Chapter 6

Xiao Ping had long thought about it; these vegetables, which were watered with spirit liquid, had to be sold as high-quality products and could not be casually sold at the market. He targeted high-end hotels and restaurants, as only these places would be willing to pay a high price for special ingredients. If Xiao Ping could build a reputation in high-end hotels, he wouldn't have to worry about sales in the future.

With this plan in mind, Xiao Ping rode his bike to the nearest high-end hotel in the city — the Garden Hotel. This was the oldest five-star hotel in the city, known for its beautiful environment and top-notch facilities. Many leaders and foreign dignitaries who visited the city would choose to stay at the Garden Hotel. Xiao Ping chose this as his first stop, hoping his vegetables would make a big splash.

Of course, selling vegetables meant he couldn't go through the main entrance. Xiao Ping rode his tricycle to the side door of the hotel and smiled at the security guard, "Hello, sir. Could you let me in to find someone?"

The security guard looked at Xiao Ping suspiciously and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"I want to find the head chef," Xiao Ping said boldly, aiming straight for the top of the kitchen.

Xiao Ping's confident demeanor intimidated the security guard, who asked tentatively, "Do you know Chef Sun? Or did you make an appointment?"

Xiao Ping, being a first-time salesperson, shook his head honestly, "No, I don't know him, and I didn't make an appointment. I just want to try to sell the vegetables I grew..."

Before Xiao Ping could finish, the security guard's face changed, and he waved his hand, shouting, "What a joke! We don't accept any sales. Get lost, get lost!"

Xiao Ping was determined to sell his vegetables and wouldn't be deterred by a few words from the security guard. Despite the guard's poor attitude, he insisted, "Sir, please help me out. These are high-tech new variety vegetables, not available on the market. The head chef will definitely be interested!"

The security guard didn't believe Xiao Ping and waved him off impatiently, "Get lost, or I'll call the police!"

Xiao Ping persisted, "No, no... these are really new variety vegetables. Don't believe me? Take a look!"

Just as they were arguing, a middle-aged, overweight man with an oily face walked in, looking troubled. Seeing the tricycle parked at the entrance, he frowned and stopped, shouting at the security guard, "Whose car is this? It's almost blocking the entrance. Move it quickly!"

This man was the hotel's head chef, Sun Lin. The security guard quickly pointed at Xiao Ping, "Chef Sun, the car is his. I'll get him to leave right away!"

Xiao Ping wouldn't miss such a good opportunity and hurriedly stepped forward to stop the middle-aged man, "Chef Sun, please take a look at our new variety vegetables. It won't take much of your time!"

As he spoke, Xiao Ping pulled back the tarp covering the tricycle, revealing the vegetables to the head chef. Sun Lin's expression changed as soon as he saw them, and he picked up a vegetable, examining it and asking, "Did you grow these?"

"Yes, these are new variety organic vegetables, and I'm the only one selling them in the market," Xiao Ping seized the opportunity to introduce them. "These vegetables not only look good but taste exceptional. Just one bite, and you'll know I'm not exaggerating."

Xiao Ping's introduction was quite ordinary, but the vegetables looked very appealing. After a moment's thought, Sun Lin nodded, "Alright, come with me. If the vegetables are as good as you say, I'll buy some from you!"

"Great!" Xiao Ping quickly responded, pushing his tricycle into the hotel behind Sun Lin, beaming with joy.

For a large hotel like this, preparing a dish was no problem. Soon, the stir-fried vegetables were brought to Sun Lin. Just one look, and Sun Lin couldn't help but praise them in his heart.

Good dishes should have a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste. Although Sun Lin didn't know how the dish tasted yet, just from the color and aroma, he was already very satisfied. He couldn't wait to take a bite and was immediately lost in the flavor, sighing deeply after a while, "This taste... it's simply amazing!"

Xiao Ping saw Sun Lin's expression and knew the deal was done, smiling, "Chef Sun, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Sun Lin nodded, "The vegetables are indeed good. How much do you plan to sell them for?"

"Fifty yuan per pound," Xiao Ping said, quoting the price he had already thought of.

"Fifty... your vegetables aren't cheap," Sun Lin mused for a moment and then decided, "Alright, I'll take them all!"

Fifty yuan per pound was indeed expensive, but for a high-end hotel like the Garden Hotel, it wasn't a big deal. More importantly, a famous gourmet was coming to the Garden Hotel soon, and Sun Lin was struggling to decide what vegetarian dishes to prepare. Xiao Ping's vegetables solved his problem. Sun Lin believed this dish would definitely win the gourmet's favor, so he bought all the vegetables without hesitation.

Sun Lin's straightforward attitude made Xiao Ping very happy, and he immediately followed up, "There are 230 pounds in total. I'll round it to 200 pounds, so that's 10,000 yuan, right?"

"Right, I'll write a note and have someone take you to the finance department to get the money," Sun Lin handed Xiao Ping a business card, "You're a good businessman. If you have any good materials in the future, contact me. As long as the quality is good, the price isn't an issue."

"Sorry, I only grow vegetables, and I don't have a business card," Xiao Ping carefully put away the business card and smiled, "But rest assured, if I have anything good, I'll contact you first."

Both parties were very satisfied with the transaction and chatted for a bit. Sun Lin wrote a note and had someone take Xiao Ping to the finance department to get the money. When Xiao Ping left the Garden Hotel, his pocket was filled with a stack of hundred-yuan bills, totaling exactly 10,000 yuan.

To others, 10,000 yuan might not be much, but for Xiao Ping, it was a significant amount. In the past, when he sold newspapers, he had to work hard in all kinds of weather to earn 10,000 yuan, which took him more than half a year. Now, in just over twenty days, he had earned 10,000 yuan, a stark contrast.

Xiao Ping had already planned how to spend the money. He didn't intend to keep the 10,000 yuan. It wasn't that he had a nouveau riche mentality after earning a little money; it was just that he had many expenses.

First, Xiao Ping bought a mobile phone. His business would surely grow, and not having a way to contact people was very inconvenient. He spent less than 1,000 yuan on a knockoff Apple phone with all the necessary functions, including taking photos, recording, and watching movies, making it a good value for money.

Next, Xiao Ping went to the antique market and picked out many pieces of jade using his old methods, planning to take them home for the Spirit Pot to absorb. Xiao Ping owed everything to the Spirit Pot, and now that he had earned money, he wanted to invest more. He hoped that after the Spirit Pot absorbed the jade, it would produce more spirit liquid, which would not only help grow more vegetables but also continue to strengthen his body with the spirit liquid.

After returning from the antique market, Xiao Ping had only a thousand yuan left, which he kept for rent and living expenses until the next harvest. Xiao Ping realized he was earning more, but he was also spending faster. To live the good life he aspired to, he still needed to work hard.

When Xiao Ping rode his tricycle back to his residence, Liu Jianguo and Wang Fang were already waiting for him. Knowing that Xiao Ping had gone out to sell vegetables today, the couple was more nervous than he was, fearing that his business would not go well. Seeing the empty tricycle, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. Wang Fang, being a woman, was naturally curious and couldn't help but ask Xiao Ping in a low voice, "Xiao Ping, how much did you earn from these vegetables? Was it this much?"

Wang Fang held up two fingers, meaning 2,000 yuan. Xiao Ping, who was usually low-key, didn't reveal the actual amount and just smiled, "More than that, a bit more."

"Could it be 3,000?" Wang Fang asked in surprise. Seeing Xiao Ping nod, she couldn't help but be happy, "Xiao Ping, you've really made it. If you grow more vegetables, you can earn 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a month, which is as good as working in a big company!"

Wang Fang was genuinely happy for Xiao Ping, but her words were overheard by Wang Jian, who had just finished work. This narrow-minded man was full of displeasure and stormed back to his room.

Wang Jian had always looked down on Xiao Ping, thinking that this newspaper seller was far inferior to him. Later, when Xiao Ping's health improved, it made Wang Jian feel very unbalanced. However, when he learned that Xiao Ping planned to grow vegetables, Wang Jian's self-esteem improved, thinking that working in a company was better than growing vegetables. He never expected that Xiao Ping could earn 5,000 yuan a month from growing vegetables, which completely destroyed Wang Jian's last bit of superiority.

Thinking of Li Wancheng and Xiao Ping chatting and laughing together, Wang Jian's gloomy expression gradually turned sinister, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Just wait, Xiao Ping, you'll get what you deserve!"