Gourd Farm Chapter 7
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 7: Bestseller
Yang Feng woke up early as usual. Today he had more things to sell than yesterday, including a bag full of chili peppers that were all big and beautiful.
When he picked them yesterday, he admired each and every one of them like a work of art. He almost didn't want to pluck them off.
Today, there were also more greens, bigger than the last time he sold them, but the taste was as good as ever.
He rode his bike and finally brought the fresh produce to the old spot.
This place is probably not as crowded as the vegetable market, which is why there are hardly any vendors with stalls. At the moment, there are only two people in this area - myself and the girl who sells watermelons.
He arrived early enough, but he was surprised to see that the girl selling watermelon had already set up her booth. She was a hardworking girl, just a bit shy.
Yang Feng laid out the plastic sheet and neatly arranged the vegetables in rows. He poured some water over them to make them look even fresher.
Today's new product is chili. Last night, Yang Feng had planned to make a dish with shredded meat to taste it, but the price of meat has increased to almost 31 yuan per catty. After some consideration, he decided to use eggs instead.
Surprisingly, the chili peppers didn't lose any flavor or taste because of the substitution. They were sweet with a slight spiciness, and the thin skin and thick flesh made them crispy and felt like eating some kind of fruit.
After waiting for a while, he felt a bit sleepy. Perhaps it was because he woke up early in the morning. He rested on his bike and dozed off while leaning on the bicycle, feeling sluggish due to the season.
"Boss, boss?"
He was almost dozing off when the sudden voice startled him.
Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man with a rough appearance asking about the chili peppers.
"Are these chili peppers yours?"
"Yes, they're mine. Do you want to buy some, sir?"
"Wow, these chili peppers look really good. This is the first time this year I've seen such high-quality ones."
"That's right. I'm not bragging, but if you miss out on these, it's probably impossible to find this kind of quality elsewhere."
"When selling things, everyone says their own goods are good. How do I know if yours are really good?"
"Ten yuan per catty."
"Give me a bag. I'll pick out two catties."
The man felt and squeezed each pepper, all of which were about the same size and irresistible. Without realizing it, he had filled a whole bag.
When the bag was full, he stopped.
"That's four and a half catties in total. Forty-five yuan."
"Oh, forty-five? Can you make it cheaper? How about 40?"
"No, I'll give you a discount of forty-four."
"How about forty-two?"
"Okay."
Yang Feng wasn't good at bargaining, so he sold it for almost the price he had asked for. The man paid the money and even brought back a catty of vegetables.
He didn't expect these chili peppers to be so popular. It seems that as long as the goods are good, the price doesn't matter.
After packing the money, he sorted out the vegetables.
"Young man."
Just then, he saw a fat man running towards him from a distance, calling out as he ran.
"Young man, you finally came."
Upon seeing the person, Yang Feng realized it was the one who had bought vegetables from him a few days ago. The man looked so out of breath that he could barely speak, but he kept pointing at the vegetables.
Last time, the man didn't overcharge or underweigh anything, so why did he look like he was here to cause trouble? Yang Feng started to feel a little nervous, wondering if there was something wrong with the vegetables.
The man finally managed to speak, "Ah, I'm just fat and it's too hot. Moving around makes me pant, let alone running such a long way."
"Is there something wrong with the vegetables from last time?" Yang Feng asked, worried.
"Well, yes, there is a problem with the vegetables," the man replied.
Yang Feng was even more worried now, but the man quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, it's because your vegetables are too good."
Relieved, Yang Feng said, "Oh, uncle, can you please say everything at once next time? You scared me."
The man continued, "How much vegetables did you bring today?"
"Uh, roughly about twenty catties," estimated Yang Feng.
"Stop selling and leave them all for me. Weigh them and let me pay you now."
"Uncle, these are all freshly picked today. The price can't be too low for you."
"I don't care about the price, just tell me how much."
Is this the same boss who loved to bargain the other day? Why did he suddenly become so generous?
"Oh, that's a lot. Are you sure you want all of them?"
"What do you think? I came all the way here just to chat with you."
"Okay, I'll pack them for you now."
"To be honest, I bought your vegetables last time and made some buns. Little did I know that everyone who ate them loved the taste."
"However, your vegetables are expensive, so I thought I'd save some money and buy other vegetables to replace them. But yesterday, my customers kept complaining about the taste."
"That's why I came here today, hoping to get lucky and see you again."
The fat man said a lot in one breath, and Yang Feng understood it all.
He had always known that his vegetables were of good quality, but he didn't expect them to be so popular among customers. No wonder the fat boss didn't bargain today.
"Do you still have this vegetable tomorrow? If so, I want to reserve twenty catties in advance."
"Well, we should have them tomorrow. I'll check when I get back today and try to pick out more for you."
"Okay, please pick as many as you can."
After speaking, the fat man happily carried his snakeskin bag and walked towards the bun shop, even though the town was still a distance away and he didn't ride his bike.
Now, this green vegetable has gained recognition, but the price is a bit high.
He moved the green peppers over so they would be more visible.
"Mom, look at how big these peppers are! They're much bigger than the ones you grow,"
A mom with a child on an electric scooter is passing by. Hearing what the child said, the woman stopped the car in front of the booth.
"How much are you selling these peppers for?" she asked the vendor.
"Ten yuan per catty. I guarantee they're delicious," he replied.
"Well, they do look pretty good, but the price is a bit high," she replied.
"Just look at the quality of these peppers. Not to mention, the taste is better than those cheap ones," he argued.
"Alright then, please weigh one catty for me. I won't be able to finish more than that," she said.
"Sure, here you go."
One after another, three or four people came over, all attracted by the size and appearance of the chili peppers.
"Young man, where is the supplier where you bought these peppers from?" asked an old man with reading glasses and a sly look.
"I grew them myself," replied Yang Feng, who had been smiling until the old man's question made him uneasy.
The old man's expression changed immediately, "You don't have to worry about us stealing your business, young man," he said as he pushed his three-wheeled cart away.
Yang Feng noticed that the cart had several bags and a scale, indicating that the old man was also a vegetable vendor.
"Boss, don't just stand there, hurry and give me a bag,"
"Okay," Yang Feng replied.
"Can you give us one too?" asked several customers who had gathered around the stand.
Within moments, the small stand was surrounded by four or five people. The chili peppers, unlike other vegetables, were quickly sold out.
As the saying goes, "pick it clean, sell it all" In no time, all the chili peppers were sold, and the last of them were purchased by an older woman at a discount of five cents per kilogram.
After counting, Yang Feng had made a total of 305 yuan in sales that day.
(T/N: The phrase "捡光卖光" literally translates to "pick it clean, sell it all" and means to sell everything that is available for sale, leaving nothing behind.)
