Underhanded Schemes
These words were completely unexpected by Old Xu.
He's been in business for decades; he's a seasoned veteran. He knows exactly how to deal with people and how to read between the lines.
The girl in front of me was only thirteen or fourteen years old, looking very naive. Even if she was dressed nicely, the fact that she was out selling "design drafts" suggested she wasn't from a wealthy or powerful family and hadn't seen much of the world. He had a naturally serious face; if he put on a stern expression and said a few harsh words, most kids would be intimidated. With a little persuasion, he could close any deal.
Unexpectedly, this child's actions and speech were as shrewd and experienced as his own, a seasoned veteran.
Whose child is this?
He couldn't help but turn his head and carefully examine Xu Xi.
Madam Xie was fiercely protective of her child. Seeing the old man staring at Xu Xi, she immediately stepped forward to shield Xu Xi behind her, completely blocking her view. She glared at the Old Xu with an unfriendly expression. "What are you looking at? My daughter, is she someone you can look at?"
Turning to her, she advised, "Girl, don't talk to him anymore, let's go." After all, they'd already earned a hundred taels of silver, which was quite good.
Old Xu snapped out of his daze and quickly said with an embarrassed smile, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I thought this young lady was quite formidable, so I wanted to know whose child she was. I didn't mean to be presumptuous. I apologize to her here."
As he spoke, he stood up and bowed to Xu Xi.
Xu Xi only saw curiosity and inquiry in his glance just now, and did not feel any lewdness, so she did not pay attention to it.
She waved her hand, "It's alright." Then she stood up, "Since Boss Xu has no intention of talking, then we'll take our leave."
"Oh, young lady, don't misunderstand. I didn't say I wouldn't talk. In that case, please invite the lady next door to come over and talk as well."
Old Xu turned his head and nodded slightly to the waiter standing at the door. The waiter then went next door.
Old Xu sat down again, pondering how to deal with the situation later.
Sure enough, his plan was exactly as Xu Xi had guessed.
Before coming, he originally planned to negotiate the price, hoping to get the first picture for forty or fifty taels of silver or even less, and then have Xu Xi take out the rest of the pictures to look at. If the price was cheap, he would buy one more as a token gesture, and use the excuse that he didn't like the others to send Xu Xi away, and then have someone draw them from his memory so that he could quickly call the craftsmen to start production and seize the initiative.
Anyway, in Beining County, his family's jewelry store is the biggest. Even if other stores buy Xu Xi's design drawings, they can't compete with him. He has powerful backers and isn't afraid of this little girl causing any trouble.
As for the jewelry stores in the capital, their clientele is different anyway. Even if Xu Xi sells it to the most famous jewelry store in the capital, it won't affect him. With jewelry, once one store makes it and it becomes popular, other jewelry stores will rush to imitate it. Who can stop him?
But plans can change quickly. As soon as he entered, the shop assistant told him that a lady had offered one hundred taels of silver to buy the girl's design draft. He knew then that it was impossible to get the design draft at a low price.
Since that's the case, then don't blame him for being ruthless; he'll only offer one hundred taels of silver for one ticket. He won't buy any of the rest after looking at them. Nobody's money grows on trees, right?
Unexpectedly, this young girl is quite cunning. She'd rather forgo the deal than miss out on bringing that lady over to watch the show together. He wouldn't be able to pull off his tricks so easily with outsiders present. After all, Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion values its reputation, and he values his own image.
Old Xu's eyes darted around as he racked his brains for a solution.
A moment later, the waiter led a group of people in. The lady at the head of the group was none other than the woman herself.
Old Xu was the owner, so even if the other party was a customer of the jewelry store, Manager Shopkeeper Huang would be attentive enough to serve them; he didn't need to lower himself to be obsequious. Therefore, when the group came in, he sat upright and didn't move, only bowing casually when Shopkeeper Huang introduced them.
But when he inadvertently caught a glimpse of the fabric of the woman's dress, he felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but stand up.
He's been working in the jewelry business for decades, and his eye for quality is incredibly sharp.
At first glance, the fabric on the woman's skirt looks similar to ordinary silk, but it is actually woven from a very rare and special silkworm cocoon. The color is natural and not dyed later, so the silk will not fade after washing and will not wrinkle when pressed.
This kind of silk was not only rare and expensive, but it was also not available on the market; it was a tribute item.
Just from this point alone, the woman before them was no ordinary person. Even if she wasn't royalty, she was still a member of the royal family or had close ties with the royal family, and absolutely could not be offended. Not to mention the hair ornament on her head and the mutton-fat jade pendant she used to weigh down her skirt, both of the finest quality and craftsmanship.
At that moment, Old Xu gave up the idea of messing with the design drawings.
Trying to outsmart someone like that is just asking for trouble. Even if she doesn't intervene, his master will surely punish him.
Although Xu Xi doesn't have the same sharp, professional eye as Old Xu, she has high intelligence and emotional intelligence.
Seeing Old Xu's attitude of being arrogant at first and then obsequious, what else is there to understand?
Even after returning to the Marquis's residence, she never intended to associate with the powerful or wealthy, nor did she ever try to curry favor with them.
Impatient with the roundabout way of speaking, she waited until the group sat down before recounting what had just happened, saying, "This lady is also interested in my designs. Perhaps we could look at the rest as well. But let's be clear from the start; before you look at the designs, please sign a contract. You both guarantee that after viewing the designs, you will not manufacture the jewelry styles I designed without permission if you do not purchase them. If I discover this, I will take the contract to the authorities to file a complaint."
As she spoke, she took out a contract from another sleeve pocket, opened it, and placed it in front of the two of them.
Old Xu didn't dare offend the woman, but he wasn't afraid of Xu Xi. Xu Xi's clothes might be decent in the county, but in the capital city full of powerful and wealthy people, they were not good enough. The maid and old woman behind her were dressed even less presentable. A young lady from a wealthy family would not show her face in public to sell design drawings. The meager earnings she would make wouldn't even be enough for her to buy a piece of jewelry.
He felt that by stopping Xu Xi from being impolite, he was showing goodwill to this powerful woman.
He frowned and said to Xu Xi with displeasure, "Miss Zhao, isn't this unnecessary? My family has been running a jewelry store since my father's generation, and I've never heard of having to sign a contract just for looking at a design. If you insist on doing this, then let's not look at the design."
As he spoke, he smiled and nodded slightly to the woman.
With one hundred taels of silver in hand, Xu Xi didn't care whether the remaining design drawings sold or not. She'd rather not make any money than suffer a loss in silence.