Chapter 105: Beyond Expectations

As they descended the mountain and headed home, Cao Shujie rode an electric tricycle with his wife leading the way. Cui Jingguo followed in a car with his family of three, and the last vehicle was a van with Cao Tiemin and his group.

Cheng Xiaolin asked her husband, “Shujie, do you think anyone else will come this afternoon?”

“There shouldn’t be,” Cao Shujie replied after a moment of thought.

Cheng Xiaolin was puzzled and asked, “Why?”

“Dear, have you forgotten? Today is Tuesday. How many people have the time to travel all the way here to pick kiwi fruit?” Cao Shujie countered.

His words hit the nail on the head.

“Look at the customers who came this morning. Grandpa Wang is obviously a wealthy retiree with nothing better to do.”

“Lian Qijian and his friends are college students on summer break, and they’re from well-off families, right?”

“And then there’s Mr. Zheng. His family dresses well, and Boss Cui has a large livestock farm with a solid financial background!”

With this perspective, everything became clear, and Cheng Xiaolin stopped worrying about it.

After receiving a call from her daughter-in-law, Wang Yuelan called the town’s hotel to order a meal set. The hotel was quick, delivering the meal before her son and his family returned.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to cook, but with her daughter-in-law away, her granddaughter Mengmeng clung to her constantly, leaving her no time to work.

Seeing her son and daughter-in-law riding in on the electric tricycle, Wang Yuelan wanted to ask how the sales went that morning. But then she heard her son say, “Mom, they’re all here. I’ll go greet them.”

Before long, Cui Jingguo brought his family of four, and Cao Tiemin and his group joined them for lunch at Cao Shujie’s place.

Since Cui Jingguo had to drive his family back in the afternoon and Cao Tiemin’s group had work to continue, they didn’t drink alcohol at lunch. However, the gathering of over a dozen people was filled with laughter and joy.

After they left, Wang Yuelan finally had the chance to ask her son how the kiwi fruit sales went that morning.

“Not bad. We sold over 230 jin this morning,” Cao Shujie reported to his mother.

“Only that much?” Wang Yuelan was a bit disappointed, as the quantity was far below her expectations.

The next moment, she asked, “How much did they pay?”

“How much did they pay?” Cao Shujie was momentarily confused.

Cheng Xiaolin quickly interjected, “Mom, the buyers weren’t middlemen; they were individuals. Shujie sold at 28 yuan per jin, which is slightly higher than the normal market price.”

“In total, we made over 6,500 yuan this morning.”

Hearing the price from her daughter-in-law, Wang Yuelan was momentarily speechless.

She thought to herself, is this just a little more expensive? It’s outrageously high.

In previous years, when fruit vendors came to the countryside, the purchase price for their green kiwi fruit was generally over 2 yuan per jin, with the highest being 3 yuan. Her son’s selling price was nearly ten times that.

Regaining her composure, the first thing Wang Yuelan said to her son and daughter-in-law was, “Keep this to yourselves; don’t spread it around.”

“Mom, I understand,” Cao Shujie nodded.

The price difference was too significant, and his mother worried that someone in the village might become envious or cause trouble, which was a very real possibility.

However, Cao Shujie wasn’t concerned. He believed his ability to earn this money was due to his own skills.

You can’t just use nutrient solutions and expect the fruit quality to improve. That’s a flawed argument. No matter who comes, it’s about personal skill.

Otherwise, why are there agricultural science experts? He was one!

The entire afternoon passed without any visitors, but Cao Shujie didn’t idle. Around 2 p.m., he drove to the county and contacted a packaging factory. They agreed on a contract to custom-make a batch of kiwi fruit packaging boxes at 0.3 yuan each, with the only requirement being that the boxes look more attractive and upscale.

Even the best products need good packaging to shine.

Besides that, Cao Shujie called his wife to pick more kiwi fruit from the orchard for induced ripening. Before the weekend arrived, he planned to visit Pingyuan County Town and nearby towns to distribute some for free.

There’s a saying, “You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the child.” Although this situation isn’t exactly the same, the meaning is similar.

Simply advertising isn’t enough; he needed to demonstrate and attract people to his side.

Meanwhile, a former supermarket owner from Cao Family Village, Cao Jianhua, also signed a mountain land lease contract with the village. He leased 100 mu of mountain land on the southern side of Cao Family Village, intending to start free-range farming.

It’s said that Cao Jianhua’s lease terms were the same as Cao Shujie’s, with a rental fee of 130 yuan per mu. However, Cao Jianhua didn’t lease for as long; he initially signed for just five years, planning to decide on renewing based on future circumstances.

Regarding rent payment, since Cao Jianhua’s lease was shorter, he didn’t have the option of paying in three installments like Cao Shujie. Instead, he paid the full amount upfront.

Cao Shujie heard about this from his father, who seemed to relish in the gossip.

Wang Yuelan disapproved of her husband’s gossiping and told him, “Stop dawdling and get to work.”

Unexpectedly, that very evening, Cao Jianhua came to see Cao Shujie. He wanted to know where Cao Shujie got his wire mesh fencing.

Cao Jianhua wanted to order some for himself.

This was mutually beneficial, as it would be good for Chen Xingquan, the owner of Chenzheng Protective Fencing, and it would strengthen their relationship. So, Cao Shujie gave Cao Jianhua Chen Xingquan’s contact information.

He even called Chen Xingquan in front of Cao Jianhua, explaining that a senior from their village wanted to purchase the same type of wire mesh fencing.

“Boss Cao, rest assured, I guarantee the same discount for anyone you refer,” Chen Xingquan said happily.

With Cao Zhen’s connections, the price he offered to Cao Shujie was already quite low, aiming for volume sales with minimal profit.

Chen Xingquan hadn’t expected to receive such a large order from Cao Shujie so quickly. Over the phone, he expressed his gratitude to Cao Shujie and mentioned that he would definitely treat him to a meal once he found the time.

After hanging up, Cao Shujie turned to Cao Jianhua and said, “Uncle Hua, I bought a two-meter-high fence with barbed wire for 46 yuan per meter. You can check it out when you get there. You might find cheaper options, but since you’re in the livestock business, I recommend getting something sturdy.”

Cao Jianhua appreciated the advice and replied, “Shujie, don’t worry, I understand. I’ll definitely treat you to a meal when I get back.”

“Uncle Hua, it’s no big deal. We don’t need to stand on ceremony,” Cao Shujie said sincerely, making Cao Jianhua feel a bit guilty.

After seeing Cao Jianhua off, Cao Shujie still felt uneasy about his livestock venture. Raising animals wasn’t as simple as it seemed, but too much advice could lead to resentment and conflict, which wouldn’t be good.

In the following days, Cao Shujie took his induced ripening kiwi fruits around with a purpose. This time, he had Mengmeng, his little shadow, tagging along. He even printed a few boxes of business cards.

When distributing free kiwi fruits in crowded areas of the county towns, he also handed out his business cards. Within a few days, all the cards were gone.

During this time, Cao Shujie handled external affairs while Cheng Xiaolin managed things at home. As Cao Shujie took their daughter Mengmeng out to promote their kiwi fruits, Cheng Xiaolin was busy at home, welcoming occasional customers who came to pick kiwi fruits.

Though sales weren’t as high as the first day, they still sold over 100 jin each day, totaling 563 jin over three days, bringing in 15,764 yuan. Including the first day’s sales, they earned over 22,000 yuan in total.

“Shujie, take a look at the accounts for the past few days,” Cheng Xiaolin said, handing over her ledger with a hint of pride.

Before Cao Shujie could look, Mengmeng chimed in, “Mom, I’m awesome too. I helped promote!”

“Oh really? How did you do it? Tell me,” Cheng Xiaolin asked curiously, regretting not accompanying her husband today.

Mengmeng, unaware of her mother’s thoughts, looked around and spotted an empty water bottle. She picked it up, put her mouth to the opening, and shouted, “Hello, uncles and aunties, grandfathers and grandmothers! I’m Mengmeng, and my dad is giving away free fruits…”

“Hehe, Mom, see how great I am?” Mengmeng looked at her mother, seeking praise.

“You’re amazing!” Cheng Xiaolin said earnestly, nodding as her husband did. “Mengmeng, you’re really amazing.”

“Hehe!” Mengmeng’s face lit up with dimples, her smile radiant.

…

In the Mingshi Mingdu Residential Area of Pingyuan County, at Lian Xuezhu’s home.

After returning from work, Lian Xuezhu felt a bit troubled as he entered the house. But seeing his son and wife enjoying peeled kiwi fruit in the living room, the aroma enticing him, he couldn’t resist.

“Induced ripening?” Lian Xuezhu asked instinctively, realizing afterward that it was unnecessary. Would his wife and child eat it raw if it wasn’t ripe?

“Old Lian, you seem preoccupied. Is something bothering you?” his wife, Dang Wanli, asked.

“It’s just a minor issue, but it’s really annoying,” Lian Xuezhu replied.

“What is it? Tell me,” Dang Wanli said, savoring another kiwi fruit. She found it quite satisfying.

“Jianjian, you bought too few. How many days will the rest last for us?” Dang Wanli asked her son.

Speaking of this, Lian Qijian was full of complaints. He had bought nearly 30 jin of kiwi fruit last time, planning to ripen half for immediate consumption and save the rest for later. But his mother insisted on ripening all of them, intending to share some at work, saying good things should be shared.

With no choice, Lian Qijian ripened all the kiwi fruits, and his mother indeed took half to share at work. To make matters worse, she ate more than he did upon returning, leaving him quite displeased.

Watching his wife and son discuss the kiwi fruits, ignoring his concerns, Lian Xuezhu felt helpless about his low status at home.

Fortunately, Dang Wanli remembered and asked, “Old Lian, what were you saying earlier?”

“The higher-ups want our unit to collaborate with the Agricultural Bureau to better support the development of the rural economy and improve our cooperation,” Lian Xuezhu explained briefly. “How do you think we should approach this collaboration?”

After listening, Dang Wanli suggested, “Isn’t it simple? Just organize a team-building event for both units. Eat, drink, and the deal will be settled.”

Hearing this, Lian Xuezhu rolled his eyes. His wife had hit the nail on the head, but the problem was that things couldn’t be done that way.

“What kind of team-building? Eating and drinking are out of the question now. There’s a crackdown on corruption!”

Lian Qijian, still eating kiwi fruit, suggested to his father, “Dad, why don’t I recommend a place?”

“What legitimate place could you recommend?” Lian Xuezhu doubted, thinking his son should play fewer games.

But then he heard his son say, “Dad, your units are communicating to support agricultural economic development, right? Why not go out to the grassroots level, understand the real needs of the farmers on-site, and have your team-building there? Wouldn’t that be great?”

After Lian Qijian finished speaking, both Lian Xuezhu and his wife, Dang Wanli, were left utterly speechless.

Their son’s words were unexpectedly mature, far surpassing their usual expectations of him. It was truly beyond what they anticipated!

“So, tell me, where should we go? Recommend a place for me,” Lian Xuezhu said, intending to test his son to see if he really had some insight or was just talking nonsense.

To his surprise, Lian Qijian responded without hesitation, “Dad, I’ll suggest a place, but I need to go with you. I also need to pick some kiwi fruit.”

After speaking, Lian Qijian muttered to himself, “I wonder when Brother Jie’s apples will be ripe?”

“Where? Tell me,” Lian Xuezhu prompted.

At this point, Dang Wanli also caught on. “Jianjian, are you talking about the place where you pick kiwi fruit?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. Dad, Mom, you haven’t been there. Brother Jie has made it really beautiful, the environment is great, and he’s doing all the farming up in the mountains. I think it’s the perfect place for you to visit!” Lian Qijian declared confidently.

Hearing his son’s recommendation, Lian Xuezhu pondered for a moment, then took his phone to the balcony to call his employees.

This was a matter involving two departments, and he couldn’t just rush to the place based solely on his son’s words.

At the very least, he needed to send someone ahead to scout the area, understand the local conditions, and confirm if it was indeed as good as his son claimed.

After all, the team-building event for the two departments couldn’t be too low-key!