"If you can't figure it out, don't bother thinking about it. It'll only cause you a headache." Seeing Chen Tai approaching, Song Tianyao put away his smile from Chen Qingwen and said calmly.
Chapter 113: You have to walk your own road
After saying that, Song Tianyao ignored Chen Tai completely, leaving him standing there in a daze. Song Tianyao then continued to ask Chen Qingwen, "Are all the candies you make in your shop sold in bulk?"
Chen Qingwen was still reeling from Song Tianyao's previous question when Song Tianyao asked him another question. He gave a blank "Ah" in response.
Song Tianyao pointed to the produced Flower Pagoda Candies. "Are there any factories that produce small plastic bags? I'd like to order a batch of small, sealable plastic bags to pack these medicine candies, three candies per bag. I can order 100 kilograms of plastic bags first."
"There are a few plastic bag factories near North Point run by Shanghai people, but they don't use more than 100 kilograms. 100 kilograms of small plastic bags, wouldn't that be hundreds of thousands?" Chen Qingwen came to his senses, looked at the Flower Pagoda Candies, and said, "Why not cut small pieces of rough paper and wrap three candies in a small package, just like how pharmacies package Chinese medicine? Rough paper is very cheap."
"If factories can print markings on plastic bags with ink, can they do the same with cardboard?" Song Tianyao asked Chen Qingwen. "I just thought of that myself."
As he spoke, he turned his head and waved to Fuyixing's younger brother, who had just pushed a slab of cold sugar into the refrigerated display case, and called out, "Hey! I'm calling you, come here for a second."
The young man from Fuyixing was lean and dark-skinned, his hair shaved off completely and now glistening with sweat. His clothes were a bit too big, making him look like a bald, dressed circus monkey standing next to the refrigeration unit. However, his eyes were still quite bright, and his ears were sharp. Hearing Song Tianyao's call, he hurriedly ran over. "Secretary Song, you called me?"
"What's your name?" Song Tianyao asked the other person.
This guy actually knew to first lower his head and straighten his dirty clothes, then stood up properly and replied to Song Tianyao, "Secretary Song, I'm Sijiu from Fuyixing, my name is Xianyu Shuan."
"Go see Gao Lao Cheng and tell him it was Young Master Shun who said it. First, have him arrange for more people to come and help Boss Chen make the medicinal candy. Then, have him go to North Point and find a plastic bag factory. I don't care what methods he uses, just make sure the factory works overtime from today until the morning after tomorrow to produce the plastic bags that Likang needs. I'll pay you when I'm free tomorrow." Song Tianyao said, taking a cigarette box out of his pocket and handing it to the guy called Xianyu Shuan: "The plastic bags only need to be the size of this cigarette box. Also, have the factory print five characters on the bag with ink: 'Shun Brand Flower Pagoda Candy,' and put any picture of Foreign Devil woman below the five characters as a mark. Got it?"
Xianyu Shuan muttered a few words to himself, then nodded to Song Tianyao: "Remember."
"Tell me again," Song Tianyao said.
Xianyu Shuan, as if reciting a memorized text, put his hands behind his back and slowly repeated what Song Tianyao had just said, "Go see Brother Shing. First, have Brother Shing find some brothers to help Boss Chen start work. Then, have Brother Shing find a plastic bag factory and make sure that from today until the morning after tomorrow, the factory can only produce the plastic bags that Likang Trading Company needs, the size of cigarette boxes. The plastic bags must be printed with the words 'Shun Brand Flower Pagoda Candy' and also have a picture of a Foreign Devil woman on them. Secretary Song will settle the bill."
"Go on, hurry up." Song Tianyao took out fifty yuan from his wallet and handed it to Xianyu Shuan: "Take this to get on the bus."
"Thank you, Secretary Song. Secretary Song, here's a cigarette." As Xianyu Shuan took the money, he tried to return the pack of State Express 555 cigarettes to Song Tianyao, but Song Tianyao had already turned and walked towards the Flower Pagoda Candies. "Here, take these, just in case you forget the size of the plastic bag."
"Thank you, Secretary Song." Xianyu Shuan grabbed the cigarette pack and banknotes, turned around, and quickly ran out of the shop.
After the Xianyu Shuan had disappeared, Song Tianyao, clutching a few Flower Pagoda Candies, said to Chen Qingwen, "Gao Lao Cheng arranged arrive, have them go to other shops to help with production. The proportions must be accurate; otherwise, it could lead to poisoning."
"Don't worry, don't worry, Secretary Song, I will personally instruct those bosses to prepare the powder. If there are any problems, I'll be the one poisoned first." Chen Qingwen patted his chest and assured Song Tianyao.
At this moment, Song Tianyao looked at Chen Tai, who was still standing there staring at him. Chen Tai still had an honest and simple look on his face, but his eyes already showed grievance and resentment.
"Can't figure it out?" Song Tianyao walked up to Chen Tai, raised his face, and asked his distant cousin.
As he spoke, he subconsciously reached for the cigarettes in his pocket, only to realize after his hand was inside that he had already given his cigarettes to the errand boy, Xianyu Shuan.
At this moment, Chen Tai took out a pack of short, hard-pack State Express 555 cigarettes from his pants pocket and handed it to Song Tianyao: "Brother Yiu."
Song Tianyao glanced at the pack of cigarettes, took it, lit it himself, but didn't return the pack to Chen Tai. Instead, he held it in his hand, examining it, and said, "You must have been eating, drinking, and having fun these past two days. And you've been getting fawned over and thanked everywhere you go at the docks, haven't you?"
"Those fellow villagers who run hawker stalls sometimes encounter scoundrels who try to borrow money or goods from them, and then deny everything afterward. We're all small business owners, and we're from the same hometown, so of course I have to stand up for them and get those debts back. A few punches and those scoundrels beg for mercy and obediently pay back the money. Brother Yiu, I didn't do anything wrong." Chen Tai lowered his head, like a child who wanted to admit his mistake but didn't know what he had done wrong.
From the moment he received Hong Kong dollars 1,300 from Gao Lao Cheng at the Mei Yin Guild Hall until Song Tianyao had Gao Lao Cheng call him from the pier to work at this candy shop, Chen Tai felt that these were the two most glorious and happiest days of his life.
A table of fine wines and delicacies worth more than a thousand Hong Kong dollars at the Main Club has been tasted, and the taste of men and women has been tasted. The two waiters have accompanied this boy to fight all night long, helping the fellow villagers to collect debts, and making the fellow villagers look up to him. No matter how old they are, they all call themselves Taige. When they see him, Chen Tai would treat himself to drinks and tea, as if he was the backbone of his fellow villagers. He found more than a thousand yuan and sent it to his parents. His parents were also very happy. If this meant traveling in the world, Chen Tai felt there was nothing wrong with him. He was beating up those unruly people on the streets, helping his fellow villagers, and getting money to go home to his parents.