Xiao Youzhi reached out and closed the window, then gracefully sat back down at the table, clearly not wanting to pay attention to what he was saying.
With his view obstructed, Lu Yuanshi had no choice but to turn back and sit opposite Xiao Youzhi, demanding an explanation: "Brother Xiao, your family's handling of this starch matter is rather unfair. Madam Meng only sells it for thirty coins, but the Xiao family charges me forty-five coins after just reselling it."
Xiao Youzhi slightly raised his eyelids and asked calmly, "Did she tell you that?"
Lu Yuanshi shook his head. "I guessed it myself. This starch first came from Qingshi County. This Madam Meng said she came from Qingshi County, and the things she brought out were exactly the same. You can figure out the trick with a little thought."
After hearing this, Xiao Youzhi chuckled, "At least she knows some manners."
"For Brother Xiao's sake, I resolutely rejected Madam Meng. You didn't see the heartbroken look on Madam Meng's face just now. It's not my way to disappoint a woman. Tell me, am I a good brother?"
Lu Yuanshi spoke with a hint of sorrow.
Xiao Youzhi spoke slowly and deliberately, “Starch is indeed very useful. You definitely won’t regret buying it. As for the price, it’s because the people below don’t know about our relationship. Don’t worry, I brought you some good stuff this time, and you won’t be disappointed.”
Lu Yuanshi then smiled broadly, "Alright, you're loyal enough. It wasn't for nothing that I hurt the young lady this time."
After leaving Yongsheng Restaurant, Meng Zhao went to the remaining two restaurants, and the results were basically the same. The owner of Jixiang Restaurant had at least ordered 200 catties of starch, while the owner of Hongyue Restaurant was very enthusiastic towards her, but when it came to discussing business, the owner looked hesitant and only said perfunctorily that they would cooperate again if there was an opportunity.
Meng Zhao now understands what it means to be slow at one step and slow at every step. Even if her products are cheap, they can't compare to the brand effect of the Xiao family.
When Meng Zhao returned to the inn, Xu Ping and the others had not yet returned. She first instructed Gu Changwu to deliver the starch ordered by Yongsheng and Jixiang restaurants, and then prepared to go upstairs to rest for a while. However, as soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard a commotion at the counter.
"Why can't I go into the room? I paid for it. I have important business to attend to and I must stay in that room."
A burly man was arguing with the innkeeper, his voice so loud it could lift the roof off. Meng Zhao, already annoyed, was further irritated by the noise. But seeing that the man was followed by several other burly men, she didn't dare say anything and just wanted to go upstairs to rest for a while.
She was stopped by the waiter as soon as she stepped onto the stairs. "Young lady, please wait a moment."
Meng Zhao and Shen Yun stopped to see what he was going to say. The waiter pointed at Meng Zhao and said to the man, "Saibar, this is the young lady who rented your room."
When the man turned around, Meng Zhao could see that he was different. He had a high nose bridge, eyes with a hint of green, and a full beard. He didn't look like a pure Han Chinese.
The bearded man took two steps toward Meng Zhao. He was extremely tall, even taller than Meng Zhao standing on the stairs, and looked somewhat intimidating, which frightened Meng Zhao and Shen Yun, who quickly took two steps back.
The bearded man seemed to sense their fear, so he stopped and asked in a deep voice, "So you're the one who rented my room?"
Completely bewildered, Meng Zhao could only calmly say, "I paid for a room in this inn. The innkeeper's assistant showed me which room I was staying in."
The bearded man glared angrily at the waiter, shouting, "You gave her my room? You have to give it back to me!"
The waiter, who had probably been pestered by the bearded man for a while, was now quite anxious. He walked around the handrail to Meng Zhao's side and pleaded:
"Young lady, the room you are currently staying in was previously occupied by this gentleman. Now he wants to renew his lease. What do you think...? Why don't you do him a favor and let him have the room?"
Meng Zhao was out and about, and there were so many people in front of him. Forced by the situation, he said, "Alright, then please find me another room as soon as possible."
But the waiter looked troubled and said with a bitter face, "Young lady, I'm really sorry, business has been good these past two days, the shop is full, there are no vacancies. How about I refund your money and you go to another inn?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao frowned, gave the waiter a cold look, and felt extremely annoyed. If she were to change inns, she couldn't just do it herself; the people in the backyard and the several donkey carts would also have to make the trip. It was already afternoon, and it was uncertain whether they could find a place to stay after leaving this inn. This was truly outrageous.
After a moment's thought, Meng Zhao turned to Shen Yun and said, "Go to the backyard and call Lin Dayou and the others over."
Shen Yun glanced at the burly men opposite her, then at Meng Zhao, and understood immediately. She quickly ran towards the backyard.
Meng Zhao said to the waiter, "If you want me to leave, you should at least tell me why. This is so unclear, where am I supposed to go?"
Upon hearing this, the waiter panicked and stammered, unable to give a clear reason. He just kept pleading with Meng Zhao to help him find another inn as soon as possible.
Just as the job was being asked of her, Shen Yun also rushed over with her men, followed by three porters who had stayed at the inn.
The leader was named Lin Dayou, who was an old acquaintance of Gu Changwu. The others were from the same village as him. The three of them were sleeping on the communal bed when they heard Shen Yun calling him from the courtyard, so they quickly led the others over.
After arriving and observing the situation, they didn't say anything. They simply stood behind Meng Zhao. Although the three of them were much shorter than the people opposite them, they were farmers after all, and their physiques were quite robust. They weren't intimidated.
Seeing them approach, Meng Zhao felt a little more at ease and said to the waiter, "Go and call your manager. I won't leave until you give me an explanation."
The waiter then pleaded with Meng Zhao again, "Please, young lady, have a change of heart and let this customer have the room. You only rented it for two days, I'll refund your money, is that alright?"
Looking at the waiter, Meng Zhao felt that he thought she was easy to bully, otherwise why wouldn't he ask the other person to leave? So she naturally refused to give in.
"Why should I change inns? And who said I'm only renting for two days? I want to extend my stay!" Meng Zhao had originally planned to get things sorted out in three days and two nights, but things didn't go so smoothly, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to leave tomorrow night.
The bearded man realized that Meng Zhao wasn't going to back down, so he also shouted, "Where's the boss? Where's your boss? Quickly call your boss out!"
After a great commotion, the innkeeper finally appeared. Meng Zhao and the bearded man stood on opposite sides. After the innkeeper questioned both of them, he finally understood the whole story.
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