I'm incredibly ambitious after being reborn.

Chapter 11 Local Worthies Are Just Idlers

"Price increase?"

Zhang Daxiang frowned slightly as he looked at the group of people on a hand-operated tractor. "We just signed the contract on the 25th, agreeing on the price. We asked you to buy eggs and vegetables from Taojiazhuang for a year, and cover all other agricultural products for six months. It's only been four days, and you're telling me you're raising the price? Is this how you do business?"

“Zhang Xiang, the price of free-range eggs outside has risen to 38 cents each. The price is rising all along the river in Jiangnan East Road. We signed the contract a few days ago because we didn’t know the market price. Although we are in the wrong now, we can’t afford to lose too much.”

"Well, I understand."

Nodding, Zhang Daxiang said, "Okay, you settle the penalty for breach of contract, and we'll call it a day. Business is business, and I won't force you. As for future business with Taojiazhuang, we can cooperate again if the opportunity arises."

"Well... Zhang Xiang, we're all locals, so... could you lower the penalty for breach of contract?"

"It's not impossible. Half of them are from this area. I'll compromise."

"..."

The people of Taojiazhuang were taken aback by Zhang Daxiang's easygoing nature, but they weren't stupid and didn't think that Zhang Daxiang was afraid of them.

People of his age and local ancestry all know his capabilities. Zhang Daxiang is not the kind of "local tyrant" in Zhangshi Village, at least not in the past, but no one dares to mess with him.

The elders knew their juniors well, and seeing Zhang Daxiang's polite manner, the people of Taojiazhuang felt embarrassed to make a fuss. They gave Zhang Daxiang five hundred yuan and then took a hand tractor back to Taojiazhuang.

"Ah Da, are we just going to let them off so easily?"

Zhang Damiao, who was helping to move beer and soda, was very unhappy. He stopped what he was doing and glared angrily at Zhang Daxiang.

"Let them off easy? Ha, I'll make them pay three times the penalty for breach of contract within ten days, and then reduce the purchase price by another 20%."

Zhang Daxiang remained calm and called over another younger brother who had come to help, "Xiaofeng, go to Dahang and Erhang and call some people over. Keep an eye on the dealers in Taojiazhuang these next few days."

"Okay, Uncle."

"Uncle Daxing Zhengyun is at the North Gate Market right now, right?"

"Yes, what's wrong, Dad?"

The younger brother, Zhang Damiao, seemed a bit puzzled.

"Have him help me find out about this."

After confirming, Zhang Daxiang picked up the landline in his simple office and opened the Zhang family's phone book, which contained various retired and current "officials" from his clan.

As the saying goes, "It's easy to fool the King of Hell, but hard to deal with his underlings." The Zhang family may not have much else, but they know quite a few "underlings."

Not to mention the 1,400 from the main family, there's another 1,300. What about in-laws or anything like that?

The people from Taojiazhuang who just left were actually related to Zhangshi Village.

However, since they're not very close now, Zhang Xiang doesn't feel any psychological pressure.

That's how it is with local worthies.

“Uncle Zhengyun, I am Zhang Xiang.”

"Hmm? Little Elephant, I heard your business is doing really well now?"

Zhang Zhengyun on the other end of the phone wasn't at work; he was playing mahjong. He used to manage the stall rents at the East Market, but because he wasn't making enough money, he was transferred to the North Gate Market. Such a lucrative place, and you're not even making a killing? Aren't you just getting in the way?

Zhang Zhengyun then sought enlightenment at the North Gate Market. However, opportunities are fleeting, and the North Gate Market was not a large market in the city. There were plenty of stalls on the roadside outside, mostly run by elderly people from the countryside.

But inside this vegetable market...

Two yuan a day for a stall is considered too expensive.

Whether they are professional vegetable farmers or elderly people who pick and sell vegetables from their own plots, most of the people in Taojiazhuang set up stalls at the North Gate vegetable market. Firstly, the agricultural wholesale market in Jiyang City is quite far from the North Gate, and secondly, Taojiazhuang is only about three or four kilometers away from the North Gate vegetable market, which is a convenient distance for selling vegetables by bicycle.

The other larger vegetable markets are all too far from Taojiazhuang, and some vegetable markets in central towns are even more than ten or twenty kilometers away. It would be a bit of a waste to ride a bike there just to sell vegetables.

Zhang Daxiang arranged to have dinner with Zhang Zhengyun of Daxing Bank, explained the situation, left a few shopping cards for shopping malls in the city for his uncle, and then stopped talking and waited for news.

The North Gate vegetable market, which was not particularly prosperous to begin with, has been under strict street maintenance for several days, with various street sanitation checks being carried out quite rigorously. Meanwhile, a large-scale vegetable grower in Taojiazhuang who had originally signed a contract with Zhang Daxiang but then breached it discovered after packing his vegetables that two of the rear wheels of his farm tractor had been removed, and it was only supported by two stacks of bricks.

Over 1,200 kilograms of vegetables rotted in two days. A middleman from the agricultural wholesale market drove to Taojiazhuang to pick up the remaining stock, offering very low prices. However, the truck carrying the goods was blocked at the intersection, and the car keys were thrown into the river next to it.

"We're Manager Gu's people from 'Jiangxiangli'!"

When the middleman was blocked at the intersection, he was nervous, but he still loudly reminded Zhang Daxiang and the others who were blocking the car.

“Who does Gu Jiancai think he is? Taojiazhuang breached the contract and I wanted to take back the vegetables. You dared to take them? That means you don’t respect the two or three major banks in Zhangshi. Today is to teach you a lesson. Go and report to Gu Jiancai truthfully. If he thinks he has connections everywhere, then the ‘Jiangxiangli’ agricultural wholesale market will be shut down. I’m telling you.”

After saying that, he raised his hand and pointed at the other person, "If any of these vegetables in the car end up in 'Jiangxiang Lane,' I'll beat them every time I see them."

"You...you dare to hit someone?!"

Zhang Daxiang immediately laughed, staring at the other party and saying, "Tell Gu Jiancai that if I have people block the four gates of 'Jiangxiangli' for three days, he won't be the manager. Keep your eyes open from now on, do you really think you can just pick up any bargain?"

"..."

After Zhang Daxiang and his men left, the middleman, who had lost his car keys, quickly called back to "Jiangxiangli Agricultural Wholesale Market." When Gu Jiancai, the manager in the manager's office, heard "Zhang Da's Second and Third Branches," his mind went blank.

In fact, the "Daxingli" and "Erxingli" of Zhangshi Village can definitely be considered "family traditions of farming and studying" or "scholarly families", since many of them were government employees.

The only place with a very strange atmosphere is this "Three Lanes". Normal interactions are fine, but once trouble breaks out, well, I'm sorry, it's really disgusting.

"Where did you get your vegetables from?"

“Taojiazhuang has about a thousand catties of leftover produce these past two days, practically free. A whole truckload is only two hundred yuan. I thought it would come in handy, so I told Tao Xingfa, who grows vegetables, I wanted it all…”

"You idiot! Where in the world are there so many freebies waiting for you?! Damn it... never mind, come back first, get the spare key and drive the car back. Oh no, first take the vegetables in the car to Zhangshi Village, just say it's a gift. Don't touch the vegetables from Taojiazhuang anymore, wait for feedback from Zhangshi Village."

"Oh? Manager Gu, something happened?"

"That idiot Tao Xingfa signed a contract with a young man from Zhangshi Sanxing, then immediately broke it. I heard he was given 500 yuan in damages. There wasn't much of a conflict at the time, but now it seems Tao Xingfa is really going to suffer."

As the manager of a large farmers' market, Gu Jiancai was not so short-sighted. In their line of work, they could offend the local bigwigs and bigwigs, but they could not offend the "local gentry".

The local gentry are really idle.

The kind of person who's so bored they're practically farting.

(End of this chapter)