The factory hired people who came to the county to work odd jobs. There weren't any formal regulations yet, and Xie Sui wanted to look at the initial sales figures before establishing long-term employment policies.
Of course, it was also because they were short on cash; temporary workers were cheaper.
Money, there was never enough of it in the early stages of entrepreneurship.
Liang Yutian watched them work with dedication and responsibility; Xie Sui had a good eye for people.
Meanwhile, Gu Lei sat in the office, fanning himself leisurely.
However, he would occasionally glance at the room where Xie Sui was working, a thoughtful expression flashing in his eyes.
Two hours later, Gu Lei was getting drowsy. It was easy to feel sleepy in the sweltering heat. Suddenly, several bicycles charged in simultaneously, looking as if they were about to fight.
"Quick, give me ice cream, I want the whole box."
"Me too, they're selling so fast, everyone wants this."
"And me, they're all gone. At this rate, we can sell five loads in a day."
A foam box could only hold about fifty ice creams; they were afraid of them melting if they packed too many, so they had to make more trips. If they sold them all, they could earn two yuan and fifty cents a day, more than double what they used to earn.
Gu Lei was jolted awake. They were sold out already?
"Don't crowd, everyone will get some. First, go to Manager Gu to get an invoice, pay, and then come to me to pick up the goods. This is the procedure."
Following Xie Sui's instructions, Liang Yutian took them to get their tickets and then to load the goods.
Those who had bought on credit earlier also settled their accounts. As long as they could make money, they wouldn't haggle over a few yuan.
As soon as they left, a few more people came to restock. There was no let-up the entire day. Gu Lei was running around, helping with the loading, and the factory suddenly came alive.
As evening approached, the sun set, and the last batch of goods was delivered. Everyone was exhausted.
Xie Sui fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan and said with a smile, "No energy left? This is just the beginning; it will get busier later."
"Brother Xie, these ice creams are selling like hotcakes. Guess how many we shipped out today?"
Gu Lei was truly impressed. In the past, he had been content to just drift along, following Xie Sui aimlessly, ready to pull out if things went south. Now, it was different; he saw hope.
"How many?"
"Three thousand boxes. We sold out everything in the freezer."
Xie Sui nodded, "That's about right. The sales in a single county can only reach this much, a maximum of five thousand boxes. Unless we expand our channels to the townships, we could sell ten thousand boxes a day."
"Ten thousand boxes? How much money would that be?"
Gu Lei was more concerned about making money, as it related to their profit sharing.
"We earn it through hard work. The peddlers make a profit of one fen, plus worker expenses, electricity, raw materials. If we can make five li, it's good."
Xie Sui shook his head and complained. Gu Lei agreed; looking at the large sales volume, the profit margin wasn't high. Ice cream, it all depended on selling a lot.
However, if they could sell ten thousand boxes a day, there would be a profit of fifty yuan. Over a month, that would be over a thousand yuan, which was a considerable sum for most people. But there were also risks, even at peak sales, and seasonal fluctuations. They might earn two to three thousand yuan a year.
Gu Lei's enthusiasm immediately waned. They wouldn't get much from profit sharing, and a fixed salary would be more stable.
"Everyone's tired today, let's call it an early day."
"Okay, Brother Xie, we're leaving."
As everyone left, Xie Sui looked around the factory. He needed to hire two security guards. It would be busy later, and they would have to work nights; safety was crucial.
"Brother Xie, shall we head home?"
"Okay, let's go home."
Xie Sui tossed a woven bag onto the back of the tractor, used it as a pillow, and dozed off.
The puttering sound of the tractor didn't wake him. The cool breeze was perfect for catching up on sleep, as it was too hot to sleep during the day.
They arrived home more than half an hour later. It was completely dark. Most people in the village still used kerosene lamps. The tractor's headlights illuminated the area, and its puttering sound startled all the village dogs.
Of course, people were also woken up. "Is that Xie Sui back? So late, he must have made a lot of money."
"I heard he bought some jelly again, giving away picture cards, marbles, he's got so many gimmicks. All the kids in the village are practically living at his place, working for free, just for a picture card. Ah, what is this all about!"
"It's better than going into the river or climbing mountains. A few kids drown every year. Not a single one this year, thanks to Xie Sui and his two children."
"That's true. They don't ask us for pocket money. They catch cicada shells themselves and are richer than their fathers. Where can you complain about that!"
The children were willing to buy five-mao storybooks, but their fathers were reluctant to buy five-mao cigarettes. Many adults tricked their children out of pocket money, enraging the children, who became smarter. Now, no one knew how much money they had made.
Doudou and Dingding had learned from Xie Sui, and now the adults couldn't outsmart these children.
Xie Sui was unaware of the villagers' gossip. He stepped into the house under the starlight. Lin Wanwan was sitting by the main room doorway, sewing clothes, appearing exceptionally gentle under the lamplight.
"Wife, I'm back."
No matter how tired he was, seeing his wife made Xie Sui's fatigue disappear. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth.
Lin Wanwan got up and, seeing the joy in his eyes, felt a softening in her heart. "Dinner is left for you in the kitchen. I'll bring it out for you. Go wash up, and you can eat right away."
"Okay, thank you, wife."
"Don't be so glib, people will laugh."
Xie Sui chuckled, knowing she was shy, but secretly very pleased.
Home-cooked meals were always delicious. While eating, Xie Sui listened to Lin Wanwan talk about household matters and the children's mischief, feeling immense contentment.
Having a wife and children, bustling with life, this was a life he had dreamed of so many times in his past life.
"Did you see the woven bag I brought back?"
"Your dirty clothes? I'll wash them for you, and they'll be dry tomorrow."
Xie Sui: "..."
"Go open it and see, on the bed."
Lin Wanwan was curious. What was in the bag that needed to be looked at on the bed? She had seen Xie Sui casually toss it by the threshold when he came in, so it definitely wasn't a gift.
"Oh my... this..."
Lin Wanwan exclaimed and followed him out, bolting the main door.
"Where did you get so much money?"
It turned out the woven bag was filled with bundles of cash, tied according to denomination. Most were in cents and dimes, with few large bills, but there were so many, it was a considerable sum.
"Of course, I earned it. Do you think I stole or robbed?"
"Dried fruit can earn this much?"
Lin Wanwan felt like she was dreaming. Dried peaches and jelly were profitable, but their sales were limited. They hadn't shipped much recently and were mostly stored at home.
"It's not dried fruit, it's ice cream, the kind I gave you and the kids last time. Summer is the peak season, they sell quickly. It won't be like this in winter."
"I want to discuss something with you. You and the children should go live in the county town. The kids are older now, and running around the village all day isn't ideal. They could go to preschool. You could also help me manage the accounts. If we work together as husband and wife, our business will flourish even more."