The moment the women heard this reply, they instantly erupted in anger.
The prepared government officials immediately crouched down and covered their heads.
Only Shopkeeper Tian, caught off guard, was hit in the eye socket by a piece of debris, seeing stars and nearly falling to the ground.
Hearing the women’s curses and the cheers of the onlookers, he quickly understood the situation.
His heart skipped a beat! This rouge recipe was their family’s top secret, only he and his second brother knew about it. Who could have revealed it?
Who had leaked this information?
At first, Shopkeeper Tian suspected it was just annoyed customers complaining or trying to extort them.
These were minor issues; after years in business, he was used to dealing with such things, even if it meant losing some money.
But hearing the women’s angry shouts and the loud discussions nearby, he realized today’s problem wouldn’t be easily resolved.
Quickly thinking, Shopkeeper Tian still maintained a smile: "Did everyone misunderstand? My Tian Family Rouge Shop has been running for twenty years. You all know that our shop is not only well-known in Jing County but also quite popular in the provincial capital. It’s an established brand for twenty years. How could we ruin our reputation?"
"Think carefully, isn’t this reasonable?"
"You’re talking nonsense! You heartless swindler! The flowers in your rouge aren’t properly cleaned, and you mix lead powder into the palace powder! This has been pointed out, yet you still pretend to be innocent?" A woman immediately jumped out to argue.
"This lady, you’re surely mistaken! Our family has a vast flower garden outside the city, how could we not clean the flowers properly? Our palace powder is made from high-quality rice powder, why would we add lead powder?"
"No matter who spreads rumors about my Tian Family Rouge Shop, hasn’t everyone known who I am for decades?"
"Nonsense! You call me a lady! Your whole family are ladies! I’m not even thirty yet! It’s all because of your rouge that I’ve aged so quickly!"
Shopkeeper Tian took the chance to say: "Moreover, even if there were issues with our rouge, is there evidence? You can’t just throw such a huge baseless accusation at my family, can you?" Shopkeeper Tian hung on stubbornly, looking indignant.
Some people who initially found Wang Yongzhu’s words reasonable and disliked the Tian Family Shop, began to lean toward Tian Family as they saw Shopkeeper Tian’s calm demeanor.
Someone couldn’t bear it and advised: "Boss Tian is right here; he won’t run away. Let’s talk it over reasonably—"
Many people began to relax.
But one meticulous woman softly said, "Boss Tian, someone reported problems with your shop’s rouge. If you can’t provide a satisfactory answer today, don’t open your shop again! Nearly half the households in Jing County buy your rouge, and now there’s talk that it not only fails to beautify but also disfigures. How will you resolve this?"
Hearing these words directly, Shopkeeper Tian saw the surrounding women glaring fiercely at him, ready to tear him apart.
He felt surrounded by wolves.
But he couldn’t afford any hesitation now; any mistake could mean the end of the Tian Family.
His mind reeling, Shopkeeper Tian struggled to remain calm: "I know, even if I swear an oath, you likely won’t believe me today! How about this? Since the officers are here, why not let them take the rouge bought from our shop to the Yamen for inspection, to see whether it truly causes disfigurement!"
"Not to mention my confidence in our rouge, but also the fact that the truth stands firm! Even if our rouge is accused, one-sided arguments won’t help! Stalling here isn’t a solution, is it? It’s already noon, and everyone’s blocking the shop entrance. Aren’t you all hungry and thirsty?"
"How about you all return home and bring your rouge to the government office for inspection? This way, everyone can be at ease, right? Our family’s life-long business is here, and the officers are watching me. Even if I wanted to run, I couldn’t! What do you all think?"
Shopkeeper Tian’s candid attitude swayed the crowd.
Most of the women had only heard rumors without verifying; only a few had shown their rouge to doctors.
Seeing Shopkeeper Tian so confident, many women hesitated, whispering, "Are we making a mistake? He doesn’t seem worried at all."
"Could someone have spread false rumors? This rouge has been sold for twenty years; if it had issues, wouldn’t we have noticed earlier?"
"Indeed! This might still be unverified. We can’t stay here forever; my family is waiting for me to cook—"
"Mine too! If I’m late, my mother-in-law will complain for months. I need to leave—"
With someone leading, half of the crowd soon dispersed. Among the remaining, aside from a few resolute individuals, others hesitated, looking at each other, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Shopkeeper Tian couldn’t help but smile slightly, half-relieved, knowing these women wouldn’t succeed in causing long-term trouble.
Mentioning family and children was always enough to disperse them.
However, seeing several women still angry in the front, his brief relief vanished.
These women weren’t ordinary housewives; they had some influence in Jing County.
If they persisted, it wouldn’t be easy to resolve.
The government officials, seeing half the crowd disperse, felt relieved.
They also advised: "Ladies, Boss Tian is right. Both sides need validation, even with the County Magistrate, there’s a need for a doctor’s examination, isn’t it? We shouldn’t just conclude Tian Family’s guilt based on hearsay, right?"
"Besides, there are injured people here. If this deadlock causes fatalities, it wouldn’t matter whether anyone ends up in prison, you’d still feel guilty, wouldn’t you? Everyone’s respectable; there’s no need for such an ugly scene."
The leading women exchanged glances, realizing today was futile. The matter was significant, and they had concerns.
Their husbands held some positions in Jing County; causing fatalities would be detrimental to them.
They reluctantly agreed: "Alright, we’ll temporarily let it slide! Tomorrow, we’ll bring the rouge to the Yamen! Don’t think of bribing or substituting it—"
With that, the women snorted and turned to leave.