1994: Starting with unpaid leave

After returning to Hecheng, Dong Jianguo worked tirelessly, like a machine that never stopped.

To prevent food from tasting different flavors in one workshop, Dong Jianguo first rented an idle factory building next to the original site of the Hezhiwei factory.

In this way, the factory area was directly doubled.

As soon as the equipment for making spicy strips entered the factory, Dong Jianguo asked Zhao Hongmei to bring a few bright female workers to learn how to make spicy strips with him.

Dong Jianguo plans to have Hezhiwei's spicy strips take the "premium" small packaging route.

A large bag of spicy strips contains 50 small packets of spicy strips, with a factory price of 10 yuan.

After calculation, each bag of spicy strips costs 2 cents, and the suggested retail price is 5 cents.

Even so, you can still earn more than 1 cents from a small packet.

The convenient thing is that spicy strips don't need to be vacuum-packed; they can be sealed directly, which saves a lot of trouble.

Besides the new products, Dong Jianguo hasn't relaxed his efforts on the original two products either.

With the automatic vacuum sealing machine, the main bottleneck in production capacity is the raw material, such as chicken feet.

Previously, the supply from several farms in Ang Hei District could no longer meet the factory's production needs.

Fortunately, Dong Jianguo had already spoken with several state-owned farms under the power grid.

With the expansion of raw material supply channels, Hezhiwei's workshops decisively went into full-scale production.

Even if the warehouse is full of inventory, Dong Jianguo doesn't care.

After returning to Heicheng, the effects of the free food distribution at the trade fair gradually became apparent.

Every day, I receive seven or eight purchasing calls from distributors I met at the exhibition.

"Production is limited. To order, full payment is required upfront..."

This phrase has almost become his standard response to distributors.

Although the entry barrier is high, it has deterred many distributors from smaller places.

However, some distributors in big cities have a keen eye. They can tell from the tasting at the exhibition that Hezhiwei's two food products have great potential. Even if they have to pay in advance, they still want to be the first to market.

So, after New Year's Day, trucks with Jilin and Liaoning license plates started arriving at Hezhiwei's factory gate to load goods.

Before each of these trucks left, Dong Jianguo politely presented the distributors with a large bag of spicy strips, welcoming them to try the new product…

The days quickly passed, and it was almost time for the Spring Festival.

The promise made by Deputy Director Li of the Provincial Railway Bureau has finally been fulfilled.

Railway bureaus in Harbin, Hefei, Dancheng, and Jiaxing all called to place orders.

This order wasn't just for pickled chicken feet and braised eggs; they also placed a significant order for spicy strips.

What's heartwarming is that they also adopted the same method used by Director Zhang from Harbin, placing orders with payment in advance.

As a result, the funds on the books of Tsuru no Mi Food Factory increased visibly, like an inflating balloon.

Just before the Lunar New Year, Dong Jianguo flipped through the accounts and found that the available funds totaled more than 1.5 million yuan...

One and a half million in 1995 was no small sum...

……

"No, I disagree."

Xiuyun leaned against the bed, her beautiful brows furrowed.

Although she was in her late pregnancy and her face had become a little rounder, she still looked elegant and beautiful.

"What's there to disagree with? Your second brother-in-law has his eye on a stock. If you buy it, it's guaranteed to double in value by the New Year! You can just sit back and count your money! I haven't told anyone else about this great deal!"

The second sister, Zhou Xiuqing, also frowned, but her tone was full of impatience:

"Your second brother-in-law wanted to buy that stock with you last time, but you wouldn't listen. Do you know how much he made? Over three hundred!"

Dong Jianguo handed Xiuyun a peeled apple, frowning slightly:

"You've made money, Second Sister, why are you still coming to my house to borrow money?"

"Oh, isn't that what you call 'stocks'? You wouldn't understand them anyway, but the more you invest, the more you make. Doesn't your brother-in-law want to invest more money so the whole family can have a prosperous New Year?"

"Oh, I see! I thought my brother-in-law was embarrassed to say he lost money!"

Dong Jianguo nodded in realization, not even glancing at his second sister Zhou Xiuqing's stunned face.

Zhou Xiuyun took a bite of the apple and shook her head at her second sister:

"Second sister, I really can't lend you any more money."

"It's almost Chinese New Year, and the factory needs to stockpile raw materials. After the New Year, Jianguo plans to open a branch factory in Liaocheng, so we're not exactly flush with cash right now..."

"No, Xiuyun, it's no use at all that your second sister tried to reason with you so nicely, is it?!"

"Second sister, don't say that. We really don't have any extra money..."

"Xiuyun, you're absolutely heartless to say that! I even stood up for you when you lost a fight as a kid! Now that I'm in trouble and just need to borrow some money from you, why is it so difficult!"

Xiuyun's eyes widened upon hearing this:

"You used to stand up for me when we were kids?! I seem to remember you being the one who yelled at me the most every time I lost a fight?!"

"you……"

Dong Jianguo didn't want the two sisters to argue in his own home, so he patted the arm of the second sister, Zhou Xiuqing:

"Second sister, come here, let's talk outside..."

Zhou Xiuqing reluctantly got up and followed Dong Jianguo to the living room.

Dong Jianguo casually closed the bedroom door, turned to his second sister, and spoke softly:

"Sister, Xiuyun is about to give birth, so please don't argue with her..."

"Jianguo, the way you're saying that makes it sound like I enjoy arguing with her!"

Zhou Xiuqing looked Dong Jianguo up and down: "Jianguo, tell me the truth, do you really have no money?"

Dong Jianguo shook his head: "Sister, what are you saying? If a factory doesn't have money, it will have to close down! But I need this money, so I really can't lend it out."

"What use are you? You can't even lend me your money in an emergency?!"

"It really won't work."

"After the New Year, several farms in Angxi District will be converted from state-owned to shareholding companies, and I plan to invest in and buy two of them..."

"We also need money to open a branch factory in Liaocheng."

"If I still have some money left, I'm planning to buy a courtyard house in Beijing. People there love watching 'A Native of Beijing in New York' these days, and many are thinking about selling their houses to raise money to go to America. Now is the perfect time to snag a bargain..."

Hearing Dong Jianguo recount his plan with such familiarity, Zhou Xiuqing's eyes widened:

"No way, Jianguo, what do you mean? Are you treating me like I'm on Sundays?!"

"What you're saying would cost at least tens of thousands of yuan, and you can't even lend me and your second brother-in-law five thousand yuan?!"

Dong Jianguo nodded: "Hmm, no..."

"you!"

"Second sister, I'd wholeheartedly support you and your husband in running a proper business. But if you're going to invest in the stock market... I'm sorry, we really don't have that kind of spare money..."

"Alright, alright! I guess I misjudged you!"

Zhou Xiuqing was so angry that she gritted her teeth, and before leaving, she didn't forget to take the baby clothes she had brought with her.

Dong Jianguo escorted her to the door, saying, "Second Sister, come visit again sometime!"

"I'll sit on your mother!"