Chapter 97: Pinpointing the Market

When he heard his son speak, Cao Jianguo finally caught on.

“You’re aiming for high-end sales?” he asked, seeming to understand.

Cao Shujie nodded. “Dad, you don’t need to worry about this. I’ve got it all figured out.”

Seeing how confident his son was, Cao Jianguo didn’t press further.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuelan busied herself in the kitchen, stir-frying dishes. As the young mistress of the household, Cheng Xiaolin stepped up to help entertain her sister-in-law’s three classmates.

Cao Shujie glanced over at his daughter, who was happily playing with the little German Shepherd, then took his phone and headed to the bedroom to make some calls.

He opened his contacts and began scrolling from the top. The first person he called was his childhood friend, Cao Zhen. Once the call connected, he got straight to the point: “Cao Zhen, you busy right now?”

“Not really. Nothing much going on these days. Just say what you need to say,” Cao Zhen replied.

The two were so close that their conversations were always blunt and to the point.

“If you’ll be at the office tomorrow or the day after, I’ll drop off some kiwi fruit. Just don’t make me come all the way there and not find you,” Cao Shujie said directly.

Cao Zhen sounded surprised. “Your orchard’s kiwi fruit ripened this fast?”

Then, as if a light bulb went off, he sounded half-joking, half-horrified: “You didn’t pump them full of growth hormones, did you?”

Cao Shujie didn’t take offense. “I just improved the cultivation techniques, alright? So, do you want some or not?”

“Of course I do! Bring more if you can—I’ll give some to my uncle and my mom’s brother too,” Cao Zhen said, already thinking ahead for him.

“Thanks, man. I’ll come find you for a drink later,” Cao Shujie said.

Cao Zhen chuckled. “Don’t give me that crap. We’re brothers—just say what you mean. Ever since you came back, you’ve gotten all slick.”

“Alright then, I’ve got other calls to make. Talk later.” With that, Cao Shujie hung up.

Next, he called Ma Changrong, the credit manager at the town’s Rural Commercial Bank, to tell him he’d be delivering some kiwi fruit in the next couple of days and asked when he’d be at the bank.

Turned out Ma Changrong had a meeting in the city tomorrow, so the delivery would have to wait until the day after.

Then he called Song Zhichao, and after that, Cui Jingguo, who ran a livestock farm.

He also rang up Chen Xingquan, who had supplied the wire fencing; Xia Changhong, who had installed the automatic irrigation system; and Ji Guangyou, who had sold him the fruit saplings.

These were all people Cao Shujie planned to maintain long-term business relationships with.

More importantly, compared to the average person, these folks were relatively well-off. They also had wealthy friends in their circles, and could afford higher-end products.

From this angle, Cao Shujie’s market targeting was spot-on. He knew from the start how to identify his customer base. After all, if he had to rely on people earning just a thousand or so yuan a month, his business wouldn’t stand a chance.

He spent over half an hour on the phone, only stopping when his sister Cao Huifang came to call him up to the orchard to pick kiwi fruit. He put down his now-warm phone and told her, “Fangfang, go ask Mom for more plastic bags. We’re heading up the mountain.”

“Got it, bro! I’ll go right now!” Cao Huifang said happily, then ran off to find their mother Wang Yuelan for the bags.

Watching his sister’s retreating figure, Cao Shujie thought to himself that she was still just a kid. No wonder she could handle Mengmeng—their battles were basically big kid versus little kid. From height to weight to strength, Mengmeng was outmatched in every way. No wonder she was scared of her aunt.

It was a classic case of a dimensionality-reduction attack—nothing he could do about it.

He slipped his phone, now down to 20% battery, back into his pocket, grabbed the keys, and came out of the bedroom. Then he hopped on the electric scooter with his wife and daughter and headed toward the orchard up the mountain.

His sister followed behind, driving an electric tricycle with her three classmates in tow.

They soon arrived. Cao Shujie unlocked the gate on the wire fence, and as soon as he pushed it open, Mengmeng broke free from her mother’s hand and dashed inside.

“Mommy, look!” Mengmeng ran over to the old orchard and beamed as she saw the kiwi trees heavy with fruit the size of goose eggs.

Cheng Xiaolin’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the bountiful harvest, her heart filled with joy.

“There’s so many!” she blurted out.

Cao Shujie didn’t respond. He just grabbed a bag and started picking kiwi fruit.

He didn’t bother picking only the biggest ones—there was no need. Thanks to the nutrient solution, most of the fruit were about the same size.

That made his picking speed much faster. While Cheng Xiaolin was still getting started, he had already filled one bag and placed it on the ground, then moved on to the next.

“Shujie, how many are you planning to pick?” she asked.

He didn’t count. “I’ve got a lot of people to give them to. The more, the better. Whatever’s left, we can eat ourselves or share with the neighbors.”

“You’re giving them away, right? I feel like we should put them in some nice packaging. Just using plastic bags doesn’t seem very classy,” Cheng Xiaolin suggested.

Cao Shujie nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ve already thought of that. We’ve still got some of the packaging boxes Mom and Dad used before. We’ll box them up when we get home.”

He also mentioned that the next step was to design his own packaging and register a brand trademark—thinking ahead for the long run.

His sister Cao Huifang and her three classmates were also having a great time picking fruit. None of them had expected such a fun experience during this visit.

Especially Deng Miaoshan and Huang Jingmin—just the thought that the fruit saplings they planted would start bearing fruit the year after next filled them with an indescribable excitement and anticipation.

After picking four bags, Cao Shujie headed over to the livestock area to check on the calves. He also brought out the grass he’d cut earlier and scattered it casually on the ground—enough for all fifty calves to eat their fill.

The others kept picking until nearly five in the afternoon. When Wang Yuelan, who had already prepared dinner, called Cao Shujie to tell them to come back and eat, they finally stopped harvesting and got ready to head home.

But who would’ve thought Mengmeng had gotten so caught up playing that she absolutely refused to leave?

“Mengmeng, why won’t you go?” Cao Shujie asked her.

Before Mengmeng could answer, Cao Huifang walked over, looked at her seriously, and asked, “Mengmeng, did I just hear you say you don’t want to go home?”

Seeing her aunt, Mengmeng froze. Then, snapping out of it, she bolted toward her mom.

“Mom! Mom! Save me!” Mengmeng screamed as she ran straight to her mother, clung to her leg, and refused to let go.

Cheng Xiaolin looked at her sister-in-law, then at her daughter whose face had gone pale with fear, and thought to herself, “So even this little rascal, who usually acts like nobody wants her, has something she’s scared of? Maybe it’s fate—where there’s poison, there’s always an antidote nearby.”

After that unexpected twist, Mengmeng couldn’t stay a minute longer. She shrieked and begged her mom to hurry up and take her home on the bike—she didn’t want to stay another second.

She looked like she’d just seen a ghost.

…

That evening, after dinner, Cao Shujie drove with his sister to drop off Deng Miaoshan, Huang Jingmin, and Zhang Na at a hotel in town.

Before leaving, Cao Huifang made plans with the three of them to catch the 9:30 a.m. long-distance bus from town to Yiling City the next morning.

When he got back from town, Cao Shujie saw his parents and wife transferring the kiwifruit from bags into cardboard boxes.

The boxes weren’t large—standard five-pound cartons.

Looking at the harvested kiwifruit, Cao Jianguo noticed each one was big and hefty.

When he saw his son come in, he suddenly asked, “Shujie, did you hand-pick these kiwifruit?”

“Nope, just grabbed them off the vines at random,” Cao Shujie replied.

Cao Jianguo paused, then muttered, “I never really paid attention before, but a lot of these fruits meet the standards for top-grade and first-grade quality. That doesn’t seem right.”

He had planted that old orchard on the mountain himself and knew the fruit there was indeed better than what grew in the fields below—but not so much better that it should create such a huge quality gap.

Yet, clearly, that gap had now appeared.

“Dad, is that a problem?” Cheng Xiaolin asked, puzzled.

“It’s not exactly a problem,” Cao Jianguo said, “I’m just curious. Most of these are first-grade, some are top-grade, and I’ve barely seen any below second-grade.”

Hearing that, Cheng Xiaolin let out a sigh of relief. “As long as it’s not a problem. Maybe it’s because Shujie waters them regularly and gives them plenty of nutrients?”

“Is that so?” Cao Jianguo still couldn’t quite figure it out.

Wang Yuelan looked at the dozen or so boxes already packed in the room, then at the many more kiwifruit still lying in bags on the floor. Her heart ached a little.

According to her son, all these kiwifruit were meant to be given away as gifts. She couldn’t help thinking—if they sold them instead, how much money could they make?

“Sigh…” she let out a long breath.

Cao Jianguo knew exactly what his wife was thinking and quickly said, “Don’t be so short-sighted. Shujie’s doing this for a better future.”

“Like I need you to tell me,” Wang Yuelan snapped, glaring at him before quietly continuing to pack the kiwifruit into boxes.

The next morning, Cao Shujie loaded the boxed and bagged kiwifruit into the trunk of the car. Then he got into the driver’s seat and waited for his sister to come out so he could take her to catch the long-distance bus to Yiling City.

In the main room, Wang Yuelan held 500 yuan and tried to stuff it into her daughter Cao Huifang’s pocket.

“Fangfang, take this money. Don’t be stingy with yourself when it comes to food,” she said over and over again.

But Cao Huifang didn’t want it. She waved her hand and said, “Mom, I have enough. Besides, I’m working a summer job this year—I’ll earn 2,000 yuan in two months. That’s more than enough for my expenses.”

“Just take it already! Why are you being so stubborn?” Wang Yuelan scolded.

Seeing the serious look on her mother’s face, Cao Huifang silently accepted the money and tucked it into her pocket.

But in her heart, she told herself, “I’m saving this. I can’t spend it carelessly.”

She hadn’t understood before, but now she did—earning money was no easy task.

…

At the temporary long-distance bus station in Qingshi Town, four young, energetic girls each stood with two heavy bags of kiwifruit, waiting for the bus.

Standing off to the side, Cao Shujie said to his sister, “Fangfang, don’t just focus on earning money when you get back. Use this time to study too. In a couple of years, you’ll be working and earning for real.”

“Geez, you’re even more naggy than Mom,” Cao Huifang replied.

But Deng Miaoshan and Huang Jingmin, standing beside her, looked on with envy. Both were only children and deeply admired that Cao Huifang had an older brother who looked out for her.

The long-distance bus to Yiling City arrived. Cao Shujie told them, “Go ahead and get on. If anything comes up, make sure to call me.”

“Got it!” Cao Huifang nodded. “You go take care of your stuff too, bro.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Cao Shujie watched as his sister and her three classmates, each carrying two bags of kiwifruit, boarded the bus. Then he handed the conductor 200 yuan to cover their extra baggage fees. Ignoring his sister’s protests, he turned and walked back toward the parking area.

Time to deliver some gifts!

At the township government office building, Cao Shujie called out his old classmate, Shao Guobang.

Shao Guobang was the same age as him, average height, and wore black-rimmed glasses.

“Old Cao, what’s with all the mystery? What’s going on?” Shao Guobang asked as soon as he came out and saw him.

“Old Shao, I’ve been meaning to thank you for your help. I finally waited until the Kiwi fruit in my orchard ripened, so I brought some over for you today. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bribe.” Cao Shujie handed over two boxes of Kiwi fruit and said, “Take them home and try ripening them with bananas—see how they taste.”

“If you store them in a cool, well-ventilated place, they’ll keep just fine for ten days or even two weeks,” he added.

Shao Guobang didn’t really want to accept them, but Cao Shujie simply set the boxes down by the roadside, got in his car, and drove off—he still had to head to Pingyuan County Town, and there were plenty of people waiting for him there.

At that moment, Cao Zhen was in a meeting in the conference room of Mingbo Textile Co., Ltd.

Besides him, the actual controller of Mingbo Textile—Cao Zhen’s uncle, Lian Xuezhu—was also present.

Also in attendance was Cao Zhen’s second uncle, Cao Jianwu, along with a few other middle-aged men. They had gathered today to discuss the cotton procurement plans for Mingbo Textile.

Cotton prices had been rising steadily over the past two years, putting a lot of cost pressure on mid-tier processing factories like theirs.

After the meeting ended, it was still before noon. Cao Zhen returned to his logistics office, mulling over the discussion. His mood was heavy.

The rising price of cotton meant an increase in raw material costs, which in turn meant higher production costs for their factory.

Then Cao Zhen thought about the conclusion his uncle and second uncle had reached: the company was planning to lease land in Xinjiang to grow cotton on a large scale, aiming to cut costs at the source.

“My uncle wants me to go oversee operations over there?” Just thinking about that made Cao Zhen feel a headache coming on.

In the afternoon, he had to watch the kid, and he figured he’d take a short break to rest his eyes too.

Staring at a computer screen now made his eyes sore and blurry—no exaggeration!

(End of chapter)