Gourd Farm Chapter 85
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 85: Customers Arrive Due to Reputation
Watching the old man's temper flare up, Yang Meng shrank back. He had known this would be the outcome, so he had been silent all along.
Hearing the old man's words, he muttered to himself, "You didn't take it seriously either!"
Old man Yang scowled, his beard bristling, and pointed at Yang Meng. "Go now! Fetch that lad Yang Feng for me. I want to see how capable he really is."
"Well, why are you still like this? If I call him, he'll come. Why don't you go yourself?" Yang Meng jumped up, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"You... I..."
Being retorted by his son, Uncle's face alternated between red and purple, and his teeth grated with a "grr" sound.
"Old man, I have to tell you, you need to change that temper of yours. No one said he wouldn't help."
Uncle picked up the chopsticks from the table and pointed them at Yang Meng. "You little rascal, it seems like you've grown wings. Why do I need you to teach me what to do?"
Seeing the old man trembling all over, gasping for breath, as if he could collapse at any moment, Yang Meng got scared and quickly fell silent.
"What else did he say?"
After a few minutes of silence, he asked.
Yang Meng recounted the whole incident to the old man without omitting anything. The old man clenched his fists after listening.
Uncle hadn't expected Yang Feng to be so cunning. If he didn't go, the entire greenhouse would be in jeopardy, but if he went, he would lose face.
"Old man, you know the situation with the greenhouse at home better than I do. Whether you go or not, it's up to you to decide. I have to go and handle other matters."
Knowing it wasn't wise to stay any longer, Yang Meng left with a parting remark.
"Brother Feng, where did you learn to make this braised pork? It's even tastier than my sister's." Xia Tian praised as he stuffed a piece of braised pork into his mouth, his face filled with enjoyment.
Speaking of the braised pork, Yang Feng had indeed learned it from someone. When he used to work in the Magic City, he had a good relationship with a chef and learned it from him.
"You can't shut your mouth even when eating. Your words are too much," Xia Ying scolded her brother, unable to hold back.
Having eaten his fill, Xia Tian put down his chopsticks. " Brother Feng, do you think that old man will really come?"
Yang Feng hadn't thought about this question. Based on his understanding of Uncle, he probably wouldn't come. The old man valued his reputation more than anything else.
After two days, the vegetable field was now lush green, and the small vegetable sprouts had grown considerably.
"Beep beep beep."
Boss Qi hurriedly got out of his car. "Boss Yang, what kind of vegetables are these?"
"What? Aren't you only interested in tomatoes? Now, you're into vegetables too?" Yang Feng teased.
Lighting a cigarette for Yang Feng, Boss Qi said, "Well, it's not fixed. I mainly deal with tomatoes, but I earn money with whatever is in season when the tomato season is over."
"These are chrysanthemum hearts. I reckon they'll be on the market in less than a month."
Since Boss Qi started dealing with Yang Feng's tomatoes, his business had improved significantly. Now, seeing such a large patch of green vegetables, he couldn't help but feel tempted.
"Boss Yang, when these vegetables are ready to be sold, I'll be the first to make a deal with you."
Yang Feng looked at Boss Qi. This guy was always an early bird when it came to making a profit. It seemed like the market conditions were good; otherwise, he wouldn't be so proactive.
"Sure, when the time comes, I'll let you be the first to give it a try."
Today, Boss Qi came to pick up the goods. The quantity he needed was not large, and in no time, the goods were ready for delivery.
Now, let's go to greenhouse number three and check on the strawberries. Each strawberry plant looks robust, most of them are in full bloom, and a small portion has already started bearing fruit.
"Brother Feng, hurry up! Someone is looking for you."
While inspecting the strawberries, Yang Feng heard Xia Tian shouting from outside, sounding quite urgent.
"Who is it?" Opening the curtain and stepping outside, he looked up to see a middle-aged man in casual clothes with a dark complexion.
Yang Feng furrowed his brow; he didn't recall knowing this person.
"The person you're looking for is him, the boss around here." Xia Tian pointed at Yang Feng, introducing him to the middle-aged man.
"Xia Tian, who is this?" Yang Feng asked, noticing that Xia Tian seemed quite familiar with the man.
"Brother Feng, this is someone I met this morning when delivering vegetables. He was asking about the source while carrying a bag of tomatoes. I recognized them as our tomatoes, so I brought him over."
The middle-aged man approached, puffing out a ring of smoke. "Hello, I came from the market in Shanghai. I've used this kind of tomatoes from Boss Qi before, but the prices were not stable, and there were frequent shortages. So, I came here to see if I could find the origin."
Yang Feng finally understood after listening for a while. It turned out the man came here out of curiosity.
"Well, I do cultivate this variety. How did you find your way here?"
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Once, I was having drinks with Boss Qi, and he mentioned it casually. Coincidentally, they were short of supplies for several days, so the boss asked me to try my luck."
That made sense. Yang Feng only supplied his vegetables to restaurants and not for local retail. Since Boss Qi also operated in other areas, he wouldn't know the specific location.
"So, what's your business?"
The middle-aged man handed over a business card. Looking at it, Yang Feng saw "Shop Non-Stop Lifestyle Supermarket" written on it.
"You run a supermarket. If I supply to you, will the transportation back here be convenient?"
The middle-aged man smiled calmly, "No problem at all. We have distribution centers in each county, and the nearest logistics point will send a truck to pick up the goods."
Yang Feng thought it was just a small supermarket, but it turned out they had their own distribution center. It seemed like a chain store.
"From now on, you can call me Liu Yang. I will be the one handling our future cooperation."
"Manager Liu, you see, currently, I only have this one greenhouse. The large empty space below has just been leased, and it's still under development. So, the supply volume..." Yang Feng pointed to the vacant area below.
"Boss Yang, that's not a problem. Your vegetables are mostly high-end products, so the turnover isn't as fast as regular-priced vegetables."
Yang Feng agreed with this statement. Indeed, the prices of his vegetables were roughly double that of ordinary vegetables, requiring consumers to have a certain economic foundation.
"Brother Feng, you can't keep people standing outside the door," Xia Tian interjected. Yang Feng awkwardly smiled, realizing he had forgotten about it.
"Come, Manager Liu, come inside and have a look. Once you confirm the quality, we can discuss prices and details."
Manager Liu toured the greenhouse, nodding repeatedly from the moment he entered. He couldn't help but touch and examine things here and there.
After showing Manager Liu around the three greenhouses, he even had a taste of the cucumbers and tomatoes.
Yang Feng brought over two chairs. "Manager Liu, have a seat. How does everything feel after this tour?"
Manager Liu, holding half a cucumber in his hand, took a bite before speaking, "Boss Yang, not only are your tomatoes excellent, but these cucumbers are also not available in the market. The quality and taste are impeccable."