The trouble that Jiantao Supermarket encountered was indeed a big problem for the Jiang Tao brothers.
Although Jiang Tao had made some money in recent months, his network of connections was still quite weak.
In the capital, he and Xu Li had a good in-law relationship.
Whenever they faced any trouble, they could ask Du Ennan and her father, Du Taiming, for help.
But here in Ping County, the biggest official Jiang Tao knew was Jiang Changgui, the village head of Jiangjiazhuang.
Jiang Changgui's words carried weight in the village, but who would take him seriously outside of Jiangjiazhuang?
So, this time, Jiang Tao had no choice but to seek help from Bai Yulan.
As he had expected, this small matter was nothing to Bai Yulan.
A phone call that lasted less than two minutes got him a positive response from the other party.
"Alright, Jiang Tao, don't worry about this. It'll be sorted out for you this morning."
"No one will come to trouble your supermarket again."
After hanging up the phone, Bai Yulan looked at Jiang Tao with a relaxed and carefree smile on her face.
"I knew coming to Sister Bai was the right move."
"This time, I've really troubled you, Sister Bai. I owe you one. Let me treat you to dinner another day."
Jiang Tao smiled and said politely to Bai Yulan.
"Giggle, you're inviting me to dinner at my own restaurant?"
Bai Yulan was amused by Jiang Tao's words.
Her hotel was the best in all of Ping County.
"Haha, you're right! Well, I owe you a favor, Sister Bai. If you ever need me for anything, just say the word."
Jiang Tao realized that inviting her to dinner wasn't quite appropriate for someone like Bai Yulan, though it might work for others.
"No need. If we're keeping score, I still owe you my life. This little thing doesn't count."
Bai Yulan spoke lightly, genuinely not thinking much of this small matter.
Nor did she intend to use it to offset the favor she owed Jiang Tao.
While Jiang Tao and Bai Yulan were chatting, about eight kilometers away from Bai Yulan's hotel, in Li Town, inside Jiantao Supermarket, a tall and burly male customer was loudly shouting while holding up several bags of milk powder for the elderly, as if afraid the other shoppers in the store wouldn't hear him.
"These bags of milk powder were bought from your supermarket! I still have the receipt right here!"
"You say it's not from your store? How convenient!"
"Trying to shirk responsibility when something goes wrong, huh?"
"I'm telling you, this isn't over!"
"We've already reported this to the Industry and Commerce Bureau and the Food Safety Bureau! You shady merchants are just waiting to be fined!"
"Everyone, be careful when shopping and check the expiration dates!"
"The owner of this supermarket is black-hearted, selling all kinds of expired products on the shelves like it's normal!"
"Luckily, my aunt noticed the milk powder was expired when she drank it, or who knows what could've happened!"
Beside the tall man, three young guys who came with him chimed in, one after another, loudly berating the store.
Several elderly shoppers in the supermarket stopped browsing the shelves, curiously turning their attention to the commotion.
These older folks were local residents who had come to the supermarket to pass the time in the morning, and this drama was just too entertaining!
"Brothers, there must be some misunderstanding here."
"You can see for yourself, our scanner can't even read the barcode on your product."
"This item really isn't from our supermarket. It's definitely a misunderstanding."
On the side, Zhang Xiaoyan was so anxious that tears were welling up in her eyes.
Over the past few days, seven or eight groups of customers had come to the store claiming they'd bought expired products.
But she, Jiang He, and the store staff had checked the inventory multiple times and found no expired goods.
It was obvious—someone was deliberately causing trouble!
They'd buy something from the supermarket, swap it with an expired product outside, and then come back to make a scene.
Although Jiang He and Zhang Xiaoyan knew this was the "script," they had no evidence.
As for the scanner not reading the barcode…
The other party insisted they bought it from the store and claimed the scanner issue was the supermarket's fault.
For such a controversial issue, the other shoppers in the store naturally sided with the customers, believing the problem lay with the supermarket.
"You're just making excuses! We can all vouch that we bought it from your store!"
"You're just trying to dodge responsibility, you shady merchants!"
"Just wait! With no integrity at all, your supermarket won't last long before it shuts down!"
"You crooks need to be exposed so everyone can keep their eyes open and not fall for your tricks again!"
Inside the supermarket, some of the young men were taking photos, others were livestreaming.
With all their commotion, how could the store continue normal business?
The other shoppers initially found the drama amusing, watching and gossiping.
But after a while, it got boring, and one by one, they put down their items and left.
Outside the supermarket, in a Toyota Prado, a young man with a rebellious look and a slicked-back hairstyle was smoking a cigarette while stroking the pale thigh of a girl in the passenger seat.
"Brother Feng, it's been days, and we still haven't taken down this supermarket?"
Jiao Jiao's gaze shifted from the supermarket back to Li Yifeng, who was sitting in the driver's seat, speaking in a coy tone.
"Don't worry, Jiao Jiao. It'll be done in a couple of days. I'll definitely take this supermarket down for you."
Li Yifeng glanced at the group causing trouble inside the supermarket, smirked wickedly, and slid his hand under Jiao Jiao's short skirt.
"Thank you, Brother Feng! My parents will definitely be thrilled!"
Jiao Jiao's heart was full of anticipation, imagining her parents taking over the supermarket and earning tens of thousands a month.
To get this supermarket, she had put in a lot of effort with Li Yifeng these past few days.
*Ring ring ring—*
A phone rang inside the car.
Li Yifeng paused his wandering hand under the skirt and pulled out his phone with the other hand.
Seeing the caller ID displaying "Second Uncle," Li Yifeng's rebellious expression vanished instantly, replaced by a serious and respectful demeanor, as if he'd undergone a Sichuan opera face-change.
"Hello, Second Uncle."
"Yeah, my girlfriend has her eye on this supermarket, so…"
"What? Sister Bai? You mean Bai Yulan from the Bai Yulan Hotel?"
"Okay, okay, I understand."
"I got it, Second Uncle."
After hanging up with his second uncle, Li Yifeng hurriedly scrolled through his contacts and dialed "Sun Meng."
"Hey, Mengzi! Get out of there, now! Don't go back to Jiantao Supermarket ever again."
"Stop talking nonsense! Get the hell out of there!"
"Oh, and before you leave, apologize to the boss and his wife!"
"Be sincere—sincere, got it? Make sure they feel your sincerity!"
"You have to get their forgiveness! If they don't forgive you, don't even think about leaving!"
"Do it now! Just do what I say!"
Jiao Jiao, watching Li Yifeng's anxious demeanor and listening to his words, was completely bewildered.
"Brother Feng, what's going on?"
"What's going on, you ask?"
"You've caused me a huge mess!"
Li Yifeng hung up on Sun Meng and abruptly turned to Jiao Jiao in the passenger seat, his eyes now filled with disgust.
"What? What happened, Brother Feng?"
Jiao Jiao was utterly confused by Li Yifeng's sudden outburst.
"The owner of this supermarket is Sister Bai's friend!"
"You know Sister Bai? That's *the* Sister Bai of Ping County!"
"I must've been blind to get involved in your family's petty mess and offend Sister Bai!"
The more Li Yifeng thought about it, the angrier he got. He reached out and yanked open the passenger door with a *click*.
"Get out! Get out! Get as far away as you can!"
"Brother Feng, I…"
Jiao Jiao was brought to tears by Li Yifeng's sudden change in attitude, staring at him with innocent, wide eyes.
Last night, he was calling her "little sweetie," and now he was telling her to get lost?
The contrast was just too much!
"Get out!"
Li Yifeng waved his hand in frustration, slammed the passenger door shut, and locked Jiao Jiao outside.
In his mind, he could only pray that his father wouldn't find out he'd offended Sister Bai.
If his dad knew he'd crossed Sister Bai, he'd be in for a serious scolding!
*Ring ring ring—*
Li Yifeng's phone rang again.
He picked it up and saw the caller ID: "Dad."
The corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably.
Speak of the devil!
Sure enough, the moment he answered, a furious, coarse male voice roared through the phone with a string of profanities.
Meanwhile, inside the supermarket, Sun Meng and his buddies, who had just hung up with Li Yifeng, exchanged bewildered glances.
The group, who moments ago had been fully in character as outraged customers, suddenly fell silent, stunned.
This plot twist was miles away from the script they'd planned!
Zhang Xiaoyan, Jiang He, and the store staff watched as Sun Meng and his crew, who had been making a scene, suddenly froze as if someone had hit the pause button.
Curiosity filled their faces.
"Uh…"
Sun Meng, who had been passionately indignant just moments ago, now looked at Zhang Xiaoyan, who still had tear stains on her face, and Jiang He, who stood silently nearby, with an ingratiating expression.
"Uh, ahem, actually, we were just…"
"Sister-in-law, we were just playing a little prank, just messing around, haha…"
"Yeah, yeah, we're filming a prank video, haha."
"Sorry, folks, if we scared you. We apologize to everyone here."
"Sorry, sorry, big brother, sister-in-law, please don't take it personally."
Sun Meng kept apologizing, bowing with clasped hands to Jiang He and the others.
"…"
Jiang He and the others watched Sun Meng transform from an arrogant, self-important figure into a groveling nobody, their minds filled with confusion.
"Brother, sister-in-law, we're really sorry! These items really aren't from your store; they're just props for our prank."
"Hehe, yeah, just props."
"Please, you two, don't hold it against us. We promise we won't come back to disturb your business."
"I swear!"
Seeing that Jiang He and Zhang Xiaoyan didn't respond, Sun Meng continued apologizing and making assurances.
The lackeys who had come with Sun Meng to make a scene were racking their brains but still couldn't figure out what had gotten into him.
Just moments ago, he was threatening to report the store and make them pay, and now he was acting so humble?
"Uh, you guys…"
Zhang Xiaoyan was dumbfounded as the menacing "troublemakers" suddenly became meek and started calling her "sister-in-law."
Jiang He, standing silently beside her, was equally baffled.
They were just "shady merchants" a moment ago—how did they suddenly become "big brother" and "sister-in-law"?
The store staff nearby were just as confused, unable to comprehend why Sun Meng had done such a dramatic about-face.
Could it have been that phone call? Who called, and what did they say?
The crowd's curiosity to eat this juicy gossip reached its peak.
"Sorry, sister-in-law, we must've scared you just now. I sincerely apologize."
Seeing that Zhang Xiaoyan and Jiang He weren't unreasonable, Sun Meng continued his apologies.
"Uh, it's fine, no problem. As long as the misunderstanding is cleared up."
Zhang Xiaoyan didn't know who Sun Meng had spoken to or what was said to make him suddenly so polite.
But that wasn't important.
To her, the most important thing was that the misunderstanding was resolved, and the matter was settled.
She had no intention of pursuing any responsibility from Sun Meng's group or demanding compensation for losses.
As long as they stopped causing trouble at the store and the supermarket could operate normally, she was satisfied.
"Sorry, big brother, sister-in-law. We'll leave now and won't disturb your business anymore!"
Sun Meng waved his hand, leading his group out of the supermarket in a hurry.
Seeing the situation resolved and the troublemakers gone, Zhang Xiaoyan, Jiang He, and the store staff finally let out a sigh of relief.
They exchanged glances, all looking somewhat bewildered.
Zhang Xiaoyan turned to her husband, her tone resolute:
"It must've been Xiao Tao who helped us!"
"You're right, now that you mention it, I remember!"
"This morning, Xiao Tao called me and said he'd take care of the supermarket's problem by this morning."
Jiang He suddenly recalled the phone call with his younger brother that morning.
"Then there's no doubt about it—it has to be him!"
Zhang Xiaoyan, hearing Jiang He's words, was instantly certain that Jiang Tao had helped them.
No one else would go out of their way to stand up for them like this.
Later, Jiang He called Jiang Tao to tell him about the situation at the store and got a clear confirmation from him.
Jiang Tao wasn't trying to take credit by telling his brother and sister-in-law the truth.
He just wanted to give them peace of mind, so they wouldn't have to keep worrying about this or that.
After the call, Jiang He and Zhang Xiaoyan's expressions relaxed significantly.
On the other side, after hanging up with his brother, Jiang Tao slowly drove to the entrance of his home in Jiangjiazhuang.
Xu Li and Jiang Xue were still out shopping with his mother-in-law in Ping County and weren't home.
He had come back alone, which made things easier.
He parked the car, got out, and opened the trunk.
In the trunk, Jiang Tao saw about a dozen empty Feitian Moutai bottles.
Among them was one bottle glinting with a dark golden glow.
This bottle was clearly the special bottle mentioned in the intelligence.