Gourd Farm Chapter 36
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 36: Wholesalers Come Knocking on the Door
These past few days, after continuous hard work with Xia Ying, both of the greenhouses have been fully planted.
"Oh, my old back is almost breaking," Yang Feng crouched on the ground, grimacing, and kept rubbing his back.
"You're still so young, calling it an old back?" Xia Ying looked at Yang Feng's comical expression and couldn't help but giggle.
Before, tending to just one greenhouse in his spare time didn't feel tiring at all. However, working on two greenhouses in succession, if it weren't for Xia Ying, he really wouldn't have managed it.
Time passed quickly, and it had been nearly a week since Xia Ying arrived.
"Yang Feng, now that these greenhouses are planted, what are you planning to do next?"
"I'm planning to clear out the fruits and vegetables from greenhouse number one. I haven't been to the market these past few days because of the planting."
Yang Feng took a look at the watermelons in greenhouse number one, and most of them were already ripe. Although he had sold a portion of them earlier, it was still less than one-third.
"Yeah, I was just about to mention that. We have a bit of a backlog of watermelons, and if we let them grow any longer, they'll become hollow."
When it came to growing watermelons, Xia Ying had a lot of experience and was more skilled than Yang Feng.
"Let's do it tomorrow. After I deliver the restaurant's supplies in the morning, I'll set up my stall at the usual spot. You can join me then."
"Alright, I'll come over early tomorrow to help you with the deliveries. That way, we can get it done faster."
"Sounds good. For now, you should head back early and get some rest."
Today's work had ended relatively early, with it only being three in the afternoon. However, they had been working until seven or eight in the evenings for the past few days, and Yang Feng felt a bit guilty about it.
"Okay, I'll head back now."
"Take care on the road."
As usual, Yang Feng prepared the goods early in the morning for delivery to the restaurant, but today he had to make two trips since one vehicle couldn't carry all the items.
"It looks like I need to get a bigger vehicle if I want to make more money. This small three-wheeler won't cut it for both the stall and deliveries."
*Honk honk.*
Hearing the honking of a horn, Yang Feng stepped out of the greenhouse and saw that it was Xia Ying.
"Why are you here so early? Haven't had breakfast yet?"
"We're setting up the stall today, right? I can skip breakfast; I'm not hungry anyway."
Although Xia Ying was usually quiet, she was indeed efficient and had a keen mind. She contributed significantly to the greenhouse's profitability, and Yang Feng often rewarded her with bonuses.
"Alright, here's the plan. I'll go deliver the restaurant's supplies first, and while I'm gone, you can pick the watermelons and other items we need for the stall. I'll come back later and load them directly onto the vehicle."
"Sure, sounds good."
Yang Feng rode his bike towards the restaurant. At this point, there were already three restaurants that he supplied, and his small vehicle was just enough to complete the deliveries each day.
"Hey, Yang Feng, with your booming business, why don't you get a bigger vehicle?"
During this period of delivering supplies, Yang Feng had become quite friendly with the chefs in the kitchens. They were around the same age and had common ground.
"What money am I making? It's not even enough to cover the electricity bill."
"Come on, don't be modest. You're supplying at least three restaurants in this area now. At this rate, you might monopolize them all soon."
"You're just joking. If I were monopolizing them, would I still be riding this old bike? But thanks for the kind words. Maybe someday."
After delivering to the several restaurants, Yang Feng rushed back in a hurry, preparing to pick up items for the stall.
"Huh, why is there a car in front of the greenhouse, and it has out-of-town plates?"
As Yang Feng rode his bike to the greenhouse, he noticed a small truck parked at the entrance.
"I'm really not the owner; the owner will be back soon," he heard Xia Ying speaking as he approached the greenhouse.
"Yang Feng, you're finally back."
Seeing Yang Feng's return, Xia Ying walked towards him with a sense of relief. Two men with backpacks stood beside her.
"Who are you guys, and who gave you permission to enter here?"
Yang Feng was getting a bit annoyed. This was his cultivation site, and outsiders were not allowed in without permission.
"Sorry, sir, we were given permission by this young lady here."
The two men quickly explained when they sensed Yang Feng's displeasure.
"When did I give you permission to enter? I only asked you to wait outside."
As Xia Ying had just managed to calm down, hearing their explanation made her anxious again.
Seeing Xia Ying's reaction, it was clear that these two individuals had thick skin and were probably in some kind of business.
"Get to the point. What exactly are you here for?"
At this point, there was no point in beating around the bush.
"We are fruit wholesalers. We heard from people in the neighboring village that there are greenhouses here, so we came to try our luck."
One of them handed over a business card that read "Everyday Fresh."
So, they were fruit traders. No wonder they eagerly entered the greenhouse upon seeing it; it was a typical professional instinct.
"What's the deal? Did you find something interesting here?"
"Yang Feng, you just got back, so you wouldn't know, but as soon as they entered, they kept eyeing our watermelons. I couldn't shoo them away no matter how hard I tried," Xia Ying spoke up before the two fruit traders could say anything.
"I'm really sorry; it's just that your watermelons are exceptionally beautiful," one of them said and took out a pack of cigarettes from his bag, offering one to Yang Feng.
"I don't smoke."
As the saying goes, don't bite the hand that feeds you. If they were making this gesture, he shouldn't act too aloof.
"Boss, before you arrived, I heard this young lady say that your current watermelons are only being sold through stalls, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Have you considered that as the weather gets colder, your sales will decrease while your production increases? Eventually, shifting to wholesale is inevitable."
Listening to the fruit trader, Yang Feng couldn't deny the truth of what he was saying. Just like cucumbers, without restaurants, it was impossible to achieve high sales through self-retail alone.
"Yes, I have considered it, but for now, there's no problem."
"If you establish your supply chain earlier, won't you have any worries when it comes to large-scale expansion in the future?"
Yang Feng looked at these two individuals and could tell they were seasoned experts. Every word they said touched on his vulnerabilities, and the path they suggested was indeed something he would need to consider for future growth.
"Are you here today to wholesale my watermelons?"
"We didn't know you had watermelons here until we arrived. We only realized when we saw your watermelons that they are top-notch quality, which is why we decided to stick around."
"But you might not be aware that I don't supply locally."
"Well, we understand that. We don't primarily sell to this region; our main markets are in the northern, southern, and eastern big cities, where the consumption trends are quite different from here."
"As wholesalers with years of experience, what price can you offer for my produce?"
Yang Feng didn't want to waste any time since they weren't local sellers. He got straight to the point.
"Oh, we discussed it just now, and we can offer you 6.5 yuan per kilogram."
"That price is a bit low. I sell these watermelons at retail for 8 yuan per kilogram because they are premium in terms of both taste and appearance."
Within this county, there was undoubtedly no produce like his.