Chapter 24 Selling Popsicles

When Wang Xiuren moved a broken bicycle into the house, Lin Qiu knew that the matter was almost settled.

"This is all thanks to Brother Man!" Wang Xiuren drank a large cup of cold tea. "I was originally planning to ask him if he could do this. But he contacted Director Chen of the Xixiang Old Popsicle Factory directly. You can just go to Director Chen tomorrow!"

Lifting his clothes to wipe the sweat off his face, Wang Xiuren continued, "Brother Man saw that we didn't have a bicycle, so he lent us one! He's so good to me, I really don't know how to repay him."

Lin Qiu didn't expect Yang Guiman to help so much, so he asked tentatively, "How about inviting Brother Man to dinner when you are free someday?"

"That's fine!" Wang Xiuren thought for a moment, "Since they are helping us so much, we should work harder so as not to waste their kindness!"

"That's for sure." Lin Qiu knew what to do without him saying anything, "Go take a shower! Then get ready to eat."

Wang Xiuren heard this and picked up his clothes and walked towards the bathroom.

After dinner, the two discussed it briefly and decided on the general direction of selling popsicles tomorrow.

Since the off-season, the family has not gone out for breakfast. Cook a pot of egg noodles and add a few vegetables reserved from yesterday's dinner. Three people can be full. It tastes good and is economical.

After eating, some go to work, and some go to daycare.

After sending his daughter home, Lin Qiu went to the factory as usual to receive his work for the day. Thinking about what I had to do this afternoon, I pedaled the sewing machine very fast and finished the task before ten o'clock.

The sun was shining brightly outside, and Lin Qiu walked home under the shade of the trees.

She wore a straw hat, a towel around her neck, and pushed her bicycle ready to set off. When she passed by a convenience store, she thought for a moment and bought a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes and put it in her pocket.

The bicycle is a 28-inch men's bicycle, which is a bit big for a petite person and can only be pushed slowly. It took almost half an hour to reach the old popsicle factory in Xixiang.

Perhaps Director Chen had made instructions in advance, so when Lin Qiu heard that he was coming to see Director Chen, a staff member in charge of wholesale immediately ran inside to notify him.

Not long after, Director Chen came out while thanking people.

"Xiao Lin, come here!"

Director Chen walked to the camphor tree not far away, and Lin Qiu immediately followed him pushing the cart.

Director Chen was in his early fifties, not very tall, with a chubby face full of smiles, very friendly, "Xiao Lin, right? Tell me what your plan is?"

"Yes, Director Chen, I'm Lin Qiu." Lin Qiu was a little nervous. "For the time being, I plan to approve it twice a day. This time I will approve 50 old popsicles."

"Then you won't make much money!" Director Chen is very experienced. "You were introduced by Lao Yang, so I'll say a few more words. It's up to you whether you want to listen or not!"

"It's hot in this weather, and it's not easy for you to come and go. Buy a hundred at a time and stand in front of the electronics factory or the school. It won't take long for them to be sold out!" Director Chen looked at Lin Qiu with a smile, "Don't worry about not being able to sell all! Don't just buy the old popsicles. People with money want to eat good and expensive food!"

"Do you know how many people come here to buy ice every day?" Director Chen asked, pointing at the wholesale window.

Lin Qiu shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.

"At least 500!" Director Chen gestured. "In Bao'an alone, there are at least 500 people who come to buy popsicles every day. Even if each person buys 100 popsicles on average, the wholesale window will sell 50,000 popsicles every day, not to mention the shopping malls and convenience stores. This shows how many people there are in Shenzhen now!"

"Although you can only make a few cents from each popsicle, don't underestimate this small popsicle business." Director Chen reminded solemnly, "Although it's a bit hard, the profit is not less than what you can make in the garment factory!"

"Thank you, Director Chen!" Lin Qiu put his bicycle in place, bowed respectfully to him, then took out his cigarette and offered it with both hands, "Thank you, Director Chen, for your guidance. I'll trouble you to accept this small token of my appreciation!"

Director Chen did not refuse. He put the cigarette in his pocket and took Lin Qiu to the wholesale window.

"Xiao Li, find a better insulated box and pack fifty old popsicles, twenty red bean popsicles, twenty green bean popsicles, and ten ice creams!" Director Chen instructed a staff member, "Xiao Li, meet Xiao Lin. He's been here to buy popsicles during this period. Please take care of him when the time comes!"

The female staff member named Xiao Li saluted Director Chen in a playful manner, "Got it! Please rest assured, boss!" She then said to Lin Qiu, "If you have any problems in the future, just come to me directly!"

"Thank you!" Lin Qiu thanked her and tried hard to remember her face.

Not long after, two male staff members carried a popsicle box and placed it on the back seat of Lin Qiu's bicycle, and tied it up with the straps prepared by Lin Qiu.

"Old popsicles are 7 cents each, 10 cents each for green beans and red beans, 15 cents each for green beans and 20 cents each for ice cream, 30 cents each for ice cream," Xiao Li said as he wrote down the order. "Old popsicles are 50, red and green beans are 40 in total, and ice cream is 12.5 yuan for 10."

Lin Qiu quickly handed over the money.

"Okay, I'll go in if it's okay! I wish you a prosperous business!" Director Chen clasped his fist towards Lin Qiu.

Lin Qiu waited until Director Chen went in before pushing the cart away.

The box containing a hundred popsicles was indeed quite heavy. Lin Qiu pushed the box while asking for directions to school. Unexpectedly, he also sold a few popsicles by the way.

When he arrived at the school gate, school had not yet ended, so Lin Qiu pushed his bicycle under the shade of a tree and waited for the bell.

As the bell rang, the students of Xixiang Primary School swarmed out of the school gate. Lin Qiu quickly stood up and shouted, "Popsicles! Ice-cold popsicles!"

When the students heard the shouting, they immediately gathered around.

"Auntie, I want an old popsicle!"

"I want an old popsicle too!"

"I want red bean ice, auntie!"

…

"Don't be impatient, little ones, come one by one!"

Lin Qiu was a little hesitant at first, but he soon got the hang of it and quickly took the popsicles, collected money and gave change.

The children who got the popsicles were happily biting them and chasing each other.

The popsicles in the box were quickly sold out, leaving only the ice cream. Some children didn’t buy popsicles and looked disappointed.

"Little boy, I'm sorry, I didn't bring enough popsicles." Lin Qiu apologized, "I'll come back after school this afternoon and bring more popsicles."

The children could only reluctantly accept, "Auntie, you must sell it to me first this afternoon!"

Lin Qiu could only agree, "Then you must come over quickly after school!"

Just as Lin Qiu was pushing the cart and preparing to leave, teachers from the school came out in twos and threes.

"Madam selling popsicles, do you have any more popsicles now?" a male teacher shouted to Lin Qiu.

It was the first time that Lin Qiu was addressed as Ms. and she felt awkward, but the person was quite polite, worthy of being a teacher.

"We only have ice cream!" Lin Qiu answered loudly, "Do you want ice cream?"

"Please push it over here!" It was still the male teacher.

Lin Qiu pushed the cart over, and the teachers who came over also gathered around. They took turns to eat one popsicle, and soon only one was left out of the ten popsicles.

Lin Qiu planned to eat it himself as a reward for a good start today.

It was almost half past one when he pushed the cart back home. Lin Qiu quickly took a shower and cooked himself some noodles to get by.

Lin Qiu planned to take a nap and then go to make more ice at three o'clock in the afternoon. She asked the children and found out that school would not be over until after four o'clock.

Maybe because he was tired from running this morning, Lin Qiu fell asleep quickly.

She had a dream. In the dream, she sat on a mountain of various popsicles, and banknotes and coins kept falling from the sky.