Tomorrow is the 19th day of the twelfth lunar month, and there's a big market at Baigezhuang.
Although the Baigezhuang market isn't as large as the Shahe market, its foot traffic is no less impressive.
This is mainly because there are two large residential communities next to the Baigezhuang market.
The residents in these two communities outnumber those near the Shahe market, and their spending power is even stronger!
Liu Zhiyuan and the other two often attend the Baigezhuang market.
The three of them unanimously agreed that tomorrow's sales would not be lower than today's.
After eating and drinking their fill, Jiang Tao went to the counter to settle the bill with the restaurant's lady boss.
Tonight's feast of fish and meat was substantial, but the total cost was only 308 yuan.
Without Jiang Tao needing to haggle, the lady boss directly waived the change and gave each of them a small bottle of cola.
As the four walked out of the restaurant toward Jiang Tao's place, Liu Zhiyuan and the other two teased Jiang Tao about the lady boss the entire way.
They jokingly claimed that Jiang Tao had something going on with her, hinting at "which leg" it was.
Naturally, they meant the "leg" that men have and women don't.
Jiang Tao laughed it off, saying it was just his personal charm.
Joking aside, despite being a drifter in Beijing, Jiang Tao kept himself clean.
Of the vices—eating, drinking, gambling, womanizing, and smoking—he only indulged in eating, drinking, and smoking, steering clear of the other two.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, they soon arrived at Jiang Tao's rented apartment.
The small room, less than 20 square meters, felt a bit cramped with three guests.
Zhang Chao, the last to enter, casually closed the door behind him.
Then, the four of them started settling the day's accounts.
When they initially agreed to partner up for this deal, they had decided to clear the accounts daily.
The day's earnings would be settled on the same day to avoid any disputes over money.
Jiang Tao took out his phone and began calculating the day's total income in front of everyone.
For a first-time fruit seller, he surprisingly outperformed the others, becoming the top seller.
He sold a little over two carts' worth, earning a total of 73,200 yuan through WeChat, Alipay, and cash.
Liu Zhiyuan came in second with a total of 68,700 yuan.
Zhang Chao took third place with 63,000 yuan.
Shan Yifei sold the least, only finishing his second cart near the end of the day, earning 60,800 yuan.
Together, the four of them made a staggering total of 265,700 yuan in one day!
Seeing the total figure on Jiang Tao's phone, all four of them felt their breathing quicken.
Selling 265,700 yuan in a single day felt like a dream!
When Liu Zhiyuan and the others worked alone, they wouldn't even make this much in an entire year!
"Good heavens, I can't understand today's consumers. Why do they buy more when the price goes up?" Liu Zhiyuan exclaimed.
"The news about the price hike for tangerines even trended online. People are probably afraid it'll keep rising," Shan Yifei chimed in.
"We're too awesome, selling this much in one day! We've made history!" Zhang Chao added.
"Everyone worked hard, but now's not the time to relax or celebrate," Jiang Tao said, suppressing his inner excitement and speaking calmly. "When we've sold all the tangerines in the courtyard, then we can have a proper celebration."
"Brother Jiang's right! We've got to keep pushing hard for the next few days! Once this batch is done, I'm heading straight home to rest for a few extra days this year!" Liu Zhiyuan said.
"Same here. We can go back together," Shan Yifei added.
Although Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yifei had only invested 50,000 yuan each, they'd still make a good profit from this deal, enough for a prosperous New Year.
Seeing how excited the others were, Zhang Chao felt a pang of bitterness.
He immediately set a goal for himself in his heart.
Next year, he absolutely wouldn't go to massage parlors anymore. He was determined to save money!
After the excitement, they began dividing the earnings.
As agreed, Jiang Tao, who invested 250,000 yuan, took 71% of the share.
71% of the total 265,700 yuan amounted to 188,647 yuan!
In just one day, he had earned back the money he borrowed from Old Ma!
A single-day income of 188,647 yuan!
This set a new record for his highest daily earnings!
Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yifei each took a 14% share, pocketing 37,198 yuan each!
The remaining 1% share, equivalent to 2,657 yuan, was left undistributed.
Jiang Tao suggested, "Zhang Chao worked hard and put in a lot of effort today. I propose giving him 2,000 yuan as a wage. The remaining 600 can go to you two for gas money. Any objections?"
"No objections!" Liu Zhiyuan said.
"None here either!" Shan Yifei agreed with a grin.
Both of them had made a fortune today and didn't mind splitting this small amount with Zhang Chao.
They were all buddies, after all. If they were eating meat, they couldn't let their brother go without at least some soup!
"Ahem… well, thanks, guys," Zhang Chao said.
He had thought he'd get maybe 800 or 1,000 yuan for the day.
After all, when he sold fruit on his own, he only made three or four hundred a day.
He hadn't expected his buddies to be so generous, giving him 2,000 yuan!
In that moment, Zhang Chao felt a wave of shame and guilt.
Just earlier, watching Jiang Tao and Liu Zhiyuan divide the money, he had been jealous and a bit resentful.
He had even planned to slack off and take it easy while selling tangerines tomorrow.
But with this 2,000-yuan boost, Zhang Chao's enthusiasm surged like he'd been injected with adrenaline.
Tomorrow, he'd sell with all his might and aim to be the top seller!
Otherwise, he'd feel too ashamed to face his buddies!
"We're all brothers; no need to say thanks. That's too formal," Jiang Tao said, patting Zhang Chao on the shoulder with a smile. Aside from his fondness for foot massages, Zhang Chao was a decent guy.
Ding-a-ling-ling—
Just as Jiang Tao finished speaking, his phone rang.
He pulled it out and saw it was a video call from his wife, Xu Li.
"Haha, looks like Sister-in-Law is checking up on you again," Liu Zhiyuan teased.
"Brother Jiang, we won't keep you from chatting with her. We're heading out," Shan Yifei said.
"Let's go, let's go. No need to be third wheels here!" Zhang Chao added.
"How about we head to my place for some cards?" Liu Zhiyuan suggested.
"Count me in! You won a bunch off me yesterday, and I'm winning it back today!" Shan Yifei replied.
"Brother Jiang, we're off," Liu Zhiyuan said.
The three of them left, laughing and joking.
"Alright, you guys take care. Don't stay up too late and mess up tomorrow's work," Jiang Tao said, answering the call while seeing them to the door.
"Honey, who was that just now? Sounds lively over there," Xu Li said over the phone, hearing the voices but not seeing anyone.
"Liu Zhiyuan, Shan Yifei, and the others. They were just hanging out here for a bit and just left," Jiang Tao replied.
"Oh, those guys. By the way, honey, isn't Shan Yifei 26 this year? Does he have a girlfriend?" Xu Li asked.
"I don't think so. Are you trying to play matchmaker?" Jiang Tao asked.
"I have a cousin…" Xu Li began.
The couple chatted idly, their conversation touching on everyday matters.
From matchmaking for Shan Yifei to who in the village was getting married and how much dowry the bride's family demanded.
Or who was getting divorced because the three kids they raised for over a decade weren't theirs.
Jiangjiazhuang wasn't a big place, but there was always plenty of gossip.
Even in Beijing, Jiang Tao could still catch secondhand village drama.
He hadn't told Xu Li about the tangerine deal yet, planning to surprise her with the big news.
The couple chatted for an hour and a half before reluctantly hanging up.
Jiang Tao glanced at his phone—it was already 10 p.m.!
He quickly transferred the money to pay back Old Ma's loan.
The sooner he paid it off, the less interest he'd owe.
A 170,000-yuan loan accrued over 100 yuan in interest per day!