Lin Shaocheng left

Li Guorong, dressed in a professional shirt dress and wearing a smile, carried bags of medicinal herbs for nourishing the body. The dried tangerine peel and angelica were all carefully selected by Lin Shaocheng. Today, she was going to discuss cooperation with the supply and marketing cooperative in Shenzhen.

Li Xiangxi has already made arrangements with the supply and marketing cooperative in Beijing, promising salespeople a 10 cents commission per bottle sold. With wages at the supply and marketing cooperatives getting lower and lower, and some areas unable to pay salaries, the salespeople, hearing about this good deal, are pushing this one directly, ignoring other sauces – who wouldn't want to earn extra money?

As soon as Lin Shaocheng entered, he shook hands with Director Wang and said, "Hello, Director Wang."

The wife of Director Wang, who was standing next to him, took the gift box, which contained health supplements and two boxes of good cigarettes and liquor. Her smile was genuine.

Li Guorong sat quietly to one side, took out a report, and Lin Shaocheng took it from his hand, saying, "I heard that Director Wang is also from XX University, so I should call him senior."

Director Wang sat on the leather sofa. "I've heard about you. You're preparing to study abroad. Studying abroad is a good thing, but you must remember to come back."

Lin Shaocheng nodded, "Your advice is right. I am very optimistic about the future development of China and will definitely come back."

Director Wang finally showed some satisfaction, glanced at his watch, and said, "Just leave the quotation; I have a meeting."

Lin Shaocheng quickly placed the order form on the coffee table, and Li Guorong stood up. "Director Wang, we'll take our leave now."

Once outside and in a taxi, Li Guorong couldn't hold back any longer, saying, "Whether it works out or not is uncertain."

Lin Shaocheng patted Li Guorong on the shoulder, "Don't worry, it should be fine."

Li Guorong was slightly relieved. She and her second brother went door-to-door to promote the products. Individual supermarkets and small shops could put their products on the shelves without giving gifts or negotiating prices. How long would it take to earn back the money for the machinery by relying solely on small shops and individual restaurants? They could only go through the supply and marketing cooperative.

The two returned to the shop. Li Guojian was wiping his sweat with a towel when his sister-in-law, Cui Fanghua, suddenly brightened up. She stood up, opened a drawer, and pulled out a handkerchief that Lin Shaocheng often used. "Brother-in-law, wipe your sweat. It's too hot outside today." Her foxy eyes were fixed on him, and her fair hands held out the handkerchief.

Li Guorong snatched the handkerchief from his second sister-in-law's hand and wiped the sweat from Lin Shaocheng's forehead. "Second brother, how much did you throw away today?"

Li Guojian chuckled, "Little sister, do you still keep your promise to pay me the wholesale price if you sell them yourself?"

Li Guorong shoved the handkerchief into Lin Shaocheng's hand, "Of course I mean it."

Li Guojian said, "These past few months, the chili oil has been selling very well in supermarkets and stores. It's become quite famous, and we can get about 600 bottles ordered every day. They all pay you in cash according to your requirements. I sold more than 20 bottles at the construction site." He pulled out the wholesale price of 20 bottles and the money he received from other shops from his wallet.

After Li Guorong received the money and counted it, Lin Shaocheng tidied up the shelves. His second sister-in-law was standing to the side, her face beaming with excitement, but she didn't know what to say. She took a few steps forward and said, "Shaocheng, why don't you go upstairs? I see your shirt is all wet. Go upstairs, take a shower, and change into some cool clothes."

Lin Shaocheng nodded and walked past his second sister-in-law.

Cui Fanghua's face fell immediately. Lin Shaocheng, dressed in a light gray plaid suit, looked as noble as a flying crane. Then she looked at her husband in a black suit, who looked like a black chicken.

Li Guorong said, "Second Brother's salary will probably increase by 1,000 yuan this month."

Li Guojian grinned from ear to ear, thinking that the clothes were a worthwhile purchase and would bring him a lot of money.

Li Guojian and Cui Fanghua temporarily stayed with Li Guorong. The eldest sister's family lived in the store, and the second sister-in-law sometimes helped out at the store. That's why Li Guorong made this arrangement. However, the way the second sister-in-law looked at Lin Shaocheng with lustful eyes made her very uncomfortable.

Li Guorong said, "Second brother, I see that the place is all set up. Why don't you and your wife go stay there? It'll be more convenient for getting goods, and you won't have to go back and forth to fetch them."

Li Guojian thought for a moment and was about to agree when Cui Fanghua glared at him, and Li Guojian dared not speak. Cui Fanghua said, "It's not too much trouble. The transportation there is inconvenient. How can Guojian establish good relationships with the nearby shops? Besides, you and your brother-in-law are so busy. I was thinking of helping you look after the shops."

Li Guorong turned to his second brother and said, "Second brother, what do you think?"

Li Guojian was caught in a dilemma. On one hand, there was his wife, whom he had pursued for a long time, and on the other hand, there was his sister, who was now his boss. "Well, how about we move out in a couple of days? I'll focus on developing the shops here first."

Li Guorong sneered and walked upstairs, bumping into Cui Fanghua with his shoulder.

Li Guojian shouted from downstairs, "Why do you keep going up there and provoking your brother-in-law?"

Tears welled in Cui Fanghua's eyes but didn't fall. Her red lips were slightly pursed. "Isn't it because we're living under someone else's roof? Didn't you say you wanted to please your brother-in-law more?"

Li Guojian said, "The actual controller of this factory is Xiaomei. You should try to please her more in the future."

Cui Fanghua's eyes darted around, and she leaned closer and whispered, "How much money can you make selling chili peppers all this hard? Your brother-in-law's factory makes 2 yuan a pound of medicine, and all those big bosses are scrambling to buy it."

Li Guojian knew that his brother-in-law's factory made money quickly, which was all thanks to his brother-in-law's keen eye. He couldn't find customers who were willing to take the money. His brother-in-law made some kind of aphrodisiac pills. He had heard the owner of the Gangcheng store say that the pills were very effective and wouldn't make him feel weak like other medicines.

Cui Fanghua continued, "Relationships are built over time. If we were to work in the factory like my older sister and the others, my younger sister and brother-in-law would never remember us when good things happen."

Hearing this, Li Guojian thought it made sense. "My wife is smart. She did live in Beijing." Cui Fanghua's eyes flashed with resentment. Li Guorong probably didn't remember. She first met Li Guorong in a Beijing detention center.

Cui Fanghua was the village chief's daughter and the village's most beautiful girl. She fell in love with an educated youth and they took the college entrance exam together. The educated youth passed the exam but she didn't. She went to Beijing with him to work as a nanny, supporting the educated youth's extravagant lifestyle at school. The educated youth climbed the social ladder and was directly transferred to Xishan to become an official. She was abandoned in Beijing. The person she served passed away, but she didn't want to leave and stayed. In the end, she was reported to the detention center.

Cui Fanghua met many people in the shelter who were worse off than her, which improved her mood considerably. When Li Guorong entered, she immediately started showing off how good her husband was. Everyone inside thought that Li Guorong was having unrealistic fantasies. Who knew that Lin Shaocheng would actually come looking for her, bringing so much food? Li Guorong not only ate but also smacked her lips, which made Cui Fanghua even more resentful.

When Cui Fanghua returned to the village, everyone said that the youngest daughter of the Li family had made something of herself. She had deliberately gotten close to Li Guojian because she was unwilling to accept that she, with only a high school education, was living a worse life than Li Guorong. She was prettier and taller than Li Guorong, but she didn't have a Lin Shaocheng. She had vowed in the detention center that she would not let Li Guorong have an easy time.

Seeing his wife lost in thought, Li Guojian asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"

Cui Fanghua smiled and said, "It's nothing. You've made some money, so buy me some clothes. Look at what my little sister is wearing, and look at what I'm wearing."

Li Guojian couldn't resist Cui Fanghua's coaxing, so he said, "Buy it."

Upstairs, Li Guorong was rubbing Lin Shaocheng's hair with a towel, as if trying to vent her frustration. Lin Shaocheng hugged her tightly, asking, "Why are you so unhappy?"

Li Guorong cursed, "Why is Second Sister-in-law being so attentive?"

Lin Shaocheng replied, "Maybe she's just that kind of enthusiastic person. She's your sister-in-law, how would I know?"

Li Guorong wanted to crack open Lin Shaocheng's head to see if it was full of water. He was good at reading books and doing things, but he didn't realize that Cui Fanghua was interested in him. "She's especially trying to please you."

Lin Shaocheng acted as if it were his due, saying, "You gave them a place to live and jobs, shouldn't that be an attempt to curry favor with me?"

Li Guorong threw the towel aside and said angrily, "Go study abroad."

Lin Shaocheng looked at Li Guorong suspiciously, "You really want to?"

Li Guorong nodded, "Go to class quickly, don't you still have classes to attend? Talk to your tutor properly, and take some chili oil and tea from home with you."

Lin Shaocheng's eyes lit up as he kissed Li Guorong's forehead. "Okay."

Li Guorong stretched out her limbs. For the past few months, she had been thinking about Lin Shaocheng's study abroad. The two factories in the family were on the right track, and she could manage them all by herself. Li Xiangxi owned 30% of the Chinese medicine factory, and he could take good care of it. She was confident that she could manage the chili oil factory herself. Her second sister-in-law was still eyeing the business. Once Lin Shaocheng returned, her second brother and sister-in-law would probably be able to live a peaceful life after having a child.

Is the boss in?

Li Guorong tidied his clothes, combed his hair, and hurried downstairs. A strong-looking man approached. "Sir, what would you like to eat?"

Wu Jianshe said, "I have a business deal I'd like to discuss with you."

Seeing that the man exuded righteousness and was not an ordinary person, Li Guorong pushed back a chair and said, "Please sit down."

Wu Jianshe first looked around the small shop, which was very clean, and nodded in satisfaction. "I am a purchasing agent for the government canteen. I tasted your canned chili peppers and thought they were good. I would like to see your factory. If the hygiene conditions are fine, I would like to purchase a batch."

Li Guorong quickly stood up. "Of course, we can do it now."

Li Guorong hailed a taxi, and the two arrived at the factory. The cement floor inside was spotless, and the white walls made the whole factory bright and clean. Two workers in snow-white work clothes operated the machinery. Bottles were sterilized at high temperatures before being placed on the workbench. Wu Jianshe nodded in satisfaction.

The two found a small restaurant. Li Guorong ordered a few hearty dishes, but Wu Jianshe quickly declined, saying, "That's enough, don't order too much, it'll be a waste."

Wu Jianshe said, "I see your retail price is 2 yuan. We need a lot, can you give us a cheaper price?"

Li Guorong was conflicted. He wondered if offering the wholesale price would be a one-off deal, but offering the retailer a wholesale price seemed inappropriate. "Brother, how many bottles do you want?"

Wu Jianshe stroked his chin. "300 bottles, I guess."

Li Guorong replied, "I sell it for 2 yuan a bottle. How about this, Brother Wu, I'll give you a discount of 1.5 yuan. If the response is good, there will be a discount for future orders."

Li Guorong usually gives small orders to small shops at this price, but only large supermarket chains give him a wholesale price of 1.2 yuan.

This unexpected order opened up a market for a segment of the stable-income population within the system, gaining recognition in the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.