Tao Rui spent his days mulling over delicious dishes, using up vast quantities of refined rice and flour. Everyone thought he was wasteful. However, Tao Rui's family, along with the Tong family's grandparents and grandchildren, were truly blessed. They could enjoy delicious food every day, and they always ate until they were full. Soon, their faces began to plump up, a source of envy to everyone who saw them.
No matter how much I think Tao Rui is wasteful, I still envy him for having things to waste.
Just when everyone thought Tao Rui was going to squander all the family fortune, Tao Rui started selling goods in town.
He first went to supply and marketing cooperatives, state-owned restaurants, and small restaurants to sell his products. Of course, they didn't buy, so he left the address of his stall and told them that if they changed their minds, they could come to him and order more for discounts.
After that, Tao Rui started to set up stalls and sell things in places with a lot of people. At the beginning, he brought few things to sell, just a pot of meat buns, a pot of vegetarian buns and a box of oil-salt biscuits.
He took one, cut it into small pieces, and placed it on a plate, shouting, "Look, look! These steaming hot buns and sesame cakes, made with a secret recipe, the only one of their kind in the country, taste like heaven, they're not even sold in the capital. They've just opened and are having a big sale today! If you miss out, try them first, get one for free!"
Tong Yan had come with him because he couldn't push the cart. Listening to his boasting, Tong Yan blushed. She couldn't help but tug at Tao Rui's clothes from behind and whispered, "Don't brag. It's dishonest."
Tao Rui turned around and asked, "What's dishonest about that? Is it my own secret recipe? Can anyone else make it taste this good? Is it something that's only available in the capital, the only one of its kind in the country? You eat several of them at once, isn't it because they're delicious? You're feeling as happy as a god, isn't that right?"
Tong Yan frowned and thought for a moment, "You are always right."
"I'm right." Tao Rui said, then shouted, "Don't miss it if you pass by. Try it today, and the price will be reduced tomorrow. You won't get this good deal tomorrow!"
His bold and fresh hawking words immediately attracted the attention of many people. Nowadays, people just sell things and at most shout out what they are selling. How could anyone talk about gods or the capital like him?
Originally, everyone saw it as a staple food, but they didn't realize that even in the town, only a few people could afford steamed buns and sesame cakes, and most families still drank porridge. But when they heard that they could taste it for free today, people immediately came over.
"What kind of meat is this? It smells really good."
"Rabbit meat is made with our family's unique secret recipe. The meat is tender, delicious and fragrant. Come and have a taste. This piece is free." Tao Rui directly took a piece of bun and put it in her hand. People were not so particular in that era, so the aunt ate it without thinking.
Tao Rui experimented at home for so many days, not to waste ingredients, but to find the most delicious taste that suits people's taste today. He mastered it, and of course it is different from what others make.
The aunt took a bite of the bun and instantly smelled the meaty aroma, which made her want to swallow the bun. However, this was a free meat bun, so of course she couldn't bear to swallow it, and she resisted the urge to taste it carefully. The first taste was different, the meat filling was so delicious, she couldn't even taste the seasoning in it, it was delicious, so delicious!
And the bun wrappers were completely different from what she usually ate. She'd even tried them at a state-owned restaurant in the city, and the best buns there weren't as soft and tender as Tao Rui's. If someone had told her that noodles could be delicious, she wouldn't have believed it. But now, she'd be happy eating just the bun wrappers.
The aunt gave him a thumbs-up in surprise and praised him, "Young man, your buns are amazing! I've never eaten buns this delicious in my life. How much are they? Are they on sale today?"
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. The meat buns are 30 cents each, the vegetarian buns are 10 cents each, and the sesame seed buns are 10 cents each."
My aunt was surprised and asked, "It's so expensive?"
"It's not expensive. Today's sale is huge. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, the price will still be the same, but you can't try it. Starting the day after tomorrow, meat buns are only 50 cents, and vegetarian buns and sesame cakes are 30 cents."
"Ah? Why don't you go and rob it?" A young man who just came over heard it and shouted in disbelief.
Tao Rui continued to smile. "It's a business, one person wants to sell, the other wants to buy. I told you it's a secret recipe, the only one of its kind in the country. If I sell it cheap, I'll lose money. To be honest, just for the taste, people will buy it even if I sell it a little more expensive. If I move to a big city in the future, you won't be able to taste it anymore."
"What's that smell? It sounds so weird." Someone didn't believe it and grabbed a piece of meat bun to eat. A few people who were curious or wanted to take advantage came over to take food.
Tao Rui only cut into two buns and a sesame seed bun, and they were devoured in less than two minutes. They kept wanting more. Tao Rui laughed and said, "These are such precious things, and they're all free. If you want to eat them, buy them yourself. It's rare to see a good deal today, so buy one for your family, the elderly, and the children. It's worth it. Anyone in a relationship? Give one to them. It's sure to be more effective than giving them vanishing cream."
Tao Rui paused, saying, "I'm really tempted. After all, the desire to get a bargain is strong." "This delicious food is on sale today. Don't miss it if you don't." The young man quickly bought two meat buns. He looked pained as he paid, then smiled and said, "I'll give them to my girlfriend right away. If she doesn't like them, I'll come back and beat you up."
The young man was joking, and Tao Rui also cooperated: "If you don't like it, come and smash my stall. I'm not saying that these two may not be enough for you. Come back tomorrow."
The aunt also bought a meat dish and a vegetarian dish, as well as two sesame cakes, saying she would take them home for her children to eat.
Half of the people who have tasted the food have no money and are reluctant to leave, while the other half gritted their teeth and paid for it. There are so many people gathered here that passers-by are naturally curious. They come over to smell the aroma of the meat and hear those who have tasted it say it is delicious. Some people hesitate for a while and then try to buy a vegetarian bun or a sesame cake, which is cheaper.
Tong Yan was surprised to see so many people coming to buy things. She and her fellow villagers had the same idea: no one would buy the staple food they could make at home at such a high price. Who knew that Tao Rui would not only brag about it to the sky, but also sell it so well?
She was quick to help collect and make change, and when someone tried to cheat, she spotted him and got enough money. When it came to accounting, no one was as good as her.
Tao Rui saw a few young men nearby who were ravenous but had no money to buy food. They looked quite clever, so he said, "Do you want to eat?"
Several people nodded quickly, and he smiled and said, "Many people don't know how delicious my food is. Help me attract customers. If you bring five people to buy, I'll give you a vegetarian bun. If you bring ten people, I'll give you a meat bun."
When the young men heard this, they cheered and ran away immediately. They had no money, but they were smart and could easily attract customers with their sweet talk.
The food Tao Rui brought was sold out before it even got cold. Of course, he left two vegetarian buns for the two young men who had completed their mission.
As for those who only brought three people or gathered seven people who wanted to exchange for meat buns, he took out a notebook and wrote down their names. "I will come every day from now on. I will record your numbers first and continue tomorrow."
Someone hesitated, "What if you don't show up tomorrow?"
Tao Rui said with a smile as he packed up, "I didn't come because I owe you two some buns? My business is so popular, I'd be stupid not to sell any. If I default on my debt, you can just smash my stall. What's there for a grown man to be afraid of?"
The young men agreed with a chuckle. Tao Rui then gave them an idea, "You can go solicit customers today, talk to someone, and bring them back tomorrow to buy. Otherwise, if I sell out, you'll have to wait until the day after tomorrow. By the way, my stall is famous, it's called 'Guoxiu Snacks'. Don't forget it when you tell people, or you might end up in the wrong place tomorrow."
Tao Rui sold more than 20 yuan on the first day, and after deducting the cost of ingredients, he made at least 20 yuan in profit. The main manpower was him and Tong Yan. The rabbits were caught from the mountains and the vegetables were picked from the backyard. At most, he paid for some noodles.
Tao Xin works as a worker in the town. He has worked there for several years and has had his salary raised twice. Now it is only 20 yuan a month, and he earns this amount in a day. This is because he sells out and closes his stall early. Otherwise, he could earn more.
When Tao Rui returned home and dumped the money on the kang, Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen were dumbfounded.
The two asked Tao Rui several times in disbelief before patting their chests and saying, "Wow, Third Brother, you're going to be rich! How much money are you going to make this year? Oh my God!"
Tao Rui took a stool and sat beside them, watching them count the money. He said with a smile, "Dad, Mom, keep a low profile. Don't go out and tell anyone about this or you'll make a fool of yourself. That's how business works. At the beginning, no one has seen it before, it's new, and many people buy it. But after a few days, you won't be able to sell so many. Who would still spend money on buns every day, right?"
After hearing this, the two elders became worried again. "What should we do? Those things in the mountains are not always available. If we pick them all, we have to wait for them to grow again before we can pick more. The grapes and other things will be gone in a month. When winter comes, there will be nothing in the mountains and the rivers will be frozen. We can't catch any fish. What are you going to do?"
Tao Rui said nonchalantly, "When you reach the mountain, there will always be a way. You guys worry about me while I'm hunting, so I'll start selling food. If this doesn't make money, I'll find another way to do it. Ideas are all people who come up with them."
He had said this before, but no one took it seriously. But this time, the two elders were convinced. They now had an inexplicable trust in Tao Rui, feeling that he was reliable and had strong opinions.
They weren't the only ones who felt this way. Seeing Tao Rui cooking and selling food in town every day, many in the village had changed their minds about him. Regardless of his past, he was now a serious worker. And since he was only eighteen, they felt he was still young and naive before, only maturing after the family split up and established their own.
Having said that, many people laughed at the Tao Fu family for being short-sighted. They looked down on the two elders and the younger brother and separated them, but in the end they lived much better than them.
After three days of discounts and hiring young men to attract customers, Tao Rui successfully promoted his stall. Everyone knew about the delicious Guoxiu snacks.
Tao Rui often gave advice to the young men, asking them to go out and promote the food in various ways. Soon, Guoxiu snacks became the newest thing in town. Young people would feel that they were not fashionable if they had not tried it once.
Especially those who are looking to date or are currently in a relationship, how could they not bite the bullet and buy one? And then there are those who spoil their kids, and once the young men spread the word about it, the kids are drooling and clamoring for it at home, and the doting parents will buy one for them to try.
Anyway, everyone wanted to try it, or to satisfy their craving for it, once, twice, and after that, everything else seemed bland. Several of the better-off would wait for Tao Rui to open his stall early every morning to buy some food.
Tao Rui quickly made mung bean cakes, Changbai cakes, red bean paste buns, etc. He changed the method and made very small things. In this way, those who wanted to try something new could buy one piece without feeling too expensive, and those who wanted to eat more could buy a few more pieces. It would make him feel comfortable seeing that there were more.
His method was very effective, and with the hard work of the young men in selling, he made a net profit of 300 yuan in just ten days!
In an era when earning a million yuan was still a legend, his ability to become one in a single year was so astonishing that Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen almost forgot how to count their money. Tong Yan, who witnessed Tao Rui's promotion, sales, and market research, was even more impressed. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him, and she believed everything he said.
Tao Rui was speechless at her unconditional trust and said to her earnestly behind her back, "You should stay vigilant like before and don't trust others. You're easily deceived."
Tong Yan looked at him puzzledly, "I am very cautious. I don't trust others. I only trust you and grandma."
"Why do you trust me? What if I lie to you?"
"I know you won't lie to me." Tong Yan looked into his eyes and was very sure of this.
This was true. Tao Rui certainly wouldn't lie to her, but he was afraid she would be deceived by others. However, after observing for a while, he found that Tong Yan was very wary of others and didn't seem to trust them at all, so he felt relieved.
Tao Rui had 300 yuan in his hands, but it was time for the autumn harvest, and everyone was busy in the fields from dawn to dusk. He seemed out of place and very annoying if he went to the town to do business every day.
He simply decided not to go and told the young men that he would come to the town on National Day to sell a lot of things with discounts, so he asked them to help promote it and give them free delicious food.
Then he went to work, helping to watch over the drying yard, turning the crops, doing whatever he could to earn a few work points. Now, when he worked with the crops in the fields, he didn't see it as work anymore, but rather as learning. He wanted to thoroughly understand every ingredient by referring to the book "Gastronomy." This was his lifelong goal.
Compensate everyone who needs compensation, respect your parents, and then learn "Gastronomy".
Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen were delighted to see him working at home. They no longer worried about their son. After all, he could earn 300 yuan in ten days, more than the second son in town made in a year. It was just too tiring. Before the roosters crowed in the morning, Tao Rui would get up, mix the dough, and start cooking. When they were done, they would push the cart to town with Tong Yan at dawn.
They are used to doting on their youngest son, and have never seen him work so hard. They feel very distressed. It is the autumn harvest season now, and although they still have to work at home, it is much more comfortable than walking to town every day.
They didn't reveal how much Tao Rui earned, but everyone could see he was in a good mood. Many people had lost weight from working so hard lately, but they had gained weight, which gave you an idea of how good his food was. Besides, Tao Rui pushed a cart of food to town every day, and it was all sold out by the time he came back. They saw it all. Some people even went to town and came back to say that Tao Rui only sold 50 cents for a meat bun, and that whole cart of food was really expensive.
Many people felt that Tao Rui was different from everyone else. He had made a fortune in business. Now when they saw him coming for the autumn harvest, they suddenly felt that he was quite easy to talk to, still the same eighteen-year-old boy.
There was an aunt who was working with him in the grain drying yard. When she had some free time, she started talking to him, "Tao Rui, can you make money selling those food? What do you think about me selling some too? You can take me with you when the time comes."
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Auntie, I'm not bragging, but what I make tastes better than anyone else's. There's no one in this town who can make better food than me, so it sells well. If you want to sell it, it's useless for me to guide you, you have to make something delicious yourself."
"Well... I don't know how either. How about you teach me? I'll pay the tuition." Many people had this idea, but this aunt was the first one who had the opportunity to talk to Tao Rui.
Tao Rui glanced at her, smiled, and shook his head. "I spent many days researching and wasted a lot of food to come up with this. It's my exclusive secret recipe. I want to pass it down as a family heirloom and never pass it on to anyone else."
Since ancient times, this secret recipe has been kept secret. Some families even pass it down to sons but not daughters. This is something everyone knows. The aunt was not unhappy when she heard this. She only felt envy and emotion. "How come you have such a sharp mind? Others can't get anything out of the mountains, but you bring back baskets of food. Others make food to fill their stomachs, but you make delicious food. And you learned it from others. But no one else would be willing to spend money on researching this. You really make more money than others."
Tao Rui could sense admiration in her words, a sentiment echoed by most of the villagers lately. Thinking of the many people the original owner had cheated and how they'd been talking about the villagers, he said, "Auntie, although my secret recipe isn't shared with anyone, I'm thinking about expanding and selling more. My parents and I won't be able to handle it, so we'll definitely need help. If you're free, come help me out. I'll pay you by the day."
"Oh, really? That's great! I'm definitely free. I'll be free after this busy month. Just give me a call whenever you need help."
"Okay, then it's settled."
Tao Rui was well aware of the power of Double Eleven in the future, and intended to create a promotional day for himself, so he decided to use National Day to test the waters.
In this era of strong sense of honor, National Day holds special significance and is a holiday worth celebrating. So, a day in advance, Tao Rui invited four good-natured and quick-handed aunts and sisters-in-law to come to his house to help with the cooking, and they made a ton of stuff.
Of course, they were just helpers, such as mixing dough, kneading dough, making dumplings, pinching pastries, and making sticky rice dumplings. They didn't know what was added to these things, and they didn't know what the heat should be. They were only responsible for the most common and mechanical tasks, and they were busy for a whole day and half a night.
Of course, the compensation given by Tao Rui also made them very happy. When they left, they all pulled Wu Xiufen and asked her to find them again next time she had work.
Wu Xiufen was a little worried. Looking at the food filling the room, she said to Tao Rui, "There's so much, isn't it too much? Can we sell all of this? It's not too cold out yet, so the remaining food won't freeze."
Tao Rui was still taking the dried mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms out of the small warehouse, wrapping them into small bags as he said, "We can definitely sell them, it's just a matter of how much money we make. If there are still a lot left by the afternoon, we'll have a big sale, half-price sales, half-gifts, etc. We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves, don't worry."
"Then this... isn't that just a bluff? What's with all the discounts and freebies? Is that even possible?"
Back then, people didn't have to be so fussy about selling things; they just sold them for whatever price they wanted. How could Tao Rui have so many tricks? Wu Xiufen thought this was a bit of a scam, because it was ultimately just tricking people into buying. But it was really just a promotional tactic; he had originally planned to try out a promotional day.
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mom. The department store still has big sales, but the things they sell aren't very good. Mine is different. These are all good things. How can buyers not be happy? Besides, I'm not giving random discounts. It's only on sale tomorrow. I'll return to the original price later."
Wu Xiufen was worried about something else after hearing this. "With so many discounts, how can you still make money? Wouldn't you be able to sell more at the normal price?"
Of course not, otherwise why would they cut prices on Double 11? On that single day, sales surpassed what they would have earned in a long period of normal sales. When Double 11 first launched, many questioned whether it was a loss-making event or a scam. But Double 11 proved to be a success, and even the subsequent Double 12 and 618 shopping festivals were equally successful. Explaining this to someone who hasn't experienced it is a real hassle.
Tao Rui simply said, "Dad, Mom, I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I'll just earn less. Anyway, you've seen the cost. At worst, I can break even. I won't lose money. I promise."
Tao Guodong took a puff of his cigarette and nodded, "Xiu Fen, we don't understand these things, so don't get involved with our son. Just go and help out tomorrow. Listen to the third brother."
"Oh, sure." Wu Xiufen helped Tao Rui pack up. When loading the car, she accidentally saw the sign on the car and said in surprise, "Guoxiu Snacks?"
Tao Rui came over and put his arm around her shoulders. "Mom, what do you think of this name? I named it after you and my dad. Now everyone in town knows about our Guoxiu Snacks. Are you happy?"
"Happy! Happy!" Wu Xiufen happily handed the sign to Tao Guodong and said with a smile, "Our son remembers us no matter what he does. Look, our names. Wow, so many people know our names now. That's great."
They were chatting and laughing here, and they had been making a lot of noise while working before. Tao Fu's family next door had been listening to them all day, and now in the middle of the night, they really couldn't stand it anymore. Tao Fu put on his clothes and came over and said, "Dad, Mom, isn't it almost time to go to bed? Why are you still making noise in the middle of the night? The children still need to sleep."
Tao Rui didn't wait for the two elders to speak before replying, "I'm going to sleep now. I won't make any noise, don't worry."
He pushed the two elders into the house, then quietly put everything in order before going in. Seeing that the two elders looked unhappy, he wiped the sweat off his face with a towel and said, "Maybe our family will have to do this in the future. Not to mention disturbing the eldest brother, it's not good to disturb the other neighbors either. Otherwise, why would I want to move to the vacant land? If we make more money this time, we will build a house."
The two elders were stunned and began to think carefully. The last time Tao Rui brought it up, they hadn't made much money yet, and even though their food was getting better, they hadn't seriously considered building a house, thinking it was a pipe dream and unnecessary. But now that Tao Rui had made so much money in such a short time, and wanted to expand it, their own house seemed too small and inconvenient.
If you really want to build a house on an empty lot, at least the yard will be much more spacious, making it convenient to raise chickens, ducks, rabbits, etc.
The two thought about it and nodded. Tao Guodong said, "It's just right that everyone has nothing to do after the busy farming season. We can find a few people and build a house together. We can move in this winter."
"That's right, Mom and Dad, go to bed early. Go and see how your son makes money tomorrow." Tao Rui discussed with the two and went back to the house to practice. He couldn't achieve any good results from his practice, but after practicing all night, his body and spirit became particularly good, and his mind became clearer.
The next day, at dawn, they set out. Tong Yan was with them again, but Tao Guodong and Wu Xiufen were also there. They borrowed two carts and filled them to the brim. As they arrived in town, they saw a young man wrapped in clothes sitting on the side of the road. His eyes lit up when he saw them, and he rushed over.
Tao Guodong was startled and quickly blocked the money, saying nervously: "Get out of the way, Lao San! This is a robbery!"
Tao Rui leaned over to take a look and said with a smile: "No, I know him, he's my friend."
Tao Rui pulled Tao Guodong away. The young man stopped in front of them, scratched his head sheepishly, and grinned, "Brother Rui, well, I've asked a lot of people to buy things from you today, and I've promised them that I'm afraid you won't come today."
He glanced at the two large carts of stuff and smiled happily, "Brother Rui, you are really going to sell a lot today. Don't worry, the people I found can buy a lot."
Tao Rui nodded and asked, "How long have you been waiting here? Your face is red from the cold."
"Not long, maybe an hour or two."
Tao Rui directly took out a hot bun and gave it to him. "Eat it, it's hot. Let's talk while we walk. You come to my place every day, but you still haven't told me your name."
The young man was embarrassed to answer, "I didn't do anything, otherwise you can deduct it from my salary."
"No, I'll treat you to this."
The young man took the meat bun and took a big bite, saying incoherently, "My name is Dong Fei, and I'm sixteen."
"You're not going to school anymore? What do you do every day?"
"No, it's boring. I can do a lot of things. If someone is building a house, I'll go and help. If someone is loading or unloading goods, I can help out because I'm strong enough..."
Tong Yan was stunned when she heard this. "Can you make money just by being strong? Where can you make money?"
Tao Rui looked at her and said, "You want to help move the goods? Forget it. You can earn more working for me than moving goods. There are not goods to move every day."
Dong Fei nodded and said, "Yes, Brother Rui is right. Since I started working with Brother Rui, I've earned much more than doing anything else. Brother Rui, will you still be selling goods after today?"
"Come back to sell after the busy farming season is over in half a month. It's just one day for now." Tao Rui and Dong Fei chatted casually. When they arrived at the stall, Dong Fei was very attentive and helped, and his mind worked very quickly.
Tao Rui had been observing Dong Fei the entire time. Dong Fei's words about him making more money following him were true, but only a young man like Dong Fei could make that much money. He brought in a lot of customers, and he could even convince two or three people to pool together to buy a snack, which he would then help cut for them. Anyway, Dong Fei always had many ways to help Tao Rui sell his products.
There were more than a dozen guys helping Tao Rui with publicity, but the best they did was not half as good as Dong Fei. He was a talent.
Tao Rui quietly inquired about Dong Fei's family situation. He learned that Dong Fei had parents, grandparents, two older brothers, a younger brother, and two younger sisters. Being in the middle, he was generally ignored by everyone, so he had to fight for everything he wanted since he was a child. He was also very filial and affectionate to his siblings. He never fought for things at home, but always found ways to get things on his own.
The best thing is that he earns money by relying on his own brain and labor, not by stealing like Li Qiang.
Tao Rui took a liking to him, and after setting up his stall, he said to him, "Bring me a cart, and I'll give you some of my products. You can sell them anywhere and in any quantity you want. Come back and give me the money I want, and the rest is yours."
Dong Fei immediately became excited, "Brother Rui, are you serious? You can sell it to me as you like?"
"Of course. I won't be in town for the next two weeks. If you want to sell, you can make an appointment with me and pick up the goods at my house every day. I'll give you a price lower than the market price and you can sell them yourself. Whatever you make is yours, but the brand will still be Guoxiu Snacks. How about that?"
"I, I, I...Okay! I promise to do a good job, Brother Rui, you can rest assured!" Dong Fei seized the opportunity, patted his chest hard, and ran to find a car.
Tong Yan watched from the side. After he left, she came over and whispered, "I can sell it too. If you don't come to town, I can."
Tao Rui looked at her with amusement. "You can sell it, too? Really? How can you sell it if you don't advertise or say nice things to people? Just help me make it at home. I have to make other things later, and there are many things to do. Besides, it's not safe for you to come to town alone, and it's not safe for your grandma to be at home alone, right?"
Tong Yan pursed her lips unwillingly, watching Dong Fei take away some goods with a cart, and felt as if all the money had flown away with wings.
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Okay, you can do something else with me, it won't be a loss. When did you become a money-grubber?"
"You said it, if you don't make money, you're a fool."
"I can make money this way, believe me."
"Yeah." Tong Yan believed it. Several times she thought it wouldn't work, but in the end it turned out that Tao Rui succeeded, so she didn't worry about it anymore and helped set up the stall and started selling things.
Tao Rui's stall is quite famous, and even though he hasn't been here these days, the guys haven't forgotten to promote him. Many people know that today is National Day, and he will have a discount and promotion, and he will also bring a lot of things that he has never sold before, which are suitable as gifts.
Everyone has a holiday during National Day, and the most important activity is visiting friends and giving gifts. Gifts are, of course, extremely important. Every holiday, the supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores have new merchandise, and many people, having saved up their money and tickets for ages, rush to grab them. But Tao Rui opened his stall earlier than those stores; he started selling at daybreak.
Besides, he doesn’t need a ticket!
Tao Rui provided packaging services today. I bought some snacks as gifts. He used oil paper and string to wrap them neatly. It was simple and elegant, and looked pretty good. It was very decent to give it to someone as a gift.
Even the buns are packaged. The buns are stacked together, wrapped vertically, and tied with a rope at the seam. It looks like a flower and is beautiful.
Mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, raisins, preserved fruits, and so on all came in cute little square packages, and you could even buy a few varieties and combine them. Prices were already 20% off that day, and with the added bonus of decent packaging, regular customers immediately felt like they were getting a bargain. Some asked for something else to eat at home, and Tao Rui agreed, offering a small amount of preserved fruit or something else, much to their delight.
Compared with usual times, they really feel that they have gotten a bargain. If they want to buy something, they can buy more today. With the weather in Northeast China during the National Day holiday, the food they buy can be kept for three days without going bad. The whole family can slowly enjoy it and have a good National Day.
Those who want to give or buy gifts think it is a better deal. They may not be able to buy meat even with tickets and money, and some snacks are even crushed and they have no way to complain. Tao Rui's snacks are so beautiful, taste good, and are carefully packaged. They are much more upscale than those in the supply and marketing cooperatives. Moreover, there is a discount today, and the price is almost the same as that in the supply and marketing cooperatives. Only a fool would go to the supply and marketing cooperatives to buy them.
Tao Rui's snacks were actually quite expensive, but with the supply and marketing cooperatives offering them, his products were tasty, attractive, and fresh, making them immediately more appealing. All the pastries, preserved fruits, mushrooms, and other dry goods sold out in just two hours. Even the steamed buns and sesame cakes were gone by noon.
During this time, Dong Fei returned twice, asking Tao Rui for items to sell. No one knew where he'd gotten them, but he'd sold them all. Seeing him sweating profusely but beaming, he must have made a killing. After all, Tao Rui was offering discounts, and he wasn't. There were always those who didn't know the situation, and those who had more money and didn't bother to go out and buy directly. Dong Fei, ever the shrewd one, sold most of his items at the original price.
Tao Rui settled the bill with Dong Fei, who estimated the cost and ordered some food from Tao Rui, agreeing to pick it up early the next day at Tao's house. Tao Rui then asked him about building the house, then took his parents and Tong Yan to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought two cans of yellow peaches, and returned home.
On the way back to the village, Wu Xiufen kept looking back, fearing that someone would covet their money and rush out to rob them.
There was so much money that her cross-body bag was full. Although she didn't have time to count it, the amount was definitely much more than she had imagined.
She couldn't understand why she felt like she had made a fortune in the end even though there were discounts and free gifts.
Tao Rui smiled and said, "Mom, didn't you say a few days ago that the mung beans at home wouldn't go bad if we kept them any longer? And those preserved fruits I made will freeze if we keep them any longer. Today's gifts are all mung bean cakes, preserved fruits, and so on. Look, we've cleared out all the stock, haven't we? Buyers are happy, and you don't have to worry about those things going bad."
Wu Xiufen was stunned. It was indeed true. Winter was approaching, and many things would freeze if left out, making them inedible. Plus, the cellar was damp, so the food inside would easily mold. She'd been worrying about what to do with all that food, and then it was all gone in one day? Was that a win? Even if they hadn't given it away, it would have been a waste if it had spoiled, and now, with everyone giving a little, they were actually more willing to buy.
Wu Xiufen felt her brain wasn't working well enough, but that didn't stop her from realizing her family had made a killing. She smiled, patted Tao Rui on the back, and praised him, "My son is so smart; he can think of anything!"
Tong Yan nodded and said, "Tao Rui is smarter than others, very powerful."
Wu Xiufen looked at her, and thinking of how she collected money and settled accounts clearly, and how she also helped a lot, she couldn't help but touch her head: "Yanzi is also very smart. You two have grown up and are better than our generation. Work hard in the future and we will all live a good life."
Tong Yan nodded vigorously. "Yes, I will earn money and build a brick house for grandma to live in. I will also plant grape vines for grandma to have shade and raise a dog to protect her."
Wu Xiufen had been spending time with Tong Yan almost every day recently and could sense her pure filial piety. Upon hearing this, she patted her hands and said with a smile, "Yanzi is amazing. Your grandmother is so lucky."
Wu Xiufen suddenly thought of how many people had recently been asking her about Tao Rui's marriage, and how some brave young girls had been trying to find excuses to help her with work. She had kept her mouth shut, not letting on. It wasn't because of anything else, but because their attitudes were a little too obvious. As soon as Tao Rui could make money, he'd come right up to her.
Although she understood that girls wanted to find a good man, and that Tao Rui had seemed unreliable before, it was normal for them to look down on him. But the stark contrast still made her feel uncomfortable. What were those girls attracted to? Maybe it was Tao Rui's money?
She even made a point of approaching Su Jiahui, remembering Tao Rui showing some attention to her before his head injury, suggesting he might have taken a liking to her. She discovered that Su Jiahui particularly enjoyed reading, and her conversations revealed a yearning and longing to return to the city. Her ideal was to be a useful member of society. She was quite opinionated and definitely not the type to stay and start a family. So she gave up the idea and didn't tell anyone.
When she saw Tong Yan and Tao Rui talking about building a house, she suddenly realized that Tong Yan's expression when she looked at Tao Rui was full of admiration.
How can I describe that feeling? It was like seeing a great hero. Wu Xiufen was immediately touched.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
