书城外语阿米!走步!
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第32章 核!合!和!(18)

12.You must be surprised that the country folks who traded in pork under Cai and Huang would make money.And they did make a lot.Each household had over 100,000 Yuan deposited in the bank and led a well-off life.Now,Cai and Huang were no longer what they had been before: they were rich people known far and wide.Because of what they did for the villagers,they were chosen by the government as model workers,enjoying many honors which boiled down to a word——rich.However,how much they possessed only God knew.Some government officials tried to inquire into it,but the two old geezers kept their mouth sealed so nobody could ever smell it out.We only got some clue from one incident.A pig breeder from Sichuan province delivered one truck of pigs to Cai.When they were sending other two trucks to the slaughterhouses in the counties around,the road was blocked by a mud-rock flow as a result of days of downpour.Not being able to leave or unload the cargo,the Sichuanese was like a cat on hot brick.He had no choice but turn to Cai Danian for help,begging him to buy the two trucks of pigs.Buy them all?Can you imagine how much they were worth?Above 10,000 Yuan for one truck!Cai made a couple of calls and then agreed to accept the cargo,even without bargaining.He then produced over 200,000 Yuan in cash.That time he paid almost 400,000 Yuan in total for the three trucks of pigs.He even had not to go to the bank——all in cash!How rich he was!"I do business with a clean hand," he remarked,"And I make money from the pork business.Don't ever think of it as ******.I tell you,there is much to learn to be a good butcher.What you need particularly is good insight.With it,money will stream into your pocket even when you are sleeping." Cai had a keen insight into the business.Rarely did he make mistakes in the field during the thirty-odd years.Once,he earned over 100,000 Yuan from the two trucks of pigs.As it turned out,he called some pork retailers to inquire into the current prices in the town market.He learnt that the prices were going up due to the floods which had destroyed the road.Therefore,he decided to accept the other two trucks of pigs.As a local,Cai was familiar with the geography of the area.Since the main road was destroyed,he had the pigs transported by motor tricycles to town through mountain paths.Within several days,all the meat was sold out in town.Talking about the experience,Cai would say in a casual way: "We only had to forbear more hardship than usual.But what to fear?" This story spread widely among other butchers as a perfect case of earning big money from pork business.Hearing their compliments,Cai would feel extremely proud and satisfied,taking off his hat and beating it upon his hand.

13.Huang Manfu,who did not like Cai's way of doing business,criticized the latter like this: "It is by using petty tricks and big capital that Cai makes money.Nothing extraordinary.This time he takes advantage of the loophole again.There is nothing to be proud of.We must be open and honest in doing business.""Besides,look at him: what an old chap he is——An upstart,a shabby old guy with a balding head hidden in an ugly hat,a fattening neck,a swollen belly,plus a coarse voice!He makes a lot of money.It is true; but what does an old chap have so much money for?An old guy should not pretend to be fashionable as a young man.Well,well,look at him!"

14.Cai was never offended by Huang's criticism,less did he slandered the former behind his back.It was when Huang attacked him in his face in the market that Cai would fight back.

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15.Now let's take a look at the prosperous butchers busying themselves in the central market of Longnan.Two rows of stalls spread neatly before our eyes,the eastern row owned by the Cai residents of Huangjiawan and the western by Huang.The first stall in the eastern was owned by Cai,the village head and pilot money-maker.Tall in stature,he had a brown face,an arching nose,big eyes,thick lips and large ears.(In Chinese culture,large ears are regarded as a sign of a good fate.)He wore a black long-shade cricket hat of Lining,a famous clothing brand in China.Below that was a T-shirt for old people,suspenders upon his fatty belly and brown shoes.Around his neck was a magnetic device designed to prevent cervical spondylosis.From the right strap of the suspenders a big bronze whistle was hung into a pocket.He had brought back the device from the army.Since he had it stowed in his pocket,no one had seen it except on rare occasions.Cai looked exactly as Huang described except that he was vigorous and high-spirited.It was the same with his fifteen butchers who owned stalls in the same row.Since their family names were Cai or Huang,people called them "The Able Seven Cais and Eight Huangs."

16.At the beginning of the western row we had the pork stall of CPC secretary Huang Manfu,another pilot businessman from Huangjiawan.Middle in stature,he wore a pair of golden glasses on his delicate face,which suggested wisdom of age.He was in a yellow short-cuffed shirt,jeans and polished black shoes.He wore an apron which kept his clothing clean but which made him look much shorter.From head to heel,he was a shrewd and able businessman.His apprentices who sold pork in his row had shaken off poverty long before and were all ****** big money.