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Mr. Sun’s kicking came to a halt, and the kicked individual quickly devised a plan, pushing the blame onto Auspicious Grain Store.
Mr. Sun found the explanation somewhat reasonable.
Auspicious Grain Store had depleted its grain stock and would probably transport more grain to replenish it.
Mr. Sun wasn’t about to admit that he hadn’t thought of this himself. He glared at his subordinates, who were huddled like frightened ostriches, his eyes blazing with anger.
At that moment, the steward from the Sun estate arrived, smiling.
“Good news, Master!”
Mr. Sun’s gaze turned sharply towards the steward, who was cheerfully approaching.
Unbelievable! Couldn’t he see that he was reprimanding someone? What good news could there possibly be?
He glared at the steward and snapped, “If you can’t tell me what the good news is, you can join these people in their punishment!”
The steward recognized the group of subordinates kneeling on the ground as the ones Mr. Sun had sent out a few days ago for some task. He didn’t understand why they were now in this predicament.
The steward cautiously glanced at the kneeling individuals on the ground and spoke obsequiously, “Master, the batch of grain you sent to the other place has all been sold. The staff over there said they want you to send more.”
Hearing the steward’s words, Mr. Sun was pleasantly surprised, “Nearly a thousand catties of grain have all been sold?”
The steward replied with delight, “Yes, Master. And that’s not enough. The messenger said several wealthy households have reserved a substantial amount and asked for more.”
Mr. Sun finally felt some relief and sat down on a stool, asking the steward to explain everything in detail.
The steward proceeded to recount the message brought by the messenger in great detail.
It turned out that while the Auspicious Grain Store’s products were being displayed at the Juxin Grain Store, Mr. Sun had also sent some to other grain stores in various locations.
These grains had quickly gained popularity, with people claiming that rice and steamed buns made from them were noticeably more delicious. The store’s reputation had soared, and although the prices were slightly higher compared to other grains, many affluent households were eager to buy.
Just a few days had passed, and the nearly thousand catties of grain sent out had been completely sold, with reservations pouring in.
Hearing the whole story, Mr. Sun was delighted and asked, “How much more grain is needed for the reservations?”
The steward wore a fawning smile and said, “Right now, there are reservations for three thousand catties. It’s all thanks to your wisdom, Master, for deciding to send this grain to other places for sale.”
Upon learning that there were reservations for three thousand catties of grain, Mr. Sun, although somewhat puzzled, suppressed his doubts and felt an overwhelming sense of pride, believing that it was all due to his excellent decision-making.
Seeing Mr. Sun’s joy, the steward’s expression became somewhat conflicted.
Mr. Sun, in his jubilant state, asked with a pleasant tone, “Why do you look like that? If you have something to say, just say it.”
The steward chuckled and quickly responded, “It’s just that, Master, the grain you bought from Auspicious Grain Store amounts to only five thousand catties. I’m afraid it won’t last long.”
Mr. Sun, who was thinking about the individual who held him in check and had assigned him another task, seized the opportunity and interjected, ” Auspicious Grain Store seems to have grain again. They must have secured a source for this grain…”
But before Mr. Sun could finish his thought, he was interrupted, “Do you think I haven’t thought of that?!”
Mr. Sun’s retort made the steward promptly retract with a forced smile.
“So, Auspicious Grain Store has more grain now. Sun Cai, you need to find a way to uncover where they got this grain from,” said Mr. Sun, his mind filled with dreams of monopolizing the market. He quickly set this task in motion.
This grain wasn’t selling well in Qingyan Town because Auspicious Grain Store had initially priced it too low. However, it was highly sought after in other places.
Du’s Grain Store and Wang’s Grain Store would undoubtedly realize this soon. Mr. Sun wanted to investigate the source of this grain and secure all the grain for himself before they could react.
…
“Sir, this is the task assigned by our master. Do you have any further instructions?”
In a private room at a restaurant, Sun Cai, with a sycophantic demeanor, stood before the table and reported on the Sun estate’s affairs. He couldn’t help but swallow hard as he caught the mouthwatering aroma wafting in.
Before Sun Cai, sitting with their back to him, was a person dressed entirely in black, their entire figure concealed.
Even though the face couldn’t be seen, the robust build of the person in black was quite apparent from their silhouette.
Sun Cai dared not breathe a word of air in front of him, and after reporting the situation, he remained silent, waiting obediently on the side.
The person in black was none other than Chu Yi, who took a sip of wine while wearing a large black hood.
Before coming, Shen Yuan and Liang Hui had repeatedly instructed him on what to say, making sure he was well-prepared for what might happen.
Among the wealthy individuals who had placed orders with Juxin Grain Store, there were some with Liang Hui’s involvement…
If Mr. Sun and others suspected any foul play, they would be outsmarted, so Liang Hui had emphasized how to respond to the situation to Chu Yi before he arrived.
After listening to Sun Cai’s words, Chu Yi actually admired Liang Hui’s refined and educated ways, and he didn’t expect that Liang Hui’s guesses would turn out to be accurate.
Just when Sun Cai thought the man in the black robe had forgotten about his presence, Chu Yi finally spoke, showing some mercy.
“Deliver this to your master. Tell him that all the grain at Auspicious Grain Store comes from this source. Inform him that the minimum purchase is a thousand catties, and also let him know that he needs to act quickly if he wants the grain, or it will be gone.”
Sun Cai quickly bent forward to receive the note handed to him by Chu Yi.
The note contained an address, and Sun Cai knew it was not far from Qingyan Town.
After Sun Cai left, Chu Yi removed his obstructing hood and heartily enjoyed a meal, quickly devouring all the food on the table.
The address Chu Yi gave to Sun Cai was located near the foot of a mountain on the way from the town to the county. There were no villages around, so even if Mr. Sun found out that he had been duped, it wouldn’t implicate any innocent parties.
Sun Cai had been cautious not to immediately hand over the address given by Chu Yi to Mr. Sun. He waited for two days before finally providing it to him.
“I’ve been tracking them for two days, and I’ve finally found out where Auspicious Grain Store’s grain is sourced,” Sun Cai reported to Mr. Sun.
Upon receiving the information, Mr. Sun burst into hearty laughter, his eyes gleaming.
Sun Cai quickly added, “I also found out that the person who supplies the grain is quite eccentric. He won’t sell unless the purchase is substantial, so you’ll need to buy at least ten thousand catties.”
Thinking about the silver he had earned from his clandestine activities, Mr. Sun didn’t pay much attention to Sun Cai’s last remark and even considered buying more.