Courtyard Houses: Starting as a Purchasing Agent

With the Chinese New Year approaching, the festive atmosphere is being fully realized by the people.

Yi Zhonghai's mood gradually brightened. He rode his bicycle with Aunt Yi and first bought some simple New Year's goods.

I didn't buy enough!

After all, it's just the two of them, with no children, so buying some things for the New Year is enough.

After buying the New Year's goods, he rode his bicycle to Hongxing Road.

Not far from the courtyard house, to the left is Lou Xiao'e's Lou's Restaurant, and about 100 meters diagonally opposite is Qin Huairu's restaurant.

But this is Xu Damao's store.

It specializes in selling all kinds of ironware and iron products.

Now that it's Chinese New Year, there aren't many people buying ironware and iron products, so Xu Damao has closed the shop, but his two employees are still watching over it.

There are quite a few things inside, so I'm worried about them being robbed.

"Master, why are you here?"

The two apprentices had a lot of respect for Yi Zhonghai.

Yi Zhonghai said, "I'm here to get my things, my tools!"

"Okay, I'll help you!"

The two apprentices assumed that Yi Zhonghai was taking the tools home, so they didn't think much of it and just gave them to him.

Yi Zhonghai left without looking back, and immediately began searching for shops along the street.

Although the market had been opened up and liberalized by this time, there were actually not as many people doing business as one might imagine, and most stores were still vacant.

You can easily find a suitable one by asking around.

The rent for a store is only 100 yuan per month, and with other miscellaneous expenses, it comes to 1,600 yuan.

After finishing the business, Yi Zhonghai didn't care about the New Year and went straight to the steel mill to buy a batch of steel.

After all, he was a long-time employee of the steel rolling mill and was familiar with the people at the steelmaking plant, so his purchase price was low.

They even included some secondhand tools, which delighted Yi Zhonghai.

I never imagined opening a shop would be so easy; it was all set up in just one day.

However, before he could actually start selling the products, Yi Zhonghai knew he still needed to get a license from the industry and commerce bureau.

That's easy. Just buy a few packs of cigarettes and casually slip a few dozen yuan into them. That'll solve the problem quickly.

On the third day, without anyone noticing, on the 29th day of the Lunar New Year, Yi Zhonghai actually started working in his shop.

Even though not many people come here, we'll still keep going.

It doesn't matter!

It wouldn't be fair to say that Yi Zhonghai gained nothing during his six months at Xu Damao's shop, since he had gained experience.

Which items are best-selling, which are not so popular, which have high profit margins, and which are suitable for bulk wholesale?

wait wait wait!

Yi Zhonghai had already memorized all of this.

We'll make some good-selling ironware now, and once spring arrives after the New Year, it'll be a huge business.

……

"Buzzing..."

Xu Damao revved his motorcycle and roared through the street.

Countless people around looked at Xu Damao's motorcycle with envy.

Although there are all kinds of cars available these days, motorcycles hold a similar place in the hearts of young people as bicycles did a decade or two ago.

This thing, not even one in a hundred people can afford.

"Hahaha..." Xu Damao ran wildly on Hongxing Road in high spirits.

The author Qin Jingru, who came later, also shared in this honor.

"Da Mao!" Qin Jingru exclaimed, "We've finally had a good New Year this year!"

“That’s right!” Xu Damao said, “Everyone in this courtyard except Liu Aiguo is a damn poor bastard. Compared to me, Xu Damao, they can go to hell…”

"Da Mao!"

Qin Jingru said with some concern, "Aren't we being too harsh on Uncle Yi? Maybe we should give him some money, so he doesn't run away in the end!"

"No way!" Xu Damao said, "What nonsense! He's not even broke. We don't know how we'll get through the New Year!"

"Don't worry, he'll definitely come begging to me!"

“Once he begs me, he'll be completely under our control. He…he…”

As he was speaking, Xu Damao suddenly couldn't continue.

His face turned dark rapidly.

He also released the throttle on the motorcycle.

Finally, it was parked directly on the side of the road.

Qin Jingru asked, "Da Mao, what's wrong?"

Xu Damao asked, "Look what this is?"

He pointed to a huge white-painted wooden board with black writing on it by the roadside and said, "Take a look!"

Qin Jingru looked at it, then shook her head and said, "I can't read!"

Xu Damao's face, however, was ashen.

"Master Yi's Ironware Shop... Master Yi's Ironware Shop!" Xu Damao said viciously, "Damn it, someone saw that our business is doing well and deliberately came out to steal our business!"

"Huh?" Qin Jingru said, "Why is there another ironware shop?"

"Could it be that it's owned by Uncle Yi?"

"Impossible!" Xu Damao propped up his motorcycle and said, "It's only been a few days, how could it be Lao Yi?"

Although it is also Master Yi, it can never be Yi Zhonghai.

Xu Damao took a deep breath and led Qin Jingru into the store.

But when Xu Damao saw Yi Zhonghai cutting steel plates in the shop, he shuddered.

Yi Zhonghai!

It really is Yi Zhonghai?

sizzle sizzle...

Yi Zhonghai was pressing down on the cutting machine to cut the steel plate, sparks flying everywhere.

He didn't notice Xu Damao who came into the store.

However, he saw it after the steel plate was cut.

"Uncle Yi?"

Qin Jingru opened her mouth in surprise: "It really is your shop!"

Xu Damao's body was trembling.

He wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to begin.

"Clang!" Yi Zhonghai threw the hammer in his hand onto the steel plate and said, "That's right, it's my shop, so what?"

He glanced at Xu Damao and Qin Jingru.

Xu Damao said, "Uncle Yi, you're not being fair!"

"This isn't like your uncle at all!"

Yi Zhonghai gave a cold laugh: "Xu Damao, how dare you mention the words 'benevolence and righteousness' to me?"

"Sigh... I, Yi Zhonghai, also need to eat and support my family."

"I almost starved to death working for you, and now you're turning around and saying I'm unrighteous?"

"Alright!" Yi Zhonghai waved his hand. "Hold a meeting in the courtyard tonight, and you can call on everyone to criticize me!"

Xu Damao's face darkened: Damn it, are they laughing at me?

"Uncle Yi!" After thinking for a moment, Xu Damao softened: "This... I was wrong. How about this, when you come back, we'll split the profits 30/70?"

"This time, I, Xu Damao, mean what I say!"

"Absolutely a 30/70 split!"

"Four and six are all in motion!"

Xu Damao was truly disgusted.

With Yi Zhonghai opening a store, how am I supposed to do business in the future?

However, Yi Zhonghai shook his head: "I'm fifty-nine years old this year, almost sixty... Do you think I'm stupid, or something's wrong with me!"