The anger of Li Tuiguan's wife was like a solid ice cube, stabbing at everyone present.
The two strong servants behind her were even more vigilant, making the small hall seem even more cramped.
Miss Shen Er! Why don't you reason with me?
Mrs. Li's well-maintained face was now covered with frost and her voice was shrill.
I was kind-hearted and believed your girl's words. I booked your "Four Seasons Elegance" and paid a deposit of five taels of silver!
But outside, everyone says that your Jinxiu Pavilion is just an empty shell, unable to deliver the goods, and is deliberately defrauding us regular customers of our deposits to just survive? "!"
A Xing was so frightened that her face turned pale. She wanted to explain, but was glared fiercely by Mrs. Li, and the rest of her words got stuck in her throat. Wang Bo was also looking anxious, but he didn't know how to start to calm the anger of this official lady.
Shen Ruoxin stepped forward, slightly leaning, her tone calm and undisturbed, yet carrying a soothing power: "Mrs. Li, please calm down." The rumor among the common people outside that three people make a tiger is bound to be untrue.
You are a regular customer of Jinxiu Pavilion. You know best how our embroidery works are. Ruoxin, may I ask, are there any solid evidence for these rumors you have heard? And where did you hear it from?
She didn't rush to defend herself. Instead, she threw the question back, looking at Mrs. Li with clear eyes, full of curiosity and confusion.
Mrs. Li was stunned by her question for a moment, and then her eyebrows curled up.
What more empirical evidence is needed? This notice has been discounted so much that the whole city knows about it. But your Jinxiu Pavilion is deserted. Isn't this an obvious fact?
I... I also heard this from a familiar card-playing friend. He said that the owner of Fu Ji Embroidery House, Mr. Qian, personally said, "You can't even afford gold and silver threads. How can you make them into fine products?"
"Mr. Qian from Fu Ji?" Shen Ruoxin raised her eyebrows slightly, already understanding about seven or eight parts of the situation in her heart. Since the proposal of the "Supply Alliance" that day, Boss Qian has turned to Zhang Ji. Now that he has released such words, his purpose is obvious.
Mrs. Li, you are a reasonable person. I'm sure you've also heard about the current relationship between Fu Ji and Zhang Ji. The credibility of his words, you might as well savor carefully.
She turned sideways and motioned for Li Molan, who had been standing with her hands hanging down, saying, "Teacher Li, could you please bring the freshly started sample from the 'Four Seasons Elegance' series' Autumn Dusk and Lotus Fragrance 'for Mrs. Li to have a look at?"
Li Molan responded and quickly returned, holding a small embroidered thread wrapped in brocade, and gently unfurled it.
On a piece of moon-white Hangzhou silk, a few strokes of light ink outlined the contours of the withered leaves of the lotus pond. A bud of autumn lotus had already been sketched out in a hazy shape with fine, hair-like dark green, lotus root and light vermicine.
The stitches are fine and the color matching is elegant. Although it is not yet completed, that cold and lonely autumn charm has already come towards you.
Mrs. Li, please have a look. Shen Ruoxin's voice was gentle. "This is the 'Autumn Dusk and Lotus Fragrance' you reserved."
Although the threads used are not gold or silver, the luster of the ice silk and the stitches of Suzhou embroidery that are "flat, even, smooth, even and even" - could there be the slightest bit of slackness? In order to rush the production of this batch of exquisite works, the two instructors and the best embroiderer worked in shifts day and night, not daring to be the least bit careless.
Outside, the wind and rain are unstable. What we at Jinxiu Pavilion can do is to stay true to our original intention, do every stitch and thread in our hands well, and never let down any guest who trusts us.
She paused for a moment and met Mrs. Li's gaze sincerely: "As for the deposit, the rule of the Splendid Pavilion is always to pay the balance upon delivery." If you have any doubts at this moment, Ruoxin can return these five taels of silver to you immediately.
Just... The "Autumn Dusk Lotus Fragrance" project that has already started construction for you here is likely to come to a halt as well. If anyone asks about it in the future, Ruoxin can only tell the truth that it is you, Mrs. Li... Give it up first.
These words, soft yet firm, not only demonstrated sincerity and progress, but also pointed out the source of the rumor. At the same time, they subtly shifted the responsibility for the "breach of trust" back onto Mrs. Li.
Looking at the exquisite embroidery pattern and then at Shen Ruoxin's open and clear eyes, Mrs. Li's anger dissipated by more than half without her realizing it.
She was never an unreasonable person. She was just momentarily carried away by the rumors and the momentum of Zhang Ji's price reduction. At this moment, having calmed down, I recalled the consistent quality of Jinxiu Pavilion and Shen Ruoxin's character, and compared it with the faking face of Mr. Qian, the boss of Fu Ji. I already regretted my impulsive act just now.
"All right, all right!" She waved her hand, a hint of embarrassment showing on her face. "I was confused and listened to the slander of a villain." This embroidery pattern... It's indeed good. Well... Let's just follow the original agreement. She took out another ingot of about five taels of silver from her sleeve and placed it on the table. "Here is the remaining deposit. Please keep it well." This handkerchief must be embroidered carefully for me!
Shen Ruoxin smiled slightly and said, "Madam, don't worry. The products of Jinxiu Pavilion must be of high quality." She motioned for A Xing to accept the silver and then personally saw Lady Li out.
A storm seemed to have been resolved safely and unscathed. But Shen Ruoxin's heart did not relax in the slightest. The matter of Mrs. Li is just the tip of the iceberg. Zhang Ji and Zhao Babi have clearly resorted to more insidious tactics - inciting public opinion and undermining trust.
After seeing off Mrs. Li, Shen Ruoxin immediately turned to Uncle Wang and asked, "Uncle Wang, how's the situation with Boss Sun?" We must respond immediately!
Uncle Wang was deeply worried: "Zhang Ji sent local ruffians to cause trouble in Boss Sun's shop, scaring away the customers. He even threatened that if he didn't quit the alliance, he would smash his shop!" Although Boss Sun is tough, he is ultimately weak and alone...
"An ordinary man is innocent, but a precious gem is." " Shen Ruoxin's eyes were calm. "The 'Supply Alliance' has touched the fundamental interests of Zhang Ji. He will surely launch a fierce counterattack." We can't let Boss Sun bear the pressure alone.
She thought for a moment and made a quick decision:
"Uncle Wang, you should go to the county yamen immediately and report to the familiar yamen and clerks the situation where Zhang Ji hired local ruffians, threatened and intimidated, and disrupted the market order." There is no need to ask them to do anything immediately. Just record this matter on file and keep it as a backup plan.
At the same time, you should make one more effort to contact several other stores that are interested in joining the alliance but are still waiting and seeing. Tell them that when one's lips are gone, the teeth are cold. If Zhang Ji can deal with Boss Sun in this way today, he will be able to deal with them in the same way tomorrow. "Jinxiu Pavilion is willing to take the lead and unite everyone to jointly hire a lawyer. If Zhang Ji dares to use any despicable means again, we will take him to court!"
"Resorting to court?" Uncle Wang hesitated a little. "This..." It takes a lot of time and effort, and the government...
I know it's difficult. But we must make a gesture! Shen Ruoxin's tone was firm. "We must let Zhang Ji know that we are not lambs to be slaughtered!" We should also let those potential Allies see our determination and responsibility! As for the lawyer's expenses, the Jinxiu Pavilion will advance the payment first!
"Besides," she added, "immediately allocate a batch of the most commonly used cotton thread and ordinary silk thread from our warehouse and send them to Boss Sun for emergency use at the internal agreement price of the alliance." His shop has been disturbed and his business has been damaged. We mustn't let him lose supply of raw materials again!
Looking at Shen Ruoxin's clear and organized manner and her decisive response, Wang Bo's unease eased slightly. He nodded vigorously, "Good!" I'll do it right away!
In the following days, the urban layout of the prefectural city underwent profound changes quietly and imperceptibly.
The price war among Zhang Ji is still ongoing, but the results have fallen far short of expectations. A large amount of low-price dumping, although it has attracted many lower-class people who are after bargains, has also greatly lowered the brand image of Zhangji itself.
More importantly, this strategy of "killing a thousand enemies but losing eight hundred of one's own" has exerted tremendous pressure on Zhang Ji's own capital chain. Although Zhao Baopi was good at calculating, he couldn't resist such a large-scale and long-term loss-making sale.
Several shopkeepers of Zhang Ji have complained to Zhang Defa more than once that the warehouse is having difficulty in turnover and there is a serious deficit in the accounts.
However, those ordinary customers who were attracted by Zhang Ji's low prices but lacked the ability to distinguish them soon found that the quality of the products after Zhang Ji's price reduction also declined. The thread ends are rough, the dyeing is uneven, the fabric is thin... All kinds of problems keep emerging.
Some people bought them at a low price, but they broke down after a few uses, which turned out to be counterproductive. Gradually, except for the truly poor at the bottom of society, customers with even a little demand no longer easily stepped into the door of Zhang Ji.
In sharp contrast, although the number of visitors to Jinxiu Pavilion has not yet returned to its peak, the majority of those who remain are high-quality customers with high loyalty and strong purchasing power.
The "purchase restriction" strategy has whetted the appetite, the "reservation" service has satisfied the sense of dignity, and the "points" system has increased the stickiness.
Although the sales of Jinxiu Pavilion have not skyrocketed, its profit margin has remained relatively stable, and its cash flow has also improved due to the injection of advance deposits.
More importantly, the reputation of Jinxiu Pavilion in the high-end market has not declined but risen instead. The "Phoenix Interwoven with Peony" screen, priced at 300 taels, although ignored, is like a stabilizing anchor, firmly establishing the image of "top-notch quality" of Jinxiu Pavilion.
Many wealthy families who originally had low standards for embroidery have also begun to pay attention to the Jinxiu Pavilion, believing that owning an embroidery from the Jinxiu Pavilion is a symbol of taste and status.
Under the circumstances of one's decline and the other's growth, the market pattern of embroidery and cloth stores in the prefectural city has begun to be reshuffled.
Several small shops that were already poorly managed and blindly followed the trend in the price war went bankrupt first. Although the owner of Fu Ji Embroidery House, Mr. Qian, clung tightly to Mr. Zhang Ji's support, Mr. Zhang Ji was preoccupied with his own affairs and had neither the ability nor the heart to support him.
His shop, caught between the inferior quality of Zhang Ji and the fine quality of Jinxiu Pavilion, had a vague positioning and a dismal business. His life was even more difficult than before.
On the contrary, it was Sun, the owner of Xianghe Cloth Store, who, with the covert support and solidarity of Jinxiu Pavilion, withstood the pressure from Zhang Ji. Although the store is small, he adheres to quality. Coupled with the preferential raw material supply within the alliance, it has instead attracted some regular customers who pay attention to cost performance, and the business has actually stabilized.
Encouraged by this, two other small embroidery shops that were previously hesitant also quietly joined the "supply alliance", huddling together for mutual support.
Unconsciously, the market share of Jinxiu Pavilion in the embroidery market of the prefectural city, especially in the mid-to-high-end market, has not decreased but increased steadily. Although its absolute scale still cannot compete with that of Zhang Ji, its brand influence and appeal among specific customer groups are already showing a tendency to surpass it.
Big trees attract the wind.
The resilience and upward trend of the Splendid Pavilion have finally drawn attention from a higher level - those gentry circles that truly control the economic lifeline of the prefectural city and even a broader area.
On this day, Wang Bo came back from outside with a complicated expression, holding a gilded post in his hand.
"Second Miss," he handed the post to Shen Ruoxin, his voice somewhat dry, "This is..." At the rear office of the Prefect's Yamen, it was personally delivered by the steward Zhou. Say... Madam of the Prefect, tomorrow afternoon, I would like to invite you to visit my residence for a chat and to savor... Appreciate our "Phoenix Interwoven with peony" screen.
Shen Ruoxin took the post, her fingertips touching the luxurious paper and neat handwriting, and her heart gave a sudden jolt.
Madam of the Prefect? Tasting the screen?