Chapter 12

Chapter 4, First Pot of Gold (Part 2)

For Lan Yue and his group, this meal could be described as rather restrained, making them sit uneasily. After clearing the dishes, Aunt Qi and Lan Yue's parents quickly found an excuse to leave.

Left were Yang Zixuan and the entire Su family. Su Ming was eating at the factory, as he had been assigned to the important position of overseeing production and was fully focused on his work. The Red Textile Factory workers' protest at the county government ended with the investigation of Xu Fuguo and Li Sicheng, and the dismissal of many corrupt mid-level officials, which calmed the workers' anger.

But Yang Zixuan knew this was only a temporary solution. How to increase the production capacity of the Red Textile Factory and improve its economic efficiency were issues he needed to consider after taking office. Taking advantage of the fact that the new Party Secretary of Hongshui County had not yet been appointed, he could start acting now.

"Uncle and Aunt, I have something I need Xiao Chen's help with. Can I borrow her for a few days?" Yang Zixuan asked politely, looking at the two elders.

"Of course, no problem. County Chief Yang, just tell her what you need." Su Mom and Su Dad regarded Yang Zixuan, who had completely changed their lives, as a benefactor.

In their eyes, without Yang Zixuan's favor, Su Ming would still be a small clerk in the county office, far from the decent life they now enjoyed. So, when Yang Zixuan had a request, they would not refuse.

After exchanging a few words with Su Mom and Su Dad, Yang Zixuan took Su Chen out of the door. The two walked one after the other towards the nearby cement road.

"County Chief Yang, what do you need me for? Is there anything that County Chief Yang can't handle?" Su Chen, no longer as restrained as before, pouted her cute, tender lips and dared to joke with Yang Zixuan.

"Do you really think I have three heads and six arms? That I can do anything?" Yang Zixuan enjoyed talking to Su Chen in such a carefree manner.

"Hehe, isn't that true? Even if you can't do it yourself, as long as you, the County Chief, give the order, there will be a queue of people willing to help you."

"I don't trust those people. I only trust you for this matter!"

"Why? We've only met a few times. Why do you trust me?"

"There's no reason. It's intuition!"

"Intuition?"

Yang Zixuan nodded, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth. He suddenly stopped and turned his head.

Su Chen, who was walking behind, couldn't stop in time, and her fair, crystal-clear face almost collided with Yang Zixuan's nose, even feeling his slightly rapid breathing.

"Yes! It's intuition! My intuition tells me that in our past lives, we were either husband and wife or lovers! Who else could I trust if not you?" Yang Zixuan stared intently into Su Chen's clear eyes.

Su Chen's cheeks flushed. Women of this era were not as pragmatic and materialistic as those in later times; it was still an age of romantic idealism, especially for girls of Su Chen's age, who still had many romantic sentiments. She lightly spat, "How shameless! You are a Party cadre, a firm atheist. How can you talk about past and present lives?"

"It's just a metaphor." Yang Zixuan sighed inwardly, thinking, "Actually, I am from your past life."

"Tell me, what do you want me to do?" Su Chen quickly recovered.

Yang Zixuan turned his head and continued walking, saying, "I heard that the price of garlic in the entire Daming City has recently increased. I'm planning to make a big move."

"What are you going to do?" Su Chen was eager to know. Each time she followed this young man, something unusual always happened.

"Sell garlic, make money!" Yang Zixuan said firmly.

"Ah?" Su Chen was shocked. "County Chief, are you feverish? You, a county magistrate, going to make a little money? People will laugh their heads off when they hear about it."

"Ha ha, who says a county magistrate can't make money? Making money will make me immune to the temptation of wealth, so I won't have to worry about various temptations. And it's not necessarily a small amount of money." Yang Zixuan sighed, thinking of how many high-ranking officials in his past life had fallen to the temptation of wealth.

"How much can you make from a little garlic?" Su Chen asked, puzzled.

"A lot if the quantity is large. The current market price of garlic is about 60 to 70 cents per pound, which is about 50 cents higher than in previous years. The main reason is that there has been more rain and snow in Luofu Province this winter, and local farmers can't provide much supply, causing the price of garlic to rise sharply during the New Year." Yang Zixuan analyzed. "However, as far as I know, Ludong Province in the north is a major economic and agricultural province, and it is also a high-yield garlic-producing province."

Yang Zixuan knew that in his past life, Ludong Province was one of the top four economic provinces in the country, with a rich variety of agricultural products. The local residents generally liked to eat garlic, and the production was abundant. The entire city of Shouan in Ludong Province was engaged in vegetable trading and wholesale.

"My idea is to find a source of supply in Shouan City, Ludong Province, transport it back to Zijin or Daming in Luofu Province, and sell it to vegetable suppliers. After deducting the transportation costs, we still have a large profit margin." Yang Zixuan explained. "If the price increase was only 10 to 20 cents, we would be at a loss after transportation costs, but now with a 50-cent increase, the profit is significant."

"The key issue now is finding a transport vehicle and driver." Su Chen's eyes twinkled as she grasped the core of the problem.

"Smart! I came to you for this very reason." Yang Zixuan smiled. In the 1990s, the logistics network was not as developed as in later times, and one had to find transport on their own.

"There should be trucks in the county government. Why don't you find a few there?"

"I don't want to use official resources, especially as a county magistrate. Using public vehicles is very sensitive." Yang Zixuan sighed.

Su Chen nodded and said, "Yes, I have a classmate whose husband drives a truck. He might be able to help, but it's the New Year, and he might be busy. I'll call and ask." She then walked to the roadside payphone.

A moment later, Su Chen ran back, her face beaming with excitement. "It's all set. Her husband happens to be free recently and is willing to make this trip. He can also give us a discount as an old classmate."

"Didn't she ask what you needed the truck for?"

"Yes, but I lied. I said my brother wanted to start a small business and needed a little help. You won't mind, right?" Su Chen playfully blinked her beautiful eyelashes.

Yang Zixuan smiled, "I am a bit older than you, so I am your brother. But I don't just want to be your brother."

This was a rather direct and explicit statement.

Su Chen's face turned red to her ears, and her voice lowered, "Then what else do you want to be?"

Yang Zixuan beckoned to Su Chen, signaling her to come closer.

Su Chen, blushing, pressed her ear to County Chief Yang's lips and heard three words: "You know!"

Immediately, her fair, crystal-clear face was kissed by a large mouth.

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