Chapter 209 Someone is using pirated copies to steal business.
Du Wanchun turned around and pointed to the "Zhou Family Fragrant Rice" sign at the door, asking, "Is this Zhou Family Fragrant Rice the same rice from the Zhou Family Rice Shop in Cheng'an County?"
The shopkeeper squinted and smiled, "That's right, it's Zhou's rice. They used to run an incense shop, and now they also run a rice shop. The rice they sell is even more fragrant than spices when cooked."
It's an exaggeration to say it's more fragrant than spices, but the rice is indeed very fragrant.
Du Wanchun asked slowly, "How much is one dou (a unit of dry measure) of rice in your family?"
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "This rice is good. Many people who have bought it in Cheng'an County know that, so the price is naturally much higher than ordinary rice. It's about two hundred coins per dou."
"Two hundred coins?" Wu Niangzi exclaimed in surprise.
Du Wanchun's face also darkened. The Zhou family usually sold rice for 100 coins per dou, but he was charging 200 coins per dou. This was treating the people like cattle to be slaughtered.
She smiled and said, "Shopkeeper, I heard that it only costs one hundred coins per dou in Cheng'an County, how come it's two hundred coins per dou here?"
Upon seeing her say this, the shopkeeper's smile vanished, and he said sternly, "Miss, if you think it's too expensive, then don't buy it. Let's go!"
Du Wanchun turned around, walked to the rice, grabbed a handful, and asked, "This kind of inferior rice should only sell for seventy or eighty coins per dou at most, but you've exceeded the price by so much."
"What shoddy rice? If you don't want to buy it, get out of here!" the shopkeeper snapped at them.
The little girl in Zhou Ruiyuan's arms, who was sleeping, opened her eyes slightly when she heard the sound.
He quickly wrapped the child closer to his chest and said coldly to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, this rice is inferior rice; it's not from Zhou Family Rice Shop at all."
The shopkeeper snorted and said, "You say it's not, so it's not? Did you eat it or what? If you ate it, bring me the rice you bought so we can see for ourselves."
As he spoke, he deliberately raised his eyebrows and said sarcastically, "People like you can't even afford two hundred coins a bushel of rice. It's obvious you've never eaten real Zhou family fragrant rice. You're just trying to swindle money from my shop."
Zhou Ruiyuan lifted his foot and walked to the shopkeeper's side.
He was a full two heads taller than the shopkeeper, and standing next to him was quite intimidating.
The shopkeeper was startled. "What do you want to do?!"
Zhou Ruiyuan handed the child to Du Wanchun and said coldly, "Shopkeeper, you say this is Zhou Family Fragrant Rice, but our Zhou family has never sold rice to you."
"Your Zhou family?" The shopkeeper was taken aback.
Zhou Ruiyuan walked into the rice shop and said slowly, "We are the managers of Zhou Family Rice Shop. Do you think we wouldn't know whether this rice is ours or not?"
The shopkeeper was shocked, his face turning pale instantly. After a long while, he quickly regained his composure and said, "So it's the Zhou family's shopkeeper. I was blind. Please forgive us, sir."
Zhou Ruiyuan snorted coldly and said, "You didn't know I was saying this just now. Shopkeeper, if I report this to Prefect Zheng, your rice shop will be out of business."
The shopkeeper lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Shopkeeper Zhou, please don't be in a hurry. It's not that I want to pass off inferior goods as superior ones."
"Who is that?" Du Wanchun asked as she walked over.
The shopkeeper glanced outside and slowly said, "It's the Yu family."
"The Yu family?" Du Wanchun and Zhou Ruiyuan asked in unison.
Madam Wu hurriedly came over and said, "I know the Yu family. They are wealthy merchants in Qingzhou Prefecture. In Qingzhou Prefecture, apart from the Fang family, the Yu family is the richest."
“That’s right,” the shopkeeper replied. “This rice shop is owned by his family. I’m just helping to look after the shop. If you want to settle a score, go find Master Yu.”
"Master Yu..." Du Wanchun muttered to herself.
She had heard Master Fang mention this man before. When he opened the rice shop, Master Fang had warned her to be careful of this Master Yu.
Master Yu, relying on his connections in the capital, seized control of the rice markets in more than twenty counties of Qingzhou Prefecture.
The shopkeeper continued, "Master Yu forced me to sell like this, I had no choice. I said at the time that it would be bad if the Zhou family found out, but who knew he would slam his hand on the table and say that his cousin was a concubine, I dared not disobey."
Du Wanchun's gaze gradually turned cold as she looked in the direction of the Yu residence, which she was unwilling to leave.
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