Chapter 508 Reason (Happy Qixi Festival?)
"Didn't Big Brother and the others pay for that money themselves?"
"Yes, but wasn't it your mother and I who divided the money? We still had to pay for the wool!" Old Zhou was no fool. He said, "Your mother said that we would divide the money again after the winter wheat is harvested and the grain arrives at home. Where can I find so much money for you to buy a shop?"
"Dad, if I buy the shop, I can do business there, or I can rent it out and collect rent."
“What kind of business can our family do?”
Zhou Silang immediately said, "Sister-in-law can sell food."
"Man Bao just said she'll give it to your sister-in-law, so we don't need to buy one for her."
"..." Zhou Silang: "Then we can also sell groceries."
"Didn't your second brother tell us last year that vegetables and other things we sell at home sell better at a stall? You spent over a hundred taels of silver just to buy a shop to sell groceries. Don't you think it's a big loss?" Old Zhou said, "Do you know how long it took our family to save up a hundred taels?"
"Our family is no longer what it used to be. We can rent out the shop even if we don't run it."
"Second brother, how much does a shop in the county town cost per month?"
"It depends on the location and size. A good one might be rented for two or three taels a month, while a poor one might be rented for around one tael."
"Look, Manbao, let me calculate for your fourth brother, how much rent can a shop with two taels of silver earn in a year?"
"Twenty-four taels."
Old Zhou slapped his thigh and said, "So if you ask me, you don't need to buy that shop. Wouldn't it be a waste of money? Those meals don't make any money, they only make a few cents at a time. How many people would you have to feed in a day to earn back the hundred-plus taels?"
Zhou Silang was speechless. He always felt that his father's calculations were not right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Manbao also felt that something was wrong. She thought for a moment and said, "Dad, the shop can be passed down, just like land. Even if it is rented out, the rent will be paid back in seven or eight years."
"But you've already spent the money, and our family is still financially strapped. What if something happens and we need money urgently?"
"Sell it again," Zhou Silang said, "A shop in a good location will never be hard to sell."
Old Zhou smiled and said, "So, is Uncle Shi's shop in a good location now?"
"good!"
Old Zhou: "Okay, how much did you say his shop was worth?"
Zhou Silang: "...One hundred and eighty taels is no problem. If I meet a good seller, I might be able to sell it for two hundred taels."
"So you see, he's selling it for 120 taels now. Why?" Old Zhou slapped his thigh and said, "Because he needs the money urgently. What does it mean to need the money urgently? The key is to be in a hurry."
Old Zhou said, "We're a poor family with so many people at home. To be frank, if we spend all our savings to buy the shop today, and then something happens at home tomorrow and we need money urgently, and you sell it, will you be able to get the same price as before?"
Zhou Silang was silent.
Old Zhou said, "You can buy a shop if you want. We have enough land at home now, enough for our family to farm. We don't need to buy more land. But we have to wait until we have enough money. When we can spend a few hundred taels and it won't hurt our family, I will definitely buy it."
But Old Zhou couldn't help but grumble, "What's the point of buying that shop..."
Qian glanced at him and said to Zhou Silang, "Listen to your father."
Zhou Silang could only sigh and ask, "Can Manbao still buy his own shop?"
Old Zhou wanted to object, but after a moment's thought, he took the subject back and asked Manbao, "What did you do in the city today?"
"It's time to eat something delicious."
"How much did it cost?"
"Not much, just over a hundred coins."
These one hundred plus coins were spent by four people together.
Old Zhou was heartbroken and immediately said, "Buy it. If Manbao wants to buy it, just buy it."
Buy it. Anyway, your daughter's money will never reach your hands. It's better to buy a shop and land instead of spending it everywhere.
Old Zhou asked, "Did you buy it for home use?"
Manbao shook his head. "No, this is for my sister-in-law. I want to open a food shop for her in the county town. Dad, you are not allowed to take away my sister-in-law's shop."
"No, no, I'm too lazy to grab it. I can't cook." Old Zhou stood up with his hands behind his back, then said to the red-eyed little Qian, "Old lady, you don't know how to keep accounts. Let Datou and Daya do it for you. After deducting the costs every month, you have to give 50% of the profits to the government."
Xiao Qianshi quickly agreed, "I know, Dad."
Old Zhou was satisfied and walked out leisurely. "Alright, I won't take care of the rest. You kids should handle the issues between yourselves."
As soon as Old Zhou left, Qian stood up and said with a smile, "Manbao, tomorrow I'll ask your second and fourth brothers to go with you. They know more about what's going on outside than you do."
After saying that, he went back to the house.
As soon as the two old people left, Xiao Qian immediately hugged Manbao into her arms, her face full of tears and laughter, and she lowered her voice and said, "You little girl, why, why did you think of giving such a thing to your sister-in-law?"
Manbao puffed out his chest and said, "Sister-in-law, I will give you more things in the future."
Feng couldn't help but feel jealous, "Aunt, we've been good to you, why don't you think of sending us off?"
Manbao was tangled up and said with a sad heart: "A shop is so expensive. If Second Sister-in-law wants it, it is better to let Ertou Erya buy it for you, otherwise you will have to wait for me for a long time..."
Feng was so angry that she tapped her forehead and said, "You are so heartless. I made so much egg water for you for nothing."
Manbao's face turned bitter.
Ertou burst into laughter and said, "Mom, my aunt doesn't like egg water. The one you make is not as delicious as the one my aunt makes. Maybe that's why my aunt didn't buy it for you. Hahaha..."
Zhou Erlang looked at his son with sympathy.
Feng was furious and rolled up her sleeves to beat him up, "You've eaten my cooking a lot, and you didn't dislike it when you ate it, but now you dislike it..."
Xiao Qian also smiled and touched Manbao's head, saying, "The shop is for you, sister-in-law. You don't have to give it to her. Tomorrow you can take the household registration to register it in your name. You can use it as a dowry when you get married."
Manbao shook his head and whispered, "I don't want it, sister-in-law. If I want a shop in the future, I can buy it myself. This is for you. I said before that I would buy you a big house to live in. When I have money in the future, I will buy you another one. This time, I'll buy you a shop first."
Little Qian couldn't help but whispered, "Buy it for Mom and Dad first."
Manbao waved his hand and said, "There's no need to rush about Mom and Dad. They're going to live with me in the future anyway. I'll buy a house for myself, and then Mom and Dad will naturally have it."
Zhou Dalang: "...Manbao, I am the eldest son, and my parents live with me."
Manbao quickly said, "I know, I know, big brother, you must live with us, otherwise how can I eat the food cooked by my sister-in-law?"
Zhou Erlang immediately put his arm around Zhou Sanlang's shoulder and said, "Third brother, let's go. Youngest sister has completely forgotten about us."
Zhou Sanlang also stood up and sighed, "Let's go, let's go, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Brothers, let's all go."
Zhou Liulang: "I'm not leaving, sister-in-law. When your shop opens, I'll work for you. You can also make dumplings and sell them, okay? Then you can sell braised pork at noon and stuffed tofu for dinner..."
He drooled as he spoke.
Manbao also swallowed his saliva and said quickly: "There is also stewed chicken and the newly made braised fish is also delicious."
Zhou Erlang turned to Feng and said, "Do you know why Manbao didn't buy you a shop?"
Feng: ...
The next chapter will be around 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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