Chapter 337: Blockade

Jiangji’s shops are all over Shangjing. Jiang’s father gave an order, and within a day, everyone knew that Jiangji Winery would buy fruits at last year’s price. Jiang’s father

also spread the news that Jiangji would continue to buy at this price, and fruit farmers could directly send fruits to Jiangji Winery.

The fruit farmers who heard the news were overjoyed, as if they had grabbed a life-saving straw, and brought fruits to Jiangji Winery to line up for sale.

The wine shop owner followed Jiang’s father’s instructions and accepted all qualified fruits.

In this way, those wine merchants who maliciously lowered the price could not receive fruits and could not make wine, and they were as anxious as ants on a hot pot.

Also affected was Wenxiangzui.

Although the Marquis of Jing'an Mansion has a mountain orchard, it has only been planted for two years. The fruit trees are too small and the yield is extremely low. The first batch of wine was picked and dried, so they can only purchase from fruit farmers.

Although Cheng Jinchu and Shen Changze did not bargain like profiteers, they also purchased at a price lower than last year. After all, the demand is too large and the Marquis' Mansion is not rich.

And these days, due to Jiang Ji's interference, they can't get the fruit.

Cheng Jinchu was very angry: "This must be Jiang Shu's idea. What exactly does she want to do? What's the benefit of driving up the price of fruit?"

Cheng Jinchu couldn't understand why someone would increase the price to buy and make things difficult for money.

Shen Changze thought of what Yu Zheng said in the court, and murmured: "Because she has been doing this for the people from the beginning."

"What?" Cheng Jinchu was puzzled.

She and Jiang Shu were not on the same level at all.

Shen Changze glanced at her, unwilling to say more to her, and turned to the main topic: "It's just a normal price, it can't be considered as a rip-off. Purchase at this price in the future."

"But the cost will be much higher." Thinking of the extra money spent in vain, Cheng Jinchu was annoyed.

Shen Changze looked at her face that was only concerned with interests, frowned and said disappointedly: "You were not like this when you were at the border."

Cheng Jinchu at the border would feel sorry for the poor people, share food with them, and use his own money to buy cotton clothes and medicine for them.

I don't know when Cheng Jinchu changed. It was the same face, but Shen Changze looked nothing like before.

Cheng Jinchu was stunned and wanted to ask for clarification, but Shen Changze got up and left.

They had long since drifted away from each other, and only the family ties remained to maintain their relationship.

The price increase of Jiangji caused a lot of noise. That evening, a group of wine merchants gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

"Jiang Ji's move is clearly an attempt to monopolize the market and leave no way for us."

"He has to eat such a big piece of meat all by himself. In my opinion, there is no need to rush. There are so many fruits in Beijing, I don't believe he can collect them all."

"Isn't it urgent? The brewing time of fruit wine is short. In another ten days or so, Jiang Ji will start selling it in large quantities. By then, all the money will be in Jiang Ji's pocket. It will be too late to rush."

​​"Boss Li is right. We have to think of a countermeasure quickly."

"Jiang Ji has such a big industry, but he still wants to compete with us for this piece of meat. If he is unkind, don't blame us for being unjust."

The wine merchants gathered together, talked one after another, and finally reached a consensus.

"Okay, let's do it. I don't believe that Jiang Ji can cover up everything."

"I think we should not go too far. After all, the Jiang family has the support of King Jing."

"It was Jiang Ji who broke the rules first. King Jing can't just cover it up so blatantly."

"That's right. We are here to reason, not to cause trouble. King Jing can't do anything to us."

The next day, the wine merchants picked fruit farmers to deliver goods to Jiang Ji's wine shop. When the street was busiest, they surrounded Jiang Ji's largest wine shop in South City.

"What are you doing, bosses?" The shopkeeper came out to deal with it calmly and sent a clerk to report the news to Jiang's father Jiang Shu.

The wine merchants blocked the door and said, "Where is Mr. Jiang? Please ask him to come out. We have something to talk to him."

The shopkeeper said, "The boss is not here. I have sent someone to ask him to come. Please sit inside and wait."

The wine merchants did not buy the account and said, "We will wait here."

It was a joke. They deliberately chose the time when there were the most people to make trouble. How could they go in? Of course, they had to make trouble outside to make things worse and prevent Jiang's business from being done.

The shopkeeper knew their purpose and did not force them. He turned around to comfort the fruit farmers and asked them to be patient.

The fruit farmers, who had set out before dawn to pick fruit with their whole family, were all hoping to sell the fruit to Jiang's and get money to buy food. Seeing this situation at this time, they could not help but feel worried.

With so many people making trouble, can Jiangji still accept their fruits? Jiangji

is their only savior, nothing can happen to it.

The fruit farmers were in a panic, and the wine merchants were arrogant, smearing Jiangji by confusing right and wrong, attracting passers-by to stop and watch. In a short while, the wide streets were blocked and it was difficult for vehicles to pass. Jiang

's father, who was patrolling the nearby shops, received the news and rushed over. As the owner of Jiangji, he assured the fruit farmers: "Don't worry, we will accept as many fruits as you have."

"Boss Jiang, it's not fair for you to do this. Every business has its own rules. You are so blatantly destroying the rules of the business and cutting off the way of your peers. Do you want to monopolize the Shangjing business road and rewrite the rules of the Chamber of Commerce?"

As soon as Jiang's father appeared, he was surrounded and questioned by the wine merchants.

Father Jiang was well prepared and said calmly: "Jiang's has been rooted in Shangjing for many years. If you ask yourself, it is the most law-abiding business. Everyone is a well-known person. You should think carefully before you speak. Slandering and defaming is also against the rules of the Chamber of Commerce."

"Slandering and defaming? Boss Jiang raised the price of fruit and made decisive decisions. Everyone in the city knows it. Do

you still want to deny it?" "We invited the president today. Tell me, what do you want to do?"

The wine merchants stepped aside and invited Wan Jian, the president of Shangjing Chamber of Commerce.

Wan Jian was over sixty years old, with half white hair and beard. He was wearing a brown brocade robe, slightly fat, with a kind smile on his face, and looked approachable.

"President Wan." Father Jiang bowed with some respect.

Although Wan Jian was not a good person, he was not a bad person either. He has always upheld the doctrine of the mean and maintained the balance of business.

After greeting, Wan Jian said with a smile: "Everyone knows what kind of person Mr. Jiang is. There must be some misunderstanding. Just explain it clearly."

Father Jiang frowned and glanced at the wine merchants with unfriendly faces, then glanced at the onlookers who were talking about it, and finally his eyes fell on Wan Jian.

"President Wan is right. They have indeed misunderstood. From a business perspective, I am just purchasing at the normal price of last year and have not raised the price."

After a pause, Father Jiang looked at the wine merchants and said, "If you all also purchase at the normal price, I believe the fruit farmers will be happy to sell the fruit to you."

"You!" The wine merchants were furious, holding back their anger and their faces flushed.

"Humph!" Someone shook his sleeves heavily and said angrily, "This year's fruit production is stagnant, and it is common sense that the price will fall. How can it be determined by last year's price?"

It is common sense that prices will rise and fall, but there must be a limit, and fruit farmers must be left with a way out.

Father Jiang sneered in his heart and said with a stern face: "But this year's grain production has decreased, so we can't make wine. Now we can only make and sell fruit wine."

"Everyone knows that fruit wine is popular, and there will be no surplus no matter how many fruits there are. Deliberately lowering the price is just bullying the fruit that cannot be preserved for long, and maliciously forcing the fruit farmers!"