A small plot of land in a mountain village

The fat man was very familiar with the people at this wholesale market. In no time, he called out several small trucks to drive out of the market and load baskets of cherries from the large trucks into the market.

"You're really something, Fatty," Zhang Niu said with a chuckle.

"That's right. Before I started my orchard, I made my living by collecting fruit." Zhang Niu didn't know this part of the story until he was told.

Besides hiring a delivery driver, the fat man also brought several movers. These movers moved goods at lightning speed, leaving Zhang Niu somewhat dumbfounded.

"Stop looking, get ready to get to work. We'll be busy when there are more people coming." He was smoking a cigarette and puffing out clouds of smoke.

Before Zhang Niu could even shout, a lot of people had already gathered around. The baskets of cherries weren't covered with newspaper, so everyone could see the bright red cherries as they unloaded them.

"Young man, how much are your cherries?" This was the natural way to address Zhang Niu, who was quite young.

Unexpectedly, the vendor arrived very quickly, and then said with a smile, "These cherries weigh fifteen pounds a box, and the price is four hundred yuan per basket. The minimum order is fifty baskets." This was the most satisfactory price that we discussed at home last night.

"What? Four hundred a basket?"

"What a load of bull! Cherries are so expensive!"

A number of people around started making a fuss, asking what kind of cherries they were selling, saying that even freshly picked cherries weren't priced like this. Many vendors joined in the uproar.

Zhang Niu and Fatty were well aware of the reactions from those around them. The price was high, but these cherries weren't your average quality. They were cherries with a milky aroma, and the two didn't believe they could find this anywhere else. This was the only place that sold them; there were no other branches.

To succeed in this line of business, you need a keen eye and a silver tongue that can talk the dead back to life. With that, getting rich won't be difficult; you might even get cramps from counting all the money.

"Make way—"

Shouts came from behind the onlookers.

When everyone turned around to look, they realized that it was the market bully who had arrived.

The quick-thinking people immediately made way for each other. In this market, there are some rules that must be followed, otherwise you never know when you might get into trouble.

Good morning, Brother Jian.

Good morning, Brother Jian.

A group of people walked in, and the vendors all called out in hushed tones, as if they were seeing their own parents.

Zhang Niu also heard Zhongzheng's voice from earlier; it seemed the city tyrant had arrived. He glanced at the fat man beside him; the guy still looked relaxed.

Could this fat guy really know these local bullies in this wholesale market? We should probably find out if it's true or not.

A burly man with a full beard walked in. It was early in the morning, and he was wearing a vest with two blue dragons tattooed on each shoulder. He had many scars on his body, and it was clear at a glance that he was no good.

"Who gave you permission to set up a stall here, kid?" Before the bearded man could even shout, his underlings behind him had already started yelling.

The fat man looked at the big-bearded man in front of him with a smile.

With a "slap," a large red handprint appeared on the face of the henchman behind him.

"Damn it, who told you to shout? You're asking for it." He turned around, walked up to the fat man, and the two gave each other a bear hug.

"Why didn't you let us know you were coming?" The bearded man spoke first as the two released their bear hug.

"I just arrived, there's no time to waste," he replied with a smile.

The two men burst into laughter. This surprised many vendors in the distance, who were astonished that the pot-bellied fat man knew Brother Jian; the two seemed quite familiar with each other.

"Someone just came over and said this spot was taken. So I brought some guys over right away to see which rascal dared to take the place." He said with a chuckle.

The vendor only realized now that the spot that had been vacant all this time belonged to this unassuming fat man. The location had been empty for a long time, but no one had ever done business there. Many people had tried to take over the spot, but despite its good location, they soon stopped daring to set up shop there, probably because the market bully had taken it out of control.

Over time, the vendors all knew that this area belonged to Big Beard, and everyone behaved themselves and dared not cross the line.

"What's this?" Looking at Zhang Niu, who looked rather inexperienced, beside him.

The fat man naturally knew who he was asking, and pulled Zhang Niu over, saying, "This is my friend. We're doing business here, so let's get to know each other."

"Your friend? That's quite a rare sight." He said, stepping forward and looking him over.

Zhang Niu made the bearded man a little uncomfortable, but he still introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Zhang Niu."

The bearded man then patted Zhang Niu on the shoulder a few times. "Everyone in this wholesale market likes to call me Big Beard. You can call me that too. If you need anything, you can ask me for help. In this place, I'm the boss."

This statement left many vendors speechless; it was the truth.

Do all the big shots these days like to pat people on the shoulder?

"Hey, Fatty, are you planning to sell cherries?" The plastic crates piled up behind him were immediately noticed.

"I don't have time to deal with this. It's all thanks to this young man. It's my first time here, so I came along to take a look. I didn't expect you to be doing so well here."

As he spoke, the fat man winked at Zhang Niu, signaling him to bring out a few baskets of cherries.

"I'm not talking anymore, I have to go out and check things out. Let's have a drink together at noon." He turned to leave.

"Um... Big Beard..." Facing the fierce-looking man with the big beard, Zhang Niu still didn't dare to speak loudly.

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm not going to eat anyone." He roared at Zhang Niu, who seemed a bit timid.

Mustering her courage, she handed over the two baskets of cherries she was carrying, saying, "This is a small gift for everyone to try."

At this time, cherries were still a rare fruit in this wholesale market, so this was quite a generous offer. This guy was quite good at charming people, but his courage wasn't to my liking.

The underlings each took a basket from him; it was best to grab whatever was free.

The bearded man nodded and walked outside.

Once the bearded man left, the previously quiet scene suddenly became lively again.

"How about it? My friend's a bit scary, isn't he?" the fat man said with a smile.

The big-bearded man's gaze just now was really intimidating. He nodded and said, "Yeah, just looking at all those scars all over his body is enough to give you the creeps."

"You're really timid. You'll get used to it after seeing it so many times." The fat man seemed to think this was perfectly reasonable.

"Have you known Big Beard for a long time?" she whispered to the fat man.

"It cannot be spoken, it cannot be spoken."

These words left Zhang Niu somewhat helpless. This guy was really something; he couldn't even listen to what was said?

"Hey boss, who's that fat guy with the wicked grin?" one of the henchmen asked.

"Old friend, this is the place I used to hang out before I came here." He said with a smile, seemingly in a good mood today.

These words puzzled the underlings. They said that two tigers cannot share one mountain, so why did the two seem to be getting along so well?

The bearded man ignored them, feeling it was already quite good that he had managed to say something and let them know.

"Young man, could you lower the price a bit?" a vendor standing in front said.

"Yes, this price is a bit hard for us to accept. We're all just trying to make a living, so a price reduction would benefit everyone."

Zhang Niu looked around and saw that most people shared the same opinion: "The price won't come down. I'm afraid it will go up next time. Now let everyone know what kind of cherries these are."

The fat man was really looking forward to seeing how these guys would humiliated later.

He picked up a basket of cherries with both hands and placed it on the table he had moved out from the corner. He opened the plastic basket, took out a newspaper and spread it on the table, then took out a handful of cherries and put them on the newspaper.

"Everyone, take a look at its condition first," he said to everyone.

For cherries to fetch a high price, appearance is crucial, just as oranges need branches and leaves, and plums need their white membrane. People also need to be well-dressed; it's the same principle.

The cherries, picked a day ago, still gleamed as if they had just been picked.

The vendor's eyes immediately recognized that the cherries were plump, translucent, and glistening—absolutely top-quality for this season.

"Not bad, not bad." (Nods)

People around started talking amongst themselves, and many began considering whether to buy some to resell. A crowd gathered, and many more followed to see what was going on.

"What's the use of just looking at the quality?" Some of the people who couldn't squeeze in started to grumble.

"Yes, that's absolutely right."

Creating disturbances is what vendors love to do most.

Zhang Niu didn't care about this. Let them make a fuss and see what else they can come up with. "Everyone has seen the appearance and quality. Now I'll invite a few people over to taste the cherries."

Zhang Niu's cherries only release their milky aroma when you bite into them. The fragrance that comes out when you bite into them will show you why these cherries are this pricey.

"I've been here a long time, let me have a taste!" shouted one of the vendors who thought he had been there the longest.

Zhang Niu doesn't care how long you stay or what, as long as someone comes up and bites through it, that's fine.

"Then it's you, and you too, come and try it together." They chose the first few people.

Those who weren't selected can rest assured and wait; the results will be out soon anyway.

"Is this a fragrance?"

As soon as someone ate a cherry, the aroma wafted around them.

Zhang Niu selected the first basket of picks from his own yard, and they have a strong aroma, all for this effect.

Everyone could smell the fragrance coming from the cherries. A few people who went over to taste the cherries thought the fragrance was coming from somewhere else, but the fragrance in their mouths couldn't be hidden from them.

The group tried a few more, but they still tasted the same.

"Cherries with a milky aroma?"

"Is this a new variety?"

Many vendors who considered themselves knowledgeable had never seen these fragrant cherries before. They stared intently at the cherries in the newspaper, wondering how such small cherries could smell so sweet.

Those who returned were still savoring the enticing aroma.

Zhang Niu wasn't in a hurry at all; he had expected this effect long ago, so it wasn't anything special.

"Did you spray perfume on these cherries to fool everyone?" a vendor asked naively, seemingly quite suspicious.

When this person shouted it out, many people began to realize that there were very few new varieties that they were unaware of.

Zhang Niu replied confidently, "That's because you don't know. This is called Milk Cherry. Otherwise, why would I charge such a high price? Besides, this cherry isn't just about eating it; it's very good for beauty. It's several times better than ordinary cherries."

This beauty can be seen from the baby's mother, and also from Li Guang's hard work every day.

The vendors obviously know that cherries are good for beauty; quite a few people in the city buy them for cosmetic purposes, and even though it's a new variety, the price is ridiculously high.

The aroma of these cherries is still very tempting to them. The price is high, and they sell well at this price, but everyone wants the price to drop so they can earn more.

Sorry for the lengthy post in the previous chapter. (To be continued. For more chapters and to support the author, please log in! Support the author and read the official version!)