I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 208: Chapter 204: More Villagers Also Want to Sell Things to the Customers

He then asked, ”Uncle Jialiang, how many more pounds of plums can you get from your trees?”

Liu Jialiang said, ”About 1,000 pounds or so.”

Li You nodded.

’About 1,000 pounds should be enough to satisfy the customers’ demand this time.’

And so, the plum picking began.

The plum trees weren’t far from the courtyard.

There were eight of them in total.

The customers each grabbed a bag and figured out how to pick the plums themselves.

They could climb the trees directly, use tools like stools, ladders, or long-handled hooks, or work together.

Liu Jialiang’s plum trees were all tall and sturdy.

Each one could easily hold about ten people at a time without a problem.

The scene was a hive of bustling and lively activity, and everyone was in high spirits.

A sight like this was a rare treat.

Liu Jialiang’s family was overjoyed. It had been a long time since their home was this lively.

Liu Jialiang called out to the customers, ”Everyone, feel free to eat some as you pick! Eat as much as you want, don’t be shy.”

Hearing this, the customers’ eyes all lit up in pleasant surprise.

They had been dying to eat some while they picked.

The trees were covered in plums that were large, round, and beautiful—incredibly tempting. It made you want to just pop one in your mouth.

But with the owner right there, they were too embarrassed to eat any. They could only suppress the urge.

Now the owner himself had told them to eat all they wanted.

And you could tell it wasn’t just him being polite; he genuinely wanted them to eat.

It was a wonderful surprise!

”Well then, we won’t hold back, Uncle Jialiang! Hahaha!”

”Thanks, Uncle Jialiang!”

”...”

The customers thanked him one after another, then picked a plum and popped it straight into their mouths.

They didn’t even bother washing them.

’A little dirt never hurt anyone. Who cares?’

The moment the plum entered their mouths, everyone found it absolutely delicious.

Being able to eat while picking made the experience even more fun.

As a result, everyone’s spirits rose even higher, and the atmosphere became even more festive.

The more Liu Jialiang watched, the happier he became. He smiled at Li You and said, ”Selling plums like this is so easy and interesting. The customers seem to really enjoy picking them themselves, too.”

Li You nodded. ”Nowadays, a lot of people do enjoy picking their own fruit. That’s why you see more and more U-pick strawberry fields, mulberry groves, and vineyards.”

Liu Jialiang said, ”You’re right, U-pick farms have really found a market these past few years. Xiaoyou, when your Hundred Fruit Garden in front of the restaurant starts bearing more fruit than you can eat, you should consider offering a U-pick service to your customers. It’ll add a unique feature to your restaurant and let you sell the fruit. Most importantly, the customers are sure to love it.”

Li You smiled. ”I’ve thought about that, too. I just haven’t decided on the specifics of how to do it yet. We’ll see when the time comes. But no matter what, the goal is definitely to make the Hundred Fruit Garden a major feature of the restaurant.”

Liu Jialiang nodded. ”Exactly. Now that I think about it, even though your restaurant is remote, it has a unique advantage. Those restaurants out in the city, even the five-star grand hotels, wouldn’t have enough space to build a Hundred Fruit Garden like yours.”

Li You laughed heartily and said, ”That’s true.”

As the two were talking, a few villagers walked over.

They were followed by more and more villagers.

They had all heard that Li You’s customers were here buying plums and had come specifically to see what was going on.

Of course, some of them had come for more than just the spectacle.

They were also looking for Li You.

After greeting Li You and Liu Jialiang, the arriving villagers all turned their gazes to the customers picking plums.

”Wow, there really are a lot of people picking plums. It’s so lively!”

Everyone remarked with awe.

Then, someone said to Liu Jialiang, ”Lao Liu, after this batch, your plums should be pretty much sold out. You had it so easy selling them this year.”

Liu Jialiang laughed heartily, his face beaming with joy. He said, ”You’re right, after today, they’ll be pretty much gone. I’m not selling the rest; I’ll keep them for myself. The only reason it was so easy this year is thanks to Xiaoyou. If it weren’t for his customers, it would have been a tough sell again, just like every other year.”

The villagers all nodded. Of course, they knew that.

That was also why they had come looking for Li You today.

They wanted to do business with Li You’s customers, too.

So, many of them approached Li You. ”Xiaoyou, Lao Liu is out of plums. If you have any other customers who want some, I have a few plum trees myself. The quality and taste are just as good as Lao Liu’s. Do you think you could let your customers come pick at my place?”

”Xiaoyou, do any of your customers want figs? I’ve got figs. I should be able to pick fifty or sixty pounds in the next few days.”

”Xiaoyou, I have walnuts. They’re not ripe yet, but they will be in a few months.”

”...”

The villagers eagerly pitched their own fruit trees to Li You.

They also wanted to sell their fruit as easily as Liu Jialiang had.

’About 1,000 pounds, sold just like that.’

’This is amazing!’

Li You made a mental note of everything they said, then replied, ”I’ve noted down everything you all just mentioned. We’ll see in the future. If any customers need what you have, I’ll get in touch with you.”

The villagers were all delighted to hear this and thanked Li You one by one.

Li You added, ”But whether or not a deal can be made will depend on if the customers are satisfied with the quality and price of your products, and if you’re satisfied with the price. It’s not a guaranteed sale just because I contact you.”

The villagers all nodded in understanding. ”Of course.”

Li You nodded, then smiled. ”I hope all of you will be able to sell your produce.”

The villagers hoped so too.

Meanwhile, the customers busy picking plums had, of course, long since noticed that many other villagers had gathered.

Being watched by the villagers made the customers feel a bit awkward at first.

But they quickly got over it. Not only did they stop feeling awkward, but they also felt a strange sense of excitement.

With so many spectators, the scene became even livelier and more interesting.

They continued picking.

Even after picking the amount they had originally planned for, they still felt like they hadn’t had enough fun.

’Might as well pick some more. These plums are delicious anyway, so we’ll be able to finish them even if we buy extra.’

And so, it was only after the customers had picked nearly all the plums from the trees that they finally stopped, feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Now they had finally had their fill of picking.

Next up was weighing the fruit and paying.

After weighing everyone’s haul, each person had picked at least five or six pounds, with some picking more than ten, or even over twenty pounds.

The price was still two yuan a pound.

In the end, the total weight of plums the customers picked reached 1,100 pounds.

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A huge thank you to Xiaorong_sk for the 500 coin tip!

Thanks, boss!

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