"I just arrived not long ago."

Su Jianguo told a white lie; in reality, he arrived at three in the morning.

He walked a few steps to the back of the car and lifted a corner of the tarpaulin to check.

"Wow, these cucumbers are really good!"

"We picked the best ones, just as you instructed."

Su Jianjun jumped out of the car and dusted himself off.

"With all four greenhouses operating simultaneously, we harvested 500 jin (250 kg) in less than an hour."

Su Jianguo nodded, quite satisfied.

He walked around to the front of the car.

"Get in the car, I'll give you directions, we'll go straight to the market."

The two brothers squeezed into the cab, the tractor started again, and slowly drove into the newly awakened city of Beijing.

The streets were almost deserted, except for a few elderly women who had gotten up early to empty their chamber pots, who were curiously watching the tractor loaded with vegetables.

"Brother, where's the shop located?"

Su Jianjun asked, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Right in the center of Dongdan Market, the best location."

Su Jianguo's voice was filled with pride.

"It's forty yuan a month; I paid a year's rent upfront."

Su Jianjun whistled in surprise.

"So expensive?"

"There's a reason why things are expensive."

Su Jianguo patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

You'll find out soon enough.

As the sun rose higher, the shops along the street began to open one after another.

The breakfast stall was set up, and the aroma of fried dough sticks wafted into the driver's cab, making the two brothers' stomachs rumble.

"We've arrived. Turn right ahead and you'll reach Dongdan Market."

Su Jianguo pointed ahead and said.

There were already many vendors pushing carts queuing up to enter the market.

Su Jianguo's tractor attracted envious glances.

These days, it's rare to see people driving motor vehicles to sell goods.

"Make way! Make way!"

Su Jianguo leaned out of the car window and shouted.

The crowd parted automatically to make way, and the tractor slowly drove into the market.

"It's right there!"

Su Jianguo pointed to a row of brick and tile houses in the center of the market.

"The sixth one, the one with an open space in front."

Su Jianjun skillfully reversed the tractor into the open space in front of the shop, turned off the engine, and got off.

The two brothers stood in the rising sun, gazing at the brand-new shop before them, and were so excited that they couldn't speak for a moment.

"Come on, let's hang up the sign first."

Su Jianguo took out a wooden sign painted white from the shop, on which were written five large characters in red paint: “Su’s Vegetable Shop”, written in a vigorous and powerful style.

Su Jianjun climbed the ladder and carefully hung the signboard on the lintel.

The red sign with white lettering stood out in the morning light, attracting the attention of many passing vendors.

"Brother, are we really going to start doing business?"

Su Jianjun's voice was choked with emotion.

Su Jianguo patted his younger brother on the back.

"Yes, the better days are yet to come. Come on, let's unload!"

The two brothers began carrying baskets of vegetables into the shop.

Su Jianguo sorted and arranged the vegetables according to their type and appearance.

Bright green cucumbers were displayed prominently on the counter, while bright red tomatoes were arranged in a pyramid shape, and tender green chives and bok choy were placed in bamboo baskets lined with damp cloths.

"It looks better arranged like this."

Su Jianguo stepped back a few paces, admiring his masterpiece.

At six o'clock in the morning, Dongdan Market gradually became lively.

Su Jianguo stood at the entrance of his shop, looking at the newly hung "Su's Vegetable Shop" signboard, feeling very satisfied.

Inside the shop, Su Jianjun was busy arranging the last basket of bok choy neatly.

"Brother, everything's ready!"

Su Jianjun wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face beaming with excitement.

Su Jianguo nodded and looked around.

The vendors at other stalls in the market were busy setting up their stalls and displaying their goods, and the air was filled with the aroma of various foods.

He took a deep breath, as if he could already smell the scent of success.

Just then, two familiar figures hurried over from the market entrance.

Wang Xiulan carried a cloth bag, and Su Yufen followed closely behind, holding a bamboo basket in her arms.

Both of them had anxious expressions on their faces and were walking quickly.

"Master!"

Wang Xiulan called out from afar, her voice full of surprise.

"Aren't we late?"

Su Jianguo went to greet her and took the cloth bag from his wife's hands.

"Not too late, not too late, just in time for the opening."

As soon as Su Yufen entered the shop, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh my god!"

She gasped in surprise, nearly dropping the basket in her hand.

"These...are these really grown in our greenhouse?"

Inside the shop, rows of vibrant green cucumbers are neatly arranged on wooden shelves, each one straight and plump, with its blossom and prickles still attached.

The tomatoes, chives, and bok choy looked fresh and appetizing.

Wang Xiulan was also stunned; she gently stroked a cucumber with trembling hands.

"This...this is really a vegetable that can grow in winter?"

She turned to her husband, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Honey, how did you do that?"

Su Jianguo smiled and was about to explain when the flow of people in the market began to increase.

He quickly assigned tasks.

"Jianjun, you're in charge of serving the customers the vegetables. Yufen, you help Jianjun. Xiulan, keep an eye on the stall and make sure no one steals anything."

He himself stood behind the counter.

"I'll collect the money."

Su Yufen nodded excitedly and immediately rolled up her sleeves to get to work.

Wang Xiulan, however, still had some concerns.

"Does anyone really buy vegetables that expensive?"

As if in response to her question, a middle-aged woman carrying a shopping basket stopped at the shop entrance.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!