Chapter 81 Profit Sharing
Zhou Juan took a bite, and her eyes lit up instantly: "Little sister! Your cooking is amazing! It's so delicious! But... with so much meat added, and only one yuan more, isn't that too cheap?"
Liu Zhixia put down her chopsticks and smiled confidently: "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I've calculated the costs. I guarantee the quality will be excellent, and we won't make any less money."
Her confident demeanor only piqued Shen Hongmei's curiosity further: "Little sister, what kind of treasure did you add to this recipe? It's so mysterious!"
"It's a secret!" Liu Zhixia winked playfully.
"Secrets, my foot!" Shen Hongmei exclaimed anxiously. "Wasn't this business supposed to be handed over to us? If you leave, we won't know anything. How are we supposed to do anything?"
“Don’t worry about that,” Zhang Xiuying said calmly. “My daughter has already given me the formula. From now on, the whole family will run this business together. The eldest son’s family will be in charge of production, the second son’s family will be in charge of sales, and the fourth son will be in charge of bookkeeping.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, and continued, "This recipe is the culmination of Lao San's hard work, so no matter how much we earn, we must leave a share for him."
"Does anyone have a problem with this?"
“I have no objection.” Zhou Juan was the first to decisively shake her head.
Liu Weidong immediately nodded: "I have no objection either."
“I…” Shen Hongmei became anxious, “Why? Aren’t we the ones who do the hardest work? Little sister doesn’t have to do anything and she gets paid for nothing?”
“It’s not free,” Zhang Xiuying shook her head and slowly uttered two words, “It’s profit sharing.”
She looked at her eldest daughter-in-law and explained the distribution plan: "Your eldest and second wives will each take 20%, the fourth son will take 10%, your father and I will take 20%, and the remaining 30% will go to the youngest sister."
"What?!" Shen Hongmei's eyes widened, and she almost jumped off the stool. "Thirty percent?!"
Zhou Juan remained calm, even looking at her with amusement: "Sister-in-law, I think this distribution is very reasonable. Without my younger sister's recipe, where would we earn this money? There's a fashionable term in the city now, called 'intellectual property.' We're contributing our labor, but my younger sister is contributing her brains."
"You..." Shen Hongmei was speechless after being rebuked, and could only curse inwardly.
What are you pretending to be, city girl! If you were really that capable, you wouldn't have married that country bumpkin, the second son.
Seeing that she couldn't win the argument with Zhou Juan, Shen Hongmei turned her attention to Liu Zhixia, playing the victim: "Little sister, you've married so well! Your husband's salary is more than enough to support our whole family. This business..."
“Sister-in-law,” Liu Zhixia interrupted her directly, her attitude firm, “I’m illiterate and don’t understand the profound principles you’re talking about. But I know that I was the one who brought this business out, and it’s only right that I take what I’m entitled to.”
Undeterred, Shen Hongmei looked at Shen Yi again: "Brother-in-law, is that what you think too?"
"Enough!" Before Shen Yi could speak, Liu Xiangyang roared, "What are you doing causing such a scene on our first day of marriage! Aren't you embarrassed enough already?!"
"I'm making a scene?" Shen Hongmei finally exploded. "Why do we have to do all the dirty and hard work while they just talk and get paid? My little sister doesn't even have to lift a finger! And you won't even let me get my family to help! You're just treating me like a servant!"
"So what you mean is," Zhang Xiuying, who hadn't spoken until now, asked calmly without even raising her eyelids, "that your eldest son's family is quitting?"
Shen Hongmei was speechless and looked to Liu Xiangyang for help.
Liu Xiangyang remained silent, clearly harboring resentment as well.
Liu Shouren also got angry at this moment: "Fine, then you eldest sons don't need to get involved! I'll find people from the brigade to help later. We can also help the villagers make money. And we don't have to give anyone 20%. The extra money can be divided among the second, third, and fourth sons!"
"Father! Mother! What about us?" Shen Hongmei was dumbfounded.
"You?" Liu Shouren sneered. "You all look down on me? Go find some work yourselves! Da Bao is my grandson, I'll take care of him. As for the rest, don't even think about it!"
"father!"
Liu Xiangyang finally couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up defiantly: "I agreed with my little sister before that I would get 30%! Now that you've joined, you're taking away 10% from me? The second brother and the others didn't do anything before, so why should they take 20% for no reason? And the fourth brother gets another 10%!"
"Heh, boss, you've finally spoken up yourself." Zhang Xiuying sneered, her eyes sharp as knives.
"mother……"
"Stop using your wife as a pawn!" Zhang Xiuying directly exposed him. "If you want something, just say so. Don't hide behind a woman and play the good guy!"
Liu Xiangyang's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver: "Mother, I didn't... I just felt... it should be fair!"
“Fair?” Zhang Xiuying spread her hands and began to do the math for him. “You used to get 30%, now you get 20%, it’s only 10% less, and you’re going to fall out with the whole family? The second and fourth sons’ money is all taken from the third son’s 30%! You and the third son each give 10% to us old folks. If you calculate it like this, are you satisfied?”
Liu Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat. Under his mother's sharp gaze, he trembled and slowly sat back down.
Seeing the resentment and hesitation in his eyes, Zhang Xiuying's eyes were filled with disappointment.
"Big brother, wasn't it third brother who helped you get the job as a squad leader? From beginning to end, did she ask you for a single penny in return? Now, you, as the older brother, are arguing with your younger siblings! You two have really disappointed me!"
These words made the couple lower their heads in shame, and they dared not utter another word.
Breakfast was eaten in this oppressive atmosphere.
After playing with their child for a while, Liu Weidong and his wife knew it was time to head back to the city.
Liu Zhixia handed them the freshly made cured meat and pickled vegetables. Zhou Juan liked her sister-in-law more and more, and holding her hand, she whispered, "Little sister, you mustn't be soft-hearted about this! We can't give up a single penny that's rightfully ours!"
"Don't worry, Second Sister-in-law," Liu Zhixia nodded vigorously. "I racked my brains to come up with the formula. Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law work in the city selling products, and they put in just as much effort as they do in production. The arrangement made by our parents is already very fair."
Zhou Juan nodded in satisfaction before saying goodbye to her family.
The group saw the second son and his wife off at the village entrance. After seeing them off, Liu Shouren watched their retreating figures and sighed deeply.
"The eldest son and his wife are several years older than the second son and his wife, yet their conduct and behavior are not as good as their younger brother and his wife's!"
"Hmph," Zhang Xiuying snorted coldly, "Anyway, if they're not satisfied, then we shouldn't let them participate in this business! That way, they won't cause trouble every time we split the profits, and they won't treat us like enemies!"
She then warned the old man, "Let me tell you, you are not allowed to be soft-hearted about this!"
Liu Shouren chuckled: "Why would I be soft-hearted? If we really let outsiders do this job, they'd thank us! With the way we two are giving them money, they'd think we owe them something."
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