Reborn in 78, I made my fortune by working in the mountains, supporting three families on my own.

What Chen Pangzi feared most was that Zhao Lei would bring fresh game. By this time, it was long past the designated receiving time of the superiors. The supply and marketing cooperative did not have refrigerators or cold storage to preserve fresh game, and fresh game would definitely spoil overnight.

If it spoils, all the losses and damages will fall on his shoulders as the person in charge, and he can't afford to take that responsibility.

But smoked cured meat is different. It keeps well and can be stored for a long time. Even if it is left overnight at the supply and marketing cooperative, it will be fine when the receiving staff comes to collect it the next day. There is no need to worry about it spoiling or being wasted.

Zhao Lei, panting heavily, parked his tricycle steadily in front of the supply and marketing cooperative, wiping the sweat from his forehead: "Brother Chen, you're getting off work way too early."

Fatty Chen replied irritably, "Why stay on time? There's no overtime pay. Who wants to work overtime for free?"

While he was scolding, he squinted his small eyes and quickly examined the goods in the cargo bed of the tricycle.

Seeing the two baskets of golden-brown smoked cured meat, along with several dried rabbits and pheasants hanging nearby, his eyes lit up instantly: "Wow, Lei Zi, it's only been a few days, and you've already collected so much good stuff?"

After catching his breath, Zhao Lei handed a Daqianmen cigarette to Fatty Chen and another to Qin Bowen.

The three men lit cigarettes and chatted around the tricycle: "These are all game we hunted in the mountains these past couple of days. What do you think, should we do it the old way?"

Fatty Chen nodded with a smile: "Lei Zi, you're a big customer of our supply and marketing cooperative now. The town's receiving clerks come to me every few days, saying that among the supply and marketing cooperatives of the dozen or so production teams in Qingfeng Town, we're the one that supplies the most mountain products the most and the most frequently. Let me give you a proper calculation."

Zhao Lei and Qin Bowen stepped forward and quickly unloaded the goods from the truck. Qin Bowen casually asked, "Brother Chen, shall we just move them into the supply and marketing cooperative and leave them there?"

Fatty Chen checked repeatedly before cautiously asking, "You've thoroughly dried all of these, right? Will they keep well?"

"Don't worry, Brother Chen," Zhao Lei waved his hand and said, "I was just worried that it would spoil easily in the heat, so I specially smoked and dried it all beforehand. It's perfectly safe."

"Okay, okay, then hurry up and move them in. We'll wait for the receiving clerk to come and take them all away tomorrow."

Fatty Chen immediately opened the door of the supply and marketing cooperative, and the two of them worked together to move all the goods into the warehouse. Then they began to weigh and calculate the goods one by one. There were a total of 124 catties of smoked wild boar meat, four wild rabbits, and six pheasants.

As for the piglets and musk deer meat he caught, Zhao Lei planned to keep them for his own consumption and had no intention of selling them. Musk deer are already rare and precious, and it would be a waste to simply sell their meat.

He didn't intend to sell the other few intact animal hides to Fatty Chen.

He knew perfectly well that the price the grassroots supply and marketing cooperatives were charging for animal hides was extremely low, a huge difference from the purchase price in the county seat.

The price difference of a few cents for wild game is insignificant, but the price difference for animal hides can easily be tens of yuan, which is a huge loss. It would be better to collect a batch and then ask Wang Zhongbao to take it to the county town to sell, which would earn a lot more money.

After weighing the meat, Fatty Chen squinted and skillfully manipulated the abacus. After a series of crisp clicks, he announced the price: "Lei Zi, I'll still charge you the old price. Wild boar meat is one yuan per jin, so 124 jin is 124 yuan."

"The rabbits are all the same size, so they're eight yuan each. The pheasants are also eight yuan each. Four rabbits are thirty-two yuan, and six pheasants are forty-eight yuan, making a total of two hundred and four yuan. I'll round it down to two hundred yuan for you, how about that?"

After saying that, Fatty Chen pulled out two brand-new 100-yuan bills from a locked drawer.

Qin Bowen was overjoyed when he saw the cash. He instinctively reached out to take it, but Zhao Lei stopped him with a raised hand.

"Wait, Brother Chen."

Zhao Lei spoke up, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, "This batch of mine is all thoroughly smoked and air-dried goods, and you're buying it at the original price of fresh meat. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Reminded by Zhao Lei, Qin Bowen suddenly realized what was happening and was secretly alarmed.

Yup!

After being smoked and dehydrated, the meat itself loses more than half its weight, and a large amount of coarse salt, spices, and firewood are also consumed.

It would be a huge rip-off to charge them the same price as fresh wild game!

Luckily, my brother-in-law was quick-witted and thoughtful; otherwise, if the money and goods had been exchanged just now, they would have had to suffer in silence.

Fatty Chen frowned: "So, Lei Zi, what price are you planning to sell him for?"

Zhao Lei held up three fingers: "Brother Chen, we've cooperated so many times, and I've always been sincere and never haggled over the previous low prices. But this time is different. The cost of the dry goods is what it is, so it has to be at least this much."

Fatty Chen immediately panicked: "What? Three hundred yuan? Zhao Lei, you can't just raise the price on the spot! This is the agreed-upon going rate!"

Zhao Lei smiled faintly: "Hmph, Brother Chen, you saw my tricycle just now, didn't you?"

Fatty Chen looked blank and nodded woodenly, "Huh? I saw it, what's wrong?"

"I rode my tricycle to transport this batch of goods to the Qingfeng Town Supply and Marketing Cooperative, which is only a 30-40 minute journey."

Zhao Lei calmly said, "Fresh wild boar meat in town costs between 1.2 and 1.4 yuan per jin, while smoked and dried meat can sell for 2.5 yuan per jin."

"Each of my pheasants and rabbits weighs two or three pounds, and they sell for at least ten yuan each in town. I can easily sell this batch for over three hundred yuan at any supply and marketing cooperative in town. I don't necessarily have to sell them here."

After hearing this, Fatty Chen panicked completely. He never expected that Zhao Lei had such a thorough understanding of the market situation.

He was originally certain that Zhao Lei would be too lazy to travel far for convenience and would only ship goods through him, but now that confidence has completely vanished.

Zhao Lei specifically pointed out that he had a tricycle, which solved his transportation problem. This was a clear indication that the transaction here was a favor, not a matter of having no other choice.

Fatty Chen secretly weighed the pros and cons. With a transaction price of 300 yuan, he would still make a profit. Once the superior receiving clerk took the goods, he could easily earn 20 or 30 yuan.

As a businessman, I naturally want to lower the price as much as possible and make more money.

After a moment's thought, he gritted his teeth and conceded: "Hey, Brother Lei, we've known each other for a long time. I've always wanted to make things easier and more convenient for you. Since you've been so clear, I won't haggle anymore. One price, two hundred and fifty yuan!"

Fatty Chen's confidence had waned considerably. He knew better than anyone that Zhao Lei was his benefactor.

The supply and marketing cooperative of Heping Brigade had very thin profit margins selling daily necessities. The real money-making business was buying mountain products and wild game.

Recently, he has made a lot of money thanks to Zhao Lei's continuous supply of goods.

If he completely offends Zhao Lei and loses this major client, his supply and marketing cooperative's income will be cut by more than half, a loss he simply cannot afford.

Zhao Lei chuckled softly.

"Brother Chen, it seems you still don't consider me a friend."

"Two hundred and fifty doesn't sound good, and it's not realistic enough, so let's go with two hundred and ninety."