Chapter 109: You Are Unworthy ⑦
As soon as Zhang Qitian heard Nie Qiu’s voice, he looked up. Seeing the vegetables Nie Qiu was carrying on her pole, he quickly smiled and walked over, ignoring the farmer. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you were bringing me vegetables? I didn’t see you come. Quick… quick, come in. Let’s weigh them and I’ll pay you.”
The two entered the market under the farmer’s complicated gaze. Nie Qiu understood that the farmer just wanted to earn a little more, and that they weren’t well-off either. However, Nie Qiu didn’t consider herself a saint who had to pity and sympathize with everyone who wasn’t well-off. Between the farmer and Zhang Qitian, she naturally chose to help the person who had helped her. Moreover, the farmer wasn’t pitiful; without Zhang Qitian, someone else would have bought his vegetables, regardless of the price he sold them for, whether it was retail or wholesale.
Zhang Qitian was different. If he bought the vegetables at two yuan per jin, then to make a profit, he would inevitably sell them for more than two yuan, perhaps two yuan and one jiao, or two yuan and two jiao. If other vegetable vendors sold the same vegetables for two yuan, and his stall sold them for two yuan and five jiao, then no matter how popular he was, his business wouldn’t last long. This was also why Nie Qiu helped Zhang Qitian.
That’s why Zhang Qitian absolutely couldn’t buy those long beans at two yuan per jin; he had to make money too, didn’t he?
“Although there aren’t many vegetables, it’s still a lifesaver. I’ve sold more than half of my vegetables this morning. Yesterday, I agreed with that person for fifty jin of long beans at one and a half yuan per jin, but today he’s saying two yuan per jin. I have two more stalls to tend to this afternoon!” Zhang Qitian complained to Nie Qiu as he weighed the vegetables, clearly showing his anger. The so-called two stalls referred to one before five o’clock and another when the office workers got off work. This was usually when more people bought vegetables. There were three such periods in a day, which people in the market called the three stalls.
Nie Qiu, while recording Zhang Qitian’s weighing, said, “No matter how much he sells them for, if he sells them at a higher price, you shouldn’t argue with him!”
“Do you think doing business is easy?” Zhang Qitian put the potatoes from the vegetable basket into a bag, then placed them on the hanging scale. He looked at Nie Qiu and said, “After this incident, I think in a few days, the price of long beans in our market will rise again.”
Nie Qiu nodded in understanding. One person’s thoughts might not represent everyone, but if the wholesale price outside increased, then the retail price here would naturally have to increase as well. Some vegetable vendors had their own procurement channels, such as rural agritainment centers, while others directly procured from people selling vegetables at stalls outside.
Zhang Qitian also brought over the vegetables from Nie Qiu’s vegetable stand, weighed them, rinsed them with a hose, and quickly arranged them on his stand. “It’s past four, almost five, and more people are coming. Sprinkle some water on the vegetables and put them out.”
Zhang Qitian’s vegetable stand actually still had some vegetables, but there were fewer than before. Nie Qiu looked up and saw that someone had come to inquire about prices. Nie Qiu helplessly put down her ledger, picked up the spray gun for watering, and sprayed water on the vegetables until they all looked more vibrant and tempting, then arranged them on the vegetable stand.
After Nie Qiu finished arranging all the vegetables, Zhang Qitian had some free time. He took out a large wad of money from his apron purse, pulled out five red bills, and gave them to Nie Qiu, smiling. “Here you go. The rest is a prepayment. Where will your relative deliver the goods tomorrow?”
“Speaking of which, my great-uncle will have someone deliver the goods to the warehouse in Building 8 of Jingde Residential Area early. You can pick them up yourselves,” Nie Qiu said, taking the money and smiling with relief. Zhang Qitian’s unintentional action had perfectly solved her urgent problem.
“Pick them up yourselves?” Zhang Qitian asked in surprise. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll cheat you?”
“Haha,” Nie Qiu laughed. “Then you, the boss, will have to let my mom keep good track of the accounts! Every day when you go to pick up the goods, weigh them to see how many jin of each vegetable you’ve taken and record it all.”
Zhang Qitian smiled and agreed. Ever since someone had transferred money to his account, he no longer doubted that he had a mysterious partner. Firstly, he didn’t believe Nie Qiu had that much money. Secondly, he had witnessed Nie Aifang’s respectful attitude towards him as a boss. He firmly believed that Nie Qiu’s family had such a relative; a couple who weren’t in good health but farmed dozens of mu of land, with the younger generation working hard outside, leaving the young girl living in the city to help sell vegetables in the city.
