1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 311 Fiery
The humidity in the air at the Jiangnan Market is astonishingly high.

Many shopkeepers had finished work and gathered together to chat.

"Bosses, it's only nine o'clock! Are you already closing up shop? Keep handing out vegetables to sell!"

"Who wouldn't want to send a car over immediately? It's been raining non-stop these past few days, and the cars are all stuck on the road."

"I can't ship them out. The risk of counterfeit goods being shipped out in the rain is too great. If they all rot, it will be difficult to deal with them."

"Liang Ping, what are you looking at? You seem distracted."

Liang Ping looked in one direction and said, "Another truckload of vegetables has arrived. Three truckloads have come in the last few hours this morning."

The others also looked over and understood; the place had been bustling all night, and everyone knew about it.

"Stall number 63 has so many dishes!"

"It's one thing to have a lot of vegetables, but in such terrible weather, he can replenish the supply so quickly. No one can compare to him in that respect."

"It's all bok choy, no wonder they make money."

"It's not just bok choy; the previous truckload also included Shanghai bok choy, baby bok choy, and romaine lettuce."

"Hey, business should be booming now."

A group of people were smoking and unknowingly turned around, their eyes all fixed on stall number 63.

Among the many stalls that have fallen silent for various reasons, stall number 63 stands out from the crowd.

Trucks transporting vegetables, workers unloading goods, purchasing agents picking up goods, and the boss writing orders and collecting payments.
While it may not be described as a sea of ​​people, it is definitely a bustling business.

"Liangping, do you have any vegetables left today?" a merchant asked.

Liangping mainly deals in leafy greens. "We get leafy greens, but we don't dare to take too many, for fear they'll rot."

Some people say, "The price of vegetables has risen sharply now, but the spoilage is high. As long as the purchase price is low, there's still a chance to make a profit!"

“Things are different now,” Liang Ping shook his head. “Before, everyone was shoddy, and if you paid a little attention after getting your goods, buyers could only grit their teeth and accept it. But now, with No. 63 here, both buyers who care about quality and those who don’t want the hassle will buy from No. 63.”

"Pshaw, no matter how many vegetables there are at number 63, it's impossible to satisfy the needs of the entire market."

"You're just a bitter melon seller, how could you understand the bitterness of us vegetable sellers?"

Another vegetable vendor chimed in, "Now most of the regular customers at the market know that stall number 63 sells high-quality vegetables. I estimate that after this period of time, that label will be firmly attached to it."

"Just follow its instructions and cook the dishes better!"

"Easier said than done!"

While the group was chatting, another large truck drove by. Judging from the deep, rumbling engine sound, it was clear that the truck was carrying a lot of vegetables.

"Whose car is that? It's so reckless!"

The surrounding merchants were all watching closely. Due to factors such as the weather, very few people could restock in large quantities at this time. Restocking a truckload of goods could bring in at least several thousand or tens of thousands of yuan in profit.

"No way, they've gone to slot 63 again?"

"Holy crap, it really is!"

"Damn, he has so many dishes!"

Everyone's eyes turned red, but some people recalled the plight of stall number 63 a few days ago, when it was mentioned that dozens of tons of vegetables had to be dumped every day.

This time, the bitterness has finally turned into sweetness, but people are still envious.

Some people have also had the idea of ​​investing in the base.

...

Chen Jiazhi had no interest in observing the psychological issues of other merchants. He didn't even go to the market all night, at most chatting with the Zhang Qiren and Jiang Lin couple next door.

On rainy days, leafy vegetables are most affected, while winter melon, bitter melon, and loofah are relatively less affected.

Green vegetables may not be the most profitable variety, but they are definitely the category with the fastest price increase and the largest price difference between the production area and the place of origin.

During their occasional chats, Chen Jiazhi could sense the sourness coming from next door.

For those with their own farms, the profits are even more outrageous, and Jiangxin Market stands out as a unique player among these groups.

A relatively complete preservation system and efficient and professional vegetable workers have reduced losses at each stage, fundamentally reversing the ratio of output to input.

This made the true profit of Jiangxin Vegetable Market exceed everyone's expectations in the market.

For example, during this season, a truckload of 10 tons of bok choy is shipped from the production area to the market, but in the end, less than 5 tons may actually end up in the kitchen, with the losses in between turning into price increases.

Jiangxin Vegetable Market benefited from this price increase, but the losses during transportation and sales were far less than 10%.

4% of the middle portion was converted into profit.

However, there's no need to tell anyone about these things.

During the previous market downturn, Chen Jiazhi had foreseen today's situation and had Li Cai emphasize how severe the losses were.

Moreover, the fact that the company had been operating at a loss for more than half a month had attracted considerable attention in the market.

Many people probably still remember this today.

It is indeed attracting attention at the moment.

Chen Jiazhi stood with his hands on his hips in the passageway, directing a newly arrived truck. A quick glance out of the corner of his eye revealed the stares of his colleagues.

With restocking truckload after truckload like this, it's impossible to keep a low profile.

After the car was parked, Li Xiu called He Qiang and the others over.

He Qiang's team of porters has expanded slightly, but market competition is intensifying, and it's rare for He Qiang and others to have such a plentiful amount of work.

Chen Jiazhi told them to go back and rest, and everyone took turns resting.

As the leader, He Qiang didn't go back to rest at all. He took a few straw mats and lay down to sleep in the cargo compartment of Chen Jiazhi's Isuzu truck. When there was work to be done, he got up and continued to work.

Seeing another truck arrive, he showed no signs of fatigue. He gave a shout and led his men to start unloading the cargo again.

What kind of vegetables are in this truck?

The driver handed the freight bill to Chen Jiazhi. In addition to choy sum, there were also Shanghai bok choy, romaine lettuce, and baby bok choy, each weighing two or three tons, totaling 10 tons of goods.

Chen Jiazhi did not open the boxes to inspect the goods; several sample boxes had already been placed in front of the cashier.

These are all top-quality goods for this season. Even the most discerning customer would find it hard to leave stall number 63 if they had the demand. After several truckloads of goods arrived, the stall was well-stocked.

Business was still decent after 9 o'clock, though not as booming as it was at dawn, but Chen Jiazhi and Li Xiu were still busy.

He's the kind of person who won't bother with customers unless they actively order.

Zhou Xiaoxiong hurriedly arrived at the stall on his tricycle and placed the packing slip on the cashier's table.

"Boss, I'm here to get the food."

"160 jin of Chinese cabbage, 120 jin of Shanghai bok choy, 150 jin of romaine lettuce, and 120 jin of baby bok choy."

Chen Jiazhi looked at the list and said in surprise, "At this hour, there are still so many orders to deliver?"

Zhou Xiaoxiong said, "We've had a lot of last-minute orders these past two days. These few are relatively good, but we're still working hard to find supplies for many other vegetables."

"Is it too late to find them now?"

"If the goods aren't needed today, they should arrive in time."

"Okay, let's load the goods first."

So Chen Jiazhi and Li Xiu also helped Zhou Xiaoxiong load the goods. From Zhou Xiaoxiong, Chen Jiazhi also learned that the distribution center had experienced another small outbreak in the past two days.

Currently, in addition to a Changhe minivan, Chen Jiazhi's private Yuejin light truck has also been transferred to the distribution center, and a driver has been hired.

In addition, Zhou Xiaoxiong, Ao Dehai, Qi Yongfeng and others have also signed up to learn to drive.

"Mr. Chen, the goods have been unloaded."

"Okay, Mr. Yu, thank you for your hard work. I'll settle the freight fee for you right away."

Yu Wei drove a Dongfeng flatbed truck and also worked with the No. 63 crew for a period of time.

"Haha, it's not hard work. It's comfortable to haul vegetables for you. Loading and unloading are fast. Manager Yi asked me to load another truckload this afternoon. The freight can be settled tonight."

"One thing at a time, we'll settle the matter about tonight's car tonight."

"Row."

Now, the No. 63 truck has a few stable partners. In addition to Yu Wei's 10-ton truck, Wang Bin's truck can also carry four or five tons.

With the current frequent departures, sometimes two or three trips can be made a day, which is quite comfortable for both parties to cooperate with.

Freight costs are also one of the main costs for stall owners.

After 11 o'clock, business at the stalls slowed down, and there were hardly any people in the market.

Li Xiu was resting on a folding bed. Chen Jiazhi had rested for a while in the early morning, but he couldn't hold on any longer. He was lying on the table, dozing off with his chin propped up by one hand.

Every now and then there's one or two orders.

The whole market is like this; it gets a bit dull around noon.

"Brother Chen, I'm here. You guys go back and rest."

"Okay, I am indeed tired. Contact me immediately if there are any issues, and ask me to ship the goods as soon as possible if we run out of stock."

"Okay, I'll call Manager Yi when I need to ship the goods."

Li Cai came to relieve him. Chen Jiazhi thought for a moment and decided not to disturb Li Xiu. He went to the distribution center first and put the money into the safe.

He roughly calculated in the market that it was worth about 90,000 yuan.

Including the 20 tons supplied to Hong Kong, daily sales have recovered to 170,000 to 180,000 yuan.

But I'm really tired right now and don't have time to count them in detail.

The safe was placed in Chen Zhengxu and Li Cai's dormitory. When putting the money in, it inevitably disturbed Chen Zhengxu, who was sleeping and looked very tired.

Chen Jiazhi didn't chat with him. After putting his things down, he went back to the stall to wake up Li Xiu and prepare to drive home.

"Jiazhi, are you tired? Why don't we open a hotel in the city so you can get some sleep before going back?"

As soon as Chen Jiazhi got into the car and was about to start the engine, Li Xiu said with considerable concern.

"It's okay, you can drive home without any problem. You can rest."

"I'm not sleepy, I took a nap," Li Xiu murmured. "If only I could drive."

"If you want to drive, then learn."

"I'm a little hesitant."

“You can learn quickly while you’re young. You’ll be even less likely to do it when you’re really old.” Chen Jiazhi smiled and said, “It’s settled then. I’ll teach you when I have time. Once you’ve learned, just buy a driver’s license.”

"May I?"

"Working hard to earn money is for spending money."

The market was unusually clear, and soon Chen Jiazhi drove onto the main road. "You can sleep a little longer," he said.

"It's okay, I'll talk to you."

"What are you saying?"

"Just talk about anything. If you want to talk about work, I can learn from you."

"Let me sing you a song, singing will make you sleepy."

"Okay."

Chen Jiazhi knew that Li Xiu was worried he would get sleepy while driving, and he was indeed prone to drowsiness, so after thinking for a moment, he started singing.

Tonight, in the cold night, I watched the snow fall.
With a heart that has cooled, I drift far away.
Chasing after them in the wind and rain, their shadows indistinguishable in the fog.

The sky is vast, you and me

It might change

Countless times, I faced cold stares and ridicule.

I have never given up on my ideals...

(End of this chapter)