Chapter 586: Should I Call Him Father-in-law or Uncle?

On New Year’s Eve and the first day, Jizhou was filled with the sounds of firecrackers.

Although the city strictly prohibits random firecracking, the enforcement isn’t tight, so many still sneakily set them off.

Red scraps of paper lay on the snow, creating a festive contrast of red and white.

This atmosphere persisted until the third day when the festive spirit gradually began to fade.

It seemed like a grand performance was concluding. Life quickly returned to its calm state, eliciting sighs from the people.

On New Year’s Eve, Qin Zi’ang prepared a truckload of fireworks and brought them to the riverbank. Feng Nanshu played with them until the early morning of the fifth day, her medium-sized Louis Vuitton handbag still stuffed with three firecrackers and a bundle of fireworks.

A cool and aloof lady, her expression cold and clear, carried a quirky beauty as she focused on setting off fireworks daily.

“Jiang Qin, go set off the fireworks.”

On the morning of the sixth, Feng Nanshu put on a down jacket, wrapping herself thickly and only revealing her clear, bright eyes like a timid cat.

Jiang Qin approached her and kissed her lightly, “You weren’t like this before, where is your aloofness!”

Feng Nanshu stared at him for a long time, “Actually, I’ve always been mischievous.”

“You know you’re mischievous. Let’s go after breakfast.”

“Ow.”

After breakfast, Jiang Qin led Feng Nanshu downstairs to set off fireworks in the snow, attracting a crowd of children.

Third Uncle’s shop opened early. Though business was slow, he greeted and handed out cigarettes to many.

He stood by the roadside smoking, squinting at the couple with a smile across his weathered face.

These two, nearly parents themselves, still acted like children.

At that moment, Jiang Qin stood by the roadside, letting go of Feng Nanshu’s hand to let her enjoy herself, while he looked around, noticing many were beginning to prepare for their journeys back home.

Some were loading up cars, others pulling suitcases along.

Most of these people worked out of town and needed to return early to settle back and prepare for work.

“Uncle Qing, heading back so early?”

“Yes, the rent has gone up again. I returned the apartment before the New Year, now I need to find a new place early, or I won’t make it back in time for work. Next time I come back, it might be for your wedding with Nanshu.”

“Who said we’re getting married this year?”

“Well, that’s what everyone’s saying. It’s all around the neighborhood.”

Jiang Qin squinted, turning to look at Feng Nanshu squatting on the ground. She furtively moved her gaze away, as if dissociating from it all.

Uncle Qing chuckled, waved goodbye to Jiang Qin, then started on his journey back south to work.

Hongrong Homes, a set of relocated housing projects, is predominantly inhabited by those who moved from rural towns, like Yuan Youqin and Jiang Zhenghong with stable jobs being a minority.

Most of them work in large cities and spend little time at home.

As the returnees mount, delivery orders in first and second-tier cities begin to surge.

The market seemed to harness a powerful force around New Year, which began to flourish as the festival ended.

Especially delivery riders, their registrations went up like floodgates opening.

This surge in activity during and after the New Year is not unexpected.

During the festive period, one might sit at home while others boast about earning tens of thousands or purchasing new homes.

If you didn’t earn as much, you might feel out of balance, vowing to make a big impact in the coming year.

Alongside media hype about the delivery industry from sources like Tonight’s Headlines, Tencent News, and Weibo, many decide to join at the start of the year.

As this industry buzz grows, several platforms began exponentially expanding their services.

Baidu’s Sticky Rice Delivery quickly encapsulated five cities, increasingly spreading both online and offline ads, recruiting delivery riders while promoting their app.

Alibaba’s Koubei Food Delivery processed acquired apps from before the New Year, quickly taking root in Jiangcheng, Xingcheng, and Yongcheng.

Yet, the fastest and most stable growth was by the platform ‘Hungry yet not’.

Not only did their rider numbers grow rapidly, but delivery times also decreased. Though their discounts couldn’t match others, their other advantages nearly did.

In delivery, speed is key.

Slow service significantly diminishes the food’s appeal.

Since most order due to lack of time, waiting an hour might make the service redundant.

Zhang Xuhao felt the timing was ripe, and quickly moved to strategize in Kyoto, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

At this moment, Tencent’s investment in ‘Hungry yet not’ was finalized, boosting this platform’s aggressive expansion.

In just half a month, three platforms had spread to over seventy cities with over a hundred thousand riders registered.

‘Hungry yet not’ accounted for fifteen cities, less than the others, yet their riders comprised over two-fifths.

Despite the competition, ‘Hungry yet not’s’ growth was not only unhindered but soared, bolstering Zhang Xuhao and Chen Jiaxin’s confidence to an almost euphoric level.

“The advantage of ‘Hungry yet not’ lies in their dispatch system’s efficiency. We should invest more in this to enhance the rider’s app.”

“Besides optimizing the dispatch system, advertising is key.”

Former Lashou network regional manager, Robin Luo, joined Koubei after Lashou’s disintegration.

With mature O2O market experience, they strategized for Koubei’s food delivery’s growth.

Additionally, Alibaba parachuted in a middle-supply experienced leader, Guo Liang, to steer the project.

“‘Hungry yet not’s’ President Zhang, though young, possesses strong business capabilities.”

“Nowadays, young people should not be underestimated…”

Winter break was nearing its end, and the spring flowers of March began to awaken gradually.

At Chen Jiaxin’s suggestion, ‘Hungry yet not’, with a vast number of riders, emulated Public Review’s earlier tactics, initiating one yuan flash deals.

The entire food delivery industry officially entered the stage of customer acquisition.

Honestly, the industry’s growth exceeded many people’s expectations.

When the group-buying industry initially surged, its rapid development was jaw-dropping.

Back then, with thousands of group-buying sites, collective effort fueled the market’s unnatural progress after significant investment.

However, the delivery industry’s growth surpassed even the group-buying sector’s.

The main reason is that deliveries have become a necessity for today’s populace, aided by the ever-changing smartphone market.

With perfect timing, location, and societal conditions, delivery business managed to capitalize fully.

At this point, Jiang Qin was taking Feng Nanshu back to school. As they entered the campus, they spotted ‘Hungry yet not’s’ sky-blue promotional poster.

Linchuan, being a second-tier city especially with the rise of group-buying these past years, saw rising consumer levels making it a targeted city by delivery services.

Moreover, ‘Hungry yet not’, which started in a college town, naturally considered promoting in university areas.

Jiang Qin parked in front of the girls’ dorm, helping Feng Nanshu with her luggage and also carrying two large bags.

These were prepared by Yuan Youqin, containing an assortment of food, drink, and clothing.

“I have a meeting at headquarters this afternoon and dinner with classmates tonight, so I can’t join you for dinner.”

“Will we see each other tonight?”

“I’ll come over to kiss you tonight.”

After hearing this, Feng Nanshu held her breath. Her brother’s straightforwardness was getting more severe, now not even pretending.

Then she nodded obediently, waiting to be kissed, waved, and hurriedly took her things upstairs.

Gao Wenhui and others had been waiting in the dorm. Some were watching dramas, others preparing their thesis. Seeing Feng Nanshu return laden with bags, they immediately surrounded her.

Every start of term, they knew Feng Nanshu’s mother-in-law would bring plenty of goodies. This time was no exception.

Meanwhile, Jiang Qin turned the car around, heading to the group-buy headquarters for a meeting about new year goals for the staff.

The focus was on expanding the Group-Buy Supply Chain, providing source supplies to more merchants, and launching group-buy deliveries.

This was his target before graduation.

Meaning, within half a year, they aimed to lead the industry, entering and harvesting simultaneously.