Never mind, now is not the time to think about these things. Wei Lihua felt she was overthinking. She should focus on harvesting the vegetables first.
Otherwise, if it gets too late, many people who come to buy vegetables would have already left.
After finally preparing the vegetables she wanted to sell, she looked at the pile of produce on the empty ground in the Space.
Wei Lihua suddenly felt a bit worried—she didn’t have any tools to carry the vegetables.
Besides, if she went to sell vegetables, she couldn’t just go empty-handed and magically produce the vegetables on the spot!
Better to go out first. After eating, she would still have time to figure out what she needed to carry the vegetables.
Actually, all she needed was to find a tricycle. For vegetables like bok choy and spinach, she could sell them in bundles, so she wouldn’t even need an electronic scale.
But she needed to check the market prices for vegetables, especially since her produce was so good.
Just by looking at them, you could tell they were delicious.
If she sold them too cheaply, not only would she lose money, but others might not be willing either.
Especially since she wouldn’t be selling for too long—it wouldn’t be good to get into conflicts with the regular vegetable vendors.
She knew the saying: “A strong dragon cannot crush a local snake.” Those vegetable vendors were no simple folks.
Thinking about all the things she had to do, Wei Lihua quickened her pace as she ate.
After finishing her meal, Wei Lihua packed up her things and prepared to go out.
She had so much to do, but the most important thing right now was to buy an electronic scale. As for the tricycle…
Wei Lihua remembered that the landlady of the rental apartment downstairs seemed to have one. Could she rent it from her?
Never mind, she should go ask first. If it worked out, it would save her a lot of trouble.
“Auntie, I wanted to ask—could I rent your tricycle for two days?”
Wei Lihua knew the landlady didn’t use her tricycle much.
Usually, it was just parked there unused.
“Of course! You can just take it!”
The landlady replied casually to Wei Lihua.
She was quite fond of Wei Lihua. Not to mention Wei Lihua’s appearance,
she always paid her rent on time without needing reminders, and she had a good temper.
Whenever she needed help with something, Wei Lihua would step in without hesitation.
“Thank you, Auntie, but I’ll pay you—thirty yuan a day. Is it okay if I rent your tricycle?”
Wei Lihua felt it wouldn’t be right to use it for free. It was better to offer payment upfront.
“It’s no big deal. Just take it. We can talk about the money later!”
The landlady wasn’t too concerned about the money. Besides, her tricycle wasn’t being used anyway.
It only came in handy when buying something nearby.
Otherwise, it was usually parked downstairs. They had bought it back when they were running a business.
After the demolition and relocation, they received a lot of compensation money and bought this building.
Nowadays, they collected rent every day, and her husband worked outside.
The tricycle at home really wasn’t needed.
“Alright, we can talk about the money after I’m done using it.”
Wei Lihua knew now wasn’t the time to insist, but she was determined to pay.
“Sure, take it!”
The shop owner wasn’t worried about the safety of the vehicle either. Even if their family’s tricycle were left on the main road, no one would steal it.
“Alright, thank you, Auntie.”
Wei Lihua didn’t stand on ceremony any longer. After all, it was already getting late, and if she didn’t hurry to the market, she wasn’t sure whether her vegetables would sell.
Although her vegetables only cost her some time and a bit of money for seeds, she still wanted to sell as much as possible.
After watching Wei Lihua leave, the shop owner went back to watching TV.
Wei Lihua found a secluded spot and loaded the vegetables she had picked that morning onto the tricycle.
She also took some old clothes she no longer wore and draped them over the tricycle.
After all, her vegetables were the kind that couldn’t be exposed to the light. Besides, although not many people around here knew her, if someone happened to see them, explaining would be too much trouble.
When she arrived at the market, Wei Lihua paid thirty yuan to rent a temporary stall from the market manager.
Next to her was a small stall selling tomatoes, cucumbers, and the like, run by a woman in her thirties or forties.
“Big sister, could I leave my tricycle here for a moment? Would you mind keeping an eye on it?”
Wei Lihua didn’t know the price of her vegetables and wanted to check out the prices at other stalls.
“Sure, but little sister, what are you selling?”
The stall owner was a bit curious. Wei Lihua looked fair and delicate, not like someone who sold vegetables.
She couldn’t quite figure out what Wei Lihua was selling, especially since the tricycle was covered with clothes.
“I’m selling vegetables—just some bok choy and the like. I’m not sure about the prices, so I wanted to take a look.”
It wasn’t something she couldn’t talk about. Besides, if she were going to sell vegetables later, wouldn’t people see them anyway?
“Alright, go ahead!”
Although Wei Lihua was also selling vegetables, the stall owner was quite open-minded.
“Thank you, big sister.”
Wei Lihua knew that competitors in the same trade could be rivals, but her vegetables would sell for a higher price than the average ones.
That way, she wouldn’t be in direct competition with the regular vegetable sellers.
“No problem. I don’t have much to do right now anyway, and besides, I’m just keeping an eye on your tricycle.”
“Thank you. I’ll be off now!”
With that, Wei Lihua went to check the prices at other vegetable stalls. After making a round, she returned with some plastic bags for packaging vegetables and an electronic scale. Since she would need them sooner or later, she figured she might as well buy them now.
“Oh, you’re back already?”
Seeing Wei Lihua return carrying an electronic scale, the vegetable stall owner greeted her warmly.
“Yes, big sister. Thank you for your help. Please take these vegetables—consider it a taste test.”
Wei Lihua handed a bunch of bok choy and a bunch of spinach to the vegetable stall owner. Although she also sold vegetables, hers were things like chili peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. She didn’t have bok choy or spinach.
“Oh, your vegetables look great! Where did you get them from?”
Looking at the vegetables Wei Lihua handed her, the stall owner was quite surprised.
You know, Wei Lihua’s vegetables really didn’t look bad—in fact, they looked quite good. Especially the bok choy and spinach, with their lush green color, they were a delight to see.
“It’s grown by a classmate of mine. She said it’s some kind of organic produce and asked me to help sell it.”
She couldn’t possibly say it came from her Space, so Wei Lihua had no choice but to use such an excuse.
“Your classmate sure is capable!”
Vegetable sellers have sharp eyes, especially when the produce is this good.
It was truly enviable to look at. Who knew how such a young girl managed to find such high-quality vegetables.
Although Wei Lihua had already said it was from her classmate, the market vendor wasn’t entirely convinced.
“That’s right. We have a good relationship, so she gave me some of her produce to sell and see how it goes!”
Wei Lihua could hear the envy in the vendor’s tone, but she didn’t have the mind to dwell on it.
“So, how much are you planning to sell these for? You know, organic vegetables aren’t cheap!”
Seeing that Wei Lihua didn’t want to talk about the vegetables anymore, the vendor didn’t press further.
Besides, she knew the price of organic vegetables was different from ordinary ones like hers.
Maybe when people saw the young girl’s higher prices, they’d end up buying her vegetables instead.
“My bok choy is five yuan per jin, and the spinach is the same price. The rest of the vegetables I have left will also be sold at this price!”
Even here, five yuan wasn’t cheap, especially since her vegetables were organic.
“Five yuan?”
The vendor hadn’t expected Wei Lihua to ask for such a high price.
Although their city had a decent cost of living, five yuan for vegetables was already quite expensive.
“Yes, I’m planning to try it out for the first few days. If my classmate can supply me for a longer period, I plan to raise the price in a couple of days!”
She didn’t know how much organic vegetables usually cost, but five yuan wasn’t considered high.
Especially since her vegetables were so good. With only a few varieties available now, once more types were introduced, she believed anyone who tried them would come back for more.
“Raise the price?”
The vendor was shocked. After all, five yuan was already a decent price for vegetables.
She hadn’t expected Wei Lihua to have so much confidence in her produce.
“Yes, my classmate said she’d give me these few varieties to test the waters. If they sell well, I’ll raise the price later. After all, my classmate isn’t just giving them to me for free, right?”
Even though her vegetables were essentially cost-free, she couldn’t say that, could she?
“Fresh vegetables for sale! Fresh organic vegetables! Five yuan per jin, all for five yuan!”
Seeing more people gradually filling the market, Wei Lihua no longer had time to chat with the vendor.
She raised her voice and started calling out. Her sweet voice was quite attention-grabbing in the vegetable market, and besides, saving face wasn’t worth much at the moment.
And the sooner she sold them, the sooner she could make money.
“Little girl, your vegetables look so good. Are they pesticide-free?”
Most of the people buying vegetables now were older folks who liked to be meticulous.
Especially since Wei Lihua’s vegetables looked almost too good, making them a bit uneasy.
“Auntie, you’re the first to ask about the price, so I’ll give you a bit extra when weighing it. As for your concerns, rest assured—these are the latest organic vegetables grown by my classmate. You know how expensive organic vegetables are in supermarkets, so my price of five yuan isn’t too high. My classmate said if they sell well, the price might go up soon.”
Wei Lihua understood the mindset of these elderly customers. Indeed, the baby bok choy and other greens looked exceptionally fresh.
“Even if the price goes up, I’m still hesitant to buy. Your vegetables look almost too perfect?”
The elderly woman shopping for vegetables wasn’t swayed by Wei Lihua’s words. She kept eyeing the baby bok choy and other produce.
Deep down, she knew these vegetables were likely high-quality, and their scent reminded her of the homegrown vegetables from the old days.
“Auntie, you can tell these vegetables are good. Otherwise, why would I price them so high? Here, let me taste a bit to show you!”
Baby bok choy and similar greens can be eaten raw, though leafy greens usually have a slight bitter taste.
With that, Wei Lihua plucked a leaf from a baby bok choy and popped it into her mouth.
After finishing it, she said to the elderly woman in front of her:
“Our vegetables are completely pesticide-free. As you saw, I ate it without washing it first. If they were sprayed with chemicals, would I dare to eat them like that?”
Wei Lihua knew the elderly woman was trying to bargain.
“Alright, Auntie, since you’re the first customer, I’ll treat this as my opening sale. For you, four and a half yuan—can’t go any lower than that. For everyone else, it’ll be five yuan. At most, I’ll round off the small change for them!”