LRAB Chapter 173 I didn't expect him to be so fierce!
Chapter 173 I didn't expect him to be so fierce!
"Pah! You jinx!"
Fan Lihong immediately exploded, slammed her chopsticks on the table, and started swearing at Li Youtian.
"Li Youtian, have you been kneeling for too long and can't stand up anymore? Huh? The national document has been issued, encouraging the revitalization of the economy! Who are Captain Xu and Captain Qin? They're government drivers! They dare to drive for the government, what are you afraid of?"
"I think you're hopeless; your daughter is leading the whole village to a feast, and you insist on standing by and chanting dirges!"
"You...you shrew! I'm doing this for the good of the family! For the greater good!"
Li Youtian was speechless, his face turning red and his neck thick with anger. He stubbornly retorted, "This is, after all, a large transaction involving tens of thousands of kilograms. If the commune leaders blame us for disrupting the unified purchase and distribution system..."
"Father, please put your mind at ease."
Li Xiaotao swallowed the last bite of her steamed bun. "The wind has changed. The higher-ups are advocating for revitalizing the economy and letting some people get rich first. We're responding to that call and being a model for the commune. Other village secretaries are envious? Their envy is useless; they don't have the ability to mobilize the county transportation team's vehicles."
"But..." Li Youtian wanted to say something more.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps and panting shouts suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
"Secretary! Is the secretary home? Something terrible has happened!"
Li Youtian's hand trembled, and the water in the teacup spilled all over his crotch.
"See! I told you so!" Li Youtian's face turned pale, and he jumped to his feet. "Something must have happened! Did the commune send people to make an example of someone?"
The door was pushed open.
The one who rushed in was Li Dazhuang, the militia company commander, who was covered in sweat.
"Secretary! Quick! Get to the team headquarters!"
Li Dazhuang, panting heavily, announced, "Commune Secretary Wang is here! And... and several Party secretaries from Majiawan, Zhaojiatun, and Liujiagou, they're all here! They brought two tractors and completely blocked the entrance to the team headquarters!"
Li Youtian's legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground.
Finished!
Is this a joint law enforcement operation?
"Did they...did they put up seals? Are they going to take our Xiaotao away?"
Li Youtian's voice trembled as he turned to protect his daughter, "Tao'er, you quickly leave through the back door! Go hide at your sister's house! This was approved by your father, I'll take the blame!"
Although Li Youtian was a coward, at this crucial moment, Old Li still acted like a father.
Li Xiaotao, however, sat there calmly and even poured herself a glass of water.
"Big Zhuang, what are they doing here? They look so menacing!"
"What's with the aggressive attitude?!"
Li Dazhuang slapped his thigh. "They're so anxious! Secretary Ma from Majiawan just grabbed my hand and almost broke it! They heard that our village's melons sold for six cents a pound, and a Liberation truck is coming to pick them up, and their eyes are practically popping out of their sockets! Right now they're at the team headquarters, clamoring to see you and the secretary, saying they absolutely have to get us to lead their village to work together!"
"what?"
Li Youtian was stunned, his mouth agape for a long time.
They're not here to arrest people?
Are they here to seek cooperation?
"They say that bastard Zhan Laosan went to their village and drove down the price for melons to two cents!"
Li Dazhuang was indignant. "They were practically driving people to their deaths! As soon as they heard we had connections here, these guys drove their tractors over overnight."
The air in the room froze for a second.
Then, Li Xiaoyue burst out laughing.
"Dad, listen to this. Is this what you mean by 'something's happened'?" Li Xiaoyue teased.
Li Xiaotao stood up, straightened her collar, and her spirited eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
This is the effect she wanted.
Going it alone is only small-scale; to truly grow your business and gain control of the market, you need to integrate all the surrounding resources.
With the supply of goods from these villages, she had more leverage in her negotiations with Qin Rushan.
"Let's go, Father."
Li Xiaotao walked over and reached out to support Li Youtian, who was still in a daze. "Since all the village secretaries and elders are here, we can't act arrogantly. Let's go and meet them!"
Li Youtian watched his daughter's resolute back.
He took a deep breath and straightened his back.
Also.
He is now the village's Party Secretary Li, a prominent figure who has led the entire village to prosperity and is the envy of the surrounding area!
What's there to be afraid of!
"Walk!"
Li Youtian picked up his large pipe again, put his hands behind his back, and strode off with an air of utter indifference. "Let's go teach these old buddies a lesson, let them know what a modern economic mindset is!"
The headquarters of Lijiacun Village was shrouded in smoke.
The not-so-spacious conference room was packed with middle-aged men dressed in various Zhongshan suits and long gowns.
The village secretaries, who would normally fight tooth and nail over water and land boundaries, were now like long-lost brothers, huddled around the long table, staring longingly at the doorway.
"Old Ma, do you think Old Li will agree?"
The village secretary of Zhaojiatun tapped his cigarette ash, looking distressed. "Old Zhan is really ruthless. Two cents? He's treating us like monkeys. If Old Li hadn't taken us along, these hundreds of thousands of catties of melons would have been a complete waste."
"Does he dare not bring it?"
Although Secretary Ma was stubborn, his confidence was clearly lacking. "We're all from the same commune, we'll see each other all the time... At worst, we'll just give him a little kickback!"
Just as they were muttering to themselves, the curtain was lifted.
Li Youtian walked in with his hands behind his back and his head held high.
Half a step behind him followed Li Xiaotao, who had a calm expression.
"Oh dear! Old Li! My own brother!"
Party Secretary Ma was the first to jump up, rushing forward in a few steps to tightly grasp Li Youtian's hand. His enthusiasm was even greater than when he saw his own father. "I've been waiting for you! If you hadn't come, I would have hanged myself at the entrance of your team!"
"Yeah, Lao Li! We've known each other for years. You can have the meat, but we can't let the brothers go without even a drop of soup!"
Surrounded by a throng of flatterers, Li Youtian felt incredibly pleased, as if he had drunk two ounces of strong liquor.
But he remembered his daughter's instructions and knew he had to keep a straight face and remain composed.
"Everyone, please be quiet."
Li Youtian cleared his throat, adopting a businesslike demeanor. "I understand why everyone's here. But it's not that I don't want to help. These county transport team vehicles aren't something we can just arrange as we please. Our Li Family Village has gone through a tremendous amount of trouble to get this route sorted out..."
"Old Li, stop with the bureaucratic talk!"
Commune official Wang, standing nearby, also looked anxious. "As long as the melons can be transported out, you can name your conditions! As long as it doesn't violate principles, the commune will fully support you!"
At this moment, Li Xiaotao, who had been silent all along, took a step forward.
Her gaze swept over everyone present, her voice clear and bright.
"Dear uncles and elders."
"Using this line isn't out of the question. But we need to establish some rules. If we're going to do it, let's do it on a large scale. We'll use Lijia Village as the center and centrally purchase and sell the fruits and vegetables from our several villages. What I want is consistent quality and unified distribution. Anyone who dares to secretly mix in rotten fruits and vegetables and ruin their reputation, or who tries to curry favor with Zhan Laosan for petty gains..."
She paused, then continued, "Then don't blame me, Li Xiaotao, for turning my back on him and kicking him out of the game!"
The audience was silent.
Everyone knows Li Xiaotao from Li Family Village is a tiger, but no one expected her to be this fierce!
Party Secretary Ma looked at the young woman, gritted his teeth, and slammed his hand on the table: "Fine! As long as it sells, I'll do whatever you say, niece! Anyone who dares to break the rules, I, Old Ma, will be the first to cripple them!"