Transmigrating into the Genius Cannon Fodder’s Aunt

Chapter 76 – An Eye for an Eye

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After two months of working from dawn to dusk, Xia Wenyue’s Xinsheng brand skewered hotpot seasonings, fish tofu, and fish balls were back on the market! She had also added several new products, including shrimp balls and vegetarian sausage.

The first wave of sales went to the laid-off workers from the factory. As before, they earned commissions based on their sales figures. This approach provided a much-needed livelihood for many who had been worrying about their next meal. Those who were good talkers or well-connected could earn almost as much in a month as they used to make in wages.

Some, feeling they weren’t cut out for direct sales, simply bought in bulk and set up stalls in the wet markets.

And then there were the skewered hotpot stalls.

Xia Mian’s earlier premonition came true. Starting in June, many factories began to shut down or restructure. Workers either lost their jobs outright or stopped receiving wages.

Xia Wenyue immediately commissioned a batch of mobile food carts, all painted with a uniform Xinsheng Skewered Hotpot signboard. Anyone willing to join in could buy a cart at cost price and start selling right away, with Xia Wenyue giving them a simple training session.

The main technical know-how was in the soup base and ingredients, both of which Xia Wenyue had already prepared and standardized. Anyone who wasn’t an idiot could run this, and as long as you could find a good spot, sales were practically guaranteed.

That colleague’s sister-in-law whom Mao Huimei had mentioned before was among the first to try it out. By the second month, she was so grateful that she had given Mao Huimei a gift and even introduced some relatives to join in.

Thus, in the midst of the desperate wave of layoffs, many people began giving this venture a try. Thanks to the simple model and easy replication, ten carts were sold in the first month, followed by fifty in the second.

By the time Mao Zhishan finished filming his third drama and came home, Xinsheng Food Factory’s sales growth had noticeably accelerated.

At first, it was entirely thanks to his celebrity effect, starting from the neighborhood around Xia Mian’s home. Huizhu had been boasting in kindergarten for ages that her father was a star, but hardly anyone took her seriously—after all, young kids loved to say all sorts of things, like claiming their dad was Sun Wukong and could do seventy-two transformations. It was not until the TV drama started airing that everyone realized the girl had been telling the truth all along.

The moment they learned that the skewered hotpot and fish tofu came from a celebrity’s family, enthusiasm soared. In this era, people didn’t distinguish between actors, singers, idols, or internet influencers as later generations would. Especially the older folk—anyone who appeared on TV performing was simply called a “star.” And their passion for fandom was no less than in modern times, though it was far more reserved.

During the two days Mao Zhishan was at home, even though people knew his family no longer sold directly, they would still pretend not to know and come by, just to have an excuse to chat with him.

Mao Zhishan didn’t shy away. Gone was the timid, self-effacing man from before; with his strikingly handsome looks and confident, open demeanor, he made many young women blush and set older women to stare dreamily.

The one thing that hadn’t changed was his personality—still gentle and approachable. He patiently explained Xinsheng Food Factory’s franchise and sales model to everyone and left the sales contact number for the factory.

At first, people were only there to see the star, but it wasn’t long before Xinsheng skewered hotpot seasoning and fish tofu began appearing in the local grocery stores and vegetable markets.

Li Peng’s stall also became unusually busy. Even if customers couldn’t get a seat or a skewer, they wouldn’t go to Fatty Wang’s mother’s stall. When Fatty Wang’s mother finally gave up and considered moving to the gate of No. 5 Junior High, she discovered someone had already set up a Xinsheng skewered hotpot cart there—identical to Li Peng’s, even with the same flavor.

After the initial promotion at home, to avoid being surrounded by curious neighbors, Mao Zhishan joined the factory and helped with sales. Not only had he shed his inferiority complex, but he now knew how to make the most of the advantages his looks gave him. At the very least, just by standing there politely, coupled with his star identity, few would turn him down at the doorstep.

With Xinsheng’s products being genuinely good, orders came naturally. In short, Mao Zhishan’s sales runs were twice as effective for half the effort.

But Xia Mian still wasn’t done and immediately suggested that Xia Wenyue film a TV commercial. Having a star in the house, it would be a waste not to make the most of it!

Commercials in this era were still simple affairs. They weren’t nearly as prevalent as they would be in later years, and as a result, advertising costs weren’t that high either. Given Xinsheng Food Factory’s current production capacity, advertising on just one local TV station would be enough. The biggest expense would probably be production and actors’ fees—but since they had Mao Zhishan, that alone saved a huge chunk of the budget, making it a bargain.

Xia Mian had thought persuading Xia Wenyue would require some effort, but to her surprise, her aunt agreed without hesitation. Since the incident with the Jia family, Xia Wenyue seemed to have grown more assertive and bold than ever.

Speaking of the Jia family—just like Fatty Wang’s mother’s skewered hotpot stall had completely collapsed, the Jia family’s fish tofu and fish ball business had also suffered a heavy blow.

In the months when Xia Wenyue was busy establishing her factory, the production machines at home had stopped running. The Jia family thought they had completely defeated her. Then, taking advantage of having the only product on the market, they began cutting corners to save costs, even doing away with packaging and selling everything in random plastic bags. Not only did they raise prices again, but they often shorted customers on weight.

Naturally, the customers were unhappy—those who could avoid buying from them did so. But for many, after more than half a year, fish tofu and fish balls had become essential ingredients in their restaurants’ signature dishes. They couldn’t simply do without them, so they kept buying, albeit begrudgingly.

When Xia Wenyue called to announce that Xinsheng products were back on the market, the remaining customers immediately cut off the Jia family and returned to buying from Xinsheng Food Factory. By then, even lowering their prices and promising quality couldn’t restore the Jia family’s credibility.

They wanted to struggle, but were helpless. After her comeback, Xia Wenyue had left them with no way to cause trouble. If they improved quality and looked for new sales, they could still survive—but people who are used to taking shortcuts rarely go back to working hard. So instead, they copied Xinsheng Food Factory’s packaging and began passing off their goods as Xinsheng’s products.

Mao Huizhu was fuming, “Today after school I heard them telling some suppliers that their goods came from our factory!”

Mao Huilan frowned. “Mom, can’t we sue them now?”

Their mother simply smiled, “No rush. Let’s wait until our ads are out first.”

Seeing Mao Huilan’s confusion, Xia Mian explained, “The bigger our reputation, the more seriously the district and the court will take it. And suing them then will also serve as a warning to others.”

The Jia family wouldn’t be the only ones trying to imitate their products. As such, it was better to make an example out of them.

The commercial was produced by Rong Xin’s company, and it came out quickly. The content had a straightforward simplicity unique to this era:

A father pours Xinsheng skewered hotpot seasoning into a pot of clear water, simmering a broth fragrant enough to make mouths water. The child ran over excitedly, swallowing their saliva, while the mother and grandparents gathered around in delight. The father then drops a variety of ingredients into the pot—

Red chili oil coating springy fish tofu, snowy-white fish balls, emerald-green bok choy, lotus root slices, quail eggs, kelp… enough to make anyone’s appetite surge.

The harmonious family sits around the table, eating with relish. Finally, Mao Zhishan delivers the tagline: “Xinsheng Skewered Hotpot—The Fresh Taste of Xinsheng.”

Early commercials weren’t flashy, but the food was beautifully filmed. The day after it aired, Xia Wenyue made a pot of skewered hotpot for the family to feast.

Ning Shaoyun came over holding Chenchen’s hand, with Aunt Wei following behind. Aunt Wei laughed, “Your ads gave me a craving. Didn’t expect you’d be tempted too!”

Xia Wenyue chuckled. “Well, who told them to make it look so delicious? Just watching it makes us hungry.”

Everyone sat together eating skewers, something they hadn’t done in a long time. Aunt Wei sighed. “This time last year, you were just starting one stall. And now—you’ve got a whole factory.”

“Has it only been a year? It feels like such a long time.” Xia Wenyue also felt nostalgic. Life back in Mingxi County seemed like something from a previous lifetime.

“Honestly, I never expected this,” she finally shook her head with a wry smile.

But there were plenty more things Xia Wenyue hadn’t expected—at the very least, the effect of the commercial was far beyond her imagination. Right after it aired, the sales department’s phone was practically ringing off the hook. The production machines began running around the clock, with three shifts back-to-back.

For the next month, Xia Wenyue practically lived in the factory. Xinsheng products quickly entered various supermarkets across Yan City. Even chain supermarkets she had once never dared dream of working with came forward on their own to discuss cooperation.

When she saw the monthly sales figures, the tension she’d been holding in for so long finally melted away. She had done it. Reflecting on the nerve-wracking journey of the past six months, she realized that once you take that first step, some things aren’t as daunting as they appear.

And for this, she really did have to thank the Jia family.

But debts still had to be repaid. At the end of the year, Xia Wenyue filed a lawsuit against them.

The Jia family’s small workshop, suspected of operating illegally, was shut down on the spot. The case for impersonating the Xinsheng brand and infringing on its trademark lasted three months, and after the new year, the first-instance judgment came down: they were to issue a public apology and compensate Xinsheng Food Factory fifty thousand yuan.

Naturally, the Jia family didn’t want to pay. When Xia Wenyue sued them, they hadn’t expected to play tough—but things were no longer as they once were. The Jia family might still be local bullies, but Xia Wenyue was no longer just an ordinary outsider.

Xinsheng Food Factory now had a name in Longcheng District, its tax contributions to the local government were clearly rising, and most importantly, it had made a significant contribution during the wave of layoffs. All this was enough to make the local court take the case seriously.

The Jia family finally got a taste of being cornered.

The old matriarch of the family sat crying at the doorway. “Your factory is already so big, why do you still care about our little stall? You’re trying to wipe us out—this is pure bullying!”

“You’re just out for revenge! You outsiders have such black hearts. Back then, we even helped you get your first orders! This is how you repay kindness?!”

A neighbor who disliked them sneered. “That’s why they say you should always leave people a way out—you never know when you’ll meet again. Back then, didn’t your family refuse to let her sell to the neighbors, even though you didn’t care about those small orders? Wasn’t that wiping people out too? And now you’re complaining!”

Someone else remembered what the old woman had once said and chuckled. “If you ask me, all that work is exhausting. Since you’re already selling under the Xinsheng name, why not just buy directly from Xinsheng’s factory? Saves trouble, and no one can accuse you of selling fakes.”

Xia Wenyue came straight out of the door and thanked the neighbors who had spoken up for her. “Distant relatives aren’t as good as close neighbors. I really couldn’t have gotten here without everyone’s support.”

She turned to the tantrum-throwing old woman. “I never wanted to destroy anyone. If you want to reopen your workshop, get the proper licenses and register your own trademark—I won’t interfere. But you can’t use my brand. If someone gets sick from eating your food, who would take the blame?”

Without waiting for a response, she turned to two neighbors and asked, “Who do we talk to if we want to fix the road in our alley?”

Fatty Wang’s mother, who had been watching from the sidelines, immediately asked, “You’re going to repair our road?”

Xia Wenyue didn’t take offense and replied with a smile, “I’d like to, but you know the factory’s been open less than a year, and we still owe the bank over a hundred thousand yuan.”

“But the court awarded me this money from the Jia family. Keeping it just doesn’t feel right, so I thought—why not use it to benefit the neighborhood? Let’s fix our alley!”

“Ah, Director Xia, you’re very generous!” Fatty Wang’s mother said at once. “Our alley’s full of potholes, and with the snow melting these past few days, there’s so much mud around. Whether it’s brick or cement, fifty thousand should cover it!”

Everyone immediately voiced their agreement—everyone except the old woman Jia, whose face was like iron.

Xia Wenyue really is cunning! This way, she has turned the creditor from herself into the entire neighborhood!

Translator’s Note:

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