Gourd Farm Chapter 59
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 59: The Bull Market Has Arrived
"Dad, come and see the news."
Something seemed to be causing a lot of commotion, as if the sky were falling. Uncle Yang grabbed a few pieces of fried dough sticks and walked over.
"Go fetch some rice porridge from the kitchen."
Yang Meng was watching TV, and Uncle Yang shouted loudly.
"Why bring rice porridge? You should come and see the news right away."
This time, Yang Meng didn't act as he usually did. He interrupted the old man, abruptly getting up from his recliner and pulling Uncle Yang along to the TV.
"Be more gentle; you're nearly breaking my old bones with all that pulling."
Uncle Yang was dragged over to the TV by Yang Meng.
"Quick, take a look."
Yang Meng had a piece of fried dough stick in his hand, which he was munching on as he pointed at the TV screen.
"Due to recent natural disasters like typhoons, the vegetable supply is running short, leading to severe shortages in the market."
On the TV screen, a news broadcast from a certain channel was reporting this. They had even included an on-site reporter's interview, and you could see that the entire market was indeed running low on supplies, with small vendors scrambling to get their hands on the few available vegetables, causing prices to soar.
"Dad, see, our batch of tomatoes is hitting the market at just the right time."
Yang Meng had been playing a game, but upon hearing the news on TV, he excitedly quit the game without finishing.
"Yes, it seems like we're going to make a good profit this time."
Uncle Yang had a big smile on his face. He hadn't expected that their first venture into greenhouse farming would coincide with a bull market.
"Eat quickly, and after that, we'll go check the greenhouse."
"Alright."
Yang Meng had initially been skeptical of his father's greenhouse venture, but now, seeing the prices, he was full of enthusiasm.
"Have you all seen the news? The price of tomatoes is changing every day now."
Aunt Hua was all smiles, happily chatting with a group of elderly women.
"We've seen it. Just had an argument with our old man about it."
Another elderly lady, quite agitated, plopped down on a nearby rock.
"Your situation is still better. My son and I went to pay the deposit for a greenhouse, and then my old man raised a fuss about getting it back."
"..."
Several of them regretted not building greenhouses earlier, while others were relieved they acted promptly.
"Yang Feng, it seems like the restaurant's prices are going to change today."
For the past few days, they had been busy with the strawberries, especially with keeping an eye on the temperature and humidity.
Since they used gourd water for irrigation every day, the newly planted strawberries didn't have the typical transitional period. Normally, newly planted strawberries might appear wilted for a few days, gradually recovering later.
However, their strawberries, when planted, looked a bit droopy on the first night but became vigorous the next day after being watered with gourd water. After just a week, their strawberry seedlings already appeared lush and green from a distance, a lovely sight.
The standard growth cycle for strawberries in a regular greenhouse was approximately two months. It took about three weeks from sprouting to the first true leaves, a month from flowering to fruiting, and a minimum of two months from budding to maturity.
In contrast, their strawberries, which had been planted for only a week, had already developed several leaves.
The speed of growth was so remarkable that even Xia Ying found it challenging to keep up with statistics. If they were to document it, it would be difficult for anyone to believe.
"Yeah, after we deliver this batch of goods today, we'll increase the prices starting tomorrow."
Currently, regular tomatoes in the market were already selling for six yuan per kilogram. However, their wholesale price at the restaurant was at least nine yuan per kilogram.
"Xia Ying, why don't you come with me today? After delivering the goods, I plan to go check out some tractors."
"Are you planning to buy one?"
Yang Feng had been considering buying a tractor for quite some time. With the upcoming spring season and various needs for the restaurant, not to mention the convenience of running errands, he thought it was a good idea.
"Yeah, I've saved some money recently, and it would be convenient to have one for my personal use. Otherwise, when it's time to plow the fields next time, I'll have to beg someone for help."
After they delivered the produce to the restaurant, Old Wang, the recipient, noticed that their veggies were of higher quality than usual.
"Old Wang, your water spinach today is looking particularly fresh."
The chef responsible for inspecting the goods was holding a bundle of water spinach and said, "This is all we could get, and it wasn't easy to obtain. If you want, you can go to the market yourself."
Old Wang, puffing on his cigarette, spoke frankly. He had waited at the market until midnight, risking everything to secure fifty kilograms of produce. The market was just like that, submissive during a downturn and assertive during a bull market.
"You, with your smooth talk, it's useless anyway."
The chef couldn't do much about Old Wang, who seemed indifferent.
While moving the produce into the kitchen, Yang Feng yelled loudly because the area was crowded, and there were various goods being stored everywhere.
"Oh, if it isn't Mr. Yang Feng. You're here quite early, aren't you?" Old Wang greeted Yang Feng with a touch of sarcasm as he had typically been the one delivering these vegetables.
Yang Feng replied casually, "Yes."
Old Wang held a grudge because he believed Yang Feng had taken away his business due to the tomato incident. He muttered disapprovingly under his breath.
"Wow," Liu Hao, the chef, marveled as he examined the tomatoes in his hand. "How do you grow these? They look so appetizing."
Yang Feng was in a hurry today as he needed to inspect the tractor he intended to purchase. He didn't have much time to chat. He said, "Do your job and make sure to weigh everything properly."
"Alright, let's get the items weighed and labeled."
The bustling atmosphere in the back kitchen required everyone to stay focused on their tasks.
Liu Hao handed over the inspection list, which Yang Feng quickly signed with a swish of his pen.
"By the way, where's your head chef?" Yang Feng suddenly remembered that he needed to adjust the prices today. According to their agreement, small price increases could be accommodated, but for such a substantial surge, they needed to renegotiate.
"He's in the storeroom," Liu Hao replied, pointing towards the kitchen.
Yang Feng decided to speak with Li, the head chef, about the price adjustments. The storeroom was located nearby for easy access to ingredients.
"Li, are you busy?" Yang Feng asked as he entered the storeroom.
Li, the head chef, replied, "Yeah, it's the end of the month, and I'm in the middle of inventory."
"I'm here today to discuss adjusting the prices of tomatoes because they've been rapidly increasing over the past few days," Yang Feng informed him.
"Oh, old Wang just came by, and I've already adjusted his prices," Li seemed unfazed by Yang Feng's visit. In this business, it was common to stay updated on market developments.
"For our restaurant's supply prices, we'll temporarily adjust them to nine yuan per kilogram," Yang Feng stated without much preamble.
"What?" Li, who had been calm a moment ago, now stood up abruptly from his chair.
"What's wrong? Is the price a bit too much?" Yang Feng hadn't expected such a strong reaction.
"Bro, don't you think your price adjustment is a bit too harsh? You've essentially doubled it."
"I don't have control over the market conditions. My retail price is at least ten yuan," Yang Feng replied.
