Someone nearby spoke up, saying, "Although you were scammed, what you bought wasn't actually from Zhenbaoge. It's really inappropriate for you to cause trouble at their shop."
"Yes, there are so many counterfeiters and sellers, so you'll have to be more careful when buying things in the future."
At this point, apart from the couple who were still somewhat resentful, everyone else began to back down, probably wanting to let it go.
Seeing this, Meng Zhao suddenly said loudly, "Please wait a moment, everyone, and let me say a few words."
She stood in front of the shop, raising her voice slightly, as if not just to be heard by the few people in front of her, but by all the passersby.
"Although these fakes are not from my Treasure Pavilion, those who bought them did so because they valued the reputation of my Treasure Pavilion and mistakenly purchased them from merchants. It is a blessing for my Treasure Pavilion to be so highly regarded by everyone."
She gracefully ascended the stone steps in front of the shop and solemnly declared, "Since that's the case, I can't let everyone down! Starting tomorrow, Treasure Pavilion will invite renowned doctors from the capital to oversee the business. Any customers who have previously purchased counterfeit goods can bring their evidence to the shop for treatment, and Treasure Pavilion will cover all consultation and medication costs!"
Furthermore, if the doctor diagnoses the facial swelling as being caused by counterfeit goods, Zhenbaoge promises to replace it free of charge with the same genuine product from their store. All counterfeit goods collected will be publicly burned to prevent further harm to the public!
These words caused an uproar. "How much money would that cost?" a woman in plain clothes murmured.
Meng Zhao smiled and said, "Money matters are minor. The most important thing is to ensure that everyone can buy with confidence and use with peace of mind!"
After delivering his impassioned speech, Meng Zhao added with a smile, "However, I hope you all understand that this free clinic will only last for half a month. If you bring counterfeit products after half a month, we will not be able to exchange them."
Among the onlookers, an older woman dressed in coarse cloth spoke first, her voice booming: "Oh my, Manager Meng is so kind and righteous, who would still buy goods from those unscrupulous merchants? From now on, when we want to buy things, we will only recognize the Treasure Pavilion's facade!"
A young woman blushed and whispered, "I almost bought some goods from a merchant the other day, luckily I didn't bring enough money." Someone nearby overheard and joked, "Then you really got a bargain! Come to the Treasure Pavilion tomorrow and buy the real stuff!"
Meng Zhao smiled and bowed to the crowd. "In that case, I would like to trouble you all to pass on a message for my Treasure Pavilion: if any neighbors have been humiliated by counterfeit goods, feel free to come to us. Within half a month, all consultation and medicine fees will be waived, and the genuine product will be replaced!"
Seeing that the matter was settled, the onlookers dispersed. Thanks to Meng Zhao's courage in taking responsibility, everyone praised Treasure Pavilion as a conscientious merchant. Many people even flocked into the shop to see what was going on, and the shop assistants were busy serving them. For a time, the shop was bustling with activity.
Meng Zhao said to the group of people wearing veils and veils, "We're not ready today, so go back first and come back to the shop tomorrow. I'll have a famous doctor treat you then."
After those people had gone far away, Meng Zhao turned his head slightly and whispered to Xiao Chuan, "Go, keep a close eye on that couple. This whole thing today was no accident."
It's true that there are fakes in the capital, but if people came over intermittently, Meng Zhao probably wouldn't suspect anything. But they chose her opening day and organized so many people to come together. She absolutely didn't believe that no one was behind it.
While Meng Zhao was speaking, he kept a close eye on the actions of these people. Several of the girls who were truly victimized were filled with remorse, and some were even secretly wiping away tears. This is the normal reaction of someone who has been deceived.
The couple from before didn't seem worried about their reputations at all; in fact, they seemed to want to ruin them. By watching them, we should be able to find some clues.
Time was of the essence, so Meng Zhao quickly sent Huang Cui out to inquire which doctors in the capital were experienced and renowned in treating allergies, and told her to go and invite them as soon as possible.
As dusk fell, the doors of Zhenbaoge Mingxianglou were closed from the inside. Normally, after the first day of business, everyone should have gone home to rest, but because of today's unexpected event, everyone became even busier after the doors were closed.
First, a space needed to be cleared out in the already planned lobby for doctors to hold consultations. So Su Meng and her team combined the counters that could be combined, freeing up space for two tables.
The reason for choosing the lobby as the venue for the free clinic, rather than the more convenient backyard, was mainly to demonstrate his commitment to the public. However, Meng Zhao frowned as he looked at the space that had been cleared out.
Su Meng asked, "What's wrong, shopkeeper? Is this place not suitable?"
Meng Zhao shook his head. "No, hurry up and find someone to see if you can make a frame and hang curtains to cover this area. If there's not enough time, go to the Mingxiang Pavilion next door and borrow a few screens to surround this area."
Most of the people who came today were women, and their faces were covered. It seems that they would not want to expose their faces to the public unless they had no other choice.
After everything was arranged, Meng Zhao gathered the employees of the Treasure Pavilion together and instructed them on what needed to be done next.
Reputation is something that is built up little by little in daily life, but if something goes wrong and is not handled properly, the entire brand will be tarnished, so it must be treated with utmost care.
After Meng Zhao had finished making the arrangements, He Jianxia and Meng Jianqiu had also finished tallying up the day's accounts. Meng Zhao got into the carriage, held the day's account book up to the lantern, and checked the accounts as he went home.
The main source of income for Mingxianglou is its private rooms, but on the first day of opening, the occupancy rate of the private rooms was less than 30%, which was really low. The seats in the main hall were always full, but because there were many tasting activities and discounts during the opening, the unit price was not too high, and the overall revenue was average.
However, teahouses are a long-term business, so there's no rush.
Although there was a slight mishap on the first day of Treasure Pavilion, it was handled in a timely manner and did not have much impact on business. Due to its existing brand recognition, it sold a lot of high-priced products on the first day, and Meng Zhao finally had a smile on his face.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Meng residence. Meng Zhao got out of the carriage, holding the account book. She had been running back and forth between the two shops all day and was already feeling unsteady on her feet. In addition, it was getting dark, and she accidentally stepped on a stone by the roadside. "Hiss—" She immediately gasped for breath, and the stinging pain in the sole of her foot made her involuntarily hop on one foot.
Huang Cui turned around abruptly upon hearing this, only to see a tall, slender figure already supporting Meng Zhao.
"Be careful." Shen Qinghe's deep voice was particularly clear in the night.
Meng Zhao was wincing in pain when Shen Qinghe bent down to pick her up.
This startled Meng Zhao, who jumped back two steps as if electrocuted, exclaiming in terror, "No, no! I can walk by myself!"
Last time I fell into the water and got sick, I was dizzy and asked him to carry me, it was purely accidental, so I have to be more careful this time.
Shen Qinghe's eyes darkened slightly, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, but he didn't insist. He silently stepped forward and took the ledger from her hand, stubbornly extending his arm towards Meng Zhao: "Help me."
Meng Zhao hesitated for a moment, then finally put his hand on hers, and the two walked into the courtyard one after the other.
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