Qian Feier was sending her child to school when suddenly someone darted in front of her and started touching her. Frightened, she screamed repeatedly.
Li Na’s eardrums ached from the sharp sound, making her wish she could stuff Qian Feier's mouth shut.
However, remembering the purpose of her visit, she suppressed her displeasure and said, "Miss, please calm down. I have no ill intentions. I just wanted to ask you a few questions!"
Qian Feier then clearly saw the face of the "thug." It was the person who had "tricked" her out of money yesterday! She immediately said with annoyance, "What are you doing? Are you trying to abduct women in broad daylight?"
When Li Na heard the words "abduct women," three black lines appeared on her forehead. If she were to abduct someone, she’d pick someone small and easy to carry. This woman was as plump as a pig; who would be interested in her?
The words remained on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t say them. Business required harmony; being too sharp or mean would scare away customers.
So, Li Na forced herself to endure her anger, plastering on a fawning smile. She asked, "Of course not. Esteemed parent, I was just curious why you weren't buying grilled sausages today. I recall you telling me yesterday that you loved these kinds of snacks the most."
Hearing this, Qian Feier sneered and replied, "I do like these snacks, but that doesn't mean I like them fried by just anyone. With your skills, you're trying to compete with others. I advise you to go home early; no one will buy your grilled sausages anymore."
Listening to Qian Feier's cold words, the smile on Li Na’s face instantly turned grim. She was convinced this woman was sent by Chen Lishu to ruin her business.
So, she said impatiently, "If you're not eating, please hurry up and leave. Don't block my business path here."
Qian Feier's eyes widened in disbelief. How could this person be so shameless? She had stopped her, and now it was her fault!
She then said unhappily, "Fine, I’ll leave. But I'm telling you, your grilled sausages will absolutely not sell!" With that, Qian Feier angrily grabbed her child and left the school entrance.
What happened next was exactly as Qian Feier had predicted. Out of over two hundred grilled sausages, only about ten were sold. Li Na stood from morning until noon, and afterward, there was no activity at all.
Li Na dejectedly threw her tongs on the ground, her face contorted with fury. "Chen Lishu, that bitch is truly heartless! She’s already made a fortune in the clothing industry, and now, for tens of dollars from selling grilled sausages, she’s going to fall out with us relatives!"
Shen Wen, who had been silent, spoke up, "I don't think so."
Hearing Shen Wen's words, Li Na felt like a camel crushed by a single straw. Disregarding that they were outside, she started yelling at him, "You scoundrel, you're actually siding with an outsider now! Are you also bewitched by that vixen!"
Shen Wen, with a headache, reprimanded her, "What nonsense are you talking about? I've only met her once. What are you imagining? Calm down. Let's analyze the reasons for the business failure. Otherwise, the eight dollars we earned yesterday will all be lost on these hundreds of grilled sausages."
Upon hearing about potential losses, Li Na finally quieted down. "Then tell me, what exactly is going on?"
"As far as I know, Chen Lishu also just started working part-time at this kindergarten. How could she possibly have the influence to make all the parents respond with such enthusiasm? I think it's very likely not Chen Lishu's problem, but an issue with our ingredients!" Shen Wen, as expected of someone educated, had pinpointed the crux of the issue.
Li Na, however, found this analysis ridiculous. She said, "I personally watched Chen Lishu fry the grilled sausages, and she bought almost the same ingredients. There can't be a problem!"
Shen Wen knew Li Na was stubborn and didn't say much more, only leaving her with, "If you don't believe me, we can take a closer look tonight!"
"Fine, we will!" Li Na retorted, picking up her cart with resentment and pushing it away from the school entrance.
----
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Lishu arrived at the kindergarten on time.
Su Nian, standing beside her, said, "Madam, the two people who followed us last time are here again."
"Mhm." Chen Lishu was not surprised by this outcome. Li Na's business was not going well, so she would naturally look for reasons. However, this did not prevent her from continuing her stall. In decades to come, there would be countless stalls like this selling grilled sausages. Why did some businesses thrive while others languished? It wasn't about how well the sausages were fried, but more about the seasoning. After all, every shop had its own specialty. Even if Li Na stole the technique, the seasoning she made would inevitably differ slightly from Chen Lishu's. Then, who's business would flourish and who would fail would be a matter of individual skill.
At that moment, in the shadows.
A shrewd glint flashed in Shen Wen's deep eyes. He nudged Li Na's shoulder and said, "Wife, look! It seems like she's brushing something onto the grilled sausages."
Li Na nodded in agreement. "It does! Could this be the reason the sausages taste so good? But what exactly is she brushing on them?"
Shen Wen was troubled. Chen Lishu had no intention of teaching them how to make money, and asking her would likely yield no results. But if they didn't ask, wouldn't this opportunity to make money slip through their fingers? Most importantly, they had bought over two hundred sausages. If they couldn't sell them, they would not only lose money but also incur further costs.
Just as Shen Wen was pondering, Li Na straightened up, her expression blank, and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Shen Wen, seeing this, quickly chased after her.
Li Na, however, said calmly, "We can't get the results we want from Chen Lishu, but we can approach someone else indirectly!"
"Who?"
"Li Xiulan!"
"..."
----
After selling the grilled sausages and returning home, Chen Lishu leaned lazily back in her chair. Hearing the movement, Gu Xingdong also came out from the kitchen.
"You have to manage the company during the day and run the stall at night. You've worked hard," Gu Xingdong said with concern, then poured Chen Lishu a glass of water.
Chen Lishu took the water and drank it down in large gulps, saying, "This is indeed quite tiring." Most of the company's affairs were handled by Zhang Bin, but the final results still required her review. The workload was the same, just compressed into a shorter timeframe. She still had to dedicate a significant amount of effort to the company, and then there was the added energy required for the stall. Chen Lishu held her head in her hands and said, "If I continue like this, I might not be able to keep going."
Gu Xingdong frowned and said, "If you can't keep going, then we won't do it."