Gourd Farm Chapter 62
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 62: Intercepted
"Hmph! You can't blame me. If you hadn't offended Yang Feng, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Thinking about it now, Yang Meng was getting frustrated. He couldn't fathom why his father had encroached on those two acres of land that didn't belong to them.
"You..."
Uncle Yang was about to retort, but he realized that Yang Meng had a point.
*Ding ding ding*
At five in the morning, Yang Feng was already busy picking tomatoes in the greenhouse. He had filled two baskets when he heard a car horn outside.
Exiting the greenhouse, he saw Mr. Qi energetically stepping out of his car with a leather bag.
"Mr. Qi, you're here."
Mr. Qi lit a cigarette and exhaled a cloud of smoke, appearing content. "Yang, you're going to make a fortune this time."
"Come on, you're the one who's making all the money."
"I arranged for an empty truck today. We can load it up to the brim. Several people called me, but I didn't go to their farms."
Mr. Qi opened the car door, ready to start unloading.
"Wait a moment, Mr. Qi. Today, I can give you a maximum of three thousand kilograms."
Street vendors rarely speak the truth. Luckily, several other farms didn't respond to the calls. In the current market situation, tomatoes were as rare as talking in one's sleep.
When Mr. Qi heard that he could only get three thousand kilograms, he tossed his cigarette butt and appeared somewhat displeased. "What? Three thousand kilograms? What's the use of that?"
"There's no choice. Prices are changing every day, and we all want to make a little extra."
Seeing Mr. Qi's reaction, Yang Feng didn't pay much attention. Street vendors were often like this—making noise and complaining when things didn't go their way, but they wouldn't even show up when you needed them during the bad times.
Mr. Qi, realizing that being tough wasn't working, decided to put on a more amiable face.
"Yang, you know, we have a long-standing relationship. Could you add five hundred kilograms for me? It's just a favor between old friends."
"We'll see about that. There won't be five hundred kilograms for sure. I'll give you a face and add two hundred kilograms."
"Alright, alright."
The last time he filled a truckload for the market, people initially complained that the prices were too high, and hardly anyone purchased. But for some reason, the next day, everyone came specifically asking for this expensive variety. The truck had also been impounded by traffic police for overloading these days. It was only released last night, and Mr. Qi rushed over early in the morning.
"Yang, you're making so much money; why don't you hire a couple more people? Look at how exhausted you've made this young girl," Mr. Qi said.
When Xia Ying arrived, she was a bit chilly, but now she was drenched in sweat. Her bangs were sticky with perspiration.
The greenhouse temperature was naturally higher, and with the constant movement and weighing of the produce, the work was indeed exhausting.
"We'll talk about it later."
The current scale only required two people. Hiring more would cut into their profits significantly. Yang Feng planned to consider expanding next spring and perhaps hire an additional person then.
*Thud thud thud*
"Is there anyone in the truck?"
Several people inside the greenhouse were weighing tomatoes when they heard someone shouting from outside.
"Who's that? Can't you be more careful? Don't shatter my truck's windows again."
Mr. Qi came out to see an elderly man attempting to reach the window with the handle of a hoe. It seemed he couldn't reach it directly, so he had devised this makeshift method.
"Old man, what's the matter?"
"Oh, you're the vegetable vendor, right?"
Uncle glanced at the man, who was carrying a bag and didn't sound like a local. He must be the boss, no doubt about it.
"Yeah, what do you want? I'm busy here," Mr. Qi said impatiently. He had just finished loading the goods and needed to rush to the market in the evening. If he delayed and ended up with unsold goods, all his efforts for the month would be in vain.
"Well, you see, I also have a greenhouse of tomatoes, similar to these. What price are you offering?" Uncle pointed to Yang Feng's tomatoes and gestured in the general direction of his own greenhouse, showing it to Mr. Qi.
"Oh, today's purchase price is 7.5 yuan. But you need to make sure the quality matches," Mr. Qi said. He was initially not interested in talking to this old man, but as soon as he heard about more tomatoes, he became enthusiastic. He had been worried about how to fill the remaining half of his truck, and now the solution seemed to have come to him.
"Don't worry, they're definitely similar to these, and some are even bigger," Uncle assured him, although he didn't admit it outright despite finding the tomatoes appealing.
Mr. Qi's eyes darted around, determined to clarify the situation this time. He didn't want to make the same mistake as he did with Yang Feng.
"How much supply do you have? Is there a limit?" he asked.
"I have enough for a whole truckload. No limits. I'm just worried you won't be able to take it all," Uncle replied confidently.
"Alright, wait here," Mr. Qi said.
He heard that the quality of these tomatoes was even better than the ones he had just bought, and the price was lowered by fifty cents per kilogram. He hurried back to Yang Feng's greenhouse.
"Yang Feng, there's another seller in your village today. The frames on my truck aren't enough. I'll take 2,000 kilograms for now," Mr. Qi said, his attitude more assertive now that he had another source of tomatoes.
"Sure, no need to push for 2,000 kilograms. Just take as much as you can," Yang Feng replied. He hadn't planned to sell too much at once, especially given Mr. Qi's changeable behavior. Yang Feng was feeling uneasy about the transaction; honesty and integrity were fundamental in business.
He knew Uncle Yang’s tomatoes best, but since Mr. Qi was trying to get a bargain, Yang Feng was happy to take advantage of the situation.
"That's fine. Your tomatoes are of excellent quality. Selling them won't be a problem," he said.
Mr. Qi was delighted when Yang Feng agreed. He had expected a struggle given the quantity he demanded, but Yang Feng proved to be cooperative and understanding.
It didn't take long to gather all the tomatoes. In just twenty minutes, they had loaded a total of 1,500 kilograms, amounting to 12,000 yuan.
"Old man, let's go," Mr. Qi settled the payment and called Uncle, and they started the truck.
Uncle looked smugly at Yang Feng, thinking that his produce could be sold while Yang Feng’s might not find a buyer, considering how Mr. Qi had declined Yang Feng’s tomatoes.
Uncle happily ran ahead, gesticulating and directing. In no time, Mr. Qi parked the truck near the greenhouse.
As they arrived at the greenhouse, Uncle couldn’t contain his excitement and shouted loudly.
"Yang Meng, come out quickly and get ready to load the goods."
"Hey, old man, you found the truck so quickly?"
Yang Meng came out and saw a high-sided truck parked in front of his greenhouse. He had just gone out to get Yang Feng's contact information for selling tomatoes today, and in a short time, the truck had arrived.
"No time for nonsense, let's get to work."
After parking the truck, Mr. Qi got out.
"Old man, are the tomatoes you mentioned here?"
"Yes, both of these greenhouses here have them. Will it be enough for you?"
Uncle pointed to the two greenhouses in front of him, pride evident in his voice.
"More than enough, let's go inside and take a look. Let's start preparing."
"Come, come, come in and see my tomatoes. They are big and round, much better than the ones on your truck."
Earlier at Yang Feng's place, there were things he didn't say due to saving face. Now, at his own place, he felt more at ease.
"Old man, is this what you were talking about, tomatoes better than the ones on my truck?"
As soon as Mr. Qi entered the greenhouse, he could see the tomatoes, but the bustling fruits were uneven in size. Some even had quite a few blemishes from insect bites.
