The sky was just showing the color of fish belly when Liu Yifeng woke up.
Looking at his son, who was still fast asleep, he gently pulled the blanket over Tongtong's stomach before tiptoeing out of the room.
After a simple wash, Liu Yifeng was about to move the vegetables from the living room to the trunk of the van.
Just then, his father also came out of his room: "Dad, did I wake you up?"
"No, my sleep is lighter as I get older. I'll help you move them to the car," Liu Chunsheng said, about to pitch in.
"I can handle these vegetables myself," Liu Yifeng didn't want to trouble his father.
Liu Chunsheng, however, started moving them without further ado: "Your father came from a background of hard labor, so this little task is nothing. You, on the other hand, haven't done much farm work. You've worked hard lately."
Liu Yifeng smiled nonchalantly, "As long as I can make money, it's not hard work."
Soon, the two of them had moved all the vegetables into the car.
Before going to bed last night, Liu Yifeng had sprinkled some water on the vegetables to lock in their moisture. Therefore, even after a night had passed, the vegetables still looked as fresh as if they had just been picked.
"Dad, I'll take the vegetables over first. When Tongtong wakes up, I'll cook him some noodles. I'll be back after I'm done," Liu Yifeng said, sitting in the driver's seat and fastening his seatbelt.
Liu Chunsheng nodded: "Don't worry about things at home. When you get to the county town, buy some steamed buns if you're hungry. Drive carefully on the road."
"I know!" With that, Liu Yifeng started the car and drove towards the county town.
Longteng Hotel was particularly famous in their area. Those who dined there were all dignitaries and prominent families. Even ordinary white-collar workers would have to tighten their belts for the month if they ate there once. This showed how expensive it was. Therefore, the hotel catered to high-end clientele, not selling cheap items and not earning money from the poor. As such, the hotel became a symbol for the wealthy.
At 7:30, Liu Yifeng arrived at Longteng Hotel precisely on time. From a distance, he saw Du Ziheng standing at the hotel entrance. Similarly, Du Ziheng spotted him and walked over: "Brother Liu, you're quite punctual. You said 7:30 and you're here at 7:30."
Liu Yifeng got out of the car and, hearing Du Ziheng's teasing, smiled and said, "Brother Du, are you impatient waiting?"
"I just arrived myself. How could I be impatient? Brother Liu, quickly open the trunk. I want to see the vegetables."
Liu Yifeng cut to the chase and opened the car trunk. Inside were eight large baskets filled with various vegetables. Du Ziheng casually picked up a cucumber and found it hadn't wilted at all, looking exceptionally fresh. After all, this was the first delivery, so it had to be fresh, otherwise, it would lower his standing in the eyes of the Longteng Hotel manager.
"Do these vegetables look good?" Liu Yifeng asked.
Du Ziheng examined each one before nodding with satisfaction, "Yes, they're indeed very good. I'll go get the manager now to inspect them."
Shortly after, Du Ziheng returned from the hotel with a middle-aged man in a suit. The man wore gold-rimmed glasses and exuded an air of refinement and success. To outsiders, he appeared to be a successful individual. Although the hotel's general manager was an employee, his annual income was as high as a million. In an era where the average annual income was only 28,000, a million-dollar salary was an unreachable figure. If a million-dollar annual salary didn't qualify as a success, then there were no successful people in the world.
"Hello, I am Wan Hui, the General Manager of Longteng Hotel!" Wan Hui extended his hand proactively. Although Liu Yifeng looked very young and dressed ordinarily, Wan Hui did not look down on him. On the contrary, he saw a capable person in such a young man who could grow such remarkable vegetables. After tasting the vegetables Du Ziheng brought yesterday, he had been unable to forget their flavor. He had even asked the hotel's head chef to prepare the same dish using the hotel's vegetables and the same cooking steps. However, the taste was vastly different, despite being the same dish and cooked the same way. It hadn't bothered him before, but after tasting the vegetables Du Ziheng brought, the hotel's own were almost unpalatable. Thus, he became even more convinced that if he could introduce this batch of vegetables, the business lost to Yuhu Hotel could be reclaimed. Their hotel's business had always been good, but ever since Yuhu Hotel opened a few streets away, their business had started to decline. Their performance was far from what it used to be; what was once a monthly turnover of a million yuan had now dropped to at most seven to eight hundred thousand. The boss had spoken to him more than once, subtly increasing the pressure. He had tried everything – adding new dishes, offering discounts – but the results were not significant. It only increased the workload of the employees, while the turnover remained stagnant. He had been extremely worried lately, feeling like his hair might turn white if this continued. But when he tasted the vegetables Du Ziheng brought yesterday, he saw hope. This was why he was so willing to cooperate with Du Ziheng. Tomatoes, cucumbers, even the commonly seen water spinach – he had agreed to a sky-high price of twelve yuan per jin for all of them. It wasn't that he was crazy; it was that these vegetables were worth that price. As the general manager of Longteng Hotel, he possessed the foresight and confidence. Therefore, seeing Liu Yifeng was like seeing his savior. If Liu Yifeng hadn't been able to grow such high-quality vegetables, he didn't know when he would have found a way to increase the hotel's revenue. He believed that once these vegetables were served, they would attract more customers to their hotel, and consequently, beverage sales would also increase.
Liu Yifeng looked at the person who had extended his hand to him and felt a little overwhelmed: "Hello, Manager Wan!" Although he could make money now, people like Manager Wan were still beyond his reach.
"Boss Du mentioned that you grew these vegetables. I tasted them, and they are indeed very good. Mr. Liu, you are young and promising!" Wan Hui praised with a smile.
"It is my honor to be recognized by Manager Wan," Liu Yifeng replied humbly. Wan Hui, seeing that he was not arrogant or self-important, took a liking to Liu Yifeng. He had encountered many people; many second-generation rich individuals looked down on everyone because of their family's wealth. Some who had achieved modest success on their own were equally arrogant, looking down on others as if they were afraid people wouldn't know of their achievements. But someone as capable, yet low-key and humble as Liu Yifeng, was truly rare, a refreshing change. Furthermore, he had heard from Du Ziheng that Liu Yifeng had leased thirty mu of land to build greenhouses for growing vegetables. This young man's boldness was beyond ordinary people.
"Are these all vegetables you grew?" Wan Hui casually picked up a tomato. It was large, plump, and its color was a tempting deep red. He had heard from Du Ziheng that Liu Yifeng's vegetables had never been treated with pesticides, so he took a bite without even wiping it. He often ate raw tomatoes and watermelons, but the tomatoes he had eaten were either too sour or too hard; there were always some flaws in their texture. However, the tomato he was eating now was not sour at all, and it was soft, like eating a persimmon.
"Manager Wan, the tomato isn't washed yet!" Liu Yifeng reminded him.
Wan Hui was unconcerned, "A little dirt never hurt anyone. Besides, I heard from Boss Du that you grow purely natural organic vegetables, never using pesticides. Forget about cleanliness for a moment; just the taste alone makes me want to eat three." Wan Hui praised lavishly.
"Yes, my vegetables have not been sprayed with pesticides from planting to harvest, and their nutritional content is tens of times that of ordinary vegetables. All this can withstand scrutiny. If Manager Wan doesn't believe me, he can have them tested by a professional institution." Liu Yifeng's expression was serious, his eyes firm, emanating an unparalleled confidence from his core.
Wan Hui could see that Liu Yifeng's words were not just empty boasts but heartfelt truths. So, he smiled, "Mr. Liu, you are so confident, why should I doubt you! I have tasted these vegetables. From now on, as long as you can maintain this taste, I will continue to purchase from you. As for the price, I believe Boss Du has already discussed it with you, right? For now, let's set the price for all these vegetables at twelve yuan per jin, as it's easier to calculate. If you grow new varieties in the future that also taste as good, I will still purchase from you. We can renegotiate the price then. Does Mr. Liu have any other requirements? We can discuss anything."