Chapter 289: Net Worth Breaks the Million Mark (Part 2) - Seeking Subscriptions

Chapter 289: Net Worth Breaks the Million Mark (Part 2) - Seeking Subscriptions

After leaving Tianjin, Deng Shirong made his way to Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, and Jinan.

With the success in Tianjin as a template, he sought out fruit wholesalers in these cities. Unfortunately, the fruit wholesale markets in these cities were still in their infancy, and their capabilities paled in comparison to the experienced Mr. Xiao in Tianjin. As a result, he managed to sell only 400 tons of pineapples across these three cities.

The 400 tons of pineapples were sold at 66 cents per pound, bringing in 528,000 yuan. Adding this to the previous 702,000 yuan, his total earnings now amounted to 1.23 million yuan.

With 176 tons of pineapples still remaining, Deng Shirong decided not to continue his travels. Instead, he boarded a train to the capital, planning to offload the remaining stock to Zhou Shengli and his team. He was confident that the 30 tons of pineapples they had previously sold would have been quickly absorbed by the capital's market. Given the city's large population, handling an additional 176 tons would be no problem at all.

"Are you serious? A TV can survive a month in the Yangtze River without breaking down? Is that even possible?"

"Look, it's in the newspaper. How could it be fake?"

"Wow, that means the quality of the Peony brand TV must be incredible. Too bad I don't have a TV voucher. If I did, I'd sell everything I have to buy one."

"..."

As Deng Shirong stepped out of the capital's train station, he overheard this conversation and couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me, comrades, you said a TV survived a month in the Yangtze River without breaking down? What news are you discussing?"

The man holding the Capital Daily replied, "It's a news article in this paper. It says a Peony brand TV was submerged in the Yangtze River for an entire month. When it was recovered, the repair personnel only had to replace the speaker cone and voice coil. The TV still had clear images, vibrant colors, and excellent sound quality, almost as good as when it was new. The quality is truly impressive."

Deng Shirong was surprised. "Comrade, could I see the newspaper?"

"Of course, here you go."

The man handed over the newspaper and pointed out the article for Deng Shirong to read. The news article was brief, and Deng Shirong quickly finished it before returning the paper. "If this news is true, the quality of the Peony brand TV is indeed remarkable!"

The man added, "This is the Capital Daily, not some tabloid. The authenticity shouldn't be in doubt."

In his previous life, Deng Shirong hadn't paid much attention to such news, but he knew that the Peony brand TV had once been highly popular, and many people took pride in owning one. During that era, the quality of many products far surpassed those of later times.

Thus, it wasn't surprising that such an astonishing news story had emerged.

Thinking about his second son, Guoqing, who would be participating in the 35th anniversary military parade, he realized he needed to buy a color TV to watch this historic event. Watching it on a black-and-white TV would be far less impressive.

With this in mind, Deng Shirong bid farewell to the two men and took a bus to the Wangfujing Department Store.

Half an hour later, Deng Shirong bought a 14-inch Peony brand color TV at a premium price from someone else. The TV voucher only restricted those with modest incomes. For those with money, buying a TV was a simple matter of paying the price.

...

In a dilapidated courtyard house.

Jiang Xiaoxue had peeled and removed the inner thorns from ten pineapples, washed them clean, and then cut them into roughly equal pieces. She placed the pieces in a wooden bucket filled with saltwater.

Another wooden bucket contained clean water, and two clean enamel basins were placed inside it.

She covered the water buckets with two wooden boards and placed a bundle of chili salt and skewers on top. Then, using a pole, she carried the two buckets and said to her son, "Xiaofeng, grab the stools, let's go!"

Li Feng, who was seven years old, responded and took two small stools, following his mother as they set out to do business.

After a ten-minute walk, they arrived at a busy street corner.

Finding a tree that provided shade, Jiang Xiaoxue placed the two wooden buckets side by side. She took out the enamel basins from the bucket of clean water, placed one basin of clean water on one wooden board, and the other basin of saltwater-soaked pineapple pieces on the other board.

Finally, she unfolded the oil paper containing the chili salt, and her simple business was ready to go.

Jiang Xiaoxue sat on a small stool, wiping the sweat from her neck with a towel. Carrying nearly 200 pounds of goods for ten minutes was tiring, and she was drenched in sweat.

But Jiang Xiaoxue didn't mind. Compared to the money she had earned over the past few days, this bit of hardship was nothing.

With Li Changsheng's help, she had been in business for half a month.

The cost of pineapples was 90 cents per pound, and Li Changsheng had helped her borrow money to buy 600 pounds of pineapples. Each pineapple weighed between 2.5 to 3 pounds, averaging about 2.75 pounds, so the cost was around 2.5 yuan each.

She then cut each pineapple into ten pieces, selling each piece for 30 cents. Ten pieces sold for 3 yuan, giving her a gross profit of about 50 cents.

In the first couple of days, Jiang Xiaoxue could only sell a few ground pineapples each day. Gradually, she figured out some business tricks, and her sales improved. Now, she can sell twenty ground pineapples a day, with a gross profit of 10 yuan.

Apart from the cost of the goods, the only other expenses are the chili salt and bamboo skewers. After all the calculations, she earns about 9 yuan a day.

This high profit keeps Jiang Xiaoxue energized and enthusiastic about her business every day. However, this lucrative business is about to come to an end. Today’s ten ground pineapples are her last stock, and once they’re sold, she’ll have nothing left.

Moreover, there’s no place to restock, as others have already sold out.

Still, Jiang Xiaoxue is content. She has calculated that selling all her ground pineapples today will bring her a total profit of over 100 yuan. This is the largest income she has earned in the two years she has been in the capital, which will significantly ease her financial struggles.

"Can you tell me how much your ground pineapples cost?"

As soon as Jiang Xiaoxue set up her stall, a customer approached to ask.

Jiang Xiaoxue smiled and said, "30 cents each."

The customer examined the ground pineapples, noting their substantial size, and nodded in satisfaction. He then took out 30 cents and said, "I’ll take one, please!"

Jiang Xiaoxue collected the money, handed over a bamboo skewer, and said, "Pick the one you like. Once you’ve chosen, you can eat it right away. If you want to add chili salt, dip it in the water here to rinse off the excess salt, or it will be too salty."

The customer took the skewer, happily picked the largest piece, dipped it in the water, and sprinkled some chili salt on it before taking a delicious bite.

The sweet, spicy, and slightly sour taste was truly satisfying.

With the first customer, more soon followed. By the time she had sold more than half of her ground pineapples, Jiang Xiaoxue noticed her son staring at the customers’ ground pineapples with longing. Her heart ached, realizing she had been too focused on making money to notice her son’s feelings.

She quickly skewered a piece of ground pineapple and handed it to her son, saying, "Xiaofeng, go ahead and eat it!"

Li Feng’s eyes lit up, but he said thoughtfully, "Mom, I don’t want to eat it. Let’s save it to sell for money."

Jiang Xiaoxue, feeling a pang of guilt, said, "Xiaofeng, we have money now. Eat it if you want."

Li Feng couldn’t resist any longer. He took the ground pineapple and happily started eating, finding it even more delicious than the ones they had back home.

Just then, a surprised voice came from nearby, "Xiaoxue?"

Jiang Xiaoxue looked up, her face lighting up with joy as she stood up. "Uncle Deng, we meet again!"

Deng Shirong had not expected to run into an old acquaintance from two years ago while casually looking for a temporary warehouse. He sighed, "I never thought I’d see you here. How have you been these past two years?"

Jiang Xiaoxue smiled. "It’s been a bumpy road, but I’ve managed to stand on my own here. Thank you for your help back then, Uncle Deng."

Deng Shirong knew how difficult it must have been for a woman with a child to survive in the capital. He waved his hand. "I didn’t help much; I just showed you the way. It’s impressive that you’ve started selling ground pineapples. How’s business?"

Jiang Xiaoxue, reminded of her business, quickly skewered a piece of ground pineapple and asked, "Uncle Deng, do you want some chili salt?"

Deng Shirong waved his hand. "Xiaoxue, keep it for sale. People in the capital love it, but we in Guangxi are no strangers to it."

Jiang Xiaoxue said, "We eat it often in Guangxi, but since we’ve met, don’t be so polite, Uncle Deng. It’s just one piece, not worth much."

Deng Shirong, seeing her insistence, said, "Alright, I’ll have one. It’s best with chili salt."

Jiang Xiaoxue smiled, rinsed the ground pineapple, sprinkled some chili salt, and handed it to Deng Shirong. "My business is doing well, but I’ll be out of stock after today."

In a vast city, meeting again was a stroke of luck. Being from the same hometown, it would be wrong not to help. Deng Shirong finished his ground pineapple in a few bites and said, "Xiaoxue, it’s not easy for you to raise a child alone in the capital. I can help you find a supplier for ground pineapples. How much do you need?"

Jiang Xiaoxue’s eyes lit up. Her biggest worry was that after selling the remaining ground pineapples today, she would have to find odd jobs again, which were both exhausting and low-paying compared to selling ground pineapples.

She never imagined that the kind man she met on the train, Uncle Deng, could help her find a supplier. This was truly a stroke of luck!

Jiang Xiaoxue quickly calculated. With the money Li Changsheng lent her and the profit from her sales, she could afford about 700 pounds of ground pineapples.

After doing the math, Jiang Xiaoxue said, "Uncle Deng, the money I have is only enough to buy 700 pounds of goods."

Deng Shirong asked, "What was your previous purchase price?"

Jiang Xiaoxue replied, "90 cents per pound."

Deng Shirong wasn’t surprised. He had originally sold to Zhou Shengli and the others at 70 cents per pound, and even at wholesale, they needed to make a profit. At 90 cents per pound, it was a very reasonable price. He thought for a moment and asked again, "Xiao Jiang, how many ground cherries can you sell in a day?"

Jiang Xiaoxue said, "If I have the stock, I can easily sell 20 a day."

Deng Shirong said, "Then I’ll get you 1,000 pounds. Any more than that, and you might not be able to sell them all!"

Jiang Xiaoxue looked a bit embarrassed and said, "Uncle Deng, I only have about 600 yuan on me. I can’t afford that much. 700 pounds would be enough."

Deng Shirong smiled, "Xiao Jiang, I have connections. I can get the ground cherries at 50 cents per pound. 1,000 pounds will only cost 500 yuan."

Jiang Xiaoxue’s eyes widened in shock. "Uncle Deng, are you serious?"

Deng Shirong chuckled, "This is your livelihood. Do you think I’d joke about something like this?"

Jiang Xiaoxue was overwhelmed with gratitude. "That’s wonderful, Uncle Deng. I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve really helped me out!"

Now, she could sell the ground cherries for between 1.20 and 1.30 yuan per pound. If the purchase price was only 50 cents per pound, she could make at least 70 cents per pound. Selling 1,000 pounds would net her 700 yuan in profit.

That was 700 yuan! An ordinary worker might not even earn that much in a year. With this money, she and her son would truly have the capital to establish themselves in the capital.

Deng Shirong waved his hand. "No need to thank me. We’re both from Guangxi, and this is just a small favor. Give me your address, and I’ll have the goods delivered to you this afternoon."

Jiang Xiaoxue kept her gratitude in her heart and gave him her current address.

Deng Shirong took out a piece of paper and wrote it down. "I won’t disturb your business. I’ll have the goods delivered around six this evening."

Jiang Xiaoxue nodded repeatedly. "Alright, Uncle Deng. I’ll be waiting at the intersection."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then Deng Shirong left to take care of his business.

Watching him leave, Jiang Xiaoxue felt a renewed sense of hope for the future.

...

When Deng Shirong reappeared, Zhou Shengli greeted him with a smile. "Boss Deng, you’ve been gone for half a month. I thought you’d already gone back!"

Deng Shirong laughed. "No, I just went to take care of some business elsewhere. Boss Zhou, how are the ground cherries selling?"

At the mention of this, Zhou Shengli slapped his thigh. "More than smooth! Because our prices weren’t too high, we sold out in less than three days. Sales increased each day, and we ran out of stock too quickly. If I had known it would go so well, I would have bought more from you, Boss Deng."

Deng Shirong smiled. "It’s not too late to restock!"

Zhou Shengli’s eyes lit up instantly. "Boss Deng, you still have stock?"

Deng Shirong nodded and smiled. "Yes, I have 175.5 tons left. If you and your partners can take it all, I’ll give you a better deal—66 cents per pound."

After the trial sale of 30 tons, Zhou Shengli knew that ground cherries had a huge market in the capital. With Boss Deng offering a discount, there was no reason to hesitate. He decided immediately. "No problem, we’ll take it all!"

Deng Shirong took out a piece of paper with an address and handed it to him. "It’s settled, then. Same as before, pick it up early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, we’ll be there at eight in the morning."

"Alright, I won’t disturb you. See you tomorrow."

"Sure, see you tomorrow."

...

At 5:45 PM.

Deng Shirong arrived at the courtyard where Jiang Xiaoxue was renting, riding in a borrowed tractor.

With the help of the tractor driver, the three of them moved the bags of ground cherries from the truck into the house.

The commotion drew the attention of the other tenants in the courtyard, who came out to see what was happening.

Many felt sympathy for the young woman from Guangxi. They didn’t know her full story, but they could tell that life was tough for her. She had come to the capital with a child, no stable job, and no money. The first few months were especially difficult—she often couldn’t afford rent or food.

Fortunately, the landlord’s family was kind and didn’t evict her and her son for non-payment. They even lent her some rice and flour when she was in dire straits.

Now, two years had passed, and while her life was still hard, she was managing to get by.

In the past half month, everyone knew that Jiang Xiaoxue had been selling ground cherries at a stall. Seeing her bring in so much stock now, they were all a bit surprised. It meant her business was doing well.

After moving all the sweet potatoes into the house, the tractor driver left in his vehicle.

Jiang Xiaoxue nodded to the neighbors and invited Uncle Deng inside, closing the door behind him.

Then, she took out the 600 yuan she had prepared and handed it to Uncle Deng, saying, "Uncle Deng, please take this money. I really appreciate your help!"

Deng Shirong took the money, and with his years of experience, he immediately felt something was off. He quickly spread out the bills and said, "Xiaoxue, did you give me too much money?"

Jiang Xiaoxue replied, "No, Uncle Deng. You helped me get so much at such a low price. I owe you a great favor, and this money is the least I can do."

Deng Shirong quickly counted the money and then handed back 100 yuan, saying, "Xiaoxue, take this back. We agreed on a certain amount, and I didn’t owe anyone any favors. Don’t worry about it."

Jiang Xiaoxue tried a few more times, but seeing that Uncle Deng was firm, she finally gave up.

Through this small incident, Deng Shirong could see that Jiang Xiaoxue was a person of good character. After all, 100 yuan was a significant amount for her. She could have kept it but chose to give it to him, proving she wasn’t the type to take advantage of others and knew how to be grateful.

While Deng Shirong never expected a return for his help, helping a grateful person felt much different than helping someone who wasn’t. The former made him feel good, while the latter would have been distasteful.

After taking back the money, Jiang Xiaoxue asked, "Uncle Deng, have you eaten yet? I can cook you a bowl of noodles!"

Deng Shirong waved his hand and said, "No need to trouble yourself. I’ve already eaten. I’ll be leaving now. I’m heading back to Guangxi tomorrow. Xiaoxue, keep working hard and try to earn more money. One day, you’ll be able to buy a house in Beijing and have a home of your own."

Hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Jiang Xiaoxue’s eyes. Owning a home in Beijing was something she had never dared to dream about, but with 1,000 pounds of sweet potatoes, she felt she could at least dare to dream about it now.

"Thank you for your encouragement, Uncle Deng. I’ll definitely work hard."

"Good. I’ll be going now. See you again if fate allows it!"

"Goodbye, Uncle Deng!"

"Goodbye, Grandpa Deng!"

...

The next day, Deng Shirong boarded the train back to Nanning.

This trip to Beijing had been incredibly profitable for him.

He had sold 126,125 pounds of longan and their baskets for 289,365 yuan, making a profit of 251,000 yuan after costs.

The 1,206 tons of sweet potatoes had sold for 1,462,160 yuan, with a profit of 1,220,960 yuan after deducting costs.

The combined profit from the longan and sweet potatoes was 1,471,960 yuan.

With this operation, Deng Shirong had made 1.47196 million yuan, becoming a millionaire in his own right.

In 1984, a millionaire was as valuable as a billionaire in later times.

With such a large sum in hand, many plans could now be put into action, such as renovating the second and third floors of the Shufeng Restaurant and buying land in Nanning to build a building.

Renovating the restaurant’s upper floors wouldn’t cost much, around 200,000 yuan would be sufficient.

However, buying land and building in Nanning would require a significant investment.

In fact, renting a couple of floors to run a supermarket would be more cost-effective and ease financial pressure.

But in the long term, if possible, buying land and building a structure was a better choice.

Compared to renting, owning a building had three major advantages:

1. Independence: Renting from someone else could lead to issues if the landlord decided not to renew the lease or significantly increased the rent once the business was thriving. Moving to another location would mean losing the customers who had been cultivated over time. Owning the building eliminated this problem.

2. Location Choice: Deng Shirong had lived in Nanning for a while when his youngest son was transferred there. He knew the bustling areas with high foot traffic. Buying land and building in one of these areas would ensure a steady flow of customers, making any business venture highly profitable.

3. Appreciation: Nanning, though only a second-tier city in the future, had notoriously high land and property values. While buying land and building now would require a significant investment, the value would multiply many times over in the future, making it a solid investment.

In summary, buying land and building a structure was a necessary and wise decision.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end