Fake couple, real partners
The next day, the two went straight to the wholesale market.
"How much are these apples, bro?" Zhao Guomin asked, quite outgoing.
The shop owner looked them over and said perfunctorily, "I don't sell retail, I sell wholesale."
Zhao Guomin didn't think twice and even took out a cigarette and handed it to the other person: "If you want to buy loose apples, I won't come to your place anymore. What kind of apples are these? How much is one pound?"
After a few questions, the owner's attitude remained the same: "Where did you open your store? Who did you buy the goods from before? What do you want?"
Song Xiaojuan knew that Zhao Guomin had only been to the county a few times and probably didn't understand this.
He indeed paused.
Then he said.
"The shop is at the bus station. I want some fruit from the south. Imported ones are even better. I want some mangoes, dragon fruit, cantaloupe, and sugar apples. Let's not beat around the bush. If you have the goods, give me a fair price."
After hearing what Zhao Guomin said, the owner's attitude became a little more serious than before.
Even few people in the city have heard of the fruits he talked about. It seems that he really knows something about them.
"The ones you mentioned include mangoes. I have Jingdong late-ripening mangoes shipped from Hainan. If you want them, I'll give you a wholesale price of one yuan per pound."
Zhao Guomin laughed and said, "Boss, we haven't seen the goods yet. We can't say for sure what the price will be."
"Brother, I'll bring you the goods tomorrow morning. The fruit has a thin skin and lots of flesh. It's very sweet when you bite it. Would you like some apple and banana ones?"
Zhao Guomin inquired about the prices of fruits. The wholesale price of apples was 20 cents per pound, pears were 10 cents, and yellow peaches were 50 cents.
The two of them went to other stores to ask, and found the first one to be cheaper.
The whole way, Song Xiaojuan was wondering, "Dragon fruit exists in this day and age? How did he know about it? The army doesn't have it, right?"
Unless you have been abroad, but that is even more unlikely.
Until dinner time, Song Xiaojuan still didn't understand it. She wanted to ask but was afraid that the other party would not be able to answer.
This matter was delayed.
Because I asked for mango, I waited one more night.
Before picking up the goods on the third day, Song Xiaojuan grabbed Zhao Guomin.
"Brother Guomin, how much are you going to pay for the goods?"
Zhao Guomin raised his eyes slightly and said, "More than 200."
"Then I'll go over 200 too."
Song Xiaojuan just threw out this sentence.
Only then did Zhao Guomin realize that the other person was not there simply to show him the way.
I am so naive.
"Okay."
Zhao Guomin went out and hired a car to take him home.
Song Xiaojuan watched people loading goods into the truck, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Zhao Guomin knew what she was thinking: "The car is quite big and can fit yours. It costs thirty yuan to hire a car.
Song Xiaojuan was not thinking about this. She was thinking about selling fruits. She had to transport them to the market, but she didn't have a car.
It would be great if I could sell it together with him.
"Have you rented a stall at the market? How much is it per month?" She looked at Zhao Guomin with her innocent big eyes.
"Three months and fifty."
She also went to confirm this matter yesterday.
"Where are you going to put these fruits?" Zhao Guomin has four brothers, and his three older brothers are all married.
There isn't much space at home, so he definitely can't keep it there.
This sentence really hit home with Zhao Guomin: "I'm thinking of renting a place to store it, preferably with a cellar."
Song Xiaojuan was waiting for these words: "Then leave it with me. There's a cellar at home with plenty of space."
"How much is it per month?"
Song Xiaojuan quickly waved her hand: "We are all from the same village, why are you talking about renting? You are too polite. Well, I was wondering if we should sell it together?" She paused after saying that.
She wanted to see Zhao Guomin's attitude, but he showed no expression at all.
Song Xiaojuan pursed her lips and continued lobbying.
"If we work together, we'll have more capital and can expand our business. If you're alone, you can only do small business. This is called a win-win cooperation."
Zhao Guomin could tell that Song Xiaojuan had been waiting for him for a long time. She wanted to find free labor for herself.
What a win-win situation. It's good for Song Xiaojuan, but not so good for him. He's just using someone else's yard now.
Another point is that he really didn't have much capital. The money his original body had earned from demobilization was all taken away by his second brother.
This money will be returned sooner or later, but selling fruits is the real business right now.
In fact, there are also benefits to partnering with Song Xiaojuan, as it can transfer risks.
He nodded reluctantly.
I looked at Song Xiaojuan carefully again, and there were so many twists and turns in her mind.
Song Xiaojuan felt a little guilty after being looked at by Zhao Guomin.
The two of them had their own thoughts as the fruit truck entered the village.
This was a big deal and immediately caused a sensation.
It wasn't because of the fruit, it was because Zhao Guomin and the girl from Old Song's family got out of the car together.
"This is really something. This girl from the Song family is really capable. She has hooked all the citizens."
"That's not right. I saw them waiting for the bus at the village entrance the day before yesterday. Why did they come back today? They must have stayed out overnight! Like mother, like daughter."
The words became more and more unpleasant, but none of them reached Song Xiaojuan's ears.
The two were busy unloading fruit in the yard.
When Zhao Guomin came out of Song Xiaojuan's house, he saw his mother standing at the door in a rage: "Old Four, are you trying to piss me off to death? I've told you so many times to stay away from that girl from Old Song's family! Why didn't you listen? Tell me the truth, did she try to get you to stay here yesterday?"
What the hell? He could ignore other things, but this involved someone's reputation, so he had to explain.
"Really? You didn't lie to me. The thing is done. Stay away from it from now on. Do you want to meet the teacher who beat the stick?" the old lady asked from behind.
"No." Zhao Guomin went into the house, took off his shoes and got on the kang. He was exhausted and wanted to have a good sleep.
Song Xiaojuan was in a state of panic. These people first came in pretending to look at the fruit, and then directly asked her if she and Zhao Guomin were really together? Why did they spend the night together?
Song Xiaojuan really didn't bother to pay attention to these gossips. They only listened to what they wanted to hear.
"Aunt San, please eat less salt. You seem to have nothing to do. You don't do anything that has anything to do with other people." Song Xiaojuan didn't want to spoil her.
"How can you talk like that, girl!"
"Want to buy apples? Fifty cents for two pounds." Song Xiaojuan ignored her and shouted to the other onlookers.
It's so obvious now, shouldn't we go?
When everyone saw Song Xiaojuan's attitude, they all turned their lips away and left.
The next day, Song Xiaojuan got up early and found that Zhao Guomin had already found a car.
Song Xiaojuan helped load the fruit onto the truck and headed towards the market.
The show didn't start until around nine o'clock.
Song Xiaojuan found that their stall was in a bad location and few people passed by.
I turned around and looked at the vegetable seller next to me. There were a lot of people gathered in front of his stall asking for prices.
After watching for a while, Song Xiaojuan found something different.
Other people would honk with horns, but I just had to shout with my mouth, and the sound of the horns was drowned out by them.
Song Xiaojuan poked Zhao Guomin with her finger: "Shout louder!"
Seeing that Zhao Guomin didn't understand what she meant, she pointed to the side and said, "That person's voice is louder than yours."
"Apples! Big red Fuji apples, 50 cents for two pounds. If they're not sweet, I won't pay for them."
Song Xiaojuan was startled when Zhao Guomin suddenly stood up and shouted, but then she came to her senses and found it funny.
But the publicity effect was immediate.
"Can I taste this apple?"
"After you buy it, if it's not sweet, I'll refund you the money!"
Song Xiaojuan was not afraid when she heard Zhao Guomin's boast. She had eaten this fruit before and it was indeed very sweet.
Seeing that more and more people were coming, Song Xiaojuan put out the mangoes and yellow peaches.
"Boss, what is this yellow thing called? How much is one pound?" he asked as he pinched it.
Song Xiaojuan was about to shout, but Zhao Guomin stopped her, saying, "Hey, sister, you can't pinch these! These are imported mangoes, 1.5 yuan a pound, with thin skin and sweet flesh. Buy some for the child to try."
"Oh my god, this is too expensive! Can you make it cheaper? I'll buy two."
Song Xiaojuan saw that the man was dressed neatly and there was a little girl of six or seven years old standing next to him. She guessed that he really wanted to buy it for his child.
"Big sister, we didn't make a penny. This is imported and the highest price is only one dollar and fifty cents. We are all from the village and wanted to give everyone a taste of something new."
Song Xiaojuan finished speaking with a smile, then picked up a broken mango, peeled it open, cut it into small pieces with a knife, and handed a small piece to the child.
"Come on, take it and try it to see if it tastes good."
The child timidly took it and nodded to the adults after finishing.
The adults couldn't stop the children: "Oh, you young people are good at business."
Song Xiaojuan packed the goods into bags and collected the money in one go.
When the onlookers saw that there was something free, they all wanted to try it. Song Xiaojuan distributed all the mangoes. Some tried it and then bought some, while others smacked their lips and left.
Later, someone wanted to eat more, but Zhao Guomin shouted, "There are no free ones. These are imported big mangoes, fragrant and sweet. Everyone who has eaten them says they are good."
This sentence made everyone around laugh.
"Yes, I just took a bite, it's so sweet!"
You know what, this publicity effect is really good.
A small portion of the mangoes have been sold, and apple sales are also good.
The yellow peach is a bit bleak.
Song Xiaojuan was not worried, but she was a little concerned about the peaches. They couldn't be kept for a long time and would go bad in another day.
I wanted to ask Zhao Guomin if he could still sell it this afternoon. I didn't hear him say anything, and when I turned around, I saw him squatting nearby smoking.
Song Xiaojuan didn't call him and just sat there daydreaming.
"I'm going to sell from village to village this afternoon. Do you want to come with me?" Zhao Guomin came over at some point.
"Go, go to the village and sell it. Do you want to exchange it for corn or cash?"
This fool, accepting cash for 52 cents, he found out that the price of corn grains has increased by 70 cents, so how much difference can he make? He doesn't accept it in the village because he is afraid that these people will cheat on the weight, so as not to cause too much trouble in the village and township.
Of course, Zhao Guomin didn't say these words to Song Xiaojuan.
"The conditions in the village are not good. If we don't exchange corn, who will buy fruit?"
Song Xiaojuan: "Oh."
A fragrance suddenly wafted from somewhere, and Song Xiaojuan sniffed.
Why do I feel a little hungry? My stomach is cooperating and is rumbling.
"Are you hungry?" Zhao Guomin stared at her and asked.
This made Song Xiaojuan feel embarrassed and she could only laugh awkwardly.
"There's a place selling banmian over there. Can I bring you some?"
Song Xiaojuan nodded quickly.
Zhao Guomin brought all the bowls from the restaurant over.
Song Xiaojuan quickly took it. The man was tired after working all day and was kind enough to bring her food. Next time, she should be more considerate and not make him run back and forth.
"A bowl costs two yuan. Please include this in my calculations when I settle the bill tonight." Zhao Guomin squatted on the ground drinking soup without even raising his head when he said this.
Song Xiaojuan: “…”
She didn't intend to default on the debt. We are just saying that a man like him can still find a wife?
Zhao Guomin didn't want this to happen either. It was because he was poor now. He had to save enough money to buy the store directly. It really proved the saying that even if you split a penny into two, it would still not be enough.
What's more, Song Xiaojuan is not his relative, they are just working together to sell fruits.
Someone came over to ask Apple, interrupting the conversation between the two.
Song Xiaojuan stood up and waited for the other party to finish buying apples. She then offered to sell peaches: "Would you like something else? These freshly picked peaches are so juicy and sweet. It's already noon. If you want some, I'll give you a discount."
"This peach looks pretty good. How much is it?"
Peaches are sold at a low price and sales are going up very fast.
I went home at noon to pick up some goods and then went from village to village to sell them.
The villages were close and people of the same age almost all knew each other. As soon as Zhao Guomin started selling his goods, he met his elementary school classmate.
"Zhao Guomin? I'm selling fruit now. Is it selling well?"
Zhao Guomin handed the other person a cigarette and said with a smile, "It's not easy to sell, but the fruit is delicious. Would you like some?"
The classmate felt embarrassed to not buy something when he met him. The other party was also a straightforward person. He directly asked for half a bag of apples and called several people over without Zhao Guomin having to call out.
While collecting money, Song Xiaojuan thought that it seemed easier to sell in the village than at the big market.
More than half have been sold.
The two of them went around the village for several days in a row, and the corn they earned was stored in Song Xiaojuan's yard.
After selling the fruits, I will sell the corn as well.
Who knew that not many were sold in this village today.
Song Xiaojuan took off the bag and looked at the remaining fruits. She thought about selling them in another village tomorrow.
Zhao Guomin stopped him and said, "Go sell it on the roadside. There will be some long-distance trucks passing by. They need fruit more than the villagers do. They need it to replenish their energy on the road. These people have money and are not picky when buying things."
Song Xiaojuan didn't think of this, but she wanted to give it a try.
Zhao Guomin drove the car to the side of the avenue, and Song Xiaojuan found a shady place and put all the fruits out.
She looks like she only has fruits, isn’t it a bit thin?
"Zhao Guomin, go to the store and buy a few bottles of mineral water."
When people came out, Song Xiaojuan was both angry and amused, only to see Zhao Guomin coming out with five bottles of water in his hand.
"Zhao Guomin, just die!"
After the two of them spent a few days together, Song Xiaojuan had a better understanding of this person's character, so she made a joke.
After all, we will have to live together in the future, and it’s too tiring to speak in a formal manner every day.
If he doesn't respond, I should be more careful about my behavior next time.
"If you don't stingy, you can sell a whole box. What will you drink if you can't sell it?" Zhao Guomin said as he placed the water next to the fruit.
Song Xiaojuan was almost joking: "If you can't sell it today, can't you sell it tomorrow? Will that thing go bad?"
"Okay, okay, you're right."
Hearing his perfunctory attitude, Song Xiaojuan really wanted to pinch him, but they were not that familiar with each other.
If this gets twisted, it will be embarrassing.
The two of them sat there in the scorching sun for more than half an hour before a truck came.
Before Song Xiaojuan could stand up, she heard a loud bang and the car drove away, leaving behind a cloud of dust.
Song Xiaojuan covered her mouth with one hand, fanned herself with the other, and quietly lowered her buttocks again.
Hearing Zhao Guomin's muffled laughter behind her, Song Xiaojuan didn't even turn around.
Song Xiaojuan knew what he meant and ignored him.
"It's okay, there's another one, just get up again."
Song Xiaojuan: “…”
"Beep, beep," two horn sounds rang out in succession. Song Xiaojuan looked up and saw a truck coming from the opposite direction.
Zhao Guomin stood up before Song Xiaojuan: "You sit down, I'll do it."
After listening to what he said, Song Xiaojuan was a little confused. What did this mean?
"These people who drive sports cars on the road all year round have a bit of a rough personality." Zhao Guomin said this when he stood up.
Oh, Song Xiaojuan touched her nose, this person knows so much.
The driver got out of the car and came to the fruit stand: "Boss, what do you have here?"
Zhao Guomin stood in front of Song Xiaojuan, blocking her view. "We have everything on the cart. Do you want some of the big mangoes?"
"Hey, there are mangoes for sale here! Let me take a look."
"I went to Hainan specifically to buy it, just to give you guys something new."
Zhao Guomin said as he took the mango.
The other party liked it and said: "I've eaten it in the south before. It's delicious, but it's troublesome to peel it."
Song Xiaojuan was listening to them talking from behind, and when she heard what the other party said, she stood up.
"If you want to buy it, I'll cut it up for you and put it in a bag. You can just stick it on a stick and eat it."
The driver was obviously startled by the sudden appearance of the person. After looking at Song Xiaojuan for a few times, he said, "Cut five for me. You two are young and can endure hardships."
The driver thought they were a couple.
"I have no ability and can only work hard. It's so good for me to be like you guys. Brothers, you must have earned a lot this year, right?" Zhao Guomin said as he took the fruit knife from Song Xiaojuan's hand.
"Go to the store and buy me two popsicles. It's so hot out here."
Song Xiaojuan glanced at Zhao Guomin and thought, "Isn't he being too cautious?"
Just after taking a few steps, I heard the driver teasing from behind: "You're taking this beautiful wife out with you. Aren't you afraid someone will seduce you? Haha."
"We are a perfect match, and big brother is also from Northeast China?"
"Haha, the boss is quite funny. I'm from Henan. Hey brother, do you have any water?"
Zhao Guomin took out a bottle of water from the side.
"How much is it? Let's settle the bill together."
"I'm giving you the water for free. It's not easy for you to travel long distances." After saying this, Zhao Guomin stuffed the water into the other person's hand.
The driver was rather embarrassed: "Boss, you're so particular. Please give me all the pears. By the way, is there any restaurant nearby?"
"Drive three miles east, there are a lot of small restaurants over there."
Song Xiaojuan came back only after seeing the other person leave.
She looked through the box and found that a lot of fruit was missing: "This person must have bought a lot."
Zhao Guomin lit his cigarette with his back to the wind. "Well, they're not short of money. These long-distance drivers are all second-rate scoundrels. They told you to stay away, but you still came right up to them."
Song Xiaojuan pursed her lips and didn't retort. She was indeed a little rash.
Zhao Guomin felt a little regretful after he said that. It seemed that the two of them were not that familiar with each other.
The two of them were busy outside all day and made a lot of money, so they were very happy.
Little did they know that the village was in turmoil.
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