Chapter 259 A Pie Falling from the Sky
She knew she was just an outsider.
But the Zhou family protected her like a younger sister.
The vegetables in the greenhouse that Zhou Shufen built in Ningcheng are growing exceptionally well.
The rows of neat greenhouses gleamed silver in the sunlight.
The seedlings are neatly arranged on the seedbed, with thick, glossy leaves and well-developed, robust root systems.
By April 28th, the first batch of bok choy had grown to a size suitable for harvesting.
The emerald green leaves still held the morning dew, glistening in the sunlight.
Zhou Shufen picked a handful and gently smelled it.
It was the fresh scent of earth and green leaves, so fresh it was intoxicating.
These seedlings originally grew in her personal space, absorbing special energy, and their vitality far exceeded that of ordinary crops.
After being transplanted to the greenhouse, they adapt very quickly, with almost no recovery period.
What's even more surprising is that they are almost unaffected by pests, saving on pesticides.
It truly achieves green and pollution-free practices.
Zhou Shufen's greenhouse is much less of a hassle; she doesn't have to stay in the field every day to keep an eye on it.
As long as you water it on time and occasionally sprinkle some well-fermented farm manure.
The bok choy seemed to have been given a magical touch, growing rapidly upwards.
But problems arose.
There is a severe shortage of people to pick vegetables.
The rows of vegetables are now ready for harvest.
If we don't harvest them soon, they'll get old and bolt, wasting months of hard work.
She simply went out of the greenhouse and inquired in several nearby villages, telling the villagers about the situation: she finished the work in one day.
Wages are settled on the same day, paid in cash, and there will be no delays.
Who wouldn't be tempted by such a offer?
Many people in rural areas are worried about having no work to do during the off-season.
Having such a stable and easy job right now, and being able to earn money right at my doorstep, is like a windfall.
That afternoon, more than two hundred villagers enthusiastically signed up.
There were men, women, young and old, and many couples came together.
It was still dark, and the first rays of dawn had not yet pierced through the clouds.
These helpers, carrying baskets and bamboo crates, entered the greenhouse area one after another.
Just as dawn was breaking, all the bok choy in the field had already been picked.
Next, they moved the freshly picked vegetables to the sink to wash them.
When Zhou Shufen was building the greenhouse, she casually dug a large pond next to it, which covered half an acre.
It draws water from mountain springs, which are clean, clear, and free of impurities.
Washing vegetables is also very convenient.
Everyone squatted down by the pond, put bundles of bok choy into the water, and gently stirred them with their hands, washing away the mud and sand.
Pay is based on output; the more you do, the more you earn. On average, each person can earn ten yuan.
Don't underestimate ten dollars; in those days, it was a considerable daily income.
Especially in villages, such opportunities are extremely rare.
Although no one said anything expressing their gratitude, they were all secretly making plans in their hearts.
Can I come again tomorrow?
Can you continue to make arrangements for me?
Ideally, there would be work to do every day, then there would be something to look forward to.
When all the dishes were collected and weighed, the number surprised everyone.
A full 480,000 jin!
What no one knew was that in Zhou Shufen's mysterious space, there were nearly 600,000 jin of prepared stock, ready to be put on the market at any time.
After this batch of vegetables arrived at the port area, due to their outstanding quality, each head could sell for a high price of 1.3 yuan, far exceeding the price of ordinary bok choy on the market.
If we only consider the business of bok choy, after deducting various expenses such as transportation fuel costs, labor costs, and fertilizer costs,
Net profit easily exceeded one million yuan!
Zhou Yujie stood by the dock, watching truck after truck loaded with fresh, juicy vegetables drive away.
"Such good vegetables, it would be a huge loss if they were only sold at the price of the regular market."
"What if we go the high-end route? We can make the packaging more exquisite, establish a brand, and enter upscale supermarkets and boutique fresh food stores... doubling the price wouldn't be difficult!"
You should know that the cabbages grown by the Zhou family are not only bright green and shiny, but also have thick leaves and crisp, white stems.
But good food alone is not enough.
Good things need to be appreciated by someone, and there needs to be a way to convince people that they are truly good things.
This involves a series of supporting procedures.
Thinking of this, he immediately thought of Zhou Shufen.
My younger sister studied fashion design and has always had a keen eye for aesthetics and details.
Once this round of vegetables is sold out.
After receiving the payment, he didn't even catch his breath before immediately buying a train ticket and heading straight to Ningcheng.
He pushed open the door, looking travel-worn, without even changing his shoes.
He asked impatiently, "Little sister, what do you think of my idea? Do you think it's feasible to go upmarket and serve high-end dishes?"
Zhou Shufen was sitting at the table looking through a market analysis report and did not immediately respond to her brother's question.
There is no doubt that focusing on the high-end market can indeed bring higher profit margins.
But she also knew that there were considerable troubles behind this path.
First, you need a stable and reliable cold chain transportation fleet to ensure that vegetables stay fresh at low temperatures throughout the journey.
Secondly, professional sales personnel must be employed; simply hiring a few people to promote the products and calling it a day is not enough.
More importantly, someone needs to be specifically responsible for contract review and client liaison.
We also need to monitor market feedback in real time and maintain brand image and user reputation.
If anything goes wrong, at best you'll lose money, at worst you'll destroy the trust that's been painstakingly built.
"Brother, I'm not worried about the food itself."
She finally raised her head.
"Our quality speaks for itself; everyone who's tried it says it's great."
"But what I'm afraid of is the process in between."
Her tone was slightly serious.
"If the transportation is too bumpy, and the vegetables are damaged or several baskets are rotten, they won't be able to be sold when they arrive at the destination, and all the money earned before will be lost."
"And then there's the sales side. If someone uses our name to sell inferior vegetables, customers will think it's our product and come back to complain. The reputation we've built up over the years will be completely ruined."
"Ultimately, what we lack most right now is not ideas or funds, but reliable manpower."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yujie's initial excitement cooled down somewhat.
Only then did he truly realize that he had been so focused on how much money he could make that he had completely overlooked the most crucial question.
"you're right."
He finally spoke, letting out a slow sigh.
“What we’re holding in our hands is clearly a golden rice bowl, a heavy one, enough to support a whole family. But in the end, we haven’t even provided a decent pair of chopsticks. There’s no one to transport the goods, no one to manage it, no one to oversee the process, and no one to share the burden with me. We’re holding such a good business, but it’s like we’re holding a treasure and spinning our wheels in the mud, slipping with every step we take.”
Zhou Shufen nodded.
"It's not just a matter of transporting vegetables. Selling vegetables also requires someone to oversee it; you can't always rely on running around to each store and negotiating with them one by one. In the port city, there are numerous restaurants and supermarkets, and the demand is astonishing. But you can't personally deliver the goods, sign for them, and verify the orders every time you need them, can you? Can you manage to do that? Do you have the time?"
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