Liang Juan listened to Zhang Tianxing's words and pondered for a long time. "That's right, you should go out and see. You still have to go to college. What future is there in this Yangcheng? This broken place has nothing. Study hard, find a good job outside in the future, and you won't have to come back."
The debt of parental love is endless. From childhood to adulthood, parents have always prepared everything for us, yet they never say anything themselves.
It's the kind of giving without expecting anything in return.
It seems I need to think carefully about what to sell at this international trade fair.
Otherwise, I could make some crayfish sauce or crayfish tails. It's a shame online shopping hasn't taken off yet. The internet is just starting now, and the speed is incredibly slow. m..oΓg
"Xiaoxing, there's a problem. We're quite far from Zhonghai, and you'll have to stay there for at least two days. How can we guarantee the quality of the crayfish?"
"That shouldn't be a problem. We can find some foam boxes and ice packs, that is, use plastic bags filled with ice. That will help keep the crayfish fresh."
"I have a feeling it's a waste of money to go there. The reputation of crayfish is already bad. Are you going to embarrass yourself at the international trade fair? I don't agree."
Hearing his mother's voice, Zhang Tianxing explained helplessly.
"Mom, think about it. No matter how much people talk, is there any concrete evidence? No. We have the endorsement of Zhonghai Daily and Huaxia People's Daily."
"What's the use of endorsement? We can't sell our crayfish quickly."
"Mom, we're selling thousands of catties of crayfish a day, which isn't bad. Don't you know there are already five places selling crayfish in our county?"
Hearing this, Liang Cheng's spirits immediately lifted. "Xiaoxing, do you mean the crayfish market has already opened up?"
Zhang Tianxing nodded. "Yes, second uncle, think about it, how many people are buying crayfish within a ten-mile radius now?"
"There are quite a few buyers now, about ten."
"That's good. Second uncle, how many catties of crayfish can we collect here per day?"
Liang Cheng nodded. "About less than ten thousand catties a day. After all, there are fewer and fewer crayfish now, unlike at the beginning when you could catch a handful."
Zhang Tianxing was surprised by the number of wild crayfish.
It seems this international trade fair is worth a try.
Zhang Tianxing went back and discussed it with the four of them. "You guys pack up and see if you can be away for two days. I plan to go to Zhonghai to attend the international trade fair."
Zhu Dayong and Gao Tianming exchanged glances. "The two of us have no problem, we can go anytime."
Then, the three of them looked at Li Fang and Wen Qing.
Li Fang smiled. "As long as I get paid, I'll go!"
Wen Qing thought for a moment. "Then I'll go too."
Gao Tianming immediately cheered. "To be able to travel with two campus beauties, it seems we're going to have a great harvest this time."
Zhang Tianxing and his group of five took some crayfish and headed to Zhonghai. The journey was tiring.
Moreover, this time it was to attend an exhibition, and they needed to look like business people. If they didn't change their attire, they would look like students at first glance.
Zhang Tianxing calculated in his mind. Fine, he'd dress up to look older. The other four would go in their original attire. It would be manageable to take care of four of them.
"Tianxing, you're dressing yourself up so nicely, we four also demand new clothes!"
"We'll give you new clothes if we sell out our crayfish at this exhibition."
"Hmph, you're just making empty promises again, just like that stingy Zhang."
"Time is tight and the task is heavy. Let's go to the exhibition first. I'll give you new clothes whether we sell or not."
Gao Tianming complained bitterly. "Tianxing, we must be the saddest participants at this exhibition. Everyone else drove here, but we took a bus."
Zhang Tianxing was also troubled. He didn't have much money on him now and hadn't prepared anything well.
It was this that forced everyone to take a bus to attend the international trade fair.
After finally arriving at the international trade fair venue, the five young men carried their foam boxes to the scene.
This stunned the staff at the entrance.
What were these five here for? Why did they get off a bus? Were they tourists? But they didn't look like it. Tourists come to shop and negotiate business. Who would bring foam boxes?
Exhibitors? Don't be ridiculous. A company would at least rent a vehicle to attend an exhibition. This was the first time they saw someone carrying boxes themselves.
"What are you five doing? Stay away from here. This is an international trade fair. If you have no business here, please do not enter."
Zhang Tianxing smiled upon hearing this and handed over the invitation letter. "We are here to participate in the international trade fair. We've just arrived. Could you please tell us where our exhibition area is?"
The staff member looked at them and then inquired about their information.
"So it's the crayfish that's been causing a stir recently. Can crayfish actually be eaten?"
"Yes, they can be eaten, and they are very delicious!" Li Fang blurted out.
The staff member frowned, wanting to say something but didn't. Another staff member then led Zhang Tianxing and the other four to a corner.
"The five of you, this is your exhibition area. Because your information was submitted late, we don't have a good spot." He gave Zhang Tianxing a standard smile showing only eight teeth and turned to leave.
Gao Tianming immediately became furious. "They are clearly looking down on us. I'm going to complain to them."
Zhang Tianxing appeased the enraged Gao Tianming. "We are here to sell crayfish, not to argue. I'll look around first."
Due to the poor location, only a few people visited their booth throughout the day.
"Good wine is hidden in deep alleys, unnoticed. It seems we've come here in vain," Zhu Dayong sighed.
Wen Qing said indignantly, "They're being too bullying. How about this: Tianxing, you stay here, and the four of us will each take a few crayfish and give them out as gifts to attract people here."
Zhang Tianxing nodded. "You guys go, I'll stay here alone and think about what to do next."
He had originally thought they could break through here, but he never expected to see so few people. The exhibition area they were given was too remote.
Should he show off his skills here and let the guests taste his spicy crayfish? Food ultimately needs to conquer customers with its appearance, aroma, and taste.
Zhang Tianxing had no confidence in whether spicy crayfish could conquer the palates of foreigners.
Foreign countries have different living habits and dietary habits from China, so some foods that are popular in China are ignored abroad.
After a while, Wen Qing and the other four returned dejectedly. Their first attempt had failed, and the gift-giving crayfish activity was unsuccessful. Upon seeing the crayfish, they just shook their heads. It seemed crayfish were not popular abroad either.
Zhang Tianxing, you liar! Last time you said that crayfish was the most popular dish in a certain country. All of that was a lie. When they encountered foreigners, they all waved their hands away.
"Zhang Tianxing, we've given away a lot of crayfish here, but unfortunately, these foreigners are not interested."
Zhang Tianxing's interest was piqued. This was unscientific. There were quite a few people abroad who liked eating crayfish. Why didn't they encounter anyone who liked them?
It seemed the old hand had to step in. Although they were all prospective university students, Zhang Tianxing had a little more experience than the others.
Zhang Tianxing directly looked around and walked. As he went, he saw Chinese products and couldn't help but shake his head. He knew there was a gap between China and foreign countries, but he didn't expect it to be so large.
It seemed this was a difficult problem to solve.
By the end of the day, only a few crayfish were sold sporadically, fewer than what they sold at the aquatic product store.