Lín Xiǎotáng and Chén Zhāoyáng successfully defused the blackboard newspaper plagiarism controversy, and the bonds between the classmates grew increasingly harmonious. The romantic tension between him and Lín Xiǎotáng was also quietly heating up. This vague, hazy ambiguity was like a spring breeze gently blowing across their hearts, adding a touch of shyness and sweetness to their everyday interactions. Whenever their eyes met, they would quickly look away, yet the corners of their mouths could not help but turn up, as if they were hiding the most wonderful secret in the world.
After this storm, Chén Zhāoyáng's prestige in the class rose even higher, and his classmates' trust in him grew day by day. He knew deeply that this trust was not only recognition of his ability to solve problems, but also a responsibility, inspiring him to continue contributing his strength to the class and his classmates in the days to come.
On this weekend, the morning sun spilled early over the small fishing village, gilding the staggered houses with a layer of gold. Chén Zhāoyáng got up early as usual, and after a simple wash, helped his mother organize the goods in their general store. Looking at the neatly arranged items on the shelves, he calculated in his mind that although the store's business was stable now, wanting greater development meant finding new business opportunities.
Recalling the case studies he had read in business books in his past life, along with the experience he had accumulated in this lifetime, Chén Zhāoyáng suddenly thought of the fishing port morning market. He knew that the fishing port morning market was a place where fishermen traded seafood. Every early morning, it was bustling with activity, filled with an eye-opening variety of fresh fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish. It not only gathered local fishermen and peddlers, but occasionally attracted outside merchants for procurement. The foot traffic was heavy, and potential business opportunities were numerous. Moreover, his family's store was already selling some seafood; perhaps he could start from the morning market to find new supply channels, lower costs, and increase profits.
Thinking of this, Chén Zhāoyáng could no longer sit still. He told his mother and hurried toward the fishing port morning market. Along the way, the sea breeze gently brushed against his cheeks, carrying the distinctive salty taste of the ocean. Shops along the street were opening for business one after another, and breakfast stalls steamed with heat as vendors enthusiastically greeted passing pedestrians. Looking at these familiar scenes, Chén Zhāoyáng's heart was filled with anticipation for the future, knowing that today might be a day full of harvests.
Soon, Chén Zhāoyáng arrived at the fishing port morning market. The moment he stepped into the market, the clamor washed over him. The hawking of fishermen, the bargaining of peddlers, and the inquiries of customers intertwined to form a unique market symphony. The morning market was bustling with people, with stalls standing shoulder to shoulder, filled with all kinds of seafood. There were lively shrimp and crabs waving their pincers in basins; silver fish gleaming with fresh luster on blocks of ice; and plump shellfish with their shells ajar, as if telling tales of the sea.
Chén Zhāoyáng shuttled through the crowd, his eyes constantly scanning the stalls, carefully observing the types, quality, and prices of the seafood. He discovered that the price differences among various stalls were quite large. For the exact same fish, some stalls sold it very expensively, while others were much cheaper. Moreover, the seafood at certain stalls looked fresher, the displays were neater, and the customer base was noticeably larger.
"There's definitely a trick to this," Chén Zhāoyáng thought, deciding to find a stall to understand things in depth. He walked up to a fish stall that looked to be doing good business. The vendor was a dark-skinned uncle with a down-to-earth smile, skillfully weighing and bagging fish for a customer. Waiting for the uncle to finish, Chén Zhāoyáng politely asked, "Uncle, your fish sells really well. Is there any secret to it?"
The uncle looked up at Chén Zhāoyáng and smiled. "Young man, doing business is all about integrity and quality. My fish are caught from the sea early in the morning, very fresh, and the price is fair, so naturally everyone is willing to come buy."
Chén Zhāoyáng nodded and continued to ask, "Then how do you set the price for this fish? I saw that some stalls are quite a bit cheaper than yours."
Hearing this, the uncle frowned slightly and said, "Those cheap fish are either not fresh or poor in quality. My fish are carefully selected, so the price is slightly higher, but it's definitely worth every penny. Besides, I also adjust the prices according to market demand. For example, if a lot of this fish is caught today, I lower the price a bit for a quick turnover with small profits; if less is caught, the price goes up a bit."
Chén Zhāoyáng experienced a sudden flash of insight. It turned out there was so much know-how behind pricing. He chatted with the uncle for a little longer, learning about some supply channels and sales techniques. The uncle also told him that wanting to do a good seafood business meant getting on good terms with the fishermen so as to get the freshest and cheapest goods.
After bidding farewell to the uncle at the fish stall, Chén Zhāoyáng continued strolling through the morning market. He discovered that besides the common fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, there were some specialty seafoods like sea urchins, starfish, and sea cucumbers—none of which had been sold at their store yet. He figured these specialty seafoods might attract more customers and bring a new profit growth point to the store.
Just as he was thinking this, Chén Zhāoyáng suddenly heard a fierce argument coming from a nearby stall. Curious, he walked over to find a young merchant and an elderly fisherman arguing until their faces were red.
"Your price is much too high! It's several yuan more expensive than everyone else's. How am I supposed to sell this?" the merchant said with a face full of dissatisfaction.
"My goods are the best. You get what you pay for! If you think it's expensive, go look elsewhere!" the old man refused to yield an inch.
Chén Zhāoyáng listened from the side for a moment and roughly understood what had happened. It turned out that the batch of seafood the old man had caught was indeed of good quality, but the price was much higher than similar products on the market. The merchant felt the profit margin was too small and was unwilling to stock it.
Chén Zhāoyáng had a flash of inspiration; he felt this might be an opportunity. He stepped forward and said to the old man, "Uncle, don't get angry yet. I think your goods are quite good, but can the price be lowered just a little bit? That way everyone can accept it, and you'll be able to sell more."
The old man looked at Chén Zhāoyáng with some doubt and asked, "Who are you, young man? Why are you meddling in our business?"
Chén Zhāoyáng smiled and explained, "Uncle, my family also runs a seafood business. I just want to help you out with some ideas. Look, market competition is so fierce right now. If you can adjust your price a little, you'll definitely attract more merchants to buy stock. Furthermore, you can build long-term cooperative relationships with them, and then you won't have to worry about selling your goods in the future."
Hearing Chén Zhāoyáng's words, the old man pondered for a moment and felt it made some sense. He looked at Chén Zhāoyáng and asked, "Then how do you think I should adjust this price?"
Chén Zhāoyáng thought for a moment and said, "Uncle, you could lower the price a bit first to attract merchants to buy stock. Once you break into the market, you can slowly adjust the price based on sales volume and reputation. Also, you can offer some promotional activities, like buying ten catties and getting one free; that can also increase sales."
The old man nodded, feeling that Chén Zhāoyáng made sense. He said to the merchant, "Fine, for this young man's sake, I'll drop two yuan for you. But you've got to buy more stock."
Seeing the old man relent, the merchant stopped haggling and happily began selecting goods. Watching the two reach a deal, Chén Zhāoyáng felt a strong sense of accomplishment. He felt that in this process, he had not only helped the old man and the merchant solve their problem, but had also learned many business negotiation techniques.
After a morning of observation and learning, Chén Zhāoyáng gained a rich harvest. He not only understood the market conditions, pricing strategies, and sales techniques of the fishing port morning market, but also discovered some potential business opportunities. He decided that upon returning, he would apply these experiences to the operation of the general store while attempting to introduce some specialty seafood to enrich the store's product variety.
At noon, Chén Zhāoyáng left the fishing port morning market with a full harvest and a joyful heart. As he walked, he calculated the store's future development plans in his mind, his steps light and resolute. Arriving home, his mother had already prepared lunch, and the family sat around the dining table. Chén Zhāoyáng couldn't wait to tell his parents everything he had seen and heard at the fishing port morning market. Hearing this, his father said with gratification, "Son, you've really grown up and learned to worry about the family business." His mother also smiled and said, "That's right, Zhāoyáng, your trip wasn't wasted. Just do as you say from now on; Mom believes in you."
With his parents' support, Chén Zhāoyáng gained even more confidence. After lunch, he sat at his desk and earnestly recorded the knowledge he had learned and the business opportunities he had discovered at the fishing port morning market today. He knew that the path of commerce was full of challenges, but as long as he kept learning and dared to try, he would surely achieve success.
In the afternoon, Chén Zhāoyáng was in his room thinking about the new layout for the general store when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Opening it, he found Lín Xiǎotáng standing at the threshold. Lín Xiǎotáng was wearing a light blue dress today, her hair tied into a ponytail, looking fresh and lovely. Holding a review booklet in her hand, she said with a smile to Chén Zhāoyáng, "Chén Zhāoyáng, I came to find you to study together. I've been struggling with some math problems lately and wanted to ask you about them."
Looking at Lín Xiǎotáng, Chén Zhāoyáng felt a warmth in his heart and hurriedly invited her into the room. Sitting together at the desk, Lín Xiǎotáng took out her review materials and pointed at several math problems, humbly asking Chén Zhāoyáng for guidance. Chén Zhāoyáng looked over the problems carefully and patiently explained them to Lín Xiǎotáng. His explanations were clear, distinct, and easy to understand. Lín Xiǎotáng quickly grasped the problem-solving mindset and happily said, "Chén Zhāoyáng, you explain things so well! I understand it all at once. If it weren't for you, I don't know how long I'd be trying to figure this out."
Chén Zhāoyáng was praised to the point of some embarrassment and scratched his head, saying, "Don't say that. We're classmates; helping each other is only right. Besides, your English is so good, and you often help me."
After reviewing their studies for a while, Chén Zhāoyáng couldn't resist telling Lín Xiǎotáng about his experiences at the fishing port morning market. Lín Xiǎotáng listened with rapt attention, her eyes full of admiration: "Chén Zhāoyáng, you're amazing! I didn't expect you to learn so many things even at the morning market. I think you'll definitely become a big businessman in the future."
Chén Zhāoyáng smiled and said, "I just wanted to help my family run the business well and let my mom and dad live a good life. Plus, I think doing business is very interesting; you can learn a lot of knowledge."
Lín Xiǎotáng nodded and said, "I believe you can definitely do it. If there are any interesting things in the future, remember to share them with me, okay?"
Looking at Lín Xiǎotáng's earnest expression, a warm current surged in Chén Zhāoyáng's heart. He knew that on the road of pursuing his dreams, having a friend like Lín Xiǎotáng to accompany him was an incomparably happy thing. The two chatted a bit more, their topic shifting from business to future ideals. Lín Xiǎotáng said she wanted to become a teacher to educate people; Chén Zhāoyáng said he hoped to carve out a world of his own in the commercial field while never forgetting to help those around him.
Unnoticeably, the sun gradually slanted westward, and the horizon was stained with a brilliant sunset glow. Lín Xiǎotáng checked the time and said in surprise, "Oh my, it's so late! I should go home, or my parents will start worrying."
Chén Zhāoyáng walked Lín Xiǎotáng to the door. When saying goodbye, their eyes met, both showing reluctance to part. Lín Xiǎotáng softly said, "See you tomorrow, Chén Zhāoyáng." Chén Zhāoyáng responded with a smile, "See you tomorrow." Watching Lín Xiǎotáng's retreating figure, Chén Zhāoyáng's heart was filled with drive. He knew that for the sake of his dreams, and to walk toward a better future together with Lín Xiǎotáng, he had to work even harder.
Returning to his room, Chén Zhāoyáng continued sorting out today's harvests and planning the development blueprint for the general store. He believed that as long as he persevered with unremitting effort, in the sea breeze of this year 1990, he would surely achieve his goals and create a wonderful life of his own. And this business enlightenment lesson at the fishing port morning market was merely a tiny starting point on his long commercial road; there were still more challenges and opportunities waiting for him to explore and conquer in the future.