Novelty always attracts people's curiosity, which directly led to Zhang Guodong's first business deal ending an hour and a half before the market closed in the morning. He earned a total of 744 yuan, and after deducting the 200 yuan market fee, he earned 544 yuan!
Zhang Guodong was really pained by the two hundred yuan stall fee.
However, the booming business made the other vegetable vendors next door extremely envious. They were more than just dumbfounded. These vegetables just looked good, so why were they so expensive? And how could anyone buy them at such a high price?
Some people have decided, "Should we raise the price tomorrow too?"
If Zhang Guodong knew what these people were thinking, he'd probably burst out laughing. Zhang Guodong's vegetables were truly unique. Satisfied, he pocketed the money, hopped on his dilapidated tricycle, and hummed a popular song: "I laugh triumphantly, I laugh triumphantly, I'm going home."
At home.
Zhang Zhengrong and Ye Cuihua only learned from their landlord when they returned that their son had gone out to sell vegetables, and they felt very embarrassed. The fact that their son, a college graduate, was selling vegetables was something the elderly couple couldn't immediately accept.
"We'll know when our son gets back and we'll ask him what happened!" Zhang Zhengrong took a puff of his three-yuan cigarette and urged his wife to go home.
Ye Cuihua had something to ask, but after being glared at by Zhang Zhengrong, she suppressed her annoyance and went upstairs to her room.
"Old Zhang, he's only been gone for three hours. Will he be able to sell all those vegetables? Our son won't be back until evening, will he?" Ye Cuihua asked worriedly. "It's snowing heavily now, and there are still cars on the road—"
That's true.
"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, why are you worrying so much!" Zhang Zhengrong said impatiently.
Zhang Zhengrong saw Zhang Guodong's phone next to the TV, but Zhang Guodong's only communication device was still there and hadn't brought it with him, which made Zhang Zhengrong worry.
It's not easy to pedal a pedicab, especially on snowy days when the snow is so deep and the roads are slippery.
“Let him bring it next time!” Zhang Zhengrong said.
The two elders at home were worried, little did they know that Zhang Guodong, in a good mood, was already halfway there and on his way back.
With his first sale going smoothly, Zhang Guodong's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled down. He then cheered up, thinking that the business was finally about to start. However, he was somewhat unwilling to accept that the market management had taken away two hundred yuan from him in just one day.
Think about it, this is inevitable. Once these vegetables have repeat customers, why worry about no one coming to buy them?
It took half an hour to get there, but the return trip was much faster than the outward journey. After parking and locking the car downstairs, Zhang Guodong practically ran upstairs, and by the time he reached the door, he was completely out of breath.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back!" Zhang Guodong said excitedly as he pushed open the door.
Both elders were present, but their faces were filled with worry. Zhang Guodong immediately knew they were concerned about him, and his eyes welled up with tears. However, today was a joyous occasion, and Zhang Guodong didn't want them to see his weakness.
"Ah, Guodong? Why are you back so early?" Ye Cuihua stared in astonishment at her son as he entered, momentarily bewildered. How could he be back so soon? "Did you sell everything? It's alright, we can sell more tomorrow!"
Zhang Guodong suppressed his emotional turmoil, shook his head, and exaggeratedly said, "How could that be? Your son isn't that useless, is he? Dad, Mom, guess how much money I made selling vegetables?"
The two elders exchanged a glance, looking at their son with suspicion. They were certain that their son was acting strangely today.
Making money? In such a short time, they wouldn't even think about how much money they could make. They have a deep understanding of the hardships of earning a little money.
Ye Cuihua touched her son's forehead with her hand, thinking he was delirious because he had a fever.
"It's not burning?" Ye Cuihua asked in confusion.
"Mom, I'm perfectly fine, please sit down, hehe!" Zhang Guodong chuckled, quickly pulling her to sit down. The room was only so big, and sitting down made it feel even more cramped. Zhang Guodong hurriedly pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket; although most of it was ten or twenty yuan bills, it still amounted to a considerable sum.
The two elders' surprised expressions greatly encouraged Zhang Guodong.
"I made a total of 544 yuan today. Hey, the profit margin on these green vegetables is really high! Even after deducting the 200 yuan, the net profit is all here!" Zhang Guodong explained. He gave 200 yuan to Ye Cuihua and then took out another 200 yuan. "Mom, you keep these 400 yuan safe. From now on, I'll give the family 200 yuan every day!"
"Guodong, did you really earn this from selling vegetables?" Zhang Zhengrong asked seriously, unlike Ye Cuihua, who was more excited.
He was a little incredulous that selling vegetables from a tricycle could earn so much in a day, fearing his son might go astray. It would be a lie to say he wasn't excited about the money, but he was worried it might be ill-gotten.
Zhang Guodong understood his father's thoughts, so he said, "Dad, don't worry. Our Zhang family wouldn't stoop to such crooked means. If you don't believe me, come with me tomorrow and you'll see. The vegetables I sell are of better quality, so the price is higher. It's very difficult to transport vegetables from the south to the north these days, so the price has always been high, and it's very profitable!"
After some questioning by Zhang Zhengrong and Ye Cuihua, they finally felt temporarily relieved. Living as dependents was never easy; the family teetered on the brink of poverty every day. So, having hope for the future made them very happy.
In the evening, Ye Cuihua went out to buy groceries and happily cooked four dishes when she came back: stir-fried tofu with tomatoes, shredded pork with garlic sauce, wood ear mushrooms and winter melon, and pickled fish. These were simple home-style dishes, but they tasted quite good.
After enjoying a pleasant meal, Zhang Guodong and Zhang Zhengrong chatted.
After understanding the purpose of Taoyuan, Zhang Guodong had a general plan in mind. To survive in this provincial capital, he needed a plan and clear goals. He was currently short of money, otherwise he would have liked to find a storefront to run, specializing in vegetables, and he would have made a lot of money.
That carefree, idealized life was what Zhang Guodong longed for most. A little money, no worries about spending, and he could get by. When he had the means, he'd buy some land, build a small mountain villa, and live the life of a carefree immortal? Zhang Guodong was quite influenced by online novels.
That evening, Zhang Guodong and Zhang Zhengrong shared a small sip of wine. The bulk wine had a spicy taste, which Zhang Guodong wasn't used to, so he simply bought a pig's head, mixed it with the wine, and it tasted quite good.
The next day, Zhang Zhengrong and Ye Cuihua took their son's advice and went out for a walk. As Zhang Guodong said, they should walk around and buy whatever they wanted. Their family's money would only increase in the future, and they could also take their time to look for suitable shops.
That's just an excuse.
Zhang Guodong envisioned a shop that would be completely out of place in the city; it should be a garden with two or three tiled houses, a few acres of land to keep out of sight, and a pond...
Obviously, in the provincial capital, land is incredibly valuable, and without money, you can't get anything done.
After Zhang Guodong and the other two elders left, they also got on their tricycle and went out the door. They found a shady spot under a tree where no one came and no one paid attention, so they simply brought their tricycle into Taoyuan.
Another batch of tomatoes and green peppers ripened, their vibrant red and green color making them very appealing. In just over half an hour, I picked more than I did yesterday, filling two baskets to the brim. As for the other basket, the cabbages were too big, so I simply put about ten cabbages in the car basket and covered them with a blanket.
After Zhang Guodong finished all this, he realized that the pits on the purplish-black soil were too conspicuous. He thought to himself, why not just plant tomatoes and green peppers instead? Chinese cabbage was too much trouble.
Zhang Guodong is a lazy man, and so is he when it comes to farming. Fortunately, Taoyuan is special; once the seeds are sown, there's no need to worry about them anymore. And as it turns out, laziness can be taken for granted.
After planting tomato and green pepper seeds on the vacated land, Zhang Guodong hopped on a pedicab and drove out of Taoyuan. Looking around and finding no one, he rode the pedicab towards the large vegetable market.
"Phew!" It really does feel a bit like being a spy. Picking vegetables and such is inconvenient. Staying in the hallway for too long might attract attention.
On his second visit, Zhang Guodong was stopped by a returning customer before he even entered the market.
"Young man, why are you so late today?" A woman in her forties got out of the car. She was dressed in expensive clothes and was clearly a wealthy woman. She had kind eyes and was obviously the type of virtuous wife and loving mother.
Zhang Guodong said apologetically, "I'm a little late today, sorry to have kept you waiting!"
The other person didn't seem to mind, smiled, and said, "It's alright, your vegetables are good. I bought a little less yesterday, and my family ate them all when I got home. I'll buy more today!"
"Okay, sure!" Zhang Guodong quickly got out of the car. He had to take good care of this customer; he wouldn't even need to go back to the market. Those two hundred yuan were a real pain for Zhang Guodong.
It's quite an interesting scene to see a woman driving a million-dollar car stopping a pedicab to buy groceries.
After the customer weighed out four pounds of tomatoes, three pounds of large green peppers, and two heads of cabbage, they also asked for Zhang Guodong's phone number. This made him realize that keeping in touch by phone was also important; otherwise, if he didn't go to the market, he wouldn't be able to find his repeat customers. He didn't care how much money it cost.
Passersby couldn't resist their curiosity and followed along.
As a result, Zhang Guodong was not idle at all. All the vegetables were sold out, which left him a little dumbfounded. The price was not cheap, but the sales were unstoppable. Some people who did not buy any were complaining that there were too few vegetables. They were also wondering if the vegetables were really that delicious. However, the appearance was indeed rare. They were shiny and outshone similar products.
It looks delicious; I'm already looking forward to eating it.
Moreover, I saved 200 yuan in stall fees!
Seeing this, Zhang Guodong quickly said, "Everyone, we've sold out of vegetables for today. If you enjoyed the food, please call this number later!"
Zhang Guodong quickly left his phone number.
Although the business is relatively small, it's still a brand, and Zhang Guodong is quite clever in this respect.
Half an hour later, Zhang Guodong was still dizzy when he kicked his way back. Today was truly unexpected; it seems these vegetables are indeed extraordinary. Also, there are definitely quite a few wealthy people these days.
I saved 200 yuan on rent today and made 938 yuan, which is almost 1,000 yuan! All of this 938 yuan is profit; the cost is negligible.
Zhang Guodong was overjoyed to have more than 1,200 yuan in his pocket in just two days.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com