Uncle SAN sat upright in the main seat, his expression calm and composed, his gaze like lightning, exuding an air of authority without even showing anger. On both sides were several elders of the clan who had rushed over upon hearing the news. All of them had solemn expressions, lowering their heads to sip the tea that had already cooled down, and their eyes would occasionally wander over the few people in the hall.
Below, Shen Zhongkang was fidgeting restlessly, his face pale and his eyes evasive. Liu straightened her back, maintaining a composed expression on her face, but the hands tightly clenched in her sleeves revealed the ripples in her heart.
Shen Ruoxin stood in the center of the hall, dressed in a simple and elegant dress. Her figure was a little thin, but her back was straight. Her gaze calmly swept over everyone present, and finally landed on Liu Zhanfang, who was almost curling up in the corner.
The time has come.
"Cough." Uncle SAN's soft cough broke the suffocating silence. "Today, I have gathered all the elders of our clan, Zhong Kang, Liu Shi and Ruoxin here for a significant matter concerning the reputation and survival of our Shen family." "
He paused for a moment, and his gaze first turned to Shen Zhongkang: "Zhongkang, the other day, Ruoxin came to me and told me that you and Lady Liu had arranged a marriage for her to the Wang family of Jinxiu Cloth Shop, and..." The high-price cotton and linen fabric purchase contract signed with the Wang family. How do you explain this matter?
Shen Zhongkang trembled all over and looked at Lady Liu as if seeking help.
Liu immediately chimed in, her tone tinged with a hint of grievance and confusion: "Third Uncle, all the elders of the clan, your daughter-in-law does indeed have some thoughtless aspects in this matter." At that time, I only thought that although the Wang family was not extremely wealthy and powerful, their family traditions were still acceptable. I thought that if Xin married there, she could also live a stable life. As for that contract, it was just a normal business transaction. It was only natural for people to think of supporting their in-laws. Perhaps it was the incompetence of the subordinates that led Ruoxin to misunderstand, thinking... It's such a huge injustice to think that we are making a deal with her marriage!
She evaded the major issues and lightly brushed aside the suspicion of embezzling the family wealth, instead hinting that Shen Ruoxin was immature and had misunderstood the elders' good intentions.
"Misunderstanding?" Shen Ruoxin's cold voice rang out, standing out particularly clearly in the hall. Mother's words are wrong. That contract, written in black and white, purchased ordinary cotton and linen at a price 30% higher than the market rate, and paid the full amount before the goods were inspected. May I ask, Mother, when has the Shen family ever had such a precedent of "supporting in-laws"? Not to mention, it's under the circumstances where the Splendid Pavilion itself is in jeopardy?
"Be presumptuous!" Liu Shi sternly scolded, attempting to regain the momentum, "The Splendid Pavilion is fine. How come it can't protect itself?" You, a daughter's family, never go out of the door or step in all day long. You always hear the wind and rain. What's your intention in making such alarmist remarks?
"Is it an alarmist statement? The account books will be clear by themselves!" Shen Ruoxin did not back down at all. She turned to her third uncle and the elders of the clan, "Third Uncle, the elders of the clan, and my great-niece earnestly request that you immediately verify the accounts of the Jinxiu Pavilion for the past three years, especially the inventory and profits and losses!"
Liu Shi's expression changed slightly, and Shen Zhongkang clenched his fists even more nervously.
Uncle SAN glanced at Lady Liu and said in a deep voice, "Accountant Liu, please present the general ledger, inventory ledger and sales ledger of the Jinxiu Pavilion for the past three years."
Liu, the accountant, responded with trepidation. Holding several thick account books, he stepped forward and placed them on the round table in the hall.
A trace of panic flashed in Liu's eyes, but she immediately forced herself to stay calm: "Third Uncle, the accounts are so complicated. How can you see them clearly in such a short time?" The Jinxiu Pavilion makes a profit every year, and the account books are all there. Maybe Sister Ruoxin was just confused for a moment...
"Are you confused? Just take a look and you'll know." " Shen Ruoxin interrupted her, walked to the table, opened the inventory account and pointed directly to a few pages. "Uncles, please take a look. This is a batch of Yun brocade that was stored in the warehouse three years ago, totaling fifty pieces, with an purchase price of eighty taels per piece." This is a batch of kesi that was warehoused two years ago, totaling thirty pieces, with an purchase price of 120 taels per piece...
She spoke clearly and logically, pointing out several large inventories of high-grade silk one by one: "These silks are still recorded in the warehouse intact to this day." May I ask all the uncles, how much can the old Yun brocade from three years ago and the outdated kesi from two years ago still be worth on the market today? Not to mention the original price, even at half price, I'm afraid no one will show interest!
Several elders of the clan looked at each other. Although they might not be proficient in business affairs, they still had some basic common sense. The patterns of silk and satin are constantly changing. Old goods that have been stored for several years are bound to have their value greatly reduced.
This... It's indeed a problem. An elder of the clan frowned and said, "If the inventory is piled up for too long, it will result in losses."
Shen Ruoxin seized the opportunity and opened the sales account, saying, "The problem doesn't end here." I roughly calculated that the cost of goods sold last year was divided by the average inventory at the beginning and end of the year. This figure is called "inventory turnover" in trade terms. Three years ago, when my father was in charge, the Jinxiu Pavilion could be turned over three times a year. And by last year, this figure was less than one and a half times!
She looked at the accountant Liu and said, "Accountant Liu, is there anything wrong with the figure I calculated?"
Liu, the accountant, was sweating on his forehead. Under the stern gaze of his third uncle, he nodded with difficulty: "Reply..." Dear Third Uncle, it was calculated by the second young lady... Roughly... Roughly right...
"Turnover is less than once and a half a year!" Shen Ruoxin's voice suddenly rose, "This means that at least more than half of the goods in our Jinxiu Pavilion warehouse are second-hand goods that have been piled up for over a year!" These "inventories" worth tens of thousands of taels on paper have actually depreciated significantly long ago! If estimated based on market prices and excluding these false values, Jinxiu Pavilion not only failed to make a profit last year, but also suffered a loss of at least 5,000 taels! This is not even the unknown amount paid to the Jinxiu Cloth Shop!
"Loss of five thousand taels?" "!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was shocked! Several elders of the clan could no longer sit still. They all got up and gathered around the table, looking at the figures in the account books, and their expressions turned extremely ugly.
This... How could this be possible? Shen Zhongkang cried out in silence, his face as pale as paper. "Account..." It is clearly profitable on the books...
"Paper profits are nothing but self-deception!" Shen Ruoxin looked at him coldly, "Big brother, Mother, in the past two years since you took over the Jinxiu Pavilion, you have been buying unsold goods at high prices, allowing the inventory to accumulate and depreciate, and the capital turnover has become increasingly difficult. Don't you have any idea at all?" Or is this the result you were glad to see?
You... You are spitting at people! Liu Shi could no longer hold back any longer. She pointed at Shen Ruoxin and screamed sharply, "We are all for the Shen family. It's you, this girl, who has an evil heart and wants to take advantage of the situation to seize power!"
"Whether I seize power or not, it's up to all the elders of the clan to decide!" Shen Ruoxin met her gaze without fear. "All I know is that if you continue to 'operate' like this, within a year, the Jinxiu Pavilion will surely be insolvent and close down!" At that time, the century-old foundation of the Shen family will be destroyed in an instant. How will we have the face to meet our ancestors in the netherworld?
Her words were resounding and every word struck the hearts of everyone present.
Looking at the shocking figures in the account book, then at the uncomposed appearance of Lady Liu and Shen Zhongkang's panic, the elders of the clan had already believed about seven or eight parts of their hearts.
"Enough!" Uncle SAN suddenly slapped the table, stood up, and his stern gaze swept over Lady Liu and Shen Zhongkang. "The facts are all there. No matter how you try to justify yourself, it's of no use!" The Shen family's business, when handed over to you, has been ruined to such an extent! You...
His fingers trembled with anger as he pointed at Shen Zhongkang and said, "Zhongkang!" As the eldest son, you don't strive for progress. Instead, you were bewitched by women and did such a foolish thing! "From now on, all the seals, accounts and keys to the storehouses of the Splendid Pavilion must be handed over!"
He turned to Lady Liu again, his eyes cold: "Lady Liu!" As a stepmother, you are neither kind nor virtuous, and your greed is excessive. You almost ruined the foundation of our Shen family! From today on, the central household items in the mansion will be temporarily managed by Liu Cun, the accountant. You should shut yourself in and reflect on your mistakes. Without my permission, you are not allowed to step out of the room. He was as cold as ashes and lowered his head in dejection.
After dealing with the two people, the Third uncle turned his gaze to Shen Ruoxin, his eyes carrying a hint of complexity and scrutiny. Eventually, it turned into a glimmer of approval: "Ruoxin, fortunately, you were meticulous and discovered the flaws in time this time, which saved our Shen family from a catastrophic disaster." Though you are young, you have the demeanor of a father. It's just a family business. It's of great significance...
He pondered for a moment and then said loudly, "From now on, a family business liquidation team will be established, and I will be in charge of it myself." The accounts of the Jinxiu Pavilion and all the properties of the Shen family are uniformly supervised by the liquidation team. Accountant Liu, you assist the team in checking and verifying all the accounts. As for Ruoxin...
He looked at Shen Ruoxin and said, "Since you have business acumen, you have joined the liquidation team to assist in handling daily affairs, especially the rectification of the Jinxiu Pavilion. You should propose a plan and submit it to the team for review." Would you like it?
This was not a complete delegation of power, but it gave Shen Ruoxin a legitimate opportunity to get involved in the management of the family business and directly participate in the rectification of the Jinxiu Pavilion! This is already the best outcome she can strive for at present!
"Great-niece, strictly follow the instructions of your third uncle!" Shen Ruoxin bowed deeply, her voice clear and clear, carrying a hint of imperceptible excitement.