu'e didn't endorse drinking culture, so he simply smiled and let it go.

"From now on, we'll receive groups from Taoyuan County, set up a reception at Donghe Town, then trek into the village, host a welcome banquet, camp in tents, visit Ghost King Cave in the morning, enjoy free time in the afternoon and the next morning, and send guests back to Taoyuan County. If we fix the route, how much should we charge?"

Tang Long paused, smiling, "Jiang Xue suggested a price of 588 yuan per person!"

"Five hundred eighty-eight?" Zhang Xiu'e tilted her head, considering. "Isn't that a bit steep?"

Tang Long replied, "I think it's reasonable. Ghost King Cave tickets are three hundred, and even with group discounts, they can't be too low. The rest—food, drinks, activities—add up to 288. Three days and two nights, compared to famous tourist spots, ours is already a bargain."

After some thought, Zhang Xiu'e looked at Tang Long. "How about this? Ghost King Cave's tickets are expensive, but guiding tourists inside isn't cheap either. For group tours, set the ticket price at 290—ten yuan less than the regular price. If someone wants to visit Ghost King Cave, charge 588 yuan. If they find it too expensive or aren't interested, they don't have to go in—we won't force them. If they skip Ghost King Cave, the price drops to 288 per person. What do you think?"

Tang Long nodded. "That works, but what if tourists come from the city or province?"

Zhang Xiu'e smiled. "If we have to hire buses to pick them up from the city or province, we'll charge extra—fifty or one hundred yuan per person for transportation."

She paused, thinking further. "Fishhead Village isn't well-known yet. Probably not many people will want to visit. We can approach travel agencies and see if they'll help promote our route."

"And?" Tang Long prompted, seeing her pause.

Zhang Xiu'e looked at him. "We could focus on university student groups for a while."

Tang Long immediately understood, his eyes lighting up. "You mean, we could make Jiang Xue our 'agent,' have her set up a campus travel club, partner with us, and offer her a commission for organizing groups?"

Zhang Xiu'e smiled and nodded. "Exactly. Student entrepreneurship is great. Jiang Xue has connections, influence, and capability at school. And our city has more than one university!"

Three days and two nights at 288 yuan, all-inclusive—especially for student couples, it should be appealing.

Two people could have a three-day getaway for just five hundred yuan.

"I think it's doable. Why don't you talk to Jiang Xue about it tomorrow morning?" Tang Long said, winking mischievously.

Zhang Xiu'e gave him a half-smiling glance. "Why should I talk to her? Aren't you getting along well? You had a fishing competition in the morning, and a riverside stroll in the afternoon."

Tang Long suspected someone had snitched, or perhaps Zhang Xiu'e had arranged spies before leaving—the details were too precise.

"Jealous, aren't you? Whose vinegar jar got knocked over?" Tang Long teased.

Zhang Xiu'e rolled her eyes lovingly and muttered, "Don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't be jealous over you!"

"Really?" Tang Long grinned, his expression clearly up to no good.

Zhang Xiu'e blushed even more, jumping up from the bench like a startled rabbit, ready to run.

Tang Long wouldn't let her escape; grinning slyly, he grabbed her, leaned in and whispered, "Someone's forgotten her promise from earlier today."

Zhang Xiu'e's cheeks grew even redder...