Chapter 58 Making a Decision
"Why are you looking so gloomy today?" Wu Zhongguo arrives early every day, sweeps the floor, and picks up a thermos to make tea.
Chen Zhenzhu slumped over her desk and said sadly, "The landlord of my shop wants to sell the storefront."
"Huh?! What?" Lu Ye came in from outside and walked to Chen Zhenzhu's table, saying, "This is so inconsiderate! What will happen to Sixth Sister's restaurant if he sells the storefront?"
Shen Zhenzhu said dejectedly, "So many people are eyeing my mother's shop. Whether it's the news media or the word of mouth among diners, everyone is talking about this address. I heard that the landlord is selling the shop and a lot of people have made appointments to see it."
“This won’t do. It would be like we’ve worked so hard to benefit someone else.” Wu Zhongguo stopped making tea and came to Chen Zhenzhu’s side, suggesting, “Why don’t you talk to the landlord again?”
"We talked to him, but he insisted on selling the storefront to cash out and make big money in the stock market." Shen Zhenzhu tried to persuade him last night, but the landlord and his wife got angry and said that she was delaying their fortune because of her.
"I never thought that all these years of friendship couldn't withstand the power of stocks." Lu Ye remembered Shen Zhenzhu's warning against buying stocks lightly, and shook his head, saying, "That's just speculation."
"There's no such thing as a free lunch." Gu Yanzheng came in from outside and placed his fully charged old mobile phone on Shen Zhenzhu's desk: "Bring it with you if you have a case."
Shen Zhenzhu looked up, and Gu Yanzheng immediately noticed the blisters that had appeared on the corners of her lips overnight. He paused for a moment and said, "Are there many people who want to buy the storefront?"
Shen Zhenzhu slumped back down, barely alive: "I still have to go see someone after get off work. Luckily, luckily I signed the contract!"
Lu Ye said, "What good is signing a contract? If someone wants to interfere with your business, they have plenty of ways to do it. We can't just arrest someone with a gun and handcuffs on their hands."
One sentence made Chen Zhenzhu feel depressed again.
"Is Section Chief Shen here?" Liu Hongmei's voice came from the doorway, followed by Ma Xiaobao calling out, "Sister Pearl!!"
When Shen Zhenzhu saw them coming, she perked up and stood up to greet them: "What brings you here? Please sit on the sofa."
Liu Hongmei said with a belly full of resentment, "If you hadn't solved the case, I wouldn't have known that our housekeeper was colluding with the murderer! Who knows if she would have gone crazy one day and poisoned my daughter and me. In the end, I still have to thank you."
Ma Xiaobao pressed his chubby little face against Shen Zhenzhu's arm: "Sister Zhenzhu, thank you."
Chen Zhenzhu found his chubby face adorable and patted his round head, which slightly eased the pent-up emotions in her heart.
"You're welcome, it's what I should do."
"I brought lots of fruit and flowers." Liu Hongmei waved to the door, where a newly hired auntie placed a fruit basket and flowers on the coffee table.
Liu Hongmei was afraid that she wouldn't accept it, so she smiled and said, "It's not a red envelope, it's just some fruit, it shouldn't violate your internal rules, right? Otherwise, just say I threw it away and you picked it up."
The words may not have been pleasant to hear, but the intention was good.
Shen Zhenzhu turned to look at Gu Yanzheng, who nodded. Shen Zhenzhu then turned to Liu Hongmei and said, "Thank you. I'll accept it and eat with everyone. After all, I didn't solve the case by myself."
Liu Hongmei had no objection. She pulled Ma Xiaobao aside and chatted with Chen Zhenzhu for a long time before finally revealing her purpose: "I've heard of a DNA technology that I'd like to try."
Shen Zhenzhu wasn't surprised: "Have you decided to go to Hong Kong?"
Liu Hongmei said, "Alas, I'm uneducated and brainless, and this face of mine will be ruined in a few years. Now I have a chance to try and make the most of it."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "The technology does exist. According to regulations, I can help you apply, but we need to communicate with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and the Hong Kong side. They will help send it to the UK for testing."
Liu Hongmei immediately perked up, took Chen Zhenzhu's hand and said, "I met Mrs. Xu a few days ago, and her lawyer is very capable. I'm afraid I can't argue with them."
"So what are you thinking now?" Shen Zhenzhu asked.
Liu Hongmei said, "He left a letter saying he wanted to leave all his property to Ma Xiaobao, the only male heir of the Ma family. But I thought, why should women make things difficult for each other? I won't go to extremes; I only need a portion. I know that even if I had it all, I wouldn't be able to protect it. I'm afraid that if I go to Hong Kong, everyone will bully me because I'm from the mainland. Even if I hire a lawyer, I'll be bribed, and in the end, I'll become a laughing stock that everyone hates."
Gu Yanzheng stopped behind Chen Zhenzhu, placing his hand on the back of the sofa: "If what you said is true, then I recommend a well-established law firm in Shanghai. They handle international cases and are very capable and reliable. You won't have to worry about them being bribed in Hong Kong. However, they are expensive. I don't know if you're willing to pay?"
Liu Hongmei said, “You are all highly capable criminal police officers. You can tell at a glance that I am not lying. Before I got together with Ma Xiangxiang, I did not know that Ma Xiangxiang had a wife and daughter. He said that he was divorced and that he would settle in the mainland in the future, so I had children for him. I was only eighteen years old at the time, so of course I believed him. They are innocent, but I was also deceived by the man surnamed Ma.”
Shen Zhenzhu carefully observed her micro-expressions and indeed, she didn't seem to be lying.
Gu Yanzheng bent down and wrote a phone number on the coffee table: "Tell Attorney Xie that you were introduced by Gu Yanzheng from Liancheng, and he will help you."
Liu Hongmei happily accepted the phone call and carefully put the phone into her wallet, as if she had found a pillar of support: "When I return to my hometown in glory, I will definitely thank you properly."
Seeing her like this, Chen Zhenzhu couldn't help but laugh: "Just remember not to be greedy, there's no need to thank us anymore."
"That won't do." Liu Hongmei took Ma Xiaobao's hand and stood up: "Xiaobao, remember your uncle and aunt's faces, and remember to repay their kindness when you grow up."
"Thank you, Uncle... Sister!" Ma Xiaobao wanted to pull Chen Zhenzhu's hand to touch it, but he didn't dare to reach out because there was a tall uncle in front of him.
After they left, Shen Zhenzhu sighed, "Liu Hongmei is neither particularly clever nor particularly stupid."
Gu Yanzheng summarized: "She only knew her own identity and position."
The two were still talking at the door when Liu Hongmei, who had already left, suddenly ran back. Shen Zhenzhu was about to ask her if there was anything else when she saw Liu Hongmei looking at Gu Yanzheng with a grin and saying, "Captain Gu, would you consider a single, wealthy woman? The young, beautiful kind who can dance in black stockings and is very generous to you."
Gu Yanzheng chuckled and said, "Thank you, but I won't consider it."
Shen Zhenzhu lowered her head and smiled, but Gu Yanzheng patted her head and said, "I can help with your family's affairs. The gold mine has no shortage of money."
Shen Zhenzhu raised her head, her eyes crinkling as she said, "Let's think of a solution ourselves first. Our powerful backer is so influential, they won't be willing to make a move until the very last minute."
"Okay, you decide for yourself."
After that brief interlude, no cases came in until the end of the workday.
Wu Zhongguo looked at the newspaper and clicked his tongue, saying, "Three serious criminals have escaped from the Ezhou Labor Reform Farm. Now everyone in Qianhu Province is going to be on edge."
Shen Zhenzhu rarely left work on time. Instead of going to the motorcycle driving school, she called her landlord as soon as she got home.
"It's me, Pearl." Chen Zhenzhu said, holding the microphone, "Auntie, I want to discuss something with you—"
Beep beep beep—
The landlady didn't say a word, and hung up the phone as soon as she heard Chen Zhenzhu's voice.
Chen Zhenzhu stared at the ceiling with wide eyes for a long while, clearly angry.
The store was as busy as usual. The promotional leaflets for the new dish "Braised Shrimp in Oil" had been printed but remained on the counter without being handed out.
Everyone was worried and concerned about the future of Sister Six's restaurant.
"Is this the Sixth Sister's Steamed Bun Shop at No. 025, Tiesi New Second Village?" A middle-aged man wearing sunglasses and dressed in white stood at the door, looking around.
Beside him was a representative hired by the landlord, who was pointing at the huge signboard of Six Sisters Restaurant: "If you ask me, if you buy the storefront, you can change the signboard to a bigger one, so that people who come from afar can see Six Sisters Restaurant from the other side of the street."
Shen Yuyuan threw the rag on the counter: "You really want to get something for nothing?"
Shen Zhenzhu stared at the two people, feeling an urge to punch them.
The middle-aged man in white walked into the restaurant, glanced at the diners queuing up, and then peered at the dishes they were eating: "The portions are too large. You can ask the chef to reduce the amount next time."
"Does he think he owns this place?" Shen Yuyuan had spent the whole night studying real estate law and was now ready to sound the battle cry: "We signed a contract and have the right to use the property. Even if he bought the storefront, he has no right to interfere like this during the contract period."
Shen Zhenzhu pressed her hand down and silently watched Shen Liuhe stir-frying vegetables in the kitchen, her movements less enjoyable as she tossed the large ladle around.
"Are you the staff of this store?" The middle-aged man in white pushed his sunglasses up to his head and said arrogantly, "Go and pour me a cup of milk tea. I heard your milk tea is good, and I have to try it to see what's different about it."
Wu Fuwang came out carrying a lunchbox, glared at him, and said, "No milk tea, do you want some horse piss instead?"
The middle-aged man in white slammed his hand on the table: "What do you mean? How can you talk like that?"
Uncle Pang slammed his hand on the table next to him, and the old neighbors who were eating all stood up and accused him: "You still want to take over Sixth Sister's business here? You think too highly of yourself. If we neighbors don't support your business, I bet you'll lose everything!"
"We've been neighbors for decades. She has a great reputation and strong capabilities. No matter where Sister Liu opens her shop, we'll always go!"
"Several milk tea shops that opened before have all gone out of business. Who do you think you are? You think you can learn to make milk tea just by taking a sip? You wouldn't even be able to tell if horse piss was leftover from the previous day!"
"Ha ha ha ha--"
"Hahaha......"
Whether they were longtime neighbors or diners, everyone mocked this arrogant middle-aged man.
The client who accompanied them was also a local resident. He put his hands together and bowed to everyone, saying, "I'm sorry, everyone. Please give us some face. We'll just take a look here for a few moments and then leave."
"Get out!!" Sixth Sister's booming voice came from the kitchen doorway. She put one hand on her hip and held a large iron pot in the other, pointing at the client and saying, "I even gave you big meat buns when you were starving, and it's like throwing meat buns to a dog. I raised such an ungrateful wretch like you!"
"Who dares to cause trouble!" Uncle Lu's voice came from the shop entrance, followed by Yuan Jiangxue, Brother Leng, Grandpa Zhang, and others.
Uncle Lu said, "You, surnamed Cai, are a complete scoundrel! Calling you an ingrate is an insult to wolves! You're just an ungrateful dog!"
"Where are you going to kick Sixth Sister's family for a few stinking bucks?!" Yuan Jiangxue said fiercely, holding a broom horizontally. "Just wait until I give you a beating and then I'll go to your house and slap your mother a few times!"
The client couldn't afford to offend these neighbors, so he quickly ran to the door and said to the middle-aged man in white, "Uncle, you've seen enough. You should have a better understanding of whether you want to stay or not. Let's go."
The middle-aged man in white said, "I originally wanted it, but seeing so many wicked neighbors committing evil deeds here, I wouldn't want it even if it were given to me for free!"
Uncle Lu sneered, "What nonsense! If you dare, we'll make sure you can't stay here!"
"You're the one talking big. There are more than ten people waiting to maintain the facade. Do you think you can make it impossible for them to even stand?"
The middle-aged man in white glared at Shen Liuhe and said, "Let me tell you the truth, this landlord is determined to sell the storefront. No matter how much you try to stop him, you can't change his mind. How much is your monthly rent? Even if you lose ten months' rent, it's only two or three thousand yuan, which isn't even enough for someone to buy one lot of stock! This is their storefront, not yours. Don't overestimate yourself!"
"It's my storefront!" Shen Liuhe shouted angrily, her face flushed. "I'm going to talk to the landlord today and I want to buy the storefront!"
After the middle-aged man in white left, Shen Liuhe sat by the counter, a large pot clattering between her legs.
"Sixth Sister, how about we don't make our dishes for now?" A customer kindly said, "You have something to do at home, we'll come back another time."
"Yes, your family's affairs are important. We'll just grab something to eat outside."
"Things will work themselves out. We're all old neighbors, and if you really want to buy a shop, we're all willing to help you."
Yuan Jiangxue walked over to Shen Liuhe and said, "I still have some savings here. Let's ask the landlord how much he needs. We can't possibly say that all of us pooling our money together can't afford it, can we?"
"Yes, we have some savings, so feel free to ask. We know your character, and we'd be perfectly comfortable lending you the money."
Brother Leng also said, "My business has been doing well lately, and I've saved up two thousand yuan. I'll withdraw it from the bank first thing tomorrow morning so you can use it first. If you consider me a friend, don't refuse."
Shen Zhenzhu squatted down in front of Shen Liuhe, held her hand and said, "Mom, go ask them. It's not good to keep dragging this out. When the contract expires, they can sell it if they want."
As a simple working-class person, Shen Liuhe can only boast about her cooking skills, and this is the first time she has made such outrageous remarks.
Although the reform and opening up brought about opening up, it also opened up the market economy. Many ordinary people were still living in cramped conditions with several family members sharing housing allocated by their work units. If they wanted a larger house, they either had to wait for their work units to reallocate housing or exchange houses with others. They didn't have the concept of buying a house, let alone buying two shops at once.
However, Shen Zhenzhu knew that buying a storefront at the current price was still worthwhile. In three or four years, when the market economy opened up and the southern border was demarcated, a new economic transformation would occur.
Especially decades later, with housing prices soaring, it's practically impossible to buy a storefront at an affordable price; you'd have to take out a loan for twenty or thirty years.
"Okay, I'll make a call and ask." Shen Liuhe dialed the landlord's number again, putting the phone on speakerphone. Everyone in the restaurant held their breath, wanting to hear what the other party had to say.
The landlord had already heard the middle-aged man in white's complaint and was thinking of calling to question Shen Liuhe, but when he heard that Shen Liuhe wanted to buy the storefront, his tone changed immediately: "You want to buy the storefront? Are you sure you want it?"
“I’ve thought it through. Renting a storefront long-term isn’t a good idea.” Shen Liuhe told the landlord her thoughts: “The restaurant has already made a name for itself. Someone else might not be able to run it well. It’s better for me to buy it and run it for a long time.”
"Sis, let me tell you the truth, you should save your money and buy stocks. My own brother bought stocks and turned 10,000 into 100,000." The landlady earnestly advised from the other end: "I'm really not lying to you."
“I understand, but money is my life. It’s what I earn, dish by dish. I don’t trust anyone else with my money.” Shen Liuhe spoke honestly: “My eldest daughter also told us not to buy stocks lightly—”
"What does a little girl like her know?" The landlady was annoyed and simply said, "I'm not going to rip you off. The two storefronts, one 65 square meters and the other 75 square meters, plus two backyards, are free. Others would ask for 48,000, but you can have 45,000. You're not allowed to bargain with me. And I haven't agreed to the offer of 50,000 yet."
"Forty-five thousand? I understand. Give me a day to give you an answer." After hanging up the phone with the landlord, Shen Liuhe exclaimed in astonishment, "Forty-five thousand!"
In an era when the average wage was only three to five hundred, a household with ten thousand yuan was already quite remarkable, and forty-five thousand was no small sum for Shen Liuhe.
The neighbors all offered to lend her money, but Chen Zhenzhu thanked them and said, "Let me first calculate the family savings with my mother and see how much we need before we talk about it."
Before leaving, Yuan Jiangxue repeatedly told her, "We're all here for you. Don't be discouraged. We'll definitely be able to raise the money. You can pay us back when you have the funds later."
After the shop's customers left, Chen Zhenzhu and her family locked the shop and planned to go home for a family meeting.
After Wu Fuwang and Xiao Li left, they and their brothers started circling around the area. If they saw anyone looking towards Sister Liu's restaurant, they didn't make a move. Instead, they squatted at the entrance of Sister Liu's restaurant, smoking and staring at the waves of prospective tenants.
Some people asked the female students on the roadside about the situation out of curiosity, and Li Lili and the others told them, "We don't sell here, it's just people talking nonsense."
Back home, Shen Zhenzhu went to the bedroom to take out her savings book, and Shen Yuyuan followed suit and took out her wallet and piggy bank as well.
Shen Liuhe was determined to buy a storefront, so she faced the situation with her head held high and took out all her savings.
"Here's the savings account for 5,300 yuan, and here's my recent salary and the TV station's subsidy, totaling 2,800 yuan in cash." Shen Zhenzhu wrote on the paper: "A total of 8,100 yuan."
Shen Yuyuan opened her mouth wide and said, "I never would have guessed, big sister, that you're actually a rich woman."
Shen Zhenzhu's ledger clearly recorded: "I didn't spend much of my salary, and I received two bonuses at the end of last year."
Shen Yuyuan unbuttoned the bottom of the plastic pink doll and took out neatly arranged coins from underneath. She carefully unfolded each coin and counted them twice in her hand: "I only have five hundred and thirty yuan. I should have saved all my New Year's money instead of buying a dress."
Shen Liuhe took out the three bankbooks and pointed to them, saying, "These two bankbooks are for your dowries. I deposited 12,000 yuan each, for a total of 24,000 yuan." She said apologetically, "I have to embezzle public funds."
"Mom, you actually saved so much for us!" Shen Zhenzhu knew that Shen Liuhe was good at saving money, but she didn't expect that the dowry she gave them alone was 24,000!
“Before, I only had two or three thousand, but last year our business improved, so we were able to save more.” Shen Liuhe took out her thick savings book again: “This is my retirement money, and right now... I only have five thousand yuan.”
Shen Zhenzhu and Shen Yuyuan exchanged a glance, their eyes instantly reddening.
"Mom, you haven't saved enough for yourself." Shen Zhenzhu lowered her eyes and held Shen Liuhe's hand, saying, "You should save more for yourself. We don't need your dowry; we can earn our own money. We don't want to get married in the future; we want to stay by your side forever."
Shen Liuhe said nonchalantly, "Five thousand is not a small amount. I can still work and save money. In the future, I will only earn more than you, not less."
"It's 37,630 yuan in total," Shen Yuyuan quickly calculated.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Your university acceptance letter should be coming soon, right? You need to prepare your tuition and living expenses."
Shen Yuyuan said, "There's still time, so we don't need to use it yet. The shop is still making money, so we're not worried about tuition fees."
Shen Zhenzhu thought for a moment and said, "No, you still have to stay. Going to university is a chance to change your life, and you can't waver in your decision."
Shen Liuhe supported Shen Zhenzhu's words: "We'll leave you three thousand yuan, so there's still a shortfall of about ten thousand yuan."
Shen Zhenzhu had already come up with an idea and said to Shen Liuhe, "I can get a loan. I have a stable job and a fixed salary, so I can definitely get a loan of 10,000 yuan."
Shen Liuhe didn't know much about this and didn't want to touch the savings of her neighbors. She wasn't greedy for other people's money, but she always felt that she couldn't hold her head up if she took other people's money.
"Whom should we borrow from?" Shen Liuhe asked. "Will it be like the stock market?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You can get a loan from a bank. The bank will make you repay the principal and interest every month. It's not common yet, and many people don't know about it, but in a few years everyone... everyone will take out loans to buy houses and cars, and no one will gossip."
"As long as it's safe." Shen Liuhe then asked, "Won't it affect your work? Or should I take out a loan?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "This is completely different from private lending. Bank loans are supported by the government, and the interest rates are low. They are specifically designed to help people like us who need working capital. Mom, if you agree, I'll go to the bank to ask about it before I go to work tomorrow."
Shen Yuyuan added fuel to the fire, saying, "Mom, we have to keep our family's reputation in our own hands. We can't let others benefit from it. Even if we open another Sixth Sister Restaurant somewhere else, it might not be as good as it is now."
Seeing the determination in Shen Zhenzhu's eyes, Shen Liuhe held her and Shen Yuyuan's hands tightly and said, "Okay, let's work together to take over the shop!"
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Author's Note: See you tomorrow! There's a red envelope coming! [Let me see!]
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