Chapter 96: Enemies

Chapter 96: Enemies

As the weather grew warmer day by day, the silk shop stored away the winter clothes made of Shu brocade and began selling spring clothing.

After a few days of sales, issues arose.

That day, Jiang Shu came to inspect the silk shop, and Manager Liu looked anxious and distressed.

"Shu brocade is excellent for winter clothes, but it is far less suitable for spring and summer clothes than silk. Thus, we still need to find a reliable silk supplier."

The Fang family had poached Jiang's largest silk supplier last year, causing Jiang's to run out of silk supplies. Later, Jiang Shu's father managed to contact a few small silk merchants, barely making it through the winter.

However, now that the seasons had changed, the demand for silk increased, and the supply from those small merchants was insufficient.

Jiang's needed to find a new supplier.

"Manager Liu has been with my father for many years. Do you know any reliable suppliers?" Jiang Shu was quite troubled as this matter was urgent.

Manager Liu shook his head. "Finding a supplier probably requires the owner to go."

Cooperating with a supplier was a major undertaking, and generally, the owner went in person for two reasons: first, to verify the quality of the goods on-site; second, to assess the supplier’s credibility and establish mutual trust before confirming any cooperation.

Otherwise, if issues arose with the quality of the goods or the supply, it would be very troublesome, and the shop manager could not bear such responsibility.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Shu resolved, "Alright, I'll go personally. However, I am inexperienced, so I ask Manager Liu to accompany me."

Regardless of how talented she might be, she still needed to learn and accumulate experience.

"Very well, when does the owner plan to leave?" Manager Liu readily agreed, even more eager than Jiang Shu.

The success of the silk shop directly affected his wages, so he was highly proactive and concerned.

"Within a few days. I’ll return to consult my father and address matters at each of our stores before departing."

Jiang Shu had known that after taking over Jiang's, she would have to travel for business, but she didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

At dusk, when Jiang Shu returned to the Jiang residence, she skipped dinner and immediately sought her father's advice.

After listening to her, Father Jiang heaved a heavy sigh. "The finest silk comes from Jiangnan, but the journey is long and perilous. I'm really a bit worried."

"Do you really need to go yourself?" Father Jiang's eyes reddened at the thought of Jiang Shu enduring hardship and danger.

With Father Jiang already in such a state, if anything happened to Jiang Shu, she wouldn’t know how to carry on.

"What if we send Manager Liu instead? If the negotiations fail, we can abandon the silk shop deal. Safety is the top priority."

Mother Jiang thought that even without the silk shop, the Jiang family’s other businesses would still thrive.

Father Jiang was left speechless by her suggestion.

Isn’t this like giving up eating for fear of choking?

Jiang Shu explained patiently, "Running trade errands is necessary. Even if it’s not for the silk shop this time, it will be for the grain store another time."

"But you've never traveled far before, and it's hard for your mother to feel at ease," Mother Jiang's eyes were already brimming with tears.

A mother always worries when her child travels far. Jiang Shu understood the depth of her mother's concern.

Jiang Shu took out a handkerchief, gently wiped her mother’s tears, and comforted her softly, "Mother, don't overthink. I'll be extra careful. I promise I won't take risks as Father did. I'll only travel when the rain has stopped."

Her words made Mother Jiang both amused and exasperated.

"Running trade errands is tough, but it’s not particularly dangerous. My accident was a rare exception," Father Jiang advised rationally.

"One accident like that is enough to regret for a lifetime," Mother Jiang remained deeply worried, thinking of how Father Jiang had barely cheated death.

She even considered selling all of the Jiang family's properties. The silver from selling them would be enough for a lifetime of comfort.

But reason told her that this idea was wrong, and Jiang Shu would never agree to it.

"You're right, Mother. I'll keep your teachings in mind and be especially cautious, avoiding all accidents and returning safe and sound," Jiang Shu reassured her mother repeatedly until she finally agreed.

Relieved, Jiang Shu then turned to her father to seek his wisdom and tips on running business errands. To avoid worrying her mother further, she asked Jiang Ning to take her away.

The father and daughter talked until the moon rose high in the sky. When it was time for Father Jiang to take his medicine and rest, they reluctantly ended their conversation.

The next day, as Jiang Shu was instructing the managers of various shops and making preparations for her trip, Manager Liu came rushing in, flustered.

"Proprietor, something is wrong. The small silk shops have also fallen to the Fang family."

"What?" Jiang Shu was greatly shocked.

What exactly is Fang Mingxu trying to do? Why is he always targeting Jiang Ji?

Her delicate face tightened with resolve, and Jiang Shu decided to confront Fang Mingxu and demand answers.

As if expecting Jiang Shu's visit, Fang Mingxu was not very surprised.

The two went to a teahouse and ordered a private room.

"Please, Miss Jiang, after you," Fang Mingxu said with a smile, gesturing for Jiang Shu to sit first.

Jiang Shu couldn't force a smile. After sitting down, she gave him a cold look and spoke directly. "Mr. Fang, why are you targeting Jiang Ji? Has Jiang Ji offended the Fang family?"

"Miss Jiang, you are overthinking. There are no past grievances or recent conflicts between the Jiang and Fang families," Fang Mingxu replied truthfully.

Jiang Shu was puzzled. "Then why are you targeting Jiang Ji?"

"That's not it," Fang Mingxu shook his head and said seriously, "I am a businessman, and everything I do is for profit. The salt market has been slow in recent years, so naturally, I need to diversify."

"Apart from the food trade, the silk shops in the capital are the most profitable. Everyone is just using their skills," Fang Mingxu smiled shamelessly.

Jiang Shu, restraining her anger, questioned, "If we are competing with our skills, why did you take over Jiang Ji's suppliers?"

Fang Mingxu chuckled upon hearing this. "Isn't this also a test of ability?"

Jiang Shu, though clever, was too naive.

Business is inherently about competition and strategy; there aren't so many rules and principles.

"Then why did you choose to target Jiang Ji?"

"You pick on the weakest, Miss Jiang. Don't you get it?"

Jiang Shu’s almond-shaped eyes fixed on Fang Mingxu, and she saw unhidden contempt and mockery in his eyes.

Indeed, doing business is for profit, but merchants in this world can be either Confucian or unscrupulous.

Fang Mingxu is someone who is profit-driven and will do anything for gain. They were not on the same wavelength, so there was nothing worth discussing.

"Thank you for the lesson," Jiang Shu rose to leave.

Fang Mingxu called out to her and raised his cup, saying, "Ms. Jiang, you haven't finished your tea."

"Mr. Fang, you can finish it and pay for it yourself," Jiang Shu replied. With that, she decisively opened the door and left.

"She seems quite upset," Fang Mingxu observed, leisurely sipping his tea as he watched Jiang Shu storm out.

After leaving the teahouse, Jiang Shu sought out the owner of Huang Silk Shop, a long-time ally of Jiang Silk Shop.

After some negotiation, Jiang Shu agreed to buy a small amount of silk from Huang Silk Shop at a price 10% above the cost price to meet the basic needs of Jiang Silk Shop.

"Niece, you must act quickly. As the weather warms, the demand for silk is growing. I can only support you for a month at most," the owner of Huang Silk Shop said earnestly.

If not for his friendship with Jiang’s father, he wouldn’t have offered any help. After all, every bit of assistance to Jiang Silk Shop means a loss for me.

Friendship cannot be measured in monetary terms and should not be entangled with business.

"I understand. Thank you very much, Uncle Huang," Jiang Shu said, bowing deeply in respect to express her gratitude.

Fang Mingxu had called Jiang Silk Shop an easy target, but she would show him that even a soft persimmon can stain your hands when squeezed.