Chapter 245 – The Grain Shop Dispute (6)
“Even with cheap grain, all this fuss about purchasing limits has left many common people feeling rejected and disgusted. Hejian County isn’t exactly huge, yet running all the way to a grain shop just for a few days’ worth of rations is a real hassle.”
“Your shop must be out of grain, huh? No money being made, yet you’re enforcing purchasing limits?”
A male voice rang out from the crowd, belonging to a seemingly ordinary farmer dressed in coarse linen, his hair tied back with straw rope.
At this moment, the common folks gathered in front of the grain shop suddenly seemed illuminated by his words, chattering animatedly.
“No grain, no grain—why all this fuss? If you don’t sell it, there are other shops in Hejian County. Nowadays, going out is dangerous. What if we encounter some bad guys on our way?”
His words struck a chord with many, further fueling their worries.
Indeed, risking a long journey for such a small amount of grain? Wasn’t that just asking for trouble?
“Just tell us straight—do you have grain or not? If you do, sell it quickly! If not, don’t waste our time so we can buy from elsewhere. If you stall us and the price goes up, will your shop take responsibility?”
“Those black-hearted scoundrels! I’ve not seen you sell cheaper than anyone else; you just keep playing these tricks… So, are you selling or not? If not, we’re leaving!” Sharp voices pierced through the crowd, each aimed at the grain shop, shaking the resolve of the common people.
Qi Guanrang stood calmly to the side, hearing the discord among the people. While others might misinterpret the fervor as aggressive, he discerned that the mood was more about igniting emotion than inciting dissent… It was less about sowing discord than stirring up the atmosphere and guiding the people’s perceptions.
Thus, rather than explain the benefits of the purchasing limit, he merely smirked slightly, his gaze drifting toward the grain shop inside.
He was quite curious to see what Young Master Liu had in store.
As the agitation among the common people reached a boiling point, the grain shop’s shopkeeper hurriedly lifted the hem of his garments and stepped over the threshold, a look of fear plastered across his face. He performed a deep bow to the crowd, which momentarily eased the clamor.
“Dear folks, this humble shop relies on your patronage to stay afloat here in Hejian.”
The shopkeeper was spinning tall tales with his eyes wide open, but the common people just loved to hear such sweet words, their tempers slightly soothed once more.
“Anyone can say nice things. We want to hear something substantial! Do you have grain or not? I’ve scraped together money to buy a bunch—why mess with purchasing limits? Trying to offend us on purpose, huh?” Someone in the crowd shot back, their tone combative.
The shopkeeper, sweating from his forehead, forced a bitter smile and replied, “Dear villagers, that accusation is truly heart-wrenching. We implemented the purchasing limits for your benefit, so how could it be twisted into a grievance? There is indeed grain, ample grain…”
“Then why have purchasing limits? Are you still in the grain business or not!”
The shopkeeper was interrupted again, the crowd’s sympathy for him growing visibly.
His customer service was decent and his attitude humble, yet he was being pushed around by the temperamental crowd, which only made it more pitiful.
“You know we’re still in business, but we also need to impose limits,” he said with a polite bow, adopting a serious tone, “These are unstable times. Who doesn’t want to fill their grain bins to the brim? But with grain prices soaring lately, you all have seen it…”
“You know you’re selling high, yet you don’t consider lowering the price. Who are you trying to fool?”
Qi Guanrang almost snorted at the back-and-forth between the shopkeeper and his cronies.
Young Master Liu surely was clever, employing such crafty tactics in a situation like this.
The shopkeeper patted his chest and addressed the crowd, “It’s not fair to say that! Every business seeks to profit, don’t they?”
The crowd listened quietly as the shopkeeper had clearly rehearsed this speech and delivered it passionately.
“However, there are ethics in commerce! Engaging in price gouging is not something we pride ourselves on. But why the exorbitant prices now? It’s simply out of necessity! Now think about it! If our shop continues to sell at low prices, who will buy more—locals in need or those opportunistic hoarders? Just yesterday, our shop sold two thousand shi combined with two other stores…”
Two thousand shi sold?
That’s quite a business! If they have that much surplus, why bother with purchasing limits?
The crowd looked confused, though some began to grasp the situation.
It seemed that those two thousand shi were likely bought up by the hoarders rather than the genuinely needy locals!
“If this selling pace continues, in just seven or eight days, our stock will be completely gone…” The shopkeeper’s voice dimmed slightly, as if he realized he might not last even two or three days. “Young Master Liu put these limits in place so that true locals in need could purchase grain. After the limits, the prices will be even lower than now…”
No amount of sweet talking could beat the phrase “the prices will be even lower than now!”
While the grain in the shop was indeed pricier than usual, it was far cheaper than the wild prices elsewhere that could spike nine or tenfold.
With a bit of gritting their teeth, many families found they could afford it.
It seemed that many common people’s minds began to sway, leaning towards the grain shop’s side.
Seizing the opportunity, the shopkeeper added fuel to the fire, declaring, “Even though times are tough, we can expect a small harvest this year with heaven’s blessings! In two or three months, you all should start preparing for the autumn harvest. By then, grain will be plentiful again, and no one will have to worry about going hungry. To be honest, this store won’t make much profit off these limits, but if it helps everyone here get through to that point, a little less profit is worth it—at least we’ll have peace of mind. Don’t you agree? In business, there are certain ethics!”
Qi Guanrang raised his fan to hide the smirk growing on his lips.
Young Master Liu played this hand beautifully.
Imposing purchasing limits to suppress prices would have crushed others, especially since it threatened many people’s interests.
Unfortunately, Young Master Liu himself hailed from high birth, being the only legitimate heir of the second branch of the Liu family.
As long as Liu Zhi stood firm, the gentry of Hejian County would be wary of him.
While many unscrupulous merchants rubbing their hands together to make a fortune suffered losses, so what?
If they wished to move against Liu Xi, they’d better consider Liu Zhi’s position.
Business at the Liu Residence grain shop was thriving, with locals flocking to buy grain,
For them, even if they had to travel a couple more hours, as long as they could buy affordable grain, it was all worth it…
“This is what a true businessman looks like!”
Many common folks couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, especially when they noticed that other grain shops were raising their prices instead of lowering them.
“Lan Ting truly hit the sweet spot of profit and fame!”
Qi Guanrang watched the show unfold, then headed to the Liu Residence to visit Jiang Pengji.
