She believed she could easily win him over with her ability to charm men.
With this thought, Jiang Xiaoqing endured a rather unpleasant night.
But the next day, she discovered her plan was impossible to implement because Zhang Liunian had personally sent two people to escort her back to Jiang City, not wanting her to stay any longer.
She threw a tantrum at home over this, but Zhang Liunian paid no attention. At this moment, he was tallying the total grain collected.
"Grain collection is complete. We have collected a total of 17.5 million jin of grain during this period, with an investment of 3.5 million yuan." Zhang Liunian felt pleased looking at the data in his hand.
"Sigh, it's finally finished," Du Ziteng was truly exhausted these past ten days. If this job hadn't been so cool and satisfying, he might not have been able to stick with it.
It's worth mentioning that because of this grain collection, he had also officially met Liu Sanniu's family.
Liu's family didn't object to him dating Liu Sanniu, so they were now a couple, and they would hold their wedding banquet after the new year.
"Thank you for your hard work. Here's ten thousand yuan. You guys can split it amongst yourselves." Zhang Liunian knew they had worked hard and took out ten thousand yuan to reward them.
"No, no, we've already been paid. We don't need more," Du Ziteng hurriedly waved his hands in refusal when he heard they were getting more money.
Honestly, following Zhang Liunian these past few months, he was always splitting money. He hadn't done much, but the money he received was enough for him to buy a house in the county town.
"Take it if I give it to you." Zhang Liunian would never mistreat his own people.
Du Ziteng still wanted to refuse, but in the end, Zhang Liunian firmly insisted and handed it over.
"Brother Liunian, when are those people coming? Don't let us work for nothing!" Having received the money, Du Ziteng began to worry about Zhang Liunian's resale.
Zhang Liunian wasn't too worried and replied with a smile, "Within these couple of days."
"I hope everything goes smoothly and nothing goes wrong." Otherwise, Du Ziteng feared Brother Liunian's money would be wasted.
"It shouldn't." Zhang Liunian knew they were indeed in urgent need, and the time was very short, only five days.
Although he wasn't sure if these people were collecting grain to make liquor, they were indeed in a hurry.
However, what Zhang Liunian didn't know was that sometimes, plans never keep up with changes.
As it happened, in a teahouse in the provincial capital, Zhu Laosan, who had just returned from Jiang City, was meeting with the captain of the grain collection team that went to Nancheng.
"I heard your distillery urgently needs grain and that you'll be taking a train to Nancheng to collect it. Is that true?" Zhu Laosan was the son of a prominent underworld figure in the provincial capital, and he had some desperate people behind him.
People with connections in Nancheng were well aware of these matters, but they couldn't do anything to Zhu Laosan because the Zhu family was an untouchable presence in the provincial capital.
It was precisely because of this that Zhu Laosan acted like a king everywhere, extremely arrogant.
Anyone who knew the Zhu family dared not to cross or provoke them.
This grain collection captain also feared the Zhu family's presence. "Yes, I wonder if Comrade Zhu has any instructions."
Seeing his deference, Zhu Laosan smiled smugly. "A kid named Zhang Liunian in Nancheng has offended me. I heard from my subordinates that he's been collecting grain recently, and he might sell it to you. Do you know what to do then?"
Upon hearing this, the grain collection captain nodded without hesitation, "We won't buy any grain from Zhang Liunian."
But if they couldn't complete their task, that would be another matter, though these thoughts could only remain in his mind.
"Good. As long as you don't buy his grain, you'll be rewarded later." Zhu Laosan said this merely as a saying; one should never believe that an underworld figure would truly give benefits.
The grain collection captain saw through it but didn't say anything. However, he also kept in mind that if he could collect twenty million jin of grain, he wouldn't consider Zhu Laosan's words.
"I have to travel tonight, so I won't stay long. Let's meet again next time." The grain collection captain was indeed in a hurry. They were to arrive in Nancheng early the next morning to collect grain, and they only had five days, so they couldn't afford any delays. Thus, he stood up and took his leave from Zhu Laosan.
Zhu Laosan didn't stop him. After watching him leave, he smugly said, "Dare to oppose me, Zhang Liunian, you'll have a terrible end."
After speaking, he suddenly ordered, "Send someone to take Hong Fei's place. The Hong gang cannot disappear just like that. Tomorrow, arrange a meeting with Tang Shitong for me."
Tang Shitong was Brother Tang's third uncle, the one in the provincial government.
"Yes," someone responded and quickly went to handle the matter.
After this person left, another person came to report to Zhu Laosan, "Wu Gudidi plans to come to the provincial capital to find Master Zhu. Should we deal with her?"
Hearing Wu Gudidi's name, Zhu Laosan couldn't help but recall the scene yesterday when he left Jiang City, abandoning Wu Gudidi. At that time, she was crying heartbrokenly, losing all composure.
A sense of displeasure welled up in him. Zhu Laosan said emotionlessly, "If any of my brothers fancy her, they can take her home to have children. If no one wants her, abandon her in the mountains to be sold."
If this woman hadn't come looking for him, he wouldn't have done anything to her. But since she dared to want to come back and stay by his side, she had to be dealt with.
"Yes," the subordinate immediately went to carry out the order.
He inquired around and indeed found a brother who was old and ugly, unable to find a wife, who fancied her. He took her back to his own home, confined her, and prepared to have children with her.
The next day, Zhang Liunian was at the breeding farm with Zhang Qian looking at the young wild boars. Du Ziteng suddenly appeared in a hurry, telling him some good news.
"Brother Liunian, they're here, they're here!" Du Ziteng was ecstatic. He ran all the way there, so excited he was stammering.
"Who's here?" Zhang Qian asked, confused.
Zhang Liunian, however, asked, "Are the grain collectors here?"
Du Ziteng nodded his head vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes, the grain collectors are here! Let's hurry and sell the grain!"
Zhang Liunian smiled, turned to give Zhang Qian a few instructions, and then went with Du Ziteng to see if the grain collectors were the same people from his past life.
When he saw the team of five grain collectors, Zhang Liunian was certain it was this group.
It was just a pity that when they stated they had grain to sell, they were driven away.
"What do you mean by this? You buy everyone else's grain, but not ours? Did I dig up your ancestors' graves?" Du Ziteng, accompanying Zhang Liunian to the collectors' residence, immediately stood at the entrance and began to scold them upon learning they refused to buy their grain.
"Whose grain we choose to buy is our own will, and you have no right to interfere. Now get lost!" A short man from the five-person grain collection team stepped forward and answered arrogantly.
"How can you, a shorty, speak like that? It's all grain, yet you're being picky. Are you all crazy?" Du Ziteng threw a foxtail grass at the man's face, extremely angry.
Yesterday, they were all eagerly looking forward to selling their grain. They had finally waited for these people to arrive, but as soon as they heard Brother Liunian's name, they turned hostile and refused to buy. Did they really think they couldn't tell they were being treated differently?
"We have money, and we can be selective. We just don't want yours. Get lost and don't block our grain collection."
"Let me tell you, we have ten million jin of grain. Are you sure you won't buy it?" Du Ziteng was furious and blurted out their quantity.
When he said this, the short man was quite surprised. But when he saw the captain shaking his head in refusal, he still didn't agree.
"So what if you have tens of millions of jin? We said we won't buy it, and we won't buy it."
"You..." Du Ziteng was about to say something more, but Zhang Liunian held him back.