The shop entrance was indeed surrounded by quite a few people, but they were merely lingering to observe. Li Haochen had priced his goods slightly higher than the neighboring establishments.
“Boss, sea snails are a bit pricey. The shops up front are only selling them for 15, and you’re asking 18? We’re leaving, going to buy up front…”
“Yeah, look at these mussels. They’re asking 7 yuan, while the ones next door are only 3.5. Do they really think we’re suckers? Shameless merchants! Everyone, let’s leave quickly.”
With the two individuals stirring up trouble, those who were preparing to select sea snails retreated. With someone taking the lead to leave, others followed suit, migrating to other shops.
The two men, having achieved their objective, grinned smugly. Just as they were about to report back by phone, a customer’s voice was heard nearby, “Boss, can these mussels be a bit cheaper? I want to cooperate long-term.”
Seeing that someone was still inquiring about the price, the two men felt it wouldn’t do. The bonus they expected couldn't slip away.
“Hey, are you stupid? You don’t buy the 3.5 yuan ones next door and come here asking for the 7 yuan ones?”
“You’re the one who’s stupid! With that pointed head and narrow forehead, looking like a traitorous national traitor. Those thumb-nail sized things next door, you have to use a magnifying glass to find the meat! Buying that is truly idiotic. Get out of the way, don’t block me…”
“Hey, what are you saying? I was trying to be helpful, and you’re ungrateful. Such a scamming shop…”
“I’m scamming your mother! You two lackeys dare to cause trouble again? Believe it or not, I’ll run you through!”
Gu Xiaonian and A Long, unable to stand it any longer, charged forward, holding small knives. The cold glint of the blades, coupled with their surging anger, made the two troublemakers tremble. They quickly turned and fled.
“You guys were too impulsive. Don’t do that again. We’re in business, just trying to make a living. Hurting someone and getting yourself arrested is not worth it. If there’s a problem, of course, you go to the police, understand?”
“Brother Li, then what are you holding that big wrench for?”
“Ahem, I was preparing to fix a water pipe.”
“Hahaha…”
“My friend, I apologize. I didn’t scare you, did I?” Li Haochen said to the man still standing nearby.
“It’s fine. If it were me, I would have drawn a knife too.”
Li Haochen invited the man inside, brewed a pot of tea, and they began to chat.
Upon learning that the man was also from Xinning City, they were fellow townsfolk, and Li Haochen felt an immense sense of familiarity, almost to the point of tears.
“Brother Sheng, so we’re fellow townsfolk! No wonder I felt so close to you. Hehe!”
“Yes, to meet someone from home in a foreign land, it’s destiny.”
“What did you mean by long-term cooperation just now?”
“I opened a barbecue restaurant. Your mussels here look quite suitable. I was wondering about the price…”
“How many do you need daily?”
Huang Fusheng thought for a moment and said, “A hundred jin a day, but the size needs to be similar to these. Too small, and no one will order them.”
“Five yuan for you, and I guarantee the quality is good.”
“Deal.”
Both were quite happy to have reached a cooperation agreement, especially Huang Fusheng. Getting such high-quality goods for 5 yuan was incredibly satisfying. Barbecue is sold by the piece; a dozen could easily sell for 28, with costs around 10 yuan, resulting in a very substantial profit.
“Haochen, I don’t know if you have any oysters with shells and whelks. I need quite a lot of those too.”
“Brother Sheng, not yet. I’ll let you know if I get any.”
Oysters, he didn’t have in his space yet. But for whelks, there should be plenty. However, Li Haochen was too lazy to earn that little bit of money. The tide only recedes on the 15th of the lunar month each month, and for only an hour at that. Even if he worked himself to death, he might not collect much.
Mussels, however, were different. They came in large clusters, and a handful could weigh three to four jin, even over ten jin. With a little effort, he could get hundreds of jin.
Although Huang Fusheng’s shop only needed about 100 jin daily, the consumption and growth were not proportional. Moreover, the cost of going out to sea was also enormous, which put some pressure on Li Haochen.
“If this continues, I won’t be able to supply enough sooner or later.”
Li Haochen walked out and saw A Long weighing goods. “Miss, it’s 51.5 yuan in total, but you can pay 50.”
After seeing off the customer, A Long felt a bit embarrassed seeing Li Haochen standing nearby. “Brother Li, is it not good to charge a little less?”
“Heh, you did very well.”
Indeed, in business, the scale must be favorable, and offering small discounts to retain customers is essential. Often, what determines good business isn't just the goods themselves, but a significant part is the owner. If the owner is stingy and haggles over a yuan or fifty cents for every hundred or even hundreds of yuan a customer spends, the business definitely won't last long.
Li Haochen sat by the entrance and watched for a while. Not many customers came to buy. Most would stop, look at the prices, find them more expensive than the shops up front, and leave. But in the end, they would still return here to buy.
The reason was simple: compare the goods, and good products will always sell. Li Haochen had also checked the other shops selling sea snails and conches. Their size was no bigger than a thumb, with hardly any meat to eat.
Li Haochen’s were exceptional, each as big as a big toe, and only cost three yuan more. The difference was clear. If it weren't for the location being at the very back, the over a hundred jin of snails in the glass tanks would have likely been sold out long ago.
Customers trickled in. The over a hundred jin of sea snails were finally sold out around 4 PM. Li Haochen even asked Gu Xiaonian and the others to create a group for selling sea snails. Although not many people joined, one day it would be full, which would be of great help to future business.
“Everyone worked hard today. We’ll have a gathering tonight to celebrate.”
Having made a good start, Li Haochen was also very happy. After arranging the dinner location for the evening, he rode his bike home.
As soon as he got off his bike, he received a call from his old home. “Uncle, really? That’s great! Okay, I’ll find some time to go back. Have the bamboo poles you contacted the shipping company to send them here. I’ll send you the address in a moment.”
After hanging up the phone, Li Haochen burst into laughter. It wasn’t just because the bamboo poles were ready, but because the bamboo processing plant in his village had been successfully established.
This was the first step he intended to lead Li Family Village to prosperity. This was because the mountain behind the village had more arrow bamboo than anything else, and every household had planted quite a bit.
Arrow bamboo is also called Nanzhu, found in both the north and south. It’s used for making chopsticks, bamboo mats, and bamboo cutting boards. Bamboo shoots are also a delicacy, generally growing to the size of a bowl, reaching fifteen or sixteen meters, even twenty meters in height. And its growth rate is very fast. However, it needs to be five years or older to meet the requirements for harvesting and use.
This arrow bamboo was previously used for building houses as beams or for making lofts. Later, with the advent of cement and steel, it gradually phased out of use, leaving a large area of arrow bamboo forests.
It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Although Li Haochen has money now, even enough to give every villager a three-and-a-half-story villa, doing so would harm everyone, including himself.
With this factory, things would be different. It could mobilize everyone’s enthusiasm. After all, there are plenty of barren lands on the mountain behind the village, perfect for clearing and cultivating bamboo forests. In a few years, as the volume increases, the returns will also rise.
“Everything is ready, only the east wind is missing. I need to find a sales channel.”