After exchanging a few words, Yan Ci went back. Cui Yunchen and Lu Zhiyuan invited him to stay for dinner, but he declined with an excuse.
When Yan Ci got home, he saw his wife and told her about Lu Zhiyuan's offer to help buy a car.
Bai Xiaoyue sighed:
"So Lu Zhiyuan is a soldier." She quickly added when she saw Yan Ci staring at her, "No wonder your temperament is a bit like yours."
Yan Ci gently patted his wife's head:
"I want to find an experienced driver who has driven in the south to take Weiguo and me to familiarize ourselves with the roads."
Bai Xiaoyue nodded: "Then let's find one, pay him a higher salary, and he'll surely be a brave man if he's offered a generous reward."
Yan Ci and Wang Weiguo then searched everywhere for experienced drivers who were familiar with the routes.
I've been searching for several days, but I still haven't found one I like.
That day, Yan Ci brought someone back. Bai Xiaoyue took one look and realized it was Lin Xiao!
Yan Ci has never liked Lin Xiao, so why did she bring him home?
Lin Xiao still greeted everyone with a smile, just like before.
"Sister Xiaoyue, it's been a long time. You came to Beijing, but my sister didn't even tell me. I should have paid you a visit sooner."
If I hadn't run into my brother-in-law, I wouldn't even know you were in Beijing.
Bai Xiaoyue: "Lin Xiao, there's no need to be so particular, just be casual."
After the meal, Lin Xiao and Yan Ci chatted for a long time.
After he left, Yan Ci told Bai Xiaoyue that he had met Lin Xiao outside and insisted on coming over to get acquainted with him.
Knowing he was looking for experienced masters, he said he knew many and could introduce them to someone.
Bai Xiaoyue thought that Lin Xiao was Wen Tong's cousin, so they were related by some means and he shouldn't have any bad intentions. She advised Yan Ci to go and take a look, since a master craftsman was hard to find.
Yan Ci felt that Lin Xiao was now married and couldn't fool Chang Le anymore. If the master he introduced was good, he could repay the favor later, so he agreed to go and take a look.
The master craftsman introduced by Lin Xiao, Song Dongwei, was in his forties, had a somewhat fierce appearance, was about the same height as Yan Ci, but was more robust, and looked quite intimidating.
He said he used to work for a transportation company in Beijing, specializing in routes to southern cities, and was very familiar with the routes.
Yan Ci asked him why he didn't continue working at the transportation company.
Song Dongwei made no secret of the fact that he was arrested for injuring someone in a fight, and the transportation company fired him.
Yan Ci inquired about the details of the matter and asked Lin Xiao about Song Dongwei's character. He nodded and agreed to hire him, offering him a starting salary of one hundred, with a promise that the salary would increase once the company made money.
Bai Xiaoyue was somewhat worried:
"Aci, Song Dongwei has a history of assault. Is he likely to have a bad temper?"
Yan Ci: "He hurt people because someone coveted his wife. Protecting one's wife is a matter of course. I admire such a person and will give him a chance."
Soon, the two men Lu Zhiyuan mentioned, Feng Xiaobei and He Zhiyong, arrived; both were soldiers in their thirties.
Buying five trucks would cost 150,000 yuan, and then there would be renting a venue and paying wages, so Yan Ci went back to get the money and brought it back.
Then came all the paperwork for starting the company, and Yan Ci and Wang Weiguo were constantly running around doing it.
Lin Xiao and Lu Zhiyuan also helped out, and it was four months later when everything was finally settled.
Schools are on summer vacation.
Yan Ci, along with Wang Weiguo, Feng Xiaobei, and He Zhiyong, accompanied Song Dongwei to familiarize themselves with the route.
Everything was ready, but the company had just started and no business was coming in.
Yan Ci then planned to go directly to the south and set up camp there first.
Chang Le and Cui Yu are going to go with the truck to buy goods. Li Mingyue is going with Bai Xiaoyue.
It was summer, and Bai Xiaoyue didn't want to take the train, so she set off with Yan Ci.
The road conditions were bad at that time, and we had to find a place to stay at night. We could only drive a few hundred kilometers each day, and it took us a whole week to get there.
Upon arrival, Chang Le didn't go to buy any goods. Instead, he helped find a place near the wholesale market, where the car needed to be parked and a decent office needed to be set up.
The saying "money makes the world go round" is a well-known truth. Chang Le gave a lady at the wholesale market fifty yuan as a "running fee".
They found a satisfactory courtyard a few hundred meters away from the wholesale market, with a monthly rent of one hundred yuan.
Li Mingyue whispered to Bai Xiaoyue, "It's almost three months' salary for me."
Bai Xiaoyue thought it wasn't expensive and even signed a long-term contract.
The house has more than a dozen rooms, including offices and storage rooms. It can be tidied up and people can live there without any problem.
The yard is also very large, and it is very convenient for cars to come and go.
Bai Xiaoyue immediately asked the kind lady where to buy the furniture, and the group split up to do so.
Yan Ci and Bai Xiaoyue drove to buy a bed and some simple tables and chairs and came back.
Chang Le and Cui Yu went to buy bedding and came back.
Li Mingyue and Wang Weiguo, along with several craftsmen, tidied up the courtyard.
That night, instead of staying at the guesthouse, everyone stayed in a rented courtyard, which saved the company some money.
My fixed monthly expenses plus living expenses amount to over a thousand yuan, so I can't afford to waste any.
It's not feasible for nine people to eat out every day, so Bai Xiaoyue and Yan Ci discussed buying some kitchen utensils so that she and Mingyue could cook and save money.
The next day, Chang Le started stocking up. She had rented a storefront, so she could stock up more and planned to take a truckload of goods back with her.
Chang Le, Bai Xiaoyue, and Li Mingyue made their selections together.
Chang Le told the two that when choosing clothes, the main style should be young, fashionable, and affordable.
Because her shop is surrounded by universities, her main customers are university students.
Since Chang Le wouldn't have time to come over after class, Bai Xiaoyue and Li Mingyue would select the goods here and have Yan Ci deliver them to the capital.
After loading the car, they were to set off the next day. Because of the long journey, Yan Ci told Chang Le and Cui Yu to take the train back.
Chang Le disagreed; this truckload of goods represented all her possessions, and she wanted to go with them.
She wanted to go with the car, and Cui Yu wanted to go with her too.
Since it was the first time, Yan Ci was worried and went along, along with Song Dongwei and Feng Xiaobei.
He left Wang Weiguo and He Zhiyong behind.
After Yan Ci and Chang Le left, Bai Xiaoyue and Li Mingyue bought kitchen utensils and food, and started cooking at their place of residence.
In just three days, Li Mingyue and Bai Xiaoyue, carrying melon seeds and candy, became familiar with the people around them.
As soon as they went out, someone called out from afar, "Xiaoyue, Mingyue, come and sit down."
A week later, everyone in the neighborhood knew that Bai Xiaoyue and her friends were in the transportation business and could haul goods to Beijing.
No one came to our door, not even to ask about it.
Li Mingyue was a little anxious, but Bai Xiaoyue comforted her instead:
“Mingyue, this is the beginning of the reform and opening up, so it’s normal for people to trust state-owned enterprises. We are a private company, and we need to build our reputation slowly.”
Wang Weiguo also looked worried. Master He didn't like to talk, so he cleaned up every nook and cranny of the yard.
Bai Xiaoyue: "Brother-in-law, Mingyue, don't worry, you won't go hungry."
Li Mingyue: "Xiaoyue, I'm not afraid of not making money myself, I'm worried that you'll not get your money back after investing so much."
"I'm really anxious about being idle all day like this."
Bai Xiaoyue understands her friend's situation; she's afraid of losing money.
She thought about it and realized that the transportation company didn't have much business for the time being, so she could start a small business first.
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