Chapter 288: Paying the Money

With the direct sales model now proving effective, in the afternoon, Li Xian called Xu Maohui to instruct the production at the factory to start immediately and prepare stock. He then spent over an hour discussing with Wang Hongfei about common direct sales strategies from later generations, which left Wang Hongfei astonished. He took detailed notes and immediately booked a train ticket back to Harbin to organize the team and plan the sales strategy.

In the lumber yard, aside from the factory office, the school, and the health clinic, there were only six public restrooms made of wooden boards along the main road. Li Xian wanted to pay wages to Aunt Ma and others but found there was no place to withdraw money. He had to send Zhou Yong to the Agricultural Credit Cooperative at the forestry bureau to get the money. By the time Zhou Yong returned, it was already past four in the afternoon.

Seeing the neat stacks of hundred-yuan bills in front of him, which were all the funds in his personal account, Li Xian felt a pang of pain. Despite the fact that the health products hadn't yet started to make a profit, he had already drained all his activity funds.

A year ago, seeing so much money would have made his family's eyes bulge with excitement. But now, everyone in the household, except for Zou Ni, remained quite indifferent. Even Li Pi, who usually didn't handle family finances, just took a stack, fiddled with it for a while, and then set it aside.

Li Daoyun was sitting cross-legged on the kang, looking at the neatly stacked bundles of money and wiping his sparse white hair. "Grandson, are we going to distribute the money now?"

"Yes," Li Xian nodded. "Grandpa, it's been over a week. The people who are reliable and those who are just fence-sitters are pretty clear now. If we wait any longer, it'll be like going against our own."

Li Daoyun, with his long longevity eyebrows, took the box of tobacco leaves from the edge of the kang. He crushed the large tobacco leaves with his fingers and filled the pipe.

Li Xian quickly took out a match and handed it to the old man to light the pipe. "What do you think?"

With a puff of pungent smoke, Li Daoyun nodded. "Yes, it's time."

After pondering for a moment, the old man waved his hand. "But the money can't be distributed quietly; it has to make some noise!"

Hearing this highest order, Li Xian chuckled. "What a coincidence, Grandpa, we're on the same page!"

Meanwhile, Li You yawned. "What's up? Still planning to make a big deal out of this?"

Ignoring Li You, the old and the young exchanged a knowing look, their expressions of cunning almost identical.

---

Over the past few days, the lumberyard had been overwhelmed with trivial tasks that had tied up most of the labor. Although the work was not strenuous, the managers of the yard were strict about time, even more so than during the logging period.

By five o'clock, people finally began to return home. At five-thirty, just as people were washing up and preparing dinner, the loudspeaker in the lumberyard broadcasted:

"Attention, everyone! Two announcements!"

With the setting sun almost below the horizon, Li You's voice came through the loudspeaker, cutting through the smoky air and reaching every household.

"Our forestry bureau's berry research institute's mountain specialty oral liquid has found a market! The research institute's factory is now fully operational, and the previously acquired Schisandra and Eleutherococcus will start being transported out tomorrow. Those who were registered at the primary processing plant, please go to the sawmill tomorrow to help with loading! That's the first announcement."

Some listeners, hearing the broadcast, quickly dressed and came out of their houses.

"What? The factory really got going?"

"Seems like it. Didn't they say the market's opened up? Looks like we might actually see some money now?"

"Nonsense, how could it be so quick? They're probably just trying to save face. I heard from Old Ma's family the other day that they hadn't paid a penny for all the Schisandra and Eleutherococcus collected. If they really got money, they'd at least advance some payment."

As people murmured, the loudspeaker blared again.

"The second announcement: The money for the previously collected mountain goods hasn't been settled. Now, while there's time, we'll verify accounts with the mountain workers who were registered at the primary processing plant. Please note down the numbers and match them with your receipts. If everything checks out, come to the lumberyard at eight o'clock tomorrow morning to collect your money. I'll read out the details. Everyone, pay attention. Ma Dagui, received 650 jin of Schisandra and 440 jin of Eleutherococcus. Eleutherococcus is 0.51 yuan per jin, Schisandra is 0.30 yuan per jin, totaling 415 yuan. Tong Xianglan, Schisandra 550 jin, Eleutherococcus 410 jin, totaling 370 yuan. Liu Chunzheng, Eleutherococcus 610 jin, Schisandra…"

The broadcast went on for over twenty minutes. As people heard the detailed figures, they were stunned!

In the lumberyard, wages were paid daily. The minor jobs over the past few days were considered temporary work, paying just three yuan a day. Although it wasn't tiring, it consumed an entire day's time. Over the past ten days, workers earned only a few dozen yuan. But compared to the money collected from mountain goods, this was a pittance!

Previously, Li Daoyun had publicly stated that wages wouldn't be paid in advance, and the managers of the lumberyard repeatedly said that the factory wouldn't last and might collapse any day. Thus, most people considered the mountain goods collection unreliable. But now, hearing about the payment, everyone's eyes lit up.

In just ten days, each person was getting three to four hundred yuan. That was more than half a year's wages at the lumberyard!

The money earned from collecting mountain goods was substantial. If they had known earlier, they wouldn't have just worked part-time at the lumberyard; they would have taken up a job at the forestry bureau even if it meant less pay!

As the broadcast's echoes mingled with the chirps of sparrows, the people in the lumberyard were buzzing with excitement.

The next morning.

Li Xian and Li Daoyun had carefully chosen the time and place for distributing the money. In the lumberyard, workers usually first gathered at the yard office and then took four-wheelers to the logging site.

So, when Li You and Li Xian set up a table in front of the factory office with the money and forms ready for distribution, the workers were already assembling in front of the office.

Seeing dozens of people with receipts in hand, receiving three or four large hundred-yuan notes each from Li You and Li Xian, the workers stood excitedly in the morning sun and dew, eagerly counting their money. The old and young at the lumberyard were all staring in astonishment.

Even though the broadcast had announced payments for mountain workers, some people still had doubts.

Now, seeing the colorful notes in the hands of the "lucky ones," everyone could no longer contain their excitement.

In the crowd, a small group pushed to the front of the factory gate, their eyes glued to the stacks of money on the table, their faces showing a forced smile.

"Director Li," spoke Wu Ergou, Liu Accountant's neighbor. Though still young, he looked older, in his thirties, standing before Li You as if he were a peer.

Li Xian wasn't familiar with him but had heard from Li Daoyun that this man's father had arranged a betrothal for him when he was young, leading to an early marriage and children. His early break from the engagement had made him age faster.

The old man had once used this as an example to caution Li Xian about restraint when he found a partner…

Seeing someone call out to him, Li You lifted his eyes. "Oh, it's Ergou. What's up?"

"I just wanted to ask if we're still collecting Schisandra and Eleutherococcus."

Li You raised an eyebrow. "Yes, we are."

"That's great!" Ergou and the others' faces brightened. "We'll head up the mountain today! Since it hasn't snowed yet, we'll bring some mountain goods to the primary processing plant!"

"Wait," Li Xian interjected, "Ergou, did you register when the primary processing plant was hiring mountain workers?"

Ergou was taken aback. "No, I didn't."

Li Xian nodded. "Oh, then it won't work. We're now getting the factory on track, and we're not accepting anyone who wasn't registered."

"Well, what about us then?" Wu Ergou was caught off guard and blushed with embarrassment. He remembered that when the primary processing plant was first set up, he didn't believe it would succeed and didn't show up. Now, faced with the colorful money, he felt reluctant to leave empty-handed.

Seeing his agitated and greedy expression, Li Xian smirked.

"Then, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."

After distributing the money to Aunt Ma and others, Li Xian tucked the remaining money into his coat pocket and signaled Aunt Ma. He then helped Li You, who was maintaining a serious and upright posture, to his feet.

Returning home, the vice-manager in charge of organizing labor approached, cigarette in mouth, hands behind his back.

"Let's go. The road to the logging site is uneven in winter; we need to go fix it today. We'll split into

 two groups: one to the north mountain to load sand, and the other with me…"

Seeing that no one was paying attention, staring at the departing Li You and his son, the vice-manager became disgruntled and threw his cigarette on the ground. "Why are you all staring? Do you think you're a goose? Stop looking, and get back to work."

"Damn it, I'm done with this!" On the other side, Wu Ergou threw his shovel on the ground. "Damn it, you guys always said Old Li's factory wouldn't make it, blocking us from collecting mountain goods and making us do these shitty tasks. Now look, they've all gotten rich! Damn it, if I keep listening to you, I'll be a fool!"

"Damn right! If you hadn't blocked us, I'd have made a couple of hundred by now. I'd already have the New Year's money!"

Previously, people didn't think much of it, but now, stimulated by the payments, their dissatisfaction burst forth.

Hundreds of people threw their tools on the ground, gathering around the disgruntled deputy manager and the others, and started a loud commotion!