Struggle Life in the 1970s

The reason why Chu Ye is so confident is that, first, she knows that any business is difficult at the beginning, especially in a market full of small stalls. It is not easy to stand out. Customers go straight to the shops they are used to buying from and often take a wait-and-see attitude towards new ones.

Secondly, she still had savings, enough for her to not worry about life for a long time. When she came to Shenzhen, apart from the travel expenses, meals and accommodation expenses, she had a full 600 yuan sewn into her clothes, which she never touched. Later, she went to work in a factory, paid by piece, and at first she could earn more than 70 yuan a month. Later, her hand speed improved, and she could earn at least 80 or 90 yuan every month, and at most she could earn more than 100 yuan a month.

In addition, she lived and ate in the factory, and her monthly expenses were all in the canteen. After half a year, she had saved more than 500 yuan.

After deducting the cost of buying a fish pond, fish fry and various equipment, I still had 370 yuan left.

Her expenses were not high, and the money was enough for her to live comfortably for a long time. By next summer, the bass fry in the pond would grow up and could be sold, and then everything would be back on track.

Of course, the prerequisite is that she has to build a good customer base.

In October, due to the National Day holiday, there were a lot more people buying vegetables in the market. Even a newly opened small stall like Chu Ye welcomed a lot of people, but they were basically old customers who bought fish in the past, or new customers who came because of the promotion of old customers.

She hung the small blackboard she had just bought a few days ago in front of the stall, with a few big words written on it in red chalk: National Day special offer, selling at a low price.

"Little girl, how much is your carp?" A middle-aged woman walked up to the stall. She had visited many stalls, but either the fish was not fresh or the price was too high. She had not found anything satisfactory yet.

"28 cents a pound. If you want me to take care of it for you." Chu Ye quickly stood up and answered with a smile. She was wearing a waterproof dark blue apron, her hair was tied up high, and her sleeves were neatly rolled up. She looked very capable.

Although she looked quiet and well-behaved, she was dressed very professionally. When she smiled, her eyes were curved, which made it easy for others to trust her. The aunt was indeed stunned, and after coming to her senses, she hesitated again, "You are so much cheaper than others? Are you selling me bad meat?"

The price of fish that Chu Ye bid was indeed not expensive, but it was also because the surrounding vendors were all selling sea fish, which made them outshine her. They bought the fish from the pond and then added a markup to sell them, so the price was naturally high. What she sold were just ordinary carps, and they were from her own fish pond. In addition, she had just opened her business, so she deliberately lowered the price.

However, hearing the aunt's abrupt question, Chu Ye's smile became even wider. She pointed at the two fish tanks and said, "Auntie, don't worry! The fish here are all alive and kicking. Just pick one and I'll take care of it for you."

"Really?" Auntie looked suspicious, "You're still helping me deal with it?"

"Of course, today is National Day, and this is a special offer I'm giving you!" Chu Ye smiled brightly and his tone was extremely enthusiastic.

This is the purchasing service she provides. Other stalls sell fish by weighing and packing them directly, but she is different. Not only are the fishes here fresh, but they are also processed right under the customers' noses without any fraud. This is also the reason why she has the confidence to gain a foothold in this market with ordinary carp.

Now it was the aunt's turn to hesitate. She looked left and right, and finally her eyes fell on Chu Ye's face. This girl was so fair, she shouldn't be lying, right? She confirmed again, "I randomly pointed to one and it's 28 cents a pound?"

"Well, just point to any one you want. They're all the same price. I'll get you whatever you want." Chu Ye kept smiling.

"Okay, this one then." The aunt made up her mind to give it a try. She pointed to a medium-sized carp in the fish tank. This one was the one she wanted. If the girl dared to add more money, she would pull her over to reason with her! If she dared to cheat her, she would make her job unsuccessful!

"Okay." Chu Ye followed the direction of the aunt's finger and responded neatly. Then he took the net bag and quickly dipped it into the fish tank. The next second, the fish struggled in the net bag, as if it had anticipated its fate. It swung its tail and splashed water all over Chu Ye's face.

Chu Ye didn't care at all. After confirming with her aunt that it was this fish, she picked up the mallet from the chopping board and smashed it hard on the fish's head. In an instant, the silvery-white body of the fish lay flat on the chopping board. The next second, the fish was weighed.

"Look, this fish weighs four pounds, and it costs one dollar and twelve cents in total. I see that this is your first time buying something from me, so just give me one dollar." Chu Ye was still smiling. After weighing the fish, she cleaned it in three or five moves. After asking the aunt whether she wanted it sliced ​​or cut into pieces, she concentrated on the work in her hands.

Here, when the aunt heard that the fish only cost one dollar, she was instantly delighted. Usually, she could only get such a good price at night when looking for bargains, but today she actually found one in broad daylight. Moreover, this fish was not the kind that had been left out all day and was not fresh. She picked it herself and watched others process it.

She looked left and right and really felt that she had discovered a treasure shop. However, after the surprise, she deliberately cleared her throat and was not in a hurry to pay. She wanted to wait until Chu Ye had processed the fish and there would be no more problems before paying.

While she was still thinking about whether there would be a trick in the end, she didn't notice that many people gathered around her quietly. Some people looked at each stall one by one, wanting to see if there were any good goods, while others were attracted by Chu Ye's knife skills and stopped to admire them unconsciously.

Thanks to Chu Ye's hard work in September, although her knife skills are not as good as those of other stall owners who have been in the business for more than ten or twenty years, her movements are neat and clean. She wipes the chopping board clean after each step of processing the fish, and the area remains clean from beginning to end.

In addition, when Chu Ye closed his stall and went home every night, he would clean the area around the stall and wipe the fish tank and chopping board clean, so people could easily notice this at a glance.

Chu Ye was completely unaware as she cut the fish into even-sized pieces. She picked up a plastic bag with one hand and put all the cut fish into it. Then she looked up with a smile and handed the things over. It was then that she noticed that quite a few people had gathered in front of the stall.

She was not in a hurry, and her smile was even more sincere. She spoke in a clear voice, "Today is a special offer for National Day. Carp are 28 cents per pound. We can take a good look and choose carefully. I will catch the one you choose and clean it in front of you. The main purpose is to make it fresh!"

Although her voice was not loud, it was clearly heard by everyone present. The crowd who were originally watching were attracted by her words and subconsciously looked at the fish tank.

In fact, they looked down on carp in their hearts, thinking that this kind of fish had a fishy smell and a bad taste, but what Chu Ye said was very eye-catching. It was so cheap and it was a live fish, so some people began to hesitate whether to buy one to try.

Here, the aunt standing at the front of the crowd took the bag. Seeing that Chu Ye really gave it to her like this and didn't ask for more money, she couldn't help but feel a little dazed. Did she really buy a live fish for just one dollar? At this time, she heard a shove from behind, and she woke up from her thoughts, lowered her head, took out the money from her pocket, and handed it to Chu Ye.

"Okay, Auntie, you're welcome to come again next time!" Chu Ye didn't know what the aunt was thinking. She took the money and put it in the wooden box under the chopping board. She looked at the hesitant people in front of her, thought for a moment, and understood their concerns, so she continued to speak.

"In fact, the carp has a unique flavor when it is well processed. I especially like to cut the carp into sections and lightly fry it. Then heat oil in a pan, add scallion sections and ginger slices, and then put the fried fish pieces in. Simmer for thirty to forty minutes, and finally put tofu into the pot. Sprinkle some salt when serving. The soup is as white as milk and fresh and fragrant. It is not only nutritious but also delicious." Chu Ye said sincerely, and then she explained the method of frying the fish pieces.

"...After the fish is fried, it can be kept for two or three days without going bad. If you want to eat it, just take a piece and dip it in some seasoning. It is especially delicious." After she finished speaking, someone couldn't help but move closer to the fish tank again.

"Okay, it's so cheap anyway, let's buy one and try it!" A man spoke first and carefully selected one. Chu Ye responded with a smile. Just like before, he killed the fish and put it on the scale. "Three catties and three ounces, a total of 92 cents. Just give me 90 cents."

The man nodded, and after Chu Ye asked whether he wanted it sliced ​​or cut into pieces, he continued to concentrate. In the crowd, an aunt who had not walked far away heard that the man's fish was only 20 cents cheaper, and she was even more glad that she came early and got a great bargain. She happily clenched the bag in her hand and walked home briskly.

Chu Ye processed the fish body and put it into the bag. The customer nodded with satisfaction and handed over the money readily.

Once a deal is done, other people who are waiting and watching will rush to the fish tank to choose the fish they like. Such a big live fish, only 90 cents! Who cares if it's fishy or not? Just buy it and try it! At worst, if it doesn't taste good, I won't buy it again!
Just like that, the fish that Chu Ye had originally planned to sell for the day were sold out before mealtime. Even some old customers came to buy fish at the right time, but ended up seeing an empty fish tank with only a pool of water left.

"Isn't there usually a little girl at this stall? Why isn't she here today?" Aunt Qiao asked the stall owner next door with a puzzled look on her face.

Aunt Qiao comes here to buy fish every few days. The girl is pretty and speaks sweetly. She calls her "Auntie" all the time, which makes people's hearts soften. People can't help but want to come here to take a look. Even if you put all that aside, the girl sells fish at a cheap price and the fish is fresh. The fish soup made according to her method is especially delicious. Every time her little grandson doesn't want to eat, she can make a bowl of tofu fish soup and drink it with relish.

When the stall owner next door heard Aunt Qiao's question, he curled his lips and said in a gloomy tone, "Business is good today, so I sold out early and went back."

"Oh, we're late! The little ancestor at home specifically asked us to eat fish!" Aunt Qiao slapped her forehead and regretted it secretly when she heard it.

"Then come and take a look at my fish. We have all kinds of species. If you want one, I'll give it to you at a discount." The stall owner took the opportunity to solicit business. He thought viciously in his heart, it was all Chu Ye's fault. When she stood there and talked, people were attracted by her, so he didn't sell much for a long time.

He tried to sell it enthusiastically, but Aunt Qiao didn't even look at him. She walked away muttering, "I guess I have to come earlier next time. The fish sold by this girl is still fresh and safe to eat."

Aunt Qiao's voice was not loud, but the stall owner still heard it. He looked at Chu Ye's empty stall hatefully and gritted his teeth secretly.

(End of this chapter)