Chapter 144: Price Reduction

"Miss, I've already asked around. It was them who bought grain in Jingcheng earlier, but by all rights, their stored grain should have all been sold off by now!" The manager of Weimei Zhai said in puzzlement, "Where on earth did the remaining grain come from? Oh right, the managers of those grain shops said the ones who went to buy grain were two young gentlemen, not Manager Hao."

Two young gentlemen?

Could it be those two from a few days ago?

"Miss, at the rate they're selling grain, it won't be long before the common folk of Jingcheng have stockpiled enough. By then, what are we going to do with the grain in our shop!"

Meng Qinghe's chest rose and fell slightly as she said in a low voice, "Call the manager from across the way. I have words to say to him."

"Yes."

Chi Nan Yi heard that someone from Weimei Zhai wanted to see Manager Hao and smiled faintly. Meng Qinghe, you truly can't keep your composure! It's only the second day, and you're already this anxious.

"Remember what I told you?"

"Rest assured, I've remembered it all."

Manager Hao followed the people from Weimei Zhai to the private room where Meng Qinghe was seated. Meng Qinghe sat behind a screen and said in a low voice, "The manager of the Hao family's restaurant?"

"That's right."

"Do you know whose establishment this Weimei Zhai is?"

"The Meng Family's."

"Hmph, since you already know, why must you oppose the Meng Family? Do you know the consequences of opposing the Meng Family?"

"This commoner does not know." Manager Hao said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This commoner is a rough man who only knows how to run a small business. Now that a natural disaster has struck and the people can barely survive, this commoner only knows that if Jingcheng loses its people, there will be no need for this commoner's shop to stay open anymore. That is why I opened the granary to release grain. I do not know what wrong I have committed or how I have offended the Meng Family."

"Since you call yourself a businessman, you should know that doing business is about earning silver. Manager Hao, you have broken the rules."

Manager Hao did not raise his head, only saying plainly, "This commoner does not know whose rules I have broken? I bought this refined rice at thirty wen per jin, and now I sell it at forty wen per jin. Is there anything improper about that? This commoner runs a small business, just food and drink, without much profit. You also run a business and should understand this principle."

Manager Hao's words were clearly a slap to Meng Qinghe's face.

They were both in the food trade, yet her Meng Family's restaurants sold rice at several times the price.

Anyone with eyes could see who had broken the rules.

Meng Qinghe gritted her teeth. She naturally knew that Manager Hao was mocking her indirectly. She couldn't help but clench her fists, a trace of killing intent flashing through her eyes.

Truly obstinate!

"Does Manager Hao mean you sold at this price?"

"That's right."

"Fine." Meng Qinghe said coldly, "In that case, consider this miss's effort today unnecessary. Manager Hao, conduct yourself well."

The threat in her words was fully apparent. Manager Hao paid it no mind. The proprietress had said that no matter what Weimei Zhai did, they would not be her match.

So what if it was the Meng Family's establishment?

After Manager Hao returned, he repeated Meng Qinghe's words verbatim.

Chi Nan Yi smiled, "It's fine. She merely wants us to join her in multiplying the price of grain several times over. No need to pay her any mind. Just keep selling."

"Yes."

Just then, a servant boy walked in, his face full of excitement, "Proprietress, Manager, an honored guest has come to the shop."

"What honored guest?"

"His Highness Prince Li! His Highness Prince Li has sent someone to our shop to buy grain."

Mo Junyan?

Manager Hao said excitedly, "Quick! Quickly invite His Highness Prince Li's person in."

"Right!" The servant boy was just about to turn and leave when Chi Nan Yi called out to stop him.

"Wait, Mo Jun… ahem, who did Prince Li send?"

"They said a guard from Prince Li's residence, named… Yun Shui."

"Tell him to go to the back and line up."

"Ah?" The servant boy couldn't help but freeze, "Line up for what?"

"What else could it be? Line up, line up!"

Line up?

Make someone from Prince Li's residence line up?

"Can you not understand my words?"

The servant boy gave an awkward smile. He could understand, he just didn't quite dare to understand.

In Jingcheng, who didn't know that His Highness Prince Li was a notorious god of slaughter?

What difference was there between offending Prince Li's residence and suicide?

Back at the market, a few words had cost those vendors their lives. The people of Jingcheng called him the Living King of Hell.

And now they were making someone from Prince Li's residence go line up…

"Proprietress…"

"Go! Hurry up, right this instant."

"Yes."

The servant boy came downstairs and walked trembling before Yun Shui. Yun Shui glanced behind the boy but did not see Miss Chi's figure.

"My lord." The servant boy's face was deathly pale, "Um…"

"What is it?"

Those three words nearly frightened the servant boy to his knees.

"Our proprietress said, said… said to tell you to go line up."

Line up!

Yun Shui had seen the look on the servant boy's face and thought something had happened to Miss Chi.

He nodded, turned, and walked toward the back of the line.

He left?

Just like that, he left?

He wasn't angry?

Nor did he fly into a rage!

Wasn't it said that everyone in Prince Li's residence is a god of killing?

Yun Shui stood in the queue; the people ahead of him wished they could clear a path for him, while those behind wished they could stay several meters away from him.

"Don't push, don't push!" The man standing behind Yun Shui glared furiously at the people queuing behind him: "If you're in a hurry, go ahead of me."

Seeing that Yun Shui wore the Black Feather Guard uniform, the people behind all hastily shut their mouths.

Can't afford to offend him, can't afford to offend him.

Chi Nan Yi watched this scene from upstairs and shook his head with a bitter smile.

What exactly had Mo Junyan done in Jingcheng to frighten them like this?

In the queue, quite a few people had bought grain the day before and come again today to stock up.

"I don't know how the refined rice in this shop is grown, but why does it taste so fragrant when cooked? I've eaten rice my whole life and never had rice this delicious, and after eating it, my body even feels full of energy."

"Yes, yes, yes! I feel the same, it's absolutely delicious."

"No exaggeration at all—my mother always said her legs had no strength, but after eating two bowls of this rice yesterday, she actually swept the snow in front of our gate. I wonder if it's the credit of this refined rice!"

Everyone chimed in one after another, all praising the merits of this rice.

"I heard from the shop assistant here that all the rice in their shop will be this kind from now on. If that's truly the case, I'll buy from their shop in the future and never go to Weimei Zhai again."

"Me too."

A figure ran swiftly into Weimei Zhai; after Meng Qinghe heard the assistant's retelling, her face was beyond ugly.

"They really said that?"

"Absolutely true, I heard it clearly right beside them. Miss, what should we do! Why don't we lower the price of our rice too! If we wait any longer, I'm afraid it'll all be stuck in our hands."

Meng Qinghe gritted her teeth: "Fine, forty wen, the same as theirs."

"Understood!"

At once, Weimei Zhai set up their stall again, and the prices of all rice and flour matched those across the street.