Chapter 11: Selling Popsicles "Ten sticks? Fine, ten it is."
Qian Qing pinched the twenty yuan she'd brought with her.
"Twenty salted popsicles, twenty red bean and twenty mung bean, ten orange and ten grape, and ten each of the two milk varieties."
So what if they're a bit pricier? If she couldn't sell them by noon, she'd just hop on her bike and ride out of the oilfield to sell them elsewhere. The clerk's attitude improved noticeably; as he packed her order, he chatted away: "These fifty-fen ice creams are a new product developed by our factory. No water added at all—made purely from fresh milk. The preservation requirements are extremely strict; we make them daily with milk freshly squeezed that morning…"
Qian Qing listened with a bright smile. She was naturally good-looking; the clerk hadn't paid much attention while speaking earlier, but now even his tone had softened.
"If you buy in larger quantities, we can offer a discount. The manager said any order over one hundred sticks gets ten percent off."
Qian Qing handed over fifteen yuan, and the clerk returned eighty fen in change. The rear seat of her bicycle grew heavy, stuffed nearly to bursting. The clerk couldn't help but admire her boldness: "You've stocked far too many."
Most people buying popsicles usually took fifty or sixty; few ever ordered a hundred at once. If they didn't sell, that would be money wasted! After a moment's thought, he placed several blocks of ice between Qian Qing's metal cooler and the cotton quilt lining it. Even if they melted and dampened things, it wouldn't matter; in this weather, everything would dry quickly if left out to air. Qian Qing thanked him and wobbled away on her bicycle. By the time she reached the Oilfield No. 1 Primary School, the bell was ringing.
"Ding-dong—"
Within moments, a crowd of children came rushing out. Qian Qing didn't call out to attract buyers; she simply propped up her cardboard box marked with the large characters "Popsicles"
beside the gate. From afar, one could spot her oversized metal cooler resting on two stools.
"There are popsicles!"
"Wow! I want a popsicle!"
"Shunzi, lend me twenty fen for a popsicle? I'll pay you back this afternoon!"
"Sister, how much are the popsicles?"
Smiling warmly, Qian Qing replied: "Salted ones are ten fen each; red bean and mung bean are fifteen fen; orange and grape are thirty fen; and for milk popsicles, one type is fifty fen, the other one yuan."
She had carefully considered these prices. With this small stall, she didn't need to endure sun and rain like other vendors, wandering street to street. Setting up right outside the school gate meant targeting children specifically. If she priced them too high, parents would inevitably blame her for being greedy. She could still make money, but her reputation would suffer. This pricing was just right; earning about fifty percent profit was already quite good. Small profits but quick turnover—it was a sustainable business model. Moreover, since her prices were low, workers from the factory might detour just to buy from her, making business even easier.
"Salted ones are only ten fen! I can buy two!"
"Sister, I want a mung bean one!"
"I want two orange ones!"
… Once the prices were announced, the scene quickly became uncontrollable. Even the youngest children realized these were cheaper than what they'd bought before. Previously, with twenty fen in hand, they could afford only one salted or one red/mung bean popsicle; now they could buy two salted ones! Of course they rushed to grab them! By the time the older students emerged a little later, Qian Qing's stall was already running low on stock.
"Salted? All gone."
"Only two mung bean left."
"Alright, alright, I'll restock more this afternoon."
Those who missed out could only watch enviously as others enjoyed their treats. Some children with twenty fen bought two popsicles, holding one in each hand, licking first the left then the right—truly the coolest kids on the entire street! Qian Qing showed exceptional patience with the children, handling money and distributing goods without the slightest panic. Clearly, the salted and red/mung bean varieties sold fastest. The elementary students at Oilfield No. 1 Primary School weren't short on ten or twenty fen of pocket money. The slightly pricier orange and grape flavors also found buyers, typically chosen by children from somewhat better-off families. The remaining twenty milk popsicles sold more slowly; the fifty-fen ones went reasonably well—a few taller boys bought one each—and the rest trickled out sporadically.In the end, only ten of the most expensive ones remained, priced at one yuan each, yet no one showed any interest! As the crowd gradually dispersed, a chubby little boy, unable to resist his craving for ice cream any longer, finally summoned the courage to dig out some pocket money from his pouch and bought one to eat.
Qian Qing mentally crunched the numbers; though her overall academic performance was average, she was exceptionally good at math. Considering the sales so far, these popsicles had already earned her over ten yuan, so even if these remaining nine didn't sell, she wouldn't incur a loss. Seeing that most of the children had left, Qian Qing prepared to pack up and head home, planning to ride her bicycle later to the state-run restaurant in the oilfield to see if she could sell more there. Before she finished packing, several people dressed as teachers emerged. Upon seeing the large characters reading "Ice Pops,"
two female teachers licked their lips, while a particularly attractive young woman's eyes instantly lit up!
"Since when has there been an ice pop vendor at the school gate?"
"I don't know; it doesn't look like they arrived with an ice pop cart."
"Who cares? I'm nearly melting from the heat; let me go buy one first."
The group approached Qian Qing's stall. Before they could ask the price, Qian Qing spoke up: "I'm sorry, but only milk-flavored ice pops remain now, at one yuan each."
One female teacher immediately expressed dissatisfaction: "You're a profiteer! I've never seen milk ice pops sold for one yuan; the most expensive ones are usually no more than eighty cents. Selling them this expensively right at the school gate means you're specifically targeting children to swindle them!"
"The kind you're referring to is the cheap version. What I'm selling is a new variety freshly released by the ice pop factory, made with pure milk without adding a single drop of water. The cost is double that of the type you mentioned, so why shouldn't it be sold for one yuan?"
Unable to back down gracefully, the female teacher began picking other faults: "Who allowed you to sell here at the school gate? The school has long stated that ice pop carts are not permitted near the premises after school hours to avoid accidents involving students. You are not allowed to come here again!"
Qian Qing was unaware of this regulation; no wonder she hadn't seen any ice pop carts at the school gate earlier. However, this worked in her favor; with the school banning mobile ice pop carts, her business had essentially become a monopoly.
"I apologize, but I am not using an ice pop cart."
Qian Qing patted the door behind her.
"I have rented this room; surely selling a few ice pops here won't cause any trouble, right?"
The female teacher fumed: "You!"
Her colleague quickly pushed her aside. Why waste breath arguing? It was so hot; regardless of whether it cost one yuan or eighty cents, they should just buy some and hurry to the cafeteria for lunch. If the school administration wasn't intervening, what business was it of theirs, mere salaried employees?
"Comrade, give me one."
"I want one too!"
"I'll get one for Xiao Hui as well."
Facing genuine customers, Qian Qing maintained an excellent attitude. Consequently, four of the remaining nine ice pops were sold. The female teacher bit her lip, holding back her anger; at this point, even if offered one, she wouldn't eat it! As if anyone cared! Qian Qing packed up her things, closed the door, and locked it. The fewer ice pops remained, the faster they would melt; clearly, she needed to sell them off quickly. Riding her bicycle toward the residential compound, she was stopped halfway by someone.
"Ice pop seller!Give me two~"