Shattered Dreams
Qiu Niang paused, then furrowed her brows, saying with dissatisfaction, “What is she doing here?”
She had been in the Capital for many years and was familiar with many Benefactors there, and had some good relationships. However, this Madam Sun, besides having a volatile temper, was also extremely aloof and proud, and looked down on merchants like them.
If she went out to greet her, she might be met with a cold shoulder. But if she didn’t go out, this person probably wouldn’t give up easily.
The person outside said, “I don’t know. Should I tell her the Shopkeeper isn’t here?”
Qiu Niang hesitated for a moment, then got up and walked outside.
Madam Sun saw the bustling crowd in the Main Hall as soon as she got off the carriage, and couldn’t help but frown.
If she hadn’t heard that a new Mind-Calming Pellet had recently appeared in the Capital that could cure head ailments, even curing Madam Dong’s illness which kept her from going outside, she wouldn’t have come today.
The servants from her household had come several times in the past few days, but they hadn’t been able to buy the Mind-Calming Pellet, so she had to come herself.
She wanted to see if it was because Yan Yue Pavilion’s business was too good, or if they were deliberately disrespecting her.
As soon as she entered Yan Yue Pavilion, Qiu Niang immediately came down from upstairs, smiling as she greeted her, “Madam Sun, what brings you to this shop today? Why did you come in person? Sending a servant to deliver a message would have sufficed.”
Madam Sun coldly snorted, not even glancing at the person in front of her, “If I sent a servant, I’m afraid you wouldn’t give me face, so I had to come personally.”
Having said that, she walked straight into the Main Hall.
Qiu Niang’s expression changed slightly, but she quickly recovered her composure and led her to the inner room.
Once seated in the inner room, Madam Sun didn’t bother exchanging Polite Greetings with the person in front of her, and only asked, “I heard that your shop has a Mind-Calming Incense that can cure head ailments?”
On Duke Anguo’s wife’s birthday, she had caught a cold and didn’t go, so she didn’t know what the pellet that cured Madam Dong’s head ailment was called.
It was only in the past few days that she heard it was apparently from Yan Yue Pavilion, but even after sending a servant, she still hadn’t been able to buy it.
This Qiu Niang was taking herself too seriously. She was merely friendly with several Madams in the Capital, yet she dared to snub her.
Unbeknownst to her, those people merely treated this person as a servant.
Qiu Niang was stunned, and after a while she remembered that Madam Sun had a daughter who had been troubled by head ailments since childhood. Famous Doctors in the Capital had been consulted, but to no avail.
She was confined to the house all day, weeping, a well-known Medicine Pot, rarely appearing in public.
Madam Sun’s daughter’s head ailment was different from Madam Dong’s sudden onset. It was said to be caused by a Congenital Deficiency due to Madam Sun’s premature birth.
The reason Madam Sun sought her out this time was probably because she had heard about Madam Dong’s cured head ailment.
But the pellet Madam Dong used was from Bao Xiang Shop.
She wasn’t sure if her pellet could cure head ailments, or if Madam Sun’s daughter was truly that well-known invalid.
As she remained silent, Madam Sun grew impatient, “What? Is my question so difficult to answer, or are you deliberately unwilling to sell me the pellet?”
Qiu Niang was startled, quickly waving her hands, “Madam, there’s a misunderstanding. Bichun, hurry and get the pellet for Madam.”
After all, her pellet was also specially formulated by a famous Doctor in the Capital, learning from Cut Worries, so the effects should be similar.
It shouldn’t be that only Bao Xiang Shop’s was effective, while hers was useless.
Bao Xiang Shop also used a Mind-Calming Recipe formulated by a Doctor, and perhaps it’s not as good as the Doctor she found.
Besides, there’s no reason to turn away business. If this time she can cure Madam Sun’s daughter, Yan Yue Pavilion would once again become famous in the Capital, surpassing Bao Xiang Shop, and maybe even causing it to close down.
Thinking this, she couldn’t help but feel relieved.
After Madam Sun left with the pellet, she didn’t pay any more attention to the matter.
Instead, she began to anticipate the scene of Bao Xiang Shop closing down, with Aunt Yun and the Commoner shopkeeper kneeling at her feet begging for mercy.
The more she thought about it, the happier she became, and she slept exceptionally soundly.
However, this Dream didn’t last long before it shattered.
The next day, shortly after Yan Yue Pavilion opened, a carriage suddenly stopped in front of the shop.
An Old Woman jumped out of the carriage and pointed at Yan Yue Pavilion, scolding, “What kind of shop is this? Mind-calming and sleep-inducing pellets? I spit! It’s a harmful pellet! My Young Lady used your Yan Yue Pavilion’s pellet, and her head ailment not only didn’t improve but worsened!
I’m telling you, if anything happens to my Young Lady, your shop can just wait to close down.”
Yesterday, the pellet from Yan Yue Pavilion that her Madam had brought back was just lit for her Young Lady, and after a while, the Young Lady suffered from a terrible Headache, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Forget about calming the mind and inducing sleep, even falling asleep was difficult. Yan Yue Pavilion was full of lies.
She tossed and turned all night, and was terribly tormented. If her Madam hadn’t been at home taking care of her, she would definitely have come today to tear down this shop.
They even dared to deceive her Madam.
The Old Woman’s voice was extremely loud, and she stood at the entrance of Yan Yue Pavilion with her hands on her hips, attracting the attention of many passersby.
The Shop Assistants of Yan Yue Pavilion were immediately unhappy, and angrily rebuked, “Where did this commoner come from? Daring to slander Yan Yue Pavilion! Come on, drag this woman who is talking nonsense away!”
Immediately, several Men ran out of the shop, intending to drag the Old Woman away.
Three or four Guards instantly stood in front of the Old Woman, scolding, “Blind and lowly things! See clearly, we are from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices! Call your Shopkeeper out to clarify things.
If you don’t give my Madam an explanation, your shop will never open again!”
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.
The Old Woman continued to scold, “I see you don’t want to live! Daring to deceive my Madam with your Mind-Calming Incense! If anything happens to my Young Lady, I will make your shop Buried with her!”
Upon hearing the Old Woman’s words, many people in the crowd immediately echoed her.
“I bought Mind-Calming Pellets from Yan Yue Pavilion some time ago, and not only were they useless, but they also gave me a Headache and blurred vision. Your pellets are problematic, and you still dare to say they can calm the mind and induce sleep. It’s all a scam!”
“That’s right, I bought them too, and they were useless. They even worsened my Mother’s head ailment. I wondered what the reason was, but it turned out to be the pellets.”
“I think you’re the ones talking nonsense. The fact that Madam Dong’s head ailment was cured is also something you made up, right?”
The crowd spoke more and more excitedly, clearly provoked.
They didn’t dare to speak out before because they didn’t dare to offend Yan Yue Pavilion casually. Now that someone from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was backing them up, they became bolder.
A bystander listening to this conversation felt something was wrong, and quickly shouted, “Hey, you want to buy Cut Worries, right? Why did you buy it here?
Bao Xiang Shop’s Cut Worries is the one that can calm the mind and induce sleep, and treat head ailments. You bought the wrong thing.”
“Bought the wrong thing?”
“Yes, the one that cured Madam Dong’s head ailment was also Cut Worries from Bao Xiang Shop, it has nothing to do with Yan Yue Pavilion.”
“Then doesn’t that mean we’ve all been cheated?”
Realizing this problem, the crowd became even angrier, shouting, “Refund, refund!”
As the situation became more and more serious, the Guards at the entrance of Yan Yue Pavilion could no longer stop the rioters, so Yan Yue Pavilion simply closed its doors, ignoring the shouting and Scolding outside.
By the time Qiu Niang found out, it was already too late.