The will of the people
At dinner time, the atmosphere at the Shen family home was lively and harmonious due to the return of the mistress and Xiao Shitou.
Little Stone sat next to Ling Zhan, while Bean Sprout ate quietly.
Da Niu and Da Ya whispered about their experiences with embroidery and farming.
I feel exceptionally cheerful today!
News of the Longchang being repeatedly defeated by the "Snowy Satin" at Qingzhou kept coming in.
He solicitously placed a piece of stir-fried bamboo shoots, the kind she often picked for Ling Zhan, on his plate, with a smile on his face.
It carried an undisguised sense of "relaxation" and "showing off".
"Wife, try this. It's freshly dug bamboo shoots today, the most tender ever!"
He put down the serving chopsticks, raised his voice a few decibels, and was about to tell another interesting story.
"You wouldn't believe it, news came from the prefectural city today! Longchang's biggest shop in the city, 'Jinlongji,' is on the verge of going out of business! It's practically deserted!" He spoke animatedly, "When we put our 'Snow Velvet Satin' in those small shops, good heavens! Their cloth is rough, dull, and ridiculously expensive! Nobody even notices it! The common people are shrewd! Good stuff at a low price, who wouldn't snatch it up?"
He paused, then looked around the dining table.
His gaze lingered on Ling Zhan's calm face, his tone carrying an unprecedented air of righteous indignation mixed with a barely perceptible hint of seeking praise: "Liu Quan was just muttering to me this morning about whether we should find some people... um... to go to their doorstep and 'have a word with them,' or maybe give their manager a little more trouble..."
He deliberately kept everyone in suspense, then with a decisive wave of his hand, he made a firm statement.
“I snapped back at them! We at Chenji do business with integrity! We earn our living through real skills! ‘Snow Velvet Satin’ is good! It’s better than theirs! And the price is fair! Do we need to resort to those underhanded tricks? Isn’t that beneath us?!”
After he finished speaking, he stared at Ling Zhan with bright eyes, his back ramrod straight.
Like a big dog waiting for its owner's praise.
The bean sprout lowered its head helplessly!
I felt that my father's "trying to please" attitude was a bit... too deliberate.
The girl smiled secretly.
Daya looked completely bewildered.
Little Stone asked curiously, "Daddy, what does 'losing face' mean?"
Ling Zhan was picking up the bamboo shoot when he heard this and paused slightly.
She raised her eyes and her gaze fell on Shen Yan's face, which was filled with "Praise me quickly," "Look how upright I am," and "I'll follow your path completely."
The dinner table fell silent instantly.
Shen Yan felt a little uneasy under Ling Zhan's gaze!
The smile on his face froze for a moment.
But she still forced herself to maintain that "I'm honest and I'm great" expression.
Just when Shen Yan was about to give up, Ling Zhan slowly put the bamboo shoot tips into his bowl.
Then, he put down his chopsticks and picked up a cloth to wipe the corners of his mouth.
Chen Ya's heart was in his throat, and he was so happy he almost exploded.
He saw it clearly—
Deep within Ling Zhan's eyes, which were usually as still as a frozen lake, there seemed to be an extremely subtle ripple!
That was an extremely rare, almost...approving gleam?!
Although it was fleeting, so fast that one might think it was an illusion.
But I swear!
He caught it!
What made his heart pound even harder was that Ling Zhan's gaze lingered on his face for a slightly longer time than usual, and then she nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, her lips parted, and she uttered two syllables more beautiful than heavenly music:
"It's acceptable."
"boom!"
An indescribable ecstasy instantly swept over Shen Yan's entire body!
A rush of heat to his head made him feel lightheaded!
I'm even more satisfied than closing the biggest deal ever!
Ling Zhan said, "It's acceptable!"
She approved!
She really thought too highly of me!
Just because I didn't use any underhanded tactics!
Because I used a perfectly legitimate and aboveboard strategy!
I made the right choice!
Overwhelmed with joy, his face instantly glowed red, and he was so excited he almost stood up:
"My wife is right! We should be upright and honest in our dealings with others! We should crush them with our strength! From now on, we will stick to this principle in Chenji! If anyone disagrees, we will use our real skills to subdue them! Hahaha!"
He laughed heartily, his voice so loud it seemed to shake the roof beams.
Shen Hong silently covered his face.
Shen Wansu and Shen Suihe lowered their heads and chuckled, their shoulders trembling.
Little Stone tilted his head and said, "Daddy, your face is so red, like a monkey's bottom."
Ling Zhan ignored Shen Yan's "excitement."
He picked up his chopsticks again, took a piece of green vegetable, and said casually, "Let's eat."
"Eat! Eat! All of you, eat your food properly!"
Shen Yan immediately stopped laughing, though her voice remained loud.
She diligently served food to everyone, as if trying to prove her "uprightness" through her actions.
"Eat more, everyone! Hong'er's studies are hard on his brain! Wansu's embroidery is hard on her eyes! Suihe's farming is hard on her body! Little Stone is growing! My wife... uh... worrying about her is the most tiring!"
He was completely immersed in a kind of silly joy and excitement.
With Ling Zhan's "acceptable" as encouragement, Shen Yan was energized.
Their determination and methods in dealing with the Fucheng Longchang were even more ruthless and pure, carrying out the "overt strategy to crush" to the end!
Shenji's "Yunshangji" branch in Fucheng has opened with great fanfare.
This store specializes in "snow velvet satin" and will stock it everywhere!
At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, before the imposing vermilion doors of the branch store had even opened, the area outside was already bustling with activity, a dense, dark mass of people! The queue stretched from the store entrance all the way to the street corner, and it kept getting longer!
Men, women, young and old, all were there, craning their necks in anticipation, their faces filled with eagerness and expectation.
"Oh, I've finally gotten to the front of the line! Give me three bolts of 'Snow Velvet Satin'! The moon-white one, please!"
"Don't push! I was here first! I want that indigo one! To make a new robe for my son!"
"Shopkeeper! Do you have any sky blue ones? I'll pay more! Ten more coins!"
As soon as the store doors opened, the crowd surged in like a tidal wave!
The workers' voices were hoarse from shouting: "Fellow villagers! Line up! One by one! We have plenty of 'Snow Velvet Satin'!"
"Yes, we have them all! We have them all!"
"Hey! Ma'am! Don't touch it! The fabric is very valuable!"
"Sir! The pine flower color you requested is sold out! We'll restock this afternoon!"
"Why don't you take a look at this one after the rain? Its color is quite elegant!"
Behind the counter, the shopkeeper's abacus clicked away, his forehead covered in sweat, but his face was beaming with joy.
One by one, the smooth, snow-white, and warm-to-the-touch "snow velvet satin" was carefully measured, cut, and wrapped.
Copper coins and silver coins poured into the money box like a flowing river.
Across the street, Mr. Zhao, the owner of the "Fu Rui Xiang" fabric shop, along with his manager and accountant, peered out their second-floor window, watching the bustling scene at "Yunshangji" with a mixture of envy and longing. He held a small piece of "snow velvet satin" scrap he had just bought at a high price, examining it repeatedly in the sunlight, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Incredible... truly incredible! This cotton fabric... feels even smoother than fine silk!"
"Yes, it looks even denser than fine linen! Pull it a bit, and it's incredibly resilient! The dyeing is also even and lustrous! And the key thing is... the price!"
He shook his head and sighed to the accountant beside him, "Longchang is finished! What can we use to compete with them? We need to think of a way to get some goods from Chenji! This 'Snow Velvet Satin'... it seems it's going to dominate the world!"
Inside the "Skilled Zhang" tailor shop.
Zhang the tailor's reading glasses had slipped down to the tip of his nose.
He was surrounded by piles of various colored "snow velvet satin" in front of him, and his apprentices were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground.
"Master! The Li family is asking when the summer dress they made for their young lady from moon-white 'snow-velvet satin' will be ready. The young lady is waiting to wear it!"
"Master! Manager Wang ordered two sets of robes made of indigo 'snow velvet satin,' and the customer will come to pick them up this afternoon!"
"What's the rush!"
Without even looking up, Zhang the tailor's scissors glided smoothly across the fabric. "Tell Master Li that the material is too good; it needs to be made carefully! Slow and steady wins the race! As for Manager Wang... expedite it! Pay extra to get it done for him!"
He touched the warm, supple fabric in his hands and couldn't help but admire it.
"What fine material! It's easy to cut and make, and it won't easily lose its shape. The clothes made from it will be crisp and comfortable! Chen Ji... this is truly a great blessing!"
At a roadside tea stall, several women carrying vegetable baskets sat around, showing off the "snow velvet satin" they had just bought.
"Look! Look at this one! It's moon white! I'll make a dress for my daughter, so she'll look like a fairy!"
"I bought this sky-blue horse! I'll make a jacket for the master! It'll be both presentable and sturdy! He won't even wear it when he's working in the fields!"
"The key is that it's cheap! It's even a few coins cheaper than the coarse cloth from Longchanghao! It's soft and durable! Owner Shenji is truly a living bodhisattva!"
"That's right! I heard this fabric was even used for military supplies!"
"I've heard that all the soldiers in the garrison are wearing these! It's such a blessing that we ordinary folks can wear them too!"
"Let's go, let's hurry home! I heard there are new colors arriving this afternoon, if we go too late we won't be able to get them!"
Across the street from "Yunshangji", Longchanghao "Jinlongji" was deserted and desolate, like a ghost shop.
The shop assistant leaned listlessly against the doorframe, sighing as he looked at the sea of people across the way. On the shelves, the cotton fabrics that were once considered decent now appeared particularly rough and dull compared to the "snowy satin," covered with a thin layer of dust. Occasionally, a customer would come in, touch the fabric, purse their lips, shake their head, and leave.
The shopkeeper hid behind the counter, his face ashen. He watched the shop assistants across from him carrying bundles of shiny "snow velvet satin" to restock, and then looked at his own pile of unsold inventory. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. Red notices announcing price reductions were posted at the door, but no one paid any attention.
He knew that the situation was hopeless.
Accompanied by Liu Quan, Shen Yan sat in a private room of the teahouse diagonally opposite "Yunshangji" and leisurely sipped her fragrant tea.
He looked down at his own shop, which was bustling with customers and where his employees were working tirelessly.
Looking at the lifeless facade of the Longchang, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.
"Boss, do you think we should find two more people to go to the entrance of Longchanghao..."
Liu Quan leaned closer, lowered his voice, and made a "shout" gesture, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer—to kick someone when they're down and give them another kick.
"Um?!"
Shen Yan immediately straightened her face, slamming her teacup down with a loud thud, mimicking Ling Zhan's imposing demeanor, though not quite quite right. "Foolish! How many times have I told you! We at Shenji do things honestly and fairly! We rely on real skills! On the golden brand of 'Snow Velvet Satin'! Do we need to play those underhanded tricks?"
He stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, and looked down at the surging crowd in front of his shop.
He spoke in a deliberately exaggerated, self-important tone: "See? The will of the people! The inevitable trend! Longchang... Hmph, it's nothing but a grasshopper in autumn! Let them fend for themselves! We should focus our efforts on the right path!"
He specifically emphasized the words "the right path," as if he were praising someone he couldn't see.
Liu Quan suppressed a laugh as he watched his boss trying so hard to maintain an "upright and honest" persona while actually being incredibly arrogant.
He repeatedly said, "Master, your insight is brilliant! I was too naive!"
Just then, an even bigger commotion came from downstairs, apparently because a new batch of "snow velvet satin" had arrived.
The crowd became even more agitated, and a plump woman nearly lost her shoes in the pushing.
Looking at this grand scene of "popular support," Shen Yan finally couldn't help but laugh out loud with a smug chuckle, his shoulders shrug.
He could almost see Ling Zhan's reaction when he learned of this scene.
Perhaps a more obvious hint of approval would flash across that aloof face?
Just thinking about it made him feel incredibly comfortable!
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