Reborn in the 80s: Everyone Falls For Me
Chapter 308 - 307: (3rd update)

Chapter 308: Chapter 307: (3rd update)

Xu Niannian drank from the spring again, and there was indeed a significant change.

When people tried to specify the change, they couldn’t quite put their finger on it, but they just felt she had become more beautiful.

The old women who had originally come to join in the fun and to take a look at the Phoenix-brand Bicycle couldn’t help but praise, "Niannian is really getting more and more charming."

Anyone would be pleased to be complimented, especially when the praise is sincere and genuine.

Although Xu Niannian had received such compliments countless times before, she still couldn’t help feeling elated upon hearing them now.

"Auntie is jesting," Xu Niannian said politely.

After a tour around, Xu Niannian had Xu Sisi push the bicycle while she went down to check the factory.

The newly constructed factory, having been painted white, still had a faint smell, so all the windows were opened to ventilate and air out the odor.

The factory was equipped with 10 workshops, each responsible for different tasks.

At the same time, Xu Niannian also had to collect a large number of pumpkins, but naturally, she left that task to others.

She wasn’t about to do everything herself.

The place would be ready for use after airing out for about ten days, not like in the future, where everything exceeds standards and a house has to sit for months before it’s livable.

And even after two or three months, there could still be an unpleasant smell.

The water pump in the hills was filled with stream water and mountain water; the stream water was directed to the workshop where Liuyue Su required the addition of stream water.

The mountain water was channeled down for use by the factory workers.

Each workshop within the factory appeared to be quite spacious, with the smallest being about one hundred square meters.

In addition to the ten workshops, there were also five dormitory rooms, as she planned to recruit people from both the local village and other villages.

This was to prevent some of the locals from thinking that having a job meant they could slack off, or that she could only hire locals and therefore they could be careless in their work.

After all, due to face-saving culture, everyone likes to indulge in favoritism, thinking that if they turn a blind eye among fellow villagers, things will just slide.

This was not the scenario Xu Niannian wanted to see.

She was keen to drive the economic development of the village, but didn’t want to be taken advantage of; rules had to be established upfront.

If exceptions were made for everyone, the factory might as well become their home, where they could do whatever they wanted.

Therefore, it was essential to build dormitories to provide convenience for people from other villages and to instill a sense of urgency in the local villagers.

A canteen, a bathhouse, all of these, Xu Niannian had people set up in one go.

Starting up a factory was indeed a considerable expense; she currently had seventeen thousand in hand, which included the deposit given by Li Shan and her spouse.

In a couple of days, she had to send people to deliver goods to the city by the sea again.

And there was the hiring of workers.

With so many troublesome matters left unresolved, Xu Niannian found herself regretting those days she spent sweet-talking with Jin Yu; she truly deserved death for that.

Even thinking about it now gave her a headache.

And she wasn’t even sure if the money she had would be enough.

What’s more important was training the workers to make Liuyue Su, and she would have to train them in batches, with each workshop learning different steps.

Luckily, as long as Liuyue Su was made following the recipe, the taste wouldn’t be too bad to start with.

Thinking of all the work ahead, Xu Niannian felt her head swell.

Back in Nancheng County, Xu Niannian went directly to look for Zhao Pang, who no longer needed to go to the store every day and instead stayed at the warehouse.

Whatever Li Qingshui needed, Zhao Pang would deliver directly.

Zhao Pang had collected the money several times, and Xu Niannian went to take the money and also inquired about the sales of Liuyue Su at Li Qingshui’s.

Despite his simple and honest appearance, Zhao Pang was actually pretty shrewd and could be a talent worth cultivating.

Moreover, even though he handled large sums of money every time, he never once thought about running off with it.

He always handed it over intact, so Xu Niannian held a good deal of trust in Zhao Pang.

Hearing her inquire about the sales of Liuyue Su, Zhao Pang gave Xu Niannian an honest answer.

"This month was the first time we supplied goods, we took ten thousand units, and it took almost ten days to sell out, then we took another ten thousand, which sold out after five days. Following that, we’ve been supplying goods every five or six days, each time ordering ten thousand units."

Upon hearing this, Xu Niannian was reassured.

The initial ten-day period to sell ten thousand units was due to the unlimited sales last month, which had been so explosive that many people who bought them didn’t purchase again.

Now it seemed stable, and excluding special holidays, it was possible to sell at least sixty thousand units per month.

While the numbers sounded significant, this was the total sold by all the cooperators in Nancheng County.

Xu Niannian reflected that in this era, people indeed had relatively weaker purchasing power.

Considering the entire county plus small towns elsewhere, a monthly sales volume of only sixty thousand units was actually quite modest.

After all, she was selling her Liuyue Su at a price that was quite high.

The retail price was forty cents each.

It was unclear what the situation would be like over in Haishi.

It was almost time for the appointment Xu Niannian had made with Li Shan and her spouse, so she sent Zhao Pang to deliver the goods to Haishi.

With 60,000 Liuyue Su to deliver and considering the distance, it was impossible to expect Zhao Pang to push a cart all the way there.

That would take until the cows came home.

And a pushcart couldn’t hold 60,000 Liuyue Su at once, so Xu Niannian took Zhao Pang to find the truck drivers who specialized in transportation.

The truck driver, upon hearing they needed to go as far as Haishi, immediately raised his price to 150 yuan for the trip.

Xu Niannian said bluntly, "100, take it or leave it. If you won’t go, I’ll find someone else."

This driver was a sly old fox, and there were only a few transport drivers in Nancheng County. He just got back from another long trip and was the only one available.

He was banking on the fact that Xu Niannian had no choice but to hire him.

After hearing her offer, he said straight out, "No way, no way. You’ve nearly cut my price in half."

This driver just saw Xu Niannian’s dress and thought she looked like a wealthy person, hoping to rip her off.

In reality, even 80 yuan would usually be enough to make the trip to Haishi.

He was playing hardball because he was convinced that Xu Niannian had no one else to turn to.

Lai San was notoriously difficult to deal with. If Xu Niannian hadn’t been a pretty face, he wouldn’t have been so nice.

Transport drivers were few, and each run meant good earnings, so Lai San tended to look down on others.

Xu Niannian squinted her eyes and said, "That’s unfortunate."

With that, she turned around with Zhao Pang and started to walk away.

She was well aware that the usual rate to Haishi fluctuated between 60 to 70 yuan.

There was an unwritten rule among drivers: all food, drink, and lodging expenses on the road were to be paid by their employers.

The price she offered was already pure profit for the drivers.

Factory workers in the county only made between 30 to 40 yuan per month. Offering 100 yuan was equivalent to about three months’ salary for them.

Moreover, it was a round trip from here to Haishi, including rest and meal times along the way, it took about six days.

Giving him 100 yuan for six days was rather generous of her, yet he still had the audacity to jack up the price.

When Lai San saw Xu Niannian turn to leave, he panicked and said, "Hey, 120, just give me 120, and I’ll do it."

Xu Niannian kept walking without a word. Lai San gritted his teeth, "110, will that work?"

This time, Xu Niannian replied, "90."

Although she responded, Xu Niannian didn’t stop walking and continued forward.

"Why are you bidding lower now?"

Lai San hadn’t landed a big job that month and feared getting an earful from his wife if he went home without any work.

Seeing that Xu Niannian was really determined to leave, he bit the bullet and said, "90 it is then, I’ll do it."

Damn it, he thought, I should have never raised my price. Who would’ve guessed this woman was so business-savvy?

Usually, when people approached them for transport jobs, they would do so with a flattering attitude.

Upon hearing his final offer, Xu Niannian finally stopped walking.

With Lai San in tow, she arrived on Nanshui Road. When Lai San saw Xu Niannian’s dwelling, he couldn’t help but click his tongue – she indeed was rich.

The Liuyue Su that Xu Niannian was providing to Li Shan and her spouse had already been prepared. Zhao Pang and Lai San worked together, spending half an hour to load the Liuyue Su onto the truck.

Lai San leaned against the truck, gasping for air once they finished.

Xu Niannian called Zhao Pang inside and gave him Li Shan’s phone number and address.

She also gave him Jin Yu’s phone number, instructing him to call her there if he ran into any issues.

It was the first time Zhao Pang went on a long-distance trip, and Xu Niannian felt somewhat anxious, so she gave him a few words of advice.

Not only that, but she also gave him 150 yuan, telling him to use it for food and drinks on the road, as well as for Lai San’s fuel charges.

Zhao Pang’s monthly salary was only 40 yuan, so 150 yuan was quite a bit for him.

After deducting the cost of fuel, it was more than enough for Zhao Pang and Lai San to dine well on their journey.

Zhao Pang felt it was burning a hole in his pocket and tried to give it back, "Boss, that’s too much; 80 will do."

Xu Niannian, exasperated, realized Zhao Pang really was naive – most people would think of asking for more and would never complain about excess.

"If I tell you to take it, then take it. Why be so polite with me? It’s a tough journey, buy some good food; you don’t have to save money on my behalf."

To employees who were diligent and trustworthy, Xu Niannian was indeed very generous.