Reborn in '77, I have a job panel!

He thought of the villagers who received the money, Captain Li's smile, and Secretary Zheng's eyes.

It's done.

There's still so much more I can do in the future.

Thinking about all this, he quickened his pace.

The moon rose and shone brightly on the road.

When Qian Cheng got home, it was already completely dark.

Hou Yufen was tidying up in the outer room when she saw him come in and quickly asked, "How is it?"

"Not bad." Qian Cheng sat down, took out some money from his pocket, and put it on the table. "The mine took it all, and gave me seven yuan and forty-five cents."

Hou Yufen leaned over to take a look.

Qian Cheng took out his ledger and flipped through the accounts of today's wild vegetable harvest.

"We harvested a total of fifty catties today, each one different, for a total of five yuan and sixty-one cents."

Hou Yufen did the math: "I spent five yuan and sixty cents, and sold it for seven yuan and forty-five cents. That's only a profit of one yuan and eighty cents. That's less than what I made from bean sprouts."

Qian Cheng laughed: "Mom, that's not how you do it."

Of the 5.6 yuan worth of fruit we received, 5 jin (2.5 kg) were substandard, so we kept them for our own consumption.

If we include those five pounds, then we've made a profit of over two yuan.

As Qian Cheng explained, he scribbled on a piece of paper with a pen.

"Today is the first day, and I'm still a bit clumsy when I'm collecting them, so I picked out a lot."

Once everyone knows the standards, there will be fewer substandard products.

If I can collect fifty or sixty catties a day, I basically won't have any left over. Doing this to the mine's canteen, I can earn at least three yuan a day.

Qian Cheng closed the ledger: "However, reselling it to the mine won't make much money."

"I only make a few cents a pound, at most. The real profits from wild vegetables depend on the county."

What happened in the county?

Qian Cheng gestured: "In the restaurants in the county, a plate of wild vegetables can cost five or six cents."

The price they charge is definitely higher than what the mine charges.

"If we could sell directly to restaurants in the county and make three or four cents a pound, that would be real money."

Hou Yufen's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

Qian Cheng stood up, put away the account book, and said, "I'll go to the county tomorrow to check on the irrigation canals."

Qian Cheng got up early the next morning.

He went to the Zhang family first.

Zhang Mingxi was reading a book inside the house.

"So early?"

Qian Cheng walked over and sat down next to her: "Mingxi, can you do me a favor today?"

Zhang Mingxi tilted his head and asked, "What kind of help?"

Qian Cheng explained, "I'm going to the county today, so I can't take care of the wild vegetables. Could you go to the brigade headquarters and help me with the accounting and harvesting? My mom and my older brother probably can't manage it all by themselves."

Zhang Mingxi was taken aback: "Me? Can I do it?"

"Affirmation, I'll teach you."

Qian Cheng explained the bookkeeping process from beginning to end, including how to record names, weights, how to calculate accounts, and how to pay. He explained it twice and then had Zhang Mingxi repeat it.

Zhang Mingxi is quick-witted; he memorized it after hearing it only twice.

"When are you coming back?"

"I'll be back this afternoon, or before dark at the latest."

Zhang Mingxi nodded: "Okay, I'll go."

Qian Cheng looked at her and reached out to squeeze her hand: "Thank you for your hard work."

Zhang Mingxi blushed and whispered, "It's not hard work."

After leaving Zhang's house, Qian Cheng first took Zhang Mingxi to the team to collect ten catties of the best wild vegetables. On the way, he went to the brigade to find Captain Li and shamelessly asked for a free pack before opening it. Captain Li even put the Nanjing cigarettes that he was reluctant to smoke into his pocket before carrying the basket on his back and heading towards the town.

When he arrived in town, he caught the bus to the county. He bought a ticket and got on the bus.

The bus was packed with people.

Qian Cheng placed the basket at his feet, protecting it from being squeezed.

The car swayed and bumped as it drove towards the county.

An hour later, we arrived in the county.

Qian Cheng got off the bus, stood at the station entrance, and looked around.

The first place he's going to today is Qingping Restaurant.

He had scouted the place before and knew where it was.

Walk east from the station, cross two streets, and you'll see it.

Qingping Restaurant is one of the top restaurants in the county.

The three-story building had an impressive facade, with large red lanterns hanging at the entrance.

The glass windows were polished to a shine, and you could see the round table and the dining table covered with a white cloth inside.

These days, if a private individual can open such a large hotel, they're practically asking for trouble if they don't have connections protecting them.

Qian Cheng stood at the door for a moment, then didn't rush in.

He first walked around outside and looked at the surrounding environment.

The restaurant's back door was open, and people were going in and out; it must be the kitchen.

He went around to the back door and peeked inside.

The kitchen was steaming hot, and several chefs in white aprons were busy at work.

Some were chopping vegetables, others were stir-frying vegetables, and the flames on the stove were leaping high.

Qian Cheng didn't go in; he just waited at the entrance.

After waiting for a while, a chubby man came out carrying a basin of water to pour out.

He saw Qian Cheng and paused for a moment, then asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Qian Cheng pulled out a pack of Nanjing cigarettes from his pocket, smiled, and offered one to the portly driver before asking, "Sir, could you tell me who's in charge here?"

The portly man sized him up, then glanced at the basket on his back: "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm from the countryside, and I'd like to talk to your manager about some business."

The chubby chef thought for a moment, and finally decided to make the trip for Qian Cheng because of the Nanjing cigarette he was smoking: "You wait here, I'll go and call our head chef."

He turned and went inside.

Not long after, a middle-aged man in his forties came out.

He was wearing a white apron and a white hat, and he was holding a kitchen knife. He looked quite busy.

"Who's looking for me?"

Qian Cheng went up to him with a smile and said, "Hello, sir. I'm from the countryside, and I have some good stuff I'd like to show you."

The head chef looked at him, then at the basket on his back, and asked, "What's that?"

Qian Cheng put down the basket and uncovered the cloth covering it.

"The wild vegetables—aralia shoots, dandelion, bracken, and wild garlic—were all freshly picked this morning."

When the head chef saw these wild vegetables that had just sprouted in early spring, his eyes lit up, and he immediately squatted down to take a look.

He picked up a tender shoot, broke it off, tasted it, and nodded: "Hmm, not bad."

He picked up the dandelion again, looked at the leaves, smelled it, and nodded.

"Where did you get this thing?"

When asked about this, Qian Cheng chose to tell the truth: "I'm from Laowozi Village. The mountains behind our village are covered with them. They were just harvested yesterday, and this is the first batch today."

The head chef stood up and looked at him: "You want to sell it to our restaurant?"

Qian Cheng nodded: "Yes, I think our business is good, and we have a lot of customers."

Now that spring has arrived, customers want to eat something fresh.

Wild vegetables are perfect for our guests to enjoy, something fresh and delicious.

The head chef didn't speak, but thought for a moment and said, "You wait here, I'll call the boss to come and take a look."

He turned and went inside.

Not long after, a man in his fifties came out. He was wearing a clean Zhongshan suit, and his hair was neatly combed. He looked like a respectable person.