Chapter 114: Guidance
Chapter 114: Guidance
Noon.
Deng Shirong prepared a grand feast to entertain his eldest son’s in-laws. The menu included a variety of dishes: fried squid, fried bee larvae, poached chicken, poached duck, braised pork, braised spareribs, stir-fried eel, and steamed carp.
For the vegetable dishes, there was mountain spring tofu, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and firewood vegetables.
The soup was a refreshing sandworm and winter melon broth.
Though the number of dishes was not extensive, the portions were generous.
The taste, of course, needed no explanation. Everyone was thoroughly satisfied, especially Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu, who were trying Deng Shirong’s cooking for the first time. They used every compliment they could think of.
This meal left Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu completely full!
Zhang Sichun and Zhang Xiaochun, having eaten Deng Shirong’s cooking three times already, had mentally prepared themselves. They managed to control their appetites and only ate until they were comfortably full, avoiding the overindulgence of the previous times.
Zhang’s mother, as the mother-in-law, was also mindful. She had felt very embarrassed the last time she overate, so this time she made sure to stop eating when she was comfortably full.
After the meal, Zhang Xiuping found an opportunity to approach her father-in-law, who was smoking, and told him about her brothers’ plans to open a store to sell agricultural products. She concluded with a smile, “Dad, my brothers have never even sold eggs before. They know nothing about running a business and have no idea where to start. You’ve seen so much; could you please give them some guidance?”
Deng Shirong smiled, “I can’t claim to be an expert, but I can certainly share my thoughts on doing business.”
Zhang Xiuping beamed, “Thank you, Dad!”
Deng Shirong was quite positive about helping his relatives make a little money. Having been reborn, he was destined for a life of wealth and prosperity, and he naturally hoped that his relatives and friends could also live well.
He didn’t want to be rich while his relatives and friends struggled in poverty.
After putting down his pipe, Deng Shirong walked into the living room and said with a smile, “Big brother, big sister, second brother, second sister, Aiping mentioned that you’re planning to open a store to sell agricultural products?”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shouguo and his wife, as well as Zhang Shoumin and his wife, lit up with excitement.
Zhang Shouguo nodded, “Yes, Uncle, we know nothing about this, and we hope you can guide us.”
“I haven’t run a store myself, but I can share some basics about what you need to do. The rest will be up to you to figure out.”
Deng Shirong then began to share his knowledge of running a store: “First, you need to rent a shop. If you have the funds, I suggest buying the shop. The location should be in the bustling area of Longtan Market.
“Once you’ve secured the shop, you need to apply for an individual business license at the local business administration office.
“Since you’re selling agricultural products, you need to know the market prices for everything you plan to sell. Your prices must not be higher than those in the market, or you won’t be able to make a sale.
“Once you know the market prices, you can start buying the agricultural products you want to sell from the villagers. Set a reasonable price for your purchases—too high, and you won’t make a profit; too low, and the villagers won’t sell to you.
“So, you need to set a fair purchase price.
“Additionally, you must have excellent customer service. Don’t treat customers the way the supply and marketing cooperatives do. Treat them as if they are your source of livelihood.
The Zhangs, both the couples, nodded frequently, their faces lighting up with understanding. For people who had never been involved in business, Deng Shirong’s advice was like a guiding light, showing them the path forward.
Finally, Deng Shirong summarized, “That’s about all I know. If your shop does well after opening, just follow these methods. If business is slow, consider improving your service quality. For example, if a customer buys a lot of items, you could offer to deliver them to their home.
“Or, if a customer buys chickens or ducks, you could offer to clean and prepare them for them.
“Once your reputation spreads, I’m sure your business will grow.”
Hearing this, the Zhangs couldn’t help but feel excited. They had never even considered such business strategies, but they had to admit that these methods were brilliant. If they were customers and someone offered to deliver their purchases or prepare their chickens and ducks, they would definitely choose that shop over others, especially if the prices were the same.
Zhang Shuguo praised, “Uncle Jiushu, you’re amazing! Listening to you, I feel confident that our shop will definitely make money.”
Zhang Shumin also nodded fervently, “Yes, these business methods sound incredible.”
Zhang Dage and Zhang Ergou’s faces were filled with excitement, as if their shop had already opened and was making a profit.
Initially, Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu, the brothers, had not been optimistic about their nephews opening a shop. But after hearing Deng Shirong’s advice, they began to see a real possibility of success.
As for Zhang Sishu and Zhang Xiaoshu, they had even more thoughts. If their nephews could prove that opening a shop could be profitable, perhaps they could try it too. After all, it didn’t seem that difficult, based on what they had heard.
Deng Yuntao, who had been listening, added, “Whether you’re buying agricultural products from the village or delivering items to customers, you can’t just walk everywhere. You should at least buy a bicycle, and having two would be even better.”
This remark brought the Zhangs back to reality.
Zhang Shuguo frowned, “Uncle Jiushu said it would be best to buy the shop space, and we’ll need a lot of money for inventory. If we also have to buy one or two bicycles, the initial investment will be quite substantial!”
Deng Shirong replied, “Money isn’t the problem. The government is supporting farmers in starting their own businesses, and there are several policies that can help us. You can get a loan from the credit union with no interest.
“Of course, if you don’t want to invest so much, you can start by renting the shop space and delay buying the bicycles. Just focus on offering fair prices and excellent service. Even if you can’t provide all the extra services, your business should still do well.”
Deng Shirong had no intention of lending them money. Offering advice was one thing, but both money and effort was another. He hadn’t even helped his own sister yet, so it wasn’t time to help his eldest son’s in-laws.
The mention of a “loan” made the Zhangs’ faces change. In their time, rural people considered taking a loan to be shameful and would only do so as a last resort.
(End of Chapter)
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