CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 103: LIN YI STRIKES IT RICH

The lotus roots in the market are selling for fifty cents per pound, and the wholesale price is about thirty cents.

While the two were figuring out how to sell lotus roots, they didn’t forget about Zheng Guoxing. When delivering seafood, they brought ten pounds of lotus roots to him.

Late at night, there wasn’t much business at the Guoxing Restaurant.

Zheng Guoxing habitually came out to help carry the seafood, and when he saw the ten pounds of lotus roots, he was somewhat surprised, "Oh! Sister-in-law, where did you buy these lotus roots? So fresh!"

Lin Qin couldn’t stop smiling, "We didn’t buy them; we grew these ourselves. Take them to try, see if they taste good. If you like them, we have a lot more at home, plenty for you."

Zheng Guoxing immediately understood Lin Qin’s intention, "Sister-in-law, hold on, I’ll go to the kitchen to make a stir-fried lotus root slices dish and a lotus root and pork rib soup, you all try it."

The couple was used to it and didn’t refuse.

Waiting until everything from the tricycle was unloaded.

Chen Wenjun went back to load the second batch of seafood, while Lin Qin stayed to weigh and record the accounts.

The stir-fried lotus root slices were soon ready.

Everyone in the restaurant tasted it, and Lin Qin’s eyes lit up after just one bite, giving Zheng Guoxing a thumbs up, "Your cooking skills are really improving!"

Zheng Guoxing was quite proud, "I’m the signature chef here. Honestly, this lotus root is really good—tender, crispy, fresh—with a sweet taste; I think it could even be eaten raw. Deliver a hundred pounds to me tomorrow and let’s see."

"No problem!" Lin Qin answered very quickly.

Once Chen Wenjun brought over the rest of the seafood, the lotus root and pork rib soup was also ready.

The couple each had a bowl before leaving.

After returning home, Lin Yi was overjoyed to hear that Zheng Guoxing had ordered a hundred pounds of lotus roots.

In the early hours of the next day, when Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin went to the dock, they also loaded a boat with lotus roots.

Everything was moved to Lv Lin’s recruitment center.

Lv Lin had just arrived, still in a semi-awake state, his eyes widening when he saw all those bags, "What are these?"

"Lotus roots! We grew them ourselves, wanted to try selling them at the dock," Lin Qin answered honestly.

Lv Lin was dazed for a few seconds before reacting, opened all the bags, inspected them closely, then rubbed his chin and asked, "What’s the price?"

"Thirty-five cents." Lin Qin glanced at Chen Wenjun and explained, "We burn diesel coming from the city, so it’s five cents more per pound."

Lv Lin nodded, indicating his understanding, "All right, weigh the items and sell them from my side."

This was exactly what the couple wanted, so they immediately started to get busy.

There was a thousand pounds of lotus roots on the boat.

After weighing and settling the accounts, Hong Weimin also picked out the seafood that Chen Wenjun wanted.

They rushed back, delivering another five hundred pounds of lotus roots to the vegetable market on the way.

They themselves didn’t sell to individuals, just wholesaled to the elderly. They retailed at three cents wholesale, and the elderly sold for five cents, the business was good.

For elderly with limited mobility who can’t go far, it was a pleasant surprise.

Because of this, Lin Qin and her husband quickly became the darlings of the elderly stallholders at the vegetable market. When the couple didn’t show up occasionally, no one else dared to take their place.

By afternoon, the couple managed another shipment of over a thousand pounds of lotus roots to the dock.

They planned to sell the goods to those cargo ships.

However, as soon as they arrived at the dock, they were intercepted by the sharp-eyed Lv Lin who bought everything.

At the recruitment center.

Lv Lin was hospitably brewing tea for Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin, dramatically describing the morning’s frenzy over the lotus roots.

"You have no idea. Those merchants who came to buy seafood saw the lotus roots, gathered around, and my seafood sold faster than others’. By around noon, some villagers had cooked lotus roots, everyone who had them said they were good, and they’ve placed orders with me. Let’s make an agreement; I’ll buy all your lotus roots, and if I have anything good, you’ll be the first to know. How about it?"

One should always take a businessman’s words with a grain of salt, but regardless of how much truth there was in Lv Lin’s words, the couple felt very pleased.

They immediately nodded repeatedly, agreeing.

Lin Qin said, "The lotus roots at home can still be sold for another ten days or so, sending over two thousand pounds to Brother Lv every day won’t be a problem during this time."

Lv Lin was overjoyed, "Great! Let’s do it as you say."

What he was worried about now was that Lin Qin and her husband wouldn’t have enough lotus roots to supply; he wasn’t worried at all about them delivering more, because at the dock, as long as there were goods, they weren’t hard to sell.

In the days that followed.

Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun were even busier.

The lotus roots were not only selling well in South Port but also the elderly selling at the Xiaotian vegetable market were eagerly ordering from them.

They had to prioritize the elderly first, then send the remaining stock to Lv Lin.

They hustled for half a month before all the lotus roots were dug up.

All the accompanying eels and loaches were sent to be raised at the Guoxing Restaurant.

This wave of lotus root cultivation brought Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin more than ten thousand yuan, and the eels and loaches sold for nearly six thousand yuan. As per their previous agreement, the couple gave half of the income to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was shocked when he received over eight thousand yuan.

"What are you guys doing! What’s this about?"

Chen Wenjun explained seriously, "Dad, you forgot what we discussed before? All this land was cultivated by you, so you get half of the earnings."

Lin Yi was even more frightened, his voice trembling, "Is half really this much?"

Lin Qin just found it funny, "Dad, you know better than us about the yield per acre of lotus roots and what price they sell for, plus the eels and loaches. Calculate for yourself, and you’ll understand."

"But you don’t really have to give me this much!" Lin Yi mumbled softly, his face full of entanglement.

The couple exchanged a knowing smile.

Chen Wenjun persuaded, "Dad! It’s said, clear accounts make long-term friends. Take this money with peace of mind. Tomorrow, I’ll buy something good to eat, so we can properly celebrate and thank you for leading me to prosperity."

Lin Yi laughed heartily, "Don’t tease me! Seriously, these lotus roots sell so well, we can plant more next year."

Lin Qin agreed wholeheartedly. Now that everyone had just been allocated their own pieces of land, the number of fields each family owned was limited, and there weren’t many wealthy people. Even if others knew they made money from lotus roots this year, they’d find it hard to imitate unless they were bold and willing to gamble big, which wasn’t common.

Lin Yi’s idea of getting wealthy by planting lotus roots was indeed feasible, at least enough to keep him occupied until the 1990s.

Lin Yi, who had received the money, was particularly happy. After putting it away, he turned to Chen Wenjun and Lin Qin and said, "I plan to give Yuezhen two hundred, what do you think?"

"That’s necessary! Dad, even if you didn’t give it, I would. If it wasn’t for cousin-in-law’s help this time, you really wouldn’t have been able to manage everything alone." Lin Qin said seriously.

This past half-month, aside from going to work in the mornings, Huang Yuezhen had been busy in the fields at all other times, working tirelessly till late at night, her work ethic making even Lin Yi admire her.

Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun could only be in awe, further strengthening their determination to keep Huang Yuezhen at home to help.

When Huang Yuezhen returned from the construction site, Lin Yi immediately gave her two hundred yuan.