Chapter 8: Street Vegetable Selling

Shortly after 7 o'clock, the foot traffic near the agricultural trade market began to increase, as early risers flocked in from all directions.

The cultivation process of organic vegetables completely avoids the use of chemically synthesized fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators (such as hormones), and genetically modified technology. The production site must be located far from industrial areas, urban living areas, and major traffic routes, and the production process must fully comply with the technical regulations for organic vegetable production

Vegetables produced in a spiritual space contain extremely high levels of vitality, making them safer, more nutritious, and tastier than organic vegetables. They also have the effect of nourishing the vital energy and blood, as well as regulating the body. However, obtaining genuine organic vegetable certification is not a simple matter; there are strict standards regarding the cultivation process, the environment of the cultivation base, soil, and so on. The spiritual space is not meant to be exposed to light.

With bite after bite, Mu Kaimin quickly finished the radish the size of a goose egg. In the end, he still felt unsatisfied and said: "It is really delicious, this radish can completely rival fruits, it is better than the Liansi radish and the authentic Shawo radish from Tianjin. No wonder you sell it at such a high price; half price is 4 per pound, which is not expensive. Give me one."

At this point, Ye Quan was almost at a dead end, and the money borrowed from Chen Hao was nearly spent. If the space did not produce anything soon, he would have no means to cover his food expenses for the next week or his rent for the following month

Due to the existence of numerous institutions in the country that allow certification through monetary means, there are many so-called non-polluting, green, and organic vegetables in the market that are fundamentally not genuine, making it difficult for the public to discern the truth

Mu Kaimin reached out to take it, not being polite at all. Upon seeing the snow-white and delicate radish in his hand, which also emitted a faint fragrance, he took a bite and was immediately conquered by the flavor of the radish

General vegetables refer to products that are not specifically designated as pollution-free food, green food, or organic food. The standards for general products are even stricter than those for pollution-free food

The vegetables grown by Ye Quan have not yet reached full maturity, so the size of the radishes and cabbages is similar to those at other stalls, but they have no signs of insect damage. Although they appear fresh and visually appealing, who can determine their quality just by looking, without having tasted them?

Pollution-free vegetables refer to products whose production environment, production process, and product quality meet the national or agricultural industry standards for pollution-free products, which have been inspected and certified by local or quality supervision inspection agencies, and are marked with the pollution-free food symbol by the relevant authorities

Perhaps feeling that Ye Quan, the vegetable vendor, was driven mad by his desire for money, several women cast him glances tinged with disdain. Some even directly mocked him, saying: "Are you selling dragon meat from the heavens? How can it be five or six times more expensive than others' vegetables?"

After Ye Quan weighed a radish for him, Mu Kaimin noticed that the other vegetables were very fresh, so he bought some of everything

Mu Kaimin took the cilantro, and before it even reached his nose, he caught a strong and rich aroma. He couldn't help but nod and say, "Not bad, not bad, this fragrance is authentic. Those cilantro grown with chemical fertilizers simply lack this scent. You can smell the cilantro grown by rural folks, but it doesn't have the fragrance of yours."

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a week has passed. The fifty acres of flat land in the space are now a sea of green. Each cabbage is lush and vibrant, while the radishes have grown as thick as a calf's leg. After Leaf Spring peeled one, it was both crunchy and sweet, with a hint of fragrance, making it perfectly suitable to be eaten as a fruit

Click! Click!

"All the temporary stalls inside have already been rented out today, so please come earlier tomorrow," an administrator explained

Seeing the two administrators in blue uniforms, Ye Quan was momentarily taken aback. He had previously inquired about the situation, learning that the agricultural trade market had shops, some of which were fixed stalls rented out by others, while there were also temporary stalls available for rent to those in need, requiring only the payment of a management fee to secure a rental.

There are five categories of concepts and standards related to the quality and safety of vegetable products, ranked from lowest to highest quality as follows: assured vegetables, pollution-free vegetables, ordinary vegetables, green vegetables, and organic vegetables

In the past few days, Ye Quan had already gathered information on the prices of various vegetables available in the market. Although the prices in the city were indeed exorbitantly high compared to those in the countryside, after having tasted his own space-grown vegetables, Ye Quan understood the significant quality difference compared to ordinary vegetables. He was unwilling to sell his space-grown vegetables at the same price as others. However, he was also concerned that if he set the price too high, his products might not sell well initially. Therefore, he came up with the idea of a half-price promotion.

Some people also expressed doubts about the vegetables sold by Ye Quan, asking: "You use too many pesticides on these vegetables, right? There isn't even a single wormhole. Is this what you call organic vegetables? Are they toxic vegetables?"

Ye Quan, seeing his amiable tone, felt a sense of goodwill. He picked up a handful of cilantro from in front of him and handed it over, saying: "Old man, you get what you pay for; it depends on how you compare. The television says that a sand pit radish sells for one hundred yuan. My radishes are only a few yuan per jin, at most ten or so. You can smell the fragrance of this cilantro yourself; is it any different from what others sell?"

At that moment, an elderly man in his sixties, with his hands behind his back, passed by and noticed Ye Quan's stall. After glancing at it, he approached and said with a smile, "Young man, why are your vegetables so expensive? Is there something different about them?"

Seeing that everyone was still hesitating, Ye Quan took a small knife and peeled a radish, cutting it into small pieces, and offered some to the onlookers to taste

Ye Quan's location was quite conspicuous, and the content on the cardboard was even more eye-catching. Before long, several middle-aged women gathered around, pointing at the advertisement board written by Ye Quan and the vegetables at the stall. It was evident that they were puzzled as to why the vegetables sold at this stall were several times more expensive than those of others.

Upon hearing this result, Ye Quan felt somewhat annoyed. He did not insist further and simply drove the tricycle to a corner near the agricultural market. He bought a newspaper, displayed various vegetables, sprayed some spring water with a spray bottle, and then took out a piece of cardboard he had prepared earlier, placing it on top, and began selling on the street.

Ye Quan explained at that moment: "The vegetables I sell have absolutely not been treated with any pesticides or chemical fertilizers; it's just that the scale is too small, and the cost of certification is too high, so I am first trying it out here."

Green food refers to safe, high-quality, and nutritious food that is free from pollution. Strict standards have been established for the quality of the production environment, production materials, and production operations.

Organic vegetables are currently the safest vegetables available for consumption, and they are also the most expensive, typically costing more than four times that of ordinary vegetables. In some places, a pound of organic potatoes can sell for as high as thirty to forty yuan.

The cabbage, radishes, cucumbers, and bok choy in the space were ready for harvest. Therefore, Ye Quan purchased a second-hand tricycle, an electronic scale, several foam boxes, a waist bag, and a roll of food bags. After preparing these items, he got up before dawn the next day, picked some cabbage, radishes, and bok choy from the space, along with a small quantity of cucumbers, red amaranth, cilantro, leeks, scallions, and garlic, all packed into foam boxes and loaded onto the tricycle, heading towards the nearby farmers' market.

The corresponding testing standard for safe vegetables is a rapid testing method, which has certain limitations and can only determine pesticides such as organophosphates. It is not applicable to sulfur-containing vegetables

Ye Quan was riding a tricycle and was about to enter the market when he was stopped by two market administrators at the entrance, who did not allow him to enter

Then, Ye Quan sat on a small plastic stool he had brought, not calling out, quietly waiting for customers to arrive

On the white cardboard, it is written in artistic pen: "New Opening of Green Organic Vegetables, 50% Discount from the 18th to the 20th". Below are several lines of small text: "Cabbage 8 yuan per jin, Radish 8 yuan per jin, Bok Choy 10 yuan per jin, Cucumber 10 yuan per jin, Red Amaranth 16 yuan per jin, Chives 20 yuan per jin, Garlic 30 yuan per jin, Scallions 40 yuan per jin, Coriander 50 yuan per jin"

Ye Quan, seeing his approval, could not help but feel delighted. He handed a piece of the cut radish to the other party and said: "Old man, please try the taste of my radish again and see how it is"

Mu Kaimin was born in the countryside. After retirement, he found himself with time and occasionally enjoyed cooking for himself. He has a good understanding of the quality of vegetables, and he had never tasted such delicious radishes before

I was astonished: "Is this still a radish? Not only is it crisp and refreshing, but it is also filled with sweetness, surpassing even the high-end duck pears bought from the supermarket. It can completely be eaten as a fruit."

After smelling the cilantro, Mu Kaimin picked up a radish. He noticed that the radish was plump and white, without a single blemish, and its skin was smooth, resembling a piece of natural jade, evoking a sense of reluctance to take a bite.