Chapter 242: Setting Fire to the Capital
Chapter 242: Setting Fire to the Capital
After Deng Shirong successfully sold the longan, he didn’t rush home. Instead, he spent a few days "inspecting" the seven courtyards he had purchased earlier.
These seven courtyards were not only in excellent locations but also had clear and uncontested ownership.
After all, he wasn’t a local from the capital and didn’t plan to stay here for long. If there were any disputes over the properties, he definitely wouldn’t have bought them.
In this era, the capital was brimming with courtyards. As long as you had the money, you could choose from a wide variety of ordinary three-section courtyards, except for the top-tier ones. There was no need to pick a property with disputes.
After inspecting all seven courtyards, Deng Shirong quickly noticed a problem: the houses looked much older than they did six months ago.
Houses without regular occupants tended to age faster, a fact known to everyone.
When he first bought the houses at the beginning of the year, Deng Shirong had considered renting them out. This would not only bring in a substantial income but also keep the houses occupied, preventing them from deteriorating.
However, after much deliberation, he abandoned the idea for three reasons:
First, renting out properties was a very complicated affair. It wasn’t just about collecting rent every month; there were many other issues to handle. Each of these three-section courtyards had dozens of rooms, and with seven courtyards, that added up to hundreds of rooms. If he rented them all out, he would have to deal with at least a hundred or two households, and the number of trivial issues would be overwhelming. Since Deng Shirong didn’t plan to settle in the capital, it would be unrealistic to manage the properties without hiring someone to help.
Second, even in the future, disputes over property rights were common due to various reasons. In this era, such disputes were even more frequent. If he rented the houses to unscrupulous people, they might take advantage of the fact that he was from out of town and try to take over the properties. Even though the ownership was clear, it was said that inviting a guest was easy, but getting rid of them was hard. Once such people moved in, it would be difficult to make them leave willingly.
Third, the better preserved these courtyards were, the more valuable they would become in the future. If he rented them out, Deng Shirong was concerned that the tenants might make unauthorized renovations. He could manage things if he were here all the time, but he only visited once or twice a year, so he couldn’t keep a close eye on everything.
For these reasons, Deng Shirong decided against renting out the courtyards.
However, this time, seeing how quickly the houses were aging, he reconsidered the idea. After all, a house with regular occupants would age much more slowly.
Of course, he needed to find someone suitable to manage the properties. If he couldn’t find the right person, he would rather let the houses age gradually than create unnecessary trouble for himself.
...
While Deng Shirong was inspecting his seven courtyards, the capital was set ablaze by the arrival of longan, one of the famous fruits from the south.
The appearance of longan in the capital wasn’t unusual. Vegetables like water spinach from Bobai could be air-freighted to the capital, so it made sense that longan could be air-freighted as well. People often brought longan to the capital as gifts for relatives or brought some back from the south, which was a common practice.
Although the shelf life of longan was short in this era, it was still possible to bring them to the capital and consume them immediately.
However, selling longan transported from the south to the capital was completely unrealistic.
Not only was the transportation cost exorbitant, but the short shelf life of longan was a significant barrier for fruit merchants. This wasn’t about bringing a small amount for personal consumption; it was about transporting a large quantity for sale. By the time the fruit arrived after a long journey, it would already be less fresh. If it took a few more days to sell, the fruit would be spoiled.
Customers weren’t fools; who would be willing to pay a high price for stale fruit?
But now, the longan not only appeared in the capital’s market but was as fresh as if it had just been picked from the trees. It was impossible not to cause a sensation.
“Hey, what fruit is that?”
“That’s longan. Don’t you recognize it?”
“Oh, so this is longan. I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never seen it. Is it really sold in our capital?”
“I’ve lived for over fifty years, and this is the first time I’ve seen longan in the capital. What a revelation!”
“I’ve lived for over seventy years, and this is still my first time seeing it. I wonder how it tastes.”
“It’s delicious. Two years ago, a relative of my neighbor brought some from the south and gave us a bunch. The taste was amazing.”
“I’ve heard that longan is one of the most famous fruits from the south, on par with lychee. I should buy some to try.”
“This price is quite high, three yuan per pound.”
“It’s understandable that it’s a bit expensive. After all, it’s transported from thousands of miles away. The transportation cost alone is significant, and it’s one of the most famous fruits from the south. It’s normal for it to be more expensive than other fruits.”
“Wow, these longans look so fresh! Look at the leaves, they’re like they were just cut from the tree. I wonder how the boss manages to keep them so fresh. This preservation technique is really impressive!”
“These fresh longans are a must-buy. I have to get a couple of pounds to try them out.”
“Wow, the taste is just amazing. People in the south are really blessed. If longans are this delicious, I can only imagine how good the more famous lychees must be!”
“I’ve had lychees before. A few years ago, I went on a business trip to the south. That was the first time I tried lychees. After that, I completely understood why Consort Yang loved them so much. The taste was truly unforgettable!”
“Is it really that good?”
“It’s not an exaggeration. Lychees are the best fruit I’ve ever tasted.”
“I guess it’s just a matter of personal preference. I think apples are delicious, they’re so crisp and sweet.”
“...”
Across the entire capital city, similar conversations could be heard everywhere.
As the capital of the country, the city has a population of nearly ten million, including officials at various levels, college students, a vast number of workers, and individual business owners who make money as easily as drinking water. The combined number of these groups likely exceeds a million.
These people are the main consumers.
At three yuan per pound, longans might not sell well in a small town like Bobai County, but in a place like the capital, they sell at an astonishing speed.
Originally, Zhou Shengli estimated it would take at least a week to sell all 63 tons of longans, even with a price reduction later on. But in just five days, they had sold out the entire batch at the highest price, which was truly unbelievable.
Of course, this was possible because Zhou Shengli, Wang Dagan, and Tian Chunzhi had been working at full capacity, mobilizing their families and friends to distribute the longans to different areas, covering a population of over a million.
This led to their remarkable sales success.
...
In a private room at a restaurant in Dongfeng Market, Zhou Shengli, Wang Dagan, and Tian Chunzhi were hosting a banquet for Deng Shirong.
After the waiter left with the dishes, Zhou Shengli stood up with a glass of wine, his face full of gratitude. “Mr. Deng, thank you for providing me with such a valuable opportunity to make money. In just a few days, I earned more than I would have in several years. I’ll drink to this. You can take it easy.”
In this partnership, they had made a total profit of over 120,000 yuan, with Zhou Shengli’s share being around 50,000 yuan, which was almost half of his net worth.
It had taken him many years to accumulate that much, so he wasn’t exaggerating when he said this.
Deng Shirong didn’t act superior. He also stood up with his glass and smiled. “Mr. Zhou, you’re too kind. You took a risk, and earning this money is a testament to your ability.”
They clinked glasses, and Zhou Shengli downed his drink in one go. Deng Shirong, in a show of respect, did the same.
Next, Wang Dagan and Tian Chunzhi also raised their glasses in gratitude, expressing their thanks.
They had earned 36,000 yuan each from this business, which would have taken them at least two to three years to earn at their current profit margins. They felt they owed Deng Shirong a great deal for providing this opportunity.
Throughout the meal, Zhou Shengli and the others treated Deng Shirong like a benefactor, praising him and engaging him in conversation.
Deng Shirong understood their thoughts. He was also looking for a stable business partner in the capital. After the meal, he reassured them, “Mr. Zhou, Mr. Wang, Mr. Tian, if you can keep the source of the longans confidential, it will avoid unnecessary trouble. I’ll come back to you next year when the longans are ripe.”
Zhou Shengli and the others’ eyes lit up. They understood Deng Shirong’s implication: he was willing to establish a long-term partnership. As for keeping it confidential, that was a given. They were even more eager to keep it a secret than Deng Shirong.
Telling others about this would only increase their competition. Why not keep it to themselves and enjoy the profits quietly?
Hearing Deng Shirong’s words, Zhou Shengli immediately patted his chest and said, “Mr. Deng, rest assured. We’ll keep this to ourselves. Not a word will be said to a fourth person.”
Tian Chunzhi also nodded. “Yes, Mr. Deng, you can count on us. We wouldn’t tell anyone. We all hope to continue working with you for many more years. We’d rather no one else gets involved so we can focus on earning money with you.”
Wang Dagan felt the same way.
“Just keep it in mind. Thank you for the hospitality. I’ll be on my way. See you next year!”
(End of Chapter)
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