PCJ – Chapter 343 Director Zhao

In fact, there’s quite an art to spanking. It may look harsh and the pain is real, but the strength is well controlled and won’t cause any real harm. Of course, such a high level of skill comes with practice. For a little brat, though, it’s an experience they would rather forget.

No matter how skilled you are, getting hit still hurts. Zhang Jiaohua, who had already made some progress in his cultivation, certainly felt the pain of the slaps on his behind. He wasn’t a vegetable, after all—getting hit still hurt.

“Will you run around again in the future?” Liu Qiaoye asked as she slapped him once more.

“No, I won’t run around anymore,” Zhang Jiaohua replied.

Another slap came, “Have you remembered?”

“I’ve remembered,” Zhang Jiaohua said, on the verge of tears. He already promised not to run, but the hitting continued.

Smack!

This time, Liu Qiaoye hit him without thinking too much and said, “This time, you’ll remember for sure. If you dare do it again, I’ll really swell up your behind!”

How should he respond to that? Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t sure how to answer.

Smack!

Sure enough, his hesitation gave Liu Qiaoye another excuse to slap him again. “Did you hear what I said?”

They were back in a loop! Zhang Jiaohua felt like crying but had no tears. Being a kid was like having no rights at all.

Meanwhile, a Little Chubby Monkey was watching from the side, chattering away while peeling peanuts and carelessly tossing the shells everywhere, covering the floor.

“Fat Cat!” Zhang Jiaohua rubbed his sore butt and became really angry. This Little Chubby Monkey still had the nerve to sit there and enjoy the show, which infuriated Zhang Jiaohua even more.

The Little Chubby Monkey quickly jumped up onto the beams, looking down at Zhang Jiaohua and shaking its head. Zhang Jiaohua went outside to grab a bamboo pole, but by the time he returned, the monkey had already disappeared without a trace. Clearly, the Little Chubby Monkey was well-practiced in these escape routines.

“Jiaohua, why do you always bully Fat Cat? He’s way more obedient than you,” Liu Qiaoye immediately came in and snatched the bamboo pole from Zhang Jiaohua.

“Mom, that Fat Cat throws garbage everywhere while eating!” Zhang Jiaohua complained.

“He’s just a monkey, you can teach him slowly, right?” Liu Qiaoye threw the pole out.

Having caused trouble this time, Zhang Jiaohua behaved for the next few days, going to school and coming home on time. When he got home, he would prepare batches of bamboo tube black tea. Now that his cultivation had advanced, the speed at which he produced the tea increased several times. What’s more, when Zhang Jiaohua made the tea, Jinhu and the others could also follow along and produce tea as well. The bamboo tube black tea they made was hardly any different from Zhang Jiaohua’s. As a result, their efficiency improved significantly.

Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye understood the importance of this bamboo tube black tea. When Zhang Jiaohua made it, they ensured no one else could see the process, not even the two of them. They even set aside a special room for Zhang Jiaohua to prepare the tea. Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye would be responsible for bringing the tea leaves in and taking the finished bamboo tube black tea out. While Zhang Jiaohua was working, Zhou Mountain Leopard and several mountain dogs guarded the house, ensuring no one could approach.

Once Zhang Jiaohua finished making the black tea, Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye would personally carry the tea to the warehouse.

“We’ve accumulated several hundred tubes of bamboo tube black tea already. Even at last year’s price, they’re worth hundreds of thousands. If we sell these, we’ll be able to recover all the money we invested this year,” Liu Qiaoye said, holding a basket full of bamboo tube black tea. One basket wasn’t heavy, and she could easily carry it.

“It’s only money once it’s sold. While it’s piled up here, it’s worth nothing. Even at last year’s prices, no one in Xintian County can afford so much bamboo tube black tea. Even in Zijiang, I doubt they can absorb this much. We really need to find new markets,” Zhang Youping replied.

“Dad, if we can’t find a market, we can reach out to someone,” Zhang Jiaohua said as he emerged from the house.

“Who?” Zhang Youping asked curiously.

“Last time, when Grandpa and I went to the province for a tea competition, I met someone. He asked if we had any good sales channels for our tea. I think he can help. If we go to him, he’ll have a solution,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

“Oh?” This was the first time Zhang Youping and Liu Qiaoye had heard of this.

Zhang Jiaohua recounted the situation from last time.

Zhang Youping nodded, “Since he’s a renowned tea expert, he must know this field well. If we can’t manage on our own, we’ll go to the provincial capital to find him.”

Before they could act, Zhao Jinyuan unexpectedly arrived in Meizi’ao.

“I’m really sorry. I never expected that guy Fei to act so recklessly. But he’s paying for it now—he’s caused a huge problem at the tea factory, and he won’t be able to keep his job as director,” Zhao Jinyuan said, feeling a little guilty towards Zhang Jiaohua. Previously, it was Zijiang City Tea Factory that had taken advantage of Zhang Jiaohua, but in the end, they abandoned him too.

“Uncle Zhao, you didn’t come all the way to Meizi’ao just to persuade us to work with the city tea factory again, did you? Are you planning to go back as director of the Zijiang City Tea Factory?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

Zhao Jinyuan shook his head. “They did want me to return as director, but I declined. I worked so hard at that factory for so many years, and even if I didn’t achieve great success, I put in a lot of effort. When the factory was thriving, they pushed me aside. Now that it’s a mess, they want me to clean it up? I’m not that foolish. I heard your family started a tea factory, so I came to take a look. Who knows? Maybe when I can’t make it in the official world, I’ll come to you for a job.”

Zhao Jinyuan was very capable, and even if he left his government job, he had plenty of other opportunities.

“That would be great! If you come, we’d welcome it. But our factory is too small to accommodate someone as important as you,” Zhang Youping said.

“I’m serious. After working in the agricultural bureau for so long, I’ve realized that the official world isn’t for me. I could go back to the Zijiang Tea Factory, but once I left, I decided I wouldn’t return. There are many people going into business nowadays, so I might as well follow the trend. I’ve already submitted my resignation, and although the city is still trying to keep me, my mind is made up. I’m not going back to Zijiang Tea Factory, but I am interested in your Meizi’ao Tea Factory. So, what do you think, Brother Zhang? Do you and your wife trust me enough to let me come work for you?” Zhao Jinyuan asked.

Zhao Jinyuan had been moved around by the city so much that he had become disillusioned. That’s why he had firmly decided to resign. Even though he had gone to the agricultural bureau, he always kept an eye on the tea factory. Getting information about it was no trouble for him at all.

Seeing that Zhao Jinyuan was serious, Zhang Youping didn’t dare make a hasty decision. He and his wife instinctively looked at Zhang Jiaohua for input.

“Great!” Zhang Jiaohua smiled. “My dad doesn’t have much experience. It would be wonderful if Uncle Zhao came.”

“Jiaohua, our tea factory may be called a factory, but compared to the city tea factory, it’s really nothing. Uncle Zhao is used to doing big things, how could he come to our small factory?” Zhang Youping said anxiously.

“I didn’t think about that,” Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head.

“Brother Zhang, I don’t like hearing you talk like that. I’m genuinely interested in coming. If you’re worried I’ll mess up the factory, then I’ll pretend I never said anything. But if you think Meizi’ao Tea Factory is too small for me, then you’re underestimating me. A mountain doesn’t have to be tall to be spiritual. Even though Meizi’ao Tea Factory is small now, with bamboo tube black tea, it won’t stay small forever. I’m confident I can make Meizi’ao Tea Factory bigger than the city tea factory within five years!” Zhao Jinyuan declared.

“What do you want in return?” Zhang Youping asked.

“Friends should keep things clear. I want to have absolute authority in the factory, and I want a 10% share in the tea factory,” Zhao Jinyuan said.

“Isn’t 10% too little?” Zhang Youping wasn’t thinking that Zhao Jinyuan was asking for too much—he actually thought it was too little.

“Even with 10%, I’ll already be making a profit. Brother Zhang, you still don’t fully understand the value of bamboo tube black tea. Even asking for 10% feels like a lot to me. But if I asked for more, I’m afraid Jiaohua would curse me in the future,” Zhao Jinyuan laughed.

Given Meizi’ao Tea Factory’s current size, Zhao Jinyuan could indeed have asked for more shares, as he had the capability. Not only did he have management experience, but he also had extremely valuable resources. As factory director, he could make Meizi’ao Tea Factory grow a hundred times faster than if Zhang Youping were running it alone.

“Your biggest concern now is the sales channels, right?” Zhao Jinyuan asked at just the right moment.

“Yes, we were just about to contact the tea expert Jiaohua met in the provincial capital,” Zhang Youping replied, not hiding anything.

“That’s a good option, but relying too much on others for sales can leave you vulnerable. The best solution is to build your own sales channels. I have experience in that, so leave it to me. Oh, and by the way, shouldn’t you issue me some sort of employment contract or something? I feel a bit insecure without it,” Zhao Jinyuan joked.

Though he was joking, when it came to business, he was very serious. He had a lawyer from Zijiang Law Firm draft a formal contract, got all the necessary documents in order, and even secured a legal advisor for Meizi’ao Tea Factory. This small village tea factory started out very formally and professionally—one of the benefits of having an experienced factory director from the beginning.

Although Zhao Jinyuan had established the sales channels, he recommended selling only the regular tea for now. If it weren’t for the pressure to generate cash flow, he would have suggested storing all the tea and waiting until after the bamboo tube black tea was judged at the International Agricultural Expo before selling any at all.