"What's going on? Wasn't it only the first batch that had problems …?"
"Replying to Second Young Master's question, everyone originally thought that it was only the first batch. After the previous incident, the cloth had already been locked in the warehouse beside the workshop by Steward Qin. Originally, they were also afraid that there would be problems before the delivery. Every day, Steward Qin would only go in to take a look. At first, no one noticed anything wrong … Uh, actually, that's not it. I heard that in these few days, there were already people who noticed that Steward Qin's mental state was a little off. When they discovered it today, everyone then realized that it was very likely that after the first batch of goods had problems, Steward Qin had already noticed the daily fading of the cloth. It was just that the situation wasn't obvious for the first few days. Steward Qin went in to take a look every day, but he didn't dare to speak carelessly. I'm afraid … there was still some luck. However, as the number of cloth that had changed color increased every day, Steward Qin also knew that there was a big problem …"
"This …" In the carriage, Wu Qihao frowned. His left hand clenched into a fist, as if he wanted to curse, but in the end, he didn't say anything. "Why didn't you say so earlier …"
However, he actually knew the answer to this question in his heart.
"Has the news been blocked?"
"After discovering it, it was immediately blocked. Not many people know about it. However, Steward Qin's condition doesn't seem to be very good. We've already called a doctor over to take a look …"
"Uncle Qin … he's still responsible after all …"
Wu Qihao frowned and finally said this. He sat there and didn't say anything else. He was called out by a servant from the house of a cloth merchant. Currently, he still couldn't completely understand the whole situation. However, he had a very bad feeling about the first batch of cloth that had happened a few days ago. It was as if something had suddenly appeared behind him. He didn't dare to assume any worst-case scenario. He could only hope that it was some kind of mistake by his own family that caused this situation. After all, this was a new cloth, so it was normal for some problems to occur.
Lifting the curtain, he was not far from the workshop over there. The signboard of the Su Cloth Store came into view. These days, every time he saw this signboard in Jiangning City, he wanted to laugh. If he saw it with other people, he would most likely talk about it. The other party "objectively" talked about the various problems that might occur in the future of the Su Clan, and how the profits would be lost. He shook his head and smiled, not making any more comments. He enjoyed some sense of accomplishment. As a member of the Wu Family — even one of the heirs — he really had the feeling of looking down on all the mountains. Whether it was the Su family or the person who said these words, it was already not worth mentioning. But at this time, he put down the curtain and waved away a surge of irritation in his heart.
It couldn't be related to them. It had already been more than a month …
He didn't think too much about it. The carriage went all the way to the small workshop. When it reached the entrance, it met Luo Shenzhen's carriage. He greeted Luo Minzhi, but they could see the worry in each other's eyes. Thus, they didn't talk much. The two entered together. In the workshop on the side, the work of making this bright golden brocade was still in full swing. The bright yellow cloth fluttered in the air, astonishingly brilliant. There didn't seem to be any problems. Over there, the workers were shouting as they dragged some cloth out of the huge dye pool. A steward on the side shouted a few times, "Take it easy, take it easy. There can't be any problems. We are making cloth for the current emperor …"
The scene of the workshop was reflected in this piece of sunset.
Wu Qihao and Luo Minzhi went to the warehouse from one side. This place was originally tightly guarded, and at this time, some more people were added. All the way into the small warehouse, the lights were already lit. Including Wu Qilong, there were also several other stewards of the Wu Family. These were all senior members who were responsible for the various processes and were trusted by the Wu Family. In front of them was the cloth wall made of bright golden brocade. Some of the cloth had faded at a glance.
Luo Minzhi only glanced at it, and then began to check some of the signs on the cloth with the other two shopkeepers.
"Uncle, how is Uncle Qin?"
Wu Qihao looked up at the cloth wall, then frowned and closed his eyes. However, the first thing he asked was still this matter to his elder brother. At this time, Wu Qilong was sitting on a stool. He shook his head and was silent for a long time before he said, "The doctor said he's fine. He's just too tired …"
"Why is it fading?"
"I don't know, but …" Saying this, Wu Qilong suddenly stood up, waved to his younger brother, and walked a few steps to the cloth wall. Then, he picked up a piece of cloth next to him and leaned it against the cloth wall.
"Look, this piece of cloth was made today. These pieces of cloth were made more than a month ago. Look, after a month, they are exactly the same. There is no sign of fading at all. We took them out to test, the dye … they are all very firm. But these faded ones, heh … "
Wu Qilong smiled and pointed to the few pieces that Luo Minzhi and the others were examining at this time. "We have also looked at them just now. The time … the time seems to be arranged from more than a month ago. Between one and a half months to one month and twenty days, they almost began to fade in turn. We just went to look at the waste cloth, and it is almost the same situation. In addition, here … "
He picked up a piece of slightly wrinkled cloth next to him. The cloth was still golden and bright yellow, but when it was thrown among the rest of the brocades, it showed signs of color incongruity. "This is one of the few bolts that were pressed against the time point. It looked the same before, without any signs of fading. We just soaked it in water and baked it with fire. I cut off a piece and brought it over. It has already begun to fade, and we are still trying the rest. "
"How could this be …"
"Yes." Wu Qilong smiled somewhat sarcastically, sat down and looked at the warehouse. "Something wrong with the dyeing method?"
This simple question made everyone fall silent in an instant. They looked at each other. After a long time, Wu Qihao asked, "Is it possible?"
"How is it possible?" Wu Qilong frowned and shook his head. "We have more than one person in the Su family. Under such circumstances, if they still got the wrong recipe, unless this person … unless this person has been watching everything from the beginning. How could there be such a person in just a few years? Even if it's Su Yu, it's impossible. Our decision to fight for the throne was made this year. Now someone is telling me that someone has been plotting for a few years … The only person who plotted for a few years is Su Tan'er. How could she target us a few years ago … "
"If she has really been watching behind the scenes, we can get much more benefits from winning the throne than this …"
"For the time being … it may be our own problem …" Wu Qilong rubbed his forehead, then looked at the shopkeepers in front of him. "Uncle Luo, Uncle Nie, please keep this news under wraps. Let the masters in the dyeing workshop check the recipe and analyze the possible problems. This matter is too strange, we can't come to a conclusion for the time being. Do your own things. My father and I will also communicate with Mr. Dong of the Weaving Bureau and postpone the delivery date. This time, the Weaving Bureau has handed over the throne to the Wu Family. They won't sit by and watch anything happen to the Wu Family … Our Wu Family has come this far for decades and encountered many difficulties, big and small. Everyone has gone through thick and thin together. If we claim to be number two in the Jiangning City's textile industry, no one dares to claim to be number one. This time, as long as we do our best, nothing will happen … I'll leave the matters here to you, uncles. "
At this time, in this room, not only were the Wu Family's confidants, but also the business veterans who had experienced all kinds of storms. They were probably at the same level as the Su family's Manager Liao. Even if Wu Qilong didn't say anything, they probably knew what they should do. At this time, they agreed in unison and began to gather together to discuss.
The two brothers, Wu Qilong and Wu Qihao, went out. The sunset faded the last remnants of red in the sky. In the workshop, torches and lanterns were already lit. The workers changed shifts and had their meals. The next batch of workers took over. Everything had not stopped, but the two brothers were in an indescribable mood. The cloth was constantly being made. After it was finished, it was sent into the warehouse. If all of it … faded … then what were they doing now?
For them, for the past month, everything was moving forward. It was unusually meaningful. They clearly understood what they were doing and what they were useful for. But after working for so long, when they looked back, they found that there seemed to be a problem with the cornerstone. So, what were they doing in the past month or so of busywork? Suddenly, they couldn't find a place to return to.
"Brother, is there really someone secretly dealing with us?"
Wu Qihao had been thinking for a long time. At this time, looking at the busy scene that had momentarily lost its meaning, he asked. Wu Qilong frowned and shook his head. He turned back to look at the warehouse door.
"How do we know now? It shouldn't be like this. Now … now we can only hope that it's our own problem. If it's not … "
He frowned and couldn't understand. Indeed, looking around, they couldn't see any enemies. Before the imperial merchants, they didn't feel any hostility. After the imperial merchants, even if there was some hostility, it couldn't be put into practice. They did make a move, but all the planning was done in the dark. In theory, no one should be aware of their preparations. They were like a tiger, eating a goat with lightning speed. There was no problem in the whole process. There were no bows and arrows, no hunters, no swords or spears. Even the goat didn't have time to resist. Everything was perfect and smooth. But in the end, he found that there were wounds on his body, but he had no idea when and where the wounds appeared. Moreover, the wounds were so serious that they could even be fatal.
Who was it …
The tiger suddenly woke up and began to look around in the darkness. However, he still couldn't see anything. The forest began to be filled with hostility …
"If that's not the case … perhaps someone has been watching us from behind since a few months ago …"
As Wu Qilong muttered these words, Wu Qihao subconsciously glanced behind him and turned around. "Who could it be? Su Yu? Su Tan'er? Who else? The elders of the Su family? "
"It doesn't look like it …" Wu Qilong shook his head. "It doesn't look like it … it's impossible. This doesn't look like a trap. It's impossible for Xi Junyu. We didn't get his things alone. This time … who is it?"
"Don't think about it, brother. Maybe it's just a small problem. At this time, we can't panic. Let's find out first. "
Wu Qihao comforted his brother. Wu Qilong then nodded. "Well, let's go back and start investigating. For the time being …" He looked at the workshop in front of him and the Jiangning City in the distance, which was lit up with all kinds of lights. "For the time being … let's wait and see."
In the sky, the curtain of night fell, and the darkness had just arrived.
They passed through the dim passage outside the small workshop and came out of the workshop shrouded in lights. They got on the carriage and drove all the way home with puzzled anxiety. The road was sometimes bright and sometimes dark. There were more and more people. At this time, they still didn't know what happened in the afternoon in the corner of Jiangning.
In the Su mansion, Ning Yi had just come out of the shower. He sat in the gazebo in the yard to enjoy the cool. Xiaochan brought a bowl of boiled peanuts. The two were playing a childish game of guessing the number of peanuts at the table. When voices and footsteps came from the courtyard gate, Su Tan'er came back with Juan'er and Xing'er. She probably had been busy all day, but after seeing Ning Yi, she pursed her lips and smiled.
In the past, on such a night, some children would come over to play, or some cousins who were close to the first branch would come over to ask for money and chat. But these days, such people had decreased a lot. Chan'er went to prepare some simple meals. After a while, Su Tan'er also came out after a shower. It was Juan'er's turn. Everyone sat together in the gazebo to chat, talk, and eat. Now, even if there were many things related to the business, Su Tan'er would talk to Ning Yi without a care. Of course, Ning Yi usually just made a casual joke and let everyone laugh at him.
Under the stars and the moon, it was another leisurely day …
*****
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