"No, this is too low. I paid a hundred taels when I bought it!"
The boss was really anxious and seemed ready to physically kick people out.
The old lady wasn't angry. She persuaded him to sit down and then said calmly, "Brother, I believe you did spend one hundred taels when you bought it, but you were cheated. The price is too high."
“I’ve inquired about it. The rent for this shop is twenty taels a year, so it would be sixty taels in three years. You’ve been open for three months and business has been terrible. You could say the shop’s reputation is even worse. Giving you fifty taels is already very reasonable.”
The boss looked displeased and remained silent, pursing his lips.
He was indeed scammed at the time, and he thought that if he returned the money to the Li family at the original price, he wouldn't have to bear the loss.
He hadn't expected the old lady to be so hard to fool, and he was unwilling to give up.
Seeing that his expression had softened, the old lady said again, "Brother, we don't necessarily have to buy this shop. Let's just chat casually. I also have to advise you to sell the shop as soon as possible."
"Your business isn't doing well. Not to mention the monthly rent you're losing, it's a waste of your life to be tied up here. Otherwise, you could find an easier job, one that doesn't cost you any money, and you could even earn extra wages."
The shopkeeper, after hearing the old woman's honest words, finally sighed, "Auntie, I understand what you're saying. I came here to send the children of my clan to school, and I thought this place was nice, so I planned to settle down and make some money. I never expected it to turn out like this. Now I'm going back in disgrace and even have to lose money. It's really hard for me to accept this."
The old lady advised, "You're still young. Once you have experience, go back and take a good look around. Finding another business won't be difficult."
After saying that, she glanced at the shop and added.
“Brother, you can probably tell that we’re not well-off either. Fifty taels for rent is a fair price, and I can’t raise it any higher. But if you don’t want to take your tables, chairs, pots, and pans with you, we can leave them here and help you with your travel expenses. How does that sound?”
Sure enough, the boss's expression improved, and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
"Alright, I'll take you to the backyard to take a look. If there are no problems, we can write the contract."
The Li family members were all delighted and stood up to follow the boss to the back.
Jiayin, clinging to her third aunt's back, walked at the back, carefully observing the small courtyard.
Just like the owner said, this courtyard is indeed quite nice.
The shop in front consists of two rooms, with eight square tables besides the counter, and four benches for each table.
Behind it, a small section of the space was partitioned off with wooden boards. Passing through a small door covered by a blue floral cloth, you would find the kitchen, where two stoves were built.
On the wooden shelf next to the stove, there were some pots and pans piled up, all covered in dust.
After passing through the partitioned room, you'll find the main gate leading to the backyard.
In the back courtyard, there are two main rooms, and next to the main rooms is a gate leading to a small alley.
There are three side rooms on the left and a courtyard wall on the right. Bamboo poles for drying clothes are placed under the wall. In the corner of the front yard, there is a well covered with bluestone slabs.
The owner had placed some miscellaneous items in the west wing. The two main rooms were very spacious, each large enough to be divided into an inner and outer section, accommodating three or four people.
The Li family was increasingly satisfied with the place; it was enough for a family to run a small business, and Jiaren could also come here occasionally to stay.
The boss, having made his decision, didn't hold it against them. He pointed to the miscellaneous items in the west wing, the tables and chairs in the main room, and the pots and pans in the kitchen, and said...
“Auntie, these things would cost seven or eight taels of silver if we were to buy them. I won’t take more than five taels of silver, and you can keep them all.”
"Sure, when do you want to move, brother? We have a mule cart, we'll give you a hand."
Grandma Li readily agreed, and started planning when to come and clean and when to open for business.
After all, once the contract was signed, the shop belonged to them, and they had to pay rent every day.
The boss was quick on the uptake: "Let's sign the contract right now. I'll take the money and leave. I'll get to Xindu tonight and find a caravan to go home with."
Soon, he personally asked his neighbors to act as witnesses, and also asked a scholar who wrote letters on the street to write the contract.
The term of the lease, the rent, and the five taels of silver for the exchanged item were all clearly written down. The shopkeeper wrote his name and pressed his fingerprint on the document.
On the Li family's side, Old Mrs. Li had Li Laosan sign his name and put his fingerprint on the document.
After all, they will be the ones running the business from now on, and they will be the ones to step in if anything happens.
Finally, in front of everyone, Old Lady Li paid the money and received the original contract signed by the boss and the owner.
In this way, even if the boss gets jealous of the business and comes to cause trouble, we won't be afraid.
Just to be on the safe side, the old lady still asked the shop owner for his hometown address. It wasn't far, just a small town on the outskirts of a county, about 200 miles southwest of Xindu.
The boss was eager to return home, so after going back, he packed a package and left without even taking his bedding.
Li Laosan chatted and thanked his neighbors, promising to treat them to drinks when he opened his business.
Whether the neighbors were worried or gloating, they all politely agreed and then took their leave.
The family of five all had smiles on their faces.
"From now on, this will be our family's shop!"
"Yes, the kitchen is a bit small, and it's hard to turn around. Should we make some changes?"
"A simple modification is easy. We can manage it for the summer, but we'll probably need to make major changes in the winter."
Jiayin refused to stay on her aunt's back and ran around everywhere, prompting the old lady to shout, "Don't go to the well!"
"Okay, Grandma." Jiayin answered obediently, but took advantage of the family's inattention and slipped into the side room.
Then, they took out a lot of things from the space.
One hundred cabbages, over one hundred carrots, half a basket of chicken and duck eggs, and a dozen or so rabbits that were overrun were also quickly killed.
The various kinds of mung beans, red beans, soybeans, and millet that I stored up last year, weighed over ten kilograms each.
They also picked a lot of green vegetables such as green beans, cowpeas, eggplants, pumpkins, and cucumbers, filling the several empty baskets in the house.
She even rearranged the several sauce jars she had collected in her spatial dimension back in Qingshui Village, filling them to the brim, and placed them in a corner.
After finishing all that, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
These things are all produced in the small courtyard. I occasionally fill the kitchen at home with some, but there are still too many left over.
Today provided a good opportunity to clear out some inventory and save the family some money.
Zhao Yuru was drawing water from the well when she saw her little niece come out of the side room carrying a cucumber, eating it as she walked. She was very surprised and asked her what was wrong.
"Fu Niu'er, where did you get the cucumber?"
Jiayin smiled and pointed to the house behind her, "Auntie, there are many inside."
"Oh dear, did the restaurant owner leave some vegetables behind?"
Zhao Yuru was very puzzled. She threw down the bucket and went into the side room. Then she ran out in a panic, shouting, "Mother, Third Brother, come and see! There are so many things in the room!"
Grandma Li walked over with a rag in her hand, glanced at her granddaughter, and then stepped inside.
The room was practically half-filled with green vegetables, cabbages, radishes, and even jars of soy sauce...
Zhao Yuru was overjoyed. "I thought I would have to go home to get them, but this saves me the trouble. That shopkeeper was such a kind person; he didn't charge me for these things."
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