However, fortunately, Qin Yue's mind reacted quickly. With a flustered denial, she said, "No, of course I will pay for the meals. It's just that Aunt Xiuli has an unmarried man at home, and it would be somewhat inconvenient for me to live there, causing gossip.
The most crucial point is that the reason I chose your home is also for Brother Gu's sake. My father is quite protective. If he knew I had suffered such grievances outside, he might cause trouble for Brother Gu in the military. Then, even if I wanted to persuade him, it would be beyond my ability."
Chen Lishu did not take this threat to heart. To make a move in the military, one would have to consider whether so many pairs of eyes would allow it!
That's what she thought, but Li Xiulan was not. She was just an honest farmer. Upon hearing that her son might be in trouble with his superiors, she agreed to Qin Yue's request to stay at their home without a second thought.
Perhaps sensing Chen Lishu's displeasure, Li Xiulan subtly moved to her side and whispered, "Lishu, if she wants to stay, let her. I'll keep an eye on things, and I absolutely won't let her get any advantage. You and Gu Xingdong always leave and return at the same time. I don't think there's any need to dwell on her presence."
With things having reached this point, it wouldn't be right to displease the elder, causing her constant worry. Chen Lishu sighed deeply and reluctantly agreed, "Alright, since you've spoken, how can I refuse?
It's getting late. Let's discuss anything else tomorrow. We should head home; the children still need to go to kindergarten."
"Good, good, good." Li Xiulan was even more touched seeing Chen Lishu agree to the matter for the sake of the bigger picture. She then said to Li Xiuli, "Sister, we'll be leaving now."
After saying goodbye, the group turned and left the Li family's home.
----
Upon returning home, not long after Chen Lishu entered her room, there was a knock on the door.
She frowned and walked to the door, expecting Qin Yue to be persistent and try to cause more trouble for her. To her surprise, the visitor was Su Nian.
Su Nian said, "Madam, I have something very important to tell you. Is it convenient for me to come in?"
"Of course, come in quickly." After spending so much time together, Chen Lishu had long treated Su Nian like a younger sister and was not as guarded with her as she was with Qin Yue.
After Su Nian entered the room, she took a deep breath and got straight to the point, saying, "Madam, that Qin Yue is by no means a good person. I suspect that the hoodlums today might have been arranged by her!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Lishu's spirits immediately lifted as she asked, "Oh? What makes you say that?"
Su Nian frowned and analyzed, "Those hoodlums' methods were not simple; they were clearly trained fighters. I only managed to defeat them using some tricks. If it had been a direct confrontation, I might have been in danger.
Given how capable those hoodlums were, how could they have let Qin Yue escape right under their noses? Qin Yue is not like me; she's very easy to handle. Anyone could have stopped her from leaving.
The fact that those hoodlums let Qin Yue escape struck me as too deliberate. I initially wanted to grab someone and send them to the police, to interrogate them and find out who was behind it, but they were too united, and I couldn't make a move. I could only escape to ensure my own safety."
Chen Lishu listened to Su Nian's words, gently patted her shoulder, and said with a heavy tone, "You did the right thing. When encountering such danger, escaping should be the priority. I will discuss the solution with your Brother Gu regarding Qin Yue. For now, let's not alert the enemy."
"Alright, I specifically came to tell you about this today, hoping you could be prepared. I've said what I needed to say, so I won't disturb your rest." With that, Su Nian left the room without looking back, closing the door behind them.
Chen Lishu, with a worried expression, went to Gu Xingdong and asked, "How do you think we should handle this matter?"
Gu Xingdong pulled her into his arms and whispered reassuringly, "I've already asked Old Yang to investigate who is behind Qin Yue. Leave this matter to me; you don't need to worry."
Chen Lishu nodded. It seemed that was all they could do for now.
----
Early the next morning, unable to sleep, Chen Lishu arrived at the company very early. She expected that no one would be there at this hour, but to her surprise, over thirty salespeople were present.
"Did none of you sleep last night?"
Han Liang jumped out and said, shaking his head, "We just arrived. Madam Chen, to be honest, this is the best sales performance I've ever had!
Since our performance directly affects our salaries, everyone came exceptionally early, eager to implement the plan you provided. I have good news and bad news; which would you like to hear first?"
Chen Lishu didn't hesitate and said, "It's early in the morning, I'd prefer good news."
Han Liang eagerly shared, "The good news is that your plan is very successful. The promotion of buying sausages with a free stall setup has been implemented in every street and alley. These vendors are influencing other vendors, and even people in the eastern district are now ordering sausages from us."
"And the bad news?"
When it came to the bad news, a look of regret appeared on Han Liang's face.
He had estimated that if the supermarket route proved successful, his salary for this month would be at least a thousand! What did a thousand mean? It meant they earned half a year's income for a family in just one month!
Han Liang narrated slowly, "The bad news is that we visited various supermarkets, and without exception, they were unwilling to stock our products for sale. It's as if someone is deliberately obstructing us."
Someone is deliberately obstructing?
Chen Lishu shook her head, thinking it shouldn't be the case. She was just starting in this industry and hadn't interacted with anyone or offended anyone. The few people who might move against her didn't have enough strength to interfere at this time.
After much thought, Chen Lishu simply said, "Perhaps the reputation of our sausages isn't strong enough yet, and supermarkets feel that stocking our products is a waste of space.
Don't rush. Focus on doing a good job with the small vendors, and simultaneously, investigate the market for any other requirements regarding the taste of our sausages or any improvements we need to make."
"Yes!" Han Liang confidently agreed to the task.
Everyone believed this was a common problem in the business world. Little did they know that this matter was already being manipulated by a hidden hand.