Chapter 9: Ordering Goods

After leaving the second-hand store, Li Dong had a semi-new treasure in hand—an old Nokia phone. He spent a whole 450 yuan on it. Ten years later, this phone would probably be tossed aside and ignored, yet it was still so expensive in the second-hand market.

It was already eleven-thirty, so Li Dong hurried to catch the bus back home.

...

By three in the afternoon, Li Dong arrived at Dongping Station.

He bought a SIM card at the station and immediately dialed the business card Old Wang had left him.

"Hello, is this Uncle Wang?"

"..."

"It's Li Dong, we spoke this morning…"

"Right, right, this morning you said you wanted to order some crayfish. I need ten thousand jin the day after tomorrow, all red-shelled. Can you offer a better price?"

"..."

"I'm just testing the waters. Two yuan fifty per jin is too expensive. Besides, ten thousand jin is quite a lot."

"..."

"Alright, let's meet and discuss. Where are you? I'll come over."

...

Dongping Market.

Old Wang was busy helping unload goods. When he saw Li Dong, he wiped his hands and offered him a cigarette.

Li Dong took the cigarette and smiled, "Uncle Wang, you're quite busy."

"That's right. It's not just about shipping at night. I need to travel all over to get the goods. Otherwise, where would they come from?" Old Wang took a deep breath of the cigarette and sighed, then invited Li Dong to sit in a clean area.

"You really need that much?"

Old Wang was somewhat skeptical, but after thinking about it, he said, "Ten thousand jin is not a small amount. If it turns out to be a loss, it will be awkward to meet Old Li again."

"Don't worry, Uncle Wang. I've been busy all day looking for sources. Several restaurants and large food stalls in County H have already agreed. Each one will take a few hundred jin, so even if there's a loss, it won't be significant."

Li Dong couldn't tell Old Wang the full truth. Even if Old Wang knew he was making money, he wouldn't be tempted. Firstly, there was no connection, and secondly, he'd avoid trouble.

Sure enough, Old Wang gave a thumbs up and said, "Good job, you're impressive! If my son had your skills, I'd be dreaming with a smile!"

These were not empty words; Old Wang genuinely admired Li Dong. To secure deals with several restaurants in a single day was no small feat.

"Haha, then Uncle Wang, you have to give me a discount. I'm young and it's not easy to earn money. You should take care of me." Li Dong flattered him, saying a lot of good things. After all, flattering was free.

Old Wang smiled, his eyes nearly squinting shut, not because of Li Dong's flattery, but because this deal was substantial.

Ten thousand jin of crayfish. If he bought it at a lower price, he could make quite a bit of profit. Even if the price was high, it wouldn't exceed one yuan fifty. After subtracting other expenses, the profit would be five to six thousand yuan.

Although his business was large, making a five to six thousand yuan profit in one go was rare, otherwise, he'd have become rich long ago.

"Just because you called me 'Uncle,' I won't cheat you! Two yuan per jin, and any dead ones are on me. I'll contact the suppliers now and you'll get the goods within a day!"

Li Dong didn't haggle further. Two yuan per jin, compared to five yuan at the big-bearded seller's place, was more than double the profit. He couldn't ask for more.

"Alright, but Uncle Wang, let me clarify first, the payment for the goods will have to be settled in three days…"

"Okay, no problem!"

Old Wang agreed so readily that Li Dong didn't need to use the excuses he had prepared.

A bit disappointed, but understanding Old Wang's lack of concern, Li Dong knew it was because Old Wang knew his father and was familiar with his stall.

The cost for ten thousand jin was just over ten thousand yuan. Even if Li Dong lost money, he could still go to Li Chengyuan to cover it. The Li family could still come up with the money.

Having agreed on the deal, Li Dong set up to pick up the goods at five in the morning the day after tomorrow. After a few more words, he said goodbye to Old Wang and went to another place.

With a daily need of ten thousand jin, just dealing with Old Wang wasn't enough. Besides, if the volume was too high, Old Wang might become suspicious, as Dongping couldn't handle so many crayfish.

...

Using the same pitch, and at the same price as Old Wang, the second wholesaler was happy to have a big order.

However, when it came to the three-day payment, the other party hesitated. Li Dong knew not everyone would be as straightforward as Old Wang. He paid a thousand yuan deposit to reassure them.

Li Dong planned to contact one more wholesaler, making it three in total. One per day; although ten thousand jin in three days seemed a bit much, the wholesaler likely wouldn't be suspicious.

But there was no rush. He needed to see how the first transaction went.

After leaving Dongping Market, Li Dong went straight home. After talking and smoking so much, his throat was a bit hoarse, and the back-and-forth bus ride left him exhausted.

With no time to tidy up, he took off his shoes and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep immediately.

...

He slept soundly, and when he woke up, it was already nine o'clock.

Seeing her son come out, Cao Fang, who was tidying the living room, quickly said, "Come eat, it's just been heated! You insisted on going with your dad to get supplies during the holiday. You must be exhausted."

"Mom, I'm not tired. Don't worry about the house. I'll take care of it after eating. You go get some rest." 

Cao Fang was all smiles, pleased that her son had become more considerate recently. 

But she still said, "You don't need to worry about that. Your job is to study hard and get into a good university. When I'm gone, I'd be happy if you can achieve that…"

"Stop talking about that! No more talk about dying. Next time, don't say such things!"

Li Dong looked unhappy, and he was determined to take his parents for a check-up soon. He couldn't rest easy otherwise.

"Alright, alright, Mom won't talk about it anymore. My son is growing up and caring for his old mother. Haha…" Cao Fang was very happy, her face beaming with joy.

Cao Fang ate with Li Dong, and after ensuring his mother didn't clean up, Li Dong washed the dishes himself, tidied up the living room, and then went to his room to continue studying.

He had a lot to do, and he couldn't avoid going to the provincial capital for the first few days. That meant he had even less time to review.

Since he had taken a nap in the afternoon, Li Dong studied until his father woke up before turning off the lights and going to bed.

Li Chengyuan, seeing the light go out, sighed in relief.

He felt some sympathy for his son, but with the college entrance exams coming up soon, he thought he should buy something good to help his son's health.

...

Having stayed up late, Li Dong arrived at school a bit late the next day.

The morning self-study was already over. Wang Jie was chatting with Chen Yue when he saw Li Dong come in and winked.

Li Dong looked puzzled and sat down, "Why are you winking? And when did you get together with Chen…"

Before he could finish, Wang Jie covered his mouth. Chen Yue, who had been chatting happily before, rolled her eyes and turned away, ignoring Wang Jie.

Wang Jie looked frustrated and said in a low voice, "I finally comforted her, and you're ruining it!"

"Haha, what's up? Really thinking of a sunset romance?"

As the college entrance exams approached, high school romances often ended after graduation. Li Dong didn't think much of Wang Jie's situation.

Chen Yue wasn't a top beauty, but she'd be considered a goddess by average standards if she dressed up for university. Wang Jie would likely be out of luck.

Wang Jie wasn't surprised by Li Dong's reaction. He proudly said, "It's fine. Chen Yue and I agreed to apply to schools in the capital together. We'll be in the same city, not too far away."

"Oh! You really got together? Planning for the future, huh? You're impressive!"

Li Dong was genuinely surprised. There was something off. In his previous life, Chen Yue had indeed gone to the capital for school, but Wang Jie had gone to Shanghai. Why was he now aiming for the capital?

Wang Jie ignored Li Dong and happily said, "Don't be envious. I see you have hope too. This morning, Yuan Xue looked back several times. I'm sure she was looking for you."

"Get lost!"

Li Dong rolled his eyes. Wang Jie was really nosy.

As for Yuan Xue's feelings, he didn't want to think about it. With less than two months before the college entrance exams, he was focused on studying.

Yuan Xue had gotten into Renmin University. Li Dong would definitely stay in Jiangbei. Pingchuan was familiar to him, and a thousand miles apart would make any thoughts about her unrealistic.

Thinking of this, Li Dong felt a bit sad. Qin Yuhan was going to Jing Shi University, also a thousand miles away.

It seemed that his unfulfilled romance was about to end, while Yuan Xue and Qin Yuhan were close enough to visit each other. But he was sure they wouldn't.

While he was lost in thought, Yuan Xue suddenly turned around and asked, "Li Dong, which university are you planning to apply to?"

Li Dong's face twitched. Ignoring Wang Jie's winks, he replied calmly, "It depends on the situation. If I do well, I'll apply to Jiangbei University. If not, then Jiangbei Agricultural University."

In his previous life, he had attended Jiangbei Agricultural University, a second-tier school with a general major. He hadn't worked in his field but had spent seven or eight years in sales.

Jiangbei University, on the other hand, was a 211 school. Li Dong hadn't dared to hope for it, but last night, while reviewing materials, he found two questions similar to the college entrance exam questions.

Li Dong hadn't expected his memory to be so enhanced. He recalled many questions from the college entrance exam more than a decade ago, which was quite incredible.

But with rebirth already granted, a little extra benefit wasn't surprising.

Having found similar questions, Li Dong naturally aimed higher. The quality of the school didn't matter much, but if he could get into a better one, his parents would be proud.

Another advantage was that Jiangbei University was also in Pingchuan, just across the street from Agricultural University. It was familiar to him, and he had often visited it in his previous life.

Yuan Xue seemed disappointed by his response. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Why haven't you considered going to the capital? The job prospects and future there are better than Jiangbei."

"The capital is too far and inconvenient. Pingchuan is quite good. It's close to home, and I can visit my parents often."

Yuan Xue fell silent, turning back to her book.

Wang Jie didn't understand Li Dong and whispered, "Dongzi, the capital would be good too. We could look out for each other. Besides, I think Yuan Xue seems to…"

"Does it matter whether she has feelings or not? The capital doesn't suit me. Even if I go, it won't be now." Li Dong focused on his book, not noticing Wang Jie's speculative look.

As for Yuan Xue, it was just a young girl's fleeting feelings. In time, she'd realize he wasn't her type.

And Qin Yuhan, Li Dong didn't want to think about it. He couldn't let her not go to the capital. Their relationship wasn't at that level yet.

Not being able to be together in this life was fate, just as it was in the previous one.

Li Dong didn't believe in fate before, but now he knew there were things beyond belief in the world.