Chapter 6: Large Arrears

Before this large order is completed, the shop cannot be renovated for fear of affecting business.

The storeroom needs to be tidied up; all the items that aren't currently needed must be cleared out to make room for the compressed biscuits and mineral water arriving shortly.

Once this big order is secured, I’ll achieve financial freedom!

Xiao Yingchun gave herself a pep talk, quickly brewed a pack of instant noodles to eat, and prepared to head into the warehouse to get to work.

The storeroom was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items. She cleared out empty cardboard boxes, put items that could be shelved directly onto the shelves, and organized those that couldn't into a box...

Xiao Yingchun had only organized a small portion before her back and waist began to ache.

Can’t this system organize the inventory automatically?

If I have to move everything by hand, how exhausting would that be?

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than a crisp electronic voice sounded in her head: "Would you like to enable the automatic inventory organization function?"

At the same time, two options appeared before Xiao Yingchun’s eyes.

Yes / RMB 10,000; No / 0 RMB.

Ten thousand yuan?

Xiao Yingchun’s first reaction was hesitation: it’s too expensive.

But then she thought, if the system could help organize the inventory from now on, and she spread that cost over a long period of time... it would be like hiring a reliable and cheap temporary worker!

It’s a bargain!

Xiao Yingchun decisively clicked "Yes."

Her WeChat chimed with a notification. She opened it and saw that, sure enough, ten thousand yuan had been deducted.

The system’s automatic inventory organization function was enabled as promised.

A magical scene unfolded: the messy cardboard shells and plastic bags in the storeroom seemed to grow legs, automatically changing shape and shifting positions.

Various goods were automatically stacked and boxed.

Anything that could be shelved was neatly arranged on the shelves.

Anything that didn't fit on the shelves was organized into cardboard boxes and placed on top of the shelves...

Not only that, but the shelves, which had been a bit dusty, were now spotlessly clean.

Even the storeroom itself was as clean as if it had been licked by a dog!

Awesome!

Xiao Yingchun looked at the unprecedentedly clean shelves and storeroom, feeling delighted.

Xiao Yingchun sat behind the counter, preparing to drink some water and take a break, when the phone rang. It was the owner of the wholesale store.

"Uncle Liang? What’s up?" Xiao Yingchun thought there was a problem with the compressed biscuit order.

Uncle Liang on the other end of the line sounded hesitant: "Yingchun, there’s something... I’m not sure if I should tell you..."

"Go ahead," Xiao Yingchun said, feeling nervous.

"It’s about this shop of yours. It was managed by your aunt before, right?"

"It seems your aunt owes a lot of money for goods to people outside. A few of them have come to ask me about it."

"What?" Xiao Yingchun was shocked, her back straightening in alarm.

"I was trying to arrange your order, so I contacted various shop owners in the area."

"When they heard I was supplying you, they asked me about this matter. They only felt comfortable giving me the goods once they heard you had paid a deposit..."

After hearing the situation from Uncle Liang, Xiao Yingchun was stunned.

Ever since Xiao Yingchun’s parents passed away in a car accident a year ago, her aunt, Ge Chunyu, had volunteered to look after the shop for her.

Xiao Yingchun really didn't want to run a supermarket, so she agreed.

However, they had signed a contract at the time: Ge Chunyu would be responsible for her own profits and losses during her management.

Who would have thought that a month ago, after Xiao Yingchun was laid off due to her boss's schemes and moved back, Ge Chunyu would complain to her constantly.

She claimed the supermarket wasn't making any money at all, that it was losing money, and that she would only continue if Xiao Yingchun paid her a salary.

Xiao Yingchun didn't believe it.

Her parents had relied on this supermarket to support a family of three for over twenty years; how could it possibly be losing money?!

Just as the one-year mark arrived, Xiao Yingchun took the supermarket back and started running it herself.

But Xiao Yingchun hadn't expected that Ge Chunyu would have racked up so much debt for goods from various wholesalers in the name of "Yingchun’s Grocery Store."

"I’ve already notified the regular suppliers that the owner has changed. How could there still be so much debt?"

Uncle Liang gave a simple laugh: "A few old acquaintances heard what you said, and while they let her owe a little at first, they stopped once they saw it was hard to get paid back."

"She just went and found a few other wholesalers to owe money to."

Xiao Yingchun understood and smiled: "Thank you for telling me, Uncle Liang. Please tell them the truth when you get a chance. Tell them to go to whoever they gave the goods to for the money, and if they can't get it, they should hurry up and sue."

Uncle Liang agreed and hung up the phone.

Xiao Yingchun scratched her head, hesitating whether to confront Ge Chunyu, but decided it wasn't worth it.

In matters like this, whoever initiates the confrontation loses the upper hand.

It’s not her debt, so she wouldn't worry about it.

Near noon, Uncle Liang delivered the first batch of goods: three thousand boxes of compressed biscuits and two thousand boxes of water.

With the incident involving her aunt in mind, Xiao Yingchun didn't hesitate to pay the balance for this batch in full, while also telling Uncle Liang: "When the next batch arrives, I’ll settle the payment on the spot as well."

Uncle Liang was so happy his crow's feet were dancing: "That would be great! You needed this batch in a hurry, and I had to front the money to source a lot of it from others."

Xiao Yingchun didn't haggle over the price for this batch; the profit margin was so huge it was a windfall anyway, and she just wanted things done properly.

Since only Fu Chen'an could enter the supermarket, Xiao Yingchun had Uncle Liang leave two flatbed carts that could pass through the back door, and she used the automatic inventory function to load them up.

Uncle Liang agreed readily, promising to deliver the second load later.

Xiao Yingchun closed the front door of the supermarket, opened the back door, and used the automatic inventory system to stack the compressed biscuits and water by the back exit.

Before long, Fu Chen'an arrived. His eyes lit up when he saw the flatbed carts loaded with goods.

Xiao Yingchun pointed to the two carts: "You pull them out one by one, and when you bring the empty carts back, I’ll load them up for you again. That will be faster."

Fu Chen'an agreed and first handed a sheepskin bag to Xiao Yingchun.

Xiao Yingchun opened the bag and looked inside: twenty gold ingots, filling the bag to the brim.

The balance was paid in full.

"Good. Go ahead and pull the goods."

Fu Chen'an pulled a cart of goods out the back door. The soldiers waiting outside immediately unloaded the goods onto horse-drawn carriages with practiced efficiency, then had Fu Chen'an pull the empty cart back.

After a few trips, Fu Chen'an felt something was off.

He would pull a cart of goods out, and in the brief moment it took to return, the other cart inside would already be loaded.

Xiao Yingchun loaded the carts so quickly and neatly, yet she didn't even break a sweat?

However, Fu Chen'an didn't ask: this shop was already bizarre, so it was normal for the person to be a bit strange too.

Soon, all the water and compressed biscuits in the storeroom had been delivered.

Xiao Yingchun explained: "My storeroom is only this big, so it can only hold this much at a time. Come back in two hours, and the rest of the goods will be ready."

"Understood." Fu Chen'an didn't hesitate and turned to leave.

These few thousand boxes of supplies were enough for them to start the battle.

If things went smoothly, they might not even need the subsequent supplies to take Yongzhou City.

Walking to the door, Fu Chen'an seemed to remember something: "Shopkeeper Xiao, do you have any medicine for external wounds? And perhaps some strong spirits for cleaning wounds?"

Xiao Yingchun understood immediately: "You're worried about not having medicine if you get injured in battle, right? That’s easy to handle... you provide the silver, and I’ll source the goods for you."

Fu Chen'an understood. He left behind a "wait for me" and turned to head out.

Before long, a sweating Fu Chen'an rushed back in and handed over another bag, containing twenty ten-tael silver ingots and ten ten-tael gold ingots.

(End of chapter)