The second elder of the Ren family made an outrageous demand for a mountain of coal owned by the Ren family. Naturally, Old Master Ren ignored this unreasonable request. However, Ren Yongxiang sought out Ren Yonghe to negotiate privately, producing disgraceful evidence of the Ren family's disregard for the lives of miners, bribery of Yanbei officials, and tax evasion through falsified accounting. This was a clear sign of a falling out with Ren Yonghe. Old Master Ren was so enraged by this ungrateful brother of Ren Yonghe's that he vomited blood and fainted.
After the man fainted from anger, the negotiation naturally could not proceed. Ren Yongxiang could not help but feel a little guilty. He did not really intend to disclose the evidence in his hands, but just wanted to threaten Ren Yonghe to get benefits.
However, the day after Mr. Ren fainted from anger, problems broke out in the operation of the Ren family's coal warehouse.
Someone brought two bodies to the Ren family coal warehouse in Jizhou. They said the coal was poisonous and had killed a grandfather and grandson. Then, several families who had bought coal from the Ren family came to complain. Although no one had died, some had also shown symptoms of poisoning. Some were so angry that they reported the case to the authorities.
After Mr. Ren fell ill this time, the doctor told him not to be stimulated again. So when something big happened at the Ren family coal warehouse, Mr. Ren did not dare to report the matter to Mr. Ren. Mr. Ren was so busy that he had no time to rest.
But before the toxic coal incident was resolved, it was revealed that the Ren family's coal warehouse was substituting inferior coal for good quality, using third-grade coal instead of second-grade coal, and second-grade coal instead of first-grade coal. This inside story was revealed by a "conscientious" employee of the Ren family. The Ren family was now facing an unprecedented crisis.
Although everyone in the Ren family was united in keeping the secret from Old Master Ren, the truth could not be hidden and Old Master Ren eventually found out. Although he was almost furious, he finally stood firm with extraordinary perseverance. Despite the objections of Old Madam Ren and Old Master Ren, he went out to clean up the mess despite his illness.
Old Madam Ren asked someone to ask Ren Shimao, the fifth master of the Ren family, to come back and help. Ren Shimao's business had been booming recently, and he had lost interest in returning to the Ren family. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely not have agreed, but this time, the Ren family had such a big thing happen, and Old Madam Ren was ill again. After receiving Old Madam Ren's letter, Ren Shimao, a descendant of the Ren family, made a decisive decision to return to the Ren family. Old Madam Ren no longer had the heart to care about Ren Shimao's previous disobedience, and the Ren family was in need of manpower, so the father and son tacitly put the past behind them for the time being.
However, despite Master Ren Wu's return to the Ren family, their situation continued to deteriorate. Half of the Ren family's coal warehouses in Yanbei were forced to close. The coal warehouses in Jizhou were particularly affected. People daily pounded their doors with stones, rotten eggs, and rotten vegetable leaves, making it impossible for them to operate.
However, facing the worsening situation, the old man of the Ren family was somewhat helpless. The Ren family realized that things had gotten to the point where they could no longer get out of this situation on their own, so they sought help from other families, and the Lei family, who had just become relatives with the Ren family, became the helper that the Ren family hoped for the most.
The Lei family's status among Yanbei's aristocratic families is second only to the Yun family. Their patriarch, Lei Ting, is a formidable figure. After several years of operation, the Lei family's reputation in Yanbei has truly grown compared to when they first arrived. Furthermore, the Lei family has always had a good relationship with the Yanbei Royal Palace. If the Lei family is willing to lend a hand to the Ren family, the Ren family may have a chance to turn things around.
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