bookrandom Chapter 529: Keep the clouds clear and see the moonlight
Chapter 529: Keep the clouds clear and see the moonlight
Although the business of selling mountain products can be quite profitable, it is too seasonal.
Hazel mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms are mainly harvested in the autumn; what we are harvesting now are last year's stock.
To expand this business, we must plan ahead and establish a stable purchasing network. Of course, if the price increases, the villagers should have a lot of stock on hand.
"Third Brother, how much do your friend need?" Li Xiangyang asked.
"He said he'd try it out first, needing three to five hundred catties of various mountain products each month. If the hotel's response is good, the quantity can be increased." Ma Laosan flicked his cigarette ash. "The key is that we have to follow the standards; we can't adulterate them."
Wang Ergou was quite excited: "Three to five hundred catties? If everyone in our village works together, we can harvest enough in a month."
“It’s not that simple,” Li Xiangyang shook his head. “According to this standard, at least half of the goods need to be screened out. And drying, grading, packaging—every step requires careful attention. How about this, Third Brother, you contact your friend first, and we’ll make a small sample for him to see.” Li Xiangyang decided, “If he’s satisfied, we’ll officially start this business.”
"Alright!" Old Ma laughed. "I'll contact him right now."
After Ma Laosan left, Li Xiangyang turned to Wang Ergou and said, "Ergou, starting tomorrow, contact the people in the village and see who has any stock. Let's buy a batch first to test the waters."
“No problem!” Wang Ergou nodded in response. “I know those families harvest a lot every year, and the quality is quite good.”
Just then, the sound of a car came from outside the factory. Li Xiangyang went out to see what was going on and saw a Jeep. A middle-aged man in a leather jacket got out of the car.
"Excuse me, is Mr. Li Xiangyang here?" the man asked in a non-local accent.
“I am, and who are you?” Li Xiangyang stepped forward and asked.
"My surname is Sun, and I'm from inside the Great Wall." Mr. Sun pulled out his business card and handed it to me. "I heard you have good animal hides here?"
Li Xiangyang took the business card and read: Sun Dehai, manager of Haicheng Leather Products Factory.
This was an unexpected bonus. Li Xiangyang was just thinking of finding a market for the animal hides once things stabilized, but someone had taken the initiative to come to him.
"How did Mr. Sun find out about our place?" Li Xiangyang asked politely.
“That’s right,” Sun Dehai said, taking a sample bag from his car. “Our factory specializes in high-end furs and we’ve been searching for high-quality raw materials.” He continued, “A few days ago in the provincial capital, I met a reseller who said you have wild fox and mink pelts here, and the quality is exceptionally good.”
Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show too much enthusiasm. "What specifications do you need?"
Sun Dehai opened the sample package, which contained several finished fur samples: "Look, this kind of silver fox fur, made into a scarf, can sell for three or four hundred yuan. If the raw fur is of good quality, our purchase price won't be low either."
Li Xiangyang examined the sample carefully and found that it was indeed well-made.
"Mr. Sun, shall we go inside and discuss this in detail?"
The two entered the office, and Sun Dehai immediately pulled out a price list: "Silver fox pelts are 120 yuan each, red fox pelts are 80 yuan each, and mink pelts are 180 yuan each. Of course, these are the prices for top-grade products; the actual price depends on the quality."
This price is much higher than Li Xiangyang expected.
"How much do you need?" Li Xiangyang asked.
"The more the better," Sun Dehai said readily. "Our factory has just received several large orders, and we're worried about not having enough raw materials."
Li Xiangyang was calculating in his mind that he had more than a dozen animal hides of various kinds stored at home. If he sold them at this price, he could earn more than two thousand yuan.
"Mr. Sun, I have some goods on hand right now. Would you like to take a look?"
"Of course I want to see it!" Sun Dehai's eyes lit up.
Li Xiangyang asked Wang Ergou to go to his house and bring over the animal hides.
Sun Dehai is an expert; he can tell the quality just by touching it.
"Good stuff!" He picked up a silver fox pelt and examined it closely. "The tanning is excellent; the hide is soft, and the fur is the perfect color."
"What price can I get for this?" Li Xiangyang asked.
Sun Dehai inspected it carefully again: "Grade A, one hundred and twenty yuan."
Next, Sun Dehai inspected all the animal hides one by one and finally quoted a total price of 2,800 yuan.
"Mr. Sun, your price is very fair," Li Xiangyang said with satisfaction. "However, I'd like to ask, if we can guarantee a stable supply, can we discuss the price further?"
“Of course!” Sun Dehai readily agreed. “If you can guarantee more than twenty high-quality leather goods each month, I can add another five percent to the current price.”
“Then it’s settled.” Li Xiangyang held out his hand. “I’ll contact you directly if I need any goods.”
“Okay!” Sun Dehai shook Li Xiangyang’s hand. “By the way, if you have any wild boar hides, we’d like those too. Price will be extra.”
After seeing Sun Dehai off, Li Xiangyang was in a good mood. The problem of selling the animal hides was finally solved; they were now directly connected to the source, without going through middlemen, and the price was even higher than expected.
Wang Ergou exclaimed from the side, "Brother Xiangyang, you're so lucky! By cutting out the middleman, we can make a lot more money."
“Yes, after the storm comes the calm,” Li Xiangyang laughed. “That’s how business is; sometimes opportunities come very suddenly.”
Fatty Ma said enviously, "This order is worth two thousand eight hundred yuan. If we did it with all our might, wouldn't we be rich?"
Li Xiangyang waved his hand: "Don't do it that way. Animal hides are a side business; our main business is still our processing plant. Besides, hunting is too risky; we can't rely on that alone."
Just then, Ma Laosan came running back excitedly.
"It's a deal!" he shouted as he walked in. "My friend said that as long as the quality is up to standard, price isn't an issue. He'll come to see the goods tomorrow."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Alright, let's start preparing today. Ergou, go contact the villagers right away, and we'll start collecting the goods tonight."
After dinner, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou began going door-to-door to contact potential buyers.
After a busy night, we collected a total of over 200 jin of various mountain products.
The next morning, Ma Laosan's friend arrived as promised.
The man who came was surnamed Liu, was in his forties, and dressed very well; he looked like a businessman from the city.
"Third Brother said you have good mountain products here?" Boss Liu asked directly.
"Mr. Liu, please take a look." Li Xiangyang took out the mountain produce that had been graded last night.
Mr. Liu, being an expert, picked up a handful of hazel mushrooms and examined them carefully: "The color is good, and the size is quite uniform. This is top-grade."
He then looked at other mountain products such as wood ear fungus and bracken, and was generally satisfied with them.
"The quality is up to standard. At the price I quoted, I'll take the whole batch." Mr. Liu readily agreed. "I'll need this kind of goods every month from now on. Can you guarantee the supply?"
"No problem," Li Xiangyang said confidently. "The entire Xing'an Mountains are within our procurement area; the supply is absolutely plentiful."
Mr. Liu paid on the spot without hesitation.
After seeing Boss Liu off, Ma Laosan excitedly said, "This deal is worth several thousand yuan again!"