Gourd Farm Chapter 46
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 46: A Preliminary Understanding
At this time, there were quite a few market vendors, but most of them were drivers who had come from out of town or had just returned with their goods. Typically, each vehicle had two occupants.
The nighttime temperature was still relatively low, probably around eleven or twelve degrees Celsius. Almost everyone getting off the vehicles was wearing a military coat as an essential item.
Yang Feng glanced at his thin jacket, tightened it around himself with his hand, and couldn't help but shrink his neck. He had just come out of his room and wasn't quite accustomed to the cold.
After taking a stroll around, he realized that the wholesale activities hadn't started yet as he had arrived too early. Each vehicle was loaded with goods, and it seemed like some of them had been here for a few days already, with only half of their cargo unloaded.
The entire market was well-lit, and although there were many vehicles, the variety of vegetables being sold was mostly the same. It mainly consisted of items like Chinese cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, and tomatoes.
After about half an hour had passed, the market had gradually seen an influx of more three-wheeled vehicles, most of them having spacious cargo compartments.
The owners who had been sitting in their vehicles all this time started getting out one by one, folding up the canvas covers to facilitate the upcoming wholesale transactions.
These individuals typically had reversed day and night schedules, conducting wholesale business throughout the night and catching up on sleep around four or five in the morning the next day.
Yang Feng walked up to a truck with a four-meter-tall cargo compartment, filled with neatly stacked bags of Chinese cabbage.
At that moment, a Wuling Hongguang minivan pulled up, parking right next to the truck.
"Hey, boss, what's the price for these vegetables today?" asked someone from inside the minivan, rolling down the window.
The middle-aged man who was organizing the vegetables inside the cargo compartment of the tall truck turned around to see who had asked.
His cigarette was almost burnt out, so he took a sharp drag and flicked the butt to the ground.
"Today's base price is 3.2 yuan," he replied.
The driver in the minivan furrowed his brows. "Weren't they selling for 3 yuan last night? It's daylight robbery."
"I can't help it, that's how the market is. Do you think I wanted to haul these here for free? If they're willing to pay, I'll take it," the middle-aged man on the high truck responded while continuing to arrange the cabbage.
"It's tough to make a living like this. We work tirelessly all day and still can't make much money."
"Brother, keep going," the minivan driver said, tossing a cigarette to the middle-aged man on the truck and lighting one himself.
"You said it. These past couple of days have been rough. Costs keep rising on the supply side, but the market prices can't catch up."
The middle-aged man on the high truck took the offered cigarette, stuck it behind his ear, and paused in his work. The two men exchanged pleasantries.
"Let's just take it easy today, haul a bit less, maybe two hundred kilograms, and run a promotion. That should do," he suggested.
These past couple of days, a fresh produce store had just opened, and they had initially planned to stock up on Shanghai greens for a special promotion. Now, it seemed they would have to limit the quantity, which left the owner of the minivan feeling frustrated.
"These days, it's nearly impossible to get your hands on this vegetable. Look at all the produce in the market; none of it stays in stock for long. Even if you store it for a few days, it'll go bad. I haven't even earned back the fuel cost from loading the goods onto the truck."
The owner of the tall truck had been queuing up to load goods since yesterday and had only managed to transport this one load in two days.
During this season, Shanghai greens hadn't yet flooded the market. In a couple of months, vegetables like these would cost merely one or two yuan per kilogram.
At this moment, a few more three-wheeled vehicles arrived, all of them inquiring about buying cabbage from the owner.
They all rushed like they were in a brawl, climbing directly onto the truck, grabbing bags of cabbage, and tossing them onto their vehicles without bothering to weigh them.
The entire market had officially entered the wholesale phase, and each truck was surrounded by a crowd of people.
"Boss, didn't I say I wanted five boxes of tomatoes?"
"What do you mean you want five boxes? You haven't paid a deposit; I won't sell it to you. I'll keep it for someone else," the owner retorted.
The vehicle that was selling tomatoes had a group of people arguing loudly. The owner's wife, holding a computer, was typing away at it with remarkable speed.
"That's a total of 450 yuan. Will you be paying with WeChat or cash?" The owner's wife swiftly calculated the bill, then scribbled a receipt and handed it to the tomato buyer.
"Hey, boss over there, how much did you say you wanted earlier?" Yang Feng observed that, apart from some particularly expensive items like shepherd's purse and water bamboo, most of the other vegetables were being distributed relatively quickly.
Approaching a tomato wholesale stall where it seemed like they had just finished a busy session, he noticed packaging boxes strewn all over the ground, along with a few squashed tomatoes. He walked up to the owner who was organizing the goods.
"Boss, how do you sell your tomatoes in bulk?"
The owner, who was busy with the goods, turned to look at Yang Feng.
"It depends on the variety you want, but right now, I only have the Jinpeng M6 variety on my truck."
"Oh, what's the price for that variety?"
"It's 4.5 yuan per kilogram when bought in bulk, with each box weighing twenty kilograms."
"I see. I have some greenhouse-grown tomatoes of this variety. What's the best offer you can give for a local purchase?"
"It depends on the quality. If they are in good condition, we can offer 4 yuan per kilogram. For slightly lower quality, we can negotiate a bit lower, maybe a few cents less per kilogram."
"What's the price for the quality of tomatoes you have on your truck right now?"
Yang Feng picked up one of the tomatoes from the truck and asked.
"These are 3.9 yuan per kilogram. Look at that row over there; they're selling at 4 yuan."
The owner pointed to a row closer to the center, which had around twenty boxes.
"Can I open one to check? It would help me make a decision when it comes to the volume."
"Sure, there's a knife right here. You can have a look yourself, just make sure to seal it properly if you're satisfied."
Upon opening the box on the truck, Yang Feng found that the tomatoes here were quite similar to the ones he had seen earlier, just slightly larger in size. The selection was consistent, with tomatoes of similar sizes.
Although the tomatoes on this truck were reasonably fresh, their quality was only average. The owner was busy on the phone while inspecting the goods. Seeing this, Yang Feng didn't want to disturb him further. After obtaining a business card, he decided not to bother the owner any longer, as his main task was to gather price information.
With a good understanding of tomato and Shanghai green prices, he had completed about half of his mission. Now, he needed to explore other vegetables, gather more contact information, just in case it might be needed later.
He continued to roam the market, checking prices for common vegetables. After more than an hour, he had collected over a dozen business cards. People selling greenhouse produce were eager to hand him their cards.
"Ah-ha!" Yang Feng chuckled to himself as he made his way through the market.
Unbeknownst to Yang Feng, it was now 2:00 AM, and the market had quieted down considerably. Many of the wholesale buyers had already left. The once-empty three-wheeled vehicles were now loaded to the brim with vegetables.
The previously clean market floor was now scattered with vegetable leaves, cardboard trash, and plastic bags that the wind had blown around. It seemed like the cleaning staff would have their hands full in the morning.
After collecting the business cards, Yang Feng decided it was time to head back to his small hotel and get some rest. He could catch a few hours of sleep before daylight.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The small hotel's front door was closed, and Yang Feng gently knocked.
"Coming."
He found his previous room in the hotel, feeling exhausted from the day's activities. He could barely keep his eyes open, and as soon as he lay down on the bed, he drifted off to sleep.