Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Yes, of course I would
If you patronize Fan's vegetable shop, you can save two cents on every twenty cents you spend on vegetables, four cents on every forty cents you spend, and so on...
Kanghe originally planned to do the business for five days, but the location of the shop was not convenient, so they could only give up the profit in the early stage to promote the business, and the five-day discount was extended to the seventh day.
Everyone in the family and even the employees were familiar with this new business.
At first, Kang He and Fan Jing led them hand in hand. In the afternoon, Fan Jing led Yi Huan and Er Xi to the fields to pick fresh vegetables. After picking them, they brought them back to the house. Chen Sanfang took people to deal with the yellow leaves in the corners, packed them up, and sent them into the city.
The weather is cool in early March, so it is okay to leave the vegetables picked the day before overnight. When the weather gets warmer, they must be moved into the cellar for storage.
Nowadays, the melons and vegetables are transported to the city by Fan Jing and Yi Huan and Er Xi. Kang He leads Xie Xiaoliu and Qiao'er to put the melons and vegetables on the shelves.
During the day, it was the three of them who managed the shop and greeted customers.
The vegetable shop has been doing brisk business for the past seven days. It has been relying on patronage to attract customers during these days. The actual business performance will only be revealed after the opening discount ends.
That day, it was exactly seven days after the visit. In the morning, Xie Xiaoliu counted the shelves and found that there was nothing wrong. As usual, he went to get tea leaves and boiled a pot of coarse tea and placed it at the door of the shop.
I suddenly remembered that today's visit has passed, and I saw that the two kilograms of tea I bought when the store opened were almost gone, which would be useful.
Seeing that Kang He had not come yet, and hearing that he had sent Master Dafu to school, he saw Qiao Er wiping the shelf carefully with a handkerchief, and asked loudly:
"Sister Qiao'er, we don't have much tea left in our shop. We won't be patronizing you from today, or we can just skip the tea."
Qiao'er stopped what she was doing when she heard that, and turned to Xie Xiaoliu and said, "Young man, you want to shirk your duties with such a small task? You're really stupid. If you make tea, others can enjoy it, but you can also work in the shop, shouting and being thirsty all day, right?"
Xie Xiaoliu smiled innocently, "Sister, you're wronging me. I didn't mean to avoid this job. Boiling the soup with just a handful of firewood isn't a big deal. I just thought the tea would be used up quickly. If we had to keep it every day, wouldn't we be at a loss?"
Qiao'er said, "It's a good thing that you're thinking about the shop, but look at our location. It's at the end of Guixiangfang, and you can only enter but not exit. People don't like to go back when they go shopping."
"We set up a pot of tea at the end of the street. Over time, many people gradually knew that we had free tea here. Then people who had worked hard or were thirsty on the go would come to us to save a copper or half a copper to buy a bowl of tea outside."
"Vegetables are eaten by both the rich and the poor. Since they've come all this way to have tea, and seeing that the vegetables are fresh, they might come in and buy a few. There are also those who feel they owe someone a favor after eating, and they'll repay the favor by buying vegetables from our shop."
Xie Xiaoliu thought there was some truth to this, and he said to Qiao'er, "After all, my sister has been doing business in the city for a long time, so she's willing to sacrifice a small profit to attract business. I'm still a small-minded country girl."
Qiao'er laughed: "You are always good at talking."
"From now on, when people come to drink tea, whether they buy food or not, you must not show a bad face. Now that you have the food, be generous. There are many unreasonable people in the world, but most of them are honest people. They know how you treat them."
Xie Xiaoliu nodded and said, "Well, I've learned my lesson."
"Just study hard. Big Brother and Brother-in-law have high hopes for you. Otherwise, they wouldn't have called you to work in the new shop at your age."
Xie Xiaoliu was delighted to hear this and said, "I've noted it down. I'll go make some tea now."
"If the shop's out of tea, you can go buy some. I noticed there's a tea shop near the main road in our market, it seems to be called Yao's Tea Shop at the corner of Guixiangfang Lane, and it's doing really good business.
Just remember to keep a record of the money you spend, or you might not be able to explain yourself when Big Brother comes to check the bill."
Xie Xiaoliu said, "I may have made some mistakes in other matters, but I will never be careless in keeping accounts when it comes to spending money."
"Go ahead and do your thing."
Xie Xiaoliu went into the backyard, Qiaoer picked up the cloth and continued with her work. Her mother said that for a shop, no matter what business it does, cleanliness is the most important thing.
When people step into a shop, the first thing they notice is whether the shop is clean. If it is clean, it will give people a good impression.
She was wiping the shelves carefully, but she didn't notice a woman with a basket coming outside the shop.
The woman's surname was Hao. She had been there for a while and had just heard the girl scolding the waiter. Most of what she said was smart and reasonable, so she interrupted her without saying a word.
He just looked at the people and said that before walking into the shop.
"Ma'am, you're here so early. Our vegetable market has only been open for a while. What would you like to buy? We have a wide variety of vegetables."
When Qiao'er saw the guests coming, she hurried over to greet them.
Only then did Madam Hao see clearly what the girl who spoke and acted in an orderly manner looked like. She had long willow-shaped eyebrows, a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes, a slim and smooth figure, and was wearing a fine gray dress with a curved hem and a floral scarf around her waist. She looked energetic and yet still girlishly pretty.
"I heard there's a new vegetable shop here, so I came to check it out today to do some shopping. The vegetables in your shop are really fresh, no wonder my neighbors praised them so much and recommended me to buy from them."
Qiao'er smiled and said, "It's rare for you to come and visit. Although the patronage period for the shop's opening has expired, if you choose to buy it, I will try to give you as little as possible."
Madam Hao said, "Young lady, you really know how to do business. I wonder if this vegetable shop is owned by you?"
"How could I have such a talent? The shop was run by my brother. I had nothing to do, so I came here to help look after it."
Madam Hao asked, "Young lady, are you not married yet?"
Qiao'er always knew that these women loved to gossip, so she was patient. She smiled and said, "If I were married, I wouldn't be wasting my time in your shop."
"Most of them are capable young ladies, and they are also beautiful. I am afraid that the threshold of their homes will be broken down by matchmakers."
Madam Hao said, "A young lady like this has high standards, so she should choose the best person as her match."
Qiao Er smiled shyly, "My lady, you are teasing me. Marriages like this are always decided by the family."
Madam Hao also laughed. She knew that a girl who was able to run a business outside before getting married was not an inattentive girl. Everything was decided by her family.
As the two were talking, Madam Hao bought a basket of melons and vegetables. When she left, she also took a turtle with her, saying that she would take it back to make soup.
Qiao'er saw that the lady's clothes were made of good materials, and she bought a turtle worth more than a hundred yuan without hesitation. She guessed that the lady's family was well-off. She heard that she lived nearby, so if she was polite to her, maybe she could become a regular customer.
When Kang He and Fan Jing came, the business was already well underway. They were invited by Master Xu to discuss Dafu's trip to the provincial capital for the exam in April.
The provincial examination will be held on the seventh day of April. It takes three days to get there one way from Luan County. The child is still young, so it is best to arrive three to five days in advance to allow Dafu to get familiar with the environment of the provincial capital.
By this calculation, we have to set off at the end of March.
Six candidates from Xu's school passed the county examination. Dafu was the youngest, and the youngest of the other students was thirteen. Three of them traveled together, one had relatives in the provincial capital, and one had someone sent by his family to see him off.
Master Xu looked at what they planned for Dafu. If they sent someone to take him to the private school, he wouldn't have to worry about it. If the child went by himself, he could stay with his classmates, which would be safer.
Kang He and Fan Jing were worried about Dafu going to take the exam with his classmates. Although they knew that Dafu was always kind, sensible and independent, he had never left Luan County since he was a child. How could his family feel at ease if he had to go to the provincial capital all by himself?
Instead of teaching your child to walk with his classmates, which makes the whole family worried, it is better to assign someone to take Dafu to take the exam. The round trip time, including the exam time, will only take half a month.
After some thought, the couple decided that Fan Jing would send Dafu there.
The family business needs someone to look after it, and Fan Jing is not good at business, so Kang He has to stay.
Besides, when going out, Fan Jing, a martial artist, is more suitable.
That's how it was settled.
"Is business going well?"
Kang He went into the shop to take a look and saw Xie Xiaoliu was replenishing the stock.
Qiao'er said, "It's still good, but without the profit margin, it's not as good as the past few days."
Kang He responded, "It's always like this. It's rare that business is still as good as before after the opening hours. Just be patient. Business doesn't last overnight."
After saying that, Kang He went to count the accounts of the previous seven days. Judging from the gross profit alone, it was quite considerable. He earned more than six strings of cash in seven days. However, this was also because the shop was still selling seafood, and the price of soft-shelled turtles was expensive. If it was just the profit from selling melons and vegetables, the profit would not be much.
The sales of melons and vegetables are based on small profits but quick turnover, which is different from selling fresh meat.
Kang He estimated that he could make a net income of about ten strings of cash a month, which would be good. It was not much on a monthly basis, but on an annual basis, he could make a hundred strings of cash a year, which was not a small amount.
However, this is just Kanghe's expectation. Business cannot develop entirely based on its own plans. It may exceed or fall short of expectations.
But he didn't worry too much about these things and just focused on the things in the shop.
I was thinking of some ways to do business better, but the most important thing was to keep the vegetables fresh.
This is not difficult. According to the rule of picking the vegetables the night before and selling them the next day, their vegetables are very fresh.
Vegetables, like pork, cannot be stored for a long time. They may be fresh on the second day and fine on the third day when the weather is warm and cool. But if you put them on the fourth day, they will turn yellow and lose their freshness.
However, Kang He was not worried. He only sold vegetables that were fresh for two days in the shop, and on the third day he would sell the unsold vegetables at a discount.
If the vegetables are not sold out even at a discount, they will be taken back to the countryside on the fourth day.
The large houses in the countryside also raise hundreds of thousands of livestock and poultry, and they are worried that there will be no place to consume the stale vegetables, which means there will not be enough to eat.
Over time, city residents who shop in this area will be able to compare and tell which nearby store has better vegetables.
Kang He's plan paid off. After the shop was open for about half a month, the residents living in the surrounding alleys had already figured out their habits.
Gradually, even people who lived farther away were willing to come and buy vegetables.
The man carried a basket and came over to the door to pour himself a bowl of tea and drink it all. He then rested his feet on a stool against the wall before going into the shop to buy some vegetables.
"My legs aren't very strong, so every time I come to your shop I have to rest and catch my breath. Even though it's a bit troublesome, I'm willing to come. Your vegetables are fresh every day, and there are no rotten or yellow-leaved ones that weigh down the price."
"The best vegetables are sold for two days, and then on the third day they're sold at a low price. The vegetable market at the entrance of our alley hasn't lowered its prices for three or four days, not to mention two. They only give a discount if you're picking out the best from the rotten ones. The ones with black heartworms are like worms growing in the vegetables, and they're really disgusting."
The old woman muttered about the shortcomings of other shops and praised Fan's Vegetable Shop again.
Well-off families buy fresh produce, while poorer families like to get a bargain. They are happy to go to Fan's Vegetable Market to buy vegetables from the first one or two days. Most of them are in great demand and are sold out within two hours.
The purchasing staff of the small restaurant had their eyes on the discounted vegetables and was eager to ask the vegetable store to supply them with vegetables at such prices, but Kang He did not agree.
Firstly, he didn't have that many stale vegetables to sell to restaurants. Secondly, this was a way for their shop to attract ordinary customers. If they gave all the vegetables to restaurants, how would they make any money?
You can’t make much money from selling discounted vegetables, but the shop is owned by the owner and doesn’t have to worry about rent, so they dare to do this.
In the blink of an eye, it was late March and the business of the vegetable shop was slowly getting back on track. Fan Jing also had to pack up and prepare to take Dafu to the provincial capital to take the exam.
A long journey inevitably requires advance preparation. The cart was ready, and the animal chosen for the journey was a mule, which was faster than donkeys and oxen, but not as ostentatious as horses. Early in the morning, Mou Dalang selected a strong and steady mule and took good care of it.
"I heard from Brother Daxin that the weather in the capital is warmer than in Luan County. I think it will be warm in late March and early April, but the weather is unpredictable. If there are several days of spring rain, it will still be cold. It's better to prepare two sets of thick clothes for winter."
Kang He helped pack the boxes and carefully prepared clothes for Dafu, clothes for Fan Jing, and daily necessities.
Seeing Kang He bring out two large boxes of stuff, Fan Jing couldn't help but say, "He's only gone for half a month, and with so much luggage, it's like moving house."
He picked up his toothbrush, tooth powder, and bath beans. "Most inns have these supplies already. There's no need to bother bringing them."
"Many inns out there sell inferior goods, and if you encounter a black-hearted one, the food is not clean. You can't help but feel uncomfortable if you use it."
Kang He said, "You are frugal when you go out and stay at a cheap inn, so it is easy for you to encounter the situation I described."
Fan Jing retorted, "Take Dafu to the exam, and I'll find a good inn to stay at."
Kang He laughed when he heard this: "How great! Are you willing to spend two guan per night?"
Fan Jing spread out his hands: "Then give me all your private money, and I can live here too."
Kang He patted his palm and said, "Where do I get my own private money? I've always made it clear to you how much money I have on hand."
When Dafu came back from school, he went to the main courtyard to look for Kanghe and Fan Jing, and heard them arguing in the house.
Knowing that his father would take him to the provincial capital for the exam, he was both happy and felt that he had put a lot of effort into his family's new business. They had just started a new business, and they still had to contribute to his work.
Because he was sensible, he had a thoughtful personality, but he knew in his heart that his father and younger brother loved him very much and were happy to take care of him, so he felt at ease.
But he still decided that since he was not familiar with the way to the provincial capital this time, he would be more independent when he took the exam in the provincial capital in the future, so his unfilial father and little father would come to send him off.
"After school?"
Kang He knocked on the door and saw Dafu coming in. He smiled and said to him, "Come and see if there is anything you left behind."
Dafu went over to look at the box and found that everything was complete.
"I've only packed your daily necessities. You're responsible for which books you need, and how much pens, ink, and paper you need. Daddy and Little Daddy don't know about these things, and I'm afraid you won't understand them after all."
Dafu nodded and said, "I've packed some of them and put them in the bookcase. I've been looking through the ones I use most often these past few days while going to and from school. I'll seal them back in the bookcase the day before I leave. Daddy and Little Daddy, please don't worry about my school supplies. I know everything."
On March 26th, just as the sky was getting light, Fan Jing took Dafu and set out from the county to the provincial capital.
The official roads are smooth all the way. During the past two months, the patrols in the provincial capital and local counties have been stricter than usual, so as to make it easier for students to take the exams. There is no time more peaceful than now, so there is nothing to worry about.
Despite this, Kang He still drove the carriage and sent her husband and son for a while to the nearest post station on the official road.
"Let's go back. It's inconvenient to go back any further."
Fan Jingjin was wearing a black robe with tight sleeves and carrying a longbow, looking very energetic and capable.
The somewhat numb and cold look between his eyebrows when he was young has now become more humane, and that energy has turned into a rare heroic spirit.
Kang He knew that even if they were sent thousands of miles away, they would eventually part ways, but he did not act as reluctant to part as a young man would.
He just held Fan Jing's hand, tightened it, and then loosened it: "Take good care of Dafu, and take good care of yourself."
Fan Jing responded, "Go back and comfort Xiaofu. I didn't wake him up when I left today, I'm afraid he'll make a fuss."
Kang He said, "Don't worry, that child's emotions always come and go quickly."
Dafu saw that his father and little father had finished talking, so he came out from the carport and said, "Dad, I will definitely study hard for the exam. I will just wait for little father and I to come back."
Kang He patted Dafu's head and said, "Relax and don't push yourself too hard. No matter what your grades are, Daddy and Little Daddy are proud of you."
After a few brief words, Kang He got off the car and watched Fan Jing drive away in front of the post station. He waved to Dafu who was leaning out of the car window. The spring flowers were in full bloom, but he felt a little melancholy in his heart.
Only after the car disappeared did Kang He take a ox cart back to the city.
After driving for a while, Fan Jing, who was driving, turned back to take a look. He knew in his heart that he would not see Kang He anymore.
It was Da Fu who was in the car who noticed the look on his face as he turned around.
"Little Dad, I'm a little tired from reading, so I'll come out and drive with you for a while."
Upon hearing this, Fan Jing slowed down the driving and asked Dafu to come out and sit down.
Dafu looked outside and saw the crisp and tender fragrance all along the way in spring.
He said, "No wonder whether it's Dad or Little Dad driving, the other one always likes to sit outside. I've seen it all since I was little, but I never understood why. But after sitting outside for once today, I realized it's because the air is fresher and the view is so much wider."
Upon hearing this, Fan Jing smiled slightly.
Dafu noticed his expression and asked, "Am I wrong?"
Fan Jing looked up at the clear sky and said a few more words, "You are still young. When you grow up and meet the right person, you may have different feelings."
Dafu roughly knew what Xiaodie was talking about. Although he didn't understand or feel the same way as Xiaodie said, his heart still felt full and warm because of Xiaodie's words.
He asked Fan Jing, "Does Xiao Dad miss Daddy? Will you miss him when you go to the capital?"
"Um."
Fan Jing responded without denying or hiding it.
Hearing this, Dafu pursed his lips and smiled...
On this side, Kang He had already arrived home.
"Wow, Daddy is so mean, I don't want to be friends with him anymore...Wow...Seventh Brother, where did this meat bun come from? The filling is so delicious."
"Woo woo, little daddy and brother, have you eaten before leaving?"
When Kanghe returned to the yard, Xiaofu had already woken up and was eating breakfast in the side room. He was holding a big meat bun in his hand, but his cat-like eyes were red and there were two strings of tears hanging on his face.
She was crying on one side and chewing a steamed bun on the other. It was really infuriating and funny.
"When did I offend you again? Why are you not friendly with me anymore?"
Kanghe walked into the house.
Seeing Kang He coming back, Xiaofu frowned and snorted angrily, "If you hadn't woken me up, I wouldn't have sent my brother and little dad off!"
Kang He coughed lightly and went to sit next to Xiao Fu. "I wanted to call you. But my brother told me not to. He said he was afraid you wouldn't be able to leave after seeing you. That's why I left while you were sleeping."
"real?"
Kang He wiped the tears from the little guy's face and said, "It can't be fake. If you don't believe me, just ask your brother when he comes back."
Xiao Fu said fiercely, "Daddy, please don't try to fool me. I'll ask my fifteenth brother to write a letter and ask."
"Okay, okay, just teach Brother Fifteen to write you a letter."
He reached out and picked up Xiaofu: "Wipe your little face. Daddy will take you to the shop to play today."
Xiaofu was delighted to hear that he could go out. He hugged Kanghe's neck and said, "Then I want to go to the pork shop. Uncle Shili said before that he would teach me to ride a mule when I grow up."
“You haven’t grown up yet.”
Kang He said, "There are no mules in the shop."
Xiaofu started to make a fuss again: "I want it, I want it. I've grown from three to four, why haven't I grown up yet?"
"Okay, okay, you've grown up, you've grown up already. Just ask Uncle Zhang to take you for a ride."
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