Chapter 271: Windfall, Longyan Explodes in the Capital Again [6000 Words]

Chapter 271: Windfall, Longyan Explodes in the Capital Again [6000 Words]



Two days later.

After breakfast, Tang Mingjie, Liu Xiaoman, and the others bid farewell to Deng Shirong.

Tang Mingjie said, "Uncle Deng, thank you for your warm hospitality these past few days. If you ever have the chance to visit the capital, make sure to let Yunheng know. I can’t promise much, but I can definitely arrange your accommodation and meals."

Zheng Shifeng quickly added, "Uncle Deng, we have plenty of fun things to do in Harbin. If you ever want to visit, just let me know, and I’ll take care of everything."

Liu Xiaoman smiled sincerely and said, "Uncle Deng, the scenery in Guilin is world-renowned. If you ever visit, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed."

The other classmates also extended their invitations to Uncle Deng.

They had been treated so well during their stay, and they genuinely felt a deep affection for him. They all hoped to have the opportunity to return the favor someday.

Deng Shirong smiled and replied, "Sure, if I ever have the chance to visit your hometowns, I’ll definitely contact you."

"Uncle Deng, we’ll be on our way then. See you again soon!"

"Sure, I hope you all have a safe trip back. You’re welcome to visit anytime!"

...

After seeing off his second and third sons and their classmates from Peking University, Deng Shirong rode his bicycle to the Bai Ping Farm to notify them that they would start harvesting the longyan fruit the next day.

Over the next few days, Deng Shirong received the longyan at the two mud-brick houses in Tanlian. In four days, he collected a total of 128,512 pounds of longyan, which was 1,675 pounds more than the 126,837 pounds from the previous year, a very promising yield.

The purchase price remained at 0.29 yuan per pound, so 128,512 pounds of longyan cost 37,268 yuan. Including the cost of the bamboo baskets, the total expenditure was 38,900 yuan.

This transaction nearly drained Deng Shirong’s cash reserves.

...

In the Capital.

A private room in a teahouse.

Zhou Shengli, Wang Daman, and Tian Chunzhi had a rare gathering.

After some casual conversation, Tian Chunzhi couldn’t help but ask, "Old Zhou, has that Mr. Deng contacted you since last year?"

Zhou Shengli shook his head, "No, he hasn’t."

Wang Daman said, "The year is almost over. I wonder if Mr. Deng will come back?"

Zhou Shengli was confident and said, "He will. Last year, Mr. Deng was testing the market in the capital, so he sold the longyan to us at a low price, allowing us to make a huge profit. After deducting the costs of acquisition, transportation, and preservation, Mr. Deng probably didn’t make much.

Now that the market has been validated, this year is his chance to make a significant profit. There’s no reason for him not to come."

Tian Chunzhi agreed, "Old Zhou makes sense. Mr. Deng might already be on his way to the capital."

Wang Daman said, "I’m eagerly waiting for Mr. Deng to come. My hardware store has been busy all year, and I’ve only made about 30,000 yuan. But last year, working with Mr. Deng for just a few days, I made over 36,000 yuan. The difference is huge!"

Tian Chunzhi nodded, "Yes, my clothing store has been doing well, and I’ve made a decent profit this year. But after experiencing that quick money, the monthly income of a few thousand yuan seems insignificant."

Zhou Shengli also felt the same. He made the most among the three last year, nearly 50,000 yuan. After tasting that “overnight wealth,” he found it hard to get motivated by businesses that only made a hundred or so yuan a day.

As the anniversary of their collaboration with Mr. Deng approached, he started to feel increasingly excited.

He was confident that they would work together again.

After all, their cooperation last year was very pleasant, and there was no reason for Mr. Deng to switch partners.

"Prepare your money. I have a feeling Mr. Deng will be here soon. When he comes, we’ll pay him immediately and then sell the longyan as quickly as possible, just like last year, to make another quick profit."

Wang Daman laughed, "I’ve already prepared my money a few days ago!"

Tian Chunzhi also laughed, "I’ve got my money ready too!"

Zhou Shengli said, "I’m ready as well. I’m just waiting for Mr. Deng to arrive."

Tian Chunzhi paused and asked, "Old Zhou, Old Wang, you know that Mr. Deng sold us the longyan at a low price last year to test the market. What if he raises the price this year? What will we do?"

Wang Daman sighed, "There’s nothing we can do about it. We just hope Mr. Deng doesn’t raise the price too high so that we can still make a profit."

Zhou Shengli said, "A price increase is inevitable. After all, his goal is to make money, not to do us a favor by transporting longyan from thousands of miles away. We can raise our prices too. From the customer reactions last year, even if we sell it a bit more expensive, there should still be a market."

Tian Chunzhi nodded, "A slight price increase is fine. As long as it’s not too outrageous, I believe we can still sell it."

The three of them sipped their tea, discussing the longyan business that had been on their minds for the entire year.

And the man they referred to as Mr. Deng was already on a train bound for the capital city.

After several days and nights on the train, he finally arrived in the capital once again.

This time, Deng Shirong came prepared. Instead of staying at a guesthouse like before, he took a bus to the nearest courtyard house, where he set up a bunk bed from his system space. The bed had clean mats and blankets, all neatly arranged.

Although there were beds in the courtyard house, they were covered in dust and spider webs from disuse, which was why he had stayed at a guesthouse on his previous visit.

Learning from his past experience, he had stored a bed in his system space, and now it was ready to use.

Next, he took out a large bowl of steaming hot seafood porridge from his system space. He had prepared and stored it there for convenience, so he could enjoy it whenever he wanted.

After finishing his porridge, he put the bowl and utensils back into his system space, then took out a bucket and towel to fetch well water for a comfortable bath and shampoo. Once his hair was dry, he climbed into bed and fell asleep.

...

The next day.

Deng Shirong woke up, washed up, and put away the bunk bed. Then, he made his way to the Dongfeng Market with ease.

He spent a few hours temporarily renting a small warehouse before heading to Zhou Shengli's Ruyi Fresh Fruit Shop, feeling refreshed and energized.

As soon as Deng Shirong approached the shop, Zhou Shengli, who had been eagerly waiting, spotted him and greeted him with a beaming smile. "Mr. Deng, I've been looking forward to your arrival every day! It's finally here!"

Deng Shirong believed him, as their previous collaboration had brought in several thousand yuan in just a few days last year. Such a substantial profit would be impressive even in modern times, let alone in the 1980s.

Deng Shirong also smiled and greeted him. "Mr. Zhou, it's good to see you again!"

"Thanks to you, I've had a good year."

They exchanged a few pleasantries before Zhou Shengli gestured for Deng Shirong to come inside. "Mr. Deng, shall we talk inside?"

Deng Shirong nodded and followed Zhou Shengli to the warehouse behind the fruit shop.

After inviting Deng Shirong to sit down, Zhou Shengli couldn't contain his excitement. "Mr. Deng, how many tons of longans do you have this year?"

Deng Shirong smiled. "We have 0.8 tons more than last year."

Zhou Shengli tried to keep his excitement in check. "Mr. Deng, is it the same variety?"

Deng Shirong nodded. "Of course, it's from the same longan trees as last year."

"Excellent!"

Zhou Shengli exclaimed, then asked somewhat nervously, "Mr. Deng, what about the price?"

Deng Shirong explained, "Mr. Zhou, after accounting for the costs of procurement, transportation, and preservation, as well as labor and other miscellaneous expenses, we didn't make a profit last year. You understand this, right?"

Zhou Shengli nodded. "I do, and I appreciate the opportunity you've given me to make money."

Deng Shirong continued, "Last year, we were opening a new market, so we could afford not to make a profit. This year, we definitely need to earn something. However, any successful business requires a win-win situation for both parties. We won't set an unreasonable price, and you will still make a profit.

After careful calculations by our team, we've decided to increase the price by 0.28 yuan, making it 2.28 yuan per pound. Do you have any objections, Mr. Zhou?"

Hearing this, Zhou Shengli felt relieved and praised him. "Mr. Deng, you are a man of your word. It's truly an honor to work with you. This price is more than fair, and I have no objections."

"Great!"

Deng Shirong smiled. "Working with you, Mr. Zhou, is a pleasure."

With the deal sealed, they exchanged a few more pleasantries.

As Deng Shirong got up to leave, he gave Zhou Shengli the address of the warehouse and said, "Same as last year, I'll be at this warehouse at 7 AM tomorrow morning."

"Understood, we'll bring the money and scales to find you."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Alright, see you then."

...

Half an hour later.

Zhou Shengli, Wang Daren, and Tian Chunzhi met again.

As soon as they saw each other, Tian Chunzhi eagerly asked, "Old Zhou, did Mr. Deng really come?"

Zhou Shengli smiled happily. "Yes, Mr. Deng is here. Time is tight, so I'll get straight to the point. According to Mr. Deng, this year's longans are 0.8 tons more than last year. Last year, we had just over 63 tons, so this year, we're looking at around 64 tons.

I've also discussed the price with Mr. Deng, and it's increased by 0.28 yuan. This price is very reasonable. Do you have any objections?"

Wang Daren shook his head. "No objections. This price is excellent. Even if we don't raise our prices and sell at last year's rate, we'll still make a profit."

Tian Chunzhi agreed. "I have no objections either."

Zhou Shengli nodded. "Alright, then we'll follow the same distribution as last year. I'll take 40%, and each of you will take 30%. We'll split the costs according to our shares. Is that agreeable?"

Wang Daren and Tian Chunzhi both expressed no objections.

This business deal was initially proposed by Old Zhou, and while it was partly because he lacked the resources to handle such a large quantity of longans alone, they still owed him a favor. It was only natural that they wouldn’t suggest an equal split.

The three quickly reached an agreement and went back to prepare.

They had already prepared the money in advance, but they needed to arrange the manpower and vehicles to transport and sell the longans. Even with their influence, it would take some time to organize everything.

Fortunately, they had already made the necessary arrangements, so now they just needed to give the final notice.

...

After finalizing the deal with Zhou Shengli, Deng Shirong began to wander around Wangfujing Street.

Wangfujing, one of the most famous commercial streets in Beijing, needed no introduction. It was a must-visit spot, whether in this era or in the future.

In this era, Wangfujing had two shining commercial jewels: the Dongfeng Market and the Department Store.

It was undeniable that the Department Store was truly impressive. Almost every city in the country had its own Department Store, and its influence rivaled only that of the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives.

The two had different focuses. The Supply and Marketing Cooperatives were deeply rooted in the vast rural areas, where they had no rivals.

In contrast, the Department Stores were primarily located in cities at the county level or above.

Aside from these two major commercial jewels, Wangfujing had many other places worth exploring. It could take more than three days to thoroughly visit all the attractions.

Deng Shirong casually strolled around, found a restaurant, and enjoyed a genuine Beijing meal. Seeing that it was getting late, he returned to a nearby siheyuan (quadrangle courtyard) to bathe and rest.

...

The next day.

With half an hour to go before the agreed time, Deng Shirong arrived at the temporary warehouse to wait for Zhou Shengli and the others.

After about ten minutes, several trucks pulled up and parked in front of the warehouse.

"Mr. Deng, good morning!"

"Mr. Deng, it’s been a while!"

"Mr. Deng, I’ve been eagerly awaiting your return!"

Zhou Shengli, Wang Daren, and Tian Chunzhi got out of the trucks and greeted Deng Shirong one by one.

Deng Shirong smiled and returned their greetings, then gestured with a wave of his hand. "Mr. Zhou, Mr. Wang, Mr. Tian, this year’s longans are all here. Please come in and inspect them, then we can weigh them."

Zhou Shengli and the others had already seen the longans piled up in the warehouse and didn’t hesitate to go inside.

Seeing the fresh longans in the bamboo baskets, as if they had just been picked, Zhou Shengli and the others’ eyes lit up with excitement. After inspecting a few baskets, Zhou Shengli picked up a cluster to taste. The flavor was just as he remembered.

Zhou Shengli couldn’t help but give Deng Shirong a thumbs-up. "Mr. Deng, you’re amazing!"

Wang Daren and Tian Chunzhi, in their excitement, also held Deng Shirong in high regard. No matter what methods he used, the fact that he could transport longans from thousands of miles away to Beijing and keep them so fresh was a feat only Mr. Deng and his powerful backing could achieve.

After inspecting the longans and finding no issues, they began to weigh them.

With the experience from last time, they brought more scales and more people this time.

Several scales worked simultaneously, with some weighing and others recording, making the process much faster than before.

Deng Shirong didn’t need to supervise the weighing. This was his exclusive business, and as long as Zhou Shengli and the others weren’t foolish, they wouldn’t try to cheat the scales. He knew the weight of the longans, and they were aware that he knew.

In such a situation, trying to cheat would be a waste of time and utterly useless.

Thus, Zhou Shengli and the others were even more concerned about the accuracy of the scales and had likely briefed the people in charge before arriving.

After over two hours of work, the longans were finally weighed, totaling 128,511 pounds, just 1 pound less than the weight recorded at Bai Ping Farm. The weighing was incredibly precise.

After confirming the total weight, Zhou Shengli asked, "Mr. Deng, is this weight correct?"

Deng Shirong smiled. "It’s correct. It matches the weight we acquired almost exactly."

"Good to hear that!"

Zhou Shengli breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to a corner of the warehouse. "Mr. Deng, let’s settle the payment over there."

Deng Shirong nodded, and they walked to the corner of the warehouse.

Zhou Shengli and the others didn’t need to be told; they immediately began loading the longans onto the trucks, preparing to sell them.

In the corner of the warehouse, Zhou Shengli and the others took out bundles of cash and the necessary loose change from their bags. They counted out the amounts they owed.

Deng Shirong’s selling price was 2.28 yuan per pound, with a total weight of 128,511 pounds, amounting to 293,005 yuan. Adding 1,800 yuan for the new bamboo baskets, the total they owed Deng Shirong was 294,805 yuan.

Among them, Zhou Shengli took 40%, contributing 117,922 yuan. Wang Dagan and Tian Chunzhi each took 30%, contributing 88,441.5 yuan each.

Nearly 300,000 yuan in cash, with the largest denomination being 10 yuan, would be equivalent to nearly 3 million yuan in modern times. Without a counting machine, it would take several hours to count it all by hand.

Deng Shirong, though fond of money, didn't want to spend hours counting it. Thankfully, the money given by Zhou Shengli, Wang Dagan, and Tian Chunzhi was already bundled, with each bundle containing 1,000 yuan. For 294,805 yuan, they only needed 294 bundles and an additional 805 yuan, which could be counted in just a few minutes.

It was a unique business deal. Unless Zhou Shengli and the others felt they had too much money and no longer wanted to work with Deng Shirong, no one would dare to tamper with the money. They were probably even more anxious than Deng Shirong, fearing that a few bills might be missing from each bundle.

This year, the cost for the longan, including the bamboo baskets, was 38,900 yuan. The total expenses for the round trip to the capital, including all other costs, were around 500 yuan, bringing the total cost to about 39,400 yuan.

The current income of 294,805 yuan, minus the cost, resulted in a profit of 255,405 yuan.

Compared to last year's profit of 217,214 yuan, this year's profit was 38,191 yuan higher.

This wave of sales was truly a windfall, replenishing Deng Shirong's nearly depleted cash reserves.

Deng Shirong packed the money in a burlap bag and extended his hand, saying, "Boss Zhou, Boss Wang, Boss Tian, it has been a pleasure working with you. I wish you all the best with your longan sales."

"Thank you, Boss Deng!"

Zhou Shengli, Wang Dagan, and Tian Chunzhi each shook hands with Deng Shirong. Then, Zhou Shengli asked, "Boss Deng, you shouldn't be in a hurry to leave the capital, right?"

Deng Shirong smiled, "It's rare to come to the capital, so I'll definitely stay a few more days to enjoy it."

Zhou Shengli, with a broad smile, said, "Boss Deng, once we sell all the longan, we'll treat you to a meal. How can we contact you?"

Tian Chunzhi also smiled and added, "Yes, Boss Deng, please give us the chance to show our hospitality."

Wang Dagan looked at Deng Shirong with anticipation.

"Boss Zhou, you're too kind!"

Deng Shirong understood their intentions but didn't completely refuse. He said, "I plan to explore the capital these few days, so you won't be able to contact me. When I'm about to leave, I'll come to return the warehouse, and we can gather then."

"That's great! We'll be looking forward to your visit, Boss Deng."

"Thank you, but I won't keep you any longer. See you later!"

"Alright, Boss Deng, see you later!"

...

Over the next few days, Deng Shirong once again inspected his seven siheyuan courtyards.

Compared to last year, the courtyards were dustier and had more cobwebs. Unoccupied houses, lacking maintenance, inevitably deteriorated.

However, Deng Shirong wasn't too concerned. He hadn't bought these seven courtyards to live in; his intention was to secure a future for his seven children. Whether they succeeded in this life or not, he had prepared a siheyuan for each of them, ensuring they would become billionaires smoothly.

While Deng Shirong slowly inspected his courtyards, the capital's fruit market was once again ignited by the longan.

Beijingers who had tasted the longan last year couldn't forget its sweet flavor. Seeing the longan back on the market, these regular customers couldn't resist and rushed to buy them, fearing they would be sold out if they waited too long.

Although they could still make a good profit by selling the longan at last year's price, Zhou Shengli and the others, as shrewd businessmen, aimed to maximize their profits. Since their purchase price had increased, they naturally had to raise the selling price.

Moreover, as seasoned businesspeople, they understood that a fixed price wasn't beneficial. Last year, they sold the longan for three yuan per pound. If they sold it for the same price this year, customers would form a fixed impression that longan should always be that price. If they tried to raise the price next year, customers might complain.

However, if they raised the price this year, it would show that the price was variable. Future price changes, whether up or down, would be more acceptable to customers.

Thus, after discussion, Zhou Shengli and the others decided to slightly raise the price to 3.2 yuan per pound.

In this era, selling fruit at 3.2 yuan per pound was undoubtedly a luxury.

If it were a common fruit, customers would definitely refuse to pay such a high price.

But this was longan, transported from thousands of miles away to the capital. At this price, it was entirely reasonable.

Although customers grumbled about the high price, they didn't hesitate to buy several pounds at a time.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end