Chapter 0005: Provincial Capital

Currently, everything is still state-operated, which is essentially the same as the supply and marketing cooperatives. The supply and marketing cooperatives also collect some dry goods from individuals, such as furs, pig bristles, medicinal herbs, and mushrooms. There are fundamentally no private wholesale markets. "Big brother, yes, yes, it is the aquatic products company, could you please point me in the right direction"

Li hurriedly said thank you and gave the old man the last pack of cigarettes from his pocket

Hello, comrade, I am here to look for someone, is your manager available?" Li turned his head and saw an old man dressed in gray standing in front of him. Adhering to the principle of not striking a smiling face, Li's mouth broke into a smile, but he felt uncomfortable with this ingratiating expression.

Thank you very much, elder brother. Li and He immediately recalled the memory gap. Although the urban renovation in later generations has undergone significant changes, the street names have remained largely unchanged

Seeing that Dazhuang can handle this matter, he can rest assured and go to the provincial city. "Dazhuang, I will take my leave now. I am heading to the provincial city. Once you meet up with Lao San, just go straight home without waiting for me. I will return on my own!"

Li said with a smile, "We are from the southern bank of the Huai River in Funan. As you know, during the plum rain season, there is a lot of rainfall, and the fields and ditches are filled with yellow eels and loaches burrowing holes. This prevents the fields from retaining water, which severely affects grain production. Therefore, our village actively eliminates pests and has caught a few. However, as you know, yellow eels and loaches are rich in nutrients. With the aim of improving service to the people and enhancing their material living standards, we would like to know if your aquaculture company is interested in purchasing them"

Li said to Li Long, "You keep watch over here. Are you two familiar with the route? Whoever sells out first should go find the other. If you get lost, just ask someone, understood?"

Liu Dazhuang did not ask the two brothers to shout, but came over himself, which saved some trouble, avoiding the noisy commotion of calling people in the alley later on

As they were leaving the entrance of the aquaculture company, the old man who had just brought them in reminded, "Don't forget the introduction letter from your production team"

He could only mutter to himself, "Ancestors of the yellow eel, Great Immortal of the loach, if you become extinct, you cannot blame me. Without my involvement, the pesticides and chemical fertilizers of future generations will also be unavoidable.

Li carefully examined the documents on the bulletin board, which primarily included the speech delivered by the Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee on May 9 of this year at the provincial aquaculture work conference. He emphasized that fisheries are an important component of socialist large-scale agriculture. Only with the development of fisheries can the rural economic structure become more rational. There is a need to vigorously develop fishery production. He urged party and government leaders at all levels to enhance their understanding of the significant importance of fishery production, treating fish farming production with the same regard as grain production, and to accelerate the pace of aquaculture development.

Regardless of the number of people, it is not allowed

Li and Yi could only suppress their excitement upon hearing this. "Manager Wang, I can make the decision. We guarantee a daily output of at least 1,000 jin, and we will not let the leadership down."

Before dawn, the two brothers hurriedly got up to retrieve the bags containing the yellow eels from the ditch and placed them onto the cart

Manager Wang furrowed his brows and said, "Comrade, this quantity is a bit insufficient. In any case, I want as much as possible. I do not want any that is dead or small. We cannot compromise on quality."

The person next to him was not seeing Li and this kind of patched shirt countryman for the first time, yet he still spoke politely, saying, "You are referring to the Provincial Aquatic Products Supply and Marketing Company, right?"

He buys loaches at 1.6 and eels at 2.2. In other words, there is a profit margin of 0.5 for loaches and 0.9 for eels. Although these amounts seem small, the volume makes a significant difference

Li and Ke did not dare to say that this was done privately; they could only go along with the conversation, pretending to be foolish and simple-minded. "Manager Wang, it's all for the service of the people, it doesn't matter who comes. The key is that my legs are in good shape, running around more is beneficial. Besides, the round-trip ticket costs 0.5 yuan; having one more person means wasting an extra cent."

The two individuals nodded in unison

Li and Xin thought to themselves, indeed, a person is judged by their attire just as a horse is judged by its saddle. His outfit, which had been patched and mended for three years in the countryside, was perfectly normal, but in the city, it would be looked down upon

Li clapped his thigh and said, "Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, I will always cherish your old feelings."

The old man exhaled a puff of smoke, raised his hand to point at Li He, and said with a smile, "Comrade, serving the people, what business do you have with our manager"

In just a short while, over 50 pounds of loach and more than 30 pounds of eel have been sold, which is much better than yesterday. After all, there were returning customers from yesterday to support sales. Moreover, in this day and age, meat tickets for purchasing meat are limited, while loach and eel do not require tickets and are cheaper than meat

He, just like yesterday, ate two pieces of bread and drank some boiled water, then called over a few aunties who were buying vegetables with Liu Dazhuang, after which he let Dazhuang handle the situation on his own while he stood back with his arms crossed. Dazhuang was quite efficient in his tasks, much better than him.

Take bus route 3 directly to Shouchun Road, and you will arrive at the intersection of Shouchun Road and Fuyang Road.

Upon arriving at South Street, I set up my stall in the same location as yesterday, placing the cart at the edge of the vacant area in the distance. Although it is a bit far, it remains within my line of sight, ensuring that it will not be easily taken by someone.

Li He quickly responded with a good. After a while, the old man came out and waved to Li He, saying, "Hurry in, this is our Manager Wang"

Understood, you go ahead with your busy schedule. Dazhuang was extremely excited, oh my goodness, he earned dozens of yuan in just a little while, today can be considered an eye-opener.

Li hurriedly spoke with a tone that was both resolute and exaggerated, saying, "Leader, rest assured, we must resolutely prevent any harm to national interests; otherwise, let me take the bullet."

As the saying goes, one is at a disadvantage when accepting favors from others; the old man accepted Li He’s Hongta Mountain cigarettes and opened one to smoke

"Comrade, two mao." An elderly woman, carrying a tattered canvas bag, collected the money and directly tore a ticket for Li He.

First, I went to North Street and unloaded a few bags. This place is quite similar to South Street.

Alright, you hurry and take Dazhuang to Nanjie, there are already people buying vegetables. I will get busy with this first, over 300 jin. Li Long opened the bag and rolled it up, making it easier for customers to select the yellow eel and loach.

After going around in circles, I finally found a door with a sign that said 'Office'. Just as I was about to enter, someone stopped me, saying, 'Hey, hey, I'm talking to you. What are you looking around for?'

Li and Zhao hurriedly went to the bus station with several newly exchanged food coupons in their pockets

Since Liu Dazhuang is also going, Li He asked Li Mei to make a few more pancakes, and he put five yuan in his pocket

Li and Yi exclaimed, isn't that just the aquatic products supply and marketing company

Following the old man with great enthusiasm, they passed through a small door and went directly to the second floor. The old man turned his head and said, "Wait here, do not wander around, I will go in and ask first"

In this day and age, the yellow eels and loaches are almost becoming spirits in the fields. If one were to establish a purchasing operation within a radius of ten to eight miles, the quantity would certainly not be lacking

"What am I supposed to do? But you can be considered lucky, you caught the policy just in time," the old man said with a smile, pointing to a document on the bulletin board on the wall. "Can you read? Take a look for yourself."

The aquaculture supply and marketing company is covered in puddles, all caused by the vehicles of the subordinate aquaculture companies coming and going to transport goods, and the fishy smell in the air is something Li and others can hardly be bothered to pay attention to

After the aquaculture company was established, Li was most satisfied with the acquisition prices: 0.21 yuan for loach and 0.31 yuan for yellow eel, which significantly exceeded expectations

When encountering issues, endure them in advance and do not act impulsively. This place is different from home. If someone is looking for trouble, it is best to leave first and not worry about anything else. In any case, safety comes first

In his previous life, Li had been involved in the military industry system for over ten years, and later engaged in business for more than twenty years. A glance at such a person would suggest a certain level of psychological insight; this old man is certainly not one to adopt a lofty demeanor. The term 'difficult little devils' refers precisely to this type of individual. Offering a pack of cigarettes is not at all out of place, and they would not initiate any conversation about bribery. It is accurate to say that such individuals are difficult to deal with, yet they are also among the most pragmatic.

The bus, carrying a large gas tank, runs on the road, exuding a sense of danger when filled with natural gas. At this time, the fare is one cent per stop, and for 14 stops, the total amounts to 14 cents

"We are not foolish; when we encounter a crowd, what else can we do but run?" Da Zhuang said with a smile

Manager Wang looked at Li and found it somewhat amusing, "Can you make the decision? I will be honest with you, no one cared about these loaches and eels in the past, and no one was willing to eat them. However, in the past two years, the market has risen, and we mainly supply brother provinces and cities like Pujiang and Beijing. What quantity do you have? If the quantity is small, we are not interested either.

After sitting in the car for over an hour, I headed straight to the bus station. At the bus sign, I could not find the bus route I remembered, after all, it had been more than 30 years. Li had no choice but to ask a person nearby, "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the seafood wholesale market?"

The old man's eyes fixed on Li, scrutinizing him from head to toe, always with a hint of disdain

"You always work hard, have a cigarette." Before coming here, Li He spent 0.7 yuan to buy 2 packs of Hongta Mountain at the supply and marketing cooperative. Although he does not smoke now, he became a heavy smoker after turning 25

Li asked with a smile, "How is it? The taste is quite good, isn't it?"

The bus station is quite small, with only two buses to the provincial capital each day. Li and his companion arrived relatively early. They found a seat by the window and were just about to doze off when the ticket seller approached.

The old man brought Li and Ling in front of a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. The man had dark skin, a full forehead, and a broad chin, resembling a sturdy and robust figure. As soon as the old man brought Ling in, he left. The manager asked, "Is it really just this young lad sent from your village?"