Fang Guizhi saw Bai Ruozhu laughing heartily, and somewhat awkwardly pulled down her sleeve, saying, "I was just trying to stand up for you."
"If we needed a fighter, it wouldn’t be you. Wei San can even fight better than you," Bai Ruozhu said with a chuckle.
Fang Guizhi wrinkled her nose and said unconvinced, "If it’s against a woman, I’m definitely a better choice than Wei San. He might feel awkward about fighting a woman."
While they were chatting, they got into the horse carriage. Upon hearing Fang Guizhi mention his name, Wei San turned his head and gave Fang Guizhi a silly smile, which made her feel somewhat embarrassed and she looked away.
The horse carriage first went to the market. Bai Ruozhu was not in a hurry to go to the counterfeit shop. Firstly, she took Fang Guizhi around for a stroll. They had some snacks and bought some hot sugar fried chestnuts, cracking the shells and eating them as they walked. They warmed the hands so well that there was no need for gloves.
Bai Ruozhu knew where Yun Xiaorong’s shop was located. Despite being the competitor who replicated her shop, it didn’t mean she hadn’t collected any information at all. Soon, she led Fang Guizhi to the area near Yun Xiaorong’s shop. Pulling Fang Guizhi slightly, she whispered, "Let’s not rush in."
There was a sweet dumpling stall nearby where they sat down. This location was perfect for watching Yun Xiaorong’s movements.
Bai Ruozhu had seen the decorations in the shop. It did totally mimic her shop without any originality.
Soon enough, customers started coming in. Similarly, there was a female shopkeeper who led the customers around, loudly proclaiming, "Our shop is the premier one in Beiyu City, you can’t find these goods anywhere else."
A customer who seemed to know a thing or two asked, "Didn’t I hear there’s another shop called Hua Xiangrong? I think it opened before yours, right?"
"Oh no, calling it ’opening before us’ is utter nonsense. They just copied us. If you don’t believe me, ask around. How long has our shop been open? Moreover, Hua Xiangrong is just a rip-off, compare our prices with theirs, you’ll know. We are honest in our dealings and never overcharge customers," the female shopkeeper spouted off, speaking quickly and fluently.
Because the shop door was wide open, and the shopkeeper’s voice was loud, Bai Ruozhu and Fang Guizhi heard every word she said. Fang Guizhi got agitated and wanted to go argue, but Bai Ruozhu held her back, saying, "Calm down, let’s listen first. If we rush in to argue, we will only seem ill-mannered."
Fang Guizhi was so angry. She sat back down and bit through a sweet dumpling with a vengeance, mumbling, "She’s filthy, so full of lies, utterly shameless."
The customer seemed to have been swayed by her, and began to look at the catalog. He eventually ordered something, but moved towards the back of the shop to discuss further. Bai Ruozhu wasn’t able to hear what exactly the customer ordered.
Just as the customer stepped out, a nobelwoman stepped out from within the shop. She said to the shopkeeper while walking, "You’re doing a good job. Make sure you look after the shop well."
Bai Ruozhu and Fang Guizhi recognized her immediately. Wasn’t that the woman who had just come to see the catalog at Hua Xiangrong?
Fang Guizhi couldn’t swallow her anger. She stomped her foot and said, "Our shop opened first, yet they steal our skills, our designs, and then slander us, ruining our reputation. Ruozhu, can we sue them?"
Bai Ruozhu shook her head, "We don’t have evidence, and besides, there’s no law stating that once we open a weaving pavilion, others are not allowed to do the same."
The sweet dumplings stall was run by an elderly couple. The old lady looked at them and said with a smile, "I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, but I am an elderly woman with acute hearing, so I might as well provide my opinion."
Bai Ruozhu quickly nodded to the lady, "Please tell us, mother."
"We’ve been selling our sweet dumplings here for over a decade. There have been times when others envied our business and opened their own dumpling stalls. They even set lower prices, but in the end, it’s still us selling here, and no one else sells dumplings around this area," the old lady slowly said.
"Do you know why?" she asked with a smile, looking at the two of them.
Fang Guizhi blurted out, "Because your fillings are generous and the taste is good."
The old lady nodded, "That’s part of it. But the other part is we don’t let anyone affect us. No matter how many dumpling stalls open around here, we keep selling ours at our own price."
Bai Ruozhu understood. The old lady was advising them not to be easily affected by competitors.
"Thank you, mother. I understand that only by persisting can we really shine," Bai Ruozhu said with a smile.
"I stay here every day, and I’ve heard the shopkeeper of Yun Xiaorong’s shop deceive and belittle Hua Xiangrong plenty of times," she said with a smile to Bai Ruozhu. "You two are the ones who run Hua Xiangrong, aren’t you?"
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Exactly."
The old lady continued, "Don’t make a scene, it makes you look just as petty as them. Also, behind them, there is a high-ranking official. You don’t want to mess with him and bring trouble on yourselves."
Inside her heart, Bai Ruozhu wondered if there could be someone higher than the residence of the City Lord in this city. Of course, the old lady did not know that Bai Ruozhu has her connections, she was just kindly reminding them.
Bai Ruozhu and Fang Guizhi thanked the old lady again. After eating the sweet dumplings, they gave the old woman 20 more copper plates than she asked for. Then they bid her farewell and left.
At this moment, a horse carriage stopped in front of the shop. A beautiful lady stepped down. Just looking at her side profile, she had a clear skin, delicate features, and was indeed a rare beauty on looks alone.
But Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but take another look. She had seen this woman before!
"See, that woman is the actual owner of this shop. I heard that her husband works for the city lord," the old woman’s voice rang out again.
Bai Ruozhu squinted and thought, "So, that’s how it is!"
The beauty was known as Mrs. Li, not the wife of Li Shunsheng, but the wife of Li Mingyuan, a staff member of the City Lord’s Residence. On the day of the banquet at the City Lord’s Residence, when Wang Miaoshuang publicly apologized to her, she was despised by a beauty before she even entered the door.
With such deep hostility, she could not possibly ignore it. Later, she discreetly investigated the woman’s identity and found out that this Mrs. Li was close to Wang Miaoshuang. Of course, saying they were close was just polite; more accurately, she loved to curry favor with Wang Miaoshuang and did some things for her secretly.
If this counterfeiting shop was owned by Mrs. Li, then it was highly likely that Wang Miaoshuang was behind all this.
Well done Wang Miaoshuang, still not done with it. Now having created Yun Xiaorong, Bai Ruozhu was curious to see how Wang Miaoshuang was going to end this.
Bai Ruozhu didn’t continue to linger, she took Fang Guizhi’s hand, and they quickly left the street. At the end of the street, they found Wei San and boarded the carriage again.
"Ruozhu, do you know who the owner of that counterfeit shop is? Do they have a powerful background?" Fang Guizhi asked apprehensively.
"I’ve only met her once," Bai Ruozhu replied briefly. She didn’t want to bring up Wang Miaoshuang, after all, she was only speculating and didn’t want to scare her family by saying too much.
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Recommended, the story of our dear friend Wu, "Reborn as the Queen of the Immortal Path". Rebirth is not necessarily a dead-end. She wants to overthrow this world just to reclaim everything.