1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 299 Direction
"Why are you all back?"

"Once the vegetables are sold out, it's time to go home!"

When Chen Jiazhi returned to the distribution center after delivering the vegetables, Li Cai and Xue Jun had already returned.

He handed him the bag containing the money. Chen Jiazhi weighed it in his hand; it was quite heavy. Based on his experience, he estimated it to be about ten kilograms.

A 10-yuan banknote weighs 1.1 grams, and a 100-yuan banknote weighs 1.15 grams.

Ten jin of 10-yuan notes is worth about 45,000 yuan, and 100-yuan notes are worth 450,000 yuan. Subtracting the weight of the bag itself, he estimated that there must be more than 100,000 yuan in cash.

To his even greater surprise, all 34 tons of vegetables had already been sold out!
Chen Jiazhi checked the time; it was only a little past 9 o'clock.

"Are they really sold out?"

Li Cai smiled and said, "Yes, it's all sold out. Not a single pound of vegetables is left. It's completely gone."

Xue Jun was also half-reclining in the chair in the small office. "Business is so good in the middle of the night. Many restaurants, hotels and canteens come to pick up food. Although they don't order much, there are just too many people!"

Although surprised, Chen Jiazhi quickly accepted this reality.

That's really crazy.

Business is so easy these days!
Besides Li Cai and Xue Jun, Li Xiu, Chen Zhengxu, and Jiang Xiaoyan were also in the office. Chen Jiazhi simply opened his bag, took out all the money, and asked everyone to help count it.

Banknotes of various denominations were categorized separately, and the statistics and organization were completed quickly.

A total of 14.1 yuan in cash!

Even though Li Cai, Xue Jun, and Chen Zhengxu had some idea of ​​what was going on, they couldn't help but gasp.

Jiang Xiaoyan's eyes widened in disbelief.

This is the income from selling vegetables all night!

"What are you just looking at? Are you checking the accounts?"

"Oh, good."

Jiang Xiaoyan took out a calculator, and after some busy work, the accounts between the stall and Jiangxin Vegetable Market were settled.

The commission income from selling vegetables at the stalls is also quite substantial. For example, at Jiangxin Vegetable Market, 29 tons of vegetables were sold, with green peppers earning a commission of 400 yuan per ton and bok choy and water spinach earning a commission of 200 yuan per ton, resulting in a gross income of 7600 yuan!
After deducting costs such as stall rent, entry fees, labor costs, and handling expenses, the profit is quite good.

In addition, the 5 tons of vegetables sold at Dongxiang Market also generated 1.2 yuan, with no handling fees charged and the money going directly into personal pockets.

After the accounts were settled, Chen Jiazhi also collected a portion of the money that had been sorted out.

But a large amount of cash was still left outside.

Chen Jiazhi said, "It's the end of the month, time to pay salaries. Let's do it today."

"Oh, the month isn't over yet?"

Jiang Xiaoyan had only been here a few days and didn't expect to receive her salary so soon.

And there's quite a lot of money on the table!

Chen Zhengxu said, "Don't make a fuss. When you work here, everything is based on Mr. Chen's arrangements!"

"okay!"

"Let's not be so serious, keep it casual." Chen Jiazhi asked, "Are the workers' wages calculated?"

Jiang Xiaoyan was a little embarrassed: "Not yet~"

Chen Zhengxu glanced at her and said, "There aren't many people, so we can figure it out right away."

“That’s true.” Chen Jiazhi pushed the money forward directly. “Zhengxu, Li Cai, and Xue Jun, you each take 1. As for the workers, you can decide how to pay them. Make sure things are done properly.”

"Hiss..." Jiang Xiaoyan covered her mouth, looking at Chen Zhengxu, Li Cai and Xue Jun in disbelief.

A monthly salary of 10,000?
What did they do?!

All three were somewhat shocked. Xue Jun licked his lips, Li Cai opened his mouth wide, and Chen Zhengxu took a deep breath and said, "Uncle, that's too much. The delivery business only made a gross profit of a little over ten thousand this month!"

"Yes, the stalls have only recently started making money thanks to the agency fees. Giving each of us 10,000 is too much!"

"We feel uneasy taking this money!"

Li Cai and Xue Jun echoed this sentiment.

Chen Jiazhi picked up a stack of hundred-yuan bills neatly arranged on the table, waved them, and said, "Ten thousand yuan makes you uneasy?"
"If I help you earn 100,000 or 1 million, what kind of people will you become?"

"One million? We wouldn't even dare to dream of that."

All three of them assumed he was joking, and their initial awkwardness disappeared.

While it's quite rare to be a "ten-thousand-yuan household," these three individuals have been handling more than ten thousand yuan every day for the past six months.

Li Xiu also said, "Jiazhi told you to take it, so take it. This month's good sales are inseparable from the three of you. Taking a little more won't make a difference, but don't complain if you earn less in the future."

"Okay." Since his older sister had spoken, Li Cai readily agreed. "I'll take the money. If there's anything you need in the future, Brother Chen, just let me know, I won't refuse!"

Chen Jiazhi smiled and said to the three men, "We're all brothers. My goal is for us to work together to make our business bigger and stronger in the vegetable industry!"
This amount of money is insignificant. For me, doing things the way I want is more important than this sum of money.

"Okay, then we won't refuse!"

We'll definitely do a great job!

Having said all that, the three of them stopped haggling and accepted the money on the table. They were all quite excited, as they had just achieved the goal of becoming "ten-thousand-yuan households." Although they had earned quite a bit in the first few months, from a few hundred yuan in the first month to over a thousand yuan later, with January being the month with the most, at two or three thousand yuan, their expenses were also high. They spent a lot just on driving lessons and bribing officials.

Chen Zhengxu and Li Cai each spent over a thousand yuan to buy a leather jacket.

In general, I've saved some money, but it's far from ten thousand yuan.

Looking back on the past month, it feels really great!

For Chen Jiazhi, he could actually pay the three of them a lower salary, say five thousand each, which would be a high salary in those days.

But he made a fortune, which all three of them saw. Giving him too little money would make them seem stingy.

Moreover, these three were all handpicked by him, and their character is trustworthy. Chen Zhengxu and Li Cai are also among the most talented of his relatives and friends.

The past six months have proven that he made the right choice.

Chen Zhengxu is calm and composed, yet possesses the passion of youth. He consistently visits clients and frequents the market, familiarizing himself with the commonly sold vegetables at various stalls and understanding market conditions. He also keeps in mind the word "reliable" in his delivery service, serving clients rain or shine.

Li Cai went out alone for more than half a month to find goods. Chen Jiazhi hadn't had a chance to talk to him yet and didn't know the details, but he sent back more than a dozen or twenty truckloads of vegetables in a row, which was undeniable. He was doing very well selling vegetables in the market.

Moreover, Chen Zhengxu and Li Cai have persisted in learning Mandarin and listening to Cantonese radio broadcasts, and now they have fewer and fewer obstacles in communicating with locals.
Xue Jun was a little less capable, but whether he was driving, going out with Li Cai to find goods, or selling vegetables at the stall, he completed the tasks. Moreover, Xue Jun was obedient and did as he was told, rarely having his own ideas.

Overall, all three are quite good.

Vegetable farming isn't some high-end industry. As long as the people aren't stupid, are reliable, and don't cause trouble, Chen Jiazhi is confident he can lead this group of people out of poverty.

He had taken on many apprentices in his previous life.

After the three of them received the money, Chen Jiazhi discussed with everyone the direction of Kaopu Fresh's work.

He first indicated that he would invest another sum of money in Kaopu Fresh, approximately 50 yuan.

The distribution center needs to continue investing money, such as changing locations, buying vehicles, and hiring staff;
The stalls shouldn't be limited to selling vegetables in the market. Since the business is good, it proves that the current approach is feasible and we can expand to more high-end channels.

Chen Jiazhi said, "Zhengxu should focus its energy on visiting clients, contacting Xu Wenxiang and Huang Jianyuan more often, and taking advantage of the current good quality of the vegetables at Jiangxin Market to reach out to more high-end hotels and restaurants."

It would be best to connect with overseas Chinese communities again to see if there are any opportunities to do business abroad.

Chen Zhengxu readily agreed: "Okay."

Li Cai then asked, "Should we go out and find more suppliers? We don't have enough stock to sell!"

“There’s no need to rush this. The supply of vegetables at the back of the market will be more plentiful.” Chen Jiazhi pondered. “Besides, the quality and packaging of the bok choy sent back from outside are far inferior to our own.”

Li Cai smiled and shook his head: "The main reason is that the market is selling vegetables too fast. I never thought that vegetables could be sold like this."

Xue Jun also laughed and said, "Who says otherwise? In terms of volume, stall number 63 may not be the largest, but when it comes to the speed of selling vegetables, no one dares to say they can beat us!"
Our food is really good!

Chen Zhengxu pondered for a moment and said, "The quality of the vegetables is one aspect, but we also chose a good market. I have visited several vegetable wholesale markets in the surrounding area, and our market is the most popular."

"There is a reason for this."

Chen Jiazhi also realized this; in just over a month, slot number 63 was no longer the last slot.

The market's business recruitment went smoothly, and the merchants were mostly quite reputable.

Take Zhang Qiren next to him, for example. Although his business methods are not focused and he has no strategy, he has a lot of people and his supply of all kinds of vegetables and beans is never out of stock!
The vegetable wholesale business is very easy to do these days; having vegetables is the key.

The Jiangnan Market doesn't prioritize rent; it focuses on the supply of goods. With ample supply, the market becomes increasingly popular.

It has now entered a virtuous cycle of rapid development.

Although the supply of vegetables at stall number 63 is increasing, the high quality and long-term scarcity mean that the vegetables are always a little short of demand, and there has never been a truly large and satisfying supply.

It's important to know that the Gangnam Market is open 24 hours a day, and people come to buy vegetables all day long.

After thinking for a while, Chen Jiazhi said, "There are two solutions: one, expand the area of ​​the vegetable market or invest in a new base;
Second, we will sign agreements with the production areas to establish fixed partnerships, and ship goods according to our requirements and packaging.

Li Cai said, "The second point is a bit difficult. The production area doesn't have cold storage or foam boxes, and the cost is also unbearable."

Chen Jiazhi pondered for a moment and said, "Let's give it a try first. If necessary, we can also invest in a small cold storage facility. The main thing is to find a good partner."

In addition, I will also proceed with the expansion of the farmers' market.

Compared to building a new base, Chen Jiazhi prefers to expand the area of ​​the existing base for easier management.

It would be best to extend the lease term, as the land lease for Jiangxin Vegetable Market expires in June 1998.

As far as he knew, most of the land leases for vegetable bases supplying Hong Kong in the Pearl River Delta expired in 1999.

To reduce costs, some planting bases have since moved to northern Guangdong, such as Shaoguan and Heyuan.

It then spread to Yunnan and Hunan, thus bringing the Yunnan production area to the forefront.

Currently, land rent in Huacheng is already among the highest in the country, but what's even more alarming is its growth rate, which is now approaching 400 yuan per mu.

Jiangxin Market should expand its area as soon as possible, and it would be best to extend the lease.

After the meeting, everyone understood what they needed to do.

Chen Jiazhi and Li Xiu also took the remaining 10 yuan in cash home. Before setting off, he made sure he could easily pull out the real thing.

However, I was already quite familiar with the place, so I wasn't too nervous.

In this era, there were many business owners who carried a sack of cash to do business. Some soared to great heights, some lost everything, and some even lost their lives.

Looking at the small sedan in front of him, Chen Jiazhi felt that driving a light truck made him feel safer.
(End of this chapter)