Walking along the street, I saw many workers laying asphalt, the roar of road rollers echoing everywhere. Several shops along the roadside had already begun renovations, with carpenters sawing planks. The smell of paint mixed with the odor of asphalt filled the air, yet it exuded a vibrant energy.
“Look,” Old Yang pointed to a shop facing the street, “this one is pretty good. It’s half the size of the shops in the county town, and there’s a small step at the entrance for customers to get up and down easily. Most importantly, it’s next to a residential area, and there’s a small courtyard in the back that can be used to store goods or for people to live in.”
Shen Tingzhou and Lin Wanqiu walked to the shop entrance and pushed open the slightly ajar wooden door. The shop was spacious inside, with a cement floor and snow-white walls. It was well-lit, with sunlight streaming in through the large windows, illuminating the entire space. Lin Wanqiu walked to the window, looking at the passersby outside, as if she could already see the bustling scene of customers filling the shop after its opening.
"How much is the rent?" Shen Tingzhou asked Lao Yang, his tone filled with anticipation.
"Because it's a newly opened commercial street, the rent is 20% off for the first three months, which is 15 yuan per month. After that, it will return to the original price of 20 yuan," Lao Yang explained. "Moreover, if you sign a contract now, you can get half a month's rent waived for the renovation period. It's a preferential policy from our supply and marketing cooperative."
Lin Wanqiu did the math in her head; the rent was much lower than she had expected, and the location and size of the shop were perfect—it was practically a steal. She looked at Shen Tingzhou, her eyes full of approval.
Shen Tingzhou understood and immediately said to Lao Yang, "Then I'll trouble Lao Yang to keep an eye out for us. We'll go back and discuss it with our families and give you an answer as soon as possible."
Old Yang smiled and nodded: "No problem. If you decide, just come to me anytime. I'll help you with the process and make sure it goes smoothly."
After leaving the commercial street, Lao Yang led them to a nearby residential area. Most of the houses here were two-story buildings with small but tidy courtyards. Shen Nian'an chased a tabby cat in the yard, his laughter ringing out. Seeing her son's happy expression, Lin Wanqiu's last bit of worry disappeared.
"How is it?" Shen Tingzhou walked to Lin Wanqiu's side and asked softly, "Are you satisfied with this shop and courtyard?"
"Satisfied, extremely satisfied!" Lin Wanqiu nodded vigorously, her eyes shining. "When we get back, we'll tell Brother Zhou and Sister Liu to arrange the shop in the county town and the workshop in the village as soon as possible, and try to come to the city for renovations next month, so we can open for business when the commercial street is completed."
Shen Tingzhou held her hand, his heart filled with relief. He knew that Lin Wanqiu was doing this not only for business, but also for her family and for a better life for her children. He secretly vowed to help her run the shop in the city center successfully and make her dream come true.
By the time they returned to the county town, it was already dark. Zhou Ming was tidying up the shelves in the shop when he saw them come back. He quickly came up to them and said, "Brother Shen, Sister Lin, business was exceptionally good today. We sold out of peanut candy and sesame brittle. I've already told the workshop to send over more tomorrow."
"Thank you for your hard work, Zhou Ming," Lin Wanqiu said with a smile. "Perfect timing, we have something to discuss with you and Brother Zhou."
That evening, Brother Zhou and Sister Liu came to the shop, and Shen Tingzhou explained his idea and details about opening a branch in the city. After listening, Brother Zhou immediately slapped his thigh and said, "Great! Opening a shop in the city is a wonderful thing! Our workshop is becoming more and more successful, and we need a larger market. I wholeheartedly support it!"
Sister Liu smiled and said, "Yes, Wanqiu is so capable, and Brother Shen has connections. They'll definitely be able to run a better shop in the city than in the county. Don't worry about the workshops in the village. I'll bring a few more reliable sisters to ensure there's no problem with the supply of goods."
"As for the shop in the county town," Zhou Ming said, "Brother Shen, Sister Lin, you can go to the city with peace of mind. Leave this to me. I promise to take good care of the shop, keep clear accounts every day, and never delay anything."
Seeing everyone's support, Lin Wanqiu was deeply moved. From struggling to survive alone with Nian'an to now having so many like-minded people fighting alongside her, she knew she was no longer fighting alone.
Over the next few days, the couple began preparations in earnest. Shen Tingzhou went to the city to sign a shop lease agreement with Lao Yang and contacted a decorator to finalize the renovation plan; Lin Wanqiu, on the other hand, selected products suitable for sale in the city from the shop in the county town. In addition to the existing baby food and snacks, she also specially developed several new categories—such as scallion pancakes suitable for office workers and soft cakes suitable for the elderly, all of which she improved based on modern recipes and the ingredients available in this era.
Shen Nian'an wasn't idle either. Every day after school, he would help organize the goods and diligently learn bookkeeping from Zhou Ming using a small notebook. Sometimes, when Lin Wanqiu was busy developing new snacks, he would take the initiative to change his sister's diapers and feed her formula, his little face full of seriousness, like a little adult.
When Grandma Shen heard that they were going to open a shop in the city, she volunteered to help. She arrived early every day to clean the shop and even washed and cleaned her old bedding to take with her to the city. Zhang Lan helped Lin Wanqiu pack the goods; although she still occasionally slacked off, she was much more diligent than before. Lin Wanqiu saw this and gradually let go of her resentment towards them—after all, they were family, and as long as they genuinely changed, she was willing to give them a chance.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the renovation workers officially began working at the shop in the city center. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou made a special trip to see them, watching the workers start painting the walls and building the counters, their hearts filled with anticipation. Shen Tingzhou stood in the center of the shop, pointing to the wall and saying, "We can put up a display shelf here to display our baby food samples so customers can see them at a glance. Over there by the window, we can put two tables and chairs so customers can rest."
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