Chapter 85:
“Little ancestor, please have mercy! You, make this properly and hurry to deliver it before dark!”
Zhou Shi started speaking softly!
Something unusual must mean something’s wrong…
Luo Zhi’er frowned slightly. “Was there a problem with the jar I made last night? Why remake it?”
This matter concerns quality and affects business, so she had to ask clearly.
Zhou Shi’s eyes flickered. “This is all that woman of Li Ergou’s fault, Yang Juhua, that old woman ruined everything!”
She feared the family would blame her for mishandling it. Shopkeeper Zhu had said the Old Li Family must give an explanation. Losing the business was secondary; if there were losses, she would have to provide compensation!
If the old man found out she botched the business, her fifteen taels would be worthless!
Even if they killed her, they couldn’t earn that silver!
“Hurry and explain carefully!”
Luo Zhi’er stood up, looking at her with a serious face.
Zhou Shi had planned to turn the tables upon returning, first finding fault with her, but now it was ruined!
She honestly admitted she had removed the lid, Yang Juhua had dug out a piece with her finger to eat it, and they didn’t want ingredients contaminated by someone else…
She had been dragged in by Shopkeeper Zhu and threatened, told to quickly call Luo Zhi’er to handle it.
She hadn’t realized it was so serious. Shopkeeper Zhu said if Luo Zhi’er didn’t give Yumian Tower an explanation, with the contract in hand, they would sue at the yamen!
They would make the Old Li Family bankrupt, and Li Gui could forget the imperial examination and becoming an official!
His official career would end there!
Zhou Shi was depressed and listless. She had just gone to make a delivery, hoping for reward money, and couldn’t understand why it had escalated so badly?
When Old Li Tou returned and found out, he would surely flay her alive!
Since returning, Zhou Shi had been dazed and distracted, waiting for Luo Zhi’er to come back to help clean up the mess. She waited left and right, nearly going mad with anxiety, not knowing which mountain she had gone to.
“What?”
“You opened the lid in the street for people to see? And not only that, you let someone eat the raw materials?”
Luo Zhi’er was furious.
“Didn’t I tell you last night to be extremely careful about confidentiality?”
Zhou Shi now knew the severity and didn’t dare retort!
She seemed to have said that indeed…
“I just wanted to prove I wasn’t lying. It was for delivery, not greed. In my view, that woman Yang Juhua did it on purpose!”
“Hmph! Is this the time to talk about that? Do you know I signed a confidentiality contract with Yumian Tower? Only I know these raw materials. When selling to them, they can’t be spread outside?”
“If leaked, with the contract they can sue. As the seller at fault, it requires huge compensation!”
“…You let them fool you, you’re just stupid. It’s only fifteen taels. Even if compensating that much, their business is so good, who knows how much silver they’ve earned from you!”
Zhou Shi criticized her for not knowing business, letting them pick up a huge bargain for nothing!
“Heh! You know their business is good? Their business is so good, how much do they earn in a day? Could you earn that in a lifetime? Just because of your negligence, affecting their business, leaking the recipe—what about losses for a year, ten years, twenty years? They’re an old brand with so many branches. Do you know how many decades, centuries, passed down generation after generation—you can’t compensate for that!”
“I don’t know business? They have a restaurant as backbone, recipes, people, connections, silver as support to maximize a simple termite mushroom oil, that’s how they earn silver. If you keep it, what do you have? What can you do?”
“If I hadn’t tried it, could you get these fifteen taels? You thought I was crazy, wasting ingredients! When something goes wrong, you make me clean up, with no good attitude, beating or scolding upon return. Hmph! Impossible to reason with someone like you!”
Luo Zhi’er was rarely so stern. She rolled up her sleeve, went to the bamboo basket, poured out the termite mushrooms, started picking out the dregs, and cleaned them!
Seeing her fling the bamboo basket, Zhou Shi muttered softly, “Flying to heaven and earth, who is she putting on a face for?”
“Third Wife is right! Zhou Meizhen, you woman have caused big trouble for me! I’ll deal with you later!”
Old Li Tou had returned, standing at the backyard doorway, listening to Zhou Shi’s account, then Luo Zhi’er’s words.
Finally understanding what happened, he was so angry his face turned ashen, nearly passing out!
After Old Li Tou’s scolding, Zhou Shi was as obedient as a cat, shrinking her head, not daring to say a word!
“Mother, Miaomiao will help you pick mushrooms!”
Seeing her mother angry for the first time, Miaomiao was worried and obediently came to help.
Li Sanmao had also returned, learned what happened, was furious too, face sullen, washed his hands, quickly helped her finish picking, carried them to the river to wash clean!
Luo Zhi’er quickly made the termite mushroom oil. Now they could only walk to town. Li Sanmao accompanied her, delivering it before dark.
