Xie Sui rode his bicycle to the billiard hall. Yan Xiaoliang was flirting with a scantily clad woman without even looking at him.
"Small breasts, narrow hips, thick thighs, and even this much makeup can't hide the freckles on her face. Xiao Yan, you even find a woman like this appealing?"
Xie Sui's words made Yan Xiaoliang furious. "Xie, are you looking for trouble?"
"Don't say that, Yan Xiaoliang. Is speaking the truth considered looking for trouble? I originally thought you were someone of consequence in this county and genuinely wanted to befriend you. Now it seems, tsk tsk... my sincerity was misplaced."
Xie Sui said dismissively, a cigarette dangling from his lips, looking arrogant and defiant. Yan Xiaoliang narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you want to fall out with me?"
"What do you mean, didn't you fall out with me first? Taking money for services rendered is only natural. As a person, integrity comes first. If you can't even do that, you'll never amount to anything."
Yan Xiaoliang scoffed, "So, in the end, you just want the money. Your goading won't work on me. If you're capable, go get it back yourself. Consider my share as a bonus for you."
"Fine, I can save some money on steamed buns then."
"Xie Sui, are you looking to die? Are you calling me a dog?"
"You ate my food, drank my drinks, and now you're wagging your tail begging. What's the difference between that and a dog? I gave you face, and you don't want it. Is it my fault?"
The crowd gathered around. Yan Xiaoliang sneered, "If I don't let you walk out of here alive today, then my name isn't Yan Xiaoliang anymore. Go on, beat him to death!"
Xie Sui raised his hands without resisting. "Go ahead and hit me. If you don't dare, then I'm your grandson. Kneel down and call me grandpa!"
"But I'll remind you of one thing. Your father is in the system. The director of the police station is my cousin. If you really beat me, and my cousin files a case for assault, it won't look good for your father, will it?"
A flicker of apprehension crossed Yan Xiaoliang's eyes. Was he telling the truth?
"Give me my money back obediently. There will be times when you'll be begging me. If you don't dare to hit me, I'm leaving. Little Yanzi, you're still too green."
Xie Sui walked out arrogantly. Yan Xiaoliang didn't dare to make a move. If he ended up in the police station, his father would break his legs first.
"Damn it!"
Yan Xiaoliang threw the billiard cue in his hand. "Good for you, Xie Sui. I'm not done with you!"
A sycophant stepped forward and said, "Brother Yan, he used to be like a coward. Why has he suddenly become so tough? Is there something we don't know?"
"Go investigate. I want to know everything about him."
The sycophants quickly scattered, lest he get angry and beat them.
...
Xie Sui's assertiveness naturally had a backing. With the ice cream business, he could directly access the supply and marketing cooperatives. Did he still need Yan Xiaoliang to act as an intermediary?
As for his cousin being the police station director, that was also true. Huang Tianliang had been promoted. The director of the town's police station, in particular, had thanked him. The case of human trafficking had earned him a second-class merit, and his promotion was partly due to it.
He had powerful connections too.
Xie Sui returned to the factory. Ye Feng's father happened to deliver the egg beaters, and the final equipment was in place, ready for production to begin the next day.
"If anything breaks, just tell me, and I'll come fix it after work."
Ye Yong felt guilty. He had made so much money from him; he had to ensure good after-sales service.
"Okay, thank you, Uncle Ye."
After seeing Ye Yong off, Xie Sui began preparing the milk and egg yolks with the others. The butter and condensed milk were made by him – this was the core secret recipe, which he needed to keep under his control.
The square ice cream boxes were white, without any fancy packaging, mainly because colored packaging cost extra. He saved wherever he could. They were filled to eight-tenths capacity. The first layer of packaging contained a small wooden spoon, then a semicircular plastic lid was placed on top. They were then put into the cold storage to chill, and after freezing overnight, they would be ready for sale.
He had bought out all the milk from the dairy station at a rock-bottom price. At this time, milk was sold in bulk, and unsold milk had to be discarded. Xie Sui had initially wanted to get it for free, but the dairy station hadn't encountered someone so shameless. At least give them some travel expenses!
In the end, Xie Sui gritted his teeth and gave them a dollar. The milk delivery boy helped him transport dozens of pounds of milk to the factory and was even roped into helping with packaging the ice cream. He had truly outdone them all.
As dusk fell and it was time to knock off work, Xie Sui gave the milk delivery boy fifty cents. The boy was embarrassed to accept it, quickly refusing. He only earned a dollar for delivering milk all day; helping out for a while, fifty cents felt like it would burn his hand.
"Take it, and you'll deliver to me every day from now on. I won't let you work for nothing."
"Thank you, Brother Xie."
The milk delivery boy bowed to him, making Xie Sui feel quite embarrassed. People these days were too honest; he felt ashamed to take advantage of them.
Zhang Wenfeng had been practicing all afternoon and could finally drive the tractor skillfully. He wasn't afraid of traveling at night; the tractor's headlights were bright.
"No meeting today. Come to work early tomorrow. Whether we eat meat or soup for the New Year this year depends entirely on next year's sales. Gu Lei, have you spoken to those hawkers?"
"They're all arranged. Our ice cream will definitely sell well."
"Good. Let's go home."
The night passed uneventfully. Xie Sui got up early and loaded the truck, transporting dried peaches and jelly to the county town to build up stock. Once the ice cream sales went smoothly, these items would have no problem finding buyers.
Dozens of people were already waiting outside the factory, all on bicycles with foam boxes tied to the back, wrapped in a layer of cotton quilts. They were the ones who went door-to-door selling popsicles, earning a living through hard work.
"Brother Xie is here."
"Good morning, everyone. The first batch is limited in quantity. Be diligent and make more trips. If you come late, there'll be no more stock."
A hawker scoffed, "Eight cents an ice cream bar, will it sell?"
"I have confidence in my product. Eight cents is temporary; the price will rise soon. People will be fighting to buy them at ten cents each."
"Stop talking nonsense. The results will speak for themselves. Instead of arguing with the kids, spend your time promoting our ice cream. A profit of one cent per bar is not bad."
The hawkers queued up to collect their goods. Some took them on credit and would pay the next time they came. After all, it was a new product, and no one wanted to be stuck with unsold inventory. Sudan Novel Network
"This is quite good; the paper box is easy to hold while eating, and it won't melt so quickly."
"There's even a small spoon. Girls will definitely like it."
They chatted as they left the factory and dispersed, disappearing quickly like fish entering the sea.
Xie Sui locked himself in the room, simmering butter and making condensed milk, sweating profusely from the heat. He wasn't worried about sales at all; he was afraid of not being able to meet demand.