Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Tough Guy
The tricycle that Qi Yu'an bought for Jiang Xi went through several places and finally arrived in Changfeng County. Qi Yu'an took Liu Zhiqiang to pick up the tricycle.
Liu Zhiqiang had never ridden a tricycle before. As he sat on the bed of the tricycle, he was met with envious glances all the way.
In Changfeng County, two-wheeled vehicles are rare, let alone three-wheeled vehicles. They are basically on the same level as four-wheeled vehicles, and farmers who own land even think that three-wheeled vehicles are more practical than four-wheeled vehicles.
"This truck is so huge. How much stuff can it carry?"
"The paint is so shiny, it must be expensive. Look at those four wheels, they're all made of rubber, they're really sturdy."
"I haven't seen it in the city. Where did you buy it?"
"So what if you know where to buy it? Can you afford it? Besides, do you have the money?"
The person who asked shook his head, saying that he definitely didn't have any money. A bicycle cost more than 100 yuan, and a tricycle was even more expensive. But not having money didn't stop him from watching. A few children even ran after the tricycles.
Liu Zhiqiang was extremely proud, but Qi Yu'an just took Liu Zhiqiang for a ride and then gave the tricycle to Jiang Xi, saying that Jiang Xi's business was getting bigger and bigger, and there were more and more things that needed to be moved, so the tricycle was just right for Jiang Xi to use.
Before Liu Zhiqiang could experience enough, Qi Yu'an drove him off the truck bed. Liu Zhiqiang...
Well, his and Qi Yu'an's small organization is dead in name only, and Qi Yu'an's heart is with Jiang Xi.
Liu Zhiqiang had been resting in the house when he heard the noise and went outside to see this scene. He exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Oh my god! Is there any food for me?"
Jiang Xi smiled: "Of course, I packed an extra portion for you to try."
Liu Zhiqiang hadn't expected this to actually happen: "Comrade Jiang is truly generous. Unlike Qi Yuan, he wouldn't even let me ride on his tricycle."
Jiang Xi was puzzled: "What?"
Qi Yu'an put his hand on Jiang Xi's shoulder: "Don't listen to his nonsense."
Qi Yu'an pushed Jiang Xi into the house. Fearing that others might misunderstand and damage Jiang Xi's reputation, Qi Yu'an did not close the door. He stood near the door, steam rising from his body, and looked at Jiang Xi with a pair of smiling eyes: "Comrade Jiang, long time no see, I missed you very much."
Jiang Xi...hadn't they just met the day before yesterday? But she also missed Qi Yu'an. However, Jiang Xi was not as straightforward as Qi Yu'an, so she just said "hmm".
"Actually, I came to you today because I want to ask you something."
Qi Yu'an: "What's the matter?"
Jiang Xi said, "I want to open a chicken farm and I've found a piece of land that belongs to the county government. I need to write an application and submit it to the county government, but I have no experience in this area. Do you know how to write it?"
Qi Yu'an was surprised: "Are you going to open a chicken farm?"
Jiang Xi: "Currently, all the chicken ingredients for Wu Ji Zao Lu are purchased from Liu Daqiang's home, but now that business is booming, the chickens Liu Daqiang raises at home are simply not enough to cover the cost of Wu Ji Zao Lu. So, I persuaded Liu Daqiang and Xiufen to open a chicken farm together."
Qi Yuan said: "You are controlling the quality from the source."
Jiang Xi knew Qi Yu'an understood his intention: "So opening a chicken farm is imperative."
Qi Yuan praised sincerely: "You are amazing. Comrade Jiang's career is like the rising sun, soaring all the way."
Jiang Xi's eyes curved, "Well, everything is going well at the moment. It's probably because you said a lot of auspicious words."
The atmosphere when two people are together is always very relaxed. As Qi Yu'an and Jiang Xi become more familiar with each other, they will occasionally joke with each other.
Qi Yu'an frowned slightly and said calmly, "Regarding the application, I think the most important thing is sincerity. However, besides sincerity, you also need to be able to make promises."
"Just empty promises?" Jiang Xi was puzzled.
Qi Yu'an: "There's a Chinese idiom called 'painting a cake to satisfy hunger', which means to present a rosy future to give others hope. This is similar to doing business with others. For example, when you sell braised pork, you tell customers about the quality and taste of the braised pork. This is a kind of 'painting a cake', which makes customers have expectations before they buy it."
"Now extend your promise to the application materials. Think about what you can bring to the other party if you can contract the land. You can be a little exaggerated. It may not be immediately achievable, but you can get close to it. Make people feel that by contracting the land to you, they will get more than just money, but also some other benefits. This may make things go more smoothly."
Jiang Xi understood instantly: "I understand what you mean!" Land contracting is a cooperation between two parties. As the requesting party, Jiang Xi must come up with something that can convince the county government. If he thinks about it carefully, it will not be difficult to list these things one by one.
Jiang Xi laid down on Qi Yu'an's desk and began to write: "Look when I'm done!"
Qi Yu'an took a look at it, helped Jiang Xi modify a few words, and handed it to Jiang Xi.
Jiang Xi held up the application form and said, "That's great! I'll go back and copy it and send it to the county government!"
Qi Yu'an asked with concern: "Are you going back to the county town today? If so, I can give you a ride."
Qi Yu'an was still frightened by what happened to Jiang Xi last time, so he would take the initiative to send Jiang Xi off whenever he was around.
Jiang Xi shook his head: "I won't go back and forth today. I'll go home and go to the county town early tomorrow morning."
Qi Yu'an's eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles: "Okay, then can I take you home?"
Jiang Xi narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Of course, but do you want to change your shoes before you take me home?"
Qi Yu'an was dazed for a rare moment, only then realizing that he was still wearing sandals. Thinking of how he had just appeared in front of Jiang Xi like this, Qi Yu'an's ears blushed slightly: "Wait a moment, I'll take you back after you change your shoes."
Qi Yu'an turned around hurriedly, and then seemed to think of something, and said to Jiang Xi: "Can you go out for a while, I will change my shoes."
Jiang Xi found it funny. He just wanted to change his shoes. If someone didn't know, they would think he wanted to change his clothes. Jiang Xi blushed a little at the thought. Thinking of the touch of Qi Yuan's waist and abdomen, she hurried out the door, and her beautiful eyes and eyebrows smiled again.
The matter of the chicken farm was urgent, as raw materials were the basis for Wu Ji Zao Lu's expansion. Early in the morning, Jiang Xi went to the county government with the prepared application form.
The county government building has two floors. This was Jiang Xi's first time there, and he wasn't sure where the land approval process was handled. So he asked a nearby staff member, "Hello, sir. I'd like to inquire about land contracting. Who should I contact?"
The man being questioned was named Hu Youde. He had a crew cut, a slightly chubby face, small eyes, and purple lips. He didn't even raise his head and said impatiently, "Go over there and take a look. Isn't it written there? Why are you still asking?"
Jiang Xi patiently asked, "Excuse me, which way is that?"
Hu Youde raised his head and saw Jiang Xi, his eyes showing a trace of disdain: "A little girl, you want to contract the land? This is not a place for you to fool around. If you delay our work, you will be in trouble."
Jiang Xi wasn't frightened by the man's obvious threat. She was simply making a reasonable request. She was here to do business and had no intention of arguing with Hu Youde. Jiang Xi then asked the clerk next to Hu Youde, "Comrade, I'd like to consult you about the land contract."
The person next to Hu Youde took a sip of tea and pointed at Hu Youde. The meaning was very clear: Hu Youde was responsible for this matter.
It was indeed Hu Youde who was in charge of contracting the land, but Hu Youde relied on his family and worked only for the salary. He was particularly good at dealing with people based on their condition. He would usually have a good attitude towards people who were dressed elegantly, and would even nod and bow to people with whom he had some connections.
However, Hu Youde was very arrogant towards ordinary farmers and those who seemed to have no family background.
He looked down on these peasants from the bottom of his heart and thought he was superior to them. Moreover, these peasants were so stupid that they had to say a sentence three or four times before they could understand. Hu Youde considered himself an intellectual and simply disdained to deal with those peasants.
Jiang Xi didn't expect to be passed around after just a simple inquiry. She patiently continued to ask Hu Youde: "Comrade, are you the person in charge of contracting the land?"
Hu Youde asked casually, "Which piece of land do you want to contract?"
Out of caution, Jiang Xi said: "It has not been confirmed yet. I just want to ask about the relevant procedures."
Hu Youde curled his lips: "You didn't even explain yourself clearly, how would I know what you were going to do? Besides, the county government is not a place you can ask casually, aren't you kidding me?"
Jiang Xi was inexplicably scolded, and she couldn't bear it any longer. Jiang Xi spoke in a loud and steady voice: "Of course, the county government is not a place for fun. The county government is a place to serve the people. I just came to ask questions, and you have such an attitude. Are you worthy of the cultivation of the Party and the people? You can work here because of the trust of the people, but your work attitude is smearing the Changfeng County Government. Moreover, I have asked you very clearly two or three times just now. Even a fool could understand, but you don't understand. I doubt whether you are capable of this job. After all, if you can't even understand normal words, how can you serve the people?"
Hu Youde didn't expect Jiang Xi to be so tough. In the past, all the peasants who came to do business would bow and nod to him, but now a little girl dared to mock him like this.
"What do you want to do? Do you want to cause trouble in the county government? This is not a place for you to act wildly. If you keep saying nonsense here, I'll call the police to arrest you!"
Hu Youde was furious and threatened Jiang Xi, thinking he could scare her away. Jiang Xi remained calm, saying, "I'm here to do my job, not to cause trouble. Even if you're in this position, you can't confuse right and wrong. I'm not afraid even if the police come. I'm going to have a good talk with them. The county government officials are at this level. As a Changfeng County resident, I'm very disappointed and worried about the county's future. There's actually such a scoundrel in the organization, who's sitting on the job and doing nothing. He's complacent with a little power and regards the power given by the people as his own ability. He's violated the party organization's purpose of serving the people and is endlessly making things difficult for the people. Such a person should be arrested!"
Hu Youde didn't expect Jiang Xi to be so talkative. He just said one sentence, and Jiang Xi refuted it with ten sentences. He even went so far as to say that he was sorry for the organization and the people. Even Hu Youde was a little scared by such a big hat.
Hu Youde was just thinking about how to refute when a calm voice suddenly appeared on the scene: "What happened here?"
Jiang Xi turned around and saw a middle-aged man with neatly combed hair, wearing a Zhongshan suit and a pair of glasses. Although his tone of voice was calm, it carried a sense of oppression. Jiang Xi judged that this man was not simple.
Hu Youde was also surprised when he saw the person coming, and the other people who were watching the fun were all a little panicked.
Jiang Xi became increasingly certain that this person must be a leader. He stated the facts with neither arrogance nor servility: "Comrade, I came to the county government today to consult on some issues, but this person had a terrible attitude. Not only was he unwilling to tell me some basic information, but he was also extremely sarcastic, looking down on the peasant class."
Jiang Xi immediately played a trump card and defined Hu Youde's character. Hu Youde's face suddenly turned pale: "Comrade, please don't accuse me of anything. How can I look down on the peasant class?"
Jiang Xi sneered, "You don't look down on the peasant class. I wanted to consult about land contracting, but you asked why a female comrade should contract land. You interrogated me like a criminal, and the attitude you expressed was nothing but contempt."
Hu Youde knew he was in the wrong, so he hesitantly explained, "I was afraid you were wasting everyone's time, so I asked for more clarity."
Jiang Xi: "This is the county government. I'm an adult, and a normal IQ adult. If I didn't really have something to ask, why would I come here for consultation?"
The man who asked the question just now listened carefully to the conversation between the two and glanced at Hu Youde lightly. Hu Youde lowered his head as if he was pricked by a needle and dared not speak.
This man is the new county magistrate, Zhao Guoqiang. Zhao Guoqiang has been in office in Changfeng County for less than two months. He has been quietly observing the people in the county. He is not satisfied with the work of many people. However, the people working in the county government are all relatives and friends, and the relationships among them are complicated. As an outsider, Zhao Guoqiang cannot start blindly even if he is determined to rectify the situation.
Jiang Xi's response also surprised Zhao Guoqiang. Ordinary people are afraid of officials, especially afraid of conflicts with public officials. However, this female comrade was not afraid at all. Instead, she spoke with clear logic and organization, and explained things clearly.
Zhao Guoqiang had discovered many problems during this period, but he kept them hidden in order to find an opportunity. He didn't expect that Jiang Xi's arrival today would allow him to find a breakthrough.
Zhao Guoqiang took the opportunity to ask Hu Youde: "Is what this comrade just said true?"
Hu Youde opened his mouth, but couldn't deny it immediately. Zhao Guoqiang's eyes were too sharp, and Hu Youde didn't dare to lie. He did have the intention of looking down on Jiang Xi, but he didn't expect this young girl to be so difficult to deal with.
Hu Youde didn't say anything, so Zhao Guoqiang asked the person sitting next to Hu Youde: "Tell me, what exactly happened just now? Is what this female comrade said true?"
The person sitting next to Hu Youde had always had a good relationship with Hu Youde, but now that the fire had reached him, he didn't bother to speak up for Hu Youde. Besides, his attitude towards Jiang Xi just now wasn't very good either. He didn't even say a word and stammered, "Partially true."
Zhao Guoqiang snorted and said in a sad tone: "I am very disappointed in you. Look at the big words behind you: Serve the people. Have you done it?"
Zhao Guoqiang said to Jiang Xi in a gentle voice, "Comrade, I'm sorry we didn't do our job well. It's our fault, but don't worry, I will definitely make changes and won't let you suffer in vain. I promise you that all the civil servants in the county government will serve the people wholeheartedly and will never engage in corruption or speak ill of the people for personal gain."
Zhao Guoqiang found an opportunity and could implement the plan he had already thought of. He thought to himself that Jiang Xi was a lucky star. He was just worried that he couldn't find a chance to attack, and now the opportunity came.
Zhao Guoqiang had a serious expression on his face, and the others were silent. Every time he spoke, their faces turned paler.
A new official has three things to do when he takes office. The newly appointed county magistrate has been very gentle in the past few months. I didn’t expect that he was waiting here, but who made them get caught red-handed?
Everyone looked at Hu Youde again. Some of them had resentment in their eyes. It was all his fault just now. He wanted to show off but didn't expect to run into a tough guy, which caused everyone to suffer together.
Hu Youde's face was burning hot. Knowing that he had angered everyone, he lowered his head even more.
Zhao Guoqiang ignored the mixed expressions of the crowd. He had plenty of time to settle accounts with them. He would rectify all the previous mistakes and faults one by one. Zhao Guoqiang gently asked Jiang Xi, "Comrade, what do you want to consult today?"
Jiang Xi: "I want to ask how to contract land."
Contracting land? "Comrade, what are you going to use the land for?"
Jiang Xi: "I want to start a chicken farm."
A chicken farm. It's not common to open a factory in the name of an individual these days. The other staff members were all stunned when they heard this. Then they thought, no wonder this female comrade was not afraid at all and was so talkative. If she could open a chicken farm, she must not be an ordinary person. Hu Youde had hit a wall this time.
Hu Youde was also surprised. He originally thought that Jiang Xi was just a pretty country girl, but he didn't expect that she actually wanted to open a chicken farm. Hu Youde regretted it so much that his intestines turned green. If he had known this would happen, he would definitely receive her well. But now it was too late to say anything. Hu Youde regretted it very much.
Zhao Guoqiang was also very surprised when he heard this. He thought Jiang Xi was just here for consultation, but he didn't expect that he would actually open a factory. This was a good thing for the county. Zhao Guoqiang became interested: "Let's go to my office and talk."
Jiang Xi followed Zhao Guoqiang to the office. There were not many things in Zhao Guoqiang's office, just a big table and a cabinet next to it. Inside the cabinet were piles of files.
Zhao Guoqiang poured a glass of water for Jiang Xi: "Comrade, which land do you want to contract?"
Jiang Xi said, "I want to contract the land in the southernmost part of Changfeng County."
Zhao Guoqiang had been here for two or three months, and the first thing he learned was the map of Changfeng County. He had an impression of the piece of land that Jiang Xi mentioned. That piece of land had been abandoned for a long time. Zhao Guoqiang had visited it before. Although the land was close to the river, the soil was not very good and was not suitable for farming. However, the advantage of that piece of land was that the transportation was relatively convenient.
When Zhao Guoqiang was inspecting the land, he marked it as suitable for setting up a factory. Unexpectedly, Jiang Xi also took a fancy to it. Zhao Guoqiang felt that great minds think alike.
"How big a chicken farm do you want to run?"
Jiang Xi: "The specific scale has not yet been decided. I may start with a relatively small chicken farm, but will gradually expand it later."
Jiang Xi explained: "Actually, the purpose of running a chicken farm is not to sell chicken, but to buy chicken."
Zhao Guoqiang didn’t understand: “What do you mean?”
Jiang Xi further explained, "I opened a shop in the county town, Wu Ji Zao Lu. Besides this shop, we also sell our Zao Lu through other channels. Because the quality of our Zao Lu is good, our business is booming. As a result, the merchant I used to buy chicken from, who only raises chickens at home, can no longer meet our current demand. In order to ensure the quality of our Zao Lu and not be restricted in terms of raw materials, I discussed with that family to set up a factory together."
Zhao Guoqiang understood. Wu Ji Zao Lu (a Chinese stew) sounded familiar. He asked, "Has the Wu Ji Zao Lu you're talking about been featured in the newspaper? A self-reported account from a self-employed business owner?"
Jiang Xi was about to bring this up to increase his leverage, but Zhao Guoqiang unexpectedly brought it up. How could Jiang Xi let this opportunity slip away? "Yes, I didn't expect you to have read that article, Boss. I wrote it based on my business experience. I was lucky, though, as the article was also reprinted in the Shanghai Daily. So, I will open Wu Ji Zao Lu in Shanghai in the future."
Zhao Guoqiang has been dazzled by Jiang Xi's operations. She wants to set up a factory and open a store, and now she wants to open a store in Shanghai. Shanghai is a big city, and Changfeng County is in no way comparable to Shanghai. This female comrade is very courageous and ambitious.
The atmosphere was almost set, and Jiang Xi handed the prepared application materials to Zhao Guoqiang: "This is the land contract application I wrote, please take a look."
Zhao Guoqiang didn't expect Jiang Xi to be so well prepared. He took it and started reading.
"Dear leader, hello, my name is Jiang Xi. I currently own a Wuji Zaolu restaurant in Changfeng County. To ensure the quality of Wuji Zaolu, I am collaborating with a friend to open a chicken farm. I would like to apply for land in the south of Changfeng County.
Zaolu has a long history. My family's Wu Ji Zaolu is a recipe that has been passed down for hundreds of years. Since it was sold in Changfeng County, it has won the support of many customers. It is also inseparable from the support of the leaders of Changfeng County. For example, I once went to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to apply for a business license. The leaders and staff of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau were very patient and enthusiastic in their guidance. Thanks to them, I was able to successfully obtain the business license.
As for me, I've lived here for over a decade, and my ancestors have been here for generations. I have deep feelings for this land. My family's zao lu originated here and was passed down to me. I want to promote Wu Ji Zao Lu, not only in Changfeng County, but also in Shanghai, and even across China and the world. I want everyone to know about Changfeng County's Wu Ji Zao Lu and make my own contribution to the development of Changfeng County!"
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