Chapter 321: Driving Away Flies Here (Part 3)
Lin Yuanshan picked up the palm-leaf fan on the counter and fiercely swatted a fly that had landed on the silk.
He felt extremely agitated. In just this short while, he saw dozens of waves of customers entering Brocade Workshop, while here, from morning till now, not a single customer had come in.
Ever since Brocade Workshop opened, the business at Lin’s Cloth Store had been deteriorating day by day. Even their old customers had been attracted away by Brocade Workshop’s variety of styles.
He saw it and felt anxious in his heart.
The other day, he attended Brocade Workshop’s opening ceremony.
On the runway, those showcased Republic-style clothing—whether cheongsams, civilized attire, or men’s long robes and short shirts—had unspeakably novel and beautiful designs.
The styles seemed easy enough to imitate; he felt confident in trying. But he didn’t have those fabrics and accessories.
It was said that those beautiful fabrics were imported from overseas, and the Lin Family simply didn’t have any overseas channels!
And the ordinary silk and fabrics he operated with, even if he imitated those designs, would still fall short in terms of feel.
Furthermore, even if he managed to make those beautiful dresses, without the accompanying handbags and Mary Sue little leather shoes, the look would still not be complete.
Moreover, Brocade Workshop’s business model was very unique, not only showcasing clothing with models but also allowing on-site fitting.
Besides, just wearing such beautiful dresses and standing in front of that huge dressing mirror could be a form of self-appreciation.
Sitting in the resting area, sipping tea, one could watch customers constantly changing dresses. Seeing different people wearing different clothes was indeed a splendid sight.
But these things couldn’t be done by his cloth store.
The Lin Family’s business in fabrics and silk, along with a few finished garments, had been running for two or three generations. He had traveled north and south and seen various ways of doing business, so he considered himself a seasoned merchant.
But the opening of Brocade Workshop had stumped this seasoned merchant.
He felt something was quietly changing, yet he couldn’t grasp this feeling and didn’t know how to transform himself.
To put it plainly, he couldn’t keep up with the times.
Not only him, but these days, merchants great and small dealing in fabrics and silk in the Capital City also felt a strong sense of crisis.
Lin Yuanshan knew Brocade Workshop was opened by Wei Chengchao, son of Prime Minister Wei.
At the opening ceremony, he also saw many peers approach Wei Chengchao to seek opportunities for cooperation with Brocade Workshop.
He too had gone, but on that busy opening day, there were too many guests, and Wei Chengchao was too occupied. He didn’t find the chance to connect with Wei Chengchao.
A few days later, he prepared gifts to visit Wei Chengchao at the Prime Minister’s residence, only to be informed that the Wei Family was imprisoned through a case involving the Champion Marquis Mansion.
He returned, gifts in hand, unsuccessful.
“Boss, shall we… lower the price?” Mr. Qian tentatively asked.
“Lower the price?” Lin Yuanshan turned sharply, “These silks we stock barely yield profit as it is. If we lower the price further, we’ll not even recoup the cost!”
Mr. Qian retracted his neck, not daring to say more.
Lin Yuanshan took a deep breath, attempting to calm his emotions.
“Mr. Qian, I’m not trying to get angry. Lin’s Cloth Store has been in the family for two or three generations, and we’ve never faced such a situation. My father always said business should be steady and sure, but now… I can only shoo away flies here.”
His gaze drifted once more toward Brocade Workshop, his voice fading.
Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the store.
“A customer has come.” Lin Yuanshan’s face broke into a smile, hopeful as he looked out of the store.
An employee peeked out from the store entrance, placing a meal box on the counter.
“Mr. Lin, your lunch order.”
Lin Yuanshan’s expression of anticipation instantly fell apart: “Just leave it there.”
He handed a few copper coins to the employee, unable to resist asking, “Young man, what’s your impression of Brocade Workshop’s business these days?”
The employee accepted the money, visibly excited as he replied, “Extremely bustling! Every day, noble ladies and young ladies visit, and they say the empress even sent someone to order clothes!”
Lin Yuanshan’s face turned even gloomier. After the employee left, he opened the meal box but had no appetite.
“Boss, you should eat something,” Mr. Qian urged.
Lin Yuanshan picked up chopsticks and shook his head, suddenly asking, “Mr. Qian, do you remember the other day when I went to the Prime Minister’s residence?”
Mr. Qian nodded, “Didn’t you bring lavish gifts in hopes of meeting Mr. Wei?”
“Yes, I intended to connect with the owner of Brocade Workshop to see if cooperation was possible…” Lin Yuanshan laughed bitterly, “Who knew trouble would suddenly hit the Wei Family. Now there’s no path open.”
Mr. Qian hesitated for a moment, lowering his voice, “Boss, I’ve heard… Brocade Workshop isn’t backed just by the Wei Family.”
“Oh?” Lin Yuanshan’s eyes lit up, “Who else?”
“I don’t know the specifics; it was just mentioned in passing by neighbors. Why not ask Mr. Tang at Brocade Workshop?”
Lin Yuanshan nodded thoughtfully, suddenly slapping the table, “No! We can’t sit idly! Mr. Qian, watch the store, I’m going to Brocade Workshop again!”
Mr. Qian wanted to say something more, but Lin Yuanshan had already bypassed the counter, striding out of the store.
The shopkeeper watched his boss’s departing back, then looked around the empty shop, sighing deeply.