Fan Sheng presented the two cups of milk tea to Luo Suyue as if they were treasures: "Wife, please try this milk tea, it's especially delicious."
Luo Suyue curiously took the two strange cups from Fan Sheng's hands: "Milk tea? Is it made of milk and tea?"
"That's right, it's made with milk and tea, and it also contains toppings like tapioca pearls, taro balls, and red beans, which makes the milk tea even more flavorful."
Luo Suyue took a tentative sip, and the rich milky aroma instantly brightened her eyes: "This thing called milk tea is indeed much better than milk. Fresh milk has a milky smell."
Fan Sheng smiled faintly and said, "My wife, I'm planning to open a beverage shop with Miss Xia. She will provide the raw materials and teach us how to run it. We will provide the shop and labor, and the profits will be split 50/50. What do you think?"
Without even thinking, Luo Suyue nodded in agreement: "I think it's a good idea. This milk tea is so delicious, I'm sure a lot of people will want to buy it."
This milk tea is from another world. If their family opened a drink shop like this in the county, they wouldn't find any competitors in the entire Ping'an County.
Furthermore, Xia Qingqing provides the raw materials for making milk tea, so even if others wanted to imitate them, they wouldn't have the means.
Of course, no matter how unique or novel this business is, it is still a small business. A cup of milk tea can only sell for ten or so copper coins at most. Those powerful and influential families wouldn't even look at it, and it wouldn't cause them any trouble. That's the most important thing.
“Okay, then let’s go to the county town to look at shops together tomorrow,” Fan Sheng decided.
Luo Suyue only took a few sips of milk tea before stopping, and took the rest to her daughter's room to share with her.
It was the first time Fan Xiaomei had ever tasted such a delicious drink, and she couldn't stop drinking it, her cheeks puffing up like little buns.
Luo Suyue lovingly tucked a stray hair behind her daughter's ear: "Yaoyao, is this milk tea delicious?"
"It's delicious, Yaoyao likes it," Fan Xiaomei said, her words slightly slurred.
Suddenly remembering something, she swallowed the milk tea in her mouth and asked, "Mommy, did Brother drink this milk tea? Leave some for him."
Fan Siyuan used to spend most of his time playing with his younger sister, so even though he's been away from home lately, Fan Xiaomei still misses her brother.
Seeing how sensible her daughter was, Luo Suyue smiled and said, "Yaoyao, don't worry, your brother will be able to drink it next time."
Hearing this, Fan Xiaomei drank most of her milk tea with relief, and only after letting out a burp did she hand the rest to Luo Suyue: "Mother, Yaoyao is full."
"Okay, then Mommy will drink the rest. Next time, Mommy can make you milk tea by herself," Luo Suyue gently pinched her daughter's little cheek.
The next day, Fan Sheng took his wife and daughter to the county.
Although it's not very convenient to take a small child to look at shops, buying a shop is an extremely important matter for the Fan family, and Fan Sheng wants his wife to be involved as well.
The three went directly to the brokerage firm. The broker, surnamed Zhao, greeted them and immediately beamed with joy when he heard Fan Sheng say he wanted to buy a shop on Zhenghe Street.
"You've come at the perfect time. I happen to have a few shops on Zhenghe Street. What kind of shop would you like to buy, Brother Fan?"
Fan Sheng had his reasons for wanting to buy a shop on Zhenghe Street. The street wasn't far from Jingwu Academy, making it convenient for Fan Siyuan to go home or for them to visit him.
Fan Sheng smiled and said to Zhao Yaren, "It would be best if the shop had a small courtyard, but it's okay if it doesn't."
Zhao Yaren thought for a moment and said, "There are two shops that happen to have small courtyards in the back, but the prices are..."
He paused here, saying that shops with courtyards are more expensive than ordinary shops, but he didn't know if Fan Sheng could afford them, since Fan Sheng's family didn't seem to be very wealthy.
Although Zhao Yaren wouldn't show his snobbish side in front of the guests, he didn't want to do anything futile.
It's not good for either of you to go through all the trouble of showing the other person around shops, only to find out they can't afford it. It's better to make things clear from the beginning.
"Don't worry about the money, Zhao Yaren. Just take us to see it first," Fan Sheng said with great confidence, which made Zhao Yaren look at him with new respect.
Zhao Yaren wasn't afraid that Fan Sheng was deliberately playing him for a fool. He still had some connections in Ping'an County, and if Fan Sheng dared to mess with him, he wouldn't be someone to be trifled with.
"Then let's go and take a look at both shops first, so you can make a comparison," Zhao Yaren said, having the keys to the two shops in his hand. He then led Fan Sheng and the other two towards Zhenghe Street.
The first shop used to be a restaurant, a spacious two-story building with a small courtyard in the back. Things were piled up in a mess. Zhao Yaren explained that it used to be the accommodation for the waiters who worked odd jobs in the restaurant. If Fan Sheng and his companions wanted to stay there, they would probably have to tidy it up.
Zhao Yaren led Fan Sheng on a careful tour of the shop before asking with a smile, "Brother Fan, what do you think of this shop? This restaurant used to be quite successful, but unfortunately the owner had a spendthrift son who got addicted to gambling..."
He shook his head as he spoke, saying that gambling is a very harmful thing.
"Brother Zhao, please wait a moment while my wife and I discuss this," Fan Sheng said, pulling Luo Suyue aside.
After discussing it, the two felt that the shop was too big. They were just opening a dessert shop and didn't need such a large space.
When Fan Sheng returned, he told Zhao Yaren his thoughts. Zhao Yaren wasn't angry: "Buying a shop is a big deal and needs to be carefully considered. Shall we go and take a look at the second one?"
"Alright, thank you for your hard work, Brother Zhao," Fan Sheng said, bowing to Zhao Yaren.
The second shop is only one story. The front shop is not very big, but there is a large courtyard in the back. There are three rooms in total, which are neatly arranged, showing that the owner usually takes good care of them.
Fan Sheng and Luo Suyue exchanged a glance, both seeing satisfaction in each other's eyes.
"Brother Zhao, how much does this shop cost?"
Zhao Yaren was a shrewd man, and he immediately saw that the couple had their eye on the shop: "Brother Fan, I can see that you are sincere in wanting to buy it, so I won't beat around the bush with you. The minimum price for this shop is three hundred taels."
Fan Sheng had heard people talk about the prices of shops in the county town before. Smaller shops cost two or three hundred taels, while larger ones cost five or six hundred taels, and some even cost over a thousand taels, depending on the size and location.
The shop is in a very busy area, but it's not very big. He felt he could negotiate the price down a bit more.
Fan Sheng was filled with thoughts, but he remained outwardly calm: "Brother Zhao, you said it yourself, we sincerely want to buy it. If you are more honest about the price, we can buy it today."
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