Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Going to Sell Vegetables (1/3) Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Going to Sell Vegetables (1/3) The couple didn’t think much of it, assuming that Fan Tianyu must have gotten into trouble again.
After all, they felt they knew just what kind of character their own son was—a sure sign that something was up with him now.
But a problem is one thing, and the results of actively asking versus Fan Tianyu’s honest confession could be quite different, so the couple actually managed to remain calm.
The couple pretended not to see Fan Tianyu’s half-opened mouth as they focused on wrapping the dumplings in their hands.
The Mei siblings naturally adopted an attitude of not meddling in other families’ affairs and continued to wrap dumplings earnestly on the side.
Fan Tianyu looked at the four disinterested people at the table and felt momentarily speechless, “Alright, I’ve got something to say.”
“If you have something to say, say it, but don’t block the TV,” Fan Hongwei put down the dumpling in his hand and addressed Fan Tianyu, who was in front of the television.
“I have something very important to say, wait till I’m done, then continue watching,” Fan Tianyu said, and the gaze of the four people immediately centered on him.
Fan Tianyu felt slightly uncomfortable under their stares, but quickly came to terms with it, “The thing is, I’ve been considering my future prospects, and I’ve made up my mind.”
Mei Yinan raised an eyebrow, curious, “Oh, let’s hear it.”
“Our vegetables are delicious, right? I’m talking about the veggies Zhenzhen brings back.” The couple, unaware of the full story, were puzzled by Fan Tianyu’s question, “If you want to talk, then talk. What does asking about the vegetables being delicious have to do with anything?”
“No, there’s a reason I’m asking this. Just tell me if the vegetables are good or not,” he insisted.
The couple had a bad feeling, but still answered truthfully, “Delicious.”
“Good to hear. Here’s the thing, these veggies can only be sourced by Zhenzhen, nowhere else sells them. I thought about it, rather than working for someone else, why not do something on my own? So I figured I might as well take some veggies to sell at our local vegetable market.”
Mei Yinan slapped the table on the spot, making a loud noise, and then began to yell at the top of her lungs, “Fan Tianyu, I put you through college not so you could go sell vegetables at the market. If you had said earlier you wanted to sell veggies, what was the point of university? You could have sold vegetables without even finishing elementary school.”
Fan Hongwei frowned, obviously not very supportive of his son’s idea. However, since Fan Tianyu brought it up, was there perhaps another angle to consider?
“Why are you thinking about selling vegetables, and how can you ensure they’ll sell well?” he inquired.
“We’ve already tried it; business was very good,” Fan Tianyu said. At this point, Mei Mengzhen also started feeling nervous as it was almost her turn to speak.
Fan Hongwei continued to question, “You’ve tried it, when? Have you sold vegetables before?”
“I tried it out this morning. Selling vegetables is nothing like what you imagine. We only spent half an hour this morning, just half an hour, and we made 2,450 yuan. Of course, the purchase cost of the veggies was also pretty high, at 1,600 yuan, and that was on credit. But actually, after doing the math, we earned 850 yuan in one morning. What kind of business makes this much money? I’ve planned it out, I only intend to do this for a year. Work a bit harder, save some money, and I might not continue next year.”
Fan Tianyu’s remarks hit the nail on the head; nothing could calm people down like money. Mei Yinan, who was still yelling moments ago, looked incredulous upon hearing the figures Fan Tianyu had quoted and questioned, “What did you say? How much did you make this morning?”
“Half an hour, total income 2,450 yuan, cost price 1,600 yuan, pure profit 850 yuan. Actually, it only took about 20 minutes to sell it all out—four big boxes of veggies and one small box of fruit—and that was just one trip. If I put in more effort and make a few more trips in a day, that’s over a thousand yuan earning daily. The profit is considerable.”
Obviously, the profit was considerable; it was 2007, after all. To make 850 yuan in half an hour selling vegetables—over the course of a day, that could lead to a handsome five- or six-figure sum, equivalent to what some make in a month.
The couple was in disbelief, “You must have been duped. If it were that easy to make money, everyone would be selling vegetables. And you only sold once; what if they don’t supply you with goods anymore?”
“More than once,” Fan Tianyu said with a smirk, his gaze turning to Mei Mengzhen.
Feeling uneasy, Mei Mengzhen coughed twice before saying, “Before school started, just before the supplementary lessons, I sold vegetables for five days. Each day I’d make one or two trips, sometimes even two or three. Liang Xiao was minding the stall and looking after Chenchen for me. After paying her wages, I made over two thousand in five days. Since I was relying purely on my physical strength for the transportation, I didn’t have the stamina for more. But if Brother Tianyu were to do it, he could definitely sell more than me.”
“You mean you were selling vegetables before school started?” Mei Yinan said incredulously, “You’re in your senior year; instead of studying, you were selling vegetables?”
“There was only 3,200 yuan left at home, what can you do with that little money? I had to think of a way to make some money. And that person will only sell vegetables to me; no one else can get the supply,” Mei Mengzhen explained feebly.
Fan Hongwei immediately caught on, “That kid we discussed last time, the one who was doing well selling vegetables in front of our house—is that you?”
“Ah, right. The apples I brought last time did sell for 10 yuan each, but I got them at 8 yuan apiece. Now, because I’ve been a regular customer, I can get vegetables that sell for 10 yuan at just 7 yuan, and those that go for 5 yuan, which I previously got for 3.5, now I can get for 3 yuan.”
An agitated Mei Yinan exclaimed, “You only had a little bit of money before, and you still dared to invest such an amount in stock.”
“No, it was on credit. I pay for it when I sell out, then go buy the next batch of goods. I didn’t have to pay upfront; instead, I actually made some money,” she replied.
Mei Yinan was incredibly agitated. She truly had not expected a high school senior to forego studying to strategize about making money.
But Fan Hongwei didn’t feel the same way. Mei Mengzhen was young but bold. Selling vegetables might not be a big business, but it required guts and a willingness to take risks. Why was Mei Yinan so agitated? It was because she felt selling vegetables wasn’t comparable to other jobs. But if it could make money and offered valuable experience, why not do it?
However, there was one thing Fan Hongwei was curious about, “Why do you only plan to do it for a year?”
Mei Mengzhen explained, “It’s because that person will only contact me and only trade with me, and I’ll be graduating high school in a year. My classmate’s family works in the demolition office. He said that our area is going to be demolished right after the college entrance exams, so he also only plans to do it for a year.”
Demolition?
With that, Mei Mengzhen had steered the conversation in a new direction. Hearing the word ‘demolition’, Mei Yinan’s anger subsided substantially, “There’s been talk of demolition here for many years, but the specific timing is never confirmed. Who knows if this news is accurate.”
“It’s true this time. My classmate’s uncle is in the demolition office. The plan has already been approved, and our area is scheduled for demolition after this year’s college entrance exams. The official documents have yet to arrive, but it’s almost certain,” Mei Mengzhen said.