Chapter 166 Settling the Situation
Shen Yuanzhu met his gaze, her eyes calm and revealing no emotion.
After studying for a long time, Mu Suiyun looked up and stared at Shen Yanhuai with a surprised expression.
Xie Qi was unaware of the intricacies involved, but seeing Shen Yuanzhu staring at the brocade from Xie Cui Fang for a long time, he asked, "Do you like it?"
"Yes, I like it. It's a very beautiful brocade."
Xie Qi asked, "Shall we cast our ballots?"
"want."
Xie Qi took the bamboo skewer from Shen Yuanzhu and helped her put it in.
As soon as one person made the move, the others followed suit and began to put the bamboo sticks in one by one. Soon, the bamboo stick container in Xiecuifang was filled with more than half of the sticks.
Seeing this, Yuan Xu said, "It seems that Xie Cui Fang truly deserves its reputation. In that case, the title of champion shall be given to Xie Cui Fang."
"Does anyone have any objections?"
Everyone shook their heads, with no objections.
Yuanxu had the clerk count the bamboo sticks in the bamboo tube, and then ranked Jixia Village as the second place and Shen Family Brocade as the third place.
After today, this ranking will be finalized in Suzhou Prefecture.
Overnight, the Xie family fell out of the top three.
Yuan Xu was decisive. After announcing the champion, he clapped his hands, and two minor officials carrying red cloths came out.
"Now that we have won first place, how can we not have a prize? The Textile and Dyeing Bureau will award fifty taels of gold, and the contract with the Prince's Mansion can also be signed today."
There will be rewards?
Shen Yuanzhu looked at the fifty taels of gold and was overjoyed.
You should know that after today, the silver will really flow into Xiecuifang like water.
She looked at Luo Qing, and seeing the crowd surrounding him and congratulating him, she smiled.
Looking back at the dyeing competition four years ago, Xie Cui Fang won first place, but was completely belittled by Xie San Niang with a single sentence: "It's a low-class, cheap trick."
At that time, all the textile and dyeing businesses in Suzhou followed Xie San Niang's lead, and over the past four years, they had been subtly trying to isolate Xie Cui Fang.
She was too young at the time, and under Luo's persuasion, she decided to keep a low profile and bide her time.
Now, Mother's Cui Cui Fang can finally stand at the highest point, overlooking the Xie and Chen families.
Shen Yuanzhu lowered her eyes, fiddling with the sachet at her waist, in a very good mood.
With the matter of the sample cloth settled, the fact that Yuan Xu had already produced the contract showed that he did not value petty profits and would not allow the shops to offer excessive discounts.
Now that even this worry was gone, Shen Yuanzhu could finally relax completely.
When she left the Xie family with Xie Qi, she noticed that Xie Boyu and Shen Yanhuai both looked quite solemn.
They have the technology to see it, but the truth will come out sooner or later...
She is fearless in the face of wind and rain.
Back at the Xie family home, Shen Yuanzhu thought Xie Boyu would come looking for her, but half a day passed without any response.
Just as she was wondering, Xie Qi received a message from Wei Hu saying that Yun Zheng was looking for him.
Although Xie Cui Fang won the top prize today, Ji Xia Zhuang at least earned the title of "second place winner," surpassing the Xie and Shen families, and its value naturally rose accordingly.
Yun Zheng must have received quite a few invitations as well.
He knew what was going on; he should have gone directly to Jixia Manor, but he was worried about Yuanzhu going home alone.
"Eunuch Yuan has something to discuss with me..."
"Go ahead and do your work."
She still had many things to deal with at Xiecuifang, and wished Xie Qi would just disappear right now.
"You really don't want me to be with you?"
Shen Yuanzhu said, "A real man should prioritize achieving success and fame. I hope that my husband will become famous and a pillar of society in the future, so that he will no longer be easily looked down upon."
She lowered her eyes and whispered, "I don't want to see anyone, to look down on you, or to ignore you anymore..."
A few words were enough to make Xie Qi's blood boil, and he couldn't wait to announce to the world that he was the mastermind behind Jixia Manor.
At this time, Jixia Manor was just an empty shell, and the time was not yet ripe.
After thinking for a moment, he pulled Shen Yuanzhu into his arms and whispered, "Everything will be as you wish."
After saying that, he followed Wei Hu and left for Jixia Manor.
As soon as Xie Qi left, Shen Yuanzhu couldn't help but dance with joy in the room.
The day has finally arrived!
When Luo Shi, Ling'er, and Xiao Zhi saw her appearance, they couldn't help but have tears well up in their eyes.
Ling'er and Xiaozhi are too young to know the hardships Madam endured back then; only Madam Luo knows how difficult things are today.
She turned to the side to wipe away her tears and said, "Miss, Luo Qing has brought over the contract from the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau."
Shen Yuanzhu took it and saw that it was pretty much as she had expected.
This deal is definitely profitable.
"No problem, let the craftsmen from Xiecui Workshop get to work."
"In addition, the fifty taels of gold we received today should be given to the masters in red envelopes. Also, take two hundred taels from my treasury to buy some wine, meat, sugar, and tea for the masters, and distribute them together."
Shen Yuanzhu stared at the contract from the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, turning it over and over, and carefully touching it.
This contract represents far too much.
“Wet nurse…”
Suppressing her excitement, Shen Yuanzhu slowly said, "The team that the Xie family sent to Shu and Taihu to buy raw silk should be returning soon."
"The rainy season is just around the corner. The Xie family won't keep this batch of raw materials; no one else can afford to consume them except us."
"You should have Luo Bai go to the Xie family and try to lower the price to buy back this batch of raw materials."
The Xie family fell from grace. Even if they kept the raw silk to make brocade, they couldn't sell it because it was held by Xie Cui Fang in the local area.
However, the cost of this brocade is too high if it is to be sold outside, so it may be difficult to sell.
Mr. Luo nodded in agreement.
With the reputation of Xiecuifang spread far and wide, their brocades were in high demand, so the raw materials would naturally not go to waste.
"By the way, Miss, Luo Qing received quite a few visiting cards, including two..."
Luo took out two visiting cards. Shen Yuanzhu already knew what to expect and calmly opened them.
The first invitation was from Xie Boyu.
Shen Yuanzhu glanced at it twice and casually returned it to Luo Shi.
"Just throw it away, we don't need to worry about the Xie family's invitation."
Xie Boyu's sending Luo Qing a letter indicates that he had some suspicions about the owner behind Xiecuifang, but was not entirely certain.
If I were certain, I would have come here long ago.
Perhaps it's a test, but now is not the time to be completely honest with the Xie family.
As for the other letter...
The Shenyuan Pearl was opened, and it was indeed Shen Yanhuai.
Seeing this, Luo said, "Luo Qing said that Shen Yanhuai found him and told him to deliver this visiting card to the owner behind it..."
Shen Yuanzhu hummed in agreement: "He guessed it was me."
She thought Shen Yanhuai didn't remember what the colors of the dye produced by the Shen family's dyeing method looked like before the Shen family sealed the vat.
Unexpectedly, he immediately recognized that Xiecuifang was using the techniques from the "Shen Family Dyeing Manual".
Mrs. Luo asked with some concern, "Then, Miss, will you go see her?"
"See."
Closing the visiting card, Shen Yuanzhu said, "Why not see him? Some things should be settled."
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