In the morning, Liu Yifeng drove the van borrowed from Qiangzi and bought another two thousand jin of small lobsters from the farm.
Seeing Liu Yifeng's consistently large purchases, the boss became curious.
"Brother Liu, you buy thousands of jin every time, and so frequently. How many fish do you raise to be able to consume so many small lobsters so quickly?" the boss asked, full of curiosity.
Liu Yifeng closed the trunk of the car and replied with a smile, "I don't raise many, just enough to make a living."
His answer was vague, as the small lobsters were not for feeding fish, but for him to raise himself.
However, in the boss's eyes, his reply was just too modest. "You must raise quite a lot. I suspect you're a big-time farmer back where you're from!"
"Average, average. I'm just destined to be a hard worker. Boss Wang, if you have nothing else, I'll be going now." Liu Yifeng got into the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt.
He didn't want to discuss the small lobsters further with Boss Wang. While how he handled the small lobsters he bought was his own business, he didn't want Boss Wang to know that he bought them for less than two yuan a jin, and less than a week later, he could sell them for twenty yuan a jin. If he were to raise the price later, it wouldn't be cost-effective.
At half past three in the afternoon, Du Ziheng came again to purchase small lobsters. The lobsters from the morning had been reserved by eager buyers as soon as they arrived at the market.
If he could, he would have loved to catch all the small lobsters and sell them. However, Liu Yifeng had only managed to catch one thousand jin of small lobsters. Although Du Ziheng thought it was a small amount, he still loaded them all onto the truck. He also mentioned that he would be back early the next morning, asking Liu Yifeng to continue casting his nets.
"Daddy, do you want to go and see the vegetable patch?" Tongtong asked, looking at the busy people.
To be honest, Liu Yifeng had been so busy with the small lobster business that he hadn't visited the vegetable patch in quite some time. He wondered how the vegetables and watermelons were growing.
After finishing his current tasks, Liu Yifeng immediately took Tongtong to Aunt Zhao's vegetable patch.
He was astonished by what he saw.
Whether it was the cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, or water spinach, they had all matured. The yield was incredibly astonishing, leaving him speechless. In less than a month, they had all ripened, a growth rate at least two to three times faster.
"Heavens, they've grown so fast!" Liu Yifeng excitedly walked into the patch. Looking at the cucumbers on the vines, he directly picked one and took a bite without washing it.
The taste of the cucumber once again stunned him. Growing up, his family would also plant cucumbers every summer, and he would often eat them raw. They tasted much like fruits with no sweetness. However, the cucumber he was eating now was not only incredibly juicy but also very sweet, making the idea of slicing it and mixing it with sugar seem unnecessary. He hadn't expected that Tongtong's growth enhancer would not only accelerate growth but also lead to such a breakthrough in taste. With these cucumbers, who would bother buying fruits that cost over ten or twenty yuan a jin!
"Daddy, is the cucumber delicious?" Tongtong asked, tilting her head up.
Without a word, Liu Yifeng picked another one for Tongtong. "Tongtong, you try it too." Although the cucumber wasn't washed, he hadn't used any pesticides, so it was safe to eat.
Tongtong took a bite and immediately beamed with satisfaction. "Mmm, it's delicious!"
"This is all thanks to you, Tongtong. You've helped Daddy harvest so many vegetables so quickly," Liu Yifeng said, planning to take some vegetables back to cook for himself. Once he tasted them, he would then decide on the pricing.
In the evening, Liu Yifeng stir-fried tomatoes with eggs, made a cucumber salad, sautéed water spinach with garlic, and stir-fried green beans with meat. All of these were grown in his own garden.
"Dad, these are all grown by our family. Please try them," Liu Yifeng said.
Liu Chunsheng remained silent. He picked up a piece of water spinach and put it into his mouth. His previously calm expression instantly changed to wide-eyed disbelief.
"Dad, what's wrong? Is it not good?" Liu Yifeng asked, feeling uncertain seeing his father's reaction.
Liu Chunsheng excitedly pointed at the water spinach on the table. "I've eaten water spinach for most of my life, and I've never tasted such delicious water spinach. It's even better than eating meat!"
After that, he couldn't help but try every dish, and then he couldn't stop eating. Watching his father eat so uninhibitedly, Liu Yifeng found it a bit exaggerated. No matter how delicious the vegetables were, could they be better than meat? So, he also picked up his chopsticks...
In the living room, for the first time, the three of them were scrambling for food. Soon, all four dishes were wiped clean, and everyone's stomachs were bulging.
Liu Yifeng let out a contented burp. "Dad, our vegetables are so delicious. What do you think is a reasonable price per jin?"
This question truly stumped Liu Chunsheng. "We usually grow vegetables at home, and I only buy meat dishes when I'm out. I can't really say about the price of vegetables. If it's too expensive, no one will buy it, but if it's too cheap, it's not worth it."
"How about this, I'll take some to the market tomorrow and see how others are selling them. Then, we'll sell them for two yuan more per jin," Liu Yifeng believed that as soon as someone tasted their vegetables, they would definitely buy them a second time. Especially families with picky children, his vegetables could directly solve the problem of them not eating vegetables.
"Tomorrow, I'll go with you," Liu Chunsheng said, not trusting Liu Yifeng to sell alone. He worried that with too many people, someone might sneak away without paying.
The next day, Du Ziheng took away another three thousand jin of small lobsters. The small lobsters in the pond were almost all caught. It seemed he would have to buy more small lobsters again. He couldn't let the pond sit empty; that would be a waste of resources.
Suddenly, Liu Yifeng felt overwhelmed. With both small lobsters and vegetables, he was stretched too thin. He remembered that he had promised his third uncle would help him manage the small lobsters. It seemed he had to call him over. From now on, his third uncle could handle the dealings with Du Ziheng, and he wouldn't have to wake up so early every day to catch small lobsters.
After Du Ziheng left, Liu Yifeng immediately went to the vegetable patch and picked a good amount of fresh vegetables and cucumbers. Then, he, Tongtong, and his father went to the market.
In their town, there was a market fair every second, fifth, and eighth day of the month. Many people would arrive early to secure a stall, as arriving late meant no good spots. However, this was not free. Renting a stall cost anywhere from twenty to fifty yuan a day, depending on what was being sold.
By the time Liu Yifeng arrived in town, it was already eight o'clock. The good stalls were already occupied. He could only find a less conspicuous spot and neatly arrange the vegetables from his car on the ground. The street was bustling with hawkers' calls, creating a lively atmosphere. However, it was rather unusual to see vegetables being sold. After all, this was not a county town, and most of the people visiting the market were villagers from nearby who grew their own vegetables. Therefore, even though Liu Yifeng's vegetables looked exceptionally green, few people inquired about the price, and many didn't even bother to look. Some grandmothers, seeing how beautiful Liu Yifeng's vegetables were, occasionally asked him for gardening tips.
An hour passed, and Liu Yifeng hadn't made a single yuan. This was completely contrary to his expectations. Liu Chunsheng also didn't expect that such delicious vegetables wouldn't sell. So, he shamelessly joined the other stall owners and started shouting, trying to attract customers. However, his words were ignored. Finally, a young woman came to inquire about the price of cucumbers, but upon hearing that they were much more expensive than others, she turned and left.
Seeing this, Liu Yifeng quickly said, "Our vegetables are all natural, with no pesticides. They are highly nutritious and taste excellent. If you buy them and try them, you'll know, beautiful lady."
"You look so young, but you're quite good at deceiving people. If your vegetables weren't sprayed with pesticides, could they grow this beautifully? There aren't even any holes from insect bites," the young woman said, disbelieving Liu Yifeng's words.