If you don't want to drink, then don't. You can open a shop later and drink there, and no one will find out.
Zhou Erfu had a good plan, but Zhao Guizhi wasn't one to spoil children. It wouldn't be so easy for him to sneak a drink; he'd have to get past his aunt first.
After the bayberry wine was brewed and tasted, Zhao Guihua felt relieved. That night, she and Zhou Laoda crawled under the bed, opened the cellar, and took out three hundred taels of silver.
Adding the sixty taels they had on hand, three hundred and sixty taels was their maximum budget; anything more was not an option. Therefore, they couldn't buy a shop that was too expensive; as long as it was enough to do business, that was fine.
That morning, Zhou Laoda drove the oxcart and took the children to town. A few days ago, Zhao Guizhi had looked at several shops that were for sale, and now she was taking Zhou Laoda and his wife to see them again. Once they had chosen one, they could finalize the deal.
Today, Zhao Guizhi didn't set up her food stall. She handed the stall over to Chen Caocao and then took Zhou Laoda and his wife to look at shops.
The three of them didn't come home for lunch until late afternoon.
Chen Shunping can now get up and walk normally, but he can't overexert himself or do heavy work. However, he can do things like starting a fire and cooking.
"How's it going? Is everything going smoothly?" Chen Shunping asked about the shop purchase.
“It’s getting hotter and hotter. The three of us have been walking around for several hours and we’re all sweating,” Zhou Laoda said after drinking a bowl of tea. “We’ve already chosen a shop near the dock. It’s close to home, so it’ll be safer to come back at night.”
Today, the three of them drove around the whole town and looked at shops in five different places. In the end, they felt that the shops near the dock were more suitable, as the other places were either too expensive or too remote.
The shops on the dock are of medium size, perfect for opening a tavern. There are three rooms inside: one can be used as a kitchen, one for storing wine, and the third is for future use, but there's no rush to arrange it now.
There is a small courtyard at the back, and there is a well in the courtyard.
Yes, what Zhou Laoda and his two companions liked most was this shop with its small courtyard and well. A tavern can't be without a well; if they had to fetch water from elsewhere, that wouldn't be enough.
"The owner of that shop used to run a tavern, but his son opened a restaurant in the prefectural city, and the business was very good, so he asked him to go and help out. Because he bought a house in the prefectural city, he was a little short of money, so he sold the tavern here," Old Zhou said with a smile.
"That's great. Everything inside is complete, so we don't need to buy anything else." Chen Shunping smiled, feeling very satisfied.
Zhou Laoda touched his much emptier money pouch, feeling a pang of regret. "But the price wasn't cheap either. He asked for 280 taels, and the three of us haggled with him for an hour before we got it down to 252 taels. The shopkeeper even said he was in a hurry to leave, otherwise 280 taels would have been the lowest price."
"This is in town. If it were in the county or the prefectural city, the price would be even higher. Shops can do business, so they are naturally much more expensive than houses." Chen Shunping had previously served as a manager in the Chen family and was quite knowledgeable about these things.
"We're just a little reluctant to spend the money. Taking out so much at once just doesn't feel right," Old Zhou said with a simple, honest smile as he rubbed his hands together.
Chen Shunping lowered his eyes, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I had discussed with Guizhi about opening a tavern with you, but we didn't have much money, so we gave up on that idea. I'll help you manage the tavern once it's open. If the business is successful and we can make money, we can open another one. If possible, we can open a tavern in the county."
He had just tasted the bayberry wine, and it tasted really good. He was sure it would fetch a good price.
Zhao Guizhi was very happy to hear him say that. It seemed that this bayberry wine was really worth looking forward to. Shunping had worked for the old man before and had tasted many good wines. If he said that this wine was good, then it must be good.
“Brother-in-law, there’s no need to say such hurtful things. We’re relatives, and it’s only right that we support each other. Guihua and I don’t know anything about business, so we’ll leave the tavern to you and my sister. We trust you. We don’t understand the accounts either, so we’ll have to rely on you in the end.” Zhou Laoda meant that the tavern would be handed over to Chen Shunping and his wife from now on, while he and Zhao Guihua would be the behind-the-scenes owners.
Chen Shunping understood what he meant. "It's definitely too much for Guizhi and me to handle. We need to find more people to run errands, clean dishes, and the kitchen also needs people to wash and chop vegetables."
Zhao Guihua glanced at Zhou Laoda and, seeing that he had no idea, said, "Then where can we find people? Are there any people around here willing to work?"
Chen Shunping looked at Zhao Guizhi, who nodded to him and then said, "Guihua, my brother-in-law Shunping and I mean that we don't need to hire anyone. Let's just go to the slave trader and buy a few people. We'll hold their indentures so we can use them."
They were all from the Chen family and knew that wealthy families never used outsiders. If they needed servants, they would buy them directly. The servants they bought were more obedient and loyal. Although there were a few who would betray their masters, there were relatively fewer betrayers.
Zhao Guihua and Zhou Laoda were both stunned for a moment, their eyes filled with confusion.
"So we need to buy people? Our shop hasn't even opened yet. No, we can't get the paperwork done until tomorrow." Zhao Guihua was a little incoherent. Although she had considered buying a maid for Xingxing, she felt she couldn't adapt to actually buying someone.
“Buy three first. If there’s a family, buy the whole family. They’re more loyal, and even if they’re cunning, they won’t dare to do anything reckless. Sister, you and brother-in-law don’t need to worry. Shunping and I can handle this. If you don’t want to buy people, I’ll pay for them. Each person will cost no more than five taels of silver, and the cheaper ones can be bought for two taels of silver,” Zhao Guizhi said.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com