Seeing the thriving business at the Hu family's shop, while his own remained deserted, the shopkeeper grew anxious. He looked at the couple leisurely sipping tea nearby and, after some hesitation, approached them, asking with a hint of embarrassment, "Master and Madam, are we really not lowering the prices?"
"No price reduction. Our quality speaks for itself. When they realize the difference, some will surely come back. Of course, business won't be like before, but we can maintain the shop without losses. Don't worry, I'll give you an extra bonus at the end of the year," Hu Lianyu said with a smile.
The shopkeeper forced a smile. These were the best employers he had ever encountered. He never dreamed he'd experience such good fortune. Not only did the employers provide a monthly salary, but they also gave additional rewards each month, which was one percent of the monthly income. This one percent was not to be underestimated; last month, he received tens of taels, which was his income for an entire year.
If this continued, it wouldn't be long before he could buy a small courtyard in the city and settle his wife and children. As the employers kept opening shops, with such good employers, he naturally did his best to recommend good shopkeepers. Thus, he introduced all his friends. After joining, everyone received their first payment and eagerly treated him to meals. After a few drinks, feeling a little tipsy, they couldn't help but dream of the future and resolved to follow the couple from then on.
However, they only received the bonus for one month before the Hu family did this. Based on his years of experience, the Hu family was clearly losing money. Although he strongly disagreed with this approach, he wondered if business would improve if he slightly lowered the price of his own fabrics.
Of course, they had to ensure a certain profit margin, which wouldn't be as much as before, but it wouldn't lead to a loss. Thinking how anxious he was, yet the employer was not at all worried. He knew they would keep their word by year-end, but it didn't diminish his resentment towards the Hu family. Still, since the employer had spoken, as the shopkeeper, he had to follow their instructions.
The Hu family's shopkeeper watched the continuous stream of customers with no smile on his face. The more people came, the more money was lost. Although Hu Lianyu's business was indeed snatched away by them, as the old madam had predicted, it couldn't go on like this. He estimated a loss of several hundred taels in just one day.
When the ledger was handed to Madam Hu, she appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly she was astonished. She hadn't expected to lose so much in a single day. But it made sense; their fabric was cheap, so those who heard the news would flock to them. Even if they didn't need it, they would hoard some, leading to greater losses.
However, there was no turning back once the arrow was shot. If they stopped now, not only would the prominent families in the city mock them, but Hu Lianyu would also ridicule them behind their backs. She couldn't afford to lose face and could only instruct the shopkeeper to withdraw money from the accounts office.
When she was alone in the room, Madam Hu unconsciously clutched her chest, feeling an unbearable pain. The shopkeeper saw this scene as he entered and quickly went to her side, asking with concern. Madam Hu waved her hand, indicating she was fine.
"How is the matter I entrusted you with?" Although Madam Hu felt it was a sure thing, she was still somewhat uncertain and feared any unexpected developments.
"It's done. In the desolate mountains and wilderness just before leaving Yu City, we ambushed the Zhou family and broke both of Madam Zhou's legs. The money was less than expected; they confessed that they spent a hundred taels recently, and another ten thousand taels were given to Hu Lianyu. The remaining nineteen thousand nine hundred taels are all here," the steward said, taking out bank notes from his embrace and handing them to Madam Hu.
In fact, these bank notes exceeded her expectations. She had originally thought that the Zhou family, acting under Hu Lianyu's name to cause trouble, would make Hu Lianyu bear the brunt of it. She hadn't expected the main portion to be with the Zhou family. But then she understood; given the Zhou family's greed and unreasonable demands, they would definitely pay to resolve the issue.
"Given the dry weather, if a problem were to occur in Hu Lianyu's warehouse, it would be understandable. Find some reliable people to make arrangements," thinking about losing several hundred taels a day, Madam Hu wanted to defeat Zhou Xue'e and Hu Lianyu as soon as possible, so she could then raise the prices.
"Yes." The steward left without hesitation, following his madam's instructions.
At the same time Madam Hu received the news, those who had been following them also returned to report to Wu Caiwei.
After hearing their description of the scene, she had a clear understanding and quickly gave them two hundred taels as a reward, telling them to rest for a while.
"Fire! Fire! Fire!" That night, a fire broke out at the location of Hu Lianyu's shop. Upon seeing the flames, someone shouted loudly, and then everyone rushed to grab basins or buckets to put out the fire. Since it was discovered relatively early, the damage was not too significant.
Wu Caiwei inspected the area and found a considerable amount of firewood and oil inexplicably placed in the courtyard. She immediately had someone report it to the authorities.
The county magistrate was initially reluctant to get involved, but remembering that the couple held a handle over him, he grudgingly came. After a look, he confirmed that it was arson, made a record, and left.
Subsequently, bailiffs tirelessly questioned people, searching for clues, but it ultimately led nowhere.
Although there was no conclusion, the county magistrate and Wu Caiwei's couple both knew what had happened.
When Madam Hu heard that the couple wished to see her, she immediately instructed her steward to refuse. To her surprise, they broke in despite everyone's obstruction.
Seeing the couple standing before her, she frowned instinctively, looking at them with disdain. "My time is precious, and I have other matters to attend to. Speak quickly."
"I advise Madam to dismiss everyone. The content of our next conversation is something you wouldn't want them to hear," Wu Caiwei said to her with a half-smile.
For some reason, Madam Hu suddenly had a bad premonition. After a moment's thought, she waved her hand, leaving only the steward.
"Your people returned this morning, didn't they? The money has been received. What you don't know is that my men were following yours, quietly observing you rob the Zhou family. And the people you sent also fell into my hands. What do you think the county magistrate will do if I report you to the authorities? I forgot to tell you, he will no longer be on your side."
The more she spoke, the more shocked Madam Hu became. She never imagined they would know these things and had people following them.