Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 511: Chapter 513: Not Produced by Hua Xiangrong

Lady Gao exclaimed again in surprise, ”Are you referring to the Hua Xiangrong Weaving Pavilion as the place you mentioned?”

Bai Ruozhu nodded with a smile, ”Indeed, that’s the place.”

”So, you’re the lady boss of the Hua Xiangrong, my sister-in-law brought back a hand warmer from there and was raving about it. I’ve been meaning to check it out, and I hadn’t expected to meet you here today.” Lady Gao teased, ”You’ll have to give me a discount next time, Boss Bai.”

”Of course, you will get a discount. Mention my name to the shopkeeper when you visit our shop, and they will give you a discount.” Bai Ruozhu declared with a laugh.

The ladies began to chatter excitedly. Bai Ruozhu, worried that she was stealing the spotlight at Lady Li’s banquet, decided to refrain from commenting excessively. Lady Li seemed to read her thoughts, and discreetly tugged her sleeve, prompting her to be more engaged.

Understood that Lady Li was trying to help her, Bai Ruozhu gave her a grateful smile and opened up a bit more.

”I’d like a skirt like yours too. Can I choose from a lot of patterns?” a lady named Madame Zhang asked.

Bai Ruozhu gave her a friendly smile and replied, ”Yes, you can. However, it depends on whether the craftsmen at the shop can implement it. If it’s particularly complex, it might need more time for tailoring and cost more. Also, this kind of skirt can be adorned with tassels or pearl jade, which is also very attractive. I’ve made a pearl-embellished hat for Lady Li’s niece before. The young girl looked adorable in it.”

The ladies were captivated and began clamouring for Bai Ruozhu to make them something for the New Year. Bai Ruozhu was at a bit of a loss.

”I’m afraid we won’t be able to complete it by the New Year. There are many custom orders at the moment and these kinds of jobs require meticulous attention and time.” she explained with a furrowed brow. ”I’m truly sorry, my fellow sisters.”

Some expressed their disappointment, while others were quick to reassure her, ”That’s alright, even if it isn’t ready until after the New Year, we can still save it for banquets.”

While conversing, another customer was brought over by the shopkeeper. Everyone instinctively looked at her. Bai Ruozhu turned to look and was momentarily taken aback.

The lady was about thirty years old, with fair skin and was slightly overweight. She was wearing a hand warmer that caught Bai Ruozhu’s attention. It was also crocheted, but it definitely wasn’t from Hua Xiangrong!

The others also noticed the lady’s hand warmer and turned to look at her. The design was rather simple, and in no way comparable to Bai Ruozhu’s skirt. Some people were visibly disappointed.

Bai Ruozhu suspected some might be reasoning, could regular products look like this? And it’s only the ones made by the boss herself that are so exquisite and appealing?

Her eyes darkening, she pondered, who made that hand warmer? Was it merely a coincidence that they also knew how to crochet?

It was impossible. She had previously enquired that at least in Danliang Country, there were no known crochet methods, and it seemed to be the same in the northern Turkic Country and southeast Chengshui Country. Otherwise, their products would have been imported into Danliang Country long ago.

So, there was only one possibility - someone had bought a product from Hua Xiangrong, studied it carefully, and had their skilled craftsman replicate it to some extent.

But because it was replicated from a deconstructed piece, they could only learn simple crochet methods. That’s why the crocheted hand warmer turned out to be so plain.

She hadn’t expected that not even half a month after she opened her shop in Beiyu City, competition would arise. This competition was more intense than that in Beiyu City itself.

The competition itself was not bothersome, but attempting to tarnish her shop’s reputation by producing such inferior products under its name certainly was.

Lady Li, unaware of Bai Ruozhu’s concerns, saw Lady Sun’s hand warmer and thought it was purchased from Hua Xiangrong. Laughing, she greeted, ”Lady Sun, you’re here! We were just discussing a visit to Hua Xiangrong. It seems you’re a step ahead with your hand warmer.”

Lady Sun acknowledged with a bow, removing her hand warmer and said, ”I’ve been so busy towards the end of the year that I haven’t managed to visit Hua Xiangrong. This was a gift from my elder cousin.”

Upon hearing this, Lady Gao immediately said, ”Well, you’re here at the right time then. The boss of Hua Xiangrong is sitting right here. You can ask her for whatever you want.” She then turned to Bai Ruozhu and introduced, ”Ruozhu, this is Lady Sun.”

Lady Sun smiled at Bai Ruozhu, who was sitting and whose skirt was not visible to her. Consequently, she was unable to compare it to her own hand warmer.

After giving it some thought, Bai Ruozhu asked, ”Lady Sun, did your cousin specify that she bought this hand warmer from Hua Xiangrong?”

Lady Sun was slightly taken aback, but quickly responded, ”She didn’t say, but isn’t Hua Xiangrong the only place that sells these? Isn’t it true that we’ve never seen this kind of crochet technique before?”

Bai Ruozhu didn’t want to directly point out that the hand warmer wasn’t a product of Hua Xiangrong, so she just laughed and said, ”I also thought Hua Xiangrong was the only place that sold these, it seems nowadays no business is easy.”

Yu Hongxiu made a timely comment, ”I just knew something seemed off.”

The ladies weren’t fools, they immediately realized that Lady Sun’s hand warmer did not come from Hua Xiangrong. Someone figured out it was a form of competition by imitation, but looking at the design of Lady Gao’s hand warmer, and then at the stunning skirt on Bai Ruozhu, it was pretty obvious which one was the authentic product.

The ladies who were previously disappointed began to restore their hopes for Hua Xiangrong. Just like they would only buy cloud brocade from a reputable manufacturer, if they wanted to buy crochet items, they naturally would go to the authentic Hua Xiangrong.

Lady Sun also understood the implications in Bai Ruozhu’s words, but she didn’t think too much about it. After all, there were more than one ready-made clothes shops in the city, who could control what others did when they opened their business? Only after the banquet, when someone suggested that they visit Hua Xiangrong with Bai Ruozhu, did she notice Bai Ruozhu’s skirt. Her fair face flushed immediately.

The difference was too great. Her hand warmer had become a joke. She was angry and wanted to throw it away, but she forced herself to maintain her composure for the sake of decorum and didn’t put it back on. She threw it to the maid standing by her side and didn’t wish to look at it again.

Bai Ruozhu quietly observed Lady Sun’s reactions. She didn’t want to offend Lady Sun due to this trivial matter, especially since they didn’t have any grudges. Wouldn’t it be a pity to have conflicts based on other people’s actions?

After bidding farewell to the ladies with whom she was chatting, she slowly walked over to Lady Sun, took her arm and warmly suggested, ”Why don’t you join us for a visit to Hua Xiangrong, Lady Sun? You could pick a return gift for your relatives, and you might even find something you like?”

As they say, one does not slap a smiling face. Bai Ruozhu was warm but not annoying, and her sincerity made it hard for anyone to feel offended. She also gave Lady Sun a way out of the embarrassing situation. Consequently, Lady Sun was tempted to see the other products, and maybe buy one to gift it back to her cousin.

Let her go buy some counterfeit item and make a fool of herself in front of the other ladies.

Thinking of this, Lady Sun nodded and agreed, ”Well then, I’ll tag along.”