As for Liu Xiaoxiao, it was even more unimaginable; she was practically selling out. Yesterday, she was timidly buying twenty or thirty bottles at a time, but this time she ordered a hundred bottles in one go.
Zhang Liunian worried she wouldn't be able to carry them and offered to let her store the goods at the post office and pick them up after selling them.
Liu Xiaoxiao naturally wouldn't refuse, as the post office and the market weren't too far apart.
After seeing Liu Xiaoxiao off, Zhang Liunian met with Mu Mingliang. As they had expected, because the price was set too high, their fixed quantities remained unchanged, still thirty bottles a day.
However, his fellow disciples finally sent word that starting tomorrow, each of them would also need thirty bottles.
As for the demand from the Datang Supply and Marketing Cooperative, it had also risen sharply, reaching eighty bottles a day.
Zhang Liunian calculated that the current daily output in Datang County alone was already 350 bottles. As for the southern city, he needed to increase investment.
With the hundreds of yuan received, Zhang Liunian hired some people to renovate the post office and handled some matters in the county town before welcoming his third cousin, Liu Sanniu.
"Third cousin," Liu Sanniu approached Zhang Liunian, nervously fiddling with the corner of her clothes.
"Third cousin, you're here. Come over. This is my shop; it's being renovated and will open the day after tomorrow. Here's the key. You need to be here by eight in the morning the day after tomorrow. We can give you a ride home in the evening."
The post office didn't require much renovation, just a wooden partition, a bed, and two cabinets.
Zhang Liunian offered a high wage and a short timeframe.
With two days' work today and tomorrow, he would officially open the day after tomorrow.
Liu Sanniu had nothing else to do for these two days. He just wanted her to get acquainted with the place and give her the key.
Liu Sanniu nodded seriously, "I understand."
"We're heading back now, so we can give you a ride." Zhang Liunian had finished his business and was returning to the village.
Just as Liu Sanniu was about to agree, Du Ziteng appeared with Zhang Liunian's bicycle, saying, "Liunian, let me give her a ride!"
Zhang Liunian twitched his mouth. "You should go home first and deliver the letter to Uncle Du, asking him to help me send the goods to the village!"
After speaking, Zhang Liunian glanced at Liu Sanniu. She was blushing and lowering her head, seemingly lost in thought.
"Alright, maybe next time!" Du Ziteng cast a deep glance at Liu Sanniu and then pedaled away vigorously.
After Du Ziteng left, Zhang Liunian and his group also departed the county town.
Upon returning to the village entrance, Zhang Liunian saw from afar that some villagers were clearing wasteland, with Zhang Hao leading the effort.
"Everyone, work hard, and let's strive to get Liunian's factory up and running as soon as possible."
After saying this, Zhang Hao joined in himself.
Zhang Liunian smiled knowingly at the scene and called out from atop the tractor, "Thank you all for your hard work."
Hearing his voice, the villagers stopped their work, waved at Zhang Liunian, and said it wasn't hard work.
Zhang Hao, particularly excited, walked up to Zhang Liunian and asked when the factory could start construction.
"Xiao Qian, you go back first." Zhang Liunian knew it would take some time to send Zhang Qian away before he could talk to Zhang Hao with peace of mind.
"We can flatten the ground for you in three days," Zhang Hao said confidently, looking at the men working with their sleeves rolled up.
"I'll trouble Uncle Hao to keep an eye on it. I'm busy these two days. Tomorrow I'll go to the southern city to find sales points, and then I'll add a second batch of workers."
Hearing that more workers would be added, Zhang Hao's face lit up. Then, recalling something, he sighed, "You truly have skill. Those who were jealous of you are now facing consequences."
Zhang Liunian blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Don't you know? Many people from outside our village have appeared, imitating us. They are also selling crayfish, and at a lower price than ours. So, people in our village can't make money now and have gone home to farm." As Zhang Hao spoke, he keenly spotted Wang Xiaoe returning home with a basket, his smile widening. "Look, here's another one going home."
Zhang Liunian followed his gaze and saw it was Wang Xiaoe. Wasn't she selling crayfish at the county market?
Wang Xiaoe also saw Zhang Liunian and Zhang Hao from a distance, and seemed a little uncomfortable. She walked past them with her head down.
However, Zhang Hao didn't want her to just leave like that. He called out, "Comrade Wang Xiaoe, how is business?"
He couldn't stand seeing these people stealing Zhang Liunian's business.
Wang Xiaoe paused and looked up at Zhang Hao, angrily saying, "It's none of your business how it's going."
Actually, her business had come to a standstill since yesterday.
But Zhang Hao asking her this in front of Zhang Liunian made her lose face.
After all, they were able to start this business thanks to Zhang Liunian. Now that outsiders had outcompeted them, she felt ashamed.
"When you learned that crayfish could be eaten, you didn't tell us and went to sell in the county town. Back then, you should have realized that if you could steal Zhang Liunian's business, others could steal yours too. It's your own doing." Zhang Hao heard Wang Xiaoe's resentment and felt no anger, but rather some satisfaction. Who told them to secretly go into the crayfish business?
"Liunian, do you think the same about us?" Wang Xiaoe was furious but didn't dare to retort to Zhang Hao, so she vented her anger on Zhang Liunian.
Suddenly called upon, Zhang Liunian was startled and about to speak, but Zhang Hao interjected, "Why are you asking Liunian? You were the one who stole Liunian's business first, and you want to blame Liunian?"
"..." Wang Xiaoe was speechless. What did he mean by "they stole Zhang Liunian's business"? Selling crayfish wasn't Zhang Liunian's exclusive right; why couldn't they sell it?
However, those damned outsiders, since they were learning to sell crayfish like them, causing her to earn nothing now, were truly detestable.
"I can't be bothered to talk to you." Wang Xiaoe knew she wasn't entirely in the right, and after saying that, she walked away.
But before leaving, she glanced at Zhang Liunian, though it was unclear what that glance meant.
Zhang Liunian was indifferent; it wasn't a big deal to him.
While he didn't think it was a big deal, Wang Xiaoe certainly felt it was.
As soon as she returned home, she caught Su Jie and unleashed a torrent of abuse, "You jinx, you slut..."
Su Jie, inexplicably scolded by her mother-in-law, secretly resolved to leave.
She had initially thought of staying since she had several children, but now she realized her life was unbearable.
Her mother-in-law cursed her at the slightest provocation, and her husband beat her at the slightest provocation. There was truly no future.
"Mom, how is sister-in-law related to you not making money? Don't take your anger out on her, okay?" Zhang Liusha, hearing her mother scolding someone for no reason again, came out to confront her mother.
Wang Xiaoe was so angered by her youngest son that she almost passed out. She pointed a trembling finger at him and said, "Are you my son or not, you little brat?"
"If I weren't your son, I wouldn't say this to you."
"..."
"I told you not to steal Brother Liunian's business, but you wouldn't listen. Now the tables have turned. You shouldn't go selling anymore, as you're not making any money anyway."
Although this was the truth, it was embarrassing for Wang Xiaoe to hear it from her son. "You little brat, watch me beat you to death."