Volume 1 Chapter 90 Plotting and Scheming

  Yao Cun's heart tightened, and he hastily lowered his head to show respect: "Father, please go ahead and say what you want. If I answer incorrectly or can't respond, Father, please don't blame me!"

  "Heh heh, don't blame me, just listen!" Old Master Yao said: "That mysterious person first cut off the rice supply of my Yao family's rice shop. I'm worried that next, he'll poach my people! Ordinary people are fine, but, alas, if the owners, accountants, and core employees of each shop are poached, the entire business will be affected! You've always been a thoughtful one, Father wants to hear your opinion, what do you think we can do to keep them?"

  Yao Cunhui raised an eyebrow, and his father understood better than anyone that as long as the grain supply was cut off, various shops would be short of goods, and people's hearts would inevitably become unsettled. At that time, it would be easy for the other side to spread rumors and stir up trouble, making it easy to poach people.

  When the time comes, there will be no more grain and no more people, it's hard for Yaojia Rice Store to avoid closing down!

  "Father thinks that being able to be with people who share the same hardships, how much is it worth?" Yao Cunhui raised her head, her eyes shining like cold stars fixed on Old Master Yao.

  After so many years of running the company, there must be a few loyal and dedicated employees who have been through thick and thin with him.

  "The general manager and the general accountant will not betray me, but the branch managers under them," Mr. Yao shook his head, "I am confident that I can keep at most 20% of them."

  As for the big account, he didn't say a word. Because the big account is generally brought by the boss, just report it and that's all, in the capital city, he can recognize all the shops, but in other towns, he may not even be able to call out their names.

  "That's all we can do, to offer them conditions that they won't want to give up on, and also let them see the hope, the hope that our Yao family will not go bankrupt." Yao Cunhui thought for a moment, then said: "Father, have you considered letting the shopkeepers participate in the year-end dividend?"

  "Dividends? Them?" Old Master Yao was taken aback, furrowing his brow.

  This is a considerable expense. Currently, only the general cashier's general account participates in the dividend distribution, and others do not have this qualification, and wages are paid monthly.

  "Yes, based on the profit situation of their store, a certain percentage will be deducted, and it is also linked to their years of service." Yao Cunhui thought for a moment and said: "In addition to this, we can also consider giving them other benefits."

  "Welfare?"

  "Right!" Yao Cunhui's eyes lit up, and he said: "For example, we can rent houses for them and provide accommodation for their families - in places like the capital city where there are many branches, we can even buy a piece of land and build a batch of courtyards to provide free housing for everyone. And every year, we can give everyone five days off with pay, adding one day for each year of service, up to a maximum of half a month. Also, on ordinary days, if someone gets sick or something, based on the diagnosis and prescription from our designated medical institution, the cost of treatment will also be borne by our shop! What do you think, Father?"

  Mr. Yao's eyes sparkled and closed again, Qingqing Island: "What you said is fresh, but it also makes sense!"

  Mr. Yao was secretly pondering in his heart, the New Year's holiday seemed to have little appeal, but with the distribution of red envelopes and free provision of houses for family members to live in, the shop would take care of medical expenses and medication, if it were peaceful days, people would definitely rush to come, but currently in this situation——

  More importantly, the rice supply has been cut off and a large sum of money needs to be spent on logistics and operations. Can they still afford to spend so much money developing these new "welfare" programs?

  Moreover, the mysterious opponent has made it clear that they want to sabotage Yao's business, and the treatment they come up with can be completely copied.

  "In fact, these are just auxiliary functions that can increase our chips but cannot play a decisive role." Yao Cunhui also realized this and sighed: "If they see that staying in our shop has a bright future, we don't need to say anything, they won't leave! That is to say, we must win this battle. The most critical thing is the grain source."

  "Your words have hit the nail on the head!" Old Master Yao sighed. A sufficient rice supply is the solution to all contradictions and the root of everything; with it, everything else is just icing on the cake, enough to retain talent.

  But now is exactly when Mǐ Yuán has encountered a problem!

  "Dad," Yao Cunhui asked in confusion, "Why don't we just buy land and grow our own grain? Wouldn't that make it impossible for anyone to bully us?"

  "Haha!" Old Master Yao chuckled and said, "We have 5,000 mu of land in Hebei and Shandong, but the grain yield is really not enough! In these times, it's hard to buy large tracts of high-quality farmland. Moreover, our family runs a grain shop, and we don't have enough experience with farming. Father doesn't want to spread himself too thin, and if he can't take care of everything properly, it won't be good. Who could have predicted that things would turn out like this today?"

  It's not that I didn't think of it, but rather that I wouldn't have thought of it if it hadn't actually happened.

  "If only there was a suitable place!" Yao Cunhui murmured with a soft sigh.

  "Alright, you continue to learn from Lin Zhuanggui! I should head over to the main store now!" Old Master Yao smiled and stood up, thought for a moment, and said: "Your idea is not bad, I will discuss it with your Second Uncle and the others!"

  "Thanks, Dad." Yao Cunhui forced a smile. At this point, his father could only make do with what he had.

  But there will always be a way to solve it, won't there?

  In the courtyard of Liuhuashan House, Fourth Aunt was taking a stroll wearing loose and soft clothes, followed by her personal maid Qingmei and a wet nurse who had been invited over.

  More than three months pregnant, she could already feel a slight bulge in her abdomen, and as she gently placed her hand on it, she felt a sense of quiet and strange tranquility.

  Never thought that nurturing a new life in the belly would bring so many changes to one's state of mind.

  "Fourth Aunt!" Yao Cunhui's voice rang out, crisp and clear, with a hint of a smile. Fourth Aunt looked up to see her walking into the courtyard in a light lotus-colored jacket and skirt, like a pure lotus flower blooming quietly at dawn.

  "Second Miss!" Fourth Aunt hastily smiled and welcomed her forward, holding onto Qing Mei's arm, and slightly curtsied to Yao Cun Hui.

  "Auntie, stop!" Yao Cunhui raised her hand slightly, her eyes falling on the slight bulge of her belly, and smiled.

  The big and tall one accepted a pregnant woman's bow to her, she always felt a bit uneasy about it.

  Now that Fourth Aunt is pregnant, Yao Cunhui often needs to find Old Master Yao to discuss matters, and this plum blossom mountain house has become a more frequent destination than before.

  "Is the second young lady here for the book? The master has instructed that it be placed inside. I'll take the second young lady there."

  "Alright!" Yao Cunhui smiled and followed Fourth Aunt into the house.

  Fourth Auntie took the book from the maid and handed it to Yao Cunhui herself, smiling: "Second Miss is really a talented lady, so many books that I, as a servant, feel dizzy just looking at them, but Second Miss can actually read them!"

  Fourth Aunt followed Madam Ma, also knew a few characters. The books that Yao Cunhui wanted were all about the geography and physical features of the Great Zhou Mountains, which made her feel somewhat different. Girls' families aren't fond of reading poetry and songs, are they? But Second Miss was rather different from the others!

  "But it's just passing the time!" Yao Cunhui smiled faintly, flipping through the book in her hand before putting it aside and chatting with Fourth Aunt. Seeing that it was getting late, she stood up with a smile, saying she still had to rush to the store for a while.

  "Second Miss is getting more and more capable! Won't you stay for lunch?" Fourth Aunt said with a smile.

  "No need, thank you, Fourth Aunt! I just used it, and the shop can't wait." Yao Cunhui smiled.

  Yesterday, Lin said that he would take her to the grain depot in the suburbs today. After a few days of learning, she basically understood the situation in the store, but she had never been to the grain depot where grains were stored.

  The grain purchased from outside is stored in two large granaries in the suburbs of Beijing, which is a rear base for supplementing food in Beijing and surrounding areas. It is a very important place. As for the storage of grain, moisture-proof, rat-proof, insect-proof, fire-proof, safety protection, ventilation, and freshness preservation, there are many details to consider.

  Mr. Yao secretly instructed Manager Lin to let Yao Cunhui quickly grasp all aspects of the rice business, and Manager Lin did not dare to slack off. Seeing that Yao Cunhui was also humble and eager to learn, he even more diligently taught him with all his might.

  The granary was built on a hill slightly higher than the surrounding terrain, with a very open and spacious area on all sides. The courtyards inside were very large, and the rows of connected warehouses seemed to inspire a sense of solemnity at first glance.

  The workers in the grain store were not few, each doing their own work in an orderly manner. When they saw Lin Zhanggui and Yao Cunhui's group, they quietly stopped what they were doing, paid their respects, and then went back to work.

  The manager of the villa, surnamed Li, was a middle-aged man in his forties, tall and thin, with dark skin, a pair of calm eyes like a deep pool, not many words, and an attitude that could be described as neither arrogant nor humble.

  Li Guanshi led Yao Cunhui and Lin Zhanggu to inspect the place. He originally thought that the second young lady was just coming to see the novelty and excitement, and didn't think much of it in his heart. Moreover, a large batch of grain had just arrived at dawn today, and he was waiting for it to be transported into the warehouse. Why did the second young lady come at this time, wasn't she causing trouble?

  Li Guan thought so and felt somewhat dissatisfied in his heart.

  Gradually, Li Guan saw Yao Cunhui listening seriously with a sincere face, occasionally asking questions, and treating others without airs. He also quietly took notice of her, his gaze towards her changed, and his tone became softer.

  As they strolled along, a loud clap of thunder suddenly boomed overhead, accompanied by two blinding flashes of lightning that made everyone's heart skip a beat. People couldn't help but look up at the sky, only to find that it had turned dark with thick clouds gathering above, swirling ominously and growing denser by the second, as if ready to unleash a torrential downpour at any moment.

  The howling gusts of wind swept across the ground, blowing up flying sand and pebbles, and the crowd subconsciously closed their eyes and slightly tilted their heads. A coolness on the face was a big raindrop falling down.

  "Oh no! Food! Food!" Li Guanshi slapped his forehead and, without bothering to consider Lin Zhanggui or Yao Cunhui, lifted his feet and rushed towards the square in front.

  "Boss Lin, let's go and take a look!" Yao Cunhui's heart tightened, he turned his head to Boss Lin and said, and quickly followed up with rapid steps.