Chapter 44.1

After Jiang Rou finished her exams, the teacher assigned them a lot of homework and instructed them to practice taking pulses during the winter vacation.

Unable to find anyone else, Jiang Rou had no choice but to practice on Li Xiao. Every morning and evening, she had to take his pulse. The first time she did it, she remained silent for a long time before finally squeezing out a comment, “Your pulse is quite lively.”

Li Xiao said nothing.

Jiang Rou was puzzled and sighed, then had no choice but to pull out her book and review it.

Nearby, An An wobbled over, imitating her mother, and grabbed her father’s hand to take his pulse.

Li Xiao found it amusing and actually let her do it. “What, did we end up with two traditional Chinese medicine practitioners at home?”

An An, with her dainty hand, finished taking her father’s pulse and wanted to take her mother’s as well.

Jiang Rou also smiled, finding her too adorable.

She put down her book, picked her up, and gave her a kiss. An An seemed a bit ticklish and giggled in her embrace.

Li Xiao reopened his ledger, while simultaneously using an abacus with rapid, precise movements that made a “clacking” sound without needing to look.

Jiang Rou, holding An An, asked, “When will your products be on the market?”

Without looking up, Li Xiao replied, “The supermarket is expected to launch around the 12th of this month. With the New Year approaching, we’re trying to make the most of this period to earn a bit.”

Hearing this, Jiang Rou nodded. It would be in a few days. She then asked, “Is the rent expensive?”

“Not bad, forty thousand a year. I pay quarterly.”

He then mentioned that he had rented the shop next door for the breakfast place. “Originally, I planned to close the breakfast shop and turn it into a supermarket. But now, I’ve realized it might not be a good idea. So, I’m thinking of keeping it open and running it in the shop next door.”

Recently, he had been researching the market and found that opening a store required not only considering the location but also understanding the surrounding environment and residents’ habits. His breakfast shop was initially a lucky hit, and as food traffic increased, it might not be profitable to convert it into a supermarket, especially with several supermarkets already nearby.

“The shop I rented next door used to sell DVDs. Apparently, it was shut down last year due to some issues. The place is very small, only about ten square meters. It has been vacant ever since. It’s conveniently next to the breakfast shop’s pastry window, which often has many people waiting. Once the snack shop opens next door, business will naturally pick up.”

He also planned to set up a couple of tables and chairs outside the snack shop, similar to the outdoor dining tables seen in movies from Harbor City. That way, people who were waiting could sit down and rest.

Many people, like Jiang Rou, felt uneasy about taking advantage, so those who chose to sit would generally go inside the shop to browse.

As more people browsed, business would naturally improve, as people tended to follow the crowd.

These ideas were part of Li Xiao’s recent research, combining reading with practical experience. Recently, he had spent his lunch breaks riding his motorcycle around, nearly covering the entire G Province.

Because of this, Jiang Rou mentioned that he had tanned An An.

How could she not get tanned? An An had been strapped to his front and slept very soundly.

“But the shop is still under renovation. I’m trying to get it finished in the next few days.”

Jiang Rou felt overwhelmed just listening and couldn’t help but frown. “Are you managing to keep up with everything?”

Li Xiao appeared unconcerned. “It is a bit overwhelming. I contacted Cao Wang; he’s currently overseeing the renovations. He’ll be in charge of the snack shop when it opens.”

Jiang Rou took a moment to remember who Cao Wang was. He was the worker who had been hospitalized with injuries earlier in the year and had suffered serious hand injuries.

Surprised, she asked, “You hired him?”

Li Xiao nodded, stopping his abacus work to look up at Jiang Rou. “I ran into him on the road. His hand was injured and he couldn’t work, so he started selling things on the street. He doesn’t have much business sense, selling the same things as others and not being very persuasive. Not only did he not make much money, but he also ended up using up all the compensation Chang Yong had given him.”

He shook his head. “He would have been better off buying a house back in his hometown, as you suggested earlier.”

When chatting with others, Cao Wang repeatedly expressed his regret. His mother had shared some casual conversation from Jiang Rou with him, but he hadn’t taken it seriously, believing that as long as he was willing to work hard, he would succeed.

Reality, however, gave him a harsh lesson.

Li Xiao had never thought of himself as a good person and hadn’t considered doing good deeds. But seeing Cao Wang, who had fallen into such destitution on the street, still stirred something within him. He couldn’t help but think about how much Jiang Rou would have suffered if he had been severely injured.

Seeing Cao Wang being honest and earnest, he decided to hire him to manage the shop. If the shop’s revenue exceeded the set target each month, Cao Wang would receive a 5% commission on the excess. This was something he had learned from the real estate company.

Jiang Rou considered it and asked, “Should I go check it out? I have some free time these days.”

Li Xiao replied without hesitation, “No need. If he can’t handle this, then I wouldn’t be able to keep him.”

“Alright then, don’t overwork yourself.”

“Mm.”

—o—o—

Early the next morning, Li Xiao went out. He had received a call from Zhou Jian, who seemed to be having issues with the raw materials and was worried about the delivery being delayed.

Li Xiao held the phone between his ear and shoulder while brushing his teeth as he asked Zhou Jian what the problem was.

He and Zhou Jian had bought second-hand phones recently, which were essential for business. The most important tool in business was a good phone.

Jiang Rou was preparing breakfast in the shed when she noticed his unusual tone and came outside to check.

Li Xiao quickly finished brushing his teeth and washing his face, then dashed back into the house. Jiang Rou hesitated, she glanced at him before returning to scoop the food from the pot.

Just as she added a ladle of water to the pot, she saw him come out dressed in a new outfit, with An An tucked under his arm, hurrying towards the door.

Seeing Jiang Rou in the shed, Li Xiao quickly turned to her.

Jiang Rou asked: “Where are you going with An An?”

Li Xiao paused, looked down at his daughter’s groggy eyes, and then remembered something. He smacked his forehead. “I forgot.”

It had become a habit for him to take An An along whenever he went somewhere. His mind hadn’t registered anything else; he had acted on “autopilot.”

He hurriedly placed An An on the ground, glanced quickly at Jiang Rou, and said, “I have something to do, so I’m leaving now.”

With that, he ran off.

Jiang Rou anxiously called after him, “Remember to buy some food while you’re out.”

“Mm.”

“……”

Jiang Rou suspected he was just giving polite responses.

Jiang Rou went to the door, bent down to pick up An An.

An An still looked dazed. Jiang Rou found her cute and kissed her little face. “Daddy has to go out. Today, Mommy will play with you, okay?”

An An yawned, wrapped her arms around Jiang Rou’s neck, and rested her head against her shoulder—looking like she was still half asleep.

Jiang Rou glanced worriedly at the door. She had overheard something about an issue with the raw materials. She wasn’t fully informed about Li Xiao’s progress, only knowing that he was initially working on nut-based snacks and pork jerky, the kind sold in packs or by weight.

These two types of snacks had been carefully discussed and planned with Li Xiao. With the New Year approaching, people would soon be preparing their holiday goods. Nut-based snacks and pork jerky were rare in the market with similar selling methods. They were not only novel but also presented nicely, making them a good choice for festive displays and easy to eat without making a mess.

Of course, the most important thing was that these two snacks were both delicious and easy to make.

Li Xiao was still in the beginning phase, using contract manufacturers due to limited funds, and had to start with simpler products.

If there was a problem with the raw materials, it was likely related to the nuts.

Sure enough, when Li Xiao returned that evening, he said, “It snowed while transporting the goods, and one truck wasn’t sealed properly. The dried red dates got damp.”

“What should we do?”

“We’ll have to buy them locally. There’s no other option. The packaging is already done, and the ingredients list includes red dates. Fortunately, the transport company agreed to compensate half of the loss.”

It just that, a one-day delay meant lost money. They had borrowed quite a bit from the bank, a sum so large that he hadn’t dared to mention it to Jiang Rou.

His expression was rather grim.

It wasn’t until the evening of the 14th that Li Xiao returned with a large bag of pork jerky and nuts. His face, usually so serious, was noticeably lighter as he handed the bag to Jiang Rou. “Take a look and see if it’s alright.”

Jiang Rou met his gaze, she smiled at him as she took the bag. She pulled out the two types of snacks. The pork jerky was in red packaging, and the nuts were in green packaging. The packages featured cartoon pigs and monkeys that Jiang Rou had designed, with the words “Twelve Zodiac Animals” and the product names “Pork Jerky” and “Mixed Nuts.”

The packaging was somewhat reminiscent of the snacks from the future, feeling substantial to the touch, quite different from the flimsy, low-cost snack wrappers found elsewhere. The designs were cute and refined, with vibrant colors. An An, nestled in Jiang Rou’s arms, couldn’t resist reaching out to grab them.

Jiang Rou confidently praised, “They look great.”

The packaging was indeed impressive, comparable to the well-designed snacks of the future.

Jiang Rou opened the packages. Inside the nuts were clean and included walnuts, almonds, dried red dates, dried longan, raisins, and so on. The pork jerky was about the size of a palm, with five pieces in a small bag.

After tasting a piece, she found the flavor quite good and couldn’t help but ask, “Has it been launched yet?”

Li Xiao nodded. “We’re doing a quality check first. It will be transported to the supermarket tomorrow morning.”

Jiang Rou agreed, “There will definitely be buyers.”

Li Xiao smiled.

An An, sitting in Jiang Rou’s lap, took advantage of their distraction to snatch the pork jerky from Jiang Rou’s hand and stuffed it into her mouth. The pork jerky was a bit tough, and she couldn’t quite chew it, but she wasn’t willing to let go.

Jiang Rou tried to retrieve it, but An An turned her head away stubbornly.

That night, Li Xiao had trouble sleeping. He tossed and turned several times before finally pulling Jiang Rou into his arms. “If we make a profit, we should start our own factory next year. These contract manufacturers can be quite troublesome; the employees keep sneaking bites.”

Li Xiao added: “I don’t know if the sales will be good tomorrow. If we do make money, I’ll buy you a gold bracelet for the New Year.”

Jiang Rou was taken aback. She had no interest in gold bracelets at all, though she could accept a jade bracelet.

Li Xiao continued, “Next year, I’ll buy An An a piano.”

Jiang Rou laughed, “She’s still so young; even if you buy one, she won’t be able to play it.”

Rather than dwelling on these thoughts, Jiang Rou decided it was better to focus on the present. It wasn’t that she had a negative outlook; she just hadn’t seen anyone succeed in business right from the start. She had no idea how business would turn out the next day.