Second brother is here.
The factory was divided into two parts: a chili product factory in the front and a traditional Chinese medicine product factory in the back. Some of the equipment, such as dryers, crushers, and slicers, could be shared.
Lin Shaocheng and Li Xiangxi put on clean white coats and kept putting angelica into the slicer. This angelica was bought to appease the villagers. In just a few years, its price has skyrocketed. The well-preserved and clean angelica was cut into thin slices of uniform size. One of them put the slices into a jar and the other put on the lid.
"Brother, have you found a sales channel?"
Lin Shaocheng replied, "The Hong Kong businessman who bought cordyceps before came and said he would buy it."
Li Xiangxi neatly arranged the jars. Fortunately, his older brother had a backup plan back then. His aunt didn't leave him a single penny. If his older brother hadn't sold the herbs he had secretly hidden, he wouldn't have had the initial ten thousand yuan.
Lin Shaocheng paused, "I'm more worried about what will happen to your sister-in-law's chili oil."
In the front part of the factory, Li Guorong and his second sister-in-law picked out the poor-quality dried chilies. Shenzhen is quite humid, so they put the chilies into a dryer to dry them first, then took them out and put them into a grinder to grind them. Li Guorong had already adjusted the parameters so that the chilies produced were neither too coarse nor too fine, and could be fried thoroughly without turning into powder.
He opened the valve to inject rapeseed oil, heated it until it started to smoke, poured in the prepared minced ginger and garlic, and the aroma filled the entire workshop. Li Guorong stirred it continuously with a long spatula.
Li Guolan seized the opportunity to pour in the chopped red chili peppers, instantly releasing a pungent chili aroma. Li Guorong, sweating profusely, continued stirring, while his brother-in-law watched closely, occasionally moving his hand.
Brother-in-law Wang Gang took the shovel, Li Guorong adjusted the fire underneath, and Li Guolan immediately bent down to learn how to control the heat.
Li Guorong said, "At first, you need to use high heat, then medium heat. Once the flavor of the chili peppers is fully released, you can add the remaining seasonings."
After adding fermented black beans, salt, sugar, MSG, etc., and mixing well, let the chili oil cool slightly, then pour it into a clean large stainless steel bucket, then into a second-hand small bottling machine. Below are glass bottles that have been thoroughly sterilized by a bottle washing machine and a sterilizer, and then send them to the sealing machine.
Li Guorong pasted on the finished picture, which showed a woman and read "Sister Li's Chili Oil" underneath.
Li Guojian picked up a bottle of chili oil. The bottle opening was clean and tight, and the chili oil inside was clear and bright. He pried open the bottle and heard a popping sound. He scooped out a small piece with a spoon. It was spicy, numbing, and fragrant, just like the homemade kind.
Li Guojian's eyes lit up. "Yes, it's delicious."
Li Guorong felt a little more at ease. His eldest sister and sister-in-law were honest people. Their skewers business in Beijing had been very bad this year, and now they just wanted to earn a fixed salary. The two of them decided to work at the restaurant. Li Guorong decided to pay his brother-in-law 200 yuan a month and his sister 180 yuan. His brother-in-law did more physical work and earned more. This salary and workload were considered very good in Shenzhen.
My second brother came to Shenzhen hoping to buy goods to sell at home like Li Guorong did before. But now parcels are too slow and easily lost. He doesn't have much capital and no truck fleet resources. He wants to find an easy job. He has no education and no connections, so he's not willing to do hard labor.
Li Guorong's shop isn't selling much chili oil right now. It would take more than 10 years to recoup the cost of the machine. There's an overcapacity now, so they need to expand their sales channels. His second brother is eloquent, and Li Guojian also wants to work in sales. His sister-in-law, however, says she's not used to this kind of work and needs a few months to adapt.
Li Guolan and Wang Gang worked together to make a pot of chili oil. Li Guorong tasted it carefully and found no difference in flavor.
Li Guojian opened the bag, which was full of chili oil. Li Guorong paid the salesperson a base salary of 150 yuan, and negotiated wholesale with newly opened small shops and canteens nearby, giving them a 7% commission on sales.
Li Guojian was full of confidence. If he could sell 10,000 yuan worth of chili oil, he could earn 700 yuan a month. He carried the chili oil outside, while his sister-in-law Cui Fanghua carried a glass of cooled plum juice. "I'm going to check on my brother-in-law."
Li Guorong picked up a few bottles of chili oil. "Sister, you can make the rest of the chili oil. I'll contact my brother; he can collect chilies from a few nearby towns."
A look of worry crossed Li Guolan's face. "Won't we be able to sell all of these?"
Li Guorong shook his head. The chili oil had a certain reputation in Beijing before. Lin Shaocheng had already contacted his former coworkers and asked them to bring in the goods first. He would pay them back after they sold them. He had also contacted many individual shops, and these shops were willing to give it a try. They had already ordered several hundred bottles.
"Don't worry, sis. We still have old customers in Beijing, and your husband's family is still selling there." Li Guolan felt less uneasy thinking about this. Her sister's factory was so big; what if it didn't make money?
Li Guorong didn't tell her family that all these machines were money Lin Shaocheng had earned in the stock market. She was still holding onto her 100,000 yuan principal, which was equivalent to not spending any money. She needed to spend this kind of money that came so quickly.
Li Guorong walked into the backstage area, where Lin Shaocheng was counting medicines. Her second sister-in-law was staring intently at Lin Shaocheng, making her feel a little uncomfortable. She opened her mouth, her voice hoarse and harsh, startling herself, "Second sister-in-law, let's go."
Cui Fanghua smiled gently, "Then I'll be leaving now, since you still have my brother-in-law and younger brother."
Li Guorong walked with her second sister-in-law on the road. She felt a tightness in her chest and didn't know how to start the conversation. From their first meeting, she felt that her second sister-in-law seemed to be hostile towards her, but her second sister-in-law's attitude was gentle and kind. "Second sister-in-law, how did you meet my second brother?"
A dark glint flashed in Cui Fanghua's eyes. "I used to work in another city. Later, I returned home to the town and met your brother when he was mailing something. That's how we got to know each other."
Li Guorong casually asked, "Where do you work?"
Cui Fanghua gave a very soft, cold laugh, so soft it was almost like Li Guorong's illusion. "Beijing."
Li Guorong's eyes widened. "I used to live in Beijing too. Why did you come back to your hometown?"
The second sister-in-law sighed, "I worked as a nanny for someone else, but when the old man died, I had no work to do and was sent back."
Upon hearing this, Li Guorong couldn't help but feel sympathy. It's truly difficult for someone without a home in Beijing. "I've even been to a shelter," he said. "Beijing is really tough."
Cui Fanghua clenched her fists and smiled, "Yes, now I feel a sense of familiarity when I see people from Beijing."
Li Guorong laughed twice. "Has she gotten sick from being a nanny? She wants to take care of anyone from Beijing she sees."
Li Guojian was kicked out of the store again. Another salesperson went in and came out with a big smile. He took out a bottle of chili oil and said, "Brother, teach me how to avoid being kicked out."
The salesperson took the chili oil, rubbed it from Li Guojian's sparse hair to his cloth shoes, and shook his head, "Yours won't do, look at mine."
The salesperson wore gleaming leather shoes, perfectly wrinkle-free trousers, and a snow-white shirt. He had a briefcase tucked under his arm, and his hair was firmly held in place with hairspray.
Li Guojian looked down at his dusty shoes and pants. "How much would it cost to fix your clothes?"
The salesman had also lived a hard life in the past. He tasted the chili oil and found it to be a great accompaniment to rice. He made a gesture, and Li Guojian understood, so he took out another bottle of chili oil.
The salesperson pointed to the street to the east, "Go two streets past there, there's a lame old man. Tell him you were introduced by Li Insurance, and I'll give you a low price."
Li Guojian's eyes lit up. He picked up his bag and went into the clothing street. When he came out, he was dressed smartly in a white shirt and a suit. Even his thinning hair reflected a gleam of intelligence.
Li Guojian entered the small shop full of confidence. When he came out, he already had orders in his hand. He would deliver the goods to their door the next day. Li Guojian was good at reading people's expressions and his words were very persuasive. Before long, more than ten stores ordered this chili oil, totaling 100 bottles. Li Guojian walked confidently toward the newly opened Meijia Supermarket.
Li Guorong served the dan dan noodles to Old Wu. Old Wu was wealthy; his son worked for a government unit in charge of purchasing welfare. The local food was too bland for him, and being too old, he couldn't stomach it. His eyes fell on the newly packaged chili oil on the counter. "Boss, this packaging is different from before."
Old Wu had bought this several times before, but it never came with any packaging. His son had complained about it to him several times. This one, however, looked legitimate.
Li Guorong took out two bottles of chili oil and placed them on the table. "This is made in my family's factory. The workers all wear white clothes and masks. It's made by machine, so it's very clean."
Old Wu used to never dare to eat in front of his son and daughter-in-law at home. He had already finished the ones he bought before. He opened a bottle, and the oil inside was very clear. He took a bite and it tasted exactly like this.
"Give me three bottles."
Li Guorong smiled as he prepared the items for Old Man Wu.
Old Wu made a cucumber salad with some chili oil. His grandson, who never had a good appetite, took a bite of the cucumber and exclaimed, "I want this spicy one!"
The grandson pointed at his grandfather's red rice.
Wu Jianshe complained, "You bought these chilies again. They're not clean, even though they're made by individuals."
Old Wu, unconvinced, pulled out the new packaging, saying, "The boss has a license and his own factory. It's not manual packaging; it's machine-made."
Wu Jianshe took the package, and the aroma of chili peppers wafted into his nose. He couldn't help but swallow. The food at his workplace was bland and watery. As a member of the city team, even though he was in charge of logistics, he still had to train. He simply couldn't resist this strong flavor.
Wu Jianshe scooped out a piece and placed it on top of the rice. The glistening rice was topped with peanuts. One bite revealed a fragrant aroma with a hint of spiciness and a touch of sweetness. He quickened his pace.
The child saw his father only caring about eating and said, "I want to eat too."
His wife glared at him, then scooped out a piece for their son, saying, "This is spicy; if you can't finish it, give it to your dad."
The child took a bite of the mixed rice, his little mouth turning bright red, and he inhaled softly. His mother, Ms. Wu, wanted to slap him away, but the child clung to the bowl, saying, "I want to eat, not spicy, not spicy."
Having no other choice, Wu's mother added several more chopsticks of vegetables and meat to the child's bowl, saying, "He can't just eat rice."
Wu Jianshe thought about the bland food in the company cafeteria. If this could be added to the cafeteria's procurement, at least everyone could have a decent meal. Wu Jianshe looked at the chili oil on the side and thought he would take a bottle to work tomorrow.
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