Song Tan's Notes

The driver noticed his boss's gaze in the rearview mirror and saw that the other person was intently looking at him. He instinctively slowed down.
Would you like to take a look around here?

"have a look."

The leader replied without hesitation: "Sitting in the car for so long is a good opportunity to stretch your legs."

As for staying in a guesthouse, when is that not an option?

The car indeed parked smoothly in the parking area on the side. Looking at the cars of all sizes, and the groups of people gathered in twos and threes in this open space, their rural attire completely out of place, Secretary Wang immediately smiled:

"It seems there are many people who have the same idea as us and are coming at night. If that's the case, it seems that what the guesthouse said about the high demand when I booked it wasn't just the business exaggerating."

In response, Zhang Yanping and Xin Jun conducted a thorough analysis.
I thought the guesthouse business would be a little slow without the fisherman, but I never expected that a lucky girlfriend would bring so many patients to the guesthouse.

Another lucky cousin brought many tourists to the guesthouse.

Based on this calculation, their debt will be greatly reduced by the end of this year.

To my shame, Zhang Yanping's girlfriend is worth millions, while I myself am also in debt and will probably be close to a million if I don't pay it back soon.

If I don't work hard to make money, how can I have the nerve to walk down the aisle with Dr. Guo?
Xin Jun was also greatly surprised:
Do you think our family has taken the wrong path?

Every time he went back, he was exhausted like an old ox. He made a lot of money, but he never had the chance to enjoy it.

While running a guesthouse here doesn't bring in as much money and I'm still in debt, the work is regular and the pace is relaxed.

His biggest daily task was actually helping the two cleaning ladies with cleaning.

Even in matters like conflicts and disputes at guesthouses, Zhang Yanping can resolve 80% of them by simply stepping in.

So what are his parents working so hard for every day?

Is there any hope in a life that's always busy and hectic?
The leaders are unaware of what these businessmen are thinking.

Despite being drenched in sweat from the sweltering heat of over 30 degrees Celsius at 9 p.m., the two of them took a few steps on the flat square with their water bottles in hand. Looking at the groups of people gathered around the basketball court ahead, they couldn't help but feel relieved.

The young people inside were shouting, scrambling, sweating profusely, and steaming with energy. They were like a huge pearl called "vitality" adorning this tranquil village, making everyone who saw them feel young again.

Even Secretary Wang, who was also young, sighed:
"It's nice to be young."

……

The lights in the square weren't particularly bright, and Master Jiang was also leisurely watching the excitement.

Seeing another stranger approaching, and glancing at the parked car, he greeted them warmly:
"You also booked a guesthouse, right?"

Those who book guesthouses usually pay extra for a meal here. Once you get the menu, you can drink as much tea and beverage as you like on the mountain.

Then he glanced at their cups and said, "You brought such small cups? There should be some tea up on the mountain. Go and have some if you want."

"If you're worried about not being able to sleep, go to Zhang Hong Doufu's place and buy some iced tofu pudding and iced soy milk. They're cool, sweet, and refreshing."

Controlling sugar intake is not something a chef should be concerned with.

If everything has to be about health, then you can't eat this or that, and it's all harmful to your health. Why go to such lengths?

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper spat out a mouthful of sunflower seed shells and then called out loudly:

"Master Jiang, you can't be biased! Why are you only promoting Zhang Hong's products and not mine?"

Master Jiang had become quite familiar with the villagers, and at that moment he burst into laughter:

"You have such a big freezer right by the door, so people who want to buy something will naturally go there, right? I even bought an ice pop last night."

Even at his age, he couldn't resist having one while taking a walk, which shows how good the convenience store is doing these days!
therefore--

"Why would I need to promote it?"

He also gestured with his chin at the people next to him without any politeness: "Look at those three, they're all using these kinds of teacups. Why don't you go and promote your cups!"

His business acumen, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, left both the leader and Secretary Wang in awe.

However, the shop owner didn't care at all:

"If I go to all that trouble to promote it, people will just think I'm making a fortune off them. They'll just go up the mountain for a couple of cups of tea and they'll naturally come and spend money."

She sells her large water cups this way, and now that she sees unfamiliar tourists without cups, they'll eventually have to go through that process anyway, so she's become quite familiar with the process.

The leader's gaze drifted deeper into the convenience store, a hint of curiosity now appearing on his face:

"What kind of water cup is so popular? I'll go check it out too."

As soon as he moved, the two people beside him immediately followed.

Master Jiang watched from the side and felt that this person's posture was not that of an ordinary person.

However, now that the village has become famous, many wealthy bosses from the city come to buy things with their secretaries and drivers. They always have a bag of vegetables and tofu in their left hand and two big radishes in their right.

Not surprising at all.

……

The interior of the village store is very simple.

But as more and more tourists come, the selection of goods is actually becoming more and more complete.

At first glance, it looks just like a small supermarket with a wide variety of products at the entrance of a residential community.

The most eye-catching item placed in front of the tobacco and alcohol counter is a row of brightly colored plastic water cups.

Despite his simple attire, his demeanor and careful observation of his surroundings prompted the proprietress to immediately greet him.
"Feel free to look around. Our cups are also quality guaranteed; they're all made of good materials! Not the kind that's toxic."

She even took out the packaging box: "Look at this brand, it's been around for decades. I didn't pay a low price for it, I'm just selling it as a side business."

This is true.

The profit margin on this cup isn't very high, but like cigarettes at a convenience store, its main selling point is attracting customers.

If two or three out of ten people buy something else on the side, the profit will naturally accumulate.

Rural convenience stores are inherently operating on thin profit margins.

The leader took the cup and looked at it, then stared at the sign for a moment before finally remembering:

"This is a brand from our Ningxia province, right? It's an old domestic product."

The proprietress nodded: "We're used to using this brand of cups in the countryside. They're cheap and sturdy. We don't mind if they get bumped or knocked over if we leave them on the ground."

Besides, it's a local brand, so the goods are cheaper to buy!
"This big kettle, we can fill it with herbal tea on the mountain and simmer it all up, or get half a kettle of herbal tea from Dr. Guo. How can we not get enough of it?"

It also pointed out the shortcomings:
“You can’t bring your own teacups. They’re heavy, and you’ll drink them all in one gulp. You’ll have to keep refilling them in the summer.”

She only gave this brief description, and the middle-aged man in front of her said happily:
“That makes sense! Give me three! I’ll pay!” Secretary Wang and Driver Niu were a couple of steps behind, and unsurprisingly, Secretary Wang received the oversized water cups as a gift.

Secretary Wang was alright, but Driver Niu, looking at the kettle-like cup, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Putting aside whether he would normally dare to drink water like that, where would he put such a big cup in the car? Under the seat?
But the leader didn't notice this; he just happily carried his empty water cup and stood by the roadside for a while longer.

The college students were full of energy, and they were darting left and right inside, leading equally energetic young people, moving very quickly.

While their skills may not be exceptional, they certainly put in their utmost effort.

Seeing this, the leader casually asked, "This recreational area is quite nice. When was it built? Was it constructed by the village?"

The proprietress chatted casually: "Where in the village would we get the money? Last year we were dirt poor. Let alone building this recreational area, we couldn't even install a few streetlights without funding from higher authorities."

As for this large piece of land, it was land that Old Song's family negotiated with the village to lease, and then they filled in the soil and built it up.

"Including those two rows of buildings next to it, the large indoor auditorium on the ground floor, that's also given to our village. It's now our village office, where villagers hold meetings and do other things..."

Oh?
The leader became interested: "Are people still attending meetings in the village?"

In the past, when there were any major announcements, it was customary for each village and production brigade to hold meetings like this. But in recent years, this practice has clearly become much less common.

The proprietress nodded: "Go ahead and open it. Old Song's family supplies vegetable seedlings centrally, how much is the pricing, what big plans does the village have... it's all set up here."

“Everyone participated. Many older people don’t know how to use mobile phones, but when they heard that a meeting was being held, the village secretary asked that a car be used to bring everyone over, so that everyone could say a few words.”

The leader then looked at the recreational area: "It's quite large, but isn't this taking up farmland?"

"Isn't this allowed under the policy?"

The proprietress gave him a suspicious look.

After a moment, she said, "This application was submitted by our Party Secretary and went through the proper procedures, so it must have been approved before it could be considered as being built."

The policy doesn't allow us to use farmland, but the problem is, that land has been abandoned for over a decade. Besides mosquitoes, it's infested with snakes, insects, and rodents—what's the point of keeping it?

This was handled...

If we were to go into details, it would indeed be a bit against the rules, but where did this large area of ​​open land come from in their mountainous region?

We can't just cut down another mountain to make a flat area!

The leader smiled but didn't say anything more.

Rural work is all about compliance and flexibility; if you insist on sticking to one approach, nothing will get done.

As for the use of this farmland, just as the person in front of us said: their village secretary, Zhu, was aware of it, and the application and approval must have been obtained before it began.

Since that's the case, there's nothing to worry about.

As we were chatting, we saw another couple strolling slowly towards us, their shoulders drooping.

Seeing this, the proprietress immediately raised her voice:

"Zhang Hong, look how many people are here! Hurry up and bring over two buckets of your iced soy milk and iced tofu pudding!"

Aunt Zhang Hong waved her hand: "Oh dear, you've let us take a break. We're still busy cleaning up, this is just a little time to stretch our legs."

"If I keep going like this, I won't be able to straighten my back tomorrow."

The proprietress said warmly, "It's just a matter of grinding the beans a little longer. If you don't have time to sell them, you can leave them at my little shop. I'll give you twenty yuan for each bucket."

"Twenty is too expensive!" Aunt Zhang Hong replied instinctively.

The two then went back and forth, from one saying, "I also have to make soy milk for people, provide bowls and stuff, and keep an eye on hygiene," to the other saying, "My tofu pudding has a great reputation and I don't lack customers. Putting it in front of your shop will attract more customers for you."

After much back and forth, the two parties finally settled on a price of fifteen yuan, leaving both sides happy.

The convenience store owner thought to herself: Zhang Hong said she would provide her with two buckets of tofu pudding and two buckets of soy milk every day, and with nothing clean, she would earn sixty yuan a day...

That's good, your luck with money is pretty good.

Aunt Zhang thought to herself: It really is just a matter of grinding more beans.

My family runs a tofu business and sells this on the same time. Even if we call the kids back, it's still a lot of work and we're all in a rush. So, it's better to spend a few dozen yuan to hire someone to sell it for us.

By handing over such tedious tasks, you can save yourself a lot of trouble!
……

The village woman chatted in the local dialect, but it wasn't difficult to understand.

The leader watched from the sidelines, with the boisterous cheers of young people on one side and the meticulous calculations of rural women on the other.

Two unique atmospheres blended together, accompanied by the lively laughter and anticipation of the tourists...

He turned around, and at the same time shook the large kettle:
"Let's go check out the tofu-making place and try some ourselves."

……

The college students had no idea who was paying attention to them.

After a thoroughly enjoyable match, the two put their arms around each other, one with Qiao Qiao's arm around Qiao Qiao and the other with Chen Chi's arm around Chen Chi, calling each other "brother" very affectionately.

Can we not be affectionate?
These two handsome younger brothers are not only strong and tall, but also quick learners and very innocent!
Even if their girlfriends were happily calling out to the two handsome young men and no longer paying attention to them, it was hard for anyone to feel any jealousy.

Sigh. They call me "brother"! Shouldn't I share everything I know?
Today we'll play basketball, tomorrow we'll play table tennis, badminton...

And another thing, the boss sister has another identity: she is the provider of our livelihood!

Since Song Tan had already spent the money, she naturally wasn't stingy. It wasn't appropriate for college students to drink tea late at night, so she simply told the convenience store to prepare a case of mineral water for them.

Seeing that they were taking a break, the proprietress quickly called out, "Come on, have some water."

A bottle of mineral water costs one yuan, but that's still money! Fairy Sister is truly beautiful inside and out; even having a boyfriend isn't a flaw for her!

If it weren't for my lack of ability, I would really like to join this big family!

At this moment, someone put their arm around Qiaoqiao's shoulder and asked him:

"Little brother, what are the educational requirements for jobs here? If I have trouble finding a job after graduation, could I work here?"

"We'll play ball together then, and I'll teach you how to play games—do you play Honor of Kings? Do you play PUBG? If not, I'm pretty good at that online Snake game too!"

Good grief, you actually found your job search direction while playing basketball?!

Not to be outdone, the others chimed in: "You think you're the only one who wants to come? Our sister is so generous, she must be a great boss too. I want to come too!"

Anyway, we're all just generalist cogs in the machine, graduating from generalist universities with generalist majors. Our own abilities are so-so, so I really don't expect any leaps in development after graduation.

Since that's the case, why not just find a generous boss? (End of Chapter)