Chapter 34 With cotton being bought at such a low price, why don't you just rob it...?
The next morning, Chen Mian slept in late, a rare occurrence for her. As the weather grew colder, she huddled in her warm bed, unwilling to get up.
After a while, I finally managed to open my eyes and saw my friend hurriedly lifting the tent flap and running in.
Li Cuiping reached out and nudged her: "Mumian, wake up! Go check on things upstairs, there's a commotion!"
Chen Mian rubbed her eyes sleepily and lazily pouted at her friend, "Don't shake me. I finally get to sleep in, what do you mean by arguing?"
"Hey, stop dawdling and get up! Ayili's being bullied!" Li Cuiping didn't have time to explain; she just grabbed her friend and pulled her up quickly.
Seeing her anxious expression, Chen Mian, though still unsure of what had happened, quickly got up and dressed, not even bothering to wash her face, before Li Cuiping grabbed her and they ran out together.
The two girls ran all the way, passing through a desolate cotton field after the harvest, and then through a narrow dirt road, finally arriving at the warehouse entrance.
Dilidar was resting at home today. All the work on the farm was finished, and they were just waiting for the buyers to come and purchase the cotton. Aili thought that since it was just selling cotton, she didn't need so many people, so she came by herself.
In front of the warehouse, Ayili was confronting a strange man. She rubbed her temples, looking a bit annoyed. "We've been friends for so many years, buying Hemuti. It's not easy for anyone running a small business. Nothing special has happened this year, so why are you lowering the purchase price again?"
Ayili stood with her hands on her hips, indignantly saying, "The cotton I sold to out-of-town merchants last month cost three yuan and seventy cents per pound, but you, with just a few words, sold it for two yuan per pound!"
"Why don't you just rob me? I'm paying these workers a dollar per pound, plus food and lodging. How can you even say that..."
Seeing this, Maihemuti wasn't angry. He stuck his right little finger into his ear and picked at it a few times, then blew it away with a "whoosh." He replied casually, "Things are different now, Acha. It's because your family is the slowest to pick. The trucks of out-of-town merchants might have already driven all the way to Sichuan."
"If you ask me, Acha, don't argue with me. It's pointless. No one else will come besides me..."
Maihemuti scoffed, "Don't let your new cotton turn into unwanted old cotton, or it won't be worth two yuan anymore."
"you!"
Ayili was so angry that her lips trembled and her body swayed slightly, as if she could collapse at any moment. Fortunately, Chen Mian and Li Cuiping arrived in time and supported her on either side.
Li Cuiping had already started babbling on. She had never lost an argument, except for that one person who was suppressed by bloodline and not included in the ranking. "Pah, I think you're just a toad yawning, what a big mouth you have!"
"The quality of our cotton is renowned throughout the surrounding area. You should be grateful you managed to snag some; don't try to act all high and mighty. People who know you might think you're a businessman, but others might think you're some kind of deity descended to earth. Do we need to set up an altar for you...?"
Li Cuiping curled her lip in disdain: "That's ridiculous, it's not like we're begging you to sell to us!"
The man opposite him was so angry he almost fell over. He rolled up his sleeves and said in a cocky tone, "Who do you think you are? Do you even have the right to speak here? Get out of here!"
Maihemuti shrugged indifferently: "I'm telling you now, take it or leave it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
There's plenty of cotton anyway. If one company isn't willing, there's always another. There's always a fool willing to buy. The lower the purchase price is, the higher his profit will be. How could he not understand such a simple principle?
Ayili was starting to panic. She had talked to other farmers a few days earlier, and they had all been working overtime to harvest and sell their produce in order to catch the last wave of out-of-town merchants.
Only her own farm, in order to ensure the best quality cotton, strictly adhered to the harvesting schedule. This year, the sun wasn't strong enough, so she deliberately delayed starting the harvest, which is why she missed the last wave.
She was very confident in her cotton; few in the entire northern Xinjiang region could compare to hers. However, the timing this year was truly awkward. She knew what kind of person Hemuti was, and she wouldn't have contacted him if there hadn't been a completely different supplier.
There's a saying about buying cotton that's actually quite true: if new cotton is stored in a warehouse for a year, it won't even fetch two yuan a pound, let alone one yuan and fifty cents a pound.
Chen Mian listened quietly to their argument, lowered her eyes and pondered for a few seconds before speaking, "I'm asking you, where do you plan to sell your cotton after you buy it at a low price?"
Upon hearing this, Maihemuti looked Chen Mian up and down a few times. This girl was quite good-looking and seemed well-behaved. He liked her. "Of course she was sold to Sichuan. Where else could she go?"
Chen Mian hit the nail on the head, pointing out the flaw in his statement: "You just said that the trucks of those out-of-town merchants may have already driven into Sichuan. If you buy them now and then spend time driving them to Sichuan, how much profit can you make? I guess, at most two yuan per kilogram."
"That's why you're desperately trying to drive down prices to get more profit margin. But have you ever thought about a way that allows you to earn more profit without having to drive down prices?"
Buying Hemuti piqued his interest, and his expression became serious. Because he always delayed until the last minute to buy cheap cotton, by the time the cotton arrived in Sichuan, it was indeed no longer worth selling it for a good price.
The price was two yuan, but it could only be sold for four yuan per kilogram at most. After deducting the fuel and labor costs on the way, the profit was indeed not high. But what good ideas could this little girl have?
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke again in a much more polite tone, "If you have a good way to help me earn more, I can buy your cotton at this price." He then raised three fingers on his right hand.
Chen Mian was not satisfied and also held up four fingers, "I want this number."
"you!"
Maihemuti was speechless: "Don't push your luck. How good your method is, how much money can you make me, that you dare to ask for so much?"
Chen Mian smiled but remained silent: "I naturally have my own methods, it just depends on whether you dare to take this gamble."
"Okay, four yuan it is. Hurry up and tell me, stop keeping me in suspense."
Seeing that he had agreed, Chen Mian slowly said, "You only know how to copy others when it comes to doing business. They sell to Sichuan because their hometown is there. They bring a truckload of tea and medicinal herbs from Sichuan to Xinjiang to sell, and then bring a truckload of cotton back. Once they've sold everything, it's just in time for the New Year. Nothing is delayed."
“You try to learn from others but don’t learn the essence. You only learn the superficial aspects. You follow behind the Sichuanese, hauling a cart of cotton there, and then come back empty-handed after selling it. No matter how low you push the purchase price, you can only earn a meager living.”
She continued her analysis slowly and methodically, saying that China is such a big country, and it's not just Sichuan province, but the best cotton is only from Xinjiang.
She pointed to the sky, stopping short of saying anything, "Look up, there's such a vast area of Inner Mongolia. Don't they need good cotton? Don't they have money?"
When Maihemuti heard this, he finally realized that he had been narrow-minded, only focusing on his own small area and having a limited perspective.
Seeing that he had really taken it to heart, Chen Mian continued, "You can give it a try this time. You can use our top-quality cotton to open up the market in Inner Mongolia. If you drive fast, you can even bring back a truckload of furs before the New Year. I guarantee you'll make a fortune then..."
With a determined look, Maihemuti slapped his left palm with his right hand, and he made the deal!
"Fine, four bucks it is. You guys go ahead and pack your things. I'll go get the money." Before leaving, he added a harsh threat, "But if I don't make any money this time, or even lose money, then you just wait and see. I'll make you regret it!"
Chen Mian nodded: "Don't worry, I won't run away."
With the matter resolved satisfactorily, Ayili beamed with joy. Li Cuiping looked at her with admiration, shaking her hands up and down, "Mumian, you're amazing! How did you know his profit margin wasn't high?"
Chen Mian shrugged: "It's obvious, he doesn't have the brains, he just imitates blindly."
"So your method can really make him that much money?"
“I didn’t make any guarantees; I just gave him an idea.”
Li Cuiping was somewhat worried upon hearing this, "What if he really comes looking for you to settle accounts with?"
Chen Mian pinched her friend's cheek, "This is not something you, you silly girl, should worry about!"
After she finished speaking, she added, "Next time, you mustn't rush to the front and argue with others again. This time he was somewhat rational, but what if you run into a real thug next time and get angry and beat you up?"
Li Cuiping replied with a grin, "Then I can run! I'm really fast, no one can catch me! Besides, you're here, you wouldn't just stand by and watch me die, would you..."
"You!" Chen Mianmian completely lost her temper, poking her forehead. "Let's go, get to work!"
Ayili never expected that her last batch of cotton could sell for four yuan per kilogram. After the truck carrying the buyer Hemuti left, she pulled Chen Mian aside, her words overflowing with gratitude.
"Girl, I really owe you a lot today, otherwise I might have had to suffer in silence."
Aili said mysteriously, "I still have a lot of good cotton at home. Remember to come over before you leave, and I'll pack some extra for you to take back with you."
The cotton from their shop is of really good quality. It feels very comfortable to the touch before it's even processed. Once it's made into a quilt or a cotton-padded jacket, it's soft and fluffy, and it's incredibly comfortable to use.
Upon hearing this, Chen Mian quickly refused, "Really, there's no need, Acha. I can buy some from you, so you don't need to spend any money."
Ayili frowned: "Why are you being so polite with me, girl? Ayue and I are old sisters, Batuer and Jiyu are good brothers, and now you're getting along well with Dili. We're very close, even closer than the relationship between a mulberry tree and a silkworm."
"It's settled then. I'll go to A-Yue's house and ask for some more goji berries for you to take back with you! You'll be her future daughter-in-law, how can she not give you something when you go home for the New Year?"
Chen Mian's face suddenly flushed red, and she stammered, unable to speak...
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Author's Note: Little Cotton (seriously): You're not allowed to be so impulsive next time!
Cuiping: Oh dear, there you are!
Thank you for your support, my darlings! Sending you lots of love!
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