"Three hundred and sixty taels? That's really not much. But I'm very curious, why would the owner of such a good shop want to lower the price and sell it off?" Qin San Niang asked in surprise.

The broker didn't hide anything and replied, "To be honest, madam, the shop is in very good condition in all aspects. As for why the shopkeeper is lowering the price to sell off, I don't know the inside story."

The broker was also puzzled. When the shop owner came to their brokerage to hang up his sign, even he, a broker for many years, found it very strange! But seeing that the owner didn't seem inclined to explain, they could only sell at that price.

Even a brokerage firm shouldn't pry into a client's privacy like that! But after learning a few things indirectly, he continued,

"But as far as I know, the owner of this shop has a harmonious family and no legal troubles. The shop has not had any problems during its operation."

"Oh, that's even stranger," Qin San Niang muttered, her suspicions growing. But if the broker's claims were true, she had gotten a great deal!

Actually, even if some terrible incident had happened in this shop, she wouldn't mind. At worst, she could just hire a master to perform a ritual to appease people. She was still reluctant to give up such a good shop.

"Accountant Cao, what do you think?" Qin San Niang looked intently at Cao Wenshan.

Hearing his employer's question, Cao Wenshan wasn't surprised; he knew his employer wasn't easily fooled! He also knew that while the broker was telling the truth, he probably hadn't hit the nail on the head, so he stepped forward.

“Master, this shop is indeed very good, but please come with me to take a look.” After saying that, Cao Wenshan led Qin Sanniang to the window on the second floor, pointed to a shop not far away and sighed, “Look, that’s Chen’s Tavern. This shop used to be a tavern too. There used to be more than a dozen taverns on this half of the street, but now, only Chen’s Tavern and two or three other lesser-known ones still stand here.”

Qin San Niang looked around and, sure enough, the large signboard of Chen's Tavern was indeed very eye-catching. A little further away were several smaller taverns, their signs less prominent, with only the character for "wine" vaguely visible.

"Boss, all the big taverns on this street have been taken down by Chen's. This shop is really unlucky; despite its good location, everything it opens fails."

To be honest, Cao Wenshan wasn't worried about the quality of his own wine; after all, his employer was reliable in everything he did. What worried him was Chen Ji's suppression! The feng shui of that shop was truly terrible!

Seeing their hesitation, the broker quickly stepped forward and squeezed in front of Qin San Niang. "Madam, I suggest you don't have too many concerns. Where there are many taverns, there are many customers. Isn't it true that in business, it's all about clustering together? Although the competition is fierce, it's also the easiest time to stand out. Don't you agree?"

"Hmm, what you said makes sense." After saying that, Qin San Niang stopped talking and waited for what was to come.

Seeing that Qin San Niang was wavering, the broker continued to persuade her, "The previous owner of this shop was also a wine seller. That owner said that this shop is only sold to people who run restaurants, which is why the price is so low."

"There's such a condition?" Qin San Niang couldn't help but chuckle. This shop owner was quite interesting, so capricious, wasn't he?! This person must have suffered a loss at Chen Ji's hands and wanted revenge, which is why he made such a request.

As for Chen Yushan and Qin Sanniang, it certainly wasn't a deep-seated hatred, but it wasn't entirely without grudges either, since Qin Sanniang had suffered at his hands before. Moreover, if she wanted to establish herself and grow in He County, she had to get past him.

Life is full of challenges, but we always manage to overcome them!

"Alright, I'll take this shop. Please contact the owner and get the transfer done," Qin San Niang said to the broker after making up her mind.

Unexpectedly, the lady was so agreeable. No wonder a powerful person like Manager Jiang was so kind to her. The broker was overjoyed, his mouth practically agape. "Alright, madam. Please wait a moment, I'll have someone go and inform them."

Nowadays, buyers and sellers can sign contracts either at a brokerage firm or directly in the shop. The original owner's residence must not be far from here. In addition, the broker didn't want to let the deal slip away, so he hurriedly went outside and found a little beggar to go and inform him.

Besides begging, these little beggars also do errands for people, paying a deposit of one coin and another coin after the job is done. They know every street in the county town like the back of their hand, so there's no need to worry about hiring them to run errands.

"Mother, this shop is really nice!" After the broker left, Da Wa ran around excitedly again. He could hardly believe that his family could afford such a big shop.

Ruyi Cake Shop doesn't count, since it belongs to Uncle Si. Qin San Niang didn't tell the children that the cake shop is now also in her name. She's thinking that if Si Li Ren comes back, she'll have to return the cake shop to him.

Seeing the two children's happy faces, Qin Sanniang couldn't help but chuckle, "Bojin, I see you're not worried about our tavern's business? Didn't you hear what that broker said earlier? This place always fails!"

After saying that, he even sighed, feigning concern.

"Yes, young master, to be honest, I also have this concern. Chen's Tavern has been open for four or five months and business has been good. It takes a high-end approach and is very competitive." Cao Wenshan couldn't help but voice his anxiety.

The eldest son thought for a moment and said, "Mother, Accountant Cao, business is never smooth sailing. Take those food vendors, for example, they're all on the same street in the North Market, and the teahouses and theaters are all clustered together. The more competition there is, the better the business will be. Besides, most importantly, our wine is good! What's there to worry about? Moreover, this shop is cheap and spacious. Even if we close down in the future, renting it out won't be a problem."

Unexpectedly, Da Wa had thought of so much, and Qin San Niang couldn't help but look at him in a new light. She knew the boy was growing up quickly, but she hadn't expected it to be this fast! Da Wa's analysis made sense; although it wasn't some grand theory, it did highlight the key to doing business: hard power.

“That makes sense. In business, integrity is paramount. Otherwise, no matter how big your shop is or how cheap your prices are, it's just a one-off transaction and you won't be able to retain customers. Our wine has that kind of strength. Not to mention Chen's, even the big wine shops in Kyoto might not be better than us.”

Of course, Cao the accountant's caution is correct. Chen's is a high-end brand, and its good business indicates that its wines are of good quality. What we need to do is not avoid it, but to completely surpass it in quality and to have a more perfect business strategy. That way, we won't have to worry about going out of business.