Volume One, Chapter 13: The First Day of Successful Shipment—Profit Made!

“Boss Hu, how’s business going?”

As soon as he arrived at the stall, Tang Xionghua greeted the owner, whose surname was Hu, with enthusiasm. At the same time, he glanced over the goods on display, searching for the dried small fish and shrimp.

It didn’t take long for him to recognize the sacks used last time for packing those dried fish and shrimp, noticing only a few remnants left inside. This meant the products had sold very well, almost completely gone.

Tang Xionghua immediately breathed a sigh of relief, secretly pleased.

“Ah, Brother Tang, why are you only coming now? Did you bring the goods?”

“The dozen or so pounds I brought last time sold out in less than three days. I deliberately left this small bit just for show.”

“You should have left some contact information; I was worried you wouldn’t come again.”

Boss Hu was eating rice from a bowl when he saw Tang Xionghua and immediately put down his chopsticks, warmly exchanging greetings.

Needless to say, he had already tasted the sweetness of selling dried small fish and shrimp.

He bought from Tang Xionghua at a wholesale price of 6.9 yuan per unit, initially selling at 8.9 yuan. The next day, he raised the price to 9 yuan, and it still sold well.

By the third day, he increased it to 9.1 yuan, and everything was gone instantly.

Just from selling those 12 pounds, Boss Hu made a gross profit of over 20 yuan in three days.

If there were more stock, he would definitely make a hefty profit.

Boss Hu’s stall had plenty of dried goods like mushrooms and wood ear fungus, but their monthly gross profit didn’t even reach 20 yuan.

So, he eagerly anticipated Tang Xionghua’s return.

“I brought plenty this time. I’ll be the first to deliver to you early tomorrow morning,” Tang Xionghua replied cheerfully.

“No, no, can you bring it now? I want 50 pounds!” Boss Hu urged.

“All right, I’ll get the goods for you right away!”

After agreeing immediately, father and son hurried out of the market.

“Yichen! This is great! We can make money!”

Once outside, Tang Xionghua, savoring the moment, whispered excitedly to Tang Yichen.

His voice was low, fearing eavesdroppers, but his excitement was immense.

“Yeah!” Tang Yichen nodded happily.

Boss Hu wanted 50 pounds from just one stall, and since they brought just over 500 pounds this time, it would probably sell out quickly.

The vegetable markets around the train station alone could absorb all the goods, so they likely wouldn’t need to go elsewhere.

They decided to put buying a bicycle aside for the moment.

Back at their rented room, Tang Xionghua carried a sack of dried small fish and shrimp out.

The market was nearby, and since his father had to carry the goods and might not be able to watch over Tang Yichen, Tang Yichen stayed alone in the room.

Less than half an hour later, Tang Xionghua knocked and returned.

His face was flushed with happiness, a stark contrast to the worried expression he had an hour earlier.

As soon as he entered, he locked the door behind him and eagerly pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket, tossing it in front of Tang Yichen.

Originally, the sack weighed more than 50 pounds; after weighing, it was just over 65 pounds.

But Boss Hu took it all without hesitation.

It was just a few extra days of selling, no problem at all.

Tang Yichen took the money from his father and began counting:

“One hundred, two hundred, three hundred... 448 yuan, that’s right, that’s the amount!”

Tang Xionghua smiled warmly. “No, Yichen, your math needs improving. The total was actually 448.60 yuan, but Boss Hu insisted I drop the change to round it off. How could I say no? Haha!”

Tang Yichen rolled his eyes silently at his father’s antics. Tang Xionghua was getting carried away.

“That’s business—can’t be too stingy. After all, it’s about long-term relations.”

Yichen shrugged and smiled in agreement with his father’s approach.

“Haha, I’m going to get rich!”

Tang Xionghua became even more exuberant, scooping up Tang Yichen and tossing him high in the air.

He was overjoyed—never had he imagined making money could be so easy and so invigorating!

“Yes, yes, Dad, you’re getting rich, one step closer to becoming a tycoon.”

“That’s right. Yichen, you’re also one step closer to being the son of a tycoon...”

“Hahaha, hahaha!”

Laughter and joy filled the small rented room.

Father and son reveled in the delight of their first success.

But soon, Tang Yichen’s unruly stomach growled loudly, and his father’s sweat-soaked clothes made the room suffocating.

No choice—Tang Xionghua quickly took a shower and then took Tang Yichen out to eat.

Although the rental had a fully equipped kitchen, they had just moved in and had no oil, salt, or rice, so they couldn’t cook.

To celebrate their initial victory, the father and son splurged on a six-yuan dinner.

A real treat.

——

The next morning at six-thirty, Tang Yichen and his father got up early and went downstairs. After a simple breakfast, they went to a nearby shop selling vehicles.

Tang Xionghua immediately spotted a second-hand tricycle inside.

After a quick inspection, he asked the owner, “How much for this bike?”

“Two hundred!” The owner, somewhat interested, replied.

Tang Xionghua frowned. “Boss, that’s a bit steep. A new one costs around three hundred. This one’s clearly been used a long time and even had major repairs. It’s not worth that price.”

The owner recognized Tang Xionghua’s accent and realized he wasn’t a local.

But seeing Tang Xionghua was not easily fooled, he bargained, “It is old, but the quality is guaranteed. If it doesn’t work, you can return it. If you’re serious, I’ll sell it for 180 yuan, my lowest price.”

“No, 150 yuan is my limit!” Tang Xionghua countered.

After some haggling, they settled at 160 yuan.

Tang Yichen silently followed his father, clearly noticing how much his bargaining skills had improved.

More importantly, there was a newfound confidence and composure in his words.

This was the transformation success brings to one’s confidence—crucial and significant.

His father was making great strides down this path...

Having secured the first tricycle of his life, Tang Xionghua proudly loaded it with three sacks of goods—nearly 200 pounds—plus Tang Yichen’s weight of just under 40 pounds.

Tang Xionghua was calm and steady, rushing like the wind toward the market.

Following the previously arranged stalls, he delivered the goods one after another.

Except for Boss Hu, the other small vendors hadn’t truly sold their products before.

So when taking stock, they were cautious, only taking small amounts—ten or fifteen pounds, sometimes as little as five or six pounds to test the waters.

The largest single order was twenty pounds, which was the maximum.

After finishing one market, father and son immediately rushed to the second.

Thus, from around eight in the morning until well past five in the afternoon, they ran through a dozen markets within a radius of about ten miles from the train station.

By the end, only half a sack—just over thirty pounds—remained unsold.

The remaining more than one hundred pounds were all sold out!

This outcome was far better than Tang Yichen had expected.

The two of them laughed heartily.

They believed Boss Hu’s experience would be repeated with all the small vendors.

In just a few days, they would be ravenous for Tang Xionghua’s goods!

Once the market truly opened up, that would be the moment for them to make big money.