Now that even Yan Xuanxuan is so supportive, Jiang Xiaoman is completely relieved and is just waiting for the inspection in half a month. She is still busy collecting mountain products.
It can be said that his good deeds were rewarded.
Originally, he bought mountain products this time mainly because he saw that many families were struggling to make ends meet in the spring and wanted to help the elderly and mothers left behind in the village earn some living expenses. Who would have thought that after the first batch of mountain products was sold, there would be so many fans who would repurchase!
There were even several people whose families owned restaurants who messaged him privately, wanting to buy in bulk.
This immediately opened up Jiang Xiaoman's mind.
The business opportunity was fleeting, so Jiang Xiaoman immediately called his new friend Sun Zheyuan and said that he wanted to buy large quantities of dried bamboo shoots, dried wild mushrooms, dried bracken, and other mountain products in the town.
It just so happens that there are many elderly people and women left behind in their town who can't find a way to make money. His idea is to hope that the town can take the lead and use the gimmick of "helping farmers and public welfare activities" to use his newly opened express delivery station as a collection point to buy large quantities of mountain products from the villagers in the town.
"This event is great! Oh, Xiaoman, you're truly a lucky star for our town!" Sun Zheyuan hung up the phone and immediately went to report to his superiors.
To be honest, there are hardly any industrial enterprises in the Langshan area, and very few agricultural product processing enterprises. The few small workshops that make tea and tofu are basically staffed by family members, and they rarely hire people from outside. Local people don't have many opportunities to find odd jobs near their homes.
The men have it a bit easier, since there are often manual labor jobs like building houses and cutting down trees in the surrounding villages, and they can also do odd jobs. Women and the elderly have it much harder, as they have to take care of children and work in the fields. They can only go up the mountain to pick mushrooms and earn some pocket money during the season when red mushrooms and pine mushrooms are in season.
If Jiang Xiaoman's sales channel can really be established, how much mountain produce will Langshan produce all year round? The elderly and women can earn a lot of living expenses by making more trips up the mountain when they have nothing to do.
While Sun Zheyuan was busy lobbying for this charity event, Jiang Xiaoman also made a phone call to the head of the branch office of the courier company he was working with.
Originally, his courier station was a poverty alleviation point in a mountainous area specially approved by the company. When he heard that Jiang Xiaoman had taken action so quickly, and that he was going to purchase a large number of local agricultural products through this courier station in less than a month after it opened, and that he had also received strong support from the town, the regional manager was invigorated and immediately decided that he would bring people from the branch office to come and take a look the next day.
These days, the bigger the company, the more effort they need to put into its brand image.
Especially in the express delivery industry, which is closely related to people's livelihoods, the major domestic express delivery companies have been fighting hard for the "last mile" of delivery to villages in recent years. At this time, of course, whoever makes the greatest contribution to the cause of poverty alleviation will be more competitive!
If Jiang Xiaoman's project can be managed well, their entire region might receive a reward from the group at the end of the year.
Having arranged to meet the regional manager at his temporary stop the next day, Jiang Xiaoman immediately went to find Shan Yan.
Shan Yan had just come down from the mountain early in the morning and was sitting in the courtyard drinking the sweet fermented rice and braised eggs that Jiang Yu had made for him when Jiang Xiaoman unexpectedly came to his door to deliver money.
“Brother Yan, I think this business can make money.” Jiang Xiaoman also ladled out a bowl of sweet rice wine, drinking it as she explained her thoughts to him.
In terms of mountain products, the old mountain valley has far more than this place. However, because the area is deep in the mountains and forests, and most people who are not the mountain dwellers who have lived there for generations do not dare to venture in and risk their lives.
But others wouldn't dare, but Shan Yan and his gang would!
Moreover, he had followed Shan Yan and the others to the mountains several times, and he knew that the old mountain valley was not just Shan Yan's village, but rather a place where many families lived scattered. To put it bluntly, almost every family occupied a mountain. Not to mention the distance, they could just gather the mountain produce from their own mountain, dry it, and sell it to him, earning enough to cover their family's expenses for half a year.
After all, mountain produce requires no cost. If you're diligent and make a few trips to the mountains, it's not difficult to earn a few thousand yuan during a wild vegetable season.
Jiang Xiaoman came to find Shan Yan because he knew that even if the town took the lead in handling this matter, it could only notify the various administrative villages at most. Those who lived nearby would be fine, as they could find out by asking around.
But if the villagers in the old mountain valley don't come down the mountain themselves, the town can't notify them door-to-door.
Since Jiang Xiaoman dared to bring in the courier company, it meant she wanted to take the opportunity to thoroughly promote the reputation of the local mountain products in Langshan through the courier company's channels. This meant that she couldn't just buy mountain products on a small scale.
After all, the name they and the town promoted was "helping people in impoverished mountainous areas sell their unsold mountain products." But they only had a few thousand kilograms, which wouldn't even be enough for him to sell in one live stream. So how could they be considered unsold?
Once the news is released, you're just asking to be laughed to death by netizens!
He wanted to buy more mountain products to bolster his image, and also wanted Ah Hu and Qing Shan's gang to take the opportunity to make some money.
Moreover, looking at the long term, if this channel for collecting mountain products is truly established, Ah Hu and Qing Shan can directly act as his collection points in Laoshan Aozi. They can collect the products at the prices in the mountains and then resell them to him at a slightly higher price, earning a little extra money through their hard work.
As a result, the mountain people had no choice but to travel such a long distance to sell their mountain products to him, and Ah Hu and his family finally had a long-term and stable source of income.
"Alright! Leave this to me! If it goes well, I'll have Ah Hu and the others treat you to a drink." A smile appeared on Shan Yan's face.
He knew in his heart that Jiang Xiaoman could have contacted Ah Hu and the others directly, but she came to him first to make him, her master, look good.
If others can think of their apprentices, doesn't Shanyan want his apprentices to have a good life?
After informing Shanyan, Jiang Xiaoman went to Grandma Jiang's house and found Lang Ying.
If he harvests a large quantity, he'll need to hire some helpers.
Chapter 157
He had promised Lang Ying that he would think of her first if there was any work to be done this year. Jiang Xiaoman also knew that she was a woman raising two children alone and that life was hard for her, so he wanted to help her earn some money.
“Sure! I can do this! I plan to send both girls to daycare next month. I heard that the questions in elementary school are quite difficult now, and I'm worried that they won't be able to keep up. My mother-in-law used to be reluctant to spend money, but thanks to you last year, she saved up some money and sent them to daycare. Now I can go out and earn money during the day.”
Lang Ying was a straightforward person. After agreeing to Jiang Xiaoman's request, she sent her two daughters to the nursery within two days.
Rural daycare centers are not as strictly regulated as those in the city, and they are all privately run and can charge monthly fees.
A child costs 450 yuan a month, which is a sum that most families would not be willing to spend, such as Lang Ying's former mother-in-law.
Before Lang Ying got divorced, she didn't have much money. Even if she wanted to send her child to daycare, her family wouldn't give her the money, and she couldn't do anything about it.
Unexpectedly, after the divorce, I actually became financially better off.
Lang Ying hadn't quite figured out the reason yet, but she felt that since her divorce from her ex-husband, the sky was bluer, the roads were wider, and even her two children's lives were much better than before.
Because of this, Lang Ying didn't suffer as much as the other villagers gossiped behind her back, saying that she was divorced and raising two children. On the contrary, she lived a more and more comfortable life.
Jiang Xiaoman invited her over mainly to do two things:
One is to help him cook three meals a day during the period when he is collecting mountain products.
Another thing is to take some time to help him receive and send packages, and clean up the courier station.
Because he would be busy with acquisitions and sales for the next period of time, and the courier station couldn't be left unattended, he was even more worried about just finding anyone to come. After thinking it over, he could only trust Lang Ying a little, and she was also diligent in her work.
Jiang Xiaoman paid her a daily wage of 100 yuan, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Lang Ying calculated that if Jiang Xiaoman could work for two full months, she could earn a net profit of more than 6,000 yuan, which would cover the tuition fees for the two girls' daycare for half a year. So what was there to hesitate about?
That evening, she told Grandma Jiang about it. From then on, she would clean the house before eight o'clock every morning, feed the pigs and chickens, make breakfast for Grandma Jiang and Yueyue, send the two girls to the daycare in town after breakfast, and then go directly to work at Jiang Xiaoman's place.
When Grandma Jiang heard that Lang Ying was going to send Da Niu and Er Niu to daycare, she hesitated for a while, but finally couldn't help but ask Lang Ying to help her send Jiang Yueyue to daycare in town as well.
Now that her second granddaughter has a bright future, Grandma Jiang's only worry is her youngest granddaughter, Yueyue. But Cancan herself is still a child, and it's impossible for her to take care of her younger sister while studying.
If Grandma Jiang could still see clearly, she would take her granddaughter to school herself, but in her current state, the only person she can rely on is Lang Ying.
"What's the big deal? I make this trip every day anyway. It's just that the back of my little tricycle is a bit small, so the three of them will have to squeeze in."
What adults find difficult is no problem at all to the three little girls.
Especially Da Niu and Yue Yue, who have become best friends who can talk about anything during this time, were so excited when they heard that they could go to daycare together that they hugged each other on the spot.
It seems they don't mind that the cargo bed of the tricycle is too cramped.
Jiang Xiaoman couldn't stop laughing when she heard about this.
However, after only two days, he bought an electric tricycle from the county that could seat four adults in the back, and had Lang Ying ride it to town every day to drop off the children and buy groceries for the day.
Now that every household has a refrigerator, why would anyone need to go to the market to buy groceries every day?
Lang Ying knew that Jiang Xiaoman was soft-hearted and was worried that it would be too dangerous for her to ride a tricycle with three children.
However, she didn't say anything and readily accepted the spare car key. Anyway, she would only need it for an hour in the morning. When she returned from town, she could park the car at the courier station, which wouldn't cause Jiang Xiaoman any trouble.
She kept this favor in her heart and became increasingly attentive to the fledgling courier station.
Hearing that no one was cultivating the wasteland behind the post station, he even took some time to clear a vegetable patch for Jiang Xiaoman with a hoe and transplanted a lot of vegetables from his own garden. As a result, Jiang Xiaoman no longer needs to spend money to buy fresh vegetables.
...
Jiang Xiaoman from Langshan Village is going to collect mountain products!
And the price is about the same as what they sell at a stall in town!
You can bring dried bamboo shoots, dried ferns, various dried wild mushrooms, and homemade preserved vegetables to sell. You can inspect the goods and pay on the spot!
This news has recently spread to almost every village in the vicinity, and even people in the neighboring town are inquiring whether it only accepts residents from their own town or from other towns. It is said that even residents from the old mountain valley are being accepted, and the mountain people are all moving about in a hurry.
Isn't it just wild mountain vegetables?
In previous years, they would pick some to dry and eat themselves during this season. Now they heard that they can sell them for money, and that people will buy as much as they want. So what are they waiting for?
Apart from a few lazybones who were too lazy to move, everyone who could walk went to the mountains to find wild vegetables.
While Jiang Xiaoman was busy purchasing mountain products, the second batch of chrysanthemum seedlings arrived. This time, the quantity was smaller. Lang Ying's family took half, and Jiang Xiaoman let Ah Hu and the others take the remaining half back to plant themselves when they came down to deliver the mountain products.
Fortunately, he had invited Ah Hu and a few others to his house to help plant chrysanthemums last time, otherwise, with his current busy schedule, he might not have had time to teach them how to plant them.
Langshan Village has been unusually lively lately, attracting people from all around town. People from the surrounding villages are carrying baskets and woven bags to sell their mountain produce. This season is the peak season for bamboo shoots and other types of bamboo shoots from the mountains. In previous years, people would go up the mountain to dig for them, but once there was too much, they couldn't sell it at the market. And they couldn't make that much dried bamboo shoot at home either.
After all, making dried bamboo shoots isn't just about slicing and drying them. You have to peel off the outer skin first. Small bamboo shoots, about the thickness of a thumb, can be blanched directly in boiling water, while larger bamboo shoots need to be sliced and blanched before being dried.
If it rains or is cloudy, they have to take it home and dry it over a charcoal fire. Rural women and elderly people left behind have to work in the fields and take care of their children. Where do they have the time to go through all this trouble for a bite to eat?
But if it's for making money, then the motivation comes instantly!
The acquisition price offered by Jiang Xiaoman is truly tempting.
Wild dried bamboo shoots are the most expensive, at 15 yuan per jin; dried hairy bamboo shoots are cheaper, at 10 yuan per jin; dried bracken fern depends on its quality, if it's all tender shoots, it's 12 yuan per jin, if it's more old stems, it's 8 yuan per jin; wild mushrooms, if they're not separated and are all mixed together, are 20 yuan per jin...
Because many fans want to try their smoked bacon, Jiang Xiaoman is also buying bacon.
However, he also knows that many local families are not so particular about eating cured meat. Sometimes, cured meat from several years ago is still hanging there. They don't care about eating this kind of meat themselves, but those who are not used to eating local cured meat will probably give it a bad review... So he specifically stated that he only accepts cured meat made last winter, because the taste is the best when smoked this way.
Ever since Jiang Xiaoman started collecting mountain products, his fans have been eagerly waiting for him to start a live stream. After all, it seems that Brother Xiaoman is going to make a big move this time. He certainly won't be like before, putting up hundreds of items in one live stream. Is he underestimating the purchasing power of his millions of fans?
What left Xiaoman's die-hard fans speechless was that there were also many fans of Jiang Cancan and Wei Sheng's families mixed in.
No, aren't you idol fans who are involved in the entertainment industry?
Why are you trying to steal our local specialties?
In response, Jiang Cancan and Wei Sheng's fans said: What's wrong with idol fans? Don't idol fans need to eat and live their own lives?
Besides, they always hear their idols talking about how delicious the cured pork and dried bamboo shoots from Langshan are in their interviews. They want to try some of the same things their idols eat too! What do you country bumpkins know? This is the joy of being a fan!
The fans from both sides started arguing in Jiang Xiaoman's comment section, leaving the new fans who had just followed her completely confused. They couldn't help but leave the comment section and then click on Jiang Xiaoman's homepage to take a look.
That's right, the profile says I'm a rural food blogger, so why is the comment section turning into a fan war?
The fans were speechless, but when someone attacked their Xiaoman, they put aside their past grievances and joined forces to fight back against the haters.
There will always be people in this world who find everything disagreeable.
When Jiang Xiaoman first started selling his own mountain products in small batches, some people said that food safety was not guaranteed since they were handmade in a small workshop.
Now that he's started buying up mountain products in bulk, these same people are jumping out again, saying: "See! What did I tell you? Before, he was just building up a persona to gain followers. Now that he has a million followers, he's going to start harvesting them, isn't he?"
What kind of large-scale acquisition?