Volume One, Chapter 12: Transporting Goods to the Provincial Capital—Enormous Expenses!

In this era, hand-operated tractors were the backbone of freight transportation in small towns and rural areas. For relatively short distances, their cargo capacity and efficiency were quite decent.

The whole family pitched in, and in no time, they loaded nearly twenty bags of dried small fish and shrimp into the tractor.

“Xiong, hurry up and come back quickly. We’ll keep working these days!”
“Yeah, Xionghua, everyone’s waiting for you!”
...

Tang Yichen sat alongside his father in the tractor’s trailer. Surrounded by many villagers who had come to help or watch, a flood of mixed emotions surged within him.

Everyone hoped that Tang Xionghua could successfully deliver the cargo to the county seat and then return to continue collecting goods.

Tang Xionghua had told everyone that this first batch of over 500 pounds was just to test the quality and market response. If it went well, they’d need to collect large quantities continuously thereafter.

Meanwhile, villagers could keep drying small fish and shrimp at home, ready for him to pick up next time.

Tang Xionghua said it might only take a week or so.

This made everyone eagerly anticipate the outcome.

Boom, boom, boom—the tractor rumbled onto the road.

Rural roads in this era were rough; even the main road to the county seat was full of potholes.

Both father and son sat on thick straw mats, yet the ride was still jarring and uncomfortable.

Especially for Tang Yichen, whose physique was fragile and unaccustomed to such hardships.

In contrast, Tang Xionghua seemed unfazed, casually lighting a cigarette.

He spoke thoughtfully to Tang Yichen: “Yichen... honestly, your old man is really uncertain and can’t stop worrying.”

If the 500-plus pounds of goods couldn’t be sold in Chuzhou, they wouldn’t know how to handle them, and the losses would be huge.

Many villagers were ramping up their efforts to produce goods, but if he returned and stopped buying, it would cause even more trouble.

“Dad, don’t worry. It’ll be fine!” Tang Yichen, fully aware of his father’s concerns, replied confidently.

No amount of talking could change the fact that everything had a first time.

His father, venturing into business for the first time, was naturally nervous and anxious, especially after being laid off and under great pressure.

But once the first success came, it would bring immense confidence and everything would start to improve.

The tractor wasn’t fast, but luckily the village was only about twenty miles from the county seat.

Forty minutes later, they arrived smoothly at the county train station.

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Tang Xionghua and the tractor driver quickly unloaded the cargo.

Tang Xionghua paid the tractor’s transport fee and then handled the cargo consignment.

By just past eleven, the father and son arrived at the train ticket hall and purchased tickets to the provincial capital, Chuzhou.

They waited quietly in the waiting area for the 12:30 train.

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At 4:30 p.m., Chuzhou train station’s freight center.

“Brother, I can load all this in one cart. How about thirty bucks?” Tang Xionghua stood next to the goods, negotiating freight fees with a bearded man.

“Are you kidding? At least fifty! Ask around, others charge at least sixty. Take it or leave it!” The bearded man snapped with an imposing tone.

“Fifty, huh...,” Tang Xionghua hesitated. This price exceeded his expectations.

He had inquired about the general labor costs near the freight center before.

Depending on the cargo volume and distance, fees usually ranged from thirty to forty.

He hadn’t expected the starting price to be fifty—and with such an inflexible attitude.

Unknown to Tang Xionghua, the laborers near the freight center weren’t ordinary day workers.

They belonged to organized interest groups, often backed by some influence or sheer dominance, effectively monopolizing freight center work.

In this era, such arrangements were common.

“Pay it, Dad. We have no choice. Don’t lose the big picture over small costs,” Tang Yichen whispered, sensing the situation.

He knew his father felt overcharged and hated spending money, but now was not the time to haggle.

“Fine, fifty it is. Thanks, brother,” Tang Xionghua resigned and paid up.

There was no way he could carry over 500 pounds alone.

“Don’t worry, little brother. Quick payment means quick work,” the bearded man smiled and called over two assistants.

Soon, two men arrived pushing a cart, skillfully loading the goods within minutes, then wheeling the cart outside the freight center.

Ten minutes later, the cart reached the rented apartment building where the father and son were staying.

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The two men were reliable; after helping carry the goods up to the third-floor room, they left.

Seeing the dozen or so bags safely stacked inside, Tang Xionghua finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He sighed, “It’s finally done! But we haven’t earned a penny yet, and already spent over 800 yuan. Your uncle doesn’t even earn that in a year.”

Tang Xionghua kept meticulous records of every expense.

The 548 pounds of dried small fish and shrimp cost 0.90 yuan per pound, totaling 493.20 yuan.

Of course, he hadn’t paid Tang Yichen’s grandfather, uncle, or uncle-in-law for their dried fish and shrimp yet.

He wanted to, but they refused, saying they were family.

The cost to transport the goods was nearly as high.

The village tractor driver charged 100 yuan, train freight was 110 yuan, the cart fee was 50 yuan, and at the county and Chuzhou freight centers, he gave out four packs of Hua Zi cigarettes worth 52 yuan to grease palms.

Altogether, 310 yuan.

This didn’t include the train ticket or the personal labor and time costs of Tang Xionghua.

Nor did it cover their previous trip to Chuzhou or the apartment rental.

In short, expenses were huge!

But the thought of selling for eight or nine yuan per pound—an enormous profit—made it all acceptable.

“Yichen, let’s go buy a bicycle, or better yet, a suitable tricycle!” Tang Xionghua, still restless, wanted to get the goods moving as soon as possible.

“All right, let’s go take a look,” Tang Yichen nodded.

Though less anxious than his father, he also wanted to sell the goods quickly.

This was his father’s first time as a business owner, and in a way, it was Tang Yichen’s first time too.

Before rebirth, although he had risen to marketing manager in a company, he was still just an employee.

Compared to his father, Tang Xionghua, he had a richer life experience and past knowledge, making him somewhat steadier.

Without another word, father and son headed out again.

After closing the door, Tang Xionghua double-checked the locks several times, unwilling to risk theft.

If someone broke in and stole all the goods, it would be a disaster.

Downstairs, just a few hundred meters around the corner was the vegetable market they had visited last time.

Tang Yichen tugged his father there to check on the stall that had bought 12 pounds of their dried fish and shrimp a week ago.

They wanted to see if it had sold well.

Only if these small vendors at the market could sell well would this business prove profitable.