1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 140 Reaching New Heights
As soon as you get close to the market, the number of cars increases.

When they arrived at the market entrance, Yi Long, who was sitting next to Chen Jiazhi, saw a group of people walking towards them.

"Don't push, don't push, get to the stall first."

"Give way!"

Only after my uncle shouted the words one by one did the tricycle enter the market.

Trucks, tricycles, vans, bicycles, handcarts, and people mingled together, and there were also vendors selling all kinds of food.
But there seemed to be even more people around their car; it was too lively.

I never knew there were such lively places late at night. I never knew selling vegetables was like this.

Yi Long wasn't scared, but he was unfamiliar with the area and there were many people. After getting off the bus, he stood aside and watched how the adults sold vegetables.

His father and his two uncles, Li Mingkun and Guo Mancang, also came in, but they were all following their uncles' instructions.

The four of them quickly got to work.

My uncle was in charge of accounting and collecting money, while my father and two other uncles weighed and packed the vegetables. Occasionally, they would also help people load the vegetables onto their vehicles. It didn't seem like a difficult task, so he figured he couldn't possibly be there to cause trouble. Thus, he would occasionally lend a hand.

No one taught him, and they would occasionally scold him.

No one cared about Yi Long's thoughts.

When he gets busy, Chen Jiazhi can become very impatient because even a small mistake can affect his efficiency.

After seeing off Lao Wu and Chen Ze, the monk stood in front of him again.

Xu He asked, "You still have kale?"

"Yes, we have kale seedlings tomorrow, 15-18 cm long. How many do you need?"

"Add another 30 jin of kale."

After paying 395 yuan for the day, Xu He left, somewhat surprised.

Not only are there more vegetables available, but the variety of vegetables has also increased. After paying a deposit, you can even take the plastic basket with you. It seems like buying vegetables has become more convenient.

He wasn't the only one with the same idea.

A minivan was driving on the empty street. Chen Ze, who was driving, was also thinking back. It seemed to be going even more smoothly now, and buying groceries was faster.

He makes a special trip every day, naturally wanting to buy two more types of vegetables at once.

Now, Chen Cai Nong is starting to keep his promise, and mustard greens and kale are starting to hit the market.

Now when he goes to stall number 56, they don't even need to weigh the vegetables. They just give him a fixed number of baskets, which is simple, convenient, and the quality is guaranteed. They also won't shortchange him.

Although the prices are not cheap, the supply of vegetables is stable, the variety is gradually increasing, and the grocery shopping process is being simplified little by little, making the grocery shopping experience very comfortable.

This made him very proud; purchasing wasn't that difficult!

Mr. Chen is a very insightful person.

When he got busy, he lost track of time and soon broke out in a sweat. Chen Jiazhi kept writing and calculating each order.

Xu He and Chen Ze thought he had simplified the procedure, but he felt it wasn't enough.

For example, plastic baskets come in different standard sizes, not to mention bamboo baskets. It would be much more convenient if vegetable baskets could be standardized in size and weight.

Moreover, there's also the vegetable grading process...

However, the current goal is to achieve uniform weight, so it's about time to customize custom plastic baskets.

"Mr. Chen, the city is going to impose price controls, so your vegetable prices should be lowered too!"

"Yes, yes, the prices are too high, and it's not easy for us to do business!"

"We won't be lowering the price for now. If you think it's too expensive, you can go somewhere else."

"Shh~"

"I've never seen anyone sell vegetables like this before."

"With prices this high, who would dare to do business with you long-term?"

"You don't come every day!"

As the sales progressed, several retail customers reported that the Market Supervision Administration wanted to restrict the wholesale-retail price difference.

Chen Jiazhi also recalled that he seemed to have vaguely heard related news yesterday noon, but he remained unmoved.

What business is it of his to restrict wholesale and retail prices?

He doesn't do retail.

Moreover, less than half of his customers are in retail, and he was already worried about the large number of people crowding around him every morning, so this was a good opportunity to refine his customer base.

In wholesale markets, retailers often compete fiercely for vegetables, leading to numerous arguments and even fights.

In fact, the city's price controls on vegetables were also caused by this retailer.

The wholesale price of common Chinese cabbage in Chenjiazhi is 3.2 yuan/jin, and there are also some scattered supplies in the market at 3 yuan/jin.

But the retail price reaches 4 yuan per kilogram, a 30% price difference, well... it doesn't seem too high.

But who can be blamed for this?
We can't blame the vegetable farmers, can we?

As the vegetables were nearing the end of their sale, Chen Jiazhi realized that it would be difficult to stabilize vegetable prices.

However, he is a vegetable farmer, not a middleman, and therefore doesn't have the wholesale-retail price difference, so there are loopholes in the government's restrictions that he can exploit.

Maybe it can hold on a little longer.

At least today's prices are the same as yesterday's, and the truckload of vegetables was cleared out quickly and smoothly.

"Xiaolong, go ask your uncle for some money and go buy a few bottles of frozen drinks."

As soon as they sat down to rest, Yi Dinggan took command of Yi Long. Chen Jiazhi didn't say much, but smiled and took out a 10-yuan note from his bag.

Yi Long was taken aback: "Isn't that too much, Uncle?"

"I'll pay you extra wages. You helped out at night too, which is pretty good."

"Have it."

"There's a convenience store right where we came in. Do you remember the way?"

"I can find it."

Yi Long chuckled and ran off with cheerful steps. At this age, it was the perfect time to make money.

When his two sons were this age, they would always clamor to help him with chores and earn wages, as if earning money through their own labor was a very accomplished thing.

It remains to be seen how long they can hold out.

Chen Jiazhi took out cigarettes and offered one to each of the three men.

"Yi Long is a good young man, he's brave. Brother Yi, let him come with me to the market from now on, he can lend a hand."

"What about Xue Jun?"

“One more person won’t make a difference.” Thinking of Yi Long’s cheerful smile just now, Yi Dinggan hesitated for two seconds before nodding.

The market was still bustling. The tomatoes and bell peppers at stall number 55 across the street were gone, but a truckload of purple eggplants arrived, and business was good.

At this time of year, having vegetables is a great thing.

After puffing on his cigarette for a while, Chen Jiazhi asked, "Old Li, Old Guo, do you still have a lot of vegetables in your fields?"

"Sigh, there aren't many left."

"I estimate we'll run out of vegetables in two days."

"What are your plans?"

The two continued smoking without saying a word.

Chen Jiazhi then asked, "How much money can a couple save after a year of hard work farming three or four acres of land? Can they save ten thousand?"

The two shook their heads.

"What about five thousand yuan?"

Continue to shake your head.

"Three thousand? That should be about right."

The two reluctantly nodded. They only had three or four acres of land each, and based on the situation at the beginning of the year, they definitely wouldn't earn three thousand a year, which was less than the seven or eight yuan a day they earned as vegetable workers at the company.

But things have improved a lot in the last two or three months. We managed to grow some water spinach and bok choy in a small greenhouse and saved some money. Although we have to start over now, we are doing much better than many other people.

However, Chen Jiazhi pointed to himself again, holding up one finger, his expression calm.

"I don't need to tell you how much money I can make in a day, do I?"

The two men smoked silently, somewhat puzzled. Were they trying to show off?

Yi Dinggan, standing next to Chen Jiazhi, said, "I still have to tell you. If you don't, we won't know how much money you made today."

"..."

Chen Jiazhi's carefully cultivated emotions crumbled once again.

Li Mingkun and Guo Mancang genuinely believed that he was trying to show off.

"Yes, Jiazhi, how much did you sell today? With so many vegetables, it must have been six or seven thousand, right?"

The three of them looked at him, more interested in his income than their own.

Chen Jiazhi sighed helplessly and said, "Yongfeng and Huang Juan also received more than a thousand yuan in wages from me last month."

"The Ao brothers' family is the same."

“I did a pretty good job this month, so I’ll give them a little more money. If this continues, their income will be much higher than yours over the course of a year.”

The three of them then understood what he meant, and continued smoking in silence without saying anything. Chen Jiazhi also didn't elaborate further, as he wanted to maintain control of the situation.

He could guess what the three were thinking. He didn't have much land now, and even if the three came to help him, they would have to start as workers.

When Yi Dinggan was a junior manager at his previous company, he also managed dozens of acres of land.

Now, if you come to help him, you only have a few acres of land and you have to work from morning till night. Is that any different from working alone?
Growing your own vegetables offers more freedom and less restriction, and all the money from the sale is yours. If you catch a good market opportunity, you might just turn your life around.

They can manage their lives now, so the three of them aren't in a hurry, and they may not be able to accept the change in their status for the time being.

Chen Jiazhi was somewhat helpless.

Actually, he doesn't need to rush.

Firstly, there is limited land; secondly, he now has Ao Dehai, Qi Yongfeng, and Ao Deliang, whose performances are also quite good.

Ao Dehai, in particular, is very intelligent.

But he understands retail investors too well. If Li Mingkun and Guo Mancang were allowed to figure it out on their own, they might just have an epiphany someday.

Even if he can offer higher income in the future than if they worked alone, the three of them might still continue to be individual investors.

Simply put, retail investors love freedom all their lives.

He was a small-time investor in his past life; the longer he works, the less he wants to be managed. There's no way he'd ever work for someone else.
That's why he took advantage of the typhoon disaster to test Li Mingkun and Guo Mancang.

It seems that the two have chosen to persevere once again.

Is it because he's been earning a lot lately that you want to try your luck again?

I think so. Both of them, including Yi Dinggan, still have capital.

After smoking for another minute, Yi Long returned with a bottle of soda, giving one to each person—a glass bottle of Asian Sarsaparilla.

"Xiaolong, why did you buy this soda?"

"The shopkeeper said this would cool me down, so I bought it. What's wrong, Uncle? Did the shopkeeper lie to me?" Yi Long asked innocently.

"You'll know once you drink it."

"The taste is a bit unique."

"It smells like Tiger Balm."

They all chuckled, each offering a comment. Yi Long, feeling a little uneasy, unscrewed the bottle cap, took a sip, and uttered two words.

“It’s unpalatable!”

"Hahaha……"

"What kind of drink is this?!"

"It's actually just Chinese herbal medicine."

Although they weren't used to the taste, they still sipped the food slowly. After resting for a while and settling the bill for the three of them, their sweat had dried completely. They didn't go to buy any more groceries and headed straight home.

Even when settling accounts, no one asked him about his income.

Yi Long listened quietly, occasionally frowning and taking a sip of soda.

This made Chen Jiazhi feel a little strange. Why was no one asking, but he actually wanted to tell others on his own initiative?

But he suppressed the impulse and silently plotted in his heart.

Heiwa'er bought 900 jin of vegetables for 3150 yuan;
We sold 1135 jin of vegetables at the market, 128 jin more than yesterday, for a total of 3688 yuan.

A total of 6838 yuan.

It set a new record, significantly breaking previous records, but he estimates this will be the norm for the next few days.

The government's move to restrict the wholesale-retail price difference will definitely affect market prices, so Chen Jiazhi will naturally try to buy as many vegetables as possible.

Heiwa'er is going to the fields to get vegetables, and he's even more clueless about the situation in the domestic wholesale market, so there might still be room for price increases.

Both will only make your income increase day by day.

(End of this chapter)