Drama Couple in the 80s

Chapter 42

During dinner time, Jiang Fengshou returned and immediately spotted He Cheng's motorcycle parked in the yard. He persistently begged He Cheng to take him for a couple of spins on it.

Upon coming back from their ride, Jiang Fengshou looked thrilled and exclaimed with a grin, "Second Brother in law, your friend must be really wealthy - this is awesome! Is his bike new?"

He Cheng confirmed it was indeed new. Jiang Fengshou responded, "And he's willing to lend it to you just like that? Father was murmuring earlier about what kind of friend would loan such a valuable item that he kept saying you should treat it with utmost care."

"He owes me a favor, plus he has plenty of money, so he doesn't mind lending it out," explained He Cheng.

Jiang Fengshou clicked his tongue admiringly, "Ah, having money sure is great. If I ever become rich, I definitely want to buy one myself."

Smiling, He Cheng encouraged him, "Just keep working hard, and once you earn more in the future, buying a motorcycle won't be difficult at all."

In truth, He Cheng had long been considering purchasing a motorcycle himself. On his trip home before the New Year, burdened with numerous items, he decided to buy one locally in the county town—a Happy 250 model for 2400 yuan.

After Jiang Fengshou left, Jiang Ya remarked, "Pretending it's borrowed from a friend might fool them temporarily, but since it's only on loan, how can we justify keeping it here indefinitely? Making up these lies isn't sustainable."

"Let's use it for now, especially during the New Year period. Otherwise, traveling around during the holidays becomes quite inconvenient," He Cheng said. "After the New Year, I'm considering opening a shop. When that happens, we can keep the motorcycle at the store, making it convenient for me to use while coming and going."

"In Yongcha City?"

"The county town is also an option, let's think about it further later on," He Cheng replied.

They had discussed this matter before. Indeed, being a trader in these times proved profitable. Over the past year, He Cheng had been trading electronic watches by physically carrying them back and forth. Each trip, he could bring a couple of hundred or even three hundred yuan worth, earning around ten thousand per journey. However, information gaps were not static, and business opportunities were fleeting. The price difference for such goods would gradually decrease, likely becoming insignificant within two to three years.

Of course, new opportunities would arise, allowing him to shift towards other commodities. In the mid to late 1980s, trading everyday consumer goods was highly profitable. During this era, everything was scarce, so as long as you could obtain any sought after items, there was money to be made.

At that point, it would no longer be feasible for him to single handedly transport goods himself. Moreover, simply acting as a middleman and profiting from the price difference might become unsustainable, with diminishing profit margins. As retail vendors gradually discover their own supply routes, they will start sourcing directly. When that time comes, He Cheng would face two possibilities either accept earning less through hard labor or consider shifting towards direct sales at the end of the chain.

Thus, He Cheng contemplated opening a store including engaging in both wholesale and retail.

Initially, his plan was for him to handle external affairs, such as managing suppliers, customers, and distribution channels, while Jiang Ya would oversee the shop's operations internally. This setup would also serve as a legitimate base and transit point for their activities.

He Cheng returned home in the afternoon, and before evening fell, Bao Lanxiang called out to him from the neighboring yard, asking him to come over.

Jiang Ya said, "Calling you at this hour, it must be about Shao Chunhong. If they try to involve you in causing trouble at the Yangs', don't go along."