For three consecutive days, there was no news or disturbance coming from the county.
The only somewhat interesting tidbit was that Yu Zhen, Feng Kangping, and those Red Armbands had quietly gone several times to pay their respects to their ancestors.
Why?
There was no need to guess.
Since Yu Zhen and the others dared not come to Wangjia Village again anytime soon, and the higher-ups had already issued their orders, Pei Zhengnian and his group returned to the army first.
Shen Nanchu had already discussed the plan with Pei Zhengnian.
Taking advantage of the lull before the busy season, they decided to handle the affairs in Wangjia Village first, then head back to the troops.
Shen Nanchu had already worked out the details in her mind.
The black-sister tea bran shampoo and the rabbit hair brushes had basically reached a stable production level.
Zheng Tongwei had found some decent sales channels, but they were too far away.
The transportation costs were too high, and since Wangjia Village was still producing only in small batches, the freight charges took up a significant portion of the revenue for each shipment.
Shen Nanchu thought they needed to prioritize proximity over distance and secure major clients in the city and county—textile factories, department stores, and supply and marketing cooperatives.
If they could conquer these three fronts, transportation could be centralized, and profits would rise.
After Pei Zhengnian left, Shen Nanchu went to discuss the plan with Zheng Tongwei and Wang Jianguo.
A gleam flashed in Zheng Tongwei’s eyes. “You mean... directly find distributors in the city?”
“Not just that.”
Shen Nanchu’s vision was even broader.
“Textile factories have many female workers whose hair easily picks up cotton fibers—they need a shampoo that removes oil and relieves itching.”
“Department stores cater to regular city residents, so retail sales.”
“Supply and marketing cooperatives cover the townships, so volume sales.”
“If we can secure orders from all three, we can ship directly from the village to the city and county, saving a lot on freight.”
Wang Jianguo gave Shen Nanchu’s idea his unconditional support.
“Little Nanchu, your idea is great.”
“You can’t swallow the whole elephant at once. Let’s first secure orders nearby, then expand production once we have more funds.”
Zheng Tongwei also agreed.
“That’s a good idea.”
“Our production scale in Wangjia Village is too small now. If there’s a big order, we really can’t handle it.”
“Steady and sure is the way to go.”
With the plan mostly set, Wang Jianguo faced one big problem.
He was well connected in the town, but in the city, he didn’t know anyone.
If it were the county, he could try to pull some strings.
But the city? That was much trickier.
“If it really doesn’t work, I’ll go find Lin Aimin and ask him to help us find some connections for the village.”
Wang Jianguo decided to swallow his pride one more time.
Shen Nanchu shook her head.
“Uncle, no need. As long as the town mayor writes us a letter of introduction, that will do.”
She wanted to use it as a banner to open doors.
The strong never complain about harsh environments.
“All right, I’ll go now.”
Wang Jianguo didn’t hesitate. He hopped on his bike, clutching two cans of freshly pressed tea seed oil, and headed straight for the town government.
Town Mayor Lin Aimin was in his office, grading documents. When he saw Wang Jianguo arrive, he didn’t even look up.
No one visits the Three Treasures Hall without a reason.
Lin Aimin knew Wang Jianguo well.
Wang Jianguo didn’t mind either and sat down to wait for Lin Aimin to finish.
An hour later, Lin Aimin finally looked up.
“Speak up! What is it?”
“I came today to ask for your help. Our village wants to go to Daliao City to sell our products, but without an introduction letter, I’m afraid no one will recognize us…”
Lin Aimin was momentarily stunned.
He had expected Wang Jianguo to ask for a big favor.
Turns out it was just about getting an introduction letter?
A small matter.
“Who do you want to see? The department store or the supply and marketing cooperative?”
“Better if you can write one for the textile factory too.”
Wang Jianguo’s tone grew a bit urgent.
“We not only have shampoo but also rabbit fur. I want to ask if the textile factory will buy it.”
Lin Aimin’s eyes lit up. Rabbit fur was a fine commodity; sweaters made from it were light and warm. If they could supply the textile factory, it would be good not only for Wangjia Village but for the entire town.
He immediately picked up a pen and neatly wrote on the letterhead, stamping it with the town mayor’s red seal.
“The head of the supply and marketing section at the textile factory, Section Chief Luo, is an old acquaintance of mine. Mention my name; he’ll give you a favor.”
“Great! This camellia oil is good stuff. Take it home and use it.”
With that, Wang Jianguo dropped the words and disappeared swiftly.
Lin Aimin: …
Using me and running off—what a sly old fox.
…
At the Pei residence.
Grandma Pei and Pei’s Mother were worried.
“Nanchu, you’re pregnant and the trip to the city is far. What should we do?”
Grandma Pei leaned on her cane, her face full of concern. “Should we ask the village chief to go instead?”
“The village chief can’t leave; the village factory needs people,” Shen Nanchu comforted them. “I’m taking Comrade Zheng and Yunzhou with me—three of us, so it’ll be fine.”
The main thing was that without her, this matter really couldn’t be handled.
Pei Yunzhou immediately straightened up.
“Grandma, don’t worry. I’ll protect my second sister-in-law!”
Pei’s Mother still wasn’t at ease and stuffed quite a bit of money into Shen Nanchu’s hands.
“On the way, make yourself as comfortable as possible. When you get to the city, find a clean place to stay. Don’t scrimp on expenses…”
After endless nagging and reminders, they reluctantly let them leave.
Shen Nanchu, carrying luggage, led Zheng Tongwei and Pei Yunzhou out of the village, heading toward Daliao City.
…
On the main street of Daliao City,
the flow of bicycles surged like a tide, with the occasional truck and bus passing by.
Workers in blue cloth uniforms, women carrying vegetable baskets, and students with backpacks came and went—ten times more bustling than Wangjia Village.
Zheng Tongwei carried the luggage. “Shall we find a place to stay first?”
“That’s fine.” Shen Nanchu wasn’t in a hurry to act.
After the three rested briefly at a guesthouse, they regrouped.
“Let’s go to the department store first.”
This was Shen Nanchu’s first stop.
She wanted to get a sense of the market before discussing business, to have a clear idea.
Daliao City’s department store was the grandest building in the city.
A three-story blue brick building with “Serve the People” painted in bold red characters above the entrance. The glass windows gleamed, and inside were displayed a dazzling array of goods.
As Shen Nanchu led the two inside, they were immediately enveloped by the rich scents of soap and fabric.
Shen Nanchu headed straight for the cloth section.
A young woman in a blue uniform, wearing a sales badge on her chest, approached them. Her tone was not exactly warm.
“What do you want? Cotton fabric or dacron?”
“Comrade, I’ll take a look first.”
Shen Nanchu reached out to touch the cotton fabric on the counter, then carefully picked up a piece of Dacron cloth to examine it.
“How much is the cotton fabric per yard? And the Dacron?”
Hong Xiaoling quoted the prices. Seeing that Shen Nanchu was only feeling the fabrics without buying anything, her expression grew even colder.
“Are you making clothes? We have ready-made garments here; it’s more cost-effective than buying fabric by the yard.”
“How much for a finished garment?”
Shen Nanchu asked again, her gaze sweeping over the hanging shirts and trousers. She even inquired about the prices of children’s clothes, comparing two pieces made from different materials as she requested Hong Xiaoling to fetch them.
Hong Xiaoling patiently endured the inquiries, but as Shen Nanchu kept asking without buying even a scrap of fabric, the corners of her mouth began to turn down.
Shen Nanchu didn’t seem to mind at all.
Just then, two women walked in and headed straight for the neighboring counter.
Hong Xiaoling decisively turned to attend to the two new customers.
