As for the final decision on whether to go to the Liangzhou branch, although Chen Zhi and Zhaodi were more or less interested, they did not finally agree to it.

This is also a very normal thing, and Su Qingluan was not surprised by this result at all.

After all, although Huaxi Village is not very far to the south, it is located in the central region with distinct four seasons, but compared with Liangzhou, it still has a "mild climate".

Liangzhou is close to the northern border. Not only are the people there tough, but there is also heavy snow for half a year, making the conditions harsh.

Although Liangzhou is an important city in the north and is very prosperous, its climate is cold after all. Regardless of the economic conditions, the natural environment is relatively harsh, so many people give up the idea when they hear the word "Liangzhou".

However, this "unwillingness" is only relative - for many people who want to go somewhere else to make a name for themselves, such as earning military merits, or opening up new business territories, Liangzhou is indeed a good choice.

Liangzhou is located on a strategic border road and has frequent contact with nomadic peoples in the north, so its trade system is very developed. Horse furs and some dairy products, which are very precious in inland cities, are the most common commodities in border towns.

Relatively speaking, cheap silk and average-quality tea, which are very common in the inland, can be sold at a good price there even if they are purchased at a low price.

What's more, those handicrafts look very exquisite.

This is even more true when it comes to food. Northern food is mostly dairy-based and is very rough in shape. Because the climate in the north is cold and dry, people like to make everything into preserved fruits or dry steamed buns, which are convenient to carry and easy to preserve.

As for "fine" things like jam, you can hardly find them in the North.

Even the crudest jam, made from crushed fruit without any flavor enhancement, was a luxury only the wealthy could afford. Therefore, the territory opened up by "Su Ji" in Liangzhou was a vast ocean.

The jam of "Su Ji" can be stored for one or two months, and in the north it can even last for three or four months without deteriorating, so it has been extremely popular almost since it was released.

So even though the capital and Suzhou and Hangzhou are more prosperous than Liangzhou City, the branch of "Su Ji" fruit jam with the highest price and the best sales among the three places is in Liangzhou City.

This is also the reason why Su Qingluan is more or less willing to, openly or secretly, slightly tilt the distribution of supplies towards Liangzhou City.

Of course, regardless of the jam's sales, the objectively harsh climate was an indisputable fact. So Su Qingling simply raised the salary level at the Liangzhou branch online—of course, this wasn't a direct salary increase, but rather various welfare subsidies.

For example, from the start of winter snowfall to the Qingming Festival of the following year, there are "charcoal fees" and "winter clothing fees" every month, as well as a variety of winter items, such as cotton-padded clothes and quilts.

Su Qingluan's reasons were very sufficient - Liangzhou was a place where water would freeze into ice in the winter. Compared to Liangzhou, the weather in Huaxi Village was relatively mild even when the mountains were covered with snow in the winter.

After all, it has never been so cold in Huaxi Village that the waves would freeze as they roll over - but more than one person who has been to Liangzhou has described to Su Qingluan that there are even "spectacular" scenes in Liangzhou where waves, which are still water one moment, turn into ice the next.

When Su Qingluan heard these words, she couldn't help but think of the small northern town in the far north of Northeast China that she and her master had visited in her previous life, which had already entered the Arctic Circle.

Originally, the master wanted to take her and his wife to eat a local specialty, a large white fish, and to see the aurora borealis by the way - it is said that there is a chance to see this magical sight during the winter solstice and the summer solstice.

Although she didn't see the aurora at that time, Su Qingluan had a "deeply memorable" experience of the four words "biting cold wind".

At that time, Su Qingluan naively thought that she would be warm enough in a down jacket and a layer of thermal clothes. However, the moment she got off the car, she was "taught a lesson" by the cold wind that was like a knife.

In the end, if the locals had not recommended them to buy the most original, particularly solid and warm military coat, Su Qingluan even felt that she would be frozen into an ice sculpture.

After this "unforgettable" lesson in many senses, Su Qingluan never dared to underestimate the power of the vast ice in the north again.

In this life, Su Qingluan had visited Liangzhou in the summer for a field trip. Although it was the "midsummer", people in Liangzhou had to wear autumn clothes at night, unlike those in other places. And in the late night and early morning, it was not very hot even if they wore winter clothes.

It's so terrifying!

Su Qingluan knew from that time that the winter in Liangzhou City would be "unforgettable" for most people.

Although she wanted to do business in Liangzhou City, Su Qingluan was not a ruthless capitalist who wanted her workers to be used as human popsicles. So before the first batch of employees left for Liangzhou to "expand the territory," she, the shopkeeper, felt like she had to become a nanny, worrying about their food, clothing, and daily expenses, fearing that her trusted subordinates would freeze to death.

Among the first group of people who went to the Liangzhou branch, from the shopkeeper to the accountant, from the clerk to the waiter, nearly 30% of them were selected from the group of people who had followed Su Qingluan and Li Xia had made great contributions to "Su Ji" from the beginning.

As for the remaining people, Su Qingluan asked them to recruit suitable candidates from the local area. After all, the local people were more adapted to the local social and natural environment, and could exchange knowledge and learn from each other with the people they sent.

Business in Liangzhou is booming, but the natural conditions are also very harsh, especially for those young girls and wives. When they come back to visit their families again, Su Qingluan sees that they either have high altitude red or are eight shades darker.

Although they looked in good spirits, their hands were indeed rougher, which showed that the harsh conditions were visible to the naked eye.

Recovering from her thoughts, Su Qingluan looked at Chen Zhi and Zhaodi across from her: "This is a big deal. After all, if you go there, you won't be able to come back and visit your family for a while. Moreover, although I won't treat you badly there, the conditions are difficult. You can ask around and make your own decision. There's still time, so you don't have to give me an answer right away."

Having said that, he waved his hand and asked the two people to leave. He then packed up and prepared to continue today's work - after all, it was still some time before the end of work.

When you're busy, time flies by, especially when you're focused, and even a few hours can feel like a fleeting moment.

Su Qingluan was so focused on her work that she often forgot the passage of time. She had originally planned to go back early to welcome her father, but when she came to her senses again, Liu Yunniang was already knocking on the door, reminding everyone to go home. She should also finish work and go home, otherwise she would be locked in the city.

Su Qingluan looked at the sky outside: That’s right, the sun is about to set!