Chapter 288: Net Worth Breaks a Million [Part 2] - Seeking Subscriptions

Chapter 288: Net Worth Breaks a Million [Part 2] - Seeking Subscriptions

Noon

In a certain district of the capital, at the local business administration office.

Li Changsheng was riding his bicycle away from the office, heading home for lunch. As he passed a certain intersection, a fruit stall surrounded by a crowd caught his attention. He noticed customers leaving the stall with fruit, a type he was very familiar with. During his time in Baise, Guangxi, he had eaten plenty of this fruit, known as pineapples. He never thought he would see them in the capital today.

Seeing the pineapples, Li Changsheng couldn't help but think of the charming young woman who had brought a touch of sweetness to his bitter years of rural service, helping him through those difficult times. It had been a while since he last visited her and their son.

Li Changsheng hesitated for a moment, then locked his bicycle and pushed his way through the crowd.

"Everyone, please pay attention. After buying these pineapples, soak them in salt water for at least half an hour before eating. This not only improves the flavor but also prevents your throat from getting itchy..."

Li Changsheng, who had spent several years in Baise, knew all about pineapples and didn't need the instructions. The price was clearly displayed on a wooden board: 1.1 yuan per pound.

This price was indeed quite steep. He remembered that they were almost worthless in Baise, but he understood the reasoning. After all, this was the capital, and the pineapples had been transported from the south over a long distance. The price had to be high for the sellers to make a profit.

With that in mind, Li Changsheng said, "Boss, I'll take two."

"Sure, that's 5.2 pounds in total, which comes to 5.72 yuan."

Li Changsheng paid the money, feeling a bit of a sting, then carried the two pineapples out of the crowd. He then bought some rice and flour from a nearby grain store before riding his bicycle in another direction.

Half an hour later, Li Changsheng arrived at a dilapidated quadrangle courtyard. Several families rented rooms in this courtyard, and Jiang Xiaoxue was one of the tenants.

Li Changsheng parked his bicycle, then knocked on the door with the rice, flour, and pineapples in hand.

Jiang Xiaoxue opened the door and wasn't surprised to see Li Changsheng. Since she and her son settled here, he would visit every so often, bringing rice and flour to check on the child. She greeted him with a familiar, "Brother Changsheng!"

Li Changsheng handed her the items and said, "Xiaoxue, it's been two years since you last had pineapples. I saw them on my way home and bought a couple for you and your son to try."

Jiang Xiaoxue took the rice, flour, and pineapples, her eyes flickering with a hint of nostalgia. "Why waste money on this? We eat them all year round back home; I'm already sick of them!"

Li Changsheng didn't press the matter further. He entered the room, found a stool, and sat down. "Where's Xiaofeng?"

"He's sleeping," Jiang Xiaoxue replied.

Li Changsheng nodded and then asked, "How's your work, Xiaoxue?"

Jiang Xiaoxue paused before answering, "It's good."

Li Changsheng knew from her tone that she still hadn't found a stable job. He understood the difficulties she faced. First, she had no formal education, and if it weren't for his help, she wouldn't even know how to write her name. Second, with a child to take care of, she couldn't maintain a regular work schedule.

There was little Li Changsheng could do. He could occasionally provide some assistance, but arranging a job for her was out of the question. Even if he had the means, he couldn't risk his wife finding out.

"Xiaoxue, working odd jobs isn't a long-term solution. Your income is unstable, and it's not a sustainable way to live."

Jiang Xiaoxue fell silent for a moment before saying, "But it's better than going back to our hometown."

Li Changsheng couldn't argue with that. If he hadn't abandoned her for his career, or if she hadn't had a child out of wedlock, she wouldn't have been forced to leave her hometown. Ultimately, it was his fault.

But it was too late to dwell on the past. As Li Changsheng was about to change the subject, he noticed the pineapples Jiang Xiaoxue had placed on the table. An idea suddenly struck him. "Xiaoxue, do you know how much pineapples sell for here in the capital?"

Jiang Xiaoxue shook her head. "No, I don't."

Li Changsheng said, "Here, they sell for 1.1 yuan per pound."

Jiang Xiaoxue's eyes widened in surprise. "That's way too expensive! In our hometown, they only cost 18 cents per pound two years ago. Even if the price has gone up, it wouldn't be more than 20 cents. The difference is huge!"

Li Changsheng nodded. "Yes, it is expensive, but it's understandable. Pineapples are a southern fruit, and transporting them all the way to the capital is costly. The sellers need to make a profit, after all."

Jiang Xiaoxue said with a tinge of concern, "This stuff is so expensive. Why are you buying it?"

Li Changsheng waved his hand and replied, "Don't worry about it. I just had an idea. These pineapples are so pricey, costing two or three yuan each. Many people might be hesitant to buy them, and some might find them too troublesome to prepare, so they wouldn't buy them either.

"If you could stock up on some and sell them like they do in your area—peeled and sliced, soaked in saltwater, and sold by the piece—people who want to eat them could buy a little at a time, and those who find it bothersome wouldn't have to prepare them themselves. There's definitely a market for this."

Jiang Xiaoxue’s eyes lit up, but she hesitated, "But I have no idea where to source these pineapples. How would I even start this business?"

Li Changsheng stood up and said, "I'll go and find out for you right now."

Jiang Xiaoxue quickly interjected, "Changsheng, there's no rush. Have you had lunch yet? Let me make you a bowl of noodles."

Li Changsheng replied, "I've already eaten. I'll go and find out about this now. I'll come back tomorrow at noon and tell you what I find out."

Jiang Xiaoxue, currently struggling to make ends meet, needed the money badly and didn't try to stop him. She said courteously, "Thanks, Changsheng!"

Li Changsheng felt a deep sense of guilt. He had let her down in the past, but she harbored no resentment towards him. When she came to the capital, she only sought his help once to find a place to stay, and after that, she faced all her difficulties on her own.

She was truly a kind and heart-wrenching girl.

Although Li Changsheng had never regretted his decision back then, he always felt a deep sense of indebtedness to her, a debt he might never be able to repay in this lifetime.

...

While pineapples were appearing in various crowded areas of the capital, Deng Shirong was already on a train to Tianjin.

Uncertain if the capital’s market would accept pineapples, Zhou Shengli and his team had only purchased 30 tons for their first batch.

Deng Shirong sold them at 0.7 yuan per pound, making a total of 42,000 yuan. The profit was naturally not as high as with longans, but pineapples had a longer shelf life and wouldn't draw as much attention as longans.

Once the market in the capital was truly opened up, Deng Shirong could sell his goods without hesitation.

However, testing the market would take time, and with over a thousand tons of stock, Deng Shirong couldn't afford to wait idly in the capital.

So, after receiving the money, Deng Shirong immediately headed to Tianjin.

Tianjin, a historic and cultural city, had flourished due to its role in grain transport. During the mid-Tang Dynasty, it became a vital water and land terminal for grain and silk from the south. In the Jin Dynasty, the first settlement, Zhigu Village, was established at the confluence of the Southern and Northern Grand Canals and the Haihe River. During the Yuan Dynasty, "Haijin Town" was set up as a military stronghold and grain transport center. In 1404, during the Ming Dynasty's Yongle era, the city was officially established, making it the only ancient city in China with a precise founding date.

The area around Majiakou was the largest fresh fruit market in Tianjin during the late Qing and early Republican eras.

Especially Jinji Stack, a renowned fruit wholesaler, was at its peak during the Republican era. During the citrus harvest season, they could receive six to seven carloads, totaling about 200 tons, and had to wholesale them all on the same day. Their wholesale capacity was truly impressive.

However, they later declined for various reasons.

With the country’s reform and opening up, the descendants of Jinji Stack’s founder returned to their ancestral home and resumed the fruit wholesale business.

This businessman, surnamed Xiao, was in his thirties. After several years of hard work, his fruit wholesale business, though not booming, had established a solid presence and became one of the strongest wholesalers in the Majiakou area.

However, times had changed. While his ancestors could dominate the market, with no competitors in the entire city, he now faced fierce competition from his peers. Maintaining his current position was already a challenge, and becoming the dominant force in the fruit wholesale market was extremely difficult.

For fruit wholesalers like him, the most important things were securing a steady supply of goods and having effective sales channels. If he could balance these two aspects, he could dominate the wholesale market.

Therefore, in addition to expanding his sales channels, Xiao Boss was always on the lookout for new sources of supply.

One morning, Xiao Boss sold all the dozens of tons of Hami melons in his warehouse through his sales channels, making a few thousand yuan. Just as he was planning to go home and have his wife cook a few extra dishes to celebrate, a dusty middle-aged man walked into his fruit wholesale store.

Seeing a customer, Xiao Boss greeted him warmly, "Boss, are you here to buy some stock? I don't have any in stock right now, but various fresh fruits will be delivered early tomorrow morning. You can pre-order whatever fruit you need and in whatever quantity."

The middle-aged man who entered the wholesale store was none other than Deng Shirong. He waved and smiled, saying, "Boss, I'm not here to buy goods, but I have a batch of fruit I'd like to sell to you at a low price. Are you interested in discussing this?"

Mr. Xiao's eyes lit up, and he greeted with a warm smile, "Of course, I'm very interested. Please sit down. My name is Xiao. May I ask your honorable surname?"

"My surname is Deng," replied Deng Shirong as he took a seat. He then pulled out a pineapple from his bag and handed it to Mr. Xiao, saying, "Mr. Xiao, this is the fruit I want to collaborate on. Do you recognize it?"

Mr. Xiao, being a fruit wholesaler, knew a wide range of fruits, even though most of his business involved fruits from the north. As one of the four famous fruits of Lingnan, he naturally recognized the pineapple.

Seeing the pineapple Deng Shirong handed over, Mr. Xiao blurted out, "Is this a pineapple?"

Deng Shirong smiled and explained, "Mr. Xiao, this is known as a ground pineapple in the south. It's the same fruit as a pineapple, but the variety is different. The flesh of a pineapple doesn't have internal spines, while the ground pineapple does."

Mr. Xiao didn't dwell on the differences between pineapples and ground pineapples. His business instincts were sharp, and the ground pineapple had never appeared in the Tianjin fruit market. If he could introduce it, it would be an exclusive business opportunity. If he could wholesale it and help other fruit merchants make money, the benefits to him would be obvious.

"Mr. Deng, what's the lowest price you can offer for this ground pineapple?"

"This depends on the quantity you buy. The larger the quantity, the cheaper the price," Deng Shirong explained with a smile. "For 30 tons or less, it's 75 cents per pound. For 30 to 50 tons, it's 73 cents per pound. For 50 to 100 tons, it's 70 cents per pound. For 100 to 200 tons, it's 66 cents per pound. For 200 to 500 tons, it's 61 cents per pound. For 500 tons or more, it's a flat rate of 55 cents per pound.

As an experienced businessman, you know how rare such a good deal is. Let me be frank with you, we don't plan to make a profit on this batch of ground pineapples. Our goal is to cultivate the market. Once the market in Tianjin is established, next year will be the time for us to make money.

So, this batch of ground pineapples is the cheapest you'll get. Next year, you won't find such a low price.

Opportunities like this don't come often. I hope you will consider carefully whether to buy and how much to buy."

Mr. Xiao was thoroughly convinced. If he could secure a purchase of 500 tons or more, the price of 55 cents per pound was indeed a great deal.

After all, this fruit was transported from the south. Regardless of the purchase price, the transportation cost over thousands of miles was a significant expense. So, when Mr. Deng said they weren't making a profit on this batch to cultivate the market, Mr. Xiao believed it to be true.

"Mr. Deng, I appreciate your sincerity. Please give me some time. I need to discuss with my merchants and then give you a definite quantity."

Deng Shirong nodded, "Of course, I can give you a day and a half. I'll come back early the day after tomorrow. I hope you can give me a definite answer."

Mr. Xiao agreed, "Mr. Deng, you know the competition in our industry is fierce. I want to be your exclusive partner. I hope you won't contact other fruit wholesalers, can you do that?"

Deng Shirong replied, "I won't contact other fruit wholesalers for the next day and a half. It will depend on your purchase quantity. If it's substantial, you will be our exclusive partner in Tianjin."

Mr. Xiao said confidently, "Rest assured, Mr. Deng, my purchase quantity will not disappoint you."

His ancestors used to sell 200 tons of oranges in a single day during the Republic era. While his current sales channels couldn't match his ancestors, he was very confident in selling 100 to 200 tons of ground pineapples in a day, given it was a new fruit in the northern market.

"Alright, let's settle on that. You do your business, and I'll come back the morning after tomorrow."

"Sure, Mr. Deng, take your time. I look forward to our cooperation."

...

After the meeting with Mr. Xiao, Deng Shirong headed straight to the Go Believe Baozi shop.

In Tianjin, Go Believe Baozi, a century-old and internationally renowned delicacy, was a must-try.

It was the 1980s, and Go Believe Baozi still had a good reputation, unlike in the future when it became a disappointment, known for being expensive and unpalatable, tarnishing the reputation built over a hundred years.

Upon arriving at the Go Believe Baozi shop, Deng Shirong saw a long queue of customers, as shown in the picture below. In this era, Go Believe Baozi, being one of the three famous delicacies of Tianjin, was not only reasonably priced but also delicious, making it a very popular business.

Deng Shirong joined the queue, and soon another customer lined up behind him. He kindly informed the person, "Comrade, why don't you come back tomorrow? I’m buying all the baozi today."

Taking advantage of the current good quality of the baozi, Deng Shirong decided to buy as many as possible to store in his spatial ring. This way, he could enjoy them whenever he wanted, satisfying his cravings and providing a convenient snack while traveling.

The person behind Deng Shirong was a man in his thirties, who asked in surprise, "Comrade, are you serious?"

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Absolutely serious. I’m buying all the baozi today."

The man didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. It was unclear whether he didn’t believe Deng Shirong or simply wanted to stay and see what would happen.

Deng Shirong didn’t mind. He had merely tried to save the man the trouble of waiting. If he didn’t care, that was his choice.

More customers continued to join the queue, and Deng Shirong reminded each of them to avoid wasting their time.

It seemed that people loved a good spectacle, and despite Deng Shirong’s clear statement, no one was willing to leave early. They all continued to queue up, apparently finding it amusing to be part of the crowd.

A few minutes later, it was finally Deng Shirong’s turn. He told the woman selling the baozi, "I’ll take all the baozi from your shop today!"

The woman couldn’t believe her ears and asked in shock, "What did you say?"

Deng Shirong repeated, "I said, I’ll take all the baozi from your shop today!"

This time, the woman heard clearly. She was both surprised and delighted, asking, "Sir, you mean all the baozi, including those that haven’t been steamed yet?"

Deng Shirong nodded, "Yes, all of them. Please pack the already steamed ones in oil paper, and start steaming the rest!"

Seeing that Deng Shirong was serious, the onlookers began to murmur. It wasn’t often that someone bought so many baozi at once, and they were all witnessing something rare.

Once the reality of the situation was confirmed, the customers gradually left. The baozi shop’s employees then got to work, counting, packing, and steaming the baozi.

After the tally, there were 837 baozi of six different types: seafood, braised meat, and vegetable. After paying, Deng Shirong started transporting them in batches, moving to quieter areas and storing the packed baozi in his spatial ring whenever no one was around.

He made this trip over and over, about ten times, before all the baozi were stored in his spatial ring.

As he left the baozi shop, Deng Shirong took out a steaming hot baozi and started eating. The baozi, fresh and not greasy, with a delicate aroma and soft texture, was indeed a culinary delight. No wonder even Empress Dowager Cixi had praised it, saying, "The beasts in the mountains, the geese in the clouds, the cattle and sheep on the land, and the seafood in the sea, none can match the fragrance of the baozi from Goubuli. Eating it can even extend one’s life."

---

In Majia Kou.

At Xiao Boss’s fruit wholesale store.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Boss got straight to the point, "Mr. Deng, I’ve finalized the order quantity."

Deng Shirong asked, "How much do you need?"

Xiao Boss smiled broadly, "600 tons!"

Deng Shirong was genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected the wholesale capacity of a random fruit supplier to be so strong. It seemed he should work more with wholesalers like Xiao Boss in the future, saving him the trouble of traveling from city to city.

"Sure, I can give you 600 tons at the lowest price of 55 cents per pound. My goods will arrive tonight, but unloading will take some time. Xiao Boss, please bring enough money and manpower to pick up the goods tomorrow morning. The address is XXXX."

"Got it, I’ll see you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!"

---

The next morning.

Xiao Boss arrived with a substantial team to pick up the goods. Joining him were several dozen small wholesalers and individual merchants, each either driving a large truck or a tractor. The scene was quite impressive.

Upon reaching the agreed location, Xiao Boss and the others were surprised to find the goods not in a warehouse but piled up in an open, barren field. Hundreds of tons of yam were stacked like a small mountain, a truly awe-inspiring sight.

The process then involved weighing, loading, and paying.

It took Deng Shirong five hours to receive the payment.

At 55 cents per pound, 600 tons of yam amounted to 660,000 yuan.

Adding the 42,000 yuan from selling 30 tons to Zhou Shengli and his two companions, Deng Shirong had a total of 702,000 yuan in earnings.

And in his spatial ring, he still had 576 tons of yam stored.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end