168 Root Vegetables Stall: All the way to plain happiness and success
Hualien Markets - Exclusive Interview with 168 Root Vegetables Stall
#ChongqingMarket
Text/ HUNG Tzu-Hsuan
Translation/ LIU Yi-Chun
Photography/ LEE Te-Mao
There is a kind of success called all the way to plain happiness.
The story of a parasol accidentally led to the couple’s happy senior life
“You have to support me from now on. I lost my job.” Li Xie-Da, who had been delivering goods for the factory, said to his wife one day.
Their balanced life suddenly faced drastic changes. Chen Xiu-Chou owned a vegetable stall then, and she thought since they were both old, perhaps it’s better to run the business together and look after each other. “We’ll do as much as we can.”
The two ran from the east to the west. They had even gone across the sea to Penghu and Kinmen. “We made friends everywhere! We went to places we haven't been to so we can explore every aspect of life.”
During the day, they drove their RV to certain places to sell root vegetables, and at night, they sold at the night markets. In order to sustain the family, they realized this kind of lifestyle was both physically and financially consuming. Therefore, the couple decided to move back to Hualien and settled down in the Chongqing Market.
Speaking of how they started the root vegetable stall business, Mr. Li laughed and told the story of a parasol. Back then, he and his brother went to Taipei to do business on a hot day, and there was a vendor selling root vegetables across the street. His business went well, but he was sweating due to the hot weather. So the brothers took out the big parasol in their car and gave it to him.
“You two are too kind!” The vendor was deeply touched and soon became friends with them. At that time, Mr. Li’s elder brother was struggling with work. The vendor recommended him to try the root vegetable business, and he even generously told them the contact info of his supplier.
“After that, we slowly started to work with the small farmers, and we’ve been in the business for almost twenty years now,” Mr. Li said.
Organic Produce Delivery Service – All by Themselves
It is not easy to find farmers who share similar beliefs. Mr. Li said that they had once ordered a full car of purple yam from one farmer; however, when they received the produce, half of the purple yam was rotten. They lost more than one hundred thousand new Taiwan dollars and almost went bankrupt. That’s the reason why he cherishes every farmer who shares similar beliefs and is easy to work with.
Purple yam is a popular produce at 168 Root Vegetables Stall. The farmer that 168 Root Vegetables Stall has been working with for many years is the owner of Dingzhen Yam Farm. The farm is very discreet with the yam business. They will not ship the produce unless each yam is packed with packaging foam separately and has its own traceability. They will ensure their produce passes the inspection by the Council of Agriculture every year. The purple yam with good quality is white inside and can be cut into fine filaments. It not only tastes good but also smells good, which is the favorite of many restaurant chefs.
“I used to ask the freight carrier or vegetable trucks for the delivery service. But all the yams were broken when they arrived in Hualien.” In order to ensure that the yam is in good condition, Mr. Li decided to apply his experience in the logistics company, and drove overnight to Taipei to carry the goods by himself. “You can’t even stop in the middle! One time I was tired after driving through the Suhua Highway, so I stopped by the road to take a rest, and my car almost fell off the cliff! Fortunately, some passers-by helped me to bring the car back.”
Searching for small farmers with conscientiousness and personally transporting the produce to ensure quality was indeed a long and tough journey. However, Mr. Li believes that in this way, the small farmers won’t be exploited by wholesalers and the customers can enjoy the produce with good qualities. Although it is not easy, it is worth it.
“Everyone takes what they need. If the customers want something cheap, they can shop at other stalls. But if they are looking for good produce, they’ll come to me.”
We only sell and recommend the produce we’re eating
“We only sell what we are eating. We don't sell what we are not eating.” The agricultural produce at the stall is like their old friends. Because they know how great they are, they can sincerely recommend them to the customers. They said if they are selling food they don’t eat themselves, they’ll be guilty and can’t recommend them to the customers with sincerity.
“We only sell the agricultural produce that are organic and planted in accordance with the solar terms, and we will go to the farm to select the produce by ourselves.”
For example, freshly cut domestic water chestnuts is one of the signature products of 168 Root Vegetables Stall. Taiwan's water chestnuts are rare, but they are sweeter and fresher than imported ones that can be found at most supermarkets. The way to keep the sweetness of water chestnut is to cut it with hand without using additional bleaching or salt water. The only drawback of domestic water chestnuts is that it takes time to grow. “You have to be patient and wait. I am not able to sell them to you right away, but I can guarantee you they are the best.”
To cut the water chestnuts for the customers is not only providing a service, but also to filter the produce with poor quality. “I won’t sell the one that is black or rotten. Even though sometimes I cut my hands or break the water chestnuts, I will still make up for the customers.” Mr. Li said he is responsible to the customers. “If you can't guarantee the quality of your produce, you better not sell them,” he said.
Renovate the stall to change the image
The attractive appearance is as important as the good quality. In the past, the 168 Root Vegetables Stall was not bright. Even if it was well-known, the sales were still limited. The customer always had difficulties finding their stall. The couple were finally awakened when they heard the customer said, “Why can’t I find your stall?” With the encouragement and help from the market committee and other stall vendors, they found an advertising company to redesign the entire stall.
After the renovation, 168 Root Vegetables Stall has a calm purple-red tone. The simple wooden plates and bright lighting highlight the true colors of the root vegetables. The introduction card with pictures and texts allows them to focus on serving the customers in front of them during the peak hours.
On the day the renovation was done, their sales broke the record. More and more people have come to know 168 Root Vegetables Stall, and it also drives the neighbouring vendors to work on exquisite appearance and service as well.
“We simply want to change the atmosphere of the stall, so that the customers will be willing to walk in.” Mr. Li said and laughed.
Do business with all your heart, and face every day with a delightful mood
“If you want the relationship with customers to persist, you must open your heart.” Mr. Li said that the happiest thing about doing business is to share what he truly loves with the customers, and then watch them shop happily. “It's just like looking in a mirror. If you smile at the customers, they will smile at you too. So I’d share my knowledge and experience with them in a delightful mood.”
The couple uses their time off to read books and listen to music. Books and music nurture their souls and give them energy to face the next day’s work. Occasionally, the two of them also do voluntary work when they have spare time.
“We’re not young anymore. We don’t want to be too busy with the business. We just want to sustain our senior life.” Over the years, the persistence on staying open-minded has been polished and reveals a round and plain texture on this old couple.