Chapter 153 Let me take you to the capital city for some fun!
Mr. Li went out to take a look and saw that the shop next door was open, which was a rare sight.
Inside, there were shelves and various goods, making it look like a store that was actually in operation.
"Oh, so you're my neighbor. Miss Jiang, are you planning to expand your business?"
Jiang Ling nodded; "Pretty much. But I'll use this shop as a warehouse too. Mr. Li, name your price, and I'll see if it's reasonable."
“Since we’re all neighbors, I’ll give you a fair price: 800,000. I’d put this shop up for 1 million or more. It’s just that the market’s been bad lately, so I’m not planning to hold onto it.”
It's better to sell it sooner rather than later and get some cash.
Jiang Ling sipped her milk tea while thinking. Although she wasn't short of money, she still wanted to haggle.
"The market has been really bad lately, and my grocery store is almost going to go out of business. If it weren't for my hometown being here, I wouldn't be planning to come back to develop my business. Here's the deal, Mr. Li, one price, 700,000."
Mr. Li was a little pained. "This price is a bit too low. Even though the market is bad, it's still a property. If Miss Jiang is really interested, it'll be 780,000."
Jiang Ling looked troubled. "The decoration of your shop is too simple. I will have to renovate it, which will cost more money. How about this, a fixed price of 730,000 yuan."
"...760,000! It really can't go any lower, or we'll lose too much money."
"Alright, let's stop arguing. 750,000! If you agree, place the deposit now!"
Mr. Li gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Consider it making friends!"
Jiang Ling sent the deposit and then called Attorney Zhang to handle the remaining transfer procedures.
"By the way, Mr. Li, do you know if there are any fabric factories around here? I need to place some orders."
The food problem is being solved, and so is the cloth problem.
Of the four basic necessities of life—clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—clothing comes first. It's especially essential in winter.
Mr. Li thought for a moment and said, "What a coincidence! There's a fabric factory in the western suburbs that my friend owns. I have their manager's phone number. I'll send it to you, and you can call and ask."
Mr. Li took out his phone and sent her a phone number and name.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Li."
"You're welcome."
Just as it finished, the grain factory's trucks arrived one after another.
Jiang Ling said on the phone that she would ask them to provide a few workers to unload the goods, and that she would give them extra tips.
The first trucks to arrive were carrying rice and millet, each loaded with ten tons of cargo.
Several of the workers were the same ones from last time, so they were all familiar with each other. After exchanging greetings, they started unloading the goods one by one, following the directions Jiang Ling pointed out.
Rice filled one corner, followed by millet.
Each bag of millet is lighter, so there need to be more bags.
After they were all arranged, they already occupied half of the iron gate.
Store the flour in the warehouse, and the coarse grains near the wooden door.
Jiang Ling didn't buy compressed biscuits this time; instead, she replaced them with flour and whole grains.
Convenient food is needed for war, but not for disaster relief. In the freezing cold, what they need most is a bowl of hot porridge.
Eating compressed biscuits too quickly might cause choking, which would be troublesome.
By the time all the cargo was unloaded, it was already dark.
Jiang Ling paid the workers their wages.
That concludes the transaction.
The grocery store was piled up so thickly that there was almost no gap. Jiang Ling wandered around and squeezed her way to the stairwell.
This day felt like several days for someone else, exhausting her last bit of energy.
After setting the alarm, she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
When the wooden door was pushed open again, it was already morning three days later.
Outside the door, the first rays of dawn were breaking, and the thin mist had not yet completely dissipated.
A cool, crisp air rushed in, carrying the unique chill of late autumn.
Jiang Ling took a deep breath to clear her mind.
Before the villagers even left their homes, a hundred freight wagons covered with heavy tarpaulins were quietly parked in the open space in front of the shop.
It extends all the way to the official road.
More than twenty strong men stood beside the vehicle, dressed in coarse cloth and short jackets, looking like ordinary porters. But each of them stood up straight, had sharp eyes, and moved silently and in an orderly manner, clearly well-trained.
Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing were already waiting outside the door. When they saw Jiang Ling open the door, they immediately came to greet her.
Cheng Fang's gaze quickly swept over her slightly tired face. "Was everything alright?"
“Hmm,” Jiang Ling nodded, stepping aside to make way for a shop that was packed full of people.
"Everything is ready inside. You can arrange for people to start moving it."
Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing glanced at it, a flash of surprise crossing their eyes.
In the vast space, grain sacks were piled up like small mountains, with bags of rice, millet, and coarse grains squeezed tightly together, leaving only a narrow passage for one person to pass through.
The rich, mellow aroma of grains wafts over you, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.
I never imagined that such a large quantity of food could be prepared in just three days!
Zhao Jingxing said with utmost seriousness, "Miss Jiang, thank you for your hard work!"
Cheng Fang quickly regained his composure, his gaze sharpening and focusing. He turned to his subordinates and gave a stern order:
"Hurry up! Load the trucks according to plan! Stay hidden and don't make any noise!"
"Yes!" the capable porters immediately responded in a low voice and sprang into action quickly and silently.
Working in pairs, they coordinated perfectly, steadily carrying the heavy sacks of grain out of the general store like a flowing stream, and silently loading them onto the seemingly ordinary horse-drawn carts outside.
Once a vehicle is fully loaded, it should leave first to avoid piling up on the road and attracting attention.
They brought a large number of people this time, all of whom were well-trained elite soldiers. In less than half an hour, the mountain of grain sacks in the shop had been completely moved away.
After each vehicle was fully loaded, Zhao Jingxing would carefully inspect the loading status of each vehicle to ensure that it was secure and concealed.
He walked up to Jiang Ling, bowed deeply, and spoke with unprecedented sincerity and respect:
“Miss Jiang, this batch of grain is a timely help to the people of the Great Yu Dynasty! On their behalf, Jingxing thanks you, Miss Jiang!”
Cheng Fang also bowed solemnly: "On behalf of my family and country, I thank you for your help, young lady."
Jiang Ling quickly offered a gesture of support: "Young masters, there's no need for that. It's just something we can do. We only hope that this grain can truly help those in need."
"Definitely!" Zhao Jingxing said resolutely.
Cheng Fang handed her a box. "This is a thank-you gift from His Highness the Crown Prince. He said it's just a small token of his appreciation."
Jiang Ling took the box; it felt slightly heavy in her hand. Without opening it, she remembered the cloth and added:
"By the way, I've already asked about the cloth. You can come back in ten days to pick it up, and I'll have it ready by then."
“Alright.” Zhao Jingxing glanced at the sky. “It’s getting late. We need to set off immediately and catch up with the caravan to avoid any unforeseen complications.”
Jiang Ling nodded: "Take care on your journey."
Cheng Fang mounted his horse and smiled at Jiang Ling, "Jiang Ling, once I'm done with this busy period, I'll take you to the capital for some fun!"
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