Being threatened for no reason, he completely forgot all the teachings about harmony bringing wealth. The abbot sternly said, "Don't go too far."
Zhou Huai was brazenly playing rogue. "Whatever you say, I only give you two choices: either do this deal or don't do any deal at all."
Everyone in the neighborhood looked indignant, but no one dared to intervene.
Xu Jiang thought: In the past, when Manager Wu had caused trouble several times, the monastery owner had come forward to help him. Now that he is in trouble, how can I just sit back and do nothing?
"Isn't this Young Master Zhou Huai?" Xu Jiang called out to Zhou Huai and walked towards the few people.
When the abbot saw her, he was startled at first, then shook his head at her, signaling her not to interfere.
Xu Jiang gave him a reassuring look.
When Zhou Huai heard the voice and turned around to see her, he was stunned at first, then he remembered that he had lost someone in her bookstore that day, and looked a little uncomfortable.
But when he looked at her again, she was even more beautiful than the last time, and he immediately felt a little lustful. After looking her up and down, he smiled and said, "Isn't this Madam Xu? Are you here to buy paper too?"
"Yes, buying paper." Xu Jiang followed his lead, scanning him from head to toe with her eyes. Finally, she asked, "I just overheard it. Is it Mr. Zhou who's doing the purchasing for Jisheng Bookstore now?"
Zhou Huai was stung by the contempt in her eyes, and his lustful thoughts mostly disappeared. He frowned and said, "So what?"
Xu Jiang shook his head and said regretfully, "This first bookstore in the capital has finally fallen into decline."
"What's the meaning?"
"Letting an amateur do the purchasing, and then trying to drive down the price, isn't that too poor to even afford paper?"
Even the dumbest person could hear the sarcasm in her words. Zhou Huai immediately became angry. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Xu Jiang sighed and continued, "Since your bookstore can't afford the price for this floral paper, why don't you give it to me? I just happen to need it in my shop."
When Zhou Huai's follower saw Xu Jiang, his expression became a little strange, and then he pulled Zhou Huai aside and whispered a few words.
Zhou Huai then showed a surprised expression and looked at Xu Jiang with a frown.
Xu Jiang had a flicker of doubt in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She turned to the shop owner, winked, and said, "Shop owner, I want all this flower paper from you. I'll pay the market price of 600 coins per piece. Send it to my shop tomorrow."
The abbot understood and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll write the contract for you right away." After that, he picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, spread out the paper and wrote the contract.
The attendant quickly stepped forward, holding the monk's hand and saying with a smile, "Sir, business is based on first come, first served. We wanted this paper first, but we haven't agreed on the price yet. How can we sell it to someone else halfway?"
"First come, first served?" Xu Jiang sneered, "Do you two even understand first come, first served? Who standing in this room didn't arrive before you two?"
The attendant smiled awkwardly. Seeing Zhou Huai about to explode again, he quickly stopped him and said shamelessly, "Just now I wanted to thank those two gentlemen for their courtesy, but now we haven't finished our business yet. Please wait a moment, Manager Xu."
Xu Jiang refused to give in. "The owner has already said that he doesn't want to do this business with you two, and you can't afford it. Why don't you just help me and let me have it?"
Zhou Huai was furious at her repeated insistence that she couldn't afford the price, and he cursed, "You shrew! Who can't afford the price? I'm buying this paper today!" Then he said to the shop owner, "Six hundred coins, six hundred coins. Sign the deed and make sure it's not for sale to anyone else."
"Wait a minute." Xu Jiang interrupted him, "If you want to buy it out, I'll pay 700 coins."
"You!" Zhou Huai said sullenly, "Do you really want to snatch it from me?"
Xu Jiang came alone, and Zhou Huai looked like he wasn't as easy to deal with as Manager Wu. The owner quickly separated Xu Jiang and said to Zhou Huai in a deep voice, "Six hundred coins to buy out. I'll sell it to you."
Having achieved his goal, Xu Jiang knew when to stop, but with a look of dissatisfaction on his face, he said to the owner, "Owner, he offered six hundred, and I offered seven hundred, and you're selling him but not me?"
Seeing her embarrassed, Zhou Huai felt relieved and said proudly, "Comparing the First Bookstore with your shabby bookshop in a remote corner, even an idiot would know which one to choose."
He pushed Xu Jiang aside and said to the owner of the shop in a condescending manner, "Why don't you sign the contract quickly? Don't you want the money?"
The owner of the shop wrote the deed silently. Zhou Huai took it, glanced at it, signed it, and stamped it.
"Send the paper to me at the bookstore tomorrow." Then he snorted at Xu Jiang, "You overestimate your abilities." Then he walked away in a swagger while she stared at him angrily.
The attendant also gave a few instructions to the abbot, and finally turned his gaze to Xu Jiang before chasing Zhou Huai.
As soon as the two men left, the whole neighborhood was filled with curses.
"What the hell!"
"A dog that relies on the power of others."
Xu Jiang frowned, having a bad feeling in her heart. Zhou Huai had been very assertive before, and was determined not to offer more than 400 coins. She thought he would continue to argue with her, but why did he give in so easily when he saw her?
"Manager Xu, thank you for what you did just now." If Xu Jiang had not come out to rescue him, he would have been in a dilemma, unable to move forward or backward.
Xu Jiang came back to his senses, "Master, you're being polite. Didn't you help me before?" Then he asked, "Master, how much have you sold this flower paper since you made it?"
The owner shook his head. "Because it's more expensive than other papers, we don't sell a lot. The buyers are mostly scholars and nobles, buying a few to try. Speaking of which, the biggest sales order was your batch of plum blossom paper." He then showed a look of disgust. "And then there's the order from Jisheng Bookstore today."
If possible, he would rather let his papers rot than sell them to such people. Unfortunately, power is stronger than people, and as a small businessman, he can only swallow his anger for the sake of stability.
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