Chapter 128: The Profits of the Acquisition Station and Store

Clenching his teeth, Liu Qicheng forced himself to calm down and walked into Lin Heng’s store. Looking at him, he said, “Let’s talk.”

Lin Heng glanced at him and sneered, “So Uncle Liu can speak properly after all.”

Liu Qicheng was so provoked he nearly lashed out, but he didn’t dare. He held back with difficulty and continued, “This situation isn’t good for either of us. You probably haven’t coordinated things with the town authorities yet—why act out of spite?”

“Who said it’s no good for me? There are plenty of benefits,” Lin Heng replied with a smile after glancing at him.

Seeing Liu Qicheng like this finally allowed him to vent his anger properly.

And not just Lin Heng—many people were gloating, secretly thrilled.

“Fine, fine. Let’s see how long you can keep this up.” Liu Qicheng laughed angrily, pointing at Lin Heng’s nose and shouting, “With that little bit of capital you have, you want to compete with me? We’ll see who lasts longer!”

Lin Heng gave him a scornful smile. If he didn’t know this guy had a gambling problem, he might’ve been worried. But now? He was sure Liu Qicheng didn’t have much money left.

And even if he did, Lin Heng wasn’t afraid. He had already come up with a plan.

Liu Qicheng stormed off, spitting twice on his way out.

Back at home, he wrote up a sign, wanting to create some hype too. But when he looked at Lin Heng’s pricing, he was speechless. “Damn that kid.”

Lin Heng had already raised the prices on valuable herbs and animal pelts to the maximum. Unless Liu Qicheng wanted to lose money with a huge discount, he had no way to compete.

What made it worse was that Lin Heng was out there at the entrance personally drawing in customers like a street vendor—shamelessly greeting every passerby with “uncle,” “auntie,” “grandpa,” “grandma.”

Unless he moved his Acquisition Station to that same spot, there was no way to match it.

But now that word was out, anyone renting property near that spot would likely jack up the rent. It wasn’t going to be easy.

Grinding his teeth, Liu Qicheng changed his prices and sent his wife to the street entrance with a sign: “All prices are one dime higher than Lin Heng’s. Valuable herbs like Lingzhi are a whole yuan higher.”

Lin Heng glanced at it and dismissed it. He’d been waiting for this move.

Customers have no loyalty. Soon, some people went over to sell their goods for the higher prices.

Lin Heng even secretly sent his own people to sell. Not only did he make a bit more, but he quickly recovered his investment.

The wild goods were all the same, and Liu Qicheng couldn’t tell which were genuine sellers and which were Lin Heng’s people.

“Damn it!” Before long, Liu Qicheng realized something was wrong—he’d been completely played by Lin Heng.

The moment he raised his prices, he received more than two jin of Lingzhi. How could that be possible? It had to be Lin Heng’s doing.

Unlike regular goods, wild herbs were a different matter, and Lin Heng had struck the first blow. In the end, Liu Qicheng had no choice but to match Lin Heng’s prices, but that just made Lin Heng’s better location an even bigger advantage.

No matter what Liu Qicheng tried, Lin Heng was making easy money. At last, Liu Qicheng saw the hidden ferocity beneath Lin Heng’s calm appearance.

“Little bro, that move of yours was ruthless.”

In the back courtyard of the Lin family’s Acquisition Station, Lin Yue was now completely impressed with his younger brother.

Father Lin was full of admiration too. “Yeah, I thought it’d be a simple price war, but I didn’t expect you to have this kind of trick up your sleeve.”

He felt like he couldn’t keep up anymore.

“Hahaha, it’s just like the saying—‘He who does many unjust things is bound to destroy himself.’” Lin Heng laughed happily.

He had already predicted that Liu Qicheng would raise his prices, so he quickly offloaded all the high-value items like Lingzhi. Those prices fluctuated too much. A month from now, when he sold to Jin Fuqiang’s side, the price could drop to fifty—he’d take a huge loss.

So this move not only offloaded risk but also earned him a few bucks off Liu Qicheng.

Father Lin thought for a moment and asked, “Then what if he moves to a better location?”

Lin Heng nodded. “Sure, but even then, he can’t beat me. At most, we’d be evenly matched.”

His spot was right at the main road entrance. Even if Liu Qicheng relocated, he couldn’t flank him.

Lin Heng had deliberately kept quiet about opening a Acquisition Station just for this outcome. If Liu Qicheng had known earlier, it wouldn’t have worked so well.

“Amazing,” said Father Lin before hurrying off to help again.

Over at Liu Qicheng’s station, things were dead quiet. People were only showing up to watch the spectacle.

Today, Lin Heng’s store had the whole show to itself.

Once word got out, his Acquisition Station would be running steadily.

Other shop owners in town had heard about the incident too. They marveled at Lin Heng’s ruthlessness and were all a bit intimidated.

They imagined themselves in Liu Qicheng’s shoes and realized they’d have no counter either—unless they had a lot of money to burn. But even then, it’d be a pyrrhic victory.

It wasn’t until the market wrapped up in the afternoon that Lin Heng began to tally his day’s earnings.

Most of the herbs were low-value ones like houttuynia, epimedium, and pseudostellaria—over 500 jin. Mid-range ones like honeysuckle, finger citron root, and astragalus came to about 100 jin. As for the high-end ones like Lingzhi, just under 3 jin total—and he’d already sold them all to Liu Qicheng.

Overall, if he sold everything, he’d make around 30 yuan in profit. If it were at Liu Qicheng’s old price, it would’ve been around 50 yuan.

Market days in Huangtan Town were the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, and 19th of each month…

So just nine days a month to make money. On non-market days, barely anyone showed up, and profits were slim. All told, he could make around 300–350 yuan a month during peak seasons.

But not every month of the year brought those returns—only summer and fall did.

Spring and winter? Monthly profits might not even hit 100 yuan. Sure, hunting was better in winter, but few people were skilled at it, and not many pelts were brought in.

So in total, Lin Heng estimated his yearly profit from the Acquisition Station at around 2,000 yuan. If he gained a monopoly and raised prices a little, maybe around 3,000.

Of course, that’s just the Acquisition Station—not including the convenience store.

Today, the store sold 120 yuan worth of goods, with about 20 yuan in profit, thanks to promotions.

Because his convenience store was tightly linked to the Acquisition Station, sales were also limited to market days. Monthly profit: about 180 yuan. Annual: around 1,500 yuan.

His store relied heavily on the Acquisition Station for traffic. On days without any purchasing, the store’s sales would take a hit too.

Combined with the Acquisition Station, he’d pull in roughly 3,500 yuan in total, with a net profit of about 3,000.

Father Lin looked at the final numbers and couldn’t help but be shocked. “That much? And we raised purchase prices and gave out discounts—yet we still made this much?”

Lin Yue’s eyes widened too. “Little bro, could you have calculated wrong?”

“No way,” Lin Heng shook his head. “There are over twenty thousand people in Huangtan Town, and they’re all selling wild goods to us, and buying things too. This profit’s already on the low end.”

After a pause, he added, “Before, it was Liu Qicheng making the big bucks. Just from purchasing alone, he made three to four thousand yuan a year.”

In this era, doing business wasn’t hard—the hard part was having startup capital. If Lin Heng hadn’t been reborn, it would’ve taken him seven or eight years of hunting just to scrape together enough to start.

Lin Yue gasped. “No wonder that damn guy looks down on people—he’s making way too much money.”

Father Lin finally understood why Lin Heng always said farming didn’t make money. If you’d never been in business, you really wouldn’t know just how profitable it could be.

“But don’t go learning from Liu Qicheng,” Father Lin warned as he looked at Lin Heng. “Getting cursed to your face like that… let’s just earn enough for ourselves. Life’s not easy for regular folks.”

After a pause, he added a stern warning. “And don’t go fooling around just because you’ve got money. If you ever wrong Xiulan, I swear I’ll break your legs.”

Lin Heng held up his hands helplessly. “Dad, you’re overthinking it. I’m not that kind of person. Wang Zhou’s right here—can’t you save me a bit of face?”

Father Lin didn’t care. “I said what I said. If you screw around, even if you’re a billionaire, I’ll break your legs so you can’t run.”

“Don’t worry,” Lin Heng said with a grin. “Neither of those things will happen.”

He was only running a Acquisition station and convenience store to raise money for building a fish and shrimp farm. It wasn’t a long-term thing, and he didn’t plan to jack up prices.

And as for wronging Xiulan? Not a chance.

Raising prices might happen—but cheating on Xiulan? Absolutely not.

“That’s for the best.” Father Lin nodded. “Now pack up your things. Let’s head home.”

Lin Heng nodded, gathered the account books, left Wang Zhou a hundred yuan, and took the rest.

Since it wasn’t a market day, a hundred yuan was more than enough. On market days, he’d send more ahead of time.

Although in his past life Wang Zhou had been a really honest guy, you never knew what might happen when faced with too much money.

“You’ve learned the process for today, right?” Lin Heng asked Wang Zhou.

“Got it all, Lin-ge.” Wang Zhou nodded. He was thoroughly impressed now. Even though he was older than Lin Heng, calling him “ge” came from the heart.

Lin Heng’s way of doing things was simply beyond him—like watching a magic show.

“Haha, that’s good then. Work hard, and when I get back to the village, I’ll help find you a good match. Promise you’ll marry a great wife by next year.” Lin Heng clapped him on the shoulder.

“Okay! I’ll give it my all!” Wang Zhou was instantly fired up.

They packed up, and just as Lin Heng was about to check why Caiyun wasn’t back from school yet, she came walking over briskly from the distance.

“Ge, how was business today?” Caiyun asked cheerfully as she stepped inside.

“Well, let’s just say it couldn’t have gone better.” Lin Heng grinned. Making money wasn’t the big thing—getting back at Liu Qicheng felt way better.

“Seriously?” Caiyun was skeptical.

Father Lin patted her shoulder. “As real as it gets. Since you’re here, let’s head back.”

Seeing his daughter so happy made him feel a bit guilty. He’d been powerless to support her schooling—only his son’s success made it possible.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you all about it on the way home.” Big brother Lin Yue nodded.

Lin Heng brought his father and the others to say goodbye to Old Man Gao. Renting that house from him had been a big factor in today’s success. It was right at the entrance—other spots probably wouldn’t have worked so well.

“It was your own ability that made it happen. Just don’t forget where you came from. When you have time, come fish with me.” Old Man Gao waved them off.

Honestly, he hadn’t liked Liu Qicheng for a long time. Lin Heng’s actions today had really pleased him.

After bidding farewell and saying a few more words to Wang Zhou, the whole Lin family set off for home.

They carried fresh pork, a fish, and a chicken—time to celebrate properly tonight.

The sky was vast, clouds high, and a warm breeze blew as they walked. Lin Heng beamed. From this moment on, at least his family wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothing anymore.

Along the way, the family chatted and laughed. The August fruits were starting to ripen—the schisandra berries smelled fragrant, and the passion fruits were turning red. Soon it would be the eighth lunar month, when wild fruits were everywhere.

Lin Heng was in high spirits—he’d definitely find time to go foraging then.

When Caiyun heard Lin Heng’s estimated annual income, she was stunned. “Oh my god, second brother, you’re gonna be a real rich man!”

Looking at the scenery, Lin Heng turned and smiled. “Just help me keep track of the accounts, and I’ll give you a big red envelope for New Year’s.”

“No need—it’s what I’m supposed to do.” Caiyun shook her head.

By 7 p.m., the Lin family had returned to Red Maple Village.

Before they reached home, they ran into Yang Zhaotao coming their way.

“Boss Lin, you’re back!” he laughed. “Quietly opened a Acquisition station and store, huh? Impressive.”

Lin Heng hadn’t told anyone in the village before opening. Everyone only found out during the market day today—and they were all shocked.

They’d thought selling the Sanghuang mushrooms was the end. Who knew that was just the beginning?

Now the whole village was buzzing. Lin Heng’s recent moves were just too astonishing—everyone had watched him step by step into wealth.

“Don’t flatter me. Just trying something out, not making much.” Lin Heng shook his head.

“Still, you did great. I never liked that Liu Qicheng guy anyway,” Yang Zhaotao chuckled.

He figured Lin Heng hadn’t made much either—prices were pretty high.

After a few words, Lin Heng hurried home—otherwise, every passerby would stop to ask.

Right at the gate, Jin Yan passed by. She glanced quickly at Lin Heng, then turned and left.

She had gone to town to sell herbs too. When she realized Lin Heng was the one who opened the new station, she was stunned.

How did this man keep getting more dazzling by the day? Her feelings were all over the place.

In the end, she had someone else sell the herbs for her and rushed home.

And now, they bumped into each other again. She didn’t dare look at him—too awkward.

But Lin Heng hadn’t even noticed her—his mind was all on his wife and kids.

Although Xiulan and Lin’s mother hadn’t gone down today, they’d already heard everything from the villagers who returned.

“You’re back—great. We’ve already prepared the dishes, just waiting for you.”

In the yard, Lin’s mother and sister-in-law were waiting.

“We brought food too. Let’s have a proper celebration tonight.” Lin Heng smiled.

“Right, time for a good feast.” Lin Yue grinned.

“We’re almost tired of eating meat these days,” Father Lin joked.

Though the three of them were all smiling, Mother Lin still asked, “Was everything smooth today?”

“Of course. Normally, Lin Heng can make about 3,000 yuan a year from this.” Father Lin beamed.

“Three thousand yuan!!”

Mother Lin and Liu Juan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“One milk candy is one cent. With 3,000 yuan, you could fill a house with them!” eldest nephew Lin Wei counted on his fingers—he couldn’t even calculate that much.

Lin Heng brought the goods inside and let Father Lin and big brother explain everything slowly.

“Just leave the stuff on the counter. I’ll handle it. Go rest.”

Xiulan smiled from the kitchen as she worked.

“Yeah, go ahead. I’ll help Xiulan.” Mother Lin and the sister-in-law came in, faces glowing with joy.

Mother Lin looked at Lin Heng, feeling a bit unreal—how had her son suddenly become so capable?

Sister-in-law Liu Juan hadn’t expected that in such a short time, Lin Heng could stir up such a big scene. Not only had he opened a new Acquisition Station, but he had also managed to shut down the old one in one fell swoop. What a move.

“Alright then, this fish was bought by my dad. I didn’t buy it,” Lin Heng added as he was leaving. As a lifelong fishing enthusiast, he’d never buy fish to eat—if he couldn’t catch it, he’d rather go without.

“Daddy!” Xiaoxia came over in clean clothes, her big eyes looking up at him, asking for a hug.

She had already forgotten that Lin Heng promised to bring her shrimp chips yesterday.

Smiling, Lin Heng picked her up and took a bag of shrimp chips from the sack. He gave some to his three nephews first, then handed the rest to her.

Xiaoxia looked at the shrimp chips in their hands, then at her own bag, just about to pout in frustration when Lin Heng popped one into her mouth.

The delicious shrimp chip won her over immediately—she puffed out her cheeks and leaned against Lin Heng’s chest, happily chewing.

The three boys devoured theirs in just a couple of bites, then crowded around Lin Heng, asking questions about the shop and the Acquisition Station.

“There’s not much to talk about. Don’t go blabbing at school or spreading it around, or I’ll have to spank your butts,” Lin Heng warned.

“You hear that, Lin Wei, Lin Tao? If you blab, you’ll get strung up at home and beaten in turns by the whole family,” Lin Yue added his warning too.

“We got it!” the two quickly nodded, fear flashing across their faces.

“Don’t run your mouths—and if you do, no more snacks.” Lin Heng added. He didn’t want news of his annual income getting out everywhere.

“I got it, Second Uncle!” Lin Wei nodded seriously. Lin Heng’s words carried more weight than even his dad’s.

By around 7:40, dinner was ready. The sight of the food made the kids drool—it was even better than Chinese New Year: chicken, pork, fish, everything you could want.

“Dad, Mom… everyone, have a drink first. Here’s to everything going smoothly today.” Lin Heng raised his glass with a smile.

Not only the adults had drinks—there was honey water for the kids too.

“Cheers!”

The whole family raised their glasses together. Today would be remembered by everyone as a special moment.

From this day on, the Lin family had officially taken their first step toward turning things around. Like a hidden dragon rising from the abyss, like a young tiger roaring through the valley—it all started now.

There were ten dishes on the table. Chicken and pork were served in small wooden basins. Today, the kids could eat to their hearts’ content, and no one would say a word.

“Being full on meat feels amazing.”

“I’m stuffed, I don’t want any rice.”

Before long, Lin Wei and Lin Tao were too full to eat more and slipped out to the yard to play.

“Dad, Mom, eat up—if we don’t finish this, it’ll spoil by tomorrow morning.” Lin Heng pointed at the basin of meat. Today, his parents didn’t need to give up their food for the kids.

“Alright, alright!” Lin Father and Lin Mother beamed as they picked up more meat to eat.

By the end of the meal, they’d finished off the dishes, but everyone was too full to eat much rice.

Lin Father was in high spirits today. While Lin Heng drank by the sip, he downed full cups—so much that he could barely walk straight on the way to the bathroom.

In the end, everyone had a little bit of rice, just so they wouldn’t waste too much food.

After dinner, Lin Heng helped his dad walk back, while Caiyun supported their mother—she’d had a bit too much to drink too.

“Son, you’ve really made something of yourself. Your old man’s proud,” Lin Father said with a smile on the way.

“Dad, this is what you deserve,” Lin Heng replied with a grin. A man who had worked hard all his life ought to be rewarded like this.

(End of Chapter)