Chapter 93 Please Give Us a Year (Bug Fix): Grain can be exchanged for natural gas!
The reporter Zhang from the People's Daily only learned about this event, initiated by Chinese businessmen, from a colleague at the Romanian newspaper Pravda.
Actually, the Pork Festival is a traditional festival in Romania. Every February, various places organize butchers to hold pig-slaughtering competitions, and then the slaughtered pork is made into various delicacies.
However, in the past two years, due to the political turmoil in the country, and most importantly, the privatization of rural land, the original collective economic model has gone bankrupt, and no one can say for sure who should continue to organize this activity.
In addition, farmers' enthusiasm for production has been dampened, making them even less inclined to put effort into this matter.
In the end, after going around in circles, it turned out that Chinese traders in Bucharest heard about it and thought it was a good idea to organize this activity.
After all, humans have mouths, and while not everyone can speak, everyone can eat.
Upon hearing this, reporter Zhang was immediately intrigued.
What a great news story! It's an event organized entirely by the people themselves.
What does this show? It shows that the people of China and Romania share a deep friendship that remains steadfast even after regime changes.
Without hesitation, reporter Zhang set off from Bucharest early in the morning with his colleagues from Pravda to attend the pork festival in the countryside.
Now, they stood in front of the stall, eating Chinese-style fried vegetable skewers and fried sausages. Although they hadn't seen the pig being slaughtered yet, everyone was already very interested.
To be fair, rural development in Romania is quite good. The state has built residential areas for farmers in concentrated clusters, and the houses are very new.
When the reporter saw Wang Xiao walking towards him, he waved and greeted him happily: "Mr. Wang, you're here too, what a coincidence."
His bright smile froze in less than three seconds because Wang Xiao cut to the chase and asked him a favor.
The topic he had painstakingly finalized was about to fall through because Wang Xiao asked him not to do in-depth reporting on the Chinese business community in Romania.
Even if they deserve to be praised and admired.
“There are far too few channels for people in China to learn about foreign countries,” Wang Xiao emphasized earnestly. “If the People’s Daily were to say that Chinese businessmen are doing well in Romania, I bet at least one percent of the readers would be eager to try it and rush to Romania immediately. China has a billion people, and even if it’s only one-thousandth of them, that’s still a million. One percent is ten million, while Romania only has a total population of twenty million.”
The reporter Zhang from the People's Daily was pleased, because Wang Xiao's implication was that all Chinese people read the People's Daily and trust it implicitly.
Of course, this is impossible. Even though print media is very developed now, it is estimated that at most one-tenth of the Chinese population currently has the habit of reading newspapers.
But 100 million readers is still an astonishing number.
Reporter Zhang was still reluctant to give it up because he felt it was an excellent topic that would cause a sensation and attract a lot of attention.
This was what his professional instincts as a journalist told him: no one likes mediocrity.
The People's Daily is full of talented people, so it's not easy for him to be sent on a business trip to Romania.
He certainly hoped to return home with good topics, rather than writing a bland article like "A Visit to Bucharest".
After all, who would be interested in Bucharest these days?
Even though Ceaușescu was once the most familiar leader of the socialist bloc to the Chinese people, and newspapers and radio broadcasts reported on him extensively.
But that was all in the past.
In fact, probably very few Chinese people know who the current leader of Romania is, and they don't care.
It's actually outdated.
Reporter Zhang tried to persuade Wang Xiao: "They deserve to be publicized and praised. In China, self-employed individuals are always misunderstood and labeled with all sorts of stereotypes. But they started from scratch and accomplished what many large domestic enterprises couldn't achieve abroad. Now that the country is focusing on economic development, they are positive role models. As the media, we should report on such outstanding examples."
Wang Xiao directly asked him, "Reporter Zhang, may I ask you why you wanted to come and interview them?"
Without hesitation, reporter Zhang replied, "Because they did a good job, they spontaneously organized a pork festival and became one with the Romanian people."
Wang Xiao maintained her smile: "Then can I understand that their success is because of this pork festival? Because they did things outside of their usual profession as vendors, that's why they got attention?"
The colorful kiosks on the streets of Bucharest are a sight to behold for anyone who enters the city.
It's impossible that reporter Zhang didn't see it, but before that, he had no intention of interviewing the black marketeers.
He only became interested in this group because of a pork festival.
Wang Xiao continued slowly and deliberately: "As a result of this report, a lot of Chinese people came all at once. They are now the competitors of these merchants."
After everyone knows the whole story, do you feel that it was because you were meddling, because you wanted to build good relations with the locals, and because you wanted to continue the traditional friendship between China and Romania, that you ended up causing trouble for yourself?
So, after this experience, what will they do next? I'm a businessman, and from a businessman's perspective, everyone hates trouble. To avoid further trouble, they won't do anything similar again. After all—”
She smiled and said, "The more you do, the more mistakes you make, so it's better not to do anything. In any case, maintaining the friendship between the two countries is not really the responsibility of ordinary people."
Wake up, bro.
Now that Eastern Europe has changed its flag, we can no longer use the phrase "good socialist brothers."
At this critical juncture, it is of utmost importance for the people to exert their efforts.
Do you still want to cut off this path?
"and--"
Wang Xiao frowned slightly. "So many Chinese businessmen have suddenly flooded in, and their sourcing channels are all pretty much the same. In order to make their businesses thrive, a price war is almost inevitable."
Initially, it might have been healthy competition, but as the saying goes, "in a big forest, you'll find all kinds of birds." Later on, in order to beat competitors on price, cost-cutting became inevitable. What kind of goods had the lowest cost? Counterfeit and substandard goods.
The government is now saying it will focus on two things: economic development and cracking down on crime. Counterfeit and substandard goods can't find a market domestically, so they'll try every means to ship them overseas, as long as there are channels.
If that happens, the image of superior quality that Chinese goods have painstakingly built up in Romania over decades will be easily destroyed.
On that day, China's national image will also be tarnished.
She has now discovered that when speaking to officials or those representing the government, you shouldn't talk about the economy, because that's not their primary focus.
You're more likely to resonate with them if you talk about politics and international influence.
At least now, reporter Zhang no longer insists on doing this story, but instead questions her: "They haven't done anything shameful, so why should we keep hiding them and burying their stories?"
"Give us a year."
Wang Xiao said seriously, "We need at least a year to establish social rules for Chinese businessmen. This way, when newcomers enter the market, they will follow the established rules and know how to behave. With these constraints in place, they won't ruin the livelihoods of all Chinese businessmen."
Reporter Zhang pressed further, "How do you plan to establish these rules?"
“Currently, most of the Chinese businesspeople who come to Bucharest are fellow villagers or relatives of those who came last year. Bringing people here means taking responsibility for them and teaching them how to abide by the rules here. Over time, this forms the rules of the Chinese business community.”
Wang Xiao said earnestly, "This way, it's just like in a factory, where masters guide apprentices and seniors mentor newcomers, which makes it less likely for things to go wrong."
It's a lie to say that Chinese people have a weak sense of rules.
In fact, Chinese people are very sensible. As long as the rules are strict enough, they are the easiest to manage anywhere.
Rather than letting the police handle it, they should do it themselves first.
Reporter Zhang sighed: "If that's the case, then doesn't that mean you've made it your territory, and outsiders can't come?"
“Of course you can come,” Wang Xiao said with a smile. “The earliest people who came here to do business all got on the wrong train and arrived by accident. It’s all predestined. Then one person led another. If the later arrivals also come by accident, then it’s nothing special.”
She also comforted reporter Zhang, saying, "This is only a short-term thing. As more and more people enter the market and it becomes saturated, the elderly will leave on their own."
She gave an example: "Some of the Chinese businessmen here today started doing business in China, but the competition was too fierce and they couldn't see any profit margins, so they moved to Romania. In the future, they will also go to other places, such as Yugoslavia..."
Reporter Zhang was taken aback and quickly interrupted her: "Yugoslavia is at war."
It's truly heartbreaking that they didn't fight over whether to take the capitalist or socialist path; instead, they fought fiercely because of ethnic conflicts.
Everyone has forgotten that the proletarians of the world should unite.
Wang Xiao laughed and said casually, "It's precisely because of the war that there's a shortage of supplies, which creates more profit margins. There was a saying during the War of Resistance Against Japan: 'The front lines are in dire straits, but the rear is well-fed.'"
Fortune and wealth are found in danger; this has been true throughout history and across the world.
Reporter Zhang's eyes widened like those of a precious goldfish, and after a long while, he exclaimed, "You guys are really bold."
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously: "If you weren't bold, you would never go abroad to do business. Right now, many people can't even speak a word of a foreign language."
So how do you do business? With a calculator, you use gestures and lines. Language isn't the only way humans communicate.
Reporter Zhang hesitated for a moment before speaking again: "So you mean I made a wasted trip today?"
“How could that be?” Wang Xiao said with a smile. “You just need to consider the measures a little. For example, you can define this group of Chinese businessmen as overseas Chinese.”
Ruan Xiaomei almost burst out laughing.
The term "overseas Chinese" is automatically defined in China as people who went abroad before the founding of the People's Republic of China.
New immigrants and new immigrants are two different concepts.
But if we have to call them overseas Chinese, it's barely acceptable.
Reporter Zhang nodded reluctantly: "Alright, then let's go with the overseas Chinese."
In any case, his original intention was to emphasize the friendship between the Chinese and Romanian people.
Overseas Chinese can make do with it.
He then seized the opportunity to invite, "Mr. Wang, would you be willing to grant me an exclusive interview?"
Frankly speaking, even if you tie all the Chinese businessmen in Romania together, it won't have the same impact as the Chinatown Commercial Street in Moscow.
The latter's impact on the Chinese people was comparable to that of a nuclear warhead.
Last December, when their People's Daily reprinted foreign media reports about Huaxia Commercial Street, many readers called or wrote to the newspaper to ask for more information.
They had also considered interviewing Wang Xiao, but at the time, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the political atmosphere in China was quite tense.
Almost all Party and government organs, especially news organizations that act as mouthpieces, conduct political study sessions every day to unify their thinking and understanding.
They had to be cautious about people like Wang Xiao and dared not easily express their opinions.
Therefore, this interview was never scheduled.
The reason for this is that the country's attitude has become clear: to put aside politics and focus on economic development.
Only then did reporter Zhang dare to make such a request.
Wang Xiao smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Of course, I'd be more than happy to."
Then she pulled Ivanov along, and they ate kebabs while giving the interview.
Why next to a barbecue stall? It's warm.
On this day, standing on a country road in Bucharest, without a charcoal fire nearby, even a reporter wouldn't be able to hold a pen.
Ivanov was thrilled because Wang Xiao told him that this was the most authoritative newspaper in China.
Look, he can finally go abroad and become famous overseas.
Look, even though this Chinese reporter is on Romanian soil, he still wants to interview him.
If it weren't for the shouts of "The pig is being slaughtered!" that rushed everyone to watch, he could have chatted with people for another three hours.
They arrived too late; by then, Brother Pigsy had already collapsed on the ground.
But the main event hasn't even started yet.
Because the way Romanians remove pig hair is very interesting, unlike in China, where after the pig is drained of blood, hot water is used to scrape off the hair.
Instead of shaving the pig bristles, just burn them off.
After the pigs were drained of blood, the butchers washed them with water and then placed them directly on a bed of straw, which they then set on fire.
If the pig bristles weren't burned off completely, they would use a flintlock pistol.
These people truly embraced a rough and rugged approach; when scraping with a knife, they would even cut off pieces of pigskin and put them directly into their mouths.
Wang Xiao felt she couldn't accept it, so she decided to just wait patiently for the barbecue.
But to be honest, once it's grilled over a fire, the aroma of the meat really fills the air, and it smells quite delicious.
Ruan Xiaomei brought over some homemade soda water from the local farmers and gave it to Wang Xiao to help him cut through the greasiness.
She hesitated for a moment: "But if we rely on everyone to bring their fellow villagers here, won't our shops be hard to rent out? Everyone should just be content with making kiosks."
Honestly, kiosks are making a lot of money right now, extremely much.
She personally believes that unless the kiosks are sold out and newcomers really can't find a place to do business, people probably won't easily consider switching from retail to wholesale.
After all, any new attempt means taking a risk.
If you're doing wholesale, it means you'll likely need to buy at least several containers of goods in one trip, which naturally means you'll have to invest a lot of capital.
Romania is thousands of miles away from China, and it would take a month or two to ship by sea.
The saying goes, "Goods die at the destination." What if the goods can't be shipped out and the funds can't be recovered? Wouldn't that be a huge problem?
As a Chinese businesswoman who makes a living locally, she agrees with Wang Xiao's statement that there shouldn't be too many Chinese businesspeople here.
However, since she had already accepted the job offer for the wholesale and warehousing market, her primary concern was the interests of the market.
The purchase of land for the wholesale market alone has already cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars, not to mention the subsequent construction.
If no one comes to rent the place when the time comes, won't they have wasted their money?
Wang Xiao said calmly, "It's alright. If anyone has any doubts, we'll set an example. Once everyone realizes how fast the goods can be shipped, how many containers can be shipped in a day, and how hundreds of thousands or even millions can be earned, then everyone will naturally come to rent shops."
Ruan Xiaomei's eyes widened in surprise. Several containers of goods shipped in a single day? How is that possible!
She's already moving goods very quickly in Romania, but it would still take at least five to seven days to move a container of goods.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Don't be skeptical. In Moscow, it's not uncommon for large wholesalers to ship six containers of goods in two or three days. As long as the goods are in demand, they never have to worry about selling them. Those with good business have people waiting at the door early in the morning. Even though it's so cold in Moscow, they still carry their goods and don't leave, afraid of missing out on good deals."
Ruan Xiaomei was very inquisitive. Even though she was older than Wang Xiao and had spent more time in Romania, she still tirelessly asked, "So what does it mean to have the right product?"
She felt that the goods she sold were already very popular.
Wang Xiao smiled, her eyes crinkling, and blinked twice: "I have a brilliant plan."
She looked around, quickly locked onto her target, smiled like a sunflower, and waved to greet the person: "Hi, Elena."
Ruan Xiaomei saw her landlord's daughter running over happily: "Miss Wang, Miss Ruan, it's so nice to see you."
Wang Xiao smiled and asked, "Did you come with your parents?"
Elena nodded repeatedly, pointing ahead: "My mom is helping to make pork offal cake. You should try it when it's done; it's delicious."
After she said it, she felt like she had done something stupid.
Because it's pork festival today, they are actually the guests. At 200 lei per person, it's fair to say that our Chinese friends are treating them to a meal.
Fortunately, Wang Xiao and Ruan Xiaomei didn't mind, and Ivanov even took the opportunity to show his gentlemanly manners: "Okay, then we must try the Romanian food."
Unfortunately, Elena was clearly not fond of him, because in the eyes of Romanians, Soviets were typical bumpkins.
Even though she knew Ivanov was a big boss and dressed impeccably, it couldn't change her stereotype.
Looking at the pretty girl in front of him, Wang Xiao asked her warmly, "How's your job search going? I'm not very familiar with the customs here in Romania. In China, before the final semester even starts, most of our graduating students have already secured jobs."
A look of worry appeared on Elena's beautiful face. If it were a few years ago, when she first entered university, she wouldn't have had to worry about finding a job after graduation; the government would have arranged it for her.
But now, the government doesn't care about these things anymore, and many companies have stopped operating and have stopped hiring altogether.
She didn't know what she would do after graduation.
Some classmates even joked that they would go to the countryside to farm after graduation, since no one was farming the land their families had returned to them.
It's better than starving to death.
But Elena was not happy. First, her family had no land, and second, she had worked so hard to study for so many years. If she went to the countryside to farm after graduating from university, wouldn't all her efforts be wasted?
She would prefer to find a job in the city.
Wang Xiao hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked her, "Actually, I have a job, I don't know if you'd be interested in doing it?"
Elena's eyes sparkled, captivating Ivanov who was standing nearby. Unfortunately, the beauty's gaze was only fixed on Wang Xiao's face: "What kind of job?"
“In Western European countries, buyers are the ones who decide what clothing, shoes, hats, jewelry, and other goods are stocked in shopping malls.”
Elena blinked twice, looking completely bewildered. "You mean, the purchasing manager?"
Wang Xiao laughed and explained, "Buyers are at the forefront of fashion and have a grasp of trends. For example, if you think something will be popular in Bucharest, then you buy it. Jeans, leather jackets, etc., you decide the style and color. You could say you lead the fashion trend in Bucharest."
Elena's face flushed with excitement.
The young girl was already overwhelmed by this huge promise.
If she gets to make the decisions, wouldn't that mean the entire city's shopping malls are her kingdom?
only--
She couldn't help but worry: "Can I do this job well?"
If she messes up and disappoints her Chinese friends, wouldn't she be betraying their trust? That would be terrible.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "You look very fashionable. You're someone who's always on the cutting edge of fashion."
Elena blushed even more and stammered, "That's because Miss Ruan let me choose first."
When school let out for winter break, Miss Ruan had just arrived at her house. She went with Miss Ruan to the kiosk to sell clothes, helped as a translator, and taught her Romanian.
Later, Miss Nguyen not only gave her 5,000 leidons as a reward, but also let her choose her favorite dress.
She had a very fulfilling winter break.
Wang Xiao's smile deepened: "Your ability to pick out the most suitable items at a glance shows you have a great sense of fashion. However, I think you might not be able to handle such a large workload by yourself, because we need to buy so many things. Look among your classmates and friends, see who has a good sense of fashion and is among the most stylish, then let them all become buyers. Ideally, they should be the kind of people who, whatever they wear, quickly inspire others to dress the same way. As for the compensation—"
She explained, "Because you may need to travel frequently for work, for example, to China, to Western Europe, to the United States..."
Before she could finish speaking, Elena screamed excitedly, repeatedly saying, "I don't need a salary, just feed me."
Oh my god!
She can go abroad, she can go to China!
For a long time in Romania, only the best employees in a company had the opportunity to visit China.
The travel expenses to China are too expensive; it's equivalent to buying half a small car.
Miss Wang is so generous. She said before that she could invite her to visit China anytime. My mother said that he might just be being polite and told her not to take it seriously.
She should really bring her mother over to listen, haha, she'll be able to go to China soon.
As long as she can eat, that's fine, because she can live at home.
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "No, no, no, what I mean is, because you need to travel frequently for work and fly around a lot, your salary will be $100 a month for now. If the goods you choose sell well, there will be an extra bonus."
She painted a rosy picture for the young people: "For buyers, the base salary is nothing; the key is the sales bonus. It's normal for good performers to earn tens of thousands of dollars a year."
Elena covered her mouth tightly, afraid that her scream would scare the bald pig back to life.
Tens of thousands of US dollars!
There might still be hope in 1989, because at that time my father's annual income was about four thousand US dollars.
But now, that number has shrunk dramatically, to a point they never dared to even imagine.
If she had tens of thousands of dollars, she could buy so many things for the house, and her mother wouldn't have to sigh over the family accounts anymore.
Wang Xiao nodded seriously and emphasized, "This is the norm in the industry. However, this job is indeed very demanding and tests one's abilities. Therefore, I would like you to think carefully before deciding whether or not to take it."
Yes, we must, we definitely need it.
Taking a plane abroad to go shopping and pick out things is called sightseeing, how can it be called tiring?
Even if it's really tiring, you can earn ten thousand US dollars a year, so it won't be tiring anymore.
Elena immediately assured them, "I can endure hardship, I'm not afraid of hardship. I have a few friends who are the most fashionable people in school. I'll go back and visit them today."
Wang Xiao smiled with satisfaction: "OK! Then I'll wait for your good news. I need to meet them and do an interview."
Elena, like a happy little bird, ran joyfully to find her parents.
She wanted to tell her parents the good news so they wouldn't have to worry about her job anymore; she had found the best job.
Wang Xiao watched the person run away before turning to Ruan Xiaomei to explain, "The buyer model is the most suitable for us because only our own people truly understand us. No matter how hard outsiders try, they can hardly grasp the rhythm of it."
She gave an example: "For instance, when buying goods from domestic trade centers and selling them abroad, the speed at which Chinese people ship goods is generally slower than that of the Russians. Even if everyone thinks they know them very well, it doesn't matter."
Every culture has its own aesthetic preferences, some of which are so subtle that they can only be understood intuitively rather than explained in words.
When doing business on someone else's turf, you have to ask the locals for help when selecting goods.
Ruan Xiaomei suddenly realized that they had to rely on luck to get the goods, while others got the ones they liked best. No wonder they could get six boxes of goods in just two or three days.
Sigh, if this continues, the Romanians will probably realize it soon and start buying goods from China themselves.
Perhaps by then, it won't be a competition among Chinese businesses themselves, but rather a battle for market share with local Romanian businesses.
I've heard that many people in Guangdong are trying to go to Hong Kong to get goods directly, which is cheaper.
Wang Xiao laughed out loud: "Isn't that great? Then all the products sold will be Chinese goods, and the market will prosper!"
Ruan Xiaomei shook her head with a wry smile: "Anyway, I have no plans to go back. If it really comes to that, I'll go to other countries and see if I can find more opportunities."
Wang Xiao encouraged her: "Romania is just a small starting point. Your stage is huge. You might be too busy to handle it all in the future."
Ivanov ran over and got them some freshly grilled meat skewers.
The meat skewers were tender and juicy, and topped with a local specialty garlic sauce, giving them a unique flavor.
Honestly, it smells pretty good.
There's another type of grilled skewer that, in addition to chunks of meat, also includes bell peppers and mushrooms, making it even tastier.
Wang Xiao was enjoying his meal immensely, his mouth greasy, when Ruan Xiaomei's landlady arrived.
She waited until Wang Xiao swallowed what he was eating before asking Elena about the details of her job.
She asked such detailed questions that the female college student accompanying her felt embarrassed and kept reaching out to pull her mother's arm, trying to beg her to stop asking.
That's so embarrassing.
She's about to graduate from university; she's an independent adult, not a child.
However, the landlady was very stubborn and showed no intention of making an exception, much like a strict headmaster.
She cared about every detail of her daughter's life after going abroad, wishing she could carry her daughter in her pocket and do the job for her.
Wang Xiao only realized what was happening after hearing this, and immediately emphasized, "We are legitimate businessmen. We are registered with the Chinese and Romanian embassies. Hi, sir, could you come over and verify this for us? We are definitely not scammers."
Elena's eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears on the spot.
It was so embarrassing; she had never been so embarrassed in her more than twenty years.
The embassy staff came over, listened to the whole story, and then smiled as they testified: "They are legitimate businessmen who run legitimate businesses. They have companies in China and close ties with the government."
Ruan Xiaomei explained, both amused and exasperated, "We really aren't human traffickers."
Are you kidding me? In Romania, bringing people in is much more lucrative than trafficking people out.
Who would do something so foolish?
The landlady blushed and could only offer a dry explanation: "That's not what I meant, I'm just a little worried."
Wang Xiao smiled and offered a suggestion: "How about this, Madam, you can go with Elena. Our mall also needs your opinion."
Housewives may not buy things for themselves, but they often control the family finances.
Their consumption preferences directly determine the sales of daily necessities in the market.
The landlady was even more embarrassed and stammered, "No need, no need, I trust you, you are our friends."
Wang Xiao earnestly invited again, "It's true, I sincerely invite you to come and visit China with me."
Ruan Xiaomei chimed in, "It's alright, let's go together, Madam. You can be of great help."
After the mother and daughter left, the embassy staff explained to Wang Xiao, "Don't be angry. She was probably just a little nervous. There are more and more cases of trafficking in women and children in Romania now. Parents are quite worried. Especially for girls this age, when they are told to go abroad to work, they are naturally afraid of encountering bad people."
To be more precise, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, a large number of Eastern European women were trafficked to developed countries in Europe and America.
What awaited them was the fate of becoming sex slaves.
No sooner had the embassy staff finished speaking than a commotion erupted from the front, accompanied by a woman's cries and a man's shouts.
The Romanian next to him looked impatient and complained in heavily accented English, "Honestly, the Gypsies are at it again."
The term "Gypsy" refers to the Roma people.
This famous cross-border ethnic group is also known as the Bohemians by the French, the Flamencos by the Spanish, the Ajinganos by the Greeks, the Evjit by the Albanians, the Rori by the Iranians, the Aquitaine by the Sri Lankans, and so on.
As for the Gypsies, that's a Soviet term, and Romanians also use that name.
But they call themselves Roma, which in Gypsy language means "people".
Regardless of the name used, this ethnic group is in a rather delicate situation and is clearly not welcomed by mainstream society.
The Romanian just now specifically emphasized in front of the Chinese that this was trouble caused by the Gypsies, clearly to stress that this is not the mainstream of Romanian society.
Sure enough, although the Gypsy man kept chasing and hitting his wife, no one went to stop the fight.
Even their own compatriots merely watched from the sidelines. This is because a characteristic of this ethnic group is that women have an extremely low social status and must absolutely obey their fathers and husbands.
In their view, it's perfectly natural for husbands to beat their wives.
As for the other Romanians, they were already fed up with the Gypsies and were even less inclined to intervene.
If they try to mediate, these guys might turn the tables on them instead.
It's not that they lack compassion; the Gypsies are simply utterly unreasonable.
Despite the government providing free schooling for all children, treating everyone equally, and even using coercive measures to force parents who are unwilling to send their children to school to comply, the level of education among Gypsies remains very low.
Only about half of the children go to school, about 20% of the children don't go to school at all, and the rest go to school intermittently.
Women have even lower levels of education, and the majority are illiterate.
Moreover, the government built thousands of houses for them, but they still can't settle down.
They are so unrestrained and love freedom. They are dirty all day long, and their lives are a mess. They are always stealing here or robbing there.
Outsiders should never pity them, or they will think they are fools.
When they were begging on the street, some kind people gave them clothes and shoes to keep them warm. But they turned around and sold the clothes and used the money to eat and drink.
When the country was liberated, land was distributed to everyone. The Gypsies, instead of engaging in production, simply sold off their land.
Later, when collective farms were established, they benefited greatly when everyone handed over their land.
Now the land has been returned to its original owner, and they have nowhere to farm. Who can they blame?
People like this are hopeless; they're so annoying!
Wang Xiao didn't step forward either.
Amitabha Buddha, it's best not to easily get involved in other people's karma, otherwise you'll easily get into trouble.
She admired the resilience of the Gypsies. Before December 1989, the political repression in Romania was so intense that even a parrot wouldn't dare to say the wrong thing.
The Gypsies can still do whatever they want, deciding not to go to school or not to settle down.
She was simply curious: "Why did this woman's husband hit her?"
These days, people eat and drink all the time. Even though the residents from the city have to pay 200 lei each, the farmers in the village who help with the work don't have to pay anything.
Even if the Gypsies did nothing wrong, no one would bother to stop them from eating and drinking.
Why would he hit someone on such a good day? He didn't even look drunk.
"This woman's child was stolen."
Wang Xiao was shocked: "Then why hit her? What's the point of hitting her? You should call the police!"
"Why call the police!" The Romanian shook his head. "She probably sold it herself."
Ruan Xiaomei also explained from the side: "This kind of thing happens quite often here, it's not just the Gypsies who do it."
This kind of selling, to be precise, is called adoption in the local area.
During the reign of Ceaușescu, due to the country's oppressive forced procreation policy, almost every family had several children.
However, raising children costs money, and with so many children, it's not easy to raise them all.
After the fall of the previous government, it became easier for Romanians to cross the border. Furthermore, the current government, unable to provide adequate subsidies to families with many children, legally allows its citizens to give their children up for adoption by foreigners.
However, because of its simple procedures and low price, this type of adoption attracts many foreigners.
Whether they genuinely adopted the children, used the Romanian children as a mobile organ transplant bank, or turned them into sex slaves for pedophiles, remains unknown.
This business is incredibly profitable. Buyers only pay the parents a couple hundred dollars at most, but they resell the child and receive at least tens of thousands of dollars.
Ruan Xiaomei secretly told Wang Xiao, "Actually, it's not just the Gypsies; many other Romanians also sell children."
Most of them simply cannot be kept alive.
According to the government, one-third of Romanians now live below the poverty line. Families with many children often go hungry.
"This is what your beloved National Salvation Front has done. The country has been saved like this, are you happy now?"
When Wang Xiao heard that mocking tone, it sounded familiar.
She turned her head and saw that it was indeed the loyal supporter of Ceaușescu—factory manager Jotelle.
The person next to him didn't give him any face at all and retorted directly: "If that tyrant hadn't forced women to have so many children, how could such a tragedy have occurred? It's because they couldn't support them that this happened."
Wang Xiao and Ruan Xiaomei exchanged a glance and quickly ran away.
They have absolutely no interest in acting as referees or getting involved in other people's political debates.
To put it bluntly, people have been shot for so long, their bones have rotted out, what's the point of discussing this anymore?
Let's live in the moment.
Ren Ge just came out of the greenhouse. He picked some lettuce to wrap the grilled meat, a method he learned from the North Koreans.
Upon seeing Wang Xiao and Ruan Xiaomei, he greeted them with a smile, "How was it? Are you two ladies satisfied with today's hospitality?"
Wang Xiao joked, "Hey, Brother Ren, are you planning to make a big splash in the field of modern agriculture?"
Brother Ren said seriously, "You know what, I'm actually planning to do agriculture here."
ah?
The two ladies looked at each other in disbelief. "Brother, are you serious?"
Brother Ren nodded: "Yes, I've already made up my mind. I'm going to cook mushrooms here."
He wasn't making baseless accusations; he had done market research. "I noticed that Romanians really like eating mushrooms."
They've suffered numerous poisonings while trying to eat mushrooms.
Artificial breeding techniques have only emerged in recent years.
Moreover, if you can't finish eating all the mushrooms at once, you can dry them or make them into canned mushrooms.
He observed that canned mushrooms were selling quite well in Romania, and he estimated that they could even be exported abroad.
Wang Xiao and Ruan Xiaomei were both stunned.
No, bro, are you really going to change your track? Think it through. Growing mushrooms is almost certainly not as lucrative as being a speculator.
Because now is the golden age for reselling.
Ren waved his hand and sighed as they listened: "I heard what you said to that reporter. I reckon that at this rate, by the end of this year at the latest, there will definitely be more than 10,000 Chinese people in Bucharest."
He smiled wryly and said, "Well, I'm not much of a businessman. I might as well find a way out and just grow some vegetables here."
As he spoke, he looked at Wang Xiao with anticipation.
Wang Xiao was completely baffled. She was sorry, but whether before or after transmigrating into the book, her concept of the joys of rural life remained at a standard level.
She never considered working in the fields herself, much less growing vegetables.
However, after thinking for a while, she still gave a suggestion: "If the conditions here are suitable for growing asparagus, you can grow asparagus. European countries love to eat it, and it's expensive. It can also be canned."
Brother Ren became interested and asked, "How do you plant this?"
Wang Xiao shrugged: "I only know how to eat, not how to grow. I suggest you consult the local technicians."
As for the technology from Jiangdong Agricultural University, it's geared towards the local area and may not be suitable for here.
Wang Xiao enthusiastically encouraged him: "Just focus on growing them well. Once you've established your brand, I'll supply you with asparagus from China. Then you can put your brand on them and sell them for a fortune."
My goodness, even Brother Ren is clutching his chest in shock.
He's making grand promises, but he still doesn't know what asparagus actually looks like.
Ivanov was eager to participate, and Wang Xiao had to translate for him. Then his eyes lit up, and he kept encouraging Ren Ge: "Why don't you lease land and grow crops, grow wheat, and then export it to Russia?"
Without a second thought, Brother Ren immediately refused: "How much money can you make growing wheat? Besides, Romania itself has to import wheat right now."
Growing vegetables is still the most convenient and quickest way to make money.
The field vegetables here are all produced by mechanization, which is very convenient.
No matter how much Ivanov tried to dangle the carrot in his arms, Ren remained unmoved.
Anyone who farms knows that you'll never make money growing crops.
Speaking of this, Wang Xiao suddenly remembered something and reminded Ivanov: "I estimate that the Russian Federation may face a food crisis this year."
Ivanov objected again: "Can't you just hope it's good?"
Wang Xiaoqi found it strange: "I'm just stating the facts. Don't forget, the Russian Federation can only grow one crop a year. Last year when we harvested potatoes and wheat, the Soviet Union was still in power, and prices were still under control. After prices were deregulated in January this year, everything has gone up in price, including pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds."
In other words, the cost of planting for farmers is several times higher than before.
Don't say that rising grain prices will make up for these losses. The problem is right now, everyone is holding the money from last year's harvest.
Is this money enough to sustain agricultural production?
Even if they manage to survive, would farmers dare to sell their grain easily?
To prevent themselves from continuing to suffer losses, they may choose to hoard their grain and refuse to sell.
Will there still be enough food on the market by then?
One more thing, Ukraine.
Ukraine will no longer supply food to Russia.
Ivanov huffed, "That's their natural gas!"
Of course, he could only make threats verbally, but in reality, he had no solution.
It's perfectly normal that Ukraine, also worried about food shortages, is unwilling to sell its food abroad.
Ivanov began to panic. What should he do?
He contracted far too little land; the crops he grew were not nearly enough to feed the Russians.
Are we all going to have to endure hunger after finally getting through this painful winter?
Wang Xiao looked at him incredulously: "You're not telling me you never considered this question from the beginning, are you?"
Good heavens, you're the one who's been so eager to start farming, it seems you haven't thought about anything at all!
Ivanov skipped over this episode and asked only the next step: "So what should we do now?"
We'll just have to deal with it; what else can we do?
You've contracted the land, and your farm dream can begin. What more could you want?
Wang Xiao, unable to resist his persistent pestering, could only weakly say, "If grain prices are rising, then we should just hoard grain."
First, take advantage of the time before grain prices rise and quickly find ways to buy more grain.
Secondly, you should lease more land to grow grain.
But Ivanov was still not satisfied, his brows furrowed tightly: "No, the land in Russia can only be planted for one season, it's simply not enough."
Right now, while other countries' wheat is growing rapidly, Russia is still experiencing freezing temperatures.
What could Wang Xiao do? She wasn't the weather god who could change the weather.
"There's really nothing we can do about it. Russia's climate is what it is; it's not a region where crops can be harvested two or three times a year."
Wang Xiao sincerely advised him, "This is the government's responsibility; don't take it upon yourself to bear it."
The biggest taboo for businessmen is to take responsibility for the government.
Throughout history, no one who has done this has ever had a good ending.
But Ivanov's eyes lit up like diamonds: "Your Majesty, let's go to the tropics and contract land to grow crops."
Wang Xiao is going crazy.
Brother, can you please wake up? Don't just assume things.
Do you think growing crops is a simple thing?
Oh, just scatter the seeds on the ground, and they'll grow on their own.
That sounds like a beautiful idea.
Get this straight: when it comes to agriculture, good infrastructure is the most fundamental requirement.
Without good water conservancy conditions, you have to dig wells, build canals, and even roads; otherwise, how can cars travel?
You can't not build warehouses, otherwise where will you put the harvested crops?
There are also agricultural machinery and parts; if you're going to lease land in tropical regions, you'll probably have to import those too.
Seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, needless to say, also have to be bought from outside.
With so much capital invested, when will you ever break even?
And if you lease a lot of land, who will farm it for you?
Hiring farmers directly from China is definitely not an option; that's not your territory. You must hire local farmers, or you'll run into endless trouble.
How efficient are the local farmers? If they are efficient, there probably won't be much land left to be contracted out to outsiders.
Wang Xiao earnestly advised him: "Ivanov, Russia's predicament is not your fault. Don't take the blame upon yourself. Really, don't carry such a heavy psychological burden."
Whenever something like this happens, she becomes completely out of sorts.
But Ivanov remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "No, you're wrong, Wang. Getting to where we are today is the responsibility of all of us, the responsibility of everyone in the Soviet Union."
Even those who stand idly by, thinking it has nothing to do with them, are sinners.
Because inaction in the face of evil is itself a crime.
Wang Xiao fell silent.
Human joys and sorrows can never be shared; no one can truly empathize with another's experience.
Even though she personally experienced the collapse of the Soviet Union, she could never truly understand the pain in the hearts of Ivanov and countless others like him.
Ivanov suddenly blurted out, "If we have a large amount of grain, we can negotiate with the government. If we don't have the money to buy it, then we can use natural gas to pay off the debt."
Wang Xiao subconsciously looked around.
Thank goodness there wasn't anyone around, otherwise she felt she really wouldn't be able to explain herself clearly.
To be honest, she didn't really have much of a feeling about natural gas.
As a capitalist, she considers herself law-abiding, refrains from wrongdoing, pays her taxes, and complies with labor laws. This alone is enough to put her to shame over 90% of capitalists who follow a uniquely Chinese path.
Her character is already good enough; there's no need to try to elevate it further.
In other words, why should she do the government's work? The government is paid by taxpayers, so shouldn't it be doing its job?
Whether she does a good job or a bad job, it can't be blamed on her.
Ivanov continued to tempt her: "You can make money by selling natural gas. Our Russian natural gas is cheap. You can make a fortune by buying and selling it."
Hmm, that seems like a good idea.
The national economy is developing, and energy consumption is enormous. If cheap natural gas were available, it would indeed be a highly profitable business.
That's a good option.
She was about to roll up her sleeves and have a proper discussion with Ivanov about this issue.
A roar came from inside the greenhouse, and then everyone saw a group of Gypsies dragging bags and running out.
These guys, not content with just eating and drinking for free, they even took things in bags.
He went into the greenhouse to steal vegetables.
Well, it seems that whether Brother Ren wants to grow mushrooms or asparagus here, the first problem he needs to solve is this kind of theft and robbery.
If this problem can't be solved, everything else will be in vain.
————————
The Gypsies had a poor reputation throughout Europe at the time and were in conflict with residents in almost every region.
Furthermore, Wang Xiao is a businesswoman who prioritizes her own interests in everything she does. In fact, any rational businessman, unless commissioned by the government, would never voluntarily undertake tasks within the government's purview. This is very dangerous.
Additionally, some people might find Akin's descriptions of certain individuals and organizations a bit... off, but that was the general situation at the time.
For example, before 1998, the Commercial Section of the Chinese Embassy in Russia did not manage private enterprises, only "Chinese-funded companies" registered and approved by the foreign trade ministries of China and Russia. It's absolutely impossible for the Commercial Section to be unaware of the existence of private enterprises; the whole world knows about Chinese middlemen. But that's how it was. Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2023-12-22 07:04:03 and 2023-12-23 03:50:38!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Jingjie 200 bottles; Milk Tea Less Ice 30% Sugar Ha 50 bottles; Xiaoxiao 20 bottles; Junzi Danmo 10 bottles; Bie Mo Wo Weiba 5 bottles; Yuer 3 bottles; Qiushui Feishui, 37296458, Qiaoqiao Shi Xinbian de Xiaoxiao, morosity_ 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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