Chapter 1035 - 1037: Making a Scene, Stealing Business_1
The man, Bai Ruozhu, had encountered several times, even inviting him warmly to attend his family’s buffet banquet. That man was Xue Wenqian, the young Marquis of the Xue Family, and also the stepson of Gai Yalai, Jiang Yichun’s mother, after her remarriage.
Having understood these relationships, Bai Ruozhu felt that Xue Wenqian’s eager efforts at making connections were not well-intentioned. With a nonchalant glance, she turned to leave, wishing to avoid any interactions with this young Marquis of Xue.
"Miss Bai!" Xue Wenqian, with sharp eyes, spotted Bai Ruozhu immediately and called out before striding over.
Since the shop was opening that day and was crowded with people, Bai Ruozhu couldn’t ignore Xue Wenqian without making herself seem negligent of her guests. She was forced to halt her steps, pretending only then to have noticed Xue Wenqian, she said, "So Young Master Xue has arrived, what have you purchased?"
Xue Wenqian lifted the delicate brocade box in his hand with pride and said, "I’m planning to give this set of golden-thread Nanmu Luban locks to my grandpa. He’s surely fond of fiddling with these things; they’ll give him more joy in his daily life."
"Young Master Xue is truly filial; I greatly admire that. Today is a busy day, so I will take my leave first, and we can talk another time," Bai Ruozhu said, bowing to Xue Wenqian before turning to leave.
She had already lost any good feelings for Xue Wenqian. If he had revealed his identity from the start, she might have admired his candidness.
However, being the stepson of Gai Yalai, and apparently not getting along with her, Bai Ruozhu didn’t want to have anything to do with the people of the Xue Family.
Xue Wenqian watched Bai Ruozhu leave in a hurry, his smile turning into a helpless expression. He touched his nose awkwardly, muttering to himself, "It seems I’m disliked then, oh well."
Having said that, he turned and left with the set of Luban locks.
All of this was observed from a corner by a pair of eyes that narrowed, as if brewing some conspiracy...
Shortly after Xue Wenqian left, a loud voice from outside suddenly shouted, "Don’t be fooled by the Bai Family, claiming that playing with these toys can lead to topping the imperial examinations; it’s obviously a scam. If it were that miraculous, no one would need to study. Aren’t they just some chunks of wood? Why sell them at such high prices? It’s clearly a swindle!"
No such toys had been sold previously in Danliang Country; there were only things like rattle-drums and clay figurines for children. Thus, Bai’s Toy House attracted much curiosity, but since these toys had never been on the market before, the outsider’s words seemed to make some sense to the listeners.
Consequently, many people whispered among themselves, even those ready to make payments quietly put down what they wanted to buy, and even those who had already made purchases had second thoughts, wanting a refund.
Can playing with these things really lead to topping the imperial examinations? If so, then no one would need to study.
Exactly, they’re just made of wood, yet the price is marked up several times. Are they really worth it?
Zhang Liliang’s face changed, and he addressed the person causing the disturbance, "Brother, your words are not justified. These items can enlighten children’s minds and help in brain development. It’s not that they don’t need to study; rather, these could possibly develop their intelligence and make studying easier, isn’t it?"
"Keep boasting; if they’re so miraculous, then why aren’t all the Bai sons top scholars?" the man said out loud.
Bai Ruozhu had already walked out from behind, and hearing these words, realized that this person was clearly there to cause trouble and also somewhat familiar with the Bai Family.
They had only recently come to the Capital City, and since her elder brother and his wife hadn’t accompanied them, ordinary people were not aware of her elder brother’s situation, not to mention his lack of formal education.
Zhang Liliang was furious. Bai Zehao was like his own disciple, so how could he remain calm when his disciple was scorned? Moreover, he had always believed that Bai Zehao was quite capable and, had he been able to study, becoming a Scholar wouldn’t have been a problem, even if he wasn’t as exceptional as Bai Zepei.
However, claiming now that the Bai Family didn’t have the money to send their eldest son to school back in the day would probably not be believed by anyone.
Bai Ruozhu stepped forward and gave Zhang Liliang a knowing look, signaling him that there was no need to worry.
She smiled at the troublemaker, feeling that this unfamiliar face must have been instigated by someone else.
"This gentleman is mistaken," she said. "By your logic, since Luban Locks and the like are made of wood, they are worthless. Then, a carved root is just a tree root; should one not just dig one up themselves? The ready-made clothes you buy outside are merely fabric, so they shouldn’t be priced like finished garments, should they?"
As she spoke, she turned towards the crowd, "Just like clothes are made from fabric, which include the embroiderer’s tailoring and sewing, not to mention the exquisite patterns stitched with every needle and thread, can they still sell for the price of the fabric? According to this gentleman’s theory, many shops in the Capital couldn’t keep their doors open."
"Don’t drag irrelevant things into this. What they sell is craftsmanship; what do you call this? It’s simply opportunism," retorted the man, his mouth quick, as he lifted his chin in a challenging manner.
"Our items are unprecedented and are the result of my family’s diligent research," she responded. "Afterwards, skilled carpenter masters meticulously refined and crafted each one. Can these items really be compared to ordinary wood? Moreover, don’t we also have metal and gemstones? Just like heavier silver jewelry is definitely more expensive than silver because it includes design and craftsmanship."
"And as for you accusing us of opportunism, if what we are doing is opportunism, why haven’t I seen you take advantage before? If it’s just opportunism, why did so many people just now praise it as exquisite, unable to stop exclaiming their admiration?" Bai Ruozhu countered.
The man snorted coldly, "These kinds of things can be found everywhere and are definitely cheaper than here."
It was clear he had come to cause trouble.
Bai Ruozhu scoffed and said, "If a scholar’s poem is copied by someone else, published, and profits are made, do you think that respects the author? Our toys have already been registered with the Commerce Association. Only the ones sold here in the Bai Family’s Toy House are authentic. Copies might be cheaper, but after all, they are not genuine, and their craftsmanship and quality cannot compare to ours; moreover..."
Bai Ruozhu drew out her voice, "If someone copies our products for profit, we can file a complaint with the Commerce Association."
"You—you’ve bribed the Commerce Association! Why can’t others do what you’ve done?" the man said, growing agitated.
Bai Ruozhu smiled brightly, "The gentleman’s people must have bought quite a few to study today, and are likely to come out with copies soon, right? After all this talk, isn’t it just for snatching business? Do you really think everyone here is that easily fooled?"
At this point, several who had participated in the competition spoke up, "These toys are indeed exquisite, unheard and unseen by us before; they truly are fine products."
Upon hearing this, others also felt that they couldn’t just listen to someone out to steal business talking nonsense. Buying a fake that’s only a shell without substance, and what if it doesn’t match up when disassembled? It’s better to purchase the authentic item.
Seeing that the time was right, Bai Ruozhu signaled to the guard, who then approached to escort the man out of the premises. The man, unwilling to go quietly, said, "Bai Ruozhu, you just wait; you won’t be able to remain in the Capital City!"
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The crackdown from above was severe. Mouka had received a notice that they needed to change the content from the beginning, with the requirement being to avoid writing any scenes with kissing, especially detailed descriptions of kissing, so they had to revise their document through the night. As for updating and such... that will have to wait until tomorrow.