Chapter 133: It’s Not About the Money

Cao Shujie rode his electric tricycle to the stone monument at the northern end of Cao Family Village, waiting idly and passing time by playing on his phone.

A covered motorized tricycle brought Zuo Le to the same spot. After dropping him off, the elderly driver asked if he needed a ride back to town later.

Zuo Le, unsure of his departure time, thought for a moment and said, “Sir, could you give me your phone number? If I need a ride, I’ll give you a call.”

“Sure,” the old man replied, handing Zuo Le a business card before turning around and leaving.

Standing at the village entrance with a black canvas bag, Zuo Le spotted Cao Shujie sitting on a stone slab, engrossed in his phone. He approached and asked, “Excuse me, is there someone named Cao Shujie in your village?”

“Are you Mr. Zuo?” Cao Shujie realized, surprised at how quickly Zuo Le had arrived.

“Oh, so you’re Boss Cao,” Zuo Le understood, recognizing the young man before him as the person he was looking for.

They shook hands and introduced themselves again.

Earlier, Cao Shujie had called Cao Zhen to inquire about Zuo Le but was cut off before he could scold him.

Cao Shujie intended to invite Zuo Le to his home for a drink and some rest, but Zuo Le insisted on seeing the apples in Cao Shujie’s orchard first. He had been eager to see them since he got off the train and transferred to the village.

“Hop on my tricycle, and we’ll head up the mountain,” Cao Shujie suggested, pointing to his vehicle.

Zuo Le cheerfully placed his black canvas bag in the cart and climbed in.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the mountain’s turning platform. After parking the electric tricycle, they got off, and Cao Shujie led the way to the orchard.

“Boss Cao, did you set all this up?” Zuo Le was impressed by the orchard enclosed with wire mesh fencing, the paved mountain road, and the turning platform. He hadn’t expected such a well-organized setup here.

Zuo Le had seen many fruit orchards on mountains, but none as orderly as this, especially with someone personally funding the road construction. “Isn’t that just a waste of money?” he wondered.

“Who else would pay for it? The government certainly won’t,” Cao Shujie joked.

Zuo Le laughed heartily along with him.

Noticing Zuo Le still holding his black canvas bag, Cao Shujie pointed to his tricycle and said, “Mr. Zuo, you can leave your bag on the tricycle. No one will touch it here.”

Trusting his words, Zuo Le placed the bag on the tricycle.

Entering the orchard, they headed towards the old apple trees. Zuo Le, with his keen sense of smell, already detected the fragrance of apples.

A natural smile appeared on his face. “That’s the scent,” he remarked.

As they got closer, the sight of the bright red apples hanging like small lanterns filled Zuo Le with joy.

Cao Shujie casually picked an apple from a tree, wiped it clean with a handkerchief, and handed it to Zuo Le. “Try it, Mr. Zuo.”

Without hesitation, Zuo Le accepted it with both hands, took a bite, and the juice burst in his mouth. His eyes lit up. “Boss Cao, this one seems even sweeter.”

Intrigued, Cao Shujie asked, “Mr. Zuo, you can taste such subtle differences?”

“Kind of,” Zuo Le replied. “I’ve been dealing with fruits for years, so my palate is quite picky. I might not notice other things, but I’m sensitive to fruit variations.”

He took two more big bites, examining the apple’s yellowish core. It didn’t exactly match the characteristics he’d heard of from others, and he hadn’t tasted that new variety before. But he felt this apple might rival those from Xinjiang.

Hearing Zuo Le’s comments, Cao Shujie felt a bit embarrassed. In terms of discerning fruit quality, Zuo Le was clearly more experienced. It seemed he still had much to learn.

As they continued eating apples and walking deeper into the orchard, Zuo Le chose a slightly elevated spot, picked another apple, and carefully tasted it. He could discern subtle differences in texture and flavor from the previous ones.

Gazing at the apple-laden trees, Zuo Le suddenly asked, “Mr. Cao, did your orchard have a bumper harvest this year? How did last year’s yield compare? Was it much less?”

He was referring to the natural fluctuation in apple yields, known as alternate bearing, where last year’s yield might have been 4,000 jin per mu, and this year it could drop by 20-30% due to various factors. To balance production, external interventions are sometimes necessary.

Understanding this, Cao Shujie smiled and said, “Last year’s yield wasn’t as good as this year’s.”

Since March, Cao Shujie had been enriching the soil and trees with nutrients, using organic fertilizers, pruning excess branches, and discarding poorly growing fruits to concentrate nutrients.

These apples, hanging heavily on the branches, had absorbed ample nutrients.

Coupled with the abundant sunlight on this hillside, and not rushing to harvest for quick sales, the apples matured naturally, resulting in better taste and higher sugar content.

“This year’s yield is larger than last year’s?” Zuo Le confirmed.

“Sort of,” Cao Shujie replied ambiguously.

Hearing this, Zuo Le pondered for a moment before asking, “Mr. Cao, are you selling these apples? I can offer a high price.”

“How much?” Cao Shujie instinctively asked.

Zuo Le knew that since Cao Shujie asked for a price, there was room for negotiation. If he hadn’t asked, it would mean he wasn’t interested in selling, and there would be no deal.

But what price should he offer? Zuo Le was in a dilemma.

Offering too low a price wouldn’t work; Cao Shujie might ignore him altogether.

The new fruit variety was priced too high, and Zuo Le worried that the market might not respond well. If these products ended up unsold, the loss would be on him. As a middleman dealing in premium fruits, he found himself in a dilemma.

“What would be a reasonable price?” Zuo Le began to ponder.

As a competent reseller of premium fruits, Zuo Le was well aware of the price trends for apples. He knew that since 2009, up to the beginning of this year, apple prices had been steadily rising, reaching up to 8 yuan per kilogram at their peak. After the first quarter of this year, prices had fallen slightly but were still hovering around 6 yuan per kilogram. And this was the wholesale price!

What kind of offer should he make to Cao Shujie?

After thinking it over, Zuo Le extended a fist and said, “How about 10 yuan per kilogram, Boss Cao?”

“So that’s 5 yuan per jin, right?” Cao Shujie asked.

Seeing Zuo Le nod, Cao Shujie shook his head and refused outright, “Too low, not selling.”

Boss Cao was straightforward; he felt he had to stand his ground.

Zuo Le was prepared for this and asked, “What price do you think is fair, Boss Cao?”

“Mr. Zuo, to be honest, I was planning to call my old clients and see if they wanted to come and pick some themselves.”

“You might not know, but the picking price for a batch of kiwi fruit I previously grew was 28 yuan per jin,” Cao Shujie mentioned casually.

Zuo Le had already heard about this from Cao Zhen on the train, and hearing Cao Shujie bring it up again made him feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

He said, “Boss Cao, I understand your point, but the fact is that apple prices haven’t been that high historically.”

“But my apples are delicious!” Cao Shujie asserted confidently, clinging to this point.

Delicious and scarce items naturally don’t come cheap.

Zuo Le thought, “If your apples weren’t tasty, would I be wasting my time here?”

He could think this, but some things were better left unsaid.

“Boss Cao, how about I add 2 yuan per jin? What do you think?” Zuo Le asked.

Most fruit farmers are at a disadvantage because they lack comprehensive marketing channels, making it difficult to sell their apples in large quantities. As a result, they heavily rely on middlemen or wholesalers. But today, there was an exception—someone who was successfully selling on his own.

This meant there was no way to pressure him, and the usual advantage of the fruit resellers in price negotiations was gone.

“Add 2 yuan?” Cao Shujie said, “7 yuan per jin?”

“Yes, Boss Cao, how does that sound?” Zuo Le asked.

He explained, “I still have to cover transportation costs, potential fruit damage, and the high risk of not being able to sell them later. If the price goes higher, there’s no profit margin for me.”

But Cao Shujie was still unsatisfied. He held up a fist and said, “Mr. Zuo, I’m not asking for much. 10 yuan per jin, and I’ll keep a few hundred jin for myself; you can take the rest.”

“Mr. Cao, 10 yuan per jin is too high. Honestly, the risk is significant for me,” Zuo Le replied, maintaining his composure without hastily agreeing.

Cao Shujie seriously observed Zuo Le’s expression, but Zuo Le was a seasoned negotiator. Seeing nothing useful in the other’s gaze, he said, “Mr. Zuo, I’m glad you came all this way. Let’s be friends.”

“When friends visit, according to our customs, we must treat them well. How about we go to my house for a rest and some drinks this afternoon?” Cao Shujie suggested.

Zuo Le: “…”

He scrutinized Cao Shujie’s appearance, trying to deduce his age, wondering how someone so young could be so shameless.

Unable to figure it out, Zuo Le decided not to waste more brain cells on it.

From yesterday to this morning, he hadn’t had a decent meal and was indeed a bit hungry. Seeing the village’s situation, he couldn’t find a proper restaurant, so he decided to follow Cao Shujie to his home.

Wang Yuelan was puzzled when she saw her son bringing a stranger home. After hearing her son introduce him as someone buying apples, she quickly made tea. When she heard her son say that Zuo Le would be eating with them, she rummaged through the fridge to find something good to serve their guest.

This made Zuo Le feel quite embarrassed, as he felt he was imposing.

Cheng Xiaolin was at home watching over Mengmeng. The little girl was a bit scared of strangers. Upon seeing Zuo Le, she hid behind her mother.

Cheng Xiaolin coaxed her, “Mengmeng, say hello to Uncle.”

“No,” Mengmeng mumbled softly.

But she was brave, and after getting a bit familiar, Mengmeng stopped hiding.

She ran to her father’s side, frequently glancing at Zuo Le. On Cao Shujie’s third attempt to teach her, the little girl finally said, “Hello, Uncle. I’m Mengmeng.”

Hearing the little girl greet him, Zuo Le felt delighted. He rummaged through his pockets, finally pulling out his wallet. He took out two 100-yuan bills and offered them to Mengmeng, saying, “I came in a hurry today and didn’t bring anything. Mengmeng, take this 200 yuan and buy yourself something nice, okay?”

“No, I can’t take it,” Mengmeng shook her head vigorously. “Dad said not to take money from others.”

She said this quite fluently.

Zuo Le said, “It’s fine. You called me Uncle, so I’m not ‘others.'”

“No, I don’t want it,” Mengmeng said and ran off.

Cao Shujie quickly said, “Mr. Zuo, what are you doing? Please put the money away.”

“This is just a little token for the child, nothing more,” Zuo Le said.

Despite his words, neither Cao Shujie nor Cheng Xiaolin would accept it.

In the end, Zuo Le had no choice but to put the money back in his wallet.

During the meal, Cao Shujie tried to offer him some wine, but Zuo Le firmly refused.

As they chatted, Zuo Le still hoped to negotiate a better purchase price for the apples.

However, Cao Shujie remained firm, and Zuo Le couldn’t agree to the 10 yuan per jin price, leaving them at an impasse.

Since it was difficult to resolve, they decided to set the issue aside for now.

After lunch, Cao Shujie drove Zuo Le to the town. Instead of leaving immediately, Zuo Le found a hotel to stay in.

Having come across such high-quality apples, Zuo Le wasn’t ready to give up easily. He was contemplating how to reach an agreement with Cao Shujie.

Meanwhile, after dropping Zuo Le off in town, Cao Shujie drove back to Cao Family Village.

When he got home, his wife, Cheng Xiaolin, asked him, “Shujie, I think the price of 7 yuan per jin isn’t low. Why aren’t you selling?”

Wang Yuelan chimed in from the side, “Last year, we sold it for just over 3 yuan per jin.”

“Mom, please give me some time to think about it. This isn’t just about the money,” Cao Shujie replied, waving his hand.

(End of Chapter)