A joint-operated store refers to a shop jointly managed by multiple units.
This type of store is quite similar to the supply and marketing cooperatives in town, selling a bit of everything, but no one had ever heard of them selling dried goods like mushrooms before.
The crowd was skeptical, especially the purchasing agent, but as they followed the woman’s movements, they saw a packet of dried wood ear mushrooms in her basket.
The middle-aged woman was clearly irritated. She even shook some of the mushrooms out of the paper packet. "See for yourselves—isn’t this the real deal?"
Just by their size, they were noticeably larger than those sold at the vegetable and non-staple food store, not to mention their neat and attractive shape.
Someone immediately stepped forward to take a closer look. "This is exactly what I bought last year."
Others who were standing farther away quickly moved closer too. "Mine looked just like this last year too."
"See? Was I lying?" The woman showed her basket around. "Calling me a liar? Sounds like someone else is the one talking nonsense!"
The crowd immediately turned their eyes to the person who had argued with her the most. The woman glared back. "Why’re you all looking at me? I wasn’t the one who started it."
But no one could quite remember who had first cast doubt, so in the end, everyone turned their attention to the staff of the vegetable and non-staple food store.
The woman who had come to make a scene was the first to confront them. "Didn’t you claim these were from the Jinchuan Forest Farm? How come they’re so much worse than the ones she has?"
"Exactly," chimed in another woman who had nearly made a purchase, feeling like she’d almost been tricked. "The ones from Jinchuan Forest Farm are way better than yours."
Those who had actually bought the mushrooms were livid. "How dare you cheat people like this?"
"And you said they weren’t harvesting this year? Then how come Jinchuan’s mushrooms are still so high-quality?"
Even some of the store’s own employees shot skeptical glances at the purchasing agent.
Sweat beaded on the agent’s forehead under the scrutiny, but he still refused to give up. He asked the middle-aged woman, "Are you sure you bought these at the joint-operated store?"
"What, you think I faked it?" she snapped. "Why don’t you go check for yourself?"
She couldn’t understand why she was being challenged like this just for telling the truth. What had she done to deserve this?
"Then how much did you pay for these? Had to be at least 3.5 yuan per jin, right?" This was the agent’s last hope.
He couldn’t possibly argue that their mushrooms were as good as Jinchuan’s, but at least they were cheaper, right?
If the price was low enough, a slight drop in quality could be forgiven. You couldn’t expect the same quality as the expensive stuff.
But the woman replied, "3.5? No, just 3.4."
"3.4?" Before the agent could react, the crowd gasped in disbelief.
"Yep, 3.4 per jin. If it hadn’t been cheaper than last year, I wouldn’t have bought a whole jin at once."
Done with the conversation, the woman packed up her mushrooms and headed to another counter. "Give me five jin of string beans."
But the others were still stunned. Such high-quality mushrooms, selling for the same price as the inferior ones at the vegetable store?
Some who had come in pairs exchanged glances and quietly slipped out of the store. The troublemaking woman even picked up her basin. "I’m gonna go take a look."
If this was true, she’d definitely be back—and even angrier. The purchasing agent, realizing the implications, hurried after her.
The main branch of the vegetable and non-staple food store wasn’t exactly close to the joint-operated store—about a twenty-minute walk.
But the commotion had drawn quite a few people to the joint-operated store, where they indeed found wood ear mushrooms for sale.
A sign was stuck right into the bag of mushrooms: "Authentic Jinchuan Forest Farm Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms—3.4 yuan per jin."
Several customers were already there, weighing their purchases. One asked the clerk, "Since when do you sell mushrooms here?"
"Nobody said we couldn’t," the clerk replied briskly as she measured out a portion. "Jinchuan just never delivered here before. Here—one jin."
The customer glanced at the scale, and the clerk packed the mushrooms into a paper bag. "3.4 yuan. Pay over there."
Unlike the vegetable store, where many items required a ticket to be paid for separately (especially rationed goods), the joint-operated store had a simpler process.
The purchasing agent took one look, and his last shred of hope vanished. He cursed the Hongshi Forest Farm for screwing him over.
No harvest this year? And these were supposed to be the same as Jinchuan’s?
Not to mention, Jinchuan’s superior mushrooms were selling for the same price. Where was the discount they’d promised?
His face darkened. How was he supposed to explain this to the manager? And just then, the troublemaker twisted the knife further.
Her voice boomed as usual. "So this is the real Jinchuan stuff! What the hell was that garbage the vegetable store was selling for the same price?"
Some in the crowd had seen the vegetable store’s mushrooms, while others hadn’t paid much attention. Now they pressed for details. "The vegetable store had them too? How bad were they?"
"Bad doesn’t even cover it," the woman scoffed, grabbing a basin. "Look at this—how is this even comparable?"
Word spread like wildfire. Before more complaints could flood the vegetable store, the purchasing agent was summoned to the manager’s office.
"What the hell is going on?" the manager barked. "People are coming to me directly now!"
The agent felt wronged. "I asked if they were from Jinchuan, and they said yes. By the time I found out the truth, the payment was already made."
The manager wasn’t buying it. If that were the case, why had he ordered a thousand jin in one go? Who was he trying to fool?
He docked the agent half a month’s wages. "Sell them or refund them—figure it out. Otherwise, the store’s losses are coming out of your pocket."
A thousand jin meant over 3,000 yuan. The agent might as well be dead—he could never pay that back. Desperate, he wanted to strangle the con artists at Hongshi Forest Farm.
He confronted them, but they denied everything. "We did sell cheaper than last year! How were we supposed to know Jinchuan would price theirs at 3.4 too?"
The argument over the phone grew heated. The agent slammed the table. "Are you refunding us or not? If not, I’m writing a complaint letter—accusing you of undermining socialism!"
That was a serious charge. In the end, Hongshi backed down—but a refund was off the table. They slashed the price instead.
They had no choice. Once people learned about the joint-operated store’s superior mushrooms at the same price, no one wanted the vegetable store’s inferior stock.
Money was tight in those days, and housewives were sharp. They knew exactly where to find the best deals, down to the last penny.
At first, the price was cut to 3.2 yuan—still no buyers. Then it dropped to 3.0, and finally, a few customers trickled in, though not without complaints.
Worse, the scandal had ruined the vegetable store’s reputation. Nowadays, whenever it came up in conversation, people only had one thing to say: "Those cheats who sell fakes as the real deal."
In contrast, the joint-operated store, being the only one in the county selling authentic Jinchuan Forest Farm mushrooms, saw an increase in customer traffic and sold significantly more goods.
The vegetable and non-staple food store, after some thought, decided to call Jinchuan Forest Farm directly to place an order, hoping to sell their products as well and smooth over the incident of passing off inferior goods as genuine. They also planned to play the victim card, claiming they had been deceived and had no idea the mushrooms weren’t from Jinchuan Forest Farm—hence why they were now rushing to stock the real deal.
However, when they called, Jinchuan Forest Farm informed them that their salesperson was unavailable and couldn’t deliver the goods. When asked where he was, they were told he had gone to the provincial capital to expand sales.
"Our output this year is high, and Changshan County alone can’t absorb it all. We can’t let the goods go to waste," Secretary Lang explained truthfully. Liu Weiguo had indeed left for the provincial capital days earlier, and no one knew exactly when he’d return.
After hanging up, Acting Director Ning, who had dropped by for a visit, couldn’t help but ask, "Was that the county vegetable and non-staple food store?"
Secretary Lang nodded. "They must’ve taken a hit—selling anything under our name. If it weren’t for Yan Xue’s foresight, our reputation would’ve been ruined."
Acting Director Ning also admired Yan Xue’s prudence and thoroughness. "I never expected her to think that far ahead, even sending Liu Weiguo to the joint-operated store specifically."
The conversation inevitably turned to Secretary Zhao of Hongshi Forest Farm. Secretary Lang shook his head in disapproval. "That old Zhao..."
Secretary Zhao had always been frustrating—eager to claim credit for successes but quick to shirk responsibility when work was needed.
Acting Director Ning agreed. "Now that Yan Xue’s selling at the joint-operated store, their mushrooms won’t move. They’ll either have to slash prices or take returns, losing quite a bit either way."
"Serves them right," Secretary Lang said. "Look at the mess they’ve made. Such a small operation, yet they appoint a supervisor who doesn’t even participate in production."
Yan Xue and her team had gone into the pilot project with the goal of making it a success, while Hongshi Forest Farm was only after profit-sharing. Naturally, the outcomes differed.
As they spoke, the office phone rang again. Secretary Lang set down his fan and answered, straightening up immediately. "Yes, this is Jinchuan Forest Farm, Chengshui Town, Changshan County, Jiangcheng City… Ah, hello, hello! So you’re from the provincial capital’s vegetable and non-staple food store?"
Hearing it was the provincial store, Acting Director Ning perked up. Secretary Lang continued, "You want to place an order for mushrooms? Absolutely! Two thousand jin? Not a problem!"
He quickly jotted it down. "Yes, yes, we’ll arrange shipment as soon as possible. Rest assured, the quality will be consistent…"
After hanging up, he exchanged a look with Acting Director Ning, who remarked, "Liu Daniu’s son sure gets around."
The county store had ordered just a thousand jin from Hongshi Forest Farm and nearly got stuck with it, yet here Liu Weiguo was, securing a first order of two thousand jin.
But considering the provincial capital’s population, the number made sense—likely just a few dozen jin per branch store.
Before they could dwell on it, the phone rang again. This time, it was the provincial steel plant, ordering eight hundred jin.
The steel plant employed tens of thousands, much like their own Chengshui Forestry Bureau, complete with its own schools and hospitals.
Eight hundred jin of dried mushrooms might seem like a lot, but for the plant’s cafeteria, it wouldn’t last long.
With these two orders alone, they were nearing three thousand jin—almost last year’s total sales. Going beyond their local market truly opened up new opportunities.
Acting Director Ning stood as Secretary Lang hung up. "Alright, you stay here and man the phone. I’ll head to the pilot site and update them."
With such large orders coming in, someone needed to stay by the phone. Secretary Lang didn’t argue. "Go ahead. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this."
If it had been the previous Director Yu, he wouldn’t have been so confident. In hindsight, Director Yu’s early retirement was a blessing.
When the news reached the pilot team, smiles broke out. Someone teased Zhou Wenhui, "Your Liu Weiguo’s quite the talker, huh?"
Zhou Wenhui blushed but no longer shied away as she once might have. "Well, it was Yan Xue’s idea to expand sales to the provincial capital."
That was true. If they’d known provincial orders would be this substantial, why fuss over a hundred or two jin locally?
Yan Xue personally saw Acting Director Ning off, then returned to the team’s cheerful faces. "Now that we have the orders, let’s prepare for shipments."
The spring mushroom harvest before the hottest days was abundant, yielding a hundred or two jin daily. Consolidating their stock, they could fulfill the provincial store’s order first.
Since Liu Weiguo was already in the provincial capital and had provided the guesthouse address, the goods could be delivered directly, and payment settled there.
On shipment day, Yan Xue oversaw the process herself—first transporting the goods by internal combustion engine to town, then by horse-drawn cart from the forest railway station to the main train station, where they were weighed and sent as less-than-carload (LCL) freight.
LCL referred to railway transport using metal containers—over two meters long and one meter wide, with double doors at the front.
Once loaded, the containers were sealed with lead seals. If tampered with en route, the seals couldn’t be restored, ensuring security.
Each container could hold over a ton. Yan Xue had initially assumed "LCL" stood for "unit," but the shipping slip clarified it meant "carrying pole."
Of course, the goods couldn’t depart immediately—they had to wait until enough shipments accumulated for a full train car (around 50-60 tons). The pickup notice, however, would be mailed ahead, allowing recipients to collect the goods upon arrival.
As they prepared for the second shipment, third and fourth orders came in, totaling enough for another LCL container.
But before the next batch could even dry, the provincial store placed an additional order for two thousand jin, citing strong sales.
Liu Weiguo had arranged to call the forest farm every three days to report. When Yan Xue took his call, she couldn’t help but ask, "Just how many places have you visited?"
Liu Weiguo chuckled. "Not that many. Mostly the vegetable and non-staple food stores. I haven’t even approached the state-run restaurants yet."
He added, "You wouldn’t believe it—the provincial capital doesn’t produce mushrooms. They used to rely on small, expensive purchases from collection stations. When I showed them your newspaper write-up and left samples, most were ready to deal after trying them."
With poor transportation, goods circulated slowly, and wild mushrooms had been the norm, gathered by locals.
The provincial capital, unused to such affordable mushrooms, initially saw booming sales. Once the novelty wore off, demand would stabilize—but this was too much.
Six thousand jin was beyond Jinchuan Forest Farm’s immediate capacity—four thousand would be a stretch, and several state-run restaurants hadn’t even been approached yet.
Yan Xue rubbed her temples after hanging up, drawing an amused glance from Secretary Lang. "First you worried about no sales, now you’re worried about not having enough?"
"Don't most people act this way?" Yan Xue smiled, then asked after a moment of thought, "Could you help me contact Wangshan Forestry Farm and Xiaojinchuan Forestry Farm to see if they have any surplus?"
"What are you planning?"
"Let’s ask first," Yan Xue replied. "We also need to check the quality of their products."
Wangshan Forestry Farm and Xiaojinchuan were far more considerate. After purchasing mushroom spawn and learning the cultivation techniques from Jinchuan, they deliberately avoided competing for business.
Whether they simply didn’t want to compete or knew they couldn’t win and chose not to, they were leagues better than Hongshi Forestry Farm.
When the calls were made, both farms confirmed they hadn’t sold out yet. The secretary of Wangshan Forestry Farm was so eager that he immediately hopped on his bicycle and rushed over.
Sweating profusely in the summer heat, he didn’t even bother wiping his face as he entered, asking straight away, "You’re running short on black fungus?"
"We are indeed a bit short," Secretary Lang answered honestly. "Our Liu Weiguo secured several large orders, and we’re still missing about a thousand or two thousand catties."
Upon hearing this, the Wangshan secretary immediately offered, "We have plenty. Pulling together a thousand catties won’t be a problem."
He had assumed their stock would sell slowly, possibly lasting until the end of the year or even early next year. Yet here was Jinchuan, casually mentioning they needed another thousand or two catties to meet demand.
By now, the Wangshan secretary was used to feeling envious. When told they’d need to inspect the quality, he didn’t mind. "Should your technician Yan Xue come over, or should I bring samples here?"
Of course, Yan Xue would go to them. Given the large quantity they needed, every batch had to meet Jinchuan’s standards.
Compared to Hongshi Forestry Farm, Wangshan had put far more effort into their operations. Being nearby, they often visited Jinchuan to learn best practices.
Both farms had been taught the same drying techniques, but while Hongshi’s products were haphazardly processed—clearly cutting corners—Wangshan followed the method meticulously, producing neatly dried batches.
After inspecting the goods, Yan Xue was satisfied and immediately placed an order for their entire current stock—1,300 catties in total.
The Wangshan secretary was delighted. Not wanting to take advantage of Jinchuan’s sales channels for free, he agreed to a commission based on the weight sold.
By the time Yan Xue returned from Wangshan, the secretary of Xiaojinchuan Forestry Farm had already been waiting for her. Without delay, he whisked her away on his motorcycle to inspect their stock.
Once the goods were shipped out and their warehouses sat half-empty, both secretaries couldn’t help but think Old Zhao of Hongshi Forestry Farm must be a fool. Why on earth would he provoke Jinchuan Forestry Farm for no reason?
Maintaining good relations meant access to technical guidance whenever needed and help selling surplus stock. Wasn’t that better?
Meanwhile, Liu Weiguo had spent over a month in the provincial capital. By the time he returned, Jinchuan Forestry Farm had already shipped four partial truckloads, and the weather had begun cooling.
He carried tens of thousands of yuan with him—each thousand wrapped in kraft paper, totaling over twenty bundles—all tucked into his spare clothes. He barely dared to close his eyes the entire journey.
Only when he arrived at Chengshui Town Station and saw Yan Xue and Zhou Wenhui waiting for him did he finally relax. "I’m finally back."
"Don’t rest just yet," Yan Xue reminded him. "The representatives from Wangshan and Xiaojinchuan are still waiting."
She didn’t need to explain why. Liu Weiguo understood immediately and steeled himself as they headed to the town’s bank.
The accountants from both forestry farms had arrived early. The shares due to each had already been calculated, so Liu Weiguo handed them over for verification.
As each portion was counted and confirmed, receipts were signed and stamped before the money was deposited directly into their accounts.
In those days, banks were far less busy. With few depositors, clerks often passed the time by practicing abacus calculations behind the counter.
That day, however, was different. First, someone deposited over 3,000 yuan—clearly a business transaction. No sooner had they finished counting than another customer arrived with nearly 5,000.
Just as they wrapped up, yet another person approached, placing a heavy bag on the counter. "Comrade, I’d like to make a deposit."
Having seen them frequently the previous year, the clerk recognized them immediately and was stunned. "This much?"
Even their year-end withdrawal last year hadn’t been this large. And now, barely halfway through the year, they were depositing over 10,000 yuan?
With stacks of ten-yuan bills too numerous to count alone, the clerk called for assistance. Together, they processed the hefty deposit.
Only after the money was safely in the bank did Liu Weiguo feel truly at ease. Eager to get home, he rushed straight from the train station, scooping up his toddler daughter, who was still wobbling as she learned to walk. "Airong, look who’s back?"
He leaned in for a kiss, but the little girl pressed her hands against his face, twisting away. When she couldn’t escape, she burst into tears. "Grandma!"
Huang Fengying hurried over to take her granddaughter. "Don’t cry, Airong. It’s just Daddy. Don’t you recognize him?"
The girl peeked at him, then turned away, pointing outside. "Brother! Auntie! Brother!"
She wanted to visit Auntie’s house to see the baby. With the warmer weather, she’d grown restless staying home, and Huang Fengying often took her to Yan Xue’s place.
But the real issue was that after over a month away, Liu Weiguo’s own daughter no longer recognized him…
Qi Fang, on the other hand, almost wished his son would forget him too. The older the boy grew, the more possessive he became—especially when it came to keeping Qi Fang away from Yan Xue.
Sometimes, he’d be playing contentedly on the kang, but the moment Qi Fang returned, he’d scramble into Yan Xue’s lap, staking his claim.
When Qi Fang stared at him, the boy would stare back innocently. Lately, though, he’d grown craftier—after a moment, he’d even hand Qi Fang a toy.
This was unusual. In many ways, the chubby little boy took after his father—particularly in guarding what was his. Even his dad wasn’t allowed to share.
Qi Fang glanced down at the offered toy and raised a brow. Yan Xue was equally surprised, murmuring to their son, "Are you giving this to Daddy?"
But the moment Qi Fang accepted it, the boy immediately clung to Yan Xue, as if to say, You took my toy, so you can’t have Mommy too.
Yan Xue had no idea where such cunning came from in a child so young. She looked at Qi Fang, only to find him already watching her.
Her eyes widened. "You’re not thinking he got all this from me, are you? I wasn’t like this as a child."
Qi Fang said nothing. But when he stepped out later to help Second Grandma fetch firewood, he remarked, "Grandma, after the New Year, let’s have Yan Yu sleep with you and Jigang."
Second Grandma seemed taken aback. "What’s wrong? Is he disturbing you and Xue at night?"
"No." Qi Fang’s tone was neutral. "Liu Weiguo mentioned he wants another child."
Understanding dawned on Second Grandma—her grandson-in-law wanted to expand the family. "Alright, I’ll see if I can manage him."
Yet for now, they were still using protection. And Qi Fang had carefully phrased it as Liu Weiguo wanting another child, not himself…
Yan Xue glanced at their son, now back to playing with his toys, and realized that compared to his father, the boy was still green.
He was only fighting for her lap, while his father was already planning to send him packing. If he really left, would he ever make it back?
Just then, a vaguely familiar voice called from outside, "Is Yan Xue home?"
Yan Xue peeked out and was startled to see Miss Yan, whom she hadn’t laid eyes on in over two years. The moment their gazes met, Miss Yan’s eyes instantly welled up with tears.
Qi Fang: As long as it never happens, I can keep using this excuse to send my son away~
