The next day.
Zhang Wei sat beside a rice stand reading a newspaper. This newspaper was borrowed from his uncle and was mostly yesterday's news or older. He firmly believed that information equaled money, and in an era without the internet, newspapers became the primary medium for spreading information.
Zhang Aiguo and Cheng Lin thought he was simply looking at the pictures in the newspaper and had no idea that their son was engrossed in the content.
Next to the rice stand was a stiff cardboard sign that read: "Salt Market Rice: 0.95 yuan per jin, County Rice: 0.85 yuan per jin, Buy thirty jin for a discount of three fen per jin, Buy fifty jin for a discount of five fen per jin, Delivery for orders over thirty jin."
As morning passed, people headed to the market began to inquire if the prices were real, and Zhang Wei listened intently.
"Is it true that if I buy thirty jin, I get a discount of three fen per jin?"
"Of course, sister! How about thirty jin? Our rice is authentic, shipped straight from the Salt Market."
"Fifty jin! Please deliver it to Daylight City, Building 3, Room 203."
A middle-aged man asked the next question.
"If I buy a hundred jin, can you give me a better deal? If you can spare a bit more, I'd commit to only buying rice from you in the future."
Cheng Lin was momentarily stunned; she hadn't considered this situation. While her husband was out delivering rice, she had no one to discuss it with.
Zhang Wei quickly sensed his mother's lack of business experience. He chimed in, "Uncle, we generally can't offer discounts, but since you're being so sincere, I can ask my mom to give you a cost price. Salt Market Rice is 0.90 yuan, County Rice is 0.80 yuan. How does that sound?" Although he called it a cost price, he was actually taking half a mao profit per jin after the discount.
The middle-aged man beamed in response, "Can I count on what this kid says?"
"Absolutely," Cheng Lin nodded eagerly.
"Then I'd like a hundred jin!"
"Sure, give me your address, and once my husband returns, we'll deliver it right away."
This situation continued to unfold, and Zhang Wei couldn't help but smile. Business at the rice stand had improved significantly; in just one morning, they sold seven hundred jin of rice. That amount usually took a week at the other market in Daylight City!
Choosing this location for their stand had proven to be the right move. Zhang Wei internally berated himself for not paying more attention earlier; had he done so, they wouldn't have faced the earlier difficulties.
During lunch, Zhang Wei looked at his parents, sweating heavily from hard work, and felt a pang of compassion. Right now, they only had a 28-inch bicycle for deliveries. Sending a couple of hundred jin was manageable, but what if a larger order came? Wouldn't that be exhausting?
He remembered that in his previous life, his father's workload lightened considerably after purchasing a tricycle.
"Mom and Dad, let's buy a tricycle," Zhang Wei suggested, genuinely concerned about his father's exhaustion from delivering rice.
Cheng Lin immediately refused, saying, "Why should we buy that thing?" She was reluctant to spend the money.
Zhang Wei understood that his mother was hesitant about the expense, so he pointed at his father and said, "Look at how tired Dad is riding that old bicycle to deliver rice! Of course, if you're not worried about him, then just pretend I didn't say anything."
Cheng Lin fell silent. It would be a lie to say she didn't care about her husband, but her concern for money was still strong.
Zhang Aiguo looked on with hopeful eyes; he really wanted a tricycle. It would make his deliveries easier, and he wouldn't have to make so many trips to set up and pack up the stall since their rented place was quite far. A tricycle would solve a lot of these problems.
"But we don't have much money right now," Cheng Lin said quietly.
Zhang Wei quickly calculated, "Yesterday, we sold a thousand jin of rice and made 150 yuan. After discounts, we sold seven hundred jin this morning for about 85 yuan. That makes 235 yuan combined. If we sell another seven hundred jin tonight, that's a total of 310 yuan in two days! A tricycle costs a little over two hundred; we have enough!"
Knowing how frugal his mother was, Zhang Wei hoped she wouldn't turn down this proposal.
Cheng Lin bit her lip and replied, "If we can sell seven hundred jin this afternoon, let's get the tricycle after we
After closing the stall, Zhang Wei followed his parents to a nearby tricycle dealership. Even though it was already past six o'clock, the shop was still brightly lit, showing no signs of closing.
"What kind of tricycle are you looking for?" the owner asked.
Zhang Wei pondered for a moment. A basic human-powered tricycle might be functional, but considering that his family was finally making some money, he felt that spending 240 yuan on such a simple model would seem a bit too shabby. It would be embarrassing to park such a low-end tricycle in front of their rice stall. If they were earning money, they should be willing to spend it wisely and showcase their family's financial strength and a more upscale image.
So, with a decisive gesture, Zhang Wei said, "Mom and Dad, let's buy a Phoenix brand tricycle!"
—Mmm, this tricycle costs 250 yuan.