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墨書 Inktalez
Liu Ru Yan had a car, the same one that Hu Ruoyun had seen before—a Crown.
October 1st was a Saturday, and Lai Wen had business to attend to. Early in the morning, Liu Ru Yan arrived at the school to pick up Hu Ruoyun. In those days, cars were still a rarity, and it was even more uncommon to see a young, beautiful woman driving a luxury sedan. By the way, Liu Ru Yan bore quite a resemblance to the later actress Liu Yan.
As the car pulled up to the dormitory building where Hu Ruoyun lived, it drew curious glances from passersby. After Hu Ruoyun got into the car, some students pointed and whispered among themselves.
The two of them then drove to Jiangbei Postal and Telecommunications School to pick up Mao Na. Liu Ru Yan asked Hu Ruoyun, “Today you’re both the guide and the host. What’s the plan for our first stop?”
Hu Ruoyun replied, “Let’s first go to Eternity to check out that Mutton Hot Pot you like. After that, we’ll head over to Daokou Town for a roast chicken feast. I’ll arrange for you to rest at my place during lunch, and in the afternoon we can visit Annan Eight Middle School. It’ll be a mix of business and pleasure, plus I’d like you to meet my former homeroom teacher. Tomorrow, based on your preferences, we can arrange for you to meet whoever you’d like.”
Liu Ru Yan readily agreed, “Sounds good! I’ll follow your lead!”
The drive was quiet until they reached Eternity, which was already past ten o'clock. Since Hu Ruoyun occasionally bought their Mutton Hot Pot and had become somewhat familiar with several of the workshop owners, along with Liu Ru Yan sampling and purchasing various items, they were warmly welcomed.
After visiting several places, Liu Ru Yan was most interested in Wensheng Pavilion. She sat down with Boss Wang and communicated her intentions: “I’m from Jiangcheng and would like to become your agent there…”
Boss Wang was overjoyed; naturally, he had no reason to refuse.
Liu Ru Yan continued persuasively, “We’ve just started using vacuum packaging. Our idea is for you to provide us with your current white-skinned vacuum packaging while we handle our own outer packaging and gift boxes…”
Boss Wang seemed taken aback: “So we…”
Liu Ru Yan interjected, “As long as you can guarantee a profit, isn’t that enough? If you agree, I can take 2,000 yuan worth of goods right now.”
At that time, due to limitations in information, channels, transportation, and other factors, their workshop-style products were only well-known locally and primarily sold retail. Neither production nor sales could achieve mass production levels. Moreover, there were several similar workshops in the area, leading to industry competition.
A single order of 2,000 yuan worth of goods was indeed unprecedented at that moment.
Regardless of whether they could cooperate in the way Liu Ru Yan requested or not, Boss Wang wanted to close this deal. After negotiating the price successfully, they loaded 2,000 yuan worth of vacuum-packaged Mutton Hot Pot into the trunk of the car. While paying, Liu Ru Yan left her phone number with Boss Wang: “If you decide on this deal, give me a call. If I don’t hear from you within three days, I’ll reach out to other producers.”
Once back in the car, Mao Na asked, “Sister Liu, even if you love eating it so much, you can’t buy this much all at once!”
Liu Ru Yan started the engine: “Brother Xiao Hu and Sister Mao Na, my current role is that of a businesswoman. Do you remember when we had dinner at Eastern Wangfu?”
Seeing them nodding in agreement, she continued: “Remember how the manager came to our room asking about lamb? Later on, I contacted their head chef through Lai Wen; they agreed for me to supply them regularly… This is just the first batch as per our agreement. To be honest with you both, I have a profit margin of 25-30%. Once Eastern Wangfu gets started, I can secure contracts with top-tier restaurants like Donghuayuan and Xihuayuan!”
Feeling slightly embarrassed she added: “Brother Xiao Hu, please don’t blame me for stepping on your toes…”
Hu Ruoyun quickly responded: “There’s no such thing as stepping on toes here, Sister Liu. I’m still a student; even if Eastern Wangfu allows me to supply them through my connections, I won’t be able to act as an intermediary for long.”
Liu Ru Yan spoke while driving, "However, regardless of whether you have any thoughts on this, I got this opportunity from you. If I do well here, I will provide you with some compensation... You don’t need to decline. Since I have identified myself as a businesswoman, I will conduct business according to the rules.
Of course, we still need to be friends! Later, I’ll give you the compensation, and you can treat me to a meal..."
Around noon, the car arrived at Daokou Town. They first took a stroll down Shaoji Street, observing the myriad of different shops on either side. Liu Ru Yan exclaimed, "Even if I can figure out who is authentic, my clients won’t be able to! The Daokou Roast Chicken brand is quite famous, but there are many vendors. I’d rather not join this frenzy!
Let’s skip the roast chicken feast; didn’t you mention something about Liugu Fried Fish? Let’s give it a try!"
In Annan, there’s a saying: when visiting Daokou Ancient Town, one must eat Daokou Roast Chicken. However, upon arriving here, besides Zhongzhou Delicacies and Daokou Roast Chicken, there were also Baliying Zhuangmo, Niutun Huoshao, Lao Miao Beef, Liugu Fried Fish, and more.
Compared to Daokou Roast Chicken, Liugu Fried Fish may not be as well-known, but when it comes to satisfying the taste buds of food lovers, it is equally impressive. Liugu Fried Fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with just the right amount of saltiness and an enticing aroma—it's a favorite among fish enthusiasts.
The preparation of Liugu Fried Fish is not complicated. The basic steps include taking fresh carp, cutting it into pieces for marination, heating oil until it's 70% hot, then frying the battered fish pieces until golden brown before draining them for later use. After that, the oil is heated again to a high temperature before frying the fish pieces thoroughly once more before serving. Although it sounds simple, achieving that perfect crispiness and flavor is not easy.
They found a restaurant in Liugu Town and sat down. As soon as the fried fish was served, Liu Ru Yan eagerly grabbed a piece without caring about her image. She tore it apart and put it in her mouth while blowing on it to cool down... and then she couldn't stop eating.
One plate wasn’t enough; she ordered another one and even wanted to take some home when Hu Ruoyun and Mao Na stopped her: "Sister, this dish is best enjoyed fresh out of the fryer. If you take it home, it won’t taste the same."
Only then did Liu Ru Yan relent.
They headed back to the county town to arrange for Liu Ru Yan to rest at Annan County Hotel. However, this seemingly delicate woman turned out to be a workaholic: "Let’s go; no need for rest. Let’s head straight to your Annan Eight Middle School!"
By the time they reached Gaoqiao, it was already past two in the afternoon. Upon arriving at the school gate, Hu Ruoyun informed the guard that they were there to see Teacher Wang Hongjian and were granted access.
Teacher Wang was in his combined living and office space—a small room with a half hall—operating a mimeograph machine to "publish" the latest issue of Qingju Literary Society Journal. When he saw Hu Ruoyun and Mao Na bringing an unfamiliar woman with them, he was slightly surprised but still warmly invited them to sit down and poured them tea.
Liu Ru Yan curiously surveyed this "cozy abode": aside from a bed and an office desk with a chair, there was a bookshelf filled with books. Though it appeared modest, it reflected the owner's lofty spirit.
Hu Ruoyun got straight to the point: "Teacher Wang, this is Ms. Liu from Jiangcheng. She would like to hear your views and analysis on our school’s current situation—such as enrollment numbers, student quality, and faculty standards..."
Although Wang Hongjian did not fully understand Liu's intentions at that moment, with Hu Ruoyun—a proud student—facilitating the conversation, he had no reason to hold back his thoughts and shared his opinions freely.
Little did he know that these very insights would alter the trajectory of his life forever.
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