Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1245 Every place has its own way

The call was answered quite quickly.

Zhang Dahong can't keep up with the shifts at the factory anymore; he focuses his main energy on running the wholesale store, and he basically stays there all the time.

"Hey? Xiaowei? You're here?"

"Okay, we've exited the highway. Which way do we go?"

"No one's home. When you get off the highway, turn left. My shop is on the street. Turn right and follow the river all the way to the department store area, near the train station. Just drive straight to the train station. Once you get there, call this number and I'll come out to meet you."

"Okay, okay." Xiao Wei hung up the phone and said to Zang Yuanwei, "Right hand, tell him to walk along the river until you reach the train station."

Zang Yuanwei turned the steering wheel and drove off, saying, "Is it feasible to do business here? It feels pretty desolate."

Xiao Wei said, "It's mainly a few factories, and the residents are all factory workers. The houses were built by the factories, so they're quite concentrated. The purchasing power here is pretty good; many families have two working parents."

On the left side of the road was a factory and a bank; on the right were rows of large, single-story houses. After walking for a while, the houses on the right became increasingly dense, and then a high wall appeared on the left, behind which was the factory. The factory was huge. After walking several kilometers, the houses on the right disappeared, replaced by a large river, while the left side remained enclosed by walls.

The road forked; one side went up the mountain across the railway, while the other descended a bit and followed the riverbank. The factory wall went up the mountain.

Xiao Wei and his friends continued along the riverbank, passing through a factory area before finally entering the city, where a large cluster of buildings came into view. After asking around, they followed the road for a little over a kilometer, passing through this cluster of buildings, and arrived at the intersection of the train station square.

The square wasn't large; the post office was on the west side, the train station was on the east side, and shops lined both the north and south sides. In the middle of the square, a bunch of cars and trucks were parked, waiting for customers.

Zang Yuanwei drove the car casually into the square and parked it on the side of the road. Xiao Wei took out his phone and dialed: "Brother Da Hong, I've arrived at the square. I'm here in front of the 123 Restaurant."

After waiting a few minutes, Zhang Dahong strolled over and waved from afar. Xiao Wei got out of the car and asked, "It's pretty close by, isn't it?"

Zhang Dahong said, "This area is the most lively part of the street; all the business is concentrated here. Just park your car here; it's only a few steps away. The street over there is narrow and it's not easy to park."

Several people got out of the car, and Zang Yuanwei locked the car door and looked around.

Zhang Dahong led a few people north along the road in front of the post office: "This is the largest free market in the area. It was built a few years ago. The rest of the area is full of old bungalows. I rented a few rooms."

Xiao Wei looked up and saw that the shopping mall had only two floors, and above that was a residential building with seven floors, a pedestrian building.

It was quite lively, with people of all ages coming and going through all the main entrances. Zhang Dahong said, "The first floor sells agricultural and sideline products, and the second floor sells clothing and shoes. I originally wanted to set up a stall inside, but there's not enough space."

Zhang Dahong's rented apartment is right across from the side entrance of the mall. It has double wooden doors with a large sign hanging on them that reads "Zhang Dahong Wholesale Department" in red ink.

Once inside, Zhang Dahong called out to the girl behind the counter: "Yang Jing, this is Xiao Wei, from my second uncle's family. Xiao Wei, this is Yang Jing, my girlfriend. This is Chen Hui, and this is... Never seen you before, hehe."

Zang Yuanwei said, "My name is Zang Yuanwei, and I'm Xiaowei's driver."

Yang Jing stood up and said with a smile, "Sit down and rest. I'll get you some drinks."

Xiao Wei looked around the store. The goods were piled up in a mess, with both sides full, leaving only a small aisle from the door to the counter. But it seemed like business was alright.

The goods he gets are all from Xiao Wei: beer, bread, instant noodles, some red wine, and some snacks and drinks.

"How's business? You haven't set up any branches in the city?"

"No, the cost is too high. I found a distributor in the city, and it's easier to just give them some profit. I just need to restock. Have a seat in the back, I live in the back."

There was a small kitchen and a living room in the back, not very big, less than ten square meters, with a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove). The room was quite tidy, and the kang was covered with a linoleum.

There's a small courtyard in the back, about 30 square meters, which is also filled with goods, covered with plastic sheeting, and the bottom is covered with wooden boards half a meter high to prevent water from getting in.

"Dawei didn't come?" Xiaowei asked.

"I called him, he'll be there soon, you guys take a break."

"Boss, I'm buying something!" A voice called from the front, and Zhang Dahong hurriedly went out to sell his goods.

Chen Hui scratched his head and said, "This is the first time I've seen a store like this, I'm a little uncomfortable."

Yang Jing brought over some Jianlibao (a type of Chinese herbal tea) for the three of them, saying, "That's how it is here. Making it too good is a waste of money. Basically, it's all sold in bulk, and there aren't many retail sales. Actually, I'm here watching over things. He's the one running around inside and out, delivering goods and stuff."

Xiao Wei asked, "Don't you go to work?"

Yang Jing said, "No, I didn't go to the small group. It was just as tiring and the pay was the same. Later, Da Hong wouldn't let me go either, to avoid hiring people."

Xiao Wei asked, "What will you do if he's at work?"

Yang Jing said, "Just grab someone on the spot. There are plenty of people doing odd jobs in the square. Just call someone to deliver it for a few yuan. It's usually not far; they can go by tricycle."

Zhang Dahong called out from the front, "I'm going to deliver some beer."

Xiao Wei agreed and said to Chen Hui, "It's quite busy. Every place has its own way of doing things. Actually, it's pretty much the same in Fengtian, a place that mainly wholesales. Look at that warehouse shop on Han San Er Road. It's just a bit bigger."

Chen Hui nodded and asked Yang Jing, "How's the beer sales? Anyone complaining about the price?"

Yang Jing said, "It's alright. The ones in the city are better, but the ones here aren't as good as Longshan Spring."

Xiao Wei said, "Our beer isn't really the mass-market type, so it's no surprise that it doesn't sell well; there are plenty of entertainment venues in the city."

After chatting for a while, Zhang Dawei rushed in excitedly: "Where's my brother?"

Yang Jing said, "I've gone to deliver goods. You stay here with Xiaowei and the others, I'm going to watch the shop in the front. Xiaowei, you guys sit down." She turned and went to the front. Zhang Dawei grabbed a can of Jianlibao, tore it open, and took a few gulps. He asked, "Have you guys eaten?"

Xiao Wei said, "I ate in the city. Where are you going to open that shop?"

Zhang Dawei said, "There isn't one here yet, but there's a small workshop run by people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. I'm thinking of setting one up here. I'm a bit unsure about the location, and I don't know what kind of equipment I need or how much it will cost. That's why I was thinking of having you come and take a look."

Xiao Wei asked, "You and your brother have broken up now, right?"

Zhang Dawei nodded: "We've broken up, and now the shop is his. It was bound to happen sooner or later. He'll both have wives in the future, so it's better to avoid getting into trouble over money. Otherwise, we won't be able to get along and will become a laughing stock, which will also make my parents feel bad. This is better."

(End of this chapter)