evening.
Outside the supply and marketing cooperative, a large, dark mass of thirty or forty villagers from Wangcun were carrying heavy loads on their shoulders.
The baskets were full of Solomon's seal and Panax notoginseng, completely blocking the entrance.
Wang Jian, Wang Weiguo, Wang Hongzhao, and about ten others squeezed into the supply and marketing cooperative.
"Comrade, do you buy Polygonatum and Panax notoginseng?" Wang Jian forced a smile and approached the counter.
Mo Qijing looked up. "Yes. These two things have been selling really well lately. How many did you bring?"
"About ten thousand jin, that's about right!" Wang Jian puffed out his chest, quite pleased with himself.
What the heck? Tens of thousands of kilograms? Did they empty the entire Funing County and transport it here?
Mo Qijing's smile froze for a moment, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Young comrade, this is too much. The supply and marketing cooperative can't handle this much."
"Hmm?" Wang Jian's face darkened. "Comrade, don't joke around. How about we get your leader out here and we talk?"
“Talking to the leaders is useless,” Mo Qijing shook her head.
“If you really want to sell, the supply and marketing cooperative can buy 500 catties each of Polygonatum and Panax notoginseng. We'll give you a higher price: 1.6 yuan for Polygonatum and 2.2 yuan for Panax notoginseng.”
Are you kidding me?
Wang Jian pointed to the glass cabinet in front of him and said, "Your supply and marketing cooperative is too greedy! You sell a box of Polygonatum for twenty yuan, but only give us one yuan and sixty cents?"
"How dare you talk like that?" Mo Qijing snapped when she heard Wang Jian call the supply and marketing cooperative heartless. "Take it or leave it. If you're not going to sell, get out of here. We're about to close!"
"What kind of attitude is this? I want to see the leader!" Wang Jian raised his hand and slammed his hand on the counter.
The commotion immediately attracted the attention of the people in the inner office, and several staff members gathered around.
After hearing what had happened, a section chief-looking man gave Mo Qijing a few indifferent words, then turned around and smiled as he tried to smooth things over with Wang Jian and the others.
Wang Jian curled his lip and glanced at Mo Qijing, whose face was full of dissatisfaction. "Hmph, look at that, the leader is still the most sensible. What kind of society is this now? The people are the masters of the country, how dare you look down on us farmers?"
"The young comrade is right. However, we really won't be accepting Polygonatum sibiricum or Panax notoginseng anymore!"
"Huh?" Wang Jian's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he immediately shouted, "Why won't you accept it? Why!"
The section chief still had a smile on his face. "There are still more than a thousand catties in the supply and marketing cooperative's warehouse, enough to sell for one or two years."
"But...but aren't you still selling those boxed Solomon's Seal?"
"You mean herbal gift boxes? Those things aren't produced by our supply and marketing cooperative. Regular customers know we don't sell them here; they're just for display, for decoration only."
For viewing only?
Wang Jian blinked, his mind a little slow to process what was happening.
Wang Hongzhao and his fellow villagers were in a complete panic. If the supply and marketing cooperative wouldn't accept them, then... how would their entire village of nearly four hundred people survive?
"Boss, boss, this little brat was being rude just now!" Wang Hongzhao kicked Wang Jian's butt hard, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Boss, how about we lower the price? Isn't that herbal gift box twenty-one yuan? We'll just take five yuan..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" The section chief waved his hand and shook his head. "Comrade, I've already made myself very clear. The herbal gift box really isn't from our supply and marketing cooperative."
He turned to look at Mo Qijing, "What are you still standing there for? Put those boxes away."
"Oh, oh!" Mo Qijing quickly opened the glass cabinet and deftly took away all four herbal gift boxes.
"Comrades, it's getting late, we need to close up shop."
"You can't leave! You can't go home!" Wang Jian was completely panicked and blurted out, "Zhang Ergou can sell, why can't we? At worst, we'll get a smaller share..."
“Young comrade, you can’t talk nonsense.” The section chief’s face also darkened.
...
In the end, Wang Jian and his group were pushed and shoved out of the supply and marketing cooperative.
The villagers who had been waiting anxiously outside were dumbfounded. Just moments ago, they were happily planning how to spend the money they had earned, but in the blink of an eye, everyone who went in was chased out.
"Hongzhao, what's going on?"
What price will the supply and marketing cooperative offer for our goods?
Listening to the villagers' questions all at once, Wang Hongzhao glared at Wang Jian, who was still looking indignant, and gritted his teeth as he recounted the whole story of what had happened at the supply and marketing cooperative.
These words caused an uproar among the crowd.
The villagers' expressions changed drastically, and several hot-tempered ones immediately rushed forward and grabbed Wang Jian by the collar.
"Jianzi! What did you say back then? You said this business was a sure thing, that's why we followed you! Now the supply and marketing cooperative won't buy it, you, you have to buy these medicinal herbs for us!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Kenko, you have to give us an explanation for this!"
Seeing the villagers' eyes redden, Wang Jian felt a surge of anger. He abruptly shook off the hand that was grabbing his collar and yelled back, "Did I force you to work for me? You're all lying through your teeth, aren't you?"
"Kenko, you can't say that..."
Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Wang Hongzhao knew that if the argument continued, something bad would happen. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Everyone, everyone! Don't panic. The more you panic, the more likely you are to make a mistake! Just because the supply and marketing cooperative won't buy it doesn't mean we can't sell it ourselves! If it really comes down to it, we can just sell it at a lower price!"
Wang Weiguo was trembling all over, his lips were cracked, and he looked at Wang Jian, who was still panting heavily, and asked shakily, "Jianzi, then... what do we do now? Do we really have to carry them to sell ourselves?"
Wang Jian's eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice, "You saw that box in the supply and marketing cooperative just now, right?"
“I saw it!” Wang Weiguo nodded.
"I reckon those boxes were made at the cardboard factory in the county. Let's go to the factory later, get some boxes, and pack them ourselves! I refuse to believe that if he sells them for twenty and we sell them for ten, nobody will want them!"
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