Chapter 635

First Volume, Chapter 635: Every Family Has Its Own Hard-to-Recite Scripture

Watching many northern merchants unable to resist Zhao Zan's incitement, they had already turned their carts and headed toward the Zhao Family Grain Firm.

Lin Ziyi knew the Qin Family Grain Shop could not afford to lose Chen Kang as a major customer.

Otherwise, the Qin Family's long-term planning would suffer a severe blow.

Lin Ziyi adopted an extremely humble posture.

"Master Chen, the Qin Family Grain Shop itself has no problem."

"The problem lies with the Yanshou County branch."

"I've already sent word to Jingdu; news should arrive soon."

"I guarantee you, by then, whatever amount of grain you hold, the Qin Family Grain Shop will buy it all."

Chen Kang naturally believed in the Qin Family Grain Shop's "reputation."

Ever since its opening, the Qin Family Grain Shop had always practiced fair buying and fair selling.

It earned only slim profits to sustain its operations.

The Qin Family Grain Shop's slogan, "Let the people of Heaven have grain to eat," was no empty phrase.

But the practical problem could not be ignored.

Merchants seek profit; if there is no profit, even a loss, who would be willing to trade grain?

Grain from the North cannot leave, grain from the South cannot enter; in the end, it is the people of Heaven who suffer.

Just as Chen Kang hesitated, Zhao Zan's loud laughter rang out again.

"Master Chen, you are the largest grain merchant in the North—you can set the example."

"If you keep dawdling, many merchants will follow you into ruin."

"How about this!"

"If you agree to do business with my Zhao Family Grain Firm, I'll give you an extra one percent profit margin."

This one percent profit margin was no small temptation for Chen Kang.

After all, Chen Kang had brought fifty thousand jin of grain to Yanshou County in one go.

With this extra one percent, he wouldn't necessarily make a fortune, but at least he'd break even.

Seeing Chen Kang swayed, Lin Ziyi hurried forward to dissuade him, her voice nearly pleading.

"Master Chen, you absolutely cannot go."

"If even you go to the Zhao Family Grain Firm, all the northern merchants here will follow."

"You gain one percent profit, but the other merchants will suffer."

"Prices will inevitably be crushed—after all, the wool comes from the sheep."

"Your one percent profit will be made up by taking it from the other merchants."

This was precisely what Chen Kang feared most.

On one side was breaking even; on the other, the northern merchants.

Profit and loyalty lay before him—he found himself unable to choose.

Zhao Zan narrowed his eyes, fixing them on Lin Ziyi, his words dripping with contempt.

"Lin Shopkeeper, what are you playing at, pretending to be virtuous?"

"Isn't it your doing that these northern merchants have ended up in this predicament?"

"If the Qin Family Grain Shop hadn't imposed grain purchase limits, wouldn't all these merchants' grain have sold?"

"Now you're playing the good person—aren't you hypocritical?"

Facing Zhao Zan's false accusation, Lin Ziyi was both furious and desperate.

Yet she was poor at verbal sparring.

Several times she tried to retort, but the words died on her lips.

After all, the Qin Family Grain Shop was barely holding itself together—how could it possibly care for other merchants?

Zhao Zan knew Lin Ziyi's weakness well, and burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha, why aren't you speaking?"

"Aren't you the Qin Family Grain Shop, boasting of backing from Qin Feng and vast wealth?"

"If you're so rich, why not buy up all the grain brought from the North?"

"If you lack the strength, get the hell out of here!"

Zhao Zan spat directly at Lin Ziyi in front of everyone.

His gaze was full of disdain.

"Not you—even your father isn't my match."

"A bratty girl with no experience dares call herself shopkeeper of the Qin Family Grain Shop?"

"Heh, in my view, the Qin Family Grain Shop hires poorly—it'll close its doors soon enough."

Lin Ziyi's face flushed red; she clenched her fists and glared at Zhao Zan.

"You may insult me, but you cannot insult the Qin Family Grain Shop!"

"The Qin Family Grain Shop's purpose is to let the people of Heaven have grain to eat."

"We take only one percent profit; the rest we return to the people."

"If not for this, how could your Zhao Clan have pulled off this evil scheme?"

Lin Ziyi could hold back no longer—even if it meant revealing the source of the Qin Family Grain Shop's crisis, she would sacrifice it to restore the Qin Family's honor.

Lin Ziyi turned to the merchants present and shouted: "Listen up, everyone."

"The Qin Family Grain Shop must protect the profits of upstream merchants."

"We must also consider the interests of the downstream people."

"This back-and-forth tightly restricts the price—buying and selling at fair rates, we barely make any profit, barely managing to keep the Grain Shop running."

"Precisely because of this, it's extremely easy for others to exploit loopholes."

"The Zhao Clan, allied with the Grain Merchants of Yanshou County, deliberately slashes prices, aiming to crush the Qin Grain Shop through a Price War."

"Once the Qin Grain Shop falls, this will become the domain of these unscrupulous merchants."

"They eat upstream, then devour downstream."

"Don't you know how the Jiangnan Lin Family inflates grain prices?"

"Even in bountiful years with massive harvests, local villagers still can't afford grain."

"This is a bloody example."

Lin Ziyi appealed to their emotions and reason, hoping to win back the Merchants' hearts.

If everyone unites and overcomes this crisis together, we can thwart the Zhao Clan's scheme.

Whether it's Chen Kang or ordinary Merchants.

All understood that Lin Ziyi's words were far from baseless.

But what could they do?

A Northern Merchant sighed deeply.

"Lin Shopkeeper, it's not that we're foolish—we're simply driven to desperation."

"We've invested all our wealth into grain; if we don't make a profit, so be it."

"We can just lose the trip."

"But if we lose, it means ruin and death for our families."

Among the crowd, the bearded Merchant's eyes showed sympathy, but mostly resignation.

"Who can deny it?"

"We're all small operators—we don't care about the future, we only want to break even and stop the bleeding this time."

"If this trade brings no profit, we might as well quit altogether."

"Lin Shopkeeper, we know you mean well."

"Not just you—entirely, the Qin Grain Shop is a Living Bodhisattva."

"We don't have such a Bodhisattva's heart—we only beg that our families don't starve, and hope you understand us."

Hearing the Merchants' collective complaints,

Lin Ziyi felt a deep ache in her heart.

She understood that today's scene was not the Merchants' fault.

The blame lay only with the Zhao Clan and the unscrupulous Grain Shops of Yanshou County.

Chasing profit, they disregarded others' lives.

Zhao Zan's head was nearly floating in the air.

At first, he worried the Merchants might change their minds.

But seeing their reaction, his anxieties vanished completely.

These Merchants had no choice!

If so, why bother being polite?

Zhao Zan immediately announced loudly: "Whoever wishes to sell grain, go now to my Zhao Clan Grain Shop!"

"We buy at fair price."

"But I warn you upfront—only those who are Grain Merchants qualify for fair pricing."

"Arrive late, and your profit drops by one percent!"