Chapter 878: The money that should be yours won't run away

Jia Tianlong had watched the whole process of how Dong Zhi Chao bargained with Li Long. Or rather, it was also the first time he had seen Li Long do business with others like this.

A bit aggrieved.

If it weren't for the fact that the boss of the roasted goods factory where Dong Zhi Chao worked also had a very good relationship with Jia Tianlong, he would have really spoken up for Li Long at that time.

But the relationship with both sides was not shallow, and Jia Tianlong didn't want to ruin the friendship because of his own words.

Li Long also understood, and the matter was passed.

Actually, Jia Tianlong also thought that after the product came out and sales went up, the roasted goods factory should be able to see the truth, and then go to cooperate with Li Long.

After all, the benefits were right in front of them. If the opportunity couldn't be grasped, then it was really going against money.

But Jia Tianlong happened not to see anyone from the roasted goods factory come again.

He also called Li Long. Li Long's side was very normal, and no one contacted him, so he didn't do this watermelon seed business anymore.

Li Long said clearly, it wasn't worth it.

The person who came to find Jia Tianlong this time was named Bai Xiu Ming, a manager of another food company in Shaanxi Province. Although it was called a food company, it actually started from a roasted goods factory. It was just that later they found that making snacks was quite profitable, so they started to develop other small snacks. Of course, the original business of roasted goods wasn't lost.

Being able to expand production rapidly, the vision of the leadership of this company was still very sharp. They discovered that the new roasted watermelon seeds on the market were very well-received and were from a competitor's shipment. They immediately started to analyze, and now that they found the reason and the master, they prepared to have a competition.

Just adding that Dong Zhi Chao's side only produced one batch and didn't use such a good opportunity to occupy the market, giving them a good opportunity.

Jia Tianlong was quite happy for Li Long; after all, Bai Xiu Ming coming over showed that the watermelon seeds provided by Li Long had market demand.

However, he felt that he also had the necessity to tell Dong Zhi Chao, after all, the friendship on that side was better.

Bai Xiu Ming on this side was also very sincere. He entrusted someone to come over, treated him to a meal, and brought gifts to Jia Tianlong, mainly bringing a set of toys for children.

A big reason why Jia Tianlong stayed in his hometown during this time was also because his wife's belly was big, and he couldn't run around anymore.

He didn't care about others giving him gifts; he had received quite a few things over the years.

But he was very happy that someone gave gifts to his children. People catered to his preferences, so he told him about Li Long's matter. He didn't give a phone number; he let Bai Xiu Ming go find and talk to him himself.

Bai Xiu Ming was already very happy—at least he found the place.

At this time, no one thought about collecting watermelon seeds themselves and processing them into flat ones, even if another twenty years passed, no one would be able to think of it.

There was no help for it; some things, once the thinking was fixed, it was very difficult to change.

So Bai Xiu Ming and the others still didn't think these watermelon seeds were pressed by humans; they were still thinking that Li Long had special planting methods or other reasons.

In any case, the local watermelon planters didn't have this idea and felt it was impossible.

This was the limitation of the era—just such a thin window paper, twenty years, no one poked it—no one thought about poking it.

Li Long poked it open ahead of time.

Of course, maybe in another two or three years or three or five years, someone would react and join this market.

However, Li Long didn't care either. The watermelon seed matter itself was just a casual move. If it could be done well, naturally it was good, but these people like Dong Zhi Chao didn't know the goods, so he didn't plan to do it anymore.

After getting Li Long's news from Jia Tianlong, Bai Xiu Ming rushed to Northern Xinjiang by train without stopping—he was different from Dong Zhi Chao. Dong Zhi Chao had been to Northern Xinjiang and had no fear, considering it a revisit of an old place.

Bai Xiu Ming went to Northern Xinjiang for the first time and felt that staying in this bitter cold place would definitely be very troublesome, but for the sake of business, he just went for it, quite with the heroism of "The wind is bleak, the Yi River is cold, the brave man goes and does not return."

After Bai Xiu Ming left, Jia Tianlong went to find Dong Zhi Chao specifically and told him the news that someone wanted to find Li Long.

Dong Zhi Chao didn't care much about this matter. He waved his hand and said to Jia Tianlong:

"It's fine. Although those flat-mouthed seeds did indeed make our roasted goods sales increase, most of the reason was that we did promotional activities and the distribution was timely. As for whether it's flat-mouthed, I don't think it's very important. Things that go into the mouth, if it's not flat-mouthed, just crack it a few more times; it's not troublesome."

The sales of the roasted goods factory increased greatly this time. The sales side indeed put in effort, and they themselves had promotional activities, so they took the credit for themselves. Currently, although some people were urging for the previous batch of goods, it hadn't formed a scale yet. The sales side and Dong Zhi Chao now had the same mentality, feeling that the sales growth had nothing to do with the flat-mouthed seeds.

Jia Tianlong saw Dong Zhi Chao's mentality and didn't care anymore; he could be considered to have done his best.

Li Anguo treated Li Long well and said that during the summer vacation, he would let Chen Li Rong take the two girls to live in the Fourth Production Team for a while, letting the children get close.

Li Long naturally said with a smile that he was welcome. Li Qiang and his generation still attached great importance to family affection, and the relationship between relatives was also quite good.

After returning to Maxian, Li Long went to the acquisition station and found that the harvesters had been unloaded and placed at the root of the east courtyard wall. Two were missing; they should have been sold.

Actually, with Li Long's current strength, buying a combine harvester wasn't much, but he felt it wasn't necessary. For one thing, the harvester was already enough, and for another, most farmers now weren't extravagant enough to use a combine harvester.

Using an ordinary harvester cost two yuan per mu, and a combine harvester cost ten yuan per mu. Calculating it, it wasn't worth it.

The harvester was pulled over, Li Long's task was completed, so he didn't stay long at the acquisition station and returned to the courtyard.

After three days of quiet, Li Long was called to the acquisition station by Sun Jia Qiang.

Bai Xiu Ming had come.

Hearing that he came to buy watermelon seeds, Li Long was also somewhat surprised.

He invited Bai Xiu Ming to the reception room of the acquisition station. After Sun Jia Qiang brought the tea and left, Li Long asked directly:

"Are you from the interior?"

"Yes, Shaanxi Province." Bai Xiu Ming's Mandarin was slightly accented, which could be heard.

"The Terracotta Warriors on your side are very good-looking." Li Long said casually, "The agate cup in the Shaanxi History Museum is also very beautiful." In his previous life, when he was about sixty, the village organized elderly people to travel, and he visited the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, West Lake, etc., and he had a deep impression.

At that time, someone in the village specifically wanted to carve "I was here" on the Great Wall. Li Long laughed at the other party at the time, saying that carving this was useless; these bricks on the Great Wall were newly fired, not the original ones, so even if you carved it, you weren't a hero.

Of course, it was a joke.

"Hehe, have you seen the Terracotta Warriors? Have you been to the Shaanxi History Museum?" Bai Xiu Ming was somewhat surprised. In this era, although the Terracotta Warriors, the bronze sacred trees of Sanxingdui, etc., had long appeared, not many people knew about them.

So later, when some people saw the sacred tree in a certain notebook, and later Sanxingdui became famous nationwide, they thought the author knew in advance—it could only be said that some people's knowledge was really shallow.

Just like fans who said Bai Juyi and Li Qingzhao copied the lyrics of a certain internet celebrity song, it was simply...

"Hehe, I've seen them." Li Long said vaguely, and then changed the topic, "Is Comrade Bai here to buy watermelon seeds?"

"Yes." Bai Xiu Ming was actually a bit suspicious. He felt that Li Long was so young, he might not necessarily be able to produce flat-mouthed watermelon seeds. In any case, to be able to produce them, it should be an experienced old farmer or a professor from an agricultural college, right?

Li Long saw his expression, stood up, and went to bring a plate of roasted watermelon seeds.

"The last ten tons of seeds were collected by others. This is what we prepared for roasted goods. It's been a while, but this summer it hasn't become damp. These watermelon seeds also have some benefits; they aren't as easy to deteriorate as sunflower seeds, and the oil content isn't that high. Try it."

Bai Xiu Ming grabbed a handful of seeds and looked at them. He immediately saw that these seeds were indeed all flat-mouthed.

Thinking about Jia Tianlong's identity, and then thinking about Li Long running such an acquisition station, there shouldn't be any problems. Bai Xiu Ming said:

"I want this kind of watermelon seed. How many do you have?"

"How many?" Li Long smiled, "Currently, there are a few dozen tons."

Hearing that there were a few dozen tons, Bai Xiu Ming immediately felt stable. If Li Long could sell all these few dozen tons to him, he felt he could definitely occupy the market and raise the market share of his own food company's roasted goods to a new height.

Li Long didn't expect Dong Zhi Chao not to come, but a stranger came instead.

However, selling to whom wasn't selling? Dong Zhi Chao obviously didn't want to raise the price. At the price of two-seventy-five, Li Long didn't want to do it anymore. After all, this thing was labor-intensive and time-consuming, very troublesome, and didn't earn much money.

It wasn't worth it.

Now it depended on how much money this Bai Xiu Ming would offer.

"Three yuan." Bai Xiu Ming held up three fingers and said, "If they are all of this quality, I'll buy them at three yuan per kilogram, how about that?"

Three yuan?

Li Long felt it could be done. If Dong Zhi Chao had offered three yuan at the time, Li Long was afraid he would have already pulled all the watermelon seeds back from the Prefecture Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Was it just for this twenty-five cents?

Of course not entirely. It was also a matter of face.

Don't say Li Long had already broken away from his original level now. Even if he were at a higher level, he was still that small farmer in his bones. Sometimes, the face issue was really important. He felt Dong Zhi Chao really didn't look up to him and didn't plan to continue doing this business.

Now Bai Xiu Ming had come, and Li Long felt that there were finally those who knew the goods.

Just like the three treasures held by Guanyin, they were ultimately to be sold to those who knew the goods.

"However, there is a requirement." Bai Xiu Ming could see that Li Long was moved, so he hurriedly added a clause, saying: "It can only be sold to my family."

He had also inquired that Dong Zhi Chao's procurement price was two-seventy-five. He raised the price, just thinking about wanting an exclusive right.

Li Long smiled and said:

"Do you know? Last year, my watermelon seeds were sold to a local roasted goods factory at a selling price of three-fifty, non-exclusive."

Bai Xiu Ming was stunned for a moment, then said with a smile:

"Times change. How about this, three-fifty, exclusive."

"Limit to fifty tons." Li Long said, "I think that's fine."

Fifty tons, Bai Xiu Ming thought for a while and said: "Okay, if we still need more after fifty tons, then we have priority."

Li Long felt that this was talking about business, with sincerity, with pulling, making concessions when necessary, and being able to look far ahead.

He liked dealing with such people.

"Okay, but you have to come to pull the goods in three or five days. Currently, the things aren't in my hands." Li Long said.

Bai Xiu Ming was stunned for a moment, somewhat surprised.

No spot goods now? Need to collect goods?

He was a bit moved, thinking about whether he could directly bypass Li Long to collect goods at the source?

Thinking about it, forget it. He didn't have that ability. On someone else's turf, it was better not to do this.

Although after coming here, he found that this "bitter cold place" was different from what he imagined, and he didn't encounter those messy things, but it was better not to test it.

"Okay, I also want to feel the local customs of Northern Xinjiang." Bai Xiu Ming said with a smile, "I plan to wander around in nearby cities. Does Comrade Little Li have any recommendations?"

"To the east is Wucheng, the capital, you can take a look. Fifteen kilometers to the west is Shicheng, a Corps city, with Han people from all over the country, you can feel the Corps' construction of the frontier." Li Long gave two places, "Of course, you can go further west, Yili, the south of the Great Wall, but it's a bit far, it takes a long time by car."

"That's fine, what else do I need to do?" Bai Xiu Ming asked.

"Deposit." Li Long said, "I have to collect the things. If you don't want them then, that would be troublesome, so I need a deposit."

This was as it should be. Bai Xiu Ming nodded and asked:

"How much?"

"That depends on how much goods you want to take away this time?"

"Twenty tons." The first batch, Bai Xiu Ming didn't think about taking it all away, take it back to see the effect, and avoid accidents on the road.

"Seventy thousand yuan in full... you pay three thousand yuan." Li Long said.

"Okay." Bai Xiu Ming paid the money readily.

Li Long wrote him a note. Now the acquisition station hadn't engaged in formal documents, but the general environment at this time was like this. Li Long had an acquisition station and was introduced by Jia Tianlong, so Bai Xiu Ming wasn't afraid of him defaulting on the debt.

Moreover, there was a Shaanxi Association in Maxian, so he wasn't without connections.

After sending Bai Xiu Ming away, Li Long immediately told Gu Bo Yuan, then went to the transport company to hire two trucks and drove to Beiting.

When he arrived in Beiting, it was already noon. After Li Long took the truck drivers to eat in the canteen, he entered the Prefecture Supply and Marketing Federation.

When he entered, Director Qian and the others had just arrived, so Li Long stopped Director Qian in the courtyard and told him about this matter.

"You mean, this time someone ordered twenty tons?" Director Qian was somewhat surprised, "Long-term contract? Is the price still the original price?"

"The price was raised." Li Long smiled and said, "It's not the previous one. It should be that after our raw materials were pulled over, the market reaction was good, and other factories saw this prospect and came to find me."

"Not bad, not bad." Director Qian said with a smile as he walked to the office, "A bright future."

"Yes. So I came this time to pull twenty-one tons of watermelon seeds back to process them. The next batch might pull all the rest away."

The reason for wanting twenty-one tons was that there would be some loss in the process of processing. Those working in the team would help remove impurities and shriveled seeds in the process, which was a good thing.

"Okay. However, this price can't be the original price..."

"Understand, understand." Li Long smiled, "If it's the original price again, I wouldn't have the face to ask for it."

"Hmm, it's good to have this awareness." Director Qian said with a smile, "Of course, in order to open up the sales path to the interior, our Prefecture Federation won't add too much for you either. Add five cents per kilogram, twenty-one tons, the society earns over ten thousand yuan, how much you can earn depends on your own ability."

This was already giving Li Long a huge discount.

The director spoke, so Li Long didn't say anything more, went to handle the procedures, paid the money, and pulled the goods.

The machine ordered from Factory Manager Du hadn't arrived yet, so Li Long could only pull these watermelon seeds back to the Fourth Production Team again.

Previously Li Long said he wouldn't do it, and Li Jianguo and the others believed him. Now Li Long pulled so many watermelon seeds back, the family was naturally surprised.

Li Long first greeted people to unload the truck, planning to explain in detail later.

The Lu family opposite also came to help. This time it was twice as many as last time. The sacks were unloaded in a courtyard, and even the front courtyard was placed with quite a few.

"Little Long, still like last time?" Sister Lu was very excited; she could make money.

From the start of spring planting until now, farmers have been investing almost everything, with not a single cent coming back. If it weren't for the money earned from weaving straw mats this year, there truly would have been no income at all.

Some people could do some side jobs, and some honest people didn't even dare to do side jobs.

So now Li Long brought these watermelon seeds, which could be done at home, and earned quite a lot of money. How could they not be excited?

"Yes, still that price, ten yuan per sack." Li Long said with a smile, "Sister Lu, how about it, how many sacks will your family pull back?"

"How many days will it take?" Sister Lu wasn't overwhelmed by excitement and asked, "If it can be five days, I'll pull twenty sacks back!"

Making money wasn't afraid of hardship. Even if they worked at night, it wasn't called overtime.

At this time, what was labor? As long as one could make money!

They were afraid that sometimes they would put in effort but not make money.

"Okay, then pull them." Li Long smiled, "But they still need to be weighed."

"That's for sure, rest assured, we all know the rules."

This time the time limit was slightly longer, so Li Long and Li Jianguo still called those families. However, Xu Haijun and the others also came over, hoping to join in.

Since people were active, it wasn't easy to refuse, so each family was divided into a few sacks.

The rules and such were all agreed upon, fearing trouble later.

Soon, the sacks in the courtyard were pulled clean.

Only then did Li Long have the opportunity to explain the matter in detail to his family.

"There are still those who know the goods." Li Qing Xia sighed, "This work can be done... In that case, can our family collect the watermelon seeds in the team in autumn?"

"We'll see then." Li Long didn't want to collect them directly; he had to let these people sell them themselves and see the result.

After all, his family had tried their best to dissuade them from planting at the beginning. At that time, he couldn't have imagined that there would be such a turn.

He also had plans in his heart. If those who planted watermelons sold the watermelon seeds, he naturally wouldn't say anything. If they couldn't sell them and begged him to collect them, the price he gave wouldn't be higher than two yuan.

Quite a few people in the team followed his suggestion and planted flower sunflowers. He had inquired about the price of flower sunflowers, which was also not higher than two yuan. Fortunately, the yield of flower sunflowers was higher. The Grain Bureau's acquisition price for flower sunflowers didn't exceed one-fifty, so he had to see if this Bai Xiu Ming could collect some flower sunflowers. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 879 =====