Chapter 34: A Single Day's Revenue of 188,647! (Please Keep Reading!)

Tomorrow is the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and there will be a large open-air market in Baigezhuang. Although the scale of the Baigezhuang market does not quite match that of the Shahe market, the foot traffic is just as high. This is primarily because there are two large residential complexes located right next to the Baigezhuang market. The number of residents living in these two complexes far exceeds those near the Shahe market, and their purchasing power is even stronger.

Liu Zhiyuan and his two companions often frequent the Baigezhuang market. The three of them unanimously agreed that tomorrow’s sales volume would be no less than today’s.

After finishing their meal, Jiang Tao went to the service counter to settle the bill with the restaurant owner. Even though they had enjoyed a hearty meal of fish and meat, the total came to only 308 yuan. Without Jiang Tao having to haggle, the owner rounded down the total and gifted each of them a small bottle of cola.

As the four men left the restaurant and walked together toward Jiang Tao’s home, Liu Zhiyuan and the others teased Jiang Tao about the owner all the way there. They joked that Jiang Tao had a "special relationship" with her, though when asked which "leg" the relationship stood on, they naturally alluded to the one men have and women do not. Jiang Tao laughed it off, claiming it was simply his personal charm.

Jokes aside, Jiang Tao, living as a drifter in the northern capital, kept his nose clean. Among the common vices—eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and smoking—he only indulged in eating and drinking, steering clear of the rest.

Chatting and laughing, they soon arrived at Jiang Tao’s rented room. The small space, less than 20 square meters, felt quite cramped with three guests. Zhang Chao, the last to enter, closed the door behind him. The four of them then began to tally the day’s earnings. When they first decided to partner up for this business venture, they had agreed to clear their accounts daily to avoid any potential friction over money.

Jiang Tao pulled out his phone and began calculating the total revenue in front of everyone. As an outsider who was selling fruit for the first time, he had surprisingly become the top salesman of the group. He had sold just over two truckloads, with total revenue—combining WeChat, Alipay, and cash—reaching 73,200 yuan. Liu Zhiyuan took second place with 68,700 yuan, while Zhang Chao came in third with 63,000 yuan. Shan Yufei sold the least, having only just finished his second truckload by the time they wrapped up, bringing in 60,800 yuan.

Combined, the four of them had reached a staggering total revenue of 265,700 yuan for the day!

Seeing the final sum on Jiang Tao’s phone, the four men found their breathing quickening. Earning 265,700 yuan in a single day felt like a dream! When Liu Zhiyuan and his friends worked alone, they often struggled to make that much in an entire year.

"My goodness, I really don't understand today's consumers. Why do they buy more even as the prices go up?"

"The news about the price hike of these mandarin oranges is already trending. I guess people are just afraid the prices will keep rising."

"We’re amazing! We sold so much in one day! We’ve made history!"

"Everyone has worked hard, but now is not the time to relax or celebrate," Jiang Tao said, suppressing his inner joy with a calm tone. "Once we sell all the oranges in the courtyard, then we can have a proper celebration."

"Jiang is right! We need to push hard for a few more days! Once this wave is over, I’m heading straight home to take a long break this year."

"Same here. We’ll go back together."

Although Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yufei had only invested 50,000 yuan each, they were set to make a handsome profit, enough to enjoy a prosperous New Year. Seeing his friends so excited, Zhang Chao felt a pang of bitterness. He immediately made a silent vow to himself: he would never go to those massage parlors again, and he would start saving his own money.

After the excitement settled, they began splitting the profits. As agreed, Jiang Tao, who held a 71% share, received 188,647 yuan of the 265,700 yuan total. He had earned back the money he borrowed from Old Ma in just one day! A single-day income of 188,647 yuan—a new record for the highest daily earnings. Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yufei, each with a 14% share, received 37,198 yuan apiece.

There was a remaining 1% share, amounting to 2,657 yuan. Jiang Tao proposed, "Zhang Chao worked really hard today. I suggest we give him a 2,000 yuan bonus. You two can split the remaining 600 for gas. Any objections?"

"No objections!"

"I don't have any either!"

Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yufei agreed happily. They had made a fortune today and didn't mind sharing a little with Zhang Chao. They were all friends, after all; if they were eating meat, they had to at least let their friends have some soup.

"Ahem... well, thank you, guys." Zhang Chao had initially thought he’d be lucky to get a thousand yuan. After all, when he wholesale-sold fruit on his own, he only made three or four hundred a day. He truly hadn't expected them to be so generous. Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over him. Just moments ago, watching them split the money, he had felt jealous and envious. He had even been planning to slack off and coast through tomorrow’s work. With this 2,000 yuan incentive, however, he felt energized. He would work his hardest tomorrow and strive to be the top seller! He couldn't let his friends down.

"We're all brothers here; no need for thanks," Jiang Tao said with a smile, patting Zhang Chao on the shoulder. Aside from his obsession with foot massages, the kid wasn't a bad guy.

*Ring-ring—*

As Jiang Tao finished speaking, his phone rang. He pulled it out to see a video call from his wife, Xu Li.

"Haha, the missus is checking in again."

"Brother Jiang, we won't get in the way of you and your wife chatting. We’re heading out."

"Yeah, let’s go. Don't want to be a third wheel here!"

"Want to come to my place for some cards?"

"Sure! Absolutely. You won a lot off me yesterday; I have to win it back today!"

"Brother Jiang, we're off."

The three of them left, laughing. "Alright, take care. I won't walk you out. Don't stay up too late; don't mess up tomorrow's business." Jiang Tao saw them to the door while answering the call.

"Honey, who was that? It sounded so lively over there." On the other end, Xu Li had heard their voices but couldn't see them.

"Just Liu Zhiyuan and the others. They were resting here for a bit, they just left."

"Oh, them. By the way, honey, Shan Yufei is 26 this year, right? Does he have a girlfriend?"

"I don't think so. You want to play matchmaker?"

"I have a cousin..."

The couple chatted idly about trivial family matters—from setting Shan Yufei up, to who in the village was getting married and how much the dowry was, to who was getting a divorce because the children his wife raised for over a decade weren't actually his. The village wasn't big, but there was always plenty of gossip. Even in the capital, Jiang Tao could keep up with the local news. He didn't tell Xu Li about the mandarin orange business yet; he wanted to save it as a big surprise.

They chatted for an hour and a half before hanging up, still wanting to talk more. Jiang Tao checked the time—it was already 10:00 PM. He quickly used his phone to pay back the loan to Old Ma. Every day less of interest saved him over a hundred yuan on a 170,000 yuan loan!