Chapter 426: Chapter 425: Is It Their Fault They Turned Out Like Villains?
The blazing sun had sunk without notice, and the sky became overcast with heavy grey clouds, oppressing people even more.
Inside the study, the only sound was that of porcelain hitting the floor, and Manager Cheng, bloodied on the head, didn’t dare let out even a muffled groan of pain.
The embroidery workshop had not seen profits for many days, and employing servants and embroidery ladies, who doesn’t require money? Calculating the losses, they were severe indeed. The already precarious reputation also plummeted wildly, resulting in slowed sales of the embroideries sent far and wide.
Long-time customers have defected one after another.
In recent days, more have come knocking, clamoring for refunds.
Li San and his ilk were truly treacherous!
They turned away all the visiting customers but allowed those who came to return merchandise to enter.
Business was already wilting, and with the added disturbances, it became particularly noticeable, and before long, more people joined the ranks of those asking for refunds.
There’s no need to say, this incident cannot be separated from Shen Hua. She had just returned to Fengzhou! And once again caused trouble! It seems she wants everyone to live in unrest!
The Shen Family does have money, but if this continues, sooner or later, they will be bled dry.
Manager Cheng knelt on the ground, his back becoming more curved, but still he respectfully reported.
"This servant is incompetent, the petition submitted to the government office was sent back."
Shen Qu coldly asked: "Why?"
He had spent quite a sum of silver to smooth things over. Prefect Zhu Zheng had also exerted effort, and just yesterday, he even wined and dined many officials from Fengzhou.
Although County Magistrate Liu didn’t show up, he was under pressure, and the lawsuit had to be processed!
In this world, as long as you have money, there is nothing you can’t do. It seemed certain that the likes of Li San would be suppressed into prison, blunting Shen Hua’s sharpness and teaching her a lesson, but unexpectedly, something went wrong.
Manager Cheng said: "County Magistrate Liu fell ill, and for some reason the case ended up in Magistrate Wang’s hands."
While speaking, he took a fearful glance at Shen Qu, who had a dark expression, and quickly bowed his head lower, not daring to look any longer.
For the confrontation in court, Shen Qu himself should have appeared to personally testify, but concerned for his reputation and feeling certain of the outcome, he sent Manager Cheng instead.
Who would have expected a complication along the way.
Thinking back to the scene in the courtroom, Manager Cheng felt darkness before his eyes.
At that time, Magistrate Wang sat on the high platform, wearing fourth-rank official clothes and an official hat, exuding an awe-inspiring authority while presiding over the court. Eight bailiffs stood on two sides with Water and Fire Sticks in hand.
All the troublemakers knelt on the ground, a far cry from their relentless attitude at the embroidery workshop, now firmly denying being bribed or incited by Shen Hua.
——"Shen Family’s Embroidery Workshop sold inferior-quality embroidery, and we have spent money in vain. The shop deceives its customers; we earnestly request the Lord to see justice served."
The woman who was the most clamorous was now weeping tears.
——"My household is by no means wealthy, I’ve begrudgingly spent twenty taels, which is all I had saved for my coffin, to buy a silk bellyband for my prematurely born, frequently ill Jinsun. Ah! Shen Family’s Embroidery Workshop boasted far and wide of the bellyband’s supposed quality, claiming that it was embroidered with Vajra Gold characters on top, promising peace and protection for the infant."
——"I usually deny myself fine food and clothes, I may be uneducated and illiterate, but I always wanted to leave the best for my Jinsun. However, the embroidery workshop took advantage of me, seeing me as nothing but a coarse and uncultured old woman, unfamiliar with precious items; they sold me a ’Boys Playing in Water’ bellyband that was not made of silk. At first, I refused to believe it, for Shen Family’s Embroidery Workshop wouldn’t stoop so low. But given the price was not cheap, easily years’ worth of expenses for an ordinary family, I thickened my skin and sought out Zhou Family Embroidery Workshop. With just a glance, Old Master Zhou declared it was not silk, but a different material that was smoother. It could easily deceive those who are not in the know. As for the price, it would be seven or eightfold less than silk!"
——"This is the embroidery product I bought; I’ve brought it here. The Lord can have someone appraise it. Such a grand embroidery workshop has no shame today! I am asking for a refund, which is not at all unjustified! I haven’t asked the workshop to compensate me with more silver; I am being quite courteous! They have the audacity to sue me while seeing the truth with their own eyes? Bah! What nonsense!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Manager Cheng was so frightened that his back broke into a cold sweat; right, this woman had previously asked for a refund, and with too many onlookers outside, if he had nodded, wouldn’t that be admitting the embroidery workshop was selling shoddy goods as high-quality ones?
What could possibly be done?
Not even a moment’s breath was given to him. Immediately, someone else eagerly spoke out.
——"The piece I purchased cost fifty taels, and I had already paid a deposit of ten taels well in advance. When the designated pick-up date arrived, the embroidery workshop delayed again and again, dragging it out for over a month. Every time I inquired, I was told they were still rushing to complete it."
——"Even now, I haven’t seen even a shadow of Ying Er. Are they really that busy? The embroidery workshop hasn’t had any business recently! However, the goods sent to Shengjing’s Juchao Pavilion are piled high. So, my silver just goes into their pockets like it belongs to them now?"
The voices of accusation followed one another.
The more he listened, the colder his body became.
Manager Cheng knew full well that this was indeed the fault of the embroidery workshop.
Rather than speaking of faults, it would be more accurate to say it was Shen Qu’s permissiveness that caused this.
Shen Qu aimed too high and looked only at short-term benefits. How could he envision the long term?
Especially after Shen Hua exposed the Shen Family’s scandals to the public, Shen Qu’s temper became even more irritable.
So what if they bullied their customers due to the shop’s size?
He now had financial ties with many officials in Fengzhou. The powerless commoners were mere ants. All they could do was swallow down their own bitter blood.
For this reason, Manager Cheng was anxious and uneasy, finding the situation improper. He had tactfully suggested that a good reputation was of utmost importance for the embroidery workshop. But Shen Qu was wary of him, and even despised him. How could he take to heart even a single word spoken?
He was desperately eager to see Shen Hua unable to escape her comeuppance.
Therefore, regardless of the consequences, the matter of reporting to the authorities ensued. Despite all the scheming, he never expected that Magistrate Wang would get involved.
And Li San was nothing but trouble, able to turn black into white. With a theatrical air, he gave Magistrate Wang a loud kowtow with a ’bang’.
——"My Lord, the few brothers behind me may look fierce and malevolent, but our flesh and blood were given by our parents. Is it their fault for looking like villains?"
——"We may be loafers, but we still abide by laws and regulations. Fengzhou, governed by my Lord, is not a place ruled by might. Yet this Shopkeeper slanders us, accusing us of sabotaging his business."
Li San was spitting vehemently.
——"We brothers just like to wander the streets, so what? Are our legs getting in his way? Or is he suggesting that the streets belong to the Shen Family? Perhaps we should pay a tax just to linger?"
——"Ridiculous! As if his shop’s business needs us to ruin it!"
Magistrate Wang should have been enjoying the return of his son and the comforting relaxation that brought, and now that Xu was back, his wife’s worries could also fully be relieved.
At this moment, his lips were pursed tightly into a line. Seeing both witness and evidence present, and his subjects in such a state of grievance, he felt that Shen Qu was simply lawless!
To have committed such acts and yet refuse to show his face!
It was evident that there was no sense of wrongdoing!
He was furious because of this.
Manager Cheng dared not look at Shen Qu anymore. His voice became quieter and quieter.
"Lord Prefect has ordered that customers with flawed embroidery items may go to the government office to register, and the young master must personally apologize outside the embroidery workshop, one by one, to show his error, and fully reimburse the funds."
"Should this happen again, there will be no tolerance."