Carrying so many things was inconvenient, so she decided to go home first, put everything down, and then head out again with Li Yingying.
She followed behind Li Yingying on the bike for quite a while. When they were almost at the outskirts of the city, Xu Nian’an noticed that many people were setting up stalls directly along the road.
The two of them got off their bikes and pushed them along instead. There was everything for sale—daily necessities, clothes, all kinds of food, and even some electronic products.
Looking at the styles of the clothes, she realized that people had already been going to other cities to bring back trendy items to sell. In just a few years, these people would become Guiyun City’s first generation of self-employed business owners.
“Yingying, is this the black market?” Xu Nian’an asked quietly.
“Shh.” Li Yingying lowered her voice. “Watch your money carefully—there are lots of pickpockets here. Let’s walk faster.”
Pushing their bikes side by side, they walked for about ten minutes before the number of stalls gradually thinned out.
They got back on their bikes, and before long arrived at the entrance of a large warehouse.
A man stood at the door smoking. A truck was parked nearby, and several people were busy unloading goods.
“Cousin!” Li Yingying waved and called out to the man.
He jumped in surprise, quickly stubbed out his cigarette, and scowled at her. “What are you doing here? If you need something, couldn’t you just call me?”
This place was full of shady characters. If anything happened to his cousin, his mother would skin him alive.
When Li Yingying walked closer, Song Ran finally noticed the stunning beauty standing beside her. His face instantly flushed, and even his voice dropped several notches.
“I’m not trying to scold you. It’s just that this place is unsafe.”
Li Yingying stuck out her tongue with a grin. “This is my best friend, Xu Nian’an. She’s planning to open a food shop and needs to buy some supplies. I thought since our family does this kind of business, I’d bring her to meet you.”
Song Ran had heard Li Yingying mention Xu Nian’an before. This cousin of his liked hanging out with good-looking people, and because of his own looks, he’d always been her favorite among the relatives.
But wasn’t Xu Nian’an the daughter of the deputy director of the machinery factory? Why would she give up a stable job to become a self-employed vendor?
Xu Nian’an smiled slightly. “Brother Song Ran, as a college graduate, I want to respond to national policy. I’m planning to open a small shop and also start a chicken farm.
“I wanted to ask whether you have any connections to buy white-feather broiler chicks. And I’ve written down a list of seasonings—could you take a look?”
Her sweet voice and that single “Brother Song Ran” made his face burn red again. He hurriedly took the list and looked it over.
Salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, oyster sauce, MSG, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, dried chilies, garlic, scallions, cumin, pepper…
There were also items for raising chickens: laying boxes, feed, cleaning tools, insulation equipment, lighting equipment.
And even inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine for chickens.
He had initially thought she might just be playing around, relying on her status as a college student.
But seeing the two full lists, he realized she had done her homework thoroughly.
He felt a bit disappointed—he’d thought he might get to show off his experience and give her guidance.
But he had to admit it: this college student really knew her stuff.
Song Ran committed everything to memory. “I have all the seasonings you listed right now.
“As for white-feather chickens, I’ve heard of them, but no one’s raised them here before, so I never stocked them. If they didn’t sell, I’d be stuck with them.
“I can help you get them, but I can’t guarantee survival. Since you’re Yingying’s friend, I’ll sell them to you at cost.
“As for the vaccine, it’s produced locally. You’re a college graduate—you know it has to be kept warm, or it’ll lose effectiveness. I can source it specially for you when you need it, but it’s expensive. If you can’t accept the price, you can buy it elsewhere.”
The vaccine was essential. Since Song Ran said he could supply it properly, Xu Nian’an agreed without hesitation.
“Brother Song Ran, could I call you when I need the vaccine?” she asked.
The first shot needed to be given 7–14 days after the chicks hatched, and the second 3–4 weeks later.
The Lu household didn’t have a refrigerator, so storing the vaccine herself wasn’t an option.
“Sure. Just call me ahead of time.” Song Ran pulled out a small notebook and pen and wrote down his phone number.
He also noticed that Xu Nian’an’s list included prices from the supply-and-marketing cooperative. He glanced at them and wrote his own prices next to each item.
“Take a look. I can guarantee my prices are about 20% cheaper than the cooperative. I can give you this rate for now. If you buy more later, or if prices fluctuate, we’ll discuss it then.”
Xu Nian’an took the papers and checked the prices—they were indeed much lower.
However, the prices for the white-feather chicks and the vaccine were still blank.
Seeing where her gaze lingered, Song Ran scratched his head. “How about you wait a moment? I’ll make a call and ask about the price.
“A friend of mine asked me to stock some before, but I thought it was too much trouble. I don’t like dealing in live animals—if they die, it’s a headache.”
Xu Nian’an thanked him repeatedly. After Song Ran went inside to make the call, she hugged Li Yingying tightly.
“Yingying, you’re my lucky star! I was so worried about where to source the white-feather chicks.”
“You’re opening a restaurant, fine—but why are you raising chickens too?” Li Yingying said with a complicated expression.
In her mind, Xu Nian’an should be holding books, not wearing peasant clothes and feeding chickens.
If their old classmates found out, who knew how many boys would cry themselves to sleep?
After Xu Nian’an graduated, plenty of people had secretly tried to get her contact information or send gifts.
Li Yingying had guarded her fiercely, never expecting her best friend to end up marrying a vegetable delivery guy.
Even though Xu Nian’an insisted he was a military officer, Li Yingying refused to believe it—wasn’t he just someone who got noticed while delivering vegetables?
Xu Nian’an coaxed her for a while and promised that when the chickens were ready, Yingying would be the first to eat them. Only then did her mood improve—just a little.
Song Ran soon came back. “Comrade Xu Nian’an, for convenience in future communication, how about I call you ‘Nian’an’ like Yingying does?”
After she agreed, he continued, “Nian’an, ordinary chicks cost about 0.2 yuan each. White-feather chicks cost us 0.4 yuan each. Including transportation, I can sell them to you for 0.5 yuan per chick.
“Feed and other things—my friend can teach you or even send someone to guide you. But the minimum order for chicks is 500. Otherwise, they won’t sell.”
Before Xu Nian’an could respond, Li Yingying exploded. “Brother! Are you robbing her? You’re only making 50 yuan on 500 chicks? No way—sell them for 0.45!”
Song Ran laughed and agreed. “Alright, 0.45—it’s still not a loss for me. Honestly, I was going to suggest you try raising ordinary chickens first.
“The cost is much lower. The instructor’s service fee is 50 yuan. If the white-feather chicks die, the loss would be huge—especially with a minimum of 500.
“If it’s ordinary chicks, I can even get you some for free.”