The old man said after catching his breath.
"Since ancient times, the people have never fought against the officials..."
"father!"
Wang Xiulan suddenly interrupted her father.
"The boss can earn over a thousand yuan a day now, why...?"
"Over a thousand yuan?"
The elderly couple spoke in unison, and Mrs. Wang's legs went weak and she almost sat down on the ground.
Su Mingfu suddenly got up from the ground.
"Dad! I'm going to find my classmates! Lots of children of government officials are in our school..."
I'll kneel before you!
With a stern shout from Su Jianguo, the boy knelt back down with a thud.
...
"Father, you're right."
Su Jianguo took a deep breath and glanced at his family.
"But times have changed. The policies are better now; they allow us to run our own businesses. If we quit this time, we probably won't be able to establish ourselves in Beijing anymore."
Su Yufen, holding the child, asked timidly.
"Dad, what should we do?"
Su Jianguo walked to the center of the courtyard.
"I've thought it through carefully. Given the current situation, we should close the shop for a few days. We don't have enough cucumbers and tomatoes to last until the Lunar New Year, so we can take this opportunity to shut down for a few days. We can sell these off-season vegetables for a higher price during the Lunar New Year."
Wang Xiulan still had some concerns.
"But...but what about Deputy District Chief Liu..."
"I'll handle it."
Su Jianguo said firmly, his voice deep and powerful.
"You all don't need to worry about it, I'll figure something out."
...
It was past midnight.
Su Jianguo sat alone on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) in the side room.
He had a piece of paper spread out in front of him, covered with names and networks of relationships.
"Deputy Director Li of the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry..."
Su Jianguo circled the name with a pencil and then gently shook his head.
"No, it's a cross-system issue; it doesn't apply to local administration."
His gaze shifted to another name.
"Old Zhao from the Industry and Commerce Bureau..."
He shook his head again.
"He's just a section chief; he can't touch the deputy district head."
As the names on the paper were eliminated one by one, Su Jianguo's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
Although he had accumulated a considerable network of connections since his rebirth, he was powerless in the face of powerful officials like Deputy District Chief Liu.
"It seems the only way is to target his brother-in-law, Ma Sanbao."
Su Jianguo muttered to himself, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"Strike the snake at its vital point..."
He carefully recalled his memories of this period from his previous life.
At this stage, many systems are still imperfect.
People like Ma Sanbao, who rely on relatives of officials to do business, are very likely to have something to hide.
"Transportation...yes, transportation of vegetables from the south!"
Su Jianguo suddenly sat up straight, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"In this freezing weather, transporting vegetables from the south definitely requires special vehicles. If we could catch them illegally transporting them..."
A plan gradually took shape in his mind.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Su Jianguo got up.
He specially changed into an old cotton-padded jacket with patches, wore a tattered dog-skin hat, and smeared some stove ash on his face, looking just like an old farmer from the countryside.
When Wang Xiulan brought in breakfast, she was so shocked by her husband's appearance that she almost dropped the bowl.
"Honey, what are you doing...?"
"Shh!"
Su Jianguo made a shushing gesture and lowered his voice.
"I'm going to 'Sanbao Vegetable Shop' today. Dressed like this, no one will recognize me."
Wang Xiulan handed over a bowl of hot porridge with a worried expression.
"It's too dangerous, what if they recognize us..."
"rest assured."
Su Jianguo finished his porridge in a few gulps and wiped his mouth.
"Take your parents around Beijing today. Let's go see Tiananmen Square and then the Summer Palace. It's a rare opportunity for them to come here, so let them have a good time."
"But..."
"No buts."
Su Jianguo gently held his wife's hand.
"I'm here in this family."
Wang Xiulan's eyes reddened, but in the end she just nodded.
Su Jianguo gave Su Yufen a few more instructions, telling her to take good care of the child, and then quietly left the house.
Instead of riding a bicycle, he walked to the bus stop, blending in with a group of farmers who were up early for the market, and remained completely inconspicuous.
Xicheng District is much more bustling than Dongdan Market, with impressive state-owned shops and government offices lining both sides of the street.
"Sanbao Vegetable Store" is located next to a main road. It has a spacious storefront, exquisite decoration, and a bronze plaque that reads "Special Supply Unit" hanging at the entrance, making it look particularly impressive.
Su Jianguo, his back hunched, strolled slowly to a small teahouse across from the shop, ordered the cheapest jasmine tea, and sat by the window to observe secretly.
Nine o'clock in the morning.
"Sanbao Vegetable Store" opens on time.
The same Ma Sanbao who showed up at his shop last night is now standing at the door, arrogantly directing the shop assistants to move goods.
The vegetables in the store were gradually laid out, and Su Jianguo examined them carefully.
Those so-called "southern special supply" vegetables are far inferior in quality to those grown in their own greenhouses.
The cucumbers were wilted, the tomatoes were wrinkled, and the chives were yellow and withered, but the prices on the price tags were shockingly high.
Cucumbers are 3 yuan a pound, tomatoes are 2.5 yuan a pound, and chives are even priced at 2.8 yuan a pound.
"Tsk tsk, they dare to ask for such a price..."
An old man drinking tea nearby shook his head and sighed.
"If it weren't for my company reimbursing it, who could afford it?"
Su Jianguo seized the opportunity to strike up a conversation.
"Hey bro, how's business at this shop?"
"Hey, they're not worried about selling them."
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