He turned off the engine, jumped out of the driver's seat, and his face beamed with pride.
"Great! It sold out before noon, and there are even people queuing up who didn't get to buy any!"
"Really?"
Zhang Dazhu squeezed to the front, his dark face filled with disbelief.
"Can cucumbers really sell for one yuan per pound?"
"Why would I lie to you? It's just that it's the grand opening of our new store today, and my older brother gave me a 20% discount."
Su Jianjun took out the stack of banknotes from his pocket and waved them in front of everyone.
"See that? My older brother even gave everyone a bonus!"
The crowd immediately erupted in uproar.
Wu Ermai stared wide-eyed.
"Brother Jianjun, is...is there really a share for us?"
Of course!
Su Jianjun straightened his back.
"My older brother said it's two yuan each, as a thank you to everyone for your hard work these past few days!"
By the moonlight, Su Jianjun began distributing the bonuses.
As banknotes were handed to the workers, these simple farmers wore expressions of disbelief.
Old Wang's voice was choked with emotion.
"This...this is too much to ask..."
"Take it!"
Su Jianjun patted the old man on the shoulder.
"I have to get up early tomorrow to pick vegetables. My brother said if sales are good, the bonus will only increase!"
After the workers left happily, Su Jianjun did not go straight home, but instead went to the small shop at the east end of the village.
Although it was late at night, the shop owner, Lao Wang, still put on his clothes and came out when he heard the sound of the tractor.
"Jianjun? What's up so late?"
"Uncle Wang, I'm sorry to have woken you up."
Su Jianjun smiled apologetically.
"I want to buy something."
He used the remaining money to buy two jin of brown sugar, a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, and a few boxes of matches.
After thinking about it, I added another bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).
These things are nothing special in the city, but they are rare items in the village.
Su Jianjun didn't go home with his things; instead, he went to Grandpa Su's place first.
As soon as I entered the house, I found my father, Grandpa Su, sitting in the main room, smoking a pipe by the light of a kerosene lamp.
"Dad, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Su Jianjun asked in surprise.
The old man exhaled a puff of smoke and squinted at him.
"Waiting for you to come back. How's business?"
Su Jianjun placed the items on the table and excitedly began his report.
When the old man mentioned the anecdote about Quanjude, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"well!"
The old man said repeatedly.
"Our Su family has really made a name for itself this time!"
Su Jianjun pushed the brown sugar in front of his father.
"Father, this is something my eldest brother asked me to bring back. He said it's to help you and Mother recover."
The old man was very satisfied and told his wife to put the brown sugar away.
at the same time.
The atmosphere was equally lively in the Su family courtyard in Beijing.
The kerosene lamp in the main room was lit brightly. Su Yufen sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), with a pile of banknotes and coins spread out in front of her, her fingers quickly manipulating the abacus beads.
Three hundred and eighty-seven yuan and eighty cents!
She finally raised her head, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"Dad, we made so much money in just one day!"
Wang Xiulan was boiling water by the stove when she heard this and almost knocked over the kettle.
"How many?"
"It's almost four hundred!"
Su Yufen repeated herself and picked up the account book to show her father.
"They were all sold for 80 cents a pound. A few pounds were damaged on the way, so I'm clearing them out cheaply..."
Su Jianguo took the ledger, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
This figure was even better than he had expected, indicating that the market for off-season vegetables was larger than he had imagined.
After finishing the accounts, Su Jianguo closed the ledger and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
He thought for a moment and then immediately spoke up.
"Yufen, get up early tomorrow morning and make a batch of tofu with your mother."
Su Yufen was tidying up the banknotes on the table when she heard this and was taken aback.
"Huh? Dad, you mean...we'll do it tomorrow?"
Her tone was full of excitement.
"Yes, strike while the iron is hot. Your second uncle just brought the millstone over today and put it at your tofu shop."
Su Jianguo nodded, his gaze sweeping over his wife and daughter.
"Our vegetables are selling well, and we're sure to have even more repeat customers tomorrow. Tofu is a daily necessity for ordinary people, and selling it alongside vegetables will boost sales."
Wang Xiulan said with some concern.
"Honey, Yufen has only just started learning, I'm afraid..."
"mom!"
Su Yufen interrupted her mother urgently.
"I can do it! I'll start preparing tonight!"
She immediately ran to her father and assured him.
"Dad, don't worry, I'm sure I can make good tofu!"
Seeing his daughter's confident demeanor, Su Jianguo couldn't help but offer a reminder.
"Remember, the most important thing in business is reputation. If you're going to make tofu, either don't, or make it well."
He turned to his wife.
"Xiulan, you should teach her well."
Wang Xiulan sighed, but seeing her daughter's expectant eyes, she nodded.
"Then I'll go soak the soybeans."
It was late at night, but the lights were still on in the Su family courtyard.
Su Yufen squatted in the newly built tofu workshop in the backyard, carefully wiping the newly installed stone mill by the light of an oil lamp.
Her fingers traced the four characters "Su's Tofu" engraved on the stone mill, and a strange excitement welled up in her heart.
"Yufen, why aren't you asleep so late?"
Wang Xiulan walked in carrying a wooden basin full of soybeans, which were already swollen and plump from soaking.
"Mom, I'm so excited, I can't sleep."
Su Yufen took the wooden basin and poked at the soybeans in the water with her fingers.
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