Chapter 23
Those Who Know Their Value
"Thank you, sister." Chen Huan reached into the bucket and scooped out a large black carp weighing over three pounds, placing it directly into the other person's empty basket.
Then, carrying the bucket in one hand and pushing the bicycle with the other, he headed straight for the intersection.
He has good eyesight and can already see a restaurant diagonally opposite the intersection.
The sign says "Authentic Sauerkraut Fish".
The restaurant was definitely not open at this time, but the door was slightly ajar.
A tricycle loaded with fresh vegetables and other ingredients was parked at the entrance.
They must have gotten up early to go shopping.
"Is anyone home?"
"Do you buy fish here?" Chen Huan called out from the doorway.
"What kind of fish?" Someone immediately pushed open the door and came out.
He was a short, thin man, around thirty years old.
His clothes were covered in oil stains, and he was wearing a pair of rubber rain boots.
They look like kitchen staff.
"Blackfish, wild, just caught from the river." Chen Huan moved the bucket forward.
"You certainly know how to find a place to deliver it." The man first sized up Chen Huan.
While making jokes, he shifted his gaze to the bucket.
"The size isn't uniform, and the color looks off."
"Is this a real blackfish?" This guy immediately found fault with it, his face full of disgust.
"Those fished from the river can't all be the same size. The darker the color, the better the meat quality. You run a restaurant, so you should know more than I do," Chen Huan said patiently.
"You're making it sound like the truth, but I wonder if it's from a dubious source." The man continued to nitpick.
Then, she coldly tossed out a sentence, "How about this, fifteen a pound. Since you've practically delivered it to my door, I'll take it all."
Chen Huan was so angry that his nose almost crooked. "Do you really think I don't know anything about this? Farmed blackfish cost thirty yuan a pound, and you're offering fifteen? That's even more outrageous than offering this fish."
The man glared at him. "You little brat, who are you calling names?"
"This is the price. Take it or leave it. If you're not going to sell, get out of here and don't block the way."
Chen Huan had an urge to punch someone, but he was too lazy to bother with him.
Just as I was about to try my luck elsewhere, an old man carrying a birdcage walked over.
"Xiao Gangzi, what are you arguing about so early in the morning?"
"Didn't I teach you? Opening a business is all about harmony and making money. Why can't you learn that?"
Judging from his appearance, the old man was the person in charge of the restaurant. Although he was dressed simply, he spoke with a certain air of authority.
He doesn't seem like an ordinary person.
The man called Xiao Gang bowed and scraped before him, saying, "Grandpa, I've always remembered what you said."
"It's all this kid's fault for coming over and causing trouble. His black fishing wood isn't right, but he still wants to sell it for a high price. I disagreed, so he started causing trouble."
This guy knows how to accuse the villain first.
Just as Chen Huan was about to curse, the old man bent down to look at the blackfish in the bucket.
"This color..." The old man seemed to know a lot about it.
A look of surprise crossed his face, then he straightened up and faced Chen Huan. "Where did the fish come from?"
"I caught it in the river," Chen Huan replied calmly.
"Which river?" the old man asked, quite specifically.
Chen Huan was getting impatient. "Are you going to buy it or not? If not, don't waste my time."
The man named Xiao Gang immediately glared at him, "You scoundrel, how dare you speak to the old man like that?"
"Looking for a beating so early in the morning?"
After saying that, he actually rolled up his sleeves and came closer, raising his hand to push Chen Huan.
As a result, Chen Huan grabbed his wrist and twisted it, shoving his head into the plastic bucket.
"Hey, if you've got the guts, let me go, and I'll make you regret it!" The man's voice was muffled as he spoke.
The old man next to him was stunned.
"Spend more time cleaning your mouth and stop bragging."
"With your pathetic appearance, who do you think you can kill?" Chen Huan swung his arm and threw the guy to the ground, where he landed on his back.
I originally thought this old man would cause me trouble too.
Unexpectedly, he nodded and praised him, saying, "Good lesson. He should have been taught a lesson long ago for not learning good things."
Chen Huan found the old man quite interesting, smiled, and prepared to pick up his bucket and leave.
"Don't go, young man, I want all these fish."
"The price is negotiable," the old man said, reaching out to stop Chen Huan.
When it comes to price, Chen Huan is a bit stumped.
He knew how good the blackfish in the head was, but he couldn't explain it.
You can't exactly tell people that this thing was fed with the residue of the Golden Elixir, and that it not only has delicious meat but also medicinal value.
After thinking for a moment, he directly stated the amount, "Sixty yuan per jin."
"Are you crazy?"
"When we go to the market, even the best wild blackfish only costs thirty-five yuan a catty. Is yours edged with gold?" Xiao Gang stood aside and mocked.
Chen Huan ignored him and instead looked at the old man.
"Sixty yuan is not expensive. We'll weigh it and you can pay right away," the old man replied readily.
This made Chen Huan regret that he had asked for a lower price.
The black carp in the bucket weighed exactly sixty jin (30 kg). The old man immediately instructed Xiao Gang to transfer three thousand six hundred yuan to Chen Huan without the slightest hesitation.
Before leaving, he added, "If you catch this kind of fish again in the future, be sure to bring it to me."
Chen Huan agreed, "The price won't be this price next time."
After Chen Huan had walked away, Xiao Gang said with a bitter face, "Old man, you don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household."
"Sixty yuan a pound for black carp, if your daughter finds out, she'll beat me up."
"This kid got a huge advantage."
The old man glared at him and said, "You don't know anything. Your boss will only praise you later."
"I haven't seen this kind of blackfish in years. This is the top-grade variety. Go back to the kitchen, cut one open, and you'll know once you see the meat."
"If that kid comes again, we must treat him well and not neglect him."
I made a trip to town and brought in 3,600 yuan.
Chen Huan was quite satisfied.
At that moment, all he could think about was the remaining blackfish in the river.
Since it's a wild river, the resources inside are gifts from nature, so why not take them?
"We'll have to catch a few more when we get back today."
"Maybe we can sell it for a higher price tomorrow," Chen Huan thought to himself, not wanting to waste the resources.
However, if we want to catch more fish to sell here, then we need to address the transportation issue.
"We need a proper means of transportation; we can't transport much by bicycle alone." Chen Huan looked around.
With his current financial resources, it's definitely far from enough to buy a proper vehicle.
However, there was an agricultural machinery station ahead, with many old tricycles parked at the entrance, which attracted him quite a bit.
Chen Huan rode his bicycle directly across the road.
I plan to choose a suitable used tricycle to make do with for now.
Before we even reached our destination, we suddenly heard angry shouts coming from a nearby shop: "Jin Dacheng, you bastard, how dare you sell me fake ginseng! You think I won't chop off your paws?!"
Then, carrying the bucket in one hand and pushing the bicycle with the other, he headed straight for the intersection.
He has good eyesight and can already see a restaurant diagonally opposite the intersection.
The sign says "Authentic Sauerkraut Fish".
The restaurant was definitely not open at this time, but the door was slightly ajar.
A tricycle loaded with fresh vegetables and other ingredients was parked at the entrance.
They must have gotten up early to go shopping.
"Is anyone home?"
"Do you buy fish here?" Chen Huan called out from the doorway.
"What kind of fish?" Someone immediately pushed open the door and came out.
He was a short, thin man, around thirty years old.
His clothes were covered in oil stains, and he was wearing a pair of rubber rain boots.
They look like kitchen staff.
"Blackfish, wild, just caught from the river." Chen Huan moved the bucket forward.
"You certainly know how to find a place to deliver it." The man first sized up Chen Huan.
While making jokes, he shifted his gaze to the bucket.
"The size isn't uniform, and the color looks off."
"Is this a real blackfish?" This guy immediately found fault with it, his face full of disgust.
"Those fished from the river can't all be the same size. The darker the color, the better the meat quality. You run a restaurant, so you should know more than I do," Chen Huan said patiently.
"You're making it sound like the truth, but I wonder if it's from a dubious source." The man continued to nitpick.
Then, she coldly tossed out a sentence, "How about this, fifteen a pound. Since you've practically delivered it to my door, I'll take it all."
Chen Huan was so angry that his nose almost crooked. "Do you really think I don't know anything about this? Farmed blackfish cost thirty yuan a pound, and you're offering fifteen? That's even more outrageous than offering this fish."
The man glared at him. "You little brat, who are you calling names?"
"This is the price. Take it or leave it. If you're not going to sell, get out of here and don't block the way."
Chen Huan had an urge to punch someone, but he was too lazy to bother with him.
Just as I was about to try my luck elsewhere, an old man carrying a birdcage walked over.
"Xiao Gangzi, what are you arguing about so early in the morning?"
"Didn't I teach you? Opening a business is all about harmony and making money. Why can't you learn that?"
Judging from his appearance, the old man was the person in charge of the restaurant. Although he was dressed simply, he spoke with a certain air of authority.
He doesn't seem like an ordinary person.
The man called Xiao Gang bowed and scraped before him, saying, "Grandpa, I've always remembered what you said."
"It's all this kid's fault for coming over and causing trouble. His black fishing wood isn't right, but he still wants to sell it for a high price. I disagreed, so he started causing trouble."
This guy knows how to accuse the villain first.
Just as Chen Huan was about to curse, the old man bent down to look at the blackfish in the bucket.
"This color..." The old man seemed to know a lot about it.
A look of surprise crossed his face, then he straightened up and faced Chen Huan. "Where did the fish come from?"
"I caught it in the river," Chen Huan replied calmly.
"Which river?" the old man asked, quite specifically.
Chen Huan was getting impatient. "Are you going to buy it or not? If not, don't waste my time."
The man named Xiao Gang immediately glared at him, "You scoundrel, how dare you speak to the old man like that?"
"Looking for a beating so early in the morning?"
After saying that, he actually rolled up his sleeves and came closer, raising his hand to push Chen Huan.
As a result, Chen Huan grabbed his wrist and twisted it, shoving his head into the plastic bucket.
"Hey, if you've got the guts, let me go, and I'll make you regret it!" The man's voice was muffled as he spoke.
The old man next to him was stunned.
"Spend more time cleaning your mouth and stop bragging."
"With your pathetic appearance, who do you think you can kill?" Chen Huan swung his arm and threw the guy to the ground, where he landed on his back.
I originally thought this old man would cause me trouble too.
Unexpectedly, he nodded and praised him, saying, "Good lesson. He should have been taught a lesson long ago for not learning good things."
Chen Huan found the old man quite interesting, smiled, and prepared to pick up his bucket and leave.
"Don't go, young man, I want all these fish."
"The price is negotiable," the old man said, reaching out to stop Chen Huan.
When it comes to price, Chen Huan is a bit stumped.
He knew how good the blackfish in the head was, but he couldn't explain it.
You can't exactly tell people that this thing was fed with the residue of the Golden Elixir, and that it not only has delicious meat but also medicinal value.
After thinking for a moment, he directly stated the amount, "Sixty yuan per jin."
"Are you crazy?"
"When we go to the market, even the best wild blackfish only costs thirty-five yuan a catty. Is yours edged with gold?" Xiao Gang stood aside and mocked.
Chen Huan ignored him and instead looked at the old man.
"Sixty yuan is not expensive. We'll weigh it and you can pay right away," the old man replied readily.
This made Chen Huan regret that he had asked for a lower price.
The black carp in the bucket weighed exactly sixty jin (30 kg). The old man immediately instructed Xiao Gang to transfer three thousand six hundred yuan to Chen Huan without the slightest hesitation.
Before leaving, he added, "If you catch this kind of fish again in the future, be sure to bring it to me."
Chen Huan agreed, "The price won't be this price next time."
After Chen Huan had walked away, Xiao Gang said with a bitter face, "Old man, you don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household."
"Sixty yuan a pound for black carp, if your daughter finds out, she'll beat me up."
"This kid got a huge advantage."
The old man glared at him and said, "You don't know anything. Your boss will only praise you later."
"I haven't seen this kind of blackfish in years. This is the top-grade variety. Go back to the kitchen, cut one open, and you'll know once you see the meat."
"If that kid comes again, we must treat him well and not neglect him."
I made a trip to town and brought in 3,600 yuan.
Chen Huan was quite satisfied.
At that moment, all he could think about was the remaining blackfish in the river.
Since it's a wild river, the resources inside are gifts from nature, so why not take them?
"We'll have to catch a few more when we get back today."
"Maybe we can sell it for a higher price tomorrow," Chen Huan thought to himself, not wanting to waste the resources.
However, if we want to catch more fish to sell here, then we need to address the transportation issue.
"We need a proper means of transportation; we can't transport much by bicycle alone." Chen Huan looked around.
With his current financial resources, it's definitely far from enough to buy a proper vehicle.
However, there was an agricultural machinery station ahead, with many old tricycles parked at the entrance, which attracted him quite a bit.
Chen Huan rode his bicycle directly across the road.
I plan to choose a suitable used tricycle to make do with for now.
Before we even reached our destination, we suddenly heard angry shouts coming from a nearby shop: "Jin Dacheng, you bastard, how dare you sell me fake ginseng! You think I won't chop off your paws?!"