bookrandom Chapter 498 Cooperation
Chapter 498 Cooperation
The next day, Li Xiangyang interviewed several young men and finally selected three: Wang Tiezhu, Liu Fu, and Zhang Xiaohu. All three were young men in their early twenties, quick-witted, lively, and good learners.
Li Xiangyang explained the job duties and precautions to them: "You are mainly responsible for purchasing and initial processing. Every morning, wait at the purchasing station. When villagers bring goods, accept them, register them, and then process them according to the methods I teach you."
The young men nodded repeatedly, indicating that they would definitely do their best.
After handing over his work, Li Xiangyang took out paper and pen and wrote down the purchase price list, which he then hung in the most conspicuous place at the purchasing station.
“That way, even if Er Gou and I aren’t here, you can still buy it at the price,” Li Xiangyang said to the three newcomers.
Wang Tiezhu scratched his head: "Brother Li, what if we come across something that's not on the price list?"
“Then don’t rush to collect it. Wait for me or Er Gou to come back before setting a price,” Li Xiangyang added after a moment’s thought. “But if the owner is in a hurry, write down his address and tell him we’ll come to check.”
The three nodded repeatedly, indicating that they understood.
Standing outside the purchasing station, Li Xiangyang looked at the simple shed supported by a few wooden planks, his heart filled with emotion. This small shed carried his hopes for the future and was his first attempt to adapt to the new era.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou walked over, interrupting his thoughts, "we need to find a way to let more people know about our business of buying mountain goods."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "That's right, we need to go to each village to promote it."
In an era before the internet and when television was just becoming widespread, the most effective way to spread the word was to go door-to-door in villages and inform people face-to-face.
The next morning, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou split up and went their separate ways.
Li Xiangyang rode his bicycle, carrying several written notices, to the villages to the east; Wang Ergou was in charge of the villages to the west.
On the back of Li Xiangyang's bicycle was a wooden box containing a loudspeaker, a makeshift "broadcasting device" he had temporarily set up the night before.
"Buying mountain goods! We buy hides and medicinal herbs, and the prices are fair!" Li Xiangyang shouted through a loudspeaker as he rode his bicycle.
Hearing the shouts, adults and children alike rushed out of their houses.
"Young man, what do you mainly collect?" someone asked curiously.
Li Xiangyang stopped the car: "We basically collect anything from the mountains. Rabbit pelts, fox pelts, otter pelts, as well as medicinal herbs like ginseng, astragalus, and codonopsis, and of course, rare items like deer antler and bear bile."
"How will the acquisition price be calculated?" someone else asked.
Li Xiangyang pulled a few sheets of paper from his pocket: "It's all written here, everyone can take a look. If you have any goods, you can deliver them to our Xiaoliang Village purchasing station tomorrow."
And so, Li Xiangyang went from village to village to spread the word, and by noon he had already visited four villages.
Feeling hungry, he found a small shop, bought two steamed buns, and ate them with pickled vegetables.
"Young man, are you Li Xiangyang from Xiaoliang Village?" an elderly man asked as he walked over.
Li Xiangyang quickly stood up: "It's me, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?"
The old man chuckled and said, "I've heard you're quite the hunter, and seeing you today, I can see you're indeed young and capable. I have two badger pelts here; how much do you think they're worth?"
Li Xiangyang took the pelts from the old man and examined them carefully. The two badger pelts were roughly processed, with some tears at the edges, but overall they were still intact.
"Sir, these two hides aren't very well processed, but I'll still buy them at the normal price."
Li Xiangyang gave the price, and the old man's face lit up with joy: "This price is higher than I expected! Thank you, young man."
"You're too kind, sir," Li Xiangyang said, carefully putting away the hide. "You can send any mountain produce you have to our purchasing station in the future."
The old man nodded: "Okay, I'll tell the villagers."
In the afternoon, Li Xiangyang continued his promotional tour. By evening, he had visited seven villages, posted more than a dozen notices, and collected a few pieces of hide and some scattered medicinal herbs.
It was already dark when they returned to Xiaoliang Village. Li Xiangyang pushed his bicycle, sweating profusely, but feeling very satisfied.
As soon as they arrived at their doorstep, they saw Li Xiaoyun holding Li Wangchen and standing in the yard, looking around.
"Dad's back!" Li Wangchen cheered, breaking free from his mother's arms and running towards Li Xiangyang.
Li Xiangyang knelt down, opened his arms, and hugged his son tightly: "Son, did you miss your dad?"
"Yes!" Li Wangchen nodded vigorously.
Li Xiaoyun took the bicycle: "You must be tired after a long day. Come inside and eat; I made chicken soup."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangyang's fatigue immediately lessened: "Your cooking makes my mouth water."
Upon entering the house, Li Xiangyang saw a plate of scrambled eggs, a plate of stewed cabbage, and a bowl of steaming chicken soup on the table. Although the dishes were not numerous, in this era of scarce resources, it was considered a sumptuous dinner.
"Has Er Gou been here?" Li Xiangyang asked as he washed his hands and sat down at the table.
Li Xiaoyun shook her head: "We haven't seen a trace of them yet."
Li Xiangyang was a little worried: "It's already so late, he should be back by now."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Wang Ergou's voice came from outside the courtyard: "Brother Xiangyang! Sister-in-law!"
Li Xiangyang quickly got up and opened the door, only to see Wang Ergou standing outside with an excited expression, followed by two strangers.
"Brother Xiangyang, look who I brought!" Wang Ergou said, pointing to the two men behind him. "These two are hunters from Heyan Village. They heard we buy mountain goods and came specifically to discuss cooperation!"
Li Xiangyang quickly invited the two men inside: "Brothers, please come in. It's just in time for dinner, would you like to join us for a bite?"
The two hunters waved their hands repeatedly: "No, no, we've already eaten. We just wanted to talk to Master Li about a potential collaboration."
Seeing this, Li Xiaoyun quickly added two more sets of chopsticks and bowls: "Since you're already here, you should eat something. I'll go cook another dish."
Under their warm hospitality, the two hunters could no longer refuse and sat down to eat with them.
During the meal, a hunter surnamed Zhang said, "Master Li, we've heard you buy mountain goods at fair prices, so we'd like to establish a long-term partnership with you. There are over a dozen households in our riverside village that make a living by hunting, and they have a considerable amount of goods each month."
Li Xiangyang was secretly delighted, but outwardly remained calm: "Cooperation is a good thing, but I need to check the quality of your goods first."
Another hunter surnamed Liu said, "The quality is definitely guaranteed. We can try working together for a month first, and if both parties are satisfied, we can then cooperate long-term."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "That's a good suggestion. How about this, bring some samples tomorrow, and I'll discuss the specific price after I've looked at them."
The two hunters nodded in satisfaction and chatted about their hunting experiences. The meal ended in a pleasant atmosphere.
After seeing the two hunters off, Wang Ergou excitedly said, "Brother Xiangyang, now our business can really expand!"
Li Xiangyang chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "Take it slow, check out their goods first, then make a decision."