It sold out faster than Xu Ruantang had imagined. In less than half an hour, she sold a total of sixty small bread rolls and sixty mung bean cakes.
Although she calls them small loaves of bread, they are made larger than those she makes in the countryside because of their higher price.
Some who arrived late sighed as they looked at the empty styrofoam boxes, asking, "Boss, are you coming back this afternoon?"
Xu Ruantang smiled and shook her head, "I won't come this afternoon, but I should be coming tomorrow at noon."
After packing up her stall and saying goodbye to the old man, she planned to ride her bicycle to Xifosi Market for a while.
If we're going to continue selling tomorrow, we'll have to buy red bean paste.
Xu Ruantang turned around as she pushed her bicycle, only to find a dark-faced man standing behind her, blocking her way.
"Sorry, comrade, we're sold out. If you want some, come back tomorrow at noon."
Xu Ruantang looked at the middle-aged man warily. No matter how she looked at him, she felt that he was not a good person. Could it be that she had encountered one of those people who collect protection money?
This was at the entrance of the garment factory, not far from the compound. Xu Ruantang remained calm, waiting for the man to speak.
The middle-aged man rubbed his hands together. "Your business is doing very well?"
Xu Ruantang: "......"
"Are there any more samples? Let me try some." The man seemed oblivious to Xu Ruantang's embarrassment and said directly.
Although it was strange, Xu Ruantang still gave him a sample.
The man took it without saying thank you and left.
Although it was somewhat inexplicable, it didn't dampen Xu Ruantang's good mood for shopping. Today, the clothing factory's first stall sale was a success, and she collected a total of forty yuan.
I had calculated the costs with Chen Ji before, and roughly estimated that she would make a net profit of thirty-four yuan.
In this day and age, it's equivalent to half a month's or even a month's salary for many people.
As Xu Ruantang rode her bike, she thought to herself, "It's the first time we're selling them today, so everyone is excited. But after a while, they'll definitely sell out much faster."
However, she didn't intend to sell small bread rolls for a long time. Once something appears on the market, someone will definitely imitate it very quickly.
To earn more than others, you have to keep innovating.
The midday sun was blazing. Xu Ruantang strolled leisurely, rounding a roundabout shaped like a fountain, and finally found the Xifosi Market.
This free market was much bigger than she had imagined; it had chicken, duck, and all sorts of vegetables. Further inside, it sold general merchandise, hardware, porcelain, and even flowers.
There were Xinjiang people selling roasted lamb skewers by the roadside, two cents a skewer, which made Xu Ruantang feel very familiar.
So even back in those days, snacks across the country were already standardized!
She walked and shopped, and before she knew it, she had bought a lot of things. Luckily, she had a foam box, so it was easy to carry everything inside.
Xu Ruantang was about to turn back when she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, and she immediately stopped in her tracks.
It's a metal stroller, painted blue, with four tiny, miniature wheels.
My baby is almost nine months old. If we buy a stroller like this, it will be much more convenient for my godmother to take her for walks around the compound.
"Sister, how much is this cart?" Xu Ruantang asked with a smile, looking at the middle-aged woman setting up the stall.
The middle-aged woman glanced at her. "One hundred!"
Wow, that's an astronomical price!
Although Xu Ruantang didn't have a good grasp of the prices here, one hundred yuan was almost three months' salary for an average person, which would be about 15,000 yuan in later years!
"Sister, I really want it. Please give me a fair price." Xu Ruantang smiled brightly. "My husband said we would go to the mall to buy it when he takes leave, but he's a soldier and his leave time is unpredictable. I just bought it when I saw it."
Upon hearing this, the eldest sister's expression changed, and she finally looked up at Xu Ruantang.
"Are you married?" the middle-aged woman asked hesitantly.
Xu Ruantang: "Big sister, what are you saying? My baby is already nine months old! Otherwise, why would I buy a stroller?"
There were too many people asking prices but not buying today, and the middle-aged woman was getting impatient as she sold the goods. When Xu Ruantang asked her, she answered without thinking.
Hearing that she genuinely wanted it and was a military dependent, he said seriously, "Alright, I won't waste any more words with you. Here, take the fifty."
So you're saying we'll cut it in half the price when we meet?!
Xu Ruantang smiled and said, "Twenty-five!"
She was riding her bicycle and had nowhere to put her stroller. Later, her older sister helped her figure out a solution by tying a rope to the foam box to secure it.
After selling the carts, the older sister packed up and went home. Xu Ruantang walked and chatted with her as they left the Xifo Temple Market.
It turns out that the management fees in the market are quite expensive. The management fee for a formal stall is 500 yuan a year, or 50 yuan a month.
For a small street stall, the monthly management fee is twenty.
That's an astronomical price!
"Girl, don't be fooled by the high management fees. There are plenty of people who want to set up stalls here! After all, this area is full of big factories and military bases. Most of the wealthy and powerful people in Beijing live here!"
That's true, Xu Ruantang agreed.
After parting ways with her older sister, Xu Ruantang saw from afar that the roundabout she had just arrived at was surrounded by people.
They were all workers in work clothes; they hadn't realized that it was already past their afternoon workday end.
Xu Ruantang watched the fountain for a while, thinking that she would bring her godmother and Xiaobao here next time. There is a fountain and a square, which is suitable for taking the kids out.
Just as she was about to ride her bicycle away, she discovered that the baby stroller that had been tied to the styrofoam box was gone!
Only the rope remained hanging in the air.
Xu Ruantang quickly scanned her surroundings and noticed a few young people running wildly in the distance, each carrying a small cart.
"Damn it!" Xu Ruantang pedaled her bicycle incredibly fast. "Hey, you bunch of blondies over there, stop! Thief! Thief! They're stealing!"
Xu Ruantang's shout was quite loud, and many people who were watching the fountain looked over at the sound, startling the young people who ran away as fast as they could.
So she stood up and rode her bicycle to chase after him, with the blond-haired boy running ahead.
Knowing that it was inconvenient for Xu Ruantang to ride a bicycle, they deliberately ventured into the alleyways.
Many kind-hearted people wanted to help, but the young men looked fierce and menacing, so they were either frightened or knocked down.
Xu Ruantang chased after her relentlessly. Luckily, there were no pedestrians in the alley, otherwise she probably wouldn't have been able to get out of the way. The bicycle was too high, and she didn't know how to use her foot brake!
"Stop!" Xu Ruantang was still shouting, "Help! Catch the thief!"
She didn't actually expect others to catch the thief; her main goal was to deter him, as people are most prone to making mistakes when they are under stress.
Just as the thief was about to turn into a narrower alley, a place where bicycles couldn't fit, the thief was about to disappear into.
Just then, a person slowly walked out from in front of the thief.
"Stop! Put your things down!"
The girl had a clear and melodious voice, wore a red dress, and had long, flowing hair.
In his panic, the thief tried to turn around but found Xu Ruantang standing behind him, glaring at the girl in front of him and saying menacingly, "Get out of the way, or I'll get rough!"
The girl walked forward step by step, looking at the thief with disdain, and said arrogantly, "Trying to steal from me, Li Shuhe? Don't you even know who my father is!"
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