Chapter 226 Cousin
As soon as he entered the door, Liang Kun praised their house for its beautiful decoration and simple and elegant style.
"Have you eaten yet?" Chen Guilan saw that he looked exhausted, as if he had just returned from a journey. Liang Kun smiled sheepishly and said, "To be honest, auntie, I haven't eaten yet!"
"I just cooked some dumplings, let's eat them together." Chen Guilan had already cooked the dumplings, but was worried that they wouldn't be enough, so she went to the kitchen to prepare some cold dishes.
"I heard that my cousin has contracted the Jiaoxian County Market?" Su Jiaojiao came out of the house. She had been doing math problems all day and her head was heavy. She poured Liang Kun a glass of water and asked casually, "How much is the annual contract fee?"
"I was laid off and had nothing to do. My junior high school classmate came to me and said that I was always getting into fights, so I'd be suitable for this job." Liang Kun took the water and smiled. "Before, the village charged for it, but now they want to contract it out. They said they'll first do it for six months to test the water. The fee hasn't been determined yet, but I heard it's between 30,000 and 50,000 yuan."
"Why are they so expensive?" Chen Guilan asked him after she finished cooking the dumplings and brought them out. "Then how much do you make?"
Su Jiaojiao got up and went to the kitchen to get the dishes.
"Aunt, we just make a profit from the price difference." Liang Kun took the dishes and chopsticks. "For example, if the contract fee is 30,000 and we collect 40,000 for closing the stall, then we make 10,000. If we collect 25,000, then we have to lose 5,000."
"We've been to the Jiaoxian Fair, but I don't know how much the stall fee is." Chen Guilan went back to the kitchen and brought out the mixed cold dishes. "Your cousin said today that you have a good business sense. After all, it's better than working."
The three of them sat down to eat.
Chen Guilan makes vegetarian dumplings with leeks, eggs and shrimps. The leeks are green, the eggs are golden, and the shrimps are fresh and fragrant, making them delicious in color, aroma and taste.
Liang Kun said it was delicious. He lived alone in the new house and was hungry one day and full the next, so he didn't eat well.
Liang Wencai called him several times to ask him to go home for dinner, but he refused.
That home no longer belonged to him. That home belonged to Su Xiumei. She now had her own children and was even more indifferent to him. He didn't want to go back and see Su Xiumei's face.
After dinner, we cleaned up.
Su Jiaojiao made more tea, and Liang Kun explained his purpose: "Jiaojiao, you've traveled a lot and have more experience than me. I want you to help me. I've discussed it with my classmate, and he said he won't treat you unfairly. If there's any profit, you can get 30%."
"Oh, she's just a little girl, how could she understand all this?" Chen Guilan pushed Su Jiaojiao away without a second thought. "She'll be taking the college entrance exam soon, so she needs to stay home and study."
"Aunt, don't worry. I know Jiaojiao is preparing for the college entrance exam, so I won't delay her for too long." Liang Kun was a little sleepy after eating, so he leaned on the sofa and said to Su Jiaojiao, "Chinese New Year is tomorrow. The market will remain open on the third day of the Lunar New Year, and we'll redistribute the stalls on the eighth day. We'll draw lots on the seventh day, which means we have to come up with the rules and regulations before the seventh day. We'll have a week to discuss it."
The Jiaoxian Market opens on the third and eighth days of each month.
It is definitely too late before the third day of the first lunar month, so we can only wait until the eighth day.
"Cousin, I can help you with this, but forget about giving me 30% of the profits. I don't have that much appetite." Su Jiaojiao calculated the time and happily agreed, "If you make money, just treat us to a meal."
"We have no experience!" Liang Kun rubbed his hands and said, "Before, the Jiaoxian market was very chaotic. The village was not well managed and the relationships were complicated. That's why we contracted it out. If we managed the market well, we could do this job."
"That's true." Su Jiaojiao nodded and pondered, "I've been to a few markets, but I can't say I have any experience. I can only give you some suggestions."
"How about I take you to the market tomorrow, and then we can come back and discuss it." Liang Kun was overjoyed when he saw Su Jiaojiao agreed. "Jiaojiao, I don't submit to anyone except you. My boyfriend also said that among all my relatives, you are the most reliable and upright."
"Okay, stop flattering me. I'll go with you tomorrow." Su Jiaojiao agreed immediately and went out for a ride.
"It's New Year's Day tomorrow, and you're still running around." Chen Guilan didn't stop them.
The next morning, Liang Kun came to pick up Su Jiaojiao on a motorcycle.
The weather is gloomy, as if it will snow at any moment.
The once bustling Jiaoxian Market has closed, and countless plastic bags are rolling in the wind on the empty ground.
The surrounding villages decorated their houses with lights and colors to welcome the New Year, and bursts of firecrackers could be heard from time to time.
When Su Jiaojiao was selling goods at the market before, she didn’t notice the overall picture of this place.
Now it seems that this site is quite good. It is square, surrounded by roads on all sides, and close to the national highway, so the transportation is well developed.
I have to say that the person who chose the site really put a lot of thought into it.
Liang Kun was a tall, slender young man who had been waiting for them at the market. When he saw Su Jiaojiao, he greeted her enthusiastically, "Hello, hello. Liang Kun and I are classmates. My name is Xu Zhiming, but you can just call me Brother Xu."
"Hello, Brother Xu." Su Jiaojiao shook hands with him openly, and then looked at the burly Liang Kun beside her. They were a good pair, one a scholar and the other a warrior.
The three of them walked back and forth along the field several times.
Su Jiaojiao noticed that there was a bus station across the street in the southwest corner, so she asked Liang Kun, "Where does that bus station go to?"
Liang Kun didn't know either, and Xu Zhiming replied, "That station is newly built. It goes to both the village and the city. In the village, it goes to the westernmost village, and in the city, it only goes to the meat processing plant's staff quarters." "That's enough." Su Jiaojiao had a rough idea. Jiaoxian Market is the biggest market in the entire Jiaoxian City. It has a good geographical location, and people in the surrounding areas like to go to this market. With this train, people from more remote villages can also come.
She pulled a pen and paper from her pocket and carefully sketched out a map of the surrounding streets, the station, and the village. When she was done, she showed it to the two of them, "See if there's anything you need to add."
"That's all." Liang Kun took a look and handed it to Xu Zhiming. Xu Zhiming took it and added two simple words, "There is a sidewalk here, but it's blocked by a row of trees planted on the edge of the site. However, people coming out of the station opposite can see this sidewalk."
"This sidewalk isn't part of the market, but it can serve as a traffic flow, allowing people outside to see the market at a glance." Su Jiaojiao had seen very sophisticated market planning in the imperial capital and was impressed. "It allows those elderly men and women selling farm vegetables and other people who don't have fixed stalls to set up stalls here, and they don't charge any fees."
"I see. It's about letting people see where the market is at a glance." Liang Kun seemed to be lost in thought. He took a pen and paper and drew a circle. He then said to Xu Zhiming, "I've been to the market a few times before. Basically, people from the same industry are crowded together. If there's any vacant space in the middle, those who haven't bought a fixed stall will squeeze in."
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