Father Chen led Jian Ning and the others to another alley and stopped at a secluded place.
"Brother Chen, is there anything wrong with that inn?" Jian Ning walked forward and asked straight to the point.
"It's not that there's anything wrong with the inn, but business is bad. It's been owned by several different owners, and the current one's been around for less than a year. It used to be called 'Laifu Inn,' but this shrewd and capable couple took over and changed the name to 'Hongyunlai Inn.' They even renovated the place and invited a great god of wealth. They offer incense and make devout offerings every day, but the business still falls short of its income. There are hardly any customers. I don't know what's going on. You absolutely must not take over."
Jane Ning thought that a murder had occurred in the inn, or that there was some evil spirit at work. If that was true, she would not be afraid, and she could even take the opportunity to bargain for the price.
Tian asked, "Does the inn make little money, or no money at all?"
"Hey, what a waste of money! There are so few customers from the beginning to the end of the month. If it were anyone else, I would never say such a thing. After all, we live on the same street, and they are not bad people. But Madam Jian is my son's lifesaver and our family's benefactor. How can I watch her suffer losses and do such a losing business that I can't even make a profit from selling it?"
"Brother Chen, thank you very much. I think the location of that street is not bad. Except for the backyard, which is a bit deserted, the front street and the streets on both sides are quite busy. There must be some reason why the business is not doing well. I will ask someone to take a look at it quietly before making any decisions."
After hearing what Jian Ning said, Father Chen shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "It's no use. The couple also thought of this. They asked a Taoist priest to look at the feng shui. Otherwise, how could they have invited a new God of Wealth to worship? Last month, they even asked another fairy to look at it. They've tried everything, but the business hasn't improved."
Worried that Jian Ning hadn't completely given up on the idea, Father Chen continued, "If Madam Jian wants to buy a shop, I'll take care of it for you. I'll let Captain Ma know as soon as I have any news. There's no need to rush."
"Thank you for your trouble, so I'll ask you to help me find out. A good place would be great. I'll also find a powerful expert to take a look at this place. If you can take it, then take it. If not, then don't. But I also want to ask, do you know how much silver the previous owner of the inn transferred?"
"That couple told others this number." He held out a palm. "I don't know the actual number, but they are very good at bargaining. I estimate it is around 10 ...
He counted, four hundred taels.
"However, they also spent a bit on renovating the inn. Counting the wages for the workers and the meals, it must have cost at least a hundred taels."
"How much did they offer you?"
Chen's father was also a businessman. He was a middleman. He transported some local specialties to other places and sold them to local merchants to make a profit from the difference. Then he transported the local specialties back to the local area and sold them to local merchants to make a profit from the difference.
After a conversation, Jian Ning realized that he was a shrewd man, and his predictions were probably correct. The couple spent five hundred taels and sold it to her for one thousand taels, making a profit of half!
After thanking Chen's father again, she and Tian returned to the escort agency.
Regarding the wedding date of Lao Liu and Tian Xiaoyu, Jian Ning thought that it would still have to be decided by Lao Dingtou and Mrs. Meng. Before leaving, she told Brother Tian and his wife that she would inform them as soon as the date was set.
After dinner, Jian Ning returned to the town and asked Mr. Ding San to drive the carriage to the bookstore.
When they arrived, Blind Liu was lecturing on the Three Kingdoms, and the bookshop was doing quite well, with many copyists. Jian Ning waited for him to finish his lecture, and during a break, he explained the inn's situation and asked him to take some time to visit and see if its feng shui was bad and blocking his fortune.
In the past, Jian Ning did not believe in Feng Shui, thinking that it was all feudal superstition. But in fact, Feng Shui is a metaphysics, a mysterious force in nature.
Wind is vital energy and field energy; water is flow and change. It is a philosophy that studies the environment and the laws of the universe.
During the years that Blind Liu had lived in seclusion in Dingxian Village, he had been devoted to studying geomancy, or feng shui. He went to the county town the next day, and when he returned that evening, he told Jian Ning that the inn could be relocated, but the feng shui could be broken.
"What's the reason?" Jane Ning asked.
"Hehe." Blind Liu laughed, "It's simple. It's in the crossroads of the road. All you need to do is add a door cover in front of the door, surround it with a bamboo shed, put two or three tables inside, put out some tea, and let passersby stop by to rest for a while. Slowly, it will attract people and wealth."
"It can only be a bamboo hut or a straw hut, nothing else."
Jian Ning and Ding Youtian didn't understand what "road rush" meant. After Liu Xiazi explained, they realized that it was a T-junction. The traditional Chinese character for "丁" is "鍋", which has a metal radical. Wood can overcome metal, so it can resolve the road rush.
The next day, Jian Ning and Ding Youtian went to the county together. After some bargaining, they finally checked into the inn for 580 taels.
"Fourth brother, fourth sister-in-law." Lao Liu came to the escort agency excitedly after he had some free time. Jian Ning asked Sister-in-law Tian to call Xiaoyu in as well.
"Let me tell you something. Your fourth brother and I have taken over the 'Hongyunlai Inn,' but we can't let go of our business in the countryside for now. After you get married, you'll need to have your own way of making a living. We plan to hand the inn over to you two to run it. We'll cover the initial expenses, but whatever profits you make will be yours. Consider it our gift to you two."
"That won't do. If we make any money, our two families will split it in half. I and..." Lao Liu glanced at Xiao Yu, "How can we take advantage of Fourth Brother and His Wife?"
"Since you call me Fourth Brother, you should accept your Fourth Sister-in-law's kindness. In the future, treat your wife well and live your own life well."
Ding Youtian said.
"Fourth brother, fourth sister-in-law, don't worry, we will do our best. We don't know whether we can do it or not, but we will do it seriously. If we succeed, Xing'er and I will not forget your help. Xiaoyu thanks you."
Although Tian Xiaoyu was a girl who was born and raised in the countryside, she often listened to her second brother Tian, who had traveled all over the country, talk about the customs and habits of different places, as well as what he had seen and heard since she was a child. In addition, she herself was a smart and insightful person. She knew very well that their family and her third uncle's family were now living in the escort agency of her second uncle and uncle, and to put it bluntly, they were just helpers.
Now there is such a good opportunity, and she is confident that she and Lao Liu can run the inn.
She had made up her mind that once the business got going and made money, she would first pay back the capital invested by Jian Ning and Ding Youtian, and the profits would be split 50-50 or 40-60 between the two parties.
She is a person with very positive ideas.
Listening to her words and observing her actions, Jian Ning knew that Lao Liu had found the right person in this girl.
"Quit your job at the restaurant first, and go back and ask your parents to pick a date for you to get the job done as soon as possible. The inn also needs to add a door cover and a bamboo shed. I'll leave that to you. Ask your fourth brother for details later."
"Okay, I've already informed the boss and the head shopkeeper. There are a lot of people in the county town, so it's easy to find a clerk. When the new clerk arrives, I'll go back and ask Dad and Mom to set a date!"
Lao Liu already had a plan for running the inn. He had a group of street buddies distributing flyers for him, so he had no trouble attracting customers. He had already begun looking forward to a new life. But when he quit his job and happily returned to Dingxian Village, he was dealt a heavy blow by Old Ding and Mrs. Meng!
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