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Sun, the shopkeeper, was so infuriated that he sat in his chair, panting heavily and lacking the strength even to kick someone.
“You bunch of useless fools!”
“People ordered grain, and you don’t even know their names, let alone where they live. What am I keeping you for!”
The managers of several stores hung their heads, looking like quails, not daring to offer any defense.
Seeing that none of the managers uttered a word, Sun, the shopkeeper, became even more furious. He grabbed a teacup from his side and hurled it at one of the managers’ foreheads.
The porcelain cup shattered upon impact, leaving a gash on the manager’s forehead, and he quickly knelt on the ground, feeling wronged.
He hurriedly defended himself, “Master, I really didn’t know about this. When you brought the new grain to the store, my mother at home fell seriously ill, so I had to go back and take care of her…”
He was genuinely innocent in this matter. When Sun, the shopkeeper, delivered the grain to various stores, it coincided with his mother’s severe illness, and he had entrusted the store to his subordinates for a few days. Upon his return, he found that the store assistants were all jubilant.
Upon further questioning, they learned that during the days the manager had been absent, the store had conducted a significant transaction. Moreover, they had received orders for a substantial quantity of grain.
It wasn’t unusual for affluent families in the city to purchase grain in bulk, so Sun, the shopkeeper, hadn’t harbored any suspicions and had dismissed the matter from his mind. However, this had led to the current situation.
People who hadn’t paid a deposit were claiming to have ordered thousands of pounds of grain. Neither Sun, the shopkeeper, nor the manager could believe this, and they were both tempted to give this group of incompetents a severe dressing-down.
Sun, the shopkeeper, had eyes that looked like they were about to shoot fire as he glared at the individuals in front of him. If they couldn’t provide a reasonable explanation, they’d all be dismissed.
Hearing that they might be dismissed, the people were in tears, explaining what had transpired over the past few days.
It turned out that when Sun, the shopkeeper, delivered the grain to various grain stores, he had promised a bonus for higher sales.
Over the following days, people intermittently came to buy the new grain. Some of the bulk buyers who had also placed grain orders appeared to be well-off individuals, and the assistants had been so flattered and confused by these individuals that they almost forgot to collect the money, let alone ask for names and addresses.
When Sun, the shopkeeper, realized that nothing useful was being extracted, he roared, “Take them away and give them a good thrashing!”
Before long, the courtyard was filled with the continuous wailing of those who had been disciplined.
The Sun steward stood to the side, having listened to the entire process. He had only one thought in his mind: We’re done, we’re done!
They hadn’t made any profit, and now they were incurring losses. The Fourth Prince was about to demand an explanation. What on earth would the master do?
Once the sounds of punishment from outside ceased, the steward cautiously offered a cup of freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea to Sun, the shopkeeper, to calm his anger.
While observing Sun’s expression, the steward cautiously asked, “Master, what do we do now?”
What do we do? Sun, the shopkeeper, could he have known what to do when he was so furious?
Despite his frustration, Sun, the shopkeeper’s mind was continuously racing to find a solution.
Suddenly, the steward suggested, “Master, should we try to return the grain?”
Sun, the shopkeeper, rolled his eyes at the steward and asked, “Are you a fool, or do you think others are? Would the person who has received the money willingly take it back?”
Once the money is in their own pockets, only a fool would be willing to part with it.
The steward awkwardly chuckled and offered another suggestion, “Even though we can’t find the people who ordered the grain, this grain we sold is still better than what we have in the store. Why don’t we continue selling it for now and think of a solution later?”
…
Just when Sun, the shopkeeper, was deeply worried about how to handle the surplus grain, Shen Yu’an traveled to the capital city.
The auspicious grain store had established many branches and planned to open auspicious grain stores in other major cities across the Great Wei Empire. Shen Yu’an had already assigned people to manage the stores in each location, so she didn’t need to go in person.
However, Bai Miaqing unexpectedly invited her to stay at the mansion for a few days, and Shen Yu’an took the opportunity to visit the opening ceremony in the capital city.
Bai Miaqing chided her, “I’ve been cooped up at home for so long that I feel like I’m sprouting roots. You should come visit me when you have some free time.”
Shen Yu’an apologized with a smile, admitting that she had been preoccupied with her schemes to fleece the Fourth Prince and had forgotten about other matters.
Bai Miaqing wasn’t really blaming Shen Yu’an; she was simply feeling bored in the capital city and wanted some company. She asked, “Do you have any pressing matters to attend to recently? If not, stay at the mansion with me for a few days.”
Shen Yu’an considered and realized she didn’t have any major commitments at the moment, so she agreed with a smile.
“My aunt has given me the responsibility of managing several stores. One of them is a rouge shop, and the quality of the rouge there is excellent. I’ll take you to select some rouge and powder.”
Bai Miaqing grabbed Shen Yu’an’s hand enthusiastically and led her towards the bustling streets.
As they passed by the auspicious grain store with its grand opening, Bai Miaqing stopped along the way to show Shen Yu’an the commotion. She even managed to catch a thrown copper coin and handed it to Shen Yu’an.
The auspicious grain store had already made preparations for the grand opening, from organizing the stores to recruiting additional staff. They had also been marketing their products by sending samples to the mansions of wealthy merchants and nobles.
Observing the scene just now, Shen Yu’an realized that their early marketing efforts had paid off.
She noticed that in front of the auspicious grain store, in addition to curious passersby, there were several people dressed uniformly, representing different noble households, including the Bai family and the general’s mansion.
Shen Yu’an asked, “The people in Bai just now in front of the store, are they your household staff?”
Bai Miaqing replied with a smile, “You have a great memory, Shen Yu’an. Those in white are indeed servants from our mansion who came to support the grand opening of the auspicious grain store.”
“I know that the auspicious grain store is backed by Lord Fei, and everyone knows that. It’s only when we were plotting to take advantage of Mr. Sun that this was kept a secret.”
After Shen Yu’an and her group had swindled Mr. Sun for a substantial sum, this information started to spread.
For anyone interested in finding out who was behind the auspicious grain store, they could easily discover this fact. Shen Yu’an and Fei Yanchen had a clear plan to win the people’s hearts for the Fei family by using the auspicious grain store.
Fei Yanchen still remembered the moment when he received Shen Yu’an’s letter explaining that she wanted to use this to gain popular support. He smiled knowingly because Shen Yu’an always seemed to understand his intentions without him having to say much.
Continuing, Bai Miaqing said, “I’m not sure if it’s just my perception, but the food made from the grain sold at the auspicious grain store is indeed significantly tastier. So it’s not just because of Lord Fei’s involvement that people are flocking there.”