novellhall Chapter 127 The mushrooms I grew are worthless
Chapter 127 The mushrooms I grew are worthless
"Qingshuang, what should we do? These mushrooms are stuck here. What if we can't sell them?" Aunt Feng was also getting anxious after learning from Shen Qingshuang that the manager of the state-run restaurant had refused to cooperate with them.
Shen Qingshuang couldn't understand it either. They were all eager to harvest the mushrooms that Wenrou had grown before, so why was no one willing to buy the ones they grew?
"I'll go look for someone again tomorrow. Our mushrooms are so good, I refuse to believe no one will be willing to buy them!"
Shen Qingshuang wouldn't give up so easily. They had been busy for more than half a month, running around in the fields day and night, all for this day.
If they give up now, all their previous hard work will have been in vain.
Despite Shen Qingshuang's words, Aunt Feng and the others were still so worried that they couldn't sleep.
Before dawn the next day, there was a knock on Shen Qingshuang's door.
Zhou Dayong was still asleep when he was woken up by the knocking. When he opened the door, he saw Aunt Feng and the others standing there looking anxious.
"Battalion Commander Zhou, please tell Qing Shuang quickly that the weather is bad and it looks like it's going to rain. If we can't sell these mushrooms soon, they'll just pile up at home and get moldy and spoil."
Zhou Dayong was not optimistic about Shen Qingshuang's mushroom-growing project, but he did not expect that they would actually grow mushrooms after so many days.
Looking at all those mushrooms piled up there, if they spoil, the loss would be considerable.
So he went in and quickly woke Shen Qingshuang up. When she heard that it was going to rain, Shen Qingshuang panicked a little.
"How about this, I'll go with you again today and have a good talk with the manager of that state-run restaurant. Let's ask him why he won't accept our mushrooms." Zhou Dayong couldn't bear to watch the money he had just earned slip away, so he also began to actively try to help Shen Qingshuang.
Shen Qingshuang nodded. "Then wait for me to change my clothes, and we'll go now."
After she finished speaking, she quickly went inside to change her clothes and then ran out.
Just as they reached the entrance of the residential compound, they saw the manager of the state-run restaurant standing at the door.
Upon seeing this, Shen Qingshuang's face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly went over.
"Manager Zhang, are you here to collect mushrooms?"
Manager Zhang recognized Shen Qingshuang as the person who had barged into their restaurant yesterday, saying she wanted to cooperate with them.
He also looked at the mushrooms she brought, and their quality was exceptionally poor, so he didn't take them.
For state-run restaurants, ingredients are of utmost importance, so the selection process is not arbitrary, and not just anyone can cooperate with them.
"No, I'm here to see Comrade Wen," Manager Zhang said.
He had already told Wenrou that he would only accept mushrooms from her from now on, because he could only trust her quality.
Upon hearing Manager Zhang's words, Shen Qingshuang's expression changed immediately.
At this moment, Aunt Feng and Sun Mei, seeing the situation, also came over to help Shen Qingshuang.
Upon learning that he was the manager of the state-run restaurant, Aunt Feng hurriedly stepped forward and said enthusiastically, "Manager Zhang, that Comrade Wen you mentioned has stopped growing mushrooms. There's no use looking for her. Right now, all the mushrooms we grow here are only available to us. If you don't take ours, how will your restaurant operate?"
"What did you say? Comrade Wen isn't growing mushrooms anymore?" Manager Zhang's expression changed drastically upon hearing this news.
If gentleness doesn't grow mushrooms, how can they cooperate?
Are we really going to collect all these low-quality mushrooms?
Just then, a gentle figure appeared behind them.
She reached out and led Wang's wife and several other people who were growing mushrooms with her, following Professor Peng's method.
"I have indeed stopped growing mushrooms, but I never said I would stop cooperating with state-run restaurants."
After Wenrou finished speaking, everyone looked at her.
Shen Qingshuang didn't understand what Wenrou meant. Hadn't she stopped growing mushrooms? How could she cooperate with others now?
Just then, everyone saw her carrying a bag filled with white mushrooms, and they were all surprised.
"Look at the quality of these white mushrooms, they're about the same as the ones I grew before." Wenrou placed the sack in front of Manager Zhang.
Manager Zhang certainly believed in Wenrou; since she said that, it meant there was definitely no problem.
Sure enough, after examining the quality of the white mushrooms, he nodded in satisfaction.
However, after looking at the gentle man and then at the people around him, he suddenly changed his mind.
"Although we've worked together before, I've also said that I only work with you. Since you didn't grow these yourself, I still don't quite trust you. So we need to discuss the price again."
Previously, only Wenrou could grow it, so he offered such a high price. Now that others can grow it, he naturally has to lower the price.
Wenrou had already guessed it beforehand, so she wasn't surprised at all.
Things are valued for their scarcity. Now, Sister Wang and her friends have also started growing them. They have at least two or three thousand kilograms of mushrooms in total.
It's definitely impossible to sell it at the previous price.
"Alright then, for Comrade Wen's sake, let's calculate the price at three cents per kilogram for white mushrooms, and as for oyster mushrooms, let's just say one cent." Manager Zhang directly lowered the price significantly.
He just thought of another idea: if they could mix the good and the bad together and sell them, probably no one would be able to tell the difference.
Although the mushrooms grown by those people weren't as good as the gentle ones, they were still considered average.
Then he can lower the price again and buy more, and the profit will come down, right?
Wenrou's expression changed slightly upon hearing his words.
She looked at Sister Wang, not expecting him to lower the price so much.
"Sister-in-law, this price is indeed a bit too low. Whether you want to sell it or not is up to you. If you want to sell it for a higher price, we may need to wait a little longer," Wenrou said softly to Sister-in-law Wang.
Of course, Sister Wang knew this, but now she was also worried that she wouldn't be able to sell the mushrooms she grew.
They finally found someone who wanted them; if they waited any longer, these mushrooms would go moldy and become worthless, and they wouldn't earn a single penny.
"We'll sell, Xiaorou, no matter the price, we'll sell," Sister Wang hurriedly said.
Wenrou actually wanted to try to help them again, but seeing how anxious Wang Saozi and the others were, she had to give up.
She can't guarantee she'll find them a better buyer anytime soon, so she can only try her luck at the state-run restaurants in the city.
If this back-and-forth wastes time, who will bear the resulting losses?
"In that case, it's settled then." Manager Zhang was overjoyed that the other party would be so decisive.
When Shen Qingshuang and the others saw that Manager Zhang had taken the mushrooms from Sister Wang's family, they became even more anxious.
"Manager Zhang, you can have our mushrooms too."
Although the price is much lower than Wenrou's previous price, they don't care about anything else now as long as they can make money.
Manager Zhang looked at Shen Qingshuang and the others, and reluctantly said, "The quality of the mushrooms you have is a bit poor. Whether they are white mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, I'll charge you 10 cents per kilogram. If you want to sell them, I'll have someone come and load them up this afternoon. If you don't want to sell them, then forget it."
"One cent per kilogram? That's so little?"
"That's too little. After all, we can only earn a few dozen yuan. After deducting the cost of buying the inoculum and other expenses, we won't make much."
"Yes, that's too little. Could you add a little more?"
Shen Qingshuang's face grew even uglier upon hearing Manager Zhang's words.
She looked at Manager Zhang and questioned him defiantly, "Why did you give Wenrou such a high price before, but give us so little? Are you trying to fob us off? This is so humiliating!"
Wenrou couldn't help but sneer inwardly as she listened to Shen Qingshuang's words.
This Shen Qing Shuang is really brainless; she still can't grasp the situation?
They're practically begging Manager Zhang to buy their mushrooms; if no one buys them, they'll just sit there and rot, and they won't earn a single penny.
Not only will they fail to recoup their costs, but they will also lose money.
Seeing this, Manager Zhang gave Shen Qingshuang and the others a disdainful smile.
"Since you are unwilling to sell, I will not force you."
After he finished speaking, he had someone weigh all of Wang's mushrooms. On average, each of Wang's mushrooms could earn more than a hundred yuan.
Although they didn't earn as much money as they expected, something is better than nothing.
Seeing that each of Wang's sisters-in-law had earned more than a hundred yuan, Aunt Feng and the others became anxious.
If they don't sell these mushrooms now, they might lose money if they can't find other buyers.
"Wait a minute, Manager Zhang, we didn't say we wouldn't sell. We'll sell at the price you asked for," Aunt Feng hurriedly stepped forward to stop Manager Zhang.
After Aunt Feng finished speaking, Sun Mei gritted her teeth and echoed, "Sell, we'll sell."
"Yes, yes, we sell them all."
Seeing that things had already come to this, the others had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.
Even though Manager Zhang had just agreed to buy it at one cent per kilogram, it didn't mean he had no requirements regarding quality.
In the afternoon, he and his men went through the mushrooms they had again, and they didn't want the ones that weren't of good quality.
So, the original yield was 500 kilograms, but in the end, each household only produced 300 kilograms, so each household could only earn about 30 yuan in the end.
Shen Qingshuang and Aunt Feng looked at the thirty yuan in their hands. After deducting the money spent on buying the mushroom spawn and other materials, they could only earn a dozen yuan.
"Oh dear, how could this happen? These mushrooms were so valuable before, Wenrou could earn hundreds or even thousands, why are we only getting this little bit?"
Aunt Feng was having trouble accepting this fact. She even wrote a letter to her family, saying that she would send money back to them once she earned it.
The little money they earn now isn't even enough to cover their family's expenses, so how could they possibly have any extra money?
"Qing Shuang, you were the one who insisted on dragging us to grow mushrooms, saying you'd make us a lot of money. Is this the kind of big money you were talking about?" Sun Mei asked Shen Qing Shuang, who was standing to the side.
Seeing this, the others echoed his sentiment.
"Yes, we've been working so hard for so long. To grow mushrooms, I've been working from dawn till dusk, and I'm so tired that my back aches all day. I've also spent a lot of money at the medical station. The money I've earned now isn't even enough to pay for the medicine."
"It's the same in my family. I've already told my kids that once we earn money, I'll make them new clothes and take them to town for a nice meal. Right now, we can't do anything with this little money."
"We grew mushrooms according to the methods taught by Technician Liang, so why are we so far behind Sister Wang and her family?"
"Sister Wang and the others planted it according to Professor Peng's method. I think Professor Peng's method is more reliable. If we had known, we would have followed Professor Peng and learned properly."
Hearing their complaints, Shen Qingshuang became even more irritated.
"Professor Peng? Isn't it because you all looked down on Professor Peng, didn't want to listen to his lectures, and made him leave in anger, and now you regret it? Whose fault is that?"
Shen Qingshuang's face immediately turned cold as she looked at these people. She had meant well in the first place, thinking of helping them make money.
But now, they're blaming her for not making enough money for them, which isn't something she can control.
"If you can't make big money, it's because you're not capable. I found you technicians from Beijing and gave you advice, but you turn around and blame me. You're really ungrateful."
Shen Qingshuang was so angry that she pointed at them and started cursing at them one by one.
"Alright, everyone calm down. This isn't the outcome we wanted either. Qing Shuang has already helped us a lot. This time, we were inexperienced, so it's not her fault."
Although Aunt Feng was also upset, she still had to comfort the others.
Because of this incident, everyone ended up parting on bad terms.
Wenrou wasn't surprised to see this, because she had already guessed this outcome.
"Xiaorou, thank goodness we listened to you and grew mushrooms according to Professor Peng's method, otherwise we would probably have lost money by now," Sister Wang said to Wenrou with gratitude.
Although she didn't earn as much as Wenrou, she was already very satisfied with what she could earn.
"I just gave you an idea, I didn't do anything. The fact that you can make money is the result of your own hard work." What Wenrou said was true. Wang's wife and the others were hardworking and down-to-earth, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to make money.
She didn't say much to Sister Wang and the others. She went home, pushed her bicycle, and prepared to go to the factory to check on Lu Ming's progress.
He had just reached the door when Shen Qingshuang called him back.
"Wenrou, did you already know that growing mushrooms wouldn't make money, which is why you didn't grow them? If that's the case, why didn't you stop us? You made us work for free for more than half a month. Were you doing this on purpose?"
Shen Qingshuang felt something was off. If growing mushrooms was so profitable, why did Wenrou give up this time?
So, she had already guessed this outcome and wanted to see them work for nothing.
Hearing Shen Qingshuang's words, the others finally reacted. Aunt Feng looked at Wenrou and asked, "Yes, if you knew this would happen, why didn't you stop us?"
Wenrou looked at the people blocking her way and found it all amusing.
"You didn't believe me in the first place, so why should I do something thankless? Besides, what does it matter to me whether you make money or not? Why should I stop you?"
Hearing Wenrou's words, Aunt Feng felt a little ashamed.
Thinking back to how they had spoken so gently, she regretted it now, but it was too late to say anything.
Just then, someone came looking for Wenrou at the entrance of the family compound.
Curious, she went outside and saw Lu Ming leading a group of people to bring over the repaired washing machine.
The washing machine is brand new, it was also transported from Guangzhou, but a few parts inside were damaged, which Lu Ming has now repaired.
Seeing this, Wenrou quickly had the washing machine carried inside.