CHAPTER 644: EPISODE 342 SICK

Pan Ping’an had been anxiously pacing nearby, scratching his head and feeling frustrated that he couldn’t interject. Seeing the two merchants hesitating, he quickly seized the opportunity to smooth things over, "Right, right, that’s good, that’s good. There’s no need for you two to take extra trips, and it will give us some peace of mind too. Heh, our policy... it’s not aimed at anyone in particular, nor is it that we don’t trust you. It’s just... when running a small business, we inevitably have to be a bit more cautious with money. You two are used to big deals, so I hope you won’t take offense, and certainly don’t harbor any grudges..."

Sending a clerk to exchange the money might seem a bit degrading, but it was an acceptable solution. After all, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? If you want to do business with Zhenwei Garden, you can’t completely ignore their rules. Moreover, such a method shouldn’t be too troublesome and anyone who’s reasonable and genuinely interested in doing business should be able to understand and accept it.

However, the two merchants seemed to be faced with an insurmountable problem, standing there looking at each other, wide-eyed and dumbfounded for quite some time.

Hua Xiaomai had only suspected it, but now, seeing this situation, she felt she had her answer. Relieved that she hadn’t made a mistake, she also couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

Indeed, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If a business deal that doesn’t make sense suddenly falls on your head, then there’s a very high chance that something is wrong with it.

In the past, she had always thought that as long as she did her business honestly and didn’t offend anyone, she wouldn’t encounter any trouble. But now she was gradually realizing that tall trees catch the wind, and there are always people who dislike you for no reason; picking a quarrel didn’t necessarily require you to have done something wrong.

"You two have been staying in Fuzhe County these past days, haven’t you? May I know which inn you’ve chosen for your stay?"

Seeing that they were silent, she smiled and asked another question, her gaze seemingly casual as she scanned their faces.

"You..."

To her surprise, the two merchants suddenly became enraged.

"We came here with sincere intentions to buy your sauce, and you should at least show some honesty in return!" The two of them suddenly stood up, fuming and staring at Hua Xiaomai, "You keep saying that it’s not that you don’t trust us, but having your clerk follow us to exchange the silver—doesn’t that mean you’re afraid we’ll cheat you? Go and inquire around, the business deals we’ve done over the years, any single one of them could be large enough to frighten your souls! This small deal of seven hundred taels of silver, you treasure it like it’s a gem, but we don’t even care for it! Fine, fine, fine, since this is your attitude, then forget about doing this deal. Even if you regret it later, we certainly won’t give you another chance!"

Having said that, as if they had been greatly wronged, they stormed out in a huff.

The courtyard was immediately abuzz with people sighing, expressing shock, and whispering amongst each other. Pan Ping’an, in particular, stomped his feet vigorously.

"Xiaomai girl, what are you doing!" He hurried over to Hua Xiaomai, gritting his teeth, "I know your Daoxiang Garden makes a lot of money, and you might not care about this little bit of broken silver from Sauce Garden, but you should at least think about everyone else! If we could secure those seven hundred taels, these clerks could also get to taste some meat in their soup, couldn’t they? Now you’ve gone and offended them, and a big deal’s been lost—I say, if you no longer wish to do this sauce business, just say so upfront so we can all find our own way out!"

"Having done business for so long in Provincial City, don’t you understand why I did this?" Hua Xiaomai rubbed her temples, speaking slowly.

"I don’t understand!" Pan Ping’an’s eyes were red with urgency, having no patience to ponder, "When have we ever had a rule about not taking silver notes? Anyone would think you’re just making things difficult for them on purpose!"

Hua Xiaomai felt her eyelids grow hot and couldn’t help but close her eyes for a moment. She was about to speak when Sun Great Saint nearby spoke up first.

"What’s all this racket? Xiaomai sister is the boss; is she not allowed to decide? I thought those two looked a bit shady, too. Who knows what they were up to? It’s not like our Sauce Garden can’t survive without this deal; is it worth your panic? Hmph, we already have enough orders each month, and with these additional ten thousand jars of sauce, how tired will we have to get to produce them? Anyway, it’s easy for you since all you have to do is talk!"

Being from the same village, Pan Ping’an knew that he had always been a carefree character. He unconsciously felt a bit intimidated and, mumbling a few words, ultimately didn’t dare to raise his voice again.