Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Brokerage Firm

Xiong Zixiang paused for a moment, then said, "I've thought it through. This shop needs to be well-designed, preferably by the river. It doesn't need to be too big, but it should have a small inner room, or even a small second floor. That way, pots, pans, rice, flour, beans, and other utensils, as well as odds and ends after closing up shop at night, can all be locked inside, saving us from having to move them around every day, and also keeping out thieves."

Zhang nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, we do need a place to watch things. But..."

She thought of her meager savings and hesitated for a moment: "Buying the equipment for the shop, tables, chairs, benches, pots, pans, bowls and chopsticks, and the cost of the first month's goods... all these odds and ends add up to a considerable sum. We... we can't let Brother Liuji and my parents pay for it again."

"That's what I think too."

Xiong Zixiang said, "They've already tightened their belts to scrape together the money to buy the shop. We'll figure out how to raise the money for the opening ourselves. I've calculated that what we've saved over the years, plus what we've earned from the stall in the last two months, if we save every penny for a while, we should be able to raise enough."

The couple whispered and discussed for a while longer before the weight on their hearts eased a little, and they drifted off to sleep together.

The following evening, Zhang Yimou, who had finally managed to rest after a long day at his stall, was tidying up the dishes with Xiong Zixiang in the kitchen, preparing to cook dinner.

Zhang the butcher stood at the gate of the courtyard and shouted inside, "Be careful!"

Zhang Yili responded and went out: "Dad, what's the matter?"

Butcher Zhang didn't go into the courtyard; he just stood at the entrance.

Wearing his greasy butcher's apron, he looked around to make sure no one was watching before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small package wrapped in several layers of oil paper. Without a word, he shoved it into Zhang Liuli's hand.

"Take it."

With an air of absolute authority, Butcher Zhang pushed the oil paper package towards her: "Father knows you two are going to open a shop and there will be many expenses. This little bit of money is my savings. You should keep it and not let others see it and gossip."

He shoved the oil paper package into Zhang Xiaoli's hand with his rough, large hands, and as if afraid she would push it back, he immediately turned and left, taking big, hurried steps.

"Hurry back and have dinner with Zixiang! Dad has to get up early tomorrow to set up his stall at the morning market, so I'm going back now!"

His tall figure quickly disappeared into the alleyway as dusk deepened, leaving Zhang Xiaoyi standing alone at the courtyard gate.

A cool evening breeze blew by.

She looked down, clutching tightly in her hand the cloth bundle wrapped in several layers of oiled paper. It was heavy, with sharp edges, and contained copper coins.

The oil paper package seemed to still retain the warmth of his father's hands, mixed with a faint, indelible smell of meat.

Zhang Liuyi stood still, without moving.

My nose feels a little sore, and my eyes feel hot.

She remembered her father's old jacket, faded from washing and with frayed cuffs.

Father worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, chopping meat piece by piece, saving every penny to earn this money. He couldn't bear to eat or wear anything nice for himself, but he gave it all to her...

She took a deep breath, suppressing the rising bitterness, turned and entered the courtyard, gently closing the gate behind her.

Xiong Zixiang had just brought out the porridge from the kitchen when he saw her standing behind the door, her eyes a little red, and she was clutching something tightly in her hand.

"Pay attention? The porridge is ready. What's going on?" He put down the bowl and came over. "Dad was here? What are you holding?"

Zhang Yi didn't say anything, but simply handed the oil paper package to him.

Xiong Zixiang took it; it felt heavy in his hand. When he opened it, he found neatly stacked copper coins, quite a lot of them.

"Dad gave it to you?" Xiong Zixiang immediately understood.

Zhang nodded, his throat feeling like it was blocked, and his voice was a little choked.

"Father...Father...even he couldn't bear to part with it..."

She couldn't continue speaking, and finally, tears streamed down her face.

Xiong Zixiang quickly put down the money bag, pulled her into his arms, and gently patted her back: "Don't cry, don't cry... Dad is worried about you..."

Zhang Liuyi leaned on his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

“I know…I know…but…but Dad is getting older, his back and legs aren’t as nimble as they used to be…and yet…I always cause him worry…I make him scrimp and save to support me…”

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and she couldn't stop crying.

Xiong Zixiang felt a pang of sadness and could only hold her tighter, whispering words of comfort.

"Dad was worried about you having a hard time and wanted to help you. Let's remember Dad's kindness and in the future... we'll be even more filial to him."

Zhang Liuli raised her tear-filled face, looked at her husband, and nodded vigorously. Her voice was still trembling with sobs, but it was unusually firm.

"Yes! We must work hard! Earn as many copper coins as possible! Once the shop is open and we've made money, we'll buy Dad the best wine and the fattest pieces of meat! So Dad...so Dad won't have to worry so much!"

The next day, before dawn, Xiong Zixiang and his companion got up.

The stall still had to be set up. Although he knew the business at the dock wouldn't last much longer, every day the area wasn't cleared out meant another day's earnings. Xiong Zixiang put on his constable's uniform, slung his waist knife over his shoulder, and went to the county government office to clock in for his shift as usual.

Zhang Yili, Xiong Zijuan, and Li Xiulan didn't waste any time. They quickly packed up their gear and pushed the cart to the dock.

Life goes on, money still needs to be earned, worries are inevitable, but work can't stop.

At midday, the sun was blazing.

Xiong Zixiang asked the registrar for a short lunch break and hurried to the dock stall.

Zhang Yili had already tidied up; the stove and pots were covered with an oilcloth, and the bowls and chopsticks were put into a basket.

"How's business today?" Xiong Zixiang asked, wiping his brow.

"It's alright, a little less than yesterday, but we've still sold about 70-80%."

Zhang Liuyi handed him a bowl of cool boiled water: "Have some water, shall we go to the dental clinic?"

"Okay, let's go!"

The couple braved the scorching sun to go to the brokerage firm.

Anping County is not a large town, and there are only two legitimate brokerage firms.

They headed straight to Shunchang Dental Clinic, which was a little closer to the dock.

The brokerage shop was dimly lit, and a broker dressed in linen clothes with a goatee was dozing off in a recliner.

He only opened his eyes lazily when he heard footsteps.

"Hey, Officer Xiong, this must be your wife? Gentlemen, are you looking at a house or land?" The broker quickly stood up to greet Xiong Zixiang when he saw that the visitor was Xiong Zixiang.

"Let's look at the shop." Xiong Zixiang got straight to the point: "It needs to be by the river, not too big, preferably with a small inner room or a small two-story."

The broker stroked his beard: "To tell you the truth, riverside shops... are few and far between, and in high demand. Right now..."

He flipped through a thick notebook beside him: "There are a few. One is in the western river bend, not a small place, but too remote, hardly any people. Another is in the middle section, the location is alright, but there's no place to store goods, just a bare room. And another one..."

He paused, then pointed to a line in the book: "Look, it's not far downstream from our dock, on the riverbank. It's not a big place, but it has a small attic."

Upon hearing that there was an attic, Xiong Zixiang and Zhang Yili exchanged a glance and both perked up.

"Can we go take a look?" Zhang asked.

"Yes, of course!"

Seeing their enthusiasm, the broker also got excited. Judging from the way Xiong the constable was acting, he was sure they would make a profit today.

"The shop isn't far from here, just a few steps away. I have the key. Would you and your wife please come with me?"

The broker led them out the door and they walked along the riverbank for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Sure enough, about a hundred paces downstream from where their original stall was, next to the riverbank, there was a row of low-lying shops facing the water.

Most of them made a living by the water, selling things like fishing nets, tung oil, and straw ropes.

The broker pointed to one of the rooms: "Look, you two, this is it."

The shopfront was small, the wooden door was old and worn, and a rusty lock hung on it.

The broker took out his key, clicked the lock open, and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

A musty smell of wood wafted over me.

The lighting inside was a bit dim.

Upon entering, there is a square room with a rammed earth floor that is somewhat uneven.

There are still a few broken wooden counters left against the wall, probably left behind when they were sold to a brokerage firm.

The place wasn't very big, but it was much more spacious than their stall's shed, and it wouldn't be a problem to put a few tables there.

A wooden staircase was built against the inner wall of the house, leading to a low attic above.

“The attic is up there,” the broker said, and climbed up first.

The stairs were slightly deformed as he climbed them, and they creaked.

Not entirely at ease, Xiong Zixiang told Zhang to wait downstairs while he climbed up as well.

The attic was low, so even the tall Xiong Zixiang had to stoop a bit.

He looked around the attic and found it to be a nice place. There was a small window on the wall facing the riverbank, from which he could see the river and the boats coming and going.

The attic was empty, but it was quite spacious, big enough to fit a small bed, and I reckon it could also hold a few small shelves, rice containers, and other similar items.

Xiong Zixiang tried stepping on the wooden plank under his feet, and it was quite sturdy.

But some of them creak when you step on them.

The staircase also seemed rather flimsy, with the handrail wobbling precariously.

“The place is alright.” Xiong Zixiang climbed down and said to Zhang Yili, “It’s just that this wooden frame needs to be reinforced. It’s fine for people to climb up, but if you put heavy things on it, it might not be stable.”

Seeing that he nodded, Zhang Liu felt more confident and quickly prepared to negotiate a lower price: "The location is good, close to the river, and we know the people there. It's just that the wood..."

However, the broker was an old hand at the trade and quickly said, "It's no problem. We can find a good carpenter here, spend some money on labor and materials, and reinforce it. This shop is in a good location. If the owner hadn't been in a hurry to sell and the price wasn't right, it would have been snatched up long ago."

The couple were quite satisfied with the place, but didn't make a decision right away.

Xiong Zixiang took out a few copper coins from his pocket and stuffed them into the broker's hand: "Brother, this place seems alright to us, but we have an older brother who is a carpenter at home, and we'd like to ask him to come and take a look as well. Could you please hold this shop for us for a couple of days?"

The broker weighed the money in his hand, a smile plastered on his face: "No problem, no problem! Officer Xiong, don't worry, I'll definitely reserve this shop for you and won't sell it to anyone else. But it's a sought-after location, so please hurry. Three days should be enough, right?"

"That's enough!" Xiong Zixiang nodded.

The next morning, Zhang Liuji arrived after hearing the news.

He specifically asked Erhu for leave and went directly to the shop with Xiong Zixiang and Zhang Yili.

The broker came over again to open the door for them. Zhang Liuji went inside and looked around, then climbed the creaking stairs and carefully looked around in the attic for a while.

He tapped here and stepped there, his brows slightly furrowed.

After going downstairs, Zhang Liuji secretly whispered to Xiong Zixiang, "The location is good; I don't think there's any other place like it. I've inspected the building; the beams and pillars are made of good quality wood, and it should provide shelter from the wind and rain for another ten or twenty years without any problem. It's just that the wooden frame has rotted in some places over time. The stairs aren't stable either. It's fine for putting light things in now, but if you put in rice or beans, or pile up heavy goods in the future, I'm afraid it won't be able to support it."

"Also, I see that the first floor is quite tall. I'll build a split floor for it, so it can be a small three-story building without spending much on materials."

Upon hearing this, Xiong Zixiang hurriedly asked, "Can it be made sturdy?"

"Yes," Zhang Liuji nodded, his tone certain.

"It's just a matter of replacing a few edge beams, reinforcing the stairs, adding two diagonal braces, and replacing a few floorboards. It's not a big job, just a bit time-consuming. I can finish it in seven or eight days."

"Well... Brother Liu Ji, do you think this shop is worth buying?" Zhang Yili asked in a low voice.

Zhang Liuji looked at the shop, then at the flowing river in the distance, and finally nodded: "Let's settle on this. This location is hard to find if we miss it. Leave the timber to me."

When Xiong Zixiang and Zhang Yili heard that Brother Liu had nodded, they felt relieved.

Next comes the most crucial step: negotiating the price.

The broker's face immediately lit up with a smile, rubbing his hands together: "Master Zhang is an expert, and Officer Xiong is a shrewd man. This shop's location is excellent, as you all can see—riverside, with a loft. Although the wooden frame needs some fixing, that's a minor issue! The owner's bottom line is…"

He paused deliberately, then held up a fist and added two more fingers: "Sixty taels of silver, that's a really good price!"

"Sixty taels?" Zhang Yiwu gasped in surprise. This was much more expensive than the market price they had inquired about before!

Xiong Zixiang's brows furrowed.

"Brother, your price... isn't quite fair. We've inquired around, and similar shops in this area are around fifty taels."

The broker immediately protested, "My dear Constable Xiong, you can't just look at the price! Look at this location, how close it is to the dock! And look at this attic, how practical it is! Fifty taels is the price without the attic. Besides, the master urgently needs the money, and I've tried my best to lower the price for you!"

He looked heartbroken, as if he had suffered a great loss.

Zhang Liuji, who hadn't said much until now, spoke up: "The attic is nice, but the wood is rotten and the stairs are unstable. These are serious problems. Replacing the beams, reinforcing, and replacing the boards will cost a lot in terms of labor and materials. In the end, the actual cost of this shop is more than sixty taels. Can you give me a discount?"

The dentist's smile froze for a moment: "Master Zhang, you can't say that... well, wood can always be repaired and used..."

"Replacing rotten wood with new beams is not something that can be fixed by simply making repairs."

Zhang Liuji interrupted him, pointing to the stairs: "These stairs are so wobbly, even a person can barely walk on them. If someone tries to move something heavy and it collapses and injures someone, who will be responsible? The owner didn't mention this hazard, and neither did the broker. Shouldn't this risk be factored into the price?"

Zhang Liuyi immediately chimed in, "That's right, Brother Liu is right. This wooden frame looks precarious, and it will be expensive and laborious to repair. What if something goes wrong later? Who will we turn to? This price is indeed too high. I think... fifty-five taels is the most we can ask for."

"Fifty-five taels?" The broker almost jumped up, waving his hands repeatedly: "No, no! The master will curse me to death at this price. Officer Xiong, please add another fifty-eight taels! I'll risk my reputation to haggle with the master for fifty-eight taels!"

Having observed people and things for many years, Xiong Zixiang understood the situation from the broker's expression and joined the fray.

"Fifty-eight taels is too high. Look at this ground, it's full of potholes, we have to level it ourselves. The doors and windows are old too, they all need to be replaced. Fifty-five taels is not too little."

The broker looked distressed, as if his flesh had been ripped out: "Captain Xiong, Madam Xiong, Master Zhang... please have mercy! How about fifty-eight taels? I really can't go any lower! I have to earn some money for running errands, you see, this number is auspicious too."

Xiong Zixiang and Zhang Liuyi exchanged a glance, then looked at Zhang Liuji.

Zhang Liuji didn't speak, but only shook his head slightly.

Xiong Zixiang understood immediately and said to the broker.

“Brother, we’re all acquaintances, and we’ll be dealing with each other a lot in the future. How about this: fifty-six taels, let’s take the middle ground. You can give us a one-tael discount, just to be a friend and save face for our family. In the future, if there’s any carpentry work at the county office or in the shops, come to me first, Brother Liu Ji. I’ll definitely help out whenever I can! What do you say?”

The man with the clerk's eyes darted around as he quickly made a mental calculation.

The shop owner was in a hurry to sell, and the bottom price was actually less than fifty-five taels. He could still make a profit if the price was fifty-six taels.

Constable Xiong works in the county government office, and Zhang Liuji is a skilled carpenter. They might need his help sometime in the future, so it's worthwhile to do him a favor now.

His face immediately broke into a smile again, and he slapped his thigh as if he had made a great decision: "Alright! Since you've said so, Officer Xiong, I have to give you face! It'll be fifty-six taels, consider it a token of friendship between Officer Xiong and Master Zhang! If anything happens in the future, you'll have to take good care of me!"

"No problem, no problem!" Zhang Liuji laughed. "Shall we go to the brokerage firm to sign the contract now?"

"Let's go!" The broker, having completed the transaction, tucked the keys away and led the three men briskly toward the brokerage.