"If you don't believe me, you can take them to a professional testing agency and see if my vegetables contain any pesticides," Liu Yifeng said, his gaze steady, knowing he was in the right.
"I'm only going to the trouble of testing the vegetables if I have nothing better to do," the girl retorted. She then turned and left without another word to Liu Yifeng.
He had been standing there for over an hour without making a single sale.
Liu Yifeng suspected it might be because his prices were a bit too high. After all, these people already grew their own vegetables at home. Who would be willing to spend several yuan per jin to buy something they already had?
So, he decided to lower his prices a little first. Once these people tasted his family's produce, they would surely come back for more. By then, he could raise the prices again, confident they would still buy.
He immediately shared his idea with his father. Liu Chunsheng agreed that it made sense. These people didn't yet know the value of their vegetables, so it was natural they wouldn't accept higher prices. Only after tasting them would they realize how good his family's produce was.
Liu Yifeng then inquired about the prices of vegetables from some elderly vendors nearby to get a better grasp of the market. As expected, once he adjusted his prices to be more in line with the norm, many people, attracted by the attractive appearance of his vegetables, bought some.
The hundred-plus jin of vegetables were finally sold out by noon. They earned four hundred yuan in total. To be honest, this amount was a mere fraction compared to the earnings from crayfish. However, vegetables could be grown and sold year-round, while crayfish were only available in the summer. Therefore, Liu Yifeng didn't dismiss the few hundred yuan, knowing that many small amounts add up.
"Dad, it's getting late to go home and cook. Shall we find a restaurant to eat something quick?" Liu Yifeng handed all the money from selling the vegetables to his father. Liu Chunsheng, aware that Yifeng had earned over a hundred thousand yuan from selling crayfish recently, didn't refuse the few hundred yuan and happily accepted it.
"Alright, we'll eat here then." He then looked at Tongtong and asked, "Tongtong, what do you want to eat? Grandpa will order for you."
Tongtong thought for a moment and said, "I want meat pie soup."
"So, my grandson is craving this. Alright, Grandpa will order a big bowl of meat pie soup for you."
The three of them then went to a nearby restaurant. In a small town like this, there were no high-class hotels, only small eateries, often cramped and not particularly clean. However, they were all exceptionally busy, especially on market days, with almost every seat taken. Fortunately, when Liu Yifeng and the others arrived, a table had just finished eating, so they didn't have to wait.
Liu Yifeng looked at the menu. He first ordered the meat pie soup for Tongtong, then ordered a chopped chili fish head and some hollow cabbage stems. He then handed the menu to his father. He ordered the hollow cabbage stems specifically to compare them with the ones his family grew, to see what the difference in taste was.
Liu Chunsheng could only read a few characters, so he couldn't order from the menu. He told Liu Yifeng to order whatever he thought best. So, Liu Yifeng ordered another hearty dish: beef brisket stewed with potatoes.
Seeing his son spending money so freely, Liu Chunsheng couldn't help but advise him, "Yifeng, I know you've been making a lot of money recently. But you still need to spend it wisely and save for getting married."
"Dad, money is earned, not saved. With your precious grandson here, are you afraid we won't make money in the future?" Liu Yifeng was unconcerned by his father's words. As for getting married, he didn't have such thoughts at the moment. He already had a son, so he didn't need to worry about continuing the family line. Making money was his top priority in life.
Moreover, he believed that when fate arrives, it cannot be stopped. Conversely, if fate hasn't arrived, there's no use in rushing. It's better to relax and make more money. As many people say, with money, you have everything. If he became a successful boss, would he worry about not finding a wife? If he had to save money to marry, then the woman he married would also have to suffer with him.
The dishes were served quickly. Having eaten the vegetables grown at home the previous night, Liu Yifeng's palate had become quite discerning. Although the cooking skills were good, the dishes still lacked the aroma of their own produce. Too many seasonings had been used, masking the original flavor of the vegetables.
"Dad, don't you also think these dishes aren't as good as ours?" Liu Yifeng noticed his father frowning.
Liu Chunsheng nodded. "I don't know why, but after eating our vegetables yesterday, these dishes suddenly don't taste as good, and the texture is much worse."
"Dad, we're going to get rich again," Liu Yifeng exclaimed excitedly. This left Liu Chunsheng bewildered. "Get rich from what?"
"Of course, it's our family's vegetables. They'll be in short supply." With this comparison, Liu Yifeng became even more convinced that his vegetables would be the preferred choice for consumers. Furthermore, his vegetables were all-natural and pollution-free, with no pesticides used. As for growth stimulants, Tongtong had already said they wouldn't have any negative impact on health, and might even boost immunity if consumed in larger quantities.
After dinner, Liu Yifeng went to his third uncle's house. He planned to fully hand over the crayfish business to his third uncle starting tomorrow. Liu Yifeng had already added the Rejuvenation Powder to the feed, so with ordinary feeding, the crayfish would grow large, without him needing to supervise constantly.
"I heard you rented Liu Yadong's fields too. How many crayfish can you raise in these two plots of land?" Liu Chasheng asked curiously.
"If we really stock them, we can raise about ten thousand jin of crayfish at the same time," Liu Yifeng replied.
"And how many crayfish do you have in your fields currently?"
"In total, less than five thousand jin, but they will grow. I'm not entirely sure how many jin they will reach," Liu Yifeng answered truthfully.
Upon hearing that there were so many crayfish, Liu Chasheng chuckled uncomfortably. "With so many crayfish, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it alone, and it will be very tiring. Could you increase my wages?" He thought to himself that his annual salary wasn't even as much as Liu Yifeng earned in a day. As an elder, it was understandable to ask for more.
Liu Yifeng considered it. While a thousand yuan a month was a decent amount, it was indeed quite arduous for his third uncle to wake up at five every morning to go to the fields to net and catch shrimp. He said, "Then it will be fifteen hundred yuan a month. And if you do a good job, there will still be a year-end bonus."
"My nephew is so generous. Alright, I'll start tomorrow. Tell me what needs to be done now." Liu Chasheng agreed immediately upon hearing about the fifteen hundred yuan a month. He never expected that at his age, he could still earn more than some young people. What more could he ask for!
The entire afternoon, Liu Yifeng spent teaching his third uncle how to feed the crayfish and various precautions. Liu Chasheng listened attentively, almost as if he were taking notes.
Towards the end, Liu Yifeng smiled and said, "Third Uncle, don't worry. Dad will also help out. If you don't understand anything, you can ask him directly. He has also gained some understanding of raising crayfish during this period."
"Okay, I understand," Liu Chasheng nodded.
"If there are no other questions, I'll be heading back. It's almost dark," Liu Yifeng said, looking outside.
"Stay for dinner before you go. I'll have your aunt make something delicious," Liu Chasheng invited. In the past, if he wasn't kicked out, it would have been good enough, let alone being invited to stay for a meal. Indeed, once a person has money and capabilities, those around them also turn into good people.
Liu Yifeng left, citing other matters. He was afraid of an awkward situation if he sat down to eat with his third uncle. He had never had a meal alone with his third uncle before, and they didn't have much in common.
"Old man, are you really planning to work for Liu Yifeng?"