I started out with seven husbands, and I worked hard to support my family while crying.

Chapter 224: An Encounter with Robbers

"What should we do? We seem to be lost," one of the men said in a panic.

Fang Xiaoxiao tried to calm herself down and observed her surroundings.

"Don't panic, everyone. Let's find shelter from the wind first, and then we'll figure out what to do when the snow subsides a bit."

They found a dilapidated temple at the foot of a mountain and took temporary shelter from the wind and snow.

"This awful weather, when will it ever end?" the guys complained.

Fang Xiaoxiao comforted her.

"Hang in there, everyone. As long as we can get back, there is hope."

Fortunately, they met a kind hunter in the temple.

The hunter told them the way back to the city and pointed them in the right direction.

"Thank you for your help, brother," Fang Xiaoxiao said gratefully.

The hunter waved his hand.

"When you're out and about, help each other out. You'd better hurry on your way and be careful on the road."

When they finally returned to the city, Fang Xiaoxiao had lost a lot of weight, but her eyes were full of determination and hope.

Back at the shop, Zhu Wen had been waiting for a long time.

"Madam Fang, we've been waiting for you to return. You must have had a long and arduous journey," Zhu Wen said.

Fang Xiaoxiao smiled wearily.

"It's not hard work. We've procured all the supplies. Now it's up to us to figure out how to sell them."

However, new problems emerged one after another.

Due to the cold weather, many shops closed down, the market was sluggish, and the supplies they purchased went unsold for a time.

Fang Xiao was extremely anxious. Every day, she led her men to the streets to hawk their goods.

"Don't miss out! High-quality cotton and charcoal will keep you warm this winter!"

However, the results were not ideal.

"Boss, this can't go on like this. We need to think of something else," one of the waiters said.

Fang Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment and then said.

"Let's contact those wealthy families; they should have needs."

So, Fang Xiaoxiao led her assistants to visit wealthy families one by one.

Initially, many families were unwilling to buy, but Fang Xiaoxiao finally won over some people with her eloquence and sincerity.

"Madam, look at this cotton, it's soft and warm, and this charcoal burns for a long time without smoke or odor. Buy it for your family, and we'll make sure they don't get cold this winter."

Thanks to Fang Xiaoxiao's efforts, the sales of the supplies gradually improved.

Just then, news came from the imperial court that, in order to cope with the natural disaster, merchants who purchased supplies would be given certain subsidies and support.

Fang Xiaoxiao was overjoyed when she heard the news.

"That's wonderful, our efforts have not been in vain."

As the sales of supplies gradually improved, Fang Xiaoxiao's tense nerves relaxed a little.

However, just when she thought everything was going in the right direction, a sudden crisis quietly descended.

One day, Fang Xiaoxiao was busy in the shop when a shop assistant suddenly rushed over.

"Boss, something terrible has happened!" the waiter said, panting heavily.

Fang Xiaoxiao's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked.

"What happened? Don't rush, tell me slowly."

There's a problem with the charcoal we sold to the Liu family!

"The Liu family said that the charcoal smelled strange and produced thick smoke when it burned, which blackened their house. Now they're demanding compensation from us!" the waiter said anxiously.

Fang Xiaoxiao's expression changed. The Liu family was a prominent and influential family in the city, and she couldn't afford to offend them.

She immediately reassured the man.

"Don't worry, I'll go to the Liu residence to take a look."

Fang Xiaoxiao hurriedly headed to the Liu residence with some high-quality cotton and charcoal.

When she arrived at the Liu residence, the gatekeeper looked impatient upon seeing her.

"Hmph, you still have the nerve to come here!" the gatekeeper sneered.

Fang Xiaoxiao smiled ingratiatingly.

"Brother, please inform him that I have come to apologize to Master Liu."

After much persuasion, the gatekeeper finally went in to report.

After a while, Fang Xiaoxiao was led into the living room.

Master Liu sat in the main seat, his face gloomy.

"Manager Fang, your business practices are not honest!"

Master Liu slammed his fist on the table and roared angrily.

Fang Xiaoxiao quickly bowed and apologized.

"Mr. Liu, I'm so sorry, there must be some misunderstanding."

Our charcoal has always been of superior quality; I don't know why this problem has occurred this time.

Master Liu sneered: "Misunderstanding? I think you're deliberately passing off inferior goods as superior ones!"

Fang Xiaoxiao quickly said.

"Mr. Liu, rest assured, I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and give you a satisfactory explanation."

If it was our fault, we will definitely pay the compensation we are owed.

Master Liu snorted.

"Fine, I'll give you three days. If you can't resolve this, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Fang Xiaoxiao left the Liu residence with a heavy heart. Upon returning to the shop, she immediately gathered the staff to inquire about the situation.

"What exactly is going on with this batch of charcoal?" Fang Xiaoxiao asked.

"A purchasing agent said nervously."

"Shopkeeper, this batch of charcoal came from a new supplier. The price was cheap, so..."

Fang Xiao was extremely stingy.

"Foolish! Trying to save a little money has led to such a huge disaster!"

Fang Xiaoxiao knew that if this problem wasn't resolved properly, she would not only lose the Liu family as a major client, but also damage the shop's reputation. She decided to investigate the supplier herself.

After some twists and turns, Fang Xiaoxiao found the supplier.

It turns out that in order to reduce costs, he mixed some inferior materials into the charcoal, which led to this problem.

Fang Xiaoxiao sternly criticized his behavior and demanded that he compensate for the losses.

Knowing they were in the wrong, the supplier had no choice but to agree.

Having resolved the supplier issue, Fang Xiaoxiao returned to the Liu residence with new charcoal and some gifts.

After a sincere apology and explanation, Mr. Liu's expression finally softened.

"Let it go this time, but make sure nothing like this happens again!" said Master Liu.

Fang Xiaoxiao nodded repeatedly.

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Master Liu. This will never happen again."

After resolving the crisis at the Liu residence, Fang Xiaoxiao's shop finally returned to its former tranquility.

However, she did not let her guard down because of this; instead, she paid even more attention to controlling the quality of the goods.

One day, Fang Xiaoxiao was checking the accounts in the store when Pei Yan walked in.

"Xiao Xiao, you've been through so much lately."

Pei Yan said gently.

Fang Xiaoxiao raised her head and smiled slightly.

"As long as I can run the shop well, this little bit of hard work is nothing."

Pei Yan walked to her side and gently took her hand.

"But you should also take care of your health and not overwork yourself."

Fang Xiaoxiao felt the warmth of his palm, and her heart was filled with sweetness.

Just then, a waiter rushed over: "Boss, something bad has happened, there's trouble again!"

Fang Xiaoxiao and Pei Yan exchanged a glance, their hearts tightening.

"Don't panic, speak slowly," Fang Xiaoxiao said.

"We just received news that a group of robbers have their eyes on the goods in our store and are planning to rob us on our transport route."

"That's what the guy said anxiously."

Fang Xiaoxiao frowned: "What should we do?"

Pei Yan pondered for a moment: "Xiao Xiao, don't worry, I have a way."

Pei Yan immediately gathered some skilled men and prepared to set up an ambush along the transport route in advance.

When the day came to transport the supplies, Fang Xiaoxiao was on tenterhooks.

Pei Yan led his men to hide in the woods on both sides of the road.

Sure enough, the band of robbers appeared soon after.

They charged aggressively towards the transport team.

Just as the bandits approached, Pei Yan gave an order, and his men rushed out.

A fierce fight broke out. Pei Yan, with his agile skills, subdued several robbers in no time. The other men were not to be outdone and fought back bravely.

Finally, seeing that things were not going well, the bandits all fled.