Chapter 5 Chapter 3 The Magical "Invisible Hand"

At the end of October 1998, a group of more than 10 writers from the Chinese Writers Association was invited to Yiwu to participate in the "98 China Small Commodities Fair" jointly held by the Ministry of Internal Trade and Zhejiang Province.It was the first time for our three generations of writers, old, middle-aged and young, to come to Yiwu, and everything was new and pleasantly surprised.Although most of us are literati who have traveled far and wide, have you never seen anything in the world?But we really haven't seen such a big market, and it's in a small county-level city that is obviously far from the open area.Mr. Li Zhun, the author of "Li Shuangshuang" and an old writer who has experienced several revolutionary movements of Chinese peasants, was originally ill, but when he arrived in Yiwu, he visited the market more enthusiastically than us young people.Mr. Li Ying, a famous poet, is even more poetic, and he chanted "Farmer Brothers Drive to Heaven"...Since I stayed in Yiwu longer than others, I got satisfactory answers to many things that our writers were astonished at that time. .For example, on the day of the opening ceremony, a huge street parade was held on the streets of Yiwu. Such a big street event has not been seen in the capital for a long time.At that time, some members of our writers' delegation wondered how much financial and material resources the Yiwu Municipal Government spent to hold such a grand and lively event.It was only later that I learned that the relevant departments of the Yiwu government spent almost no money on the entire street stamping event and the floats displayed to dozens of square teams of guests from all over the world.The staff of the organizing committee revealed another interesting information to me: considering the entire event time, the planned appearance of the square team was determined through strict screening and control.However, when the event was arranged later, the comrades of the organizing committee were troubled, because the government originally considered that in order to save money, it stipulated in principle the requirements for participating in the street stepping team, that is, voluntary registration by all units and enterprises, Self-financing practices.It doesn't matter once this article is announced, but it makes the staff of the organizing committee who handle the specific affairs confused. "In the first few days, hundreds of units and enterprises signed up to participate in the street walk. Later, we made certain restrictions, but new problems emerged. For example, a parade of floats, we were afraid that we would not be able to get it up because of the relatively large funds. But in fact, as soon as the news got out, most people wanted to participate in the float team. Needless to say, influential and powerful units and enterprises, there were so many individuals or families that we had no time to deal with the reception. Everyone Say it like this: 'As long as I'm allowed to participate, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars is nothing!'" After hearing the introduction from the comrades of the municipal government, the pen in my hand couldn't help trembling, thinking that the people of Yiwu didn't know what was going on. They are the ones who do such a small and stingy business as "chicken feathers for sugar", and they are also the ones who throw tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars across the market like stepping on the street without blinking an eye.To be honest, I'm a little confused.Later, Zhu Lianfang, Minister of Propaganda, relieved my doubts. He said: What the wealthy Yiwu people want to do most now is to give back to the society. Therefore, anyone is willing to do something that is very face-saving like participating in the Expo.

Yes, isn't the ultimate goal of people pursuing huge material interests just to live a more free and happy life and a comfortable spiritual state? The great greed and generosity that human beings possess always exist in us at the same time.For the once very poor Chinese peasants, the pursuit of basic survival and wealth has always been the only and ultimate goal. In order to achieve this goal, they have been striving for it for thousands of years, but there has never been a real sense of Succeeded.Among the 900 million Chinese farmers today, although many of them have obtained a basic and good living environment under the new policy, most of them are still in the non-rich stage.Yiwu people are not the same, they have changed everything in the past, they have transitioned from poverty to well-off, and then from well-to-do to rich... And this is the kingdom that Chinese farmers dream of most.

What kind of kingdom do Chinese farmers dream of?Is there a field?No, they already have them now.Is there something to eat?No, they have too.Is it money to spend?Have a lot of money to spend?Yes, the first stage of wealth is material satisfaction, and material satisfaction is also the most important thing that the Chinese Communist Party promises to do for the people in the primary stage of socialism. In our traditional theories and concepts, it seems that the only way to achieve a prosperous life in the countryside is to rely on the land.Of course there is nothing wrong with that in itself.The fault is that we cannot be the same.Yiwu is a place with a lot of people and little land, and its population density is more than four times higher than the national average density.Yiwu people not only inherited the business tradition of their ancestors, but also adapted to the needs of taking the Chinese-style socialist road under the new historical conditions, and created a new world of farmers' market economy.

Today, Yiwu’s small commodity market has not only been approved by business operators as “China’s No. 1 City”, but also recognized by Chinese government officials and foreign businessmen as “the largest distribution center for small commodities in China and even in Asia.”However, in my opinion, although the tangible world of Yiwu market makes us Chinese proud and elated, I value the colorful invisible world created by Yiwu people more. This is the originality shown by Yiwu people in the process of establishing a large market. Experience and unremitting pursuit of spirit.Its existence is far more precious than an indicator or a blueprint.

The intangible assets created by Yiwu people have already begun to produce magic.isn't it?If we take a look at the distance it has drawn from the surrounding areas, and the differences between it and the contemporary Chinese rural areas, we will find many, many issues worth pondering. In 1982, Secretary Xie Gaohua resolutely decided to open a piece of land on an old street in the county seat as a small market after listening to Feng Aiqian and other businessmen, and then issued the "four permits" for farmers to enter the city to do business. Undoubtedly, it has given the green light to many "rattle drum" players who have long held back their energy and want to do a few good things.But the situation that developed later was so fast that no one expected it.Soon, the small market on Beimen Street was crowded with people, and it was impossible to leave by car during the climax of the market rush. This also affected the city appearance, and more importantly, restricted the market development to a certain extent.Faced with this sudden phenomenon, most people, including many cadres, were at a loss.At that time, people usually regarded doing business and "engaging in capitalism" together in their minds.Should we let such a tide surge in the sky, or should we stop it in time or just ignore it?Three attitudes, the latter attitude prevails.However, how can the tide head that has already rushed out of the dam be reversed?At this hesitant moment when the Yiwu market was formally formed, a visionary stood up. He was the predecessor of the Yiwu market management department - Xu Zhichang, the head of the Choucheng Industrial and Commercial Office.

Xu Zhichang is also considered a celebrity in Yiwu.It was not because he later became one of the founders of Yiwu market management, but because he was stabbed in the back when he was young because he said a few inappropriate words on the way to the countryside with people from his work unit. , As a result, he has been a rightist for more than 20 years, and he can't even tell how much he has suffered during this time.When he was in charge of the Choucheng Industrial and Commercial Office, it was only two or three years before he was rehabilitated and restored to public office.At that time, Feng Aiqian and Huang Changgen, who were doing small business in Beimen Street, already had 600 to 700 stalls, but Xu Zhichang and his small market management work in the industrial and commercial office had just started, and they didn't even have a formal house. A farmer's room in the village contains a desk, a loudspeaker and two wooden stools specially used for receiving and dealing with small businessmen.In order to take care of another comrade who handles daily affairs, Xu Zhichang didn't even have a desk, so he had to go outside every day to join businessmen.Such a day really brought many unexpected gains to Xu Zhichang, a business cadre.More than ten years later, Xu Zhichang, who has retired at home, is still very excited when talking about the events of the year: "At that time, what I felt and impressed the most was that we in Yiwu City had a lot of people and a lot of land, and we couldn't do anything, but why did Feng Aiqian's gang do it? But the business is getting more and more prosperous? And since the county party committee issued the "No. 1 Order", the number of people who come to set up stalls on Beimen Street has increased day by day, and finally reached the point where they can't walk. Many small businesses and hawkers have also kept suggesting to me to expand the market. I see all this in my eyes and keep it in my heart. As a market manager, I certainly believe that I have the responsibility to reflect the aspirations of business people upwards, and combined with my years of research and investigation of Yiwu's economy and society, I have formed an idea in my heart. That is to say, if we in Yiwu want to develop the economy without any natural advantages, we should firmly grasp the enthusiasm of farmers to do business and vigorously develop and expand the commodity market. So I decided to summarize my ideas and the opinions of businessmen into one A report was sent to the county leaders. The colleagues from the industrial and commercial office persuaded me after hearing about it, saying that you have just been rehabilitated for a few days, and you must not forget the lesson of being outspoken! After hearing what everyone said, I was also conflicted. I understand the kindness of my colleagues. But what makes me uneasy is the hot hearts of many businessmen. When they heard that I might face the possibility of "double expulsion" because of what they said, they all came to me and said : Old Xu, you write a report for us. If one day you are fired from public office, we will take you to do business together and earn several times more money than you are now; if you go to jail, we will deliver food to you every day..." Xu Zhichang said that in most of his life, no one had given him such a heart, so he was more determined to propose to the leaders to formally establish a commodity trading market in Yiwu. On March 15, 1984, a "Report on Suggesting the Yiwu County Committee of the Communist Party of China to Take Strong Measures to Quickly Build a Large-Scale Specialized Small Commodity Market" signed by the name "Xu Zhichang" was sent to the county party committee...

More than ten years have passed, and Yiwu is not what it used to be. Xu Zhichang has also changed from a young man in his prime to an old man with gray temples.Now looking at the report he wrote at that time, it seems that there is nothing too clever about it. However, under the circumstances of that period, someone so boldly conceived such a huge market in Yiwu today, which cannot be said. Not to mention it's kind of amazing.Because the content it contains can let us imagine and think.Just like today's businessmen do not forget Secretary Xie Gaohua, no matter whether Yiwu is a large or small business owner, anyone who has ever set up a stall on Beimen Street will remember that Xu Zhichang gave them a good suggestion that fundamentally changed their fate.

Xu Zhichang's report happened to be transferred to Xie Gaohua, secretary of the county party committee. Since the county party committee issued the "No. After the opening of the small market, the streets where it is located are overcrowded, and conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles often occur.For a period of time, the residents really complained about this.What to do, the county party committee and Secretary Xie Gaohua were also thinking about it at the time.Xu Zhichang's suggestion of relocating and expanding the market undoubtedly set fire to Xie Gaohua and the county party committee's goal of "prospering the county with business".

"We are the cadres of the Communist Party. What do the cadres of the Communist Party do? In the final analysis, they are doing things for the people. What does Xu Zhichang's suggestion explain? It shows that some of our ideas and concepts as cadres cannot keep up with the masses. How can this work? What? This is going to delay the reform and opening up!" At the enlarged meeting of the county party committee, Xie Gaohua stood up from time to time while smoking a cigarette and said loudly to the cadres, while the audience was surprisingly quiet.As you all know, this meeting has extraordinary significance: the county party committee will make a decision that will affect the future of Yiwu, and take business and business development as the primary strategic task of completely changing Yiwu's backwardness and poverty and realizing modernization.

"Yiwu needs to develop, but we don't have the geographical advantages of the coastal areas, and we can't even find a single overseas Chinese or family member. What do we rely on? Yes, the people have pointed it out to us, that is, our Yiwu is not afraid of suffering. Keep making progress with the housekeeping skill of snowballing with small capital - "chicken feathers for sugar"! Don't underestimate this handful of chicken feathers and a button, the knowledge in it is still included in Marx's "Das Kapital". Today we will All these housekeeping skills are brought out without reservation, you give me a hand, and see who has shaken the rattle?"

As soon as Secretary Xie Gaohua's words fell, the audience suddenly became lively. "Hands up!" The stage urged again.As a result, forest-like arms were erected under the stage... Secretary Xie Gaohua on the stage lit a cigarette again—his cigarette addiction made his mouth "burn" constantly, especially when he was extremely excited. "Okay, we don't have to worry about getting rich in Yiwu! See for yourself, except for me, a foreigner and a few comrades, you have all shaken rattles, and you have all done 'chicken feathers for sugar'! Okay, Yiwu prospers the county with business. It will definitely be successful, this is our biggest advantage that no one else can match!" "Secretary Xie, can we let go of doing business from now on?" Someone asked. "Is there even a question? And next year when the enlarged county party committee meeting will be held, the first agenda I will ask you to talk about who is the best at mobilizing the masses to do business, and whoever is the first cadre to be commended!" Xie Gaohua replied. "Then it's okay to open a factory privately?" "Is there any need to ask? If you don't open a factory, you can't do big things. The bigger the Yiwu people's factory, the more reliable I will be as the secretary of the county party committee!" "Hahaha..." Xie Gaohua's reply elicited laughter. "I want to ask another question: Can the family members of our cadres also go into business?" "Yes. The family members of cadres are also the masses, and they are also part of the people of Yiwu!" "Then can we as cadres participate in business?" This is a sharp and sensitive question.The noisy audience suddenly fell silent, and almost all eyes focused on Xie Gaohua's face.The cadres saw Xie Gaohua pick up a cigarette again, then moved the microphone to his mouth, and said loudly: "As long as it doesn't affect work and doesn't engage in privileges, I think you can use your spare time to do business! Just like you It’s like going out secretly to ‘exchange chicken feathers for sugar’!” "Good, good—!" The cadres said that this was the happiest meeting after the "Cultural Revolution".And at this meeting, the county party committee made the "Decision on the Construction of Small Commodity Market in Choucheng Town", and instructed the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to designate land and build a city in the Taizufan area of ​​the county seat. On December 26, 1983, the first small commodity market with a fixed place in Yiwu's history was completed and opened.For the first time, Feng Aiqian, Huang Changgen, He Haimei and a group of small merchants who had wandered the streets and moved from east to west, wore badges and neat professional attire, standing at their counters like salesmen of state-owned stores Ex-sales sell goods.Many of them cried with excitement, because not only did they have their own fixed business place for the first time, but more importantly, they were called "comrade" and "waiter" by customers for the first time like human beings. .Don't underestimate this change. It not only gives businessmen a simple and beautiful place to operate, but also Feng Aiqian and the others can't fully describe what it offers.That should be a kind of restoration of personality, a kind of necessary dignity, a kind of battlefield where talents can be displayed, or a world leading to the kingdom of freedom.In short, you can use whatever you can compare, because the content that Yiwu people have obtained from the establishment of a formal market is too broad and rich. Making money was important at the time, but not everything.Almost all the famous "big households" in Yiwu today really made their fortunes during that period. He Haimei, director of the Market Individual Labor Association, told me about her psychological journey during that period. When entering the second-generation market from the humble street stall market on Beimen Street, one day the secretary of a leader in Choucheng Town, where the county seat is located, suddenly came to He Haimei and brought her an unexpected news, saying that He Haimei has a problem with your work. It's settled, the leader will arrange for you to work in Yiwu Hotel.Had the news been a few years earlier, He Haimei would have knelt down to thank the comrade secretary in excitement.Think about it, after a peasant woman with a rural hukou married into the city, He Haimei asked many people for a job in the past ten years, but the most who answered her was a temporary worker.At that time, for He Haimei, having a formal job not only guaranteed food for herself and her newborn son, but more importantly, it meant that her identity had been completely changed, that is, from a farmer to an urbanite. !At that time, in the eyes of ordinary farmers, an urban household registration and a formal job were inexhaustible treasures.But what the secretary didn't expect was that He Haimei, whom he received again and again in the past and asked for a job arrangement, shook her head and replied that she only wanted to do business now, and she didn't want any more formal jobs. "Have thought about it? Don't regret it." "Think about it early, and you will never regret it!" He Haimei has her reasons for refusing to accept the kindness of the relevant department.She said that she saw the construction of the second-generation market, especially when the government and customers began to treat peddlers like her who had been driven around like human beings, and she felt indescribably grateful.And this kind of spiritual strength far exceeds the meaning of making more money and making less money.On the other hand, from the perspective of business conditions, there is a huge difference between the "road market" and the regular market.In the past, the size and reputation of stalls on the side of the road were affected. After entering the indoor market, it is quite different.Every industrial and commercial household has a fixed booth and a fixed business place. Customers can rest assured when buying from you. If they find any problems, they can find the owner at any time, and they can also approach the industrial and commercial management department to claim compensation.The business form of stall owners has undergone qualitative changes. During the "road market" period, one did not dare to buy more or long-term goods, and the other was to buy goods and trade with cash.There are various forms of operation in the regular market. When the stall owner purchases from the source, if the product sells well, he can buy a large amount. If the cash flow is tight, the supplier can safely deliver the goods to you first, and then check out after the goods are sold.And He Haimei told me that the reason why she and a group of other early Yiwu operators "sent out" was because when these self-employed entrepreneurs entered the small commodity marketing market, most of their supplies were unsalable products from state-owned enterprises. , and most of them are sold out and then settled, which makes He Haimei and the others benefit from both sides.Especially when a company with unsalable products learned that Yiwu people had solved a big problem for another company with unsalable products, it took the initiative to ask He Haimei and the others to sell on behalf of them, and even the phenomenon of "half giving and half selling" appeared. At this stage, many people in Yiwu made a lot of money, which also made the Yiwu Small Commodity Market famous.For a while, commodities that seem to be selling well or not, as long as they go to Yiwu and Yiwu people, they can be sold at a good price, and dead money can be turned into living money.As early as the "chicken feathers were exchanged for sugar", there were Yiwu people who traditionally traded in different places. This time, they made full use of their strengths. Some operators have not left Yiwu, but just exchanged the in-demand products in Guangzhou with the slow-selling products in Shanghai. Hey, money is old!Yet this is only the tangible physical world.For the vast number of self-employed people in Yiwu, the income they get from the government's support for the market economy is not only rich money, but also a leap in thinking and progress.Huang Changgen, He Haimei, Pan Maofa, Wu Chengxian and other business activists who were regarded as the leaders in "capitalism" in the ultra-left era all joined the Communist Party of China at this time. The action of generously supporting public welfare undertakings has exerted an immeasurable influence among the majority of self-employed people, and laid the foundation for the good atmosphere of the entire Yiwu market.When I came to Yiwu for an on-the-spot interview more than ten years later, although the owner did not specifically introduce the situation to me in this regard, I was deeply impressed by the leading role of these individual advanced elements back then.When I went to the market to interview He Haimei, Feng Aiqian and others, they were all very busy, but the strange thing was that they were not busy with their own business, but were working exclusively for the market and other operators.What kind of persuasion, what kind of help to contact the transportation, or find the "Consumer Association", in short, none of them are related to my business.At first I was very surprised, and asked He Haimei and Feng Aiqian, why are you busy with others instead of doing your own business?They told me that the market has grown rapidly, with tens of thousands of operators and hundreds of thousands of customers every day, and there are both major matters such as contracts and agreements between sales and trivial matters such as shortfalls, and only rely on industrial and commercial cooperation. The market management department can't handle it, so we activists took over all these things.On the one hand, we are operators ourselves, and we are familiar with and understand the problems between operators or between operators and customers. In addition, we are all "veterans" in the market, so it is easy for everyone to listen to us when we deal with anything. When I was interviewing He Haimei and Feng Aiqian, two operators happened to come to the marketing office to argue because of conflicts over the placement of goods.With a few words, Feng Aiqian, who was quick and sharp, made the two little bosses who were just like fighting cocks speechless and walked out the door with their heads bowed.Although I was unable to learn more relevant examples during the short interview, the figures of Feng Aiqian, He Haimei, and Gong Huichao from the Yiwu Market Management Committee have aroused my endless thinking: the reason why Yiwu Market is different and why One of the most important experiences of continuous prosperity is that it has fully utilized and relied on a large number of activists such as Feng Aiqian and He Haimei. The hard work spirit and selfless dedication of these entrepreneurs are the shining cornerstone of Yiwu Market. Colorful building of socialist market economy. Not long after the establishment of the second-generation market, more than 1,800 originally designed stalls were opened in less than a month. Due to the sharp increase in business personnel, the market management department had to take emergency measures and use all available methods to expand the stalls to There are more than 2,800 people, but the people involved in doing business are still pouring in like a tide.People in Yiwu who experienced this scene at that time can still clearly remember that when the new market opened, everyone was amazed at the largest indoor market in the province at that time, but in a blink of an eye it was crowded and there was no place to stand, let alone merchants who came from afar. If there is no market, it will be a problem for local stall owners to enter and exit.As more and more people are optimistic about the market, the rental fee of the stalls has increased sharply several times. Some people simply vacated the stalls when they saw that the stalls were in high demand, which exacerbated the tightness and confusion in the market. In late April 1985, the new generation of county party committee leaders who had taken over from Xie Gaohua worked on the spot. Based on soliciting opinions from industrial and commercial households, they decided to propose a plan to build another market to meet the needs of the market.Then, to the surprise of the decision makers, as soon as the reconstruction plan came out, it immediately aroused another kind of objection. Since the new plan must occupy a certain amount of fertile land, some people took this opportunity to write letters to the province and even the central government to say : "It's a pity to destroy such a good field and build a market. Can you get enough food from the market alone?" Self-employed, small businesses and hawkers are confused by some abnormal phenomenon!At that time, this kind of opinion was not without social basis, and judging from the mentality of most people, especially the majority of cadres, it questioned whether the market could last and whether it could become the leading industry in Yiwu's social and economic development.what to do?There are only two ways: either rebuild or not.Reconstruction is to push the market forward, not to build is to let the market develop so far.The two distinct opinions are concentrated on the county party committee.The secretary of the county party committee at that time was Zhao Zhongguang, and it was up to him to make the decision this time.Secretary Zhao Zhongguang's handling of this matter was both simple and difficult. He called members of the five sets of teams in Shangxian County and followed him to the field inspection. Finally, a collective vote was made to decide on the rebuilding of the market. "If you have any opinions, just listen to them and don't change them. Once you've made a decision, hurry up. I'll cut the ribbon when it opens before the National Day next year!" Secretary Zhao Zhongguang specially instructed at the end.It was a quick cut, and Yiwu's decision makers have been doing one thing of great merit since Xie Gaohua, that is, to follow the own laws of market development and actively take effective measures to ensure its vigorous development. On September 26, 1986, in just 10 months, a larger wholesale market for small commodities was built in Yiwu City. The situation is still beyond imagination.The booming scene at the beginning of the opening made Yiwu people themselves unable to explain what was going on. In short, the market is so good that even the operators are a little confused.Only half a year later, when the spring of 1987 came, Yiwu’s third-generation new market was once again in a hurry: not to mention that the business venues were full, the entire Yiwu city had become a big market—because there were not enough indoor venues, many businesses Investors and merchants can only see the empty space and get together to buy and sell. There was once a person who didn't know how to do any business, so he rented a building next to the train station to provide transit for foreigners to purchase and deliver goods. Over the next year, I easily earned more than 1 million yuan!People in Yiwu are so smart. Some people heard that renting out houses can make a lot of money, so there was an upsurge of building new homesteads in the county.Hey, this heat, even the urban construction cadres who have always had a headache about how to catch up with the urban construction have not thought of something: the urban construction of Yiwu, which has been in progress for decades but has never changed much, is full of buildings overnight. New, the entire urban area has expanded several times!What is exciting is that the government didn't spend much money, just got a few more sets of plans. The market has brought many unexpected changes to Yiwu. The municipal construction in just a few years has transformed a small old town into a modern city in central Zhejiang. In 1988, Yiwu officially changed from a county to a city.And the process of changing the county into a city, if there is no development of the small commodity market, maybe Yiwu is still a county-level place today. The revolutionary teacher Marx once pointed out in political economy that when capital enters a free economy, its development will often not be shifted by people's subjective wishes.The same principle applies to the socialist market economy. Once it enters a benign state, its development will exceed our imagination and will have a significant impact on the entire social form.Shortly after the opening of the third-generation market, the tension of stalls became the primary contradiction in Yiwu market again. At this time, the enthusiasm of foreign merchants for Yiwu market is getting higher and higher. The desire to expand the market is more urgent than fire.It seems that the decision-making process of the third-generation market is short-term behavior again.Don't hesitate, expand it!This time, cadres at several levels agree with the majority of the masses, because few people in Yiwu will make irresponsible remarks on the market due to the benefits of real deals.The collective decision was quickly formed: the 120 mu of land extending eastward across Chouzhou Road behind the third-generation market will be used as the planning area for the fourth-generation market. It was decided in June, and a circular was issued to the whole city in the name of the Municipal Party Committee Office in July. Everything is in full swing. Thousands of operators and more than 600,000 Yiwu people are looking forward to the birth of a bigger, more exciting and magnificent "China Small Commodity Market".However, an unexpected political storm swept across the land of China from Beijing, and for a while there were dark clouds over the land of China.The Chinese people have fallen into pain and confusion, and what the future will look like has become a big topic that everyone looks forward to again.What makes Yiwu people feel the most incomprehensible and uncomfortable is that "self-employment is the root of the turmoil!" and "the country must first eliminate the private economy if it wants to continue to raise the red flag!" and so on.Yiwu people and the Yiwu market are under pressure from all directions, even hanging over their heads. Although some phenomena are inexplicable, they were said to have noses and eyes in those days. It seems that the individual economy is born In the turbulent soil, the self-employed are strong supporters of the turmoil. The small commodity market in Yiwu is the most active, so the political issues there deserve the most attention.In short, people in Yiwu and things in Yiwu should attract enough attention and attention from above! "What, you want to expand the market at this time? Isn't this adding fuel to the fire?" "First clarify the question of whether the self-employment behavior is surnamed 'capital' or surnamed 'she'!" Some people dismissed the report submitted by Yiwu with a very political official tone.What’s even more chilling to the people of Yiwu: Individual leaders who have always been enthusiastic about the Yiwu market and often like to include the achievements of Yiwu market development in their achievement satchels, dare not take a step in the Yiwu market, as if they are taking a step closer As if he would take off his black hat... It was a moment of great disappointment and expectation for Yiwu people, and Yiwu people did not forget Zheng Shangjin, the secretary of the municipal party committee at that time, and his "group of people".In the face of the storm, Zheng Shangjin and other leaders made bold and responsible decisions, so the people always remember these historical figures who played an important role in the development history of Yiwu.Although I did not have the opportunity to interview Zheng Shangjin, who is now the secretary of the Jinhua Municipal Party Committee, and others, their contributions to Yiwu during the special period are an immortal monument in the hearts of Yiwu people.At that time, Zhu Lianfang, the head of the Propaganda Department of the Municipal Party Committee who participated in the "Report on the Expansion of the Yiwu Small Commodity Market", introduced to me that at that time, the whole Yiwu market was fluctuating, and the root cause was that it was unclear whether the individual economy was a socialist economy or not. This has raised the question of whether it is right or not for Yiwu to run a small commodity market.There are many things in China that can wait for the resolution to be done, but at that time the Yiwu market had already been famous all over the country. If the huge market does not operate for a day, it will affect the interests of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of operators. The market that we have painstakingly managed and created over the past few years suddenly collapsed, so at that time our city leaders were in a hurry, market managers were in a hurry, and self-employed people were even more in a hurry. What should we do?At that time, every step may be a political risk.What is gratifying to the people of Yiwu is that the leaders of the Yiwu Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government at that time quickly made the correct decision, that is, unswervingly affirmed that the individual economy is an important part of the socialist economy, and self-employed workers are socialist laborers. There was nothing wrong with setting up the Yiwu market yesterday, and there is nothing wrong with expanding it today.To this end, we have done a lot of arduous and effective work to stabilize people's hearts, such as broadcasting the opinions of the municipal party committee and the municipal government to operators from time to time, and dispatching administrative cadres to go deep into the market to do patient and meticulous work for the masses. interpretation and advocacy work.At the same time, it specially cooperates with the propaganda of the feature film "Independent Kingdom" broadcast by CCTV to reflect the Yiwu market, so that all business operators in Yiwu can understand that the road taken by Yiwu has not deviated from the direction of socialism, not only has it not, but it is even more It is completely correct to walk on the road of socialism.It is glorious to engage in the individual economy, and participating in the market is to do better things for socialism.With a clear understanding, confidence will be strengthened, and our market will be better and better. On October 5, 1990, Shen Zulun, then governor of Zhejiang Province, swiped a pen: the expansion of Yiwu Market is indeed necessary.Therefore, after experiencing an unprecedented political turmoil, the people of Yiwu are more determined to run a market and a large market. This time they are completely aiming at the goal of "the first in the country". Therefore, as soon as the design of the fourth-generation small commodity market is released It is very exciting: Yiwu will build the country's largest indoor commodity trading market with a total area of ​​more than 50,000 square meters! It took 1 year and 10 months for the fourth-generation market to go from being proposed to starting construction to being officially opened. This decisive battle is very unforgettable for Yiwu people. The entire transition of the color of knowledge and skills is also a fundamental understanding of the nature of business operations to clarify what is surnamed "capital" and what is surnamed "she".A few years later, at the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee clarified the theory of a socialist market economy. At the Second Session of the Ninth National People's Congress in early 1999, Deng Xiaoping Theory was written into the Constitution together with "the individual and private economy is an economic component of socialism".In fact, for Yiwu people, their practice and application of Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the practice of developing a market economy to promote social progress have already begun and succeeded.While Yiwu people follow the laws of the market economy, the market economy is really like an "invisible hand", helping and promoting the healthy development of the entire Yiwu market. In 1992, there are a few important records in the history of Yiwu: Among the top ten markets in the country confirmed by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, Yiwu Market ranked first, and it was approved by the state to change the name of Yiwu Small Commodity Market to "China Small Commodity Market". City" (after that, Yiwu's small commodity market ranked first in the country for 7 consecutive times, that is, it is in the "boss" position of tens of thousands of commercial markets every year).The second is that among the fiscal revenue that Yiwu turned over to the state that year, the tax revenue of individual and private enterprises reached 50.5%, achieving more than half for the first time.Don't underestimate this "more than half". Its significance is an extremely important practical basis for the Chinese Communists and the entire Chinese people to understand the theory of the primary stage of socialism. Of course, for the Yiwu people themselves, engaging in the market is no longer necessary. It is no longer a simple "sideline business" that is managed or ignored, it is a big industry that realizes the dominance of local economic and social development!Must catch!You must catch it! I once discussed this topic with an economist: In China, there are no fewer than tens of thousands of commodity wholesale markets similar to Yiwu. Why is the unique Yiwu market developing so rapidly and healthily?This economist used many theories of political economy, trying to demonstrate to me the successful experience of Yiwu's market.But his economic theories derived from Adam Smith are not convincing to me, because the market laws in a general sense have been used by others, but many markets in China have run from time to time or have failed at all. , but Yiwu has never failed, and has been developing unexpectedly smoothly. Which "invisible hand" is causing the trouble?Doing magic? This is what I and many others are trying to figure out. This is the charm of Yiwu Superman. I once heard a folklore: A Guangzhou businessman met a Yiwu native in the mid-1980s. This Guangzhou businessman had assets of more than 300,000 yuan, which was definitely a big fortune at that time.At that time, the Yiwu native had just thrown away the rattle and went out to Guangzhou for the first time, wanting to approve some small commodities and go home to earn money for the New Year.He only had 500 yuan on him, which was only enough to approve some of the cheapest stationery and small commodities.The boss in Guangzhou said you want the goods, right?You want to be cheaper, right?Okay, how about you just invite me into the "OK Hall" to have fun?People in Yiwu thought that the people in the city just love that "happy" thing, so just go there.It doesn't matter if you go in, the Yiwu man almost died when he finally checked out: it cost him 400 yuan!How do you buy this?The Guangzhou man probably saw the other party's predicament, and said, don't worry, brother, I think you are quite righteous, you don't have to pay for the purchase for the time being, and you can leave your ID card to pay next time, but there is a condition: you must pay at half time. You have to send the money within a month.I already have enough friends, so what else can Yiwu people say?OK, that's it.The Yiwu man ran to the train station carrying the goods, but he only had about 20 yuan left in his pocket, and he couldn't even buy a train ticket.What can I do?The Yiwu man was so anxious that he was sweating all over his body. He thought about going back and borrowing some money from the boss in Guangzhou to buy a return ticket, but he felt that he was too embarrassing. He couldn't tell if people thought you were deliberately blackmailing or something.Think left and right to no avail.When he was extremely embarrassed, he saw a small shop nearby selling bamboo poles. Yiwu people have special feelings for bamboo poles, so the Yiwu man immediately went over and bought a pair of bamboo poles with all the money he had. and packed all the wholesale goods in the dan, then stepped forward and became a special "seller's dan" again.From Guangzhou to Yiwu for more than 1,000 kilometers, the Yiwu people shook the "rattle drum" all the way, selling goods while traveling home, and it took 12 days to rush back to Yiwu.On the 16th day, just as the boss in Guangzhou was cursing "I can't be a good person" in his heart, the Yiwu man suddenly appeared in front of him, and handed over the money he had prepared, and said: "Brother, I'm really sorry, I wasted a day because I was on my way.” After the people in Guangzhou heard what Yiwu people said from beginning to end, “Old Guang” was so moved that he shouted, “Yiwu people are the number one merchant in the world! The number one merchant in the world is Yiwu people!” 5 Years later, that Yiwu man was already a "multi-millionaire", while the Guangzhou man was honestly working in Yiwu, earning only 2,000 yuan a month for living expenses.Someone asked him strangely why he gave up his business and came to Yiwu to work for others. What do you think the people in Guangzhou said?He said: "Since Yiwu people are already doing business in the world, why should there be other people doing business?" I can't verify the authenticity of this folklore, but one thing can be learned from it, that is The prosperity of Yiwu market and its everlasting prosperity are inseparable from the unique way of doing business of Yiwu people. Yiwu people, from children to old people, can say the following words: "Traveling thousands of mountains and rivers, trying every means, speaking thousands of words, going through untold hardships." This "four thousand" spirit is the spirit of Yiwu people. The business magic weapon handed down from the ancestors, which originated from the "rattle drum" career of "exchanging chicken feathers for sugar", can be said to be the essence of Yiwu people's business success. Like many people who came to Yiwu for the first time, I couldn’t understand why China’s largest commodity trading market is neither in Beijing, nor in big cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou, but in a poor and remote city like Yiwu?Now I understand that this is not only because Deng Xiaoping's theory of taking the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics is well practiced here, but also because of the unique way of doing business of Yiwu people.It can also be said that it is difficult to have a second place that can compete with it except for Yiwu people.This is because a market economy like China has just started, especially in a country where our commodity information and circulation channels are very imperfect, especially for a long time we have implemented a planned economy, the state-owned economy occupies a dominant position, and people's lives Supplies and means of production depend on a single channel for supply, and horizontal distribution channels are almost zero.Under this specific mechanism, once we start the express train of the market economy, we will find that its unsound and unsmooth track often seriously hinders our progress.The Yiwu people are giving full play to their unique advantages at this moment, which is the channel for information and commodity circulation that they step on with their feet.The original Yiwu market is basically still an extension of the "chicken feathers for sugar".But never underestimate this kind of extension. It is this kind of extension function like ants moving mountains that makes the huge energy released by Yiwu become like the fission of atomic energy when it is allowed by the policy to expand the market. .When tens of thousands of "rattle drummers" found that using peddlers to carry the products produced and left over from various places back in the form of ants moving mountains could no longer meet the increasing demand, they switched to carts. The goods that are in short supply all over the country are moved back to their hometown like ants by means of pulling, shipping, and even plane entrustment... At this moment, their hometown Yiwu has become a gathering place for thousands of goods.These goods are some daily necessities that are in short supply for the common people. Of course, some people bought them and some people approved them soon!Once you are lucky, once I sell it, he will make another batch, and the circulation of goods will go faster and faster.At this time, the identity of the "rattle drum" hands has become a buyer, but because their nature has not changed, they are willing to endure hardships and make small profits, so they are never afraid of being robbed of their business by others, and they are not afraid of others competing with them. In this kind of fierce mutual competition, I have developed more powerful business skills.In the 1980s, the transportation industry in our country was far from being able to meet the needs of the circulation of goods. In many places, there were no cars, or there were only one or two shuttle buses.A man from Yiwu told me that when he went out to purchase goods, not to mention that there were no seats on the train, he could not even find a place to stand. In order to ensure that the goods were transported home, he slept on the train that time. I spent a week in a "sleeper"—that is, lying down and getting under the seat.Can anyone imagine what kind of life experience it would be like not being able to raise your head, straighten your waist, or even pee?I don't know if this should also be included in the Guinness Book of World Records.In fact, the big market that Yiwu people present in front of Chinese people today is to a large extent due to the fact that countless people among them have accumulated bit by bit like ants moving mountains with the same spirit of hard work and hard work. Small commodities from all over the country miraculously flowed to Yiwu in this way. This huge inflow process sent out a message at the same time: Yiwu has all kinds of goods that you want but are not available in other places, or the price is not as cheap as Yiwu.So countless businessmen came to Yiwu, and they happily moved away the commodities they wanted.At the same time, Yiwu people once again discovered what is the favorite of others and what is the most profitable, so a new round of procurement was formed, and the procurement of ants moving mountains was once again transported back to Yiwu from various places. .Before long, smart people chose not to run back and forth, but to stay in a certain place, and transport the goods needed by Yiwu back in time through allocation; and some clever people shipped goods from Yiwu market when they returned goods to Yiwu. It is a joy to sit on one side of the place and make money back and forth for commodities that are in short supply in the permanent residence.What's more, he relies entirely on the information obtained from the Yiwu market or other sources, without going through the Yiwu market at all, and directly transfers from a place with stock to a place without stock, so that he can make even more money. too much!But no matter what form, the source is always in Yiwu, because they are Yiwu people who control the entire market and circulation process.Don't underestimate the operation process of "one in and one out" of Yiwu people. It plays a very important role in the formation of the market and the promotion of China's industrial development. A clothing dealer named Lou Xiangyun bought a batch of silk square scarves in Shanghai at first, and they sold well. Later, she heard that it was made in Jiaxing, so she took the square scarf and went straight to Jiaxing to inquire about it. Only then did I realize that it was produced in Wang Jiangjing, which is 20 miles away from Jiaxing City.When Lou Xiangyun saw this place, the traffic was extremely inconvenient, and the local farmers had a large surplus of labor force, but the silk weaving products produced were exquisite in craftsmanship, so he said that I would buy all your products in the future.The people from Wangjiangjing, who had always been worried about product sales, heard this as if they had met the God of Wealth, so they agreed.Since then, Lou Xiangyun has been running here every day. Over the past few years, Wang Jiangjing has built rows of buildings during Lou Xiangyun's running, and the farmers are living a moderately prosperous life today.As for Lou Xiangyun, needless to say, her pockets were already swollen.There are too many things like this. At present, there are about 50,000 to 60,000 people in Yiwu who are doing business outside. Like Lou Xiangyun, there are many people who have become rich and have become rich themselves. After going through the above stages, Yiwu people gradually discovered that in order to make the market more competitive and earn more money, the cost of the previous back-and-forth business is still high, and the style of the goods is affected by the original Style restrictions.Yiwu people started thinking: why can't they produce by themselves?Do it!It doesn't matter what you do, the ingenious Yiwu people have almost made all the products that are in short supply and that are not recognized by people but have a large market. For example, someone discovered the "hula hoop" in Guangdong. Three days later , Yiwu market can be wholesaled by car or car, where can the goods come from?Yiwu people made it themselves!Women's long stockings became popular in that year. The stockings produced by Yiwu people within three days were more colorful than those sold in Guangzhou department stores. Of course, the price was nearly half lower, and the stocking merchants were too excited to sleep at night , Continuously wholesale from Yiwu, has been wholesale until today, and today Yiwu's socks production is the absolute first in the country, accounting for more than 30% of the country's total production.Socks are one of the tens of thousands of commodities in the Yiwu market, and almost every commodity can form one of their competitive industries for Yiwu people.The mystery here is actually not too complicated. In their terminology, it is called "the shop in front and the factory in the back".The so-called shop in front and factory in back (or called front stall and back factory) means that the operator opens a shop and rents a stall in the market, and the products sold on the stall in the shop are produced in the factory behind his shop or behind the stall. .Don't underestimate the production and management mode of this kind of shop in front and factory in back. It may be a major feature of China's peasant market economy, just like the township enterprises that once commanded "half of China's industrial production". "Half of the country" produced by Chinese nationals.What I first felt in Yiwu was that the houses of the common people here are very large, and each household is basically a four or five-story building. However, most of the streetscapes from the urban area of ​​Yiwu to the towns below Yiwu are made by the common people. Constructed buildings.At first, I didn't understand why Yiwu people built such a big building?Isn't the big house for three or four people living in empty?Later, when I entered these peasant households, I realized that the homes of Yiwu people are different from those in other places. They usually set up the first floor as shops or shops to sell goods directly, and the second and third floors are factory buildings, only a small part of the highest floor. It is the owner's living room.At present, there are more than 60,000 stall owners in the four major markets in Yiwu, and a large part of them are "shops in front and factories in back".Therefore, when entering the Yiwu market for wholesale goods, you must not underestimate the stall owners who only have an area of ​​one or two square meters. Maybe the one standing in front of you is a big boss with billions of assets. This happened to me more than once.Once I went to the market to collect folk songs, and saw that the stall owner was a clothing seller.Seeing that there are several brands of shirts on her booth less than 3 meters away, I asked her where do you wholesale the shirts of so many brands?The hostess smiled and said it was all her own.I thought to myself, maybe this is the kind of speculator who makes a large number of fake trademarks with various names, and then pastes them on other people's products to pretend to be their own products.The hostess heard that I was here to write about the Yiwu market, and seeing that I didn't believe her so much, she insisted on taking me to her house to find out. "Otherwise, if you, a great writer, write according to your own imagination, won't we Yiwu people lose all face?" Ha, the hostess is very "Yiwu conscious".So I followed her to her house, which surprised me: It turned out that the female boss's house had two five-story buildings, and there were more than 600 workers employed alone.Walking into the workshop of her family, what I saw was no longer the family workshop-style production model I imagined, but Isshiki's modern garment-making machines imported from Japan.In the product showroom of her home, there are a total of 6 brands of shirts, 3 of which have obtained high-quality certificates issued by national or provincial professional institutions.It's just that you don't know if you don't see it, and you know the interests of Yiwu people when you see it. We know that no matter what kind of market economy, supply and demand, price and competition are its basic elements, and the process of interconnection and mutual influence between the three is the process of market mechanism.That is, changes in market supply and demand cause changes in market prices, and price changes in turn affect changes in supply and demand. Whether it is price changes or changes in supply and demand, it will lead to changes in the interest pattern, which in turn will trigger market competition; the result of competition will in turn affect the market. Supply, demand and price.Such an action of the market mechanism, on the one hand, stimulates the enterprising spirit of commodity producers and operators, and constantly finds ways to improve technology, reduce costs, and improve operations, thereby promoting the development of the entire market and society.And the entire process of promoting productivity improvement and social development is what we call the "invisible hand"—that is, the law of the market economy. From the beginning of the 1980s, it took only 10 years for Yiwu people to win the chance of self-survival from the initial business mode of "chicken feathers for sugar", and then developed to establish a huge commodity circulation market, monopolizing the production and sales of small commodities in the whole country. The distribution and trading industry makes the prices of the daily necessities market for 1.2 billion people change with the changes in the Yiwu market, and builds itself from a small impoverished county that cannot even solve the problem of food into one of the "Top 100 Counties (Cities) in China" ", the people live and work in peace and contentment, and every family is well-off.All of this is exactly how they combined the traditional spirit of "chicken feathers for sugar" with the "invisible hand" of the market economy, and made it exert its best magic power.The best time to examine whether a market is a success or failure is not when the whole society or the whole big market is thriving, but when we have been generally affected by the Asian financial crisis in the past two years. Only when the recession is not good can we see who is a hero and who is a hero.In the past two years, when the domestic and large markets are shouting "jumping off buildings", we look at the Yiwu market, which is still busy and bustling, and you realize that Yiwu is indeed worth thinking about such a problem, that is, building a Chinese-style society. The socialist road, or the establishment of a socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics, is by no means empty talk, nor is it utopia, it is completely achievable.Yiwu is such a model. I have always wanted to understand why China's largest small commodity market, the most active commercial circulation market, and the most prosperous daily necessities production base are not in other places, but in the humble Yiwu in central Zhejiang?I have also always wanted to understand why Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Changzhou and other well-known manufacturers of light industry products in China are so willing to go to Yiwu to seize the market?We may even find that the prices of famous brand products produced in these places are cheaper in Yiwu market than their local or own ex-factory prices?And it is very interesting that the bosses of established or famous brand enterprises in these places often take the market share they seized in Yiwu as their proud capital!As the saying goes, laymen watch the excitement, and experts watch the way.At the '98 China Small Commodities Fair held in the golden autumn of 1998, I saw the lively scene of thousands of merchants from home and abroad vying for the same market, but this did not satisfy me, a layman, who wanted to study how to attract so many merchants to Yiwu. The "doorway".After going deeper, I suddenly realized: Yiwu people have reached a state of extreme using the "invisible hand" of the market economy.We know the "three major elements" of the market economy, among which the most important thing that can attract merchants is nothing more than price.In the Yiwu market, the power of price is the most important factor for the survival of all commodities, and it is also the key to the success or failure of every operator and merchant.Usually a commodity of the same kind and quality is more than 30% cheaper in Yiwu market than in other markets, and some are even half cheaper.The difference of more than 30% is the profit of merchants and the capital that Yiwu market can compete with any other market.So why can Yiwu do it freely and easily, but it is difficult for others?In addition to the above-mentioned Yiwu people who dare to endure hardships and use the method of "stores in front and factories behind", people in Yiwu have always established a business philosophy in their minds that they do not seek to make enough money, but only to make less or less money.It seems unbelievable to say that a businessman doesn't want to do big business or make more money?Why do Yiwu people do this? First of all, Yiwu people know that as long as a certain product of theirs sells with a large profit, dozens of companies will follow you to do the same business overnight, so the business you made a lot of money yesterday may become today or tomorrow. Even the old capital is lost, and you make money three times three times, and then lose money twenty five times. In the end, did you make money or lose it?Yiwu people can calculate this account better than anyone else.Unless I am the "sole agent" or exclusive producer of a certain product when I have enough strength, then I can make a lot of money for it.In fact, there are already such "exclusive agents" and exclusive production and sales owners in the Yiwu market, and they should be the "bosses" in the market.The second is that Yiwu people put the biggest channel of making money on wholesale, and quantity is the biggest goal pursued by Yiwu operators. In their view, instead of raising a certain high price to attract thousands of merchants to compete with them, they should dry up all at once. It is far less beneficial to develop ten or one hundred "trickling streams" with absolute competitive advantages in price.Yiwu people have a law of competition: if you earn one yu