"Shut up!" Dong Heqing's face was full of disappointment, his voice trembling. "Such a big thing happened in the capital, and everyone else knows, but you're the only one kept in the dark. What does that mean? It means you're completely out of touch!"
She pointed at the secret letter on the ground, her fingertips turning white, "The shop is about to skyrocket in value, but you sold it all off at a bargain price! You're as stupid as a pig!" She sat back down in her chair, looking dazed, "These days, the old man has been dissatisfied with my management. Losing money is a small matter, but if he finds out that we've done something so stupid, our status in the Xiao family will be completely ruined."
Only then did Xiao Hengyu realize that he had lost not only tens of thousands of taels of silver, but also the trust and prestige within the Xiao family. People would surely say that Xiao Youzhi could make a living in a remote, obscure place, while he, living in the capital, had not only failed to make a living, but had also suffered such a huge loss when selling his shop. He wondered how many people would secretly laugh at him.
He panicked immediately, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead: "Mother, what can we do now? The shop has already been transferred, the contract is in black and white, it's too late to back out now."
Dong Heqing suppressed her anger. "First, find out who this woman surnamed Meng is. How could she, an outsider, know about the new city gate before us?" She narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. "Also, carefully investigate whether she has any connection with Xiao Youzhi."
Xiao Hengyu was startled upon hearing this: "Mother suspects...this matter is related to the eldest son?"
"Even if those shops are at their worst, the monthly rent is still a considerable income. If he hadn't caught us red-handed and we hadn't been in dire need of covering up that 20,000 taels shortfall, why would I have agreed to let you sell them all at once? What a coincidence! You'd better go and investigate!"
***
Just as Dong Heqing and her son were frantically trying to cover up the matter, Meng Zhao's life wasn't going so well either, for no other reason than that he was short of money.
In order to expedite the transfer of ownership, a lot of money was spent on bribing officials. However, when it came time to complete the transfer, the deed tax was still due, plus the commission to be paid to the brokerage firm, which cost several hundred taels of silver.
Currently, the shops under her management that are still rented out are doing alright, as they at least bring in some income each month. However, the three-story restaurant and two of the shops are already vacant. According to the law, even if a shop is closed, taxes cannot be exempted. For every day a shop is vacant, taxes must be paid, and the amount is calculated based on the area.
Seeing that the shop was not making any profit and was even losing money every day, Meng Zhao was just as anxious as Dong Heqing and her son. One of the reasons for her anxiety was that there was still no official document regarding the new city gate. If something unexpected happened at the last minute and they had to choose another place, she would not only have wasted her time but also lose a lot of money.
Because of this worry, she couldn't calm down and think about the business of the shop. Later, she found out that many powerful people in the capital had bought properties around Zhuque Street, and she was not even the one who bought the most.
Realizing that so many high-ranking officials and dignitaries were now in the same boat as him, Meng Zhao felt a little more at ease and began to think about business matters.
Meng Zhao instructed Yin Chun, "Go to Anshun Real Estate Brokerage and put those two vacant shops up for rent as soon as possible. Find tenants quickly so we can recoup some losses."
Yin Chun took the letter and couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, if only the news about the new city gate had been finalized sooner, we could have managed it ourselves. And even if we were to rent it out, the rent would have been much higher by the time the news was announced."
"That's right, but nothing is ever that easy." Meng Zhao smiled bitterly, comforting himself, "Besides, it's alright. First, managing so many shops at the same time would make it difficult to keep up with cash flow. Second, with so many shops, I probably can't keep up with the workload. We'll set the lease term at one year and renew it. Once the new city gate opens, we can adjust the rent according to the market conditions."
As for the restaurant, Meng Zhao intends to manage it himself.
The first step was to eliminate some of the negative impacts caused by Xiao Hengyu's previous management. After making inquiries, she discovered that the restaurant's previous poor business was due not only to its location but also to Xiao Hengyu's fatal flaw in his management strategy.
Zhuque Street is a mixed-use commercial and residential area. In addition to shops, there are many residences around it. However, since it is not in the core area of the main city, most of the residents are small vendors and craftsmen. Among them are many ordinary people who work in the main city but cannot afford to buy a house in the city. These people have limited income, so they naturally have to be careful with their daily lives.
However, Xiao Hengyu decorated the restaurant to be extremely luxurious, aiming to rival the best location in the city center, Chunfeng Restaurant, with its nanmu wood tables and chairs, gilded tableware, and expensive chefs. A meal there would cost several taels of silver, making it inaccessible to ordinary people and too remote for wealthy families. Over time, it was inevitable that the restaurant would become deserted.
At the same time, the restaurant's reputation was also bad. There were many incidents such as the accountant making mistakes in calculating accounts and the waiters serving different dishes to different customers. Over time, the business became worse and worse.
Therefore, the first thing Meng Zhao did after taking over was to order a conspicuous wooden sign to be erected at the entrance of the restaurant, with the words "Ownership changed, renovations underway" written on it. He also had the staff repaint the storefront and carry materials in and out in a grand manner every day, as if afraid that passersby would not know that the place had changed owners.
Considering that the original restaurant's decor was already exquisite and sophisticated, Meng Zhao did not make any major alterations. Instead, he focused on the soft furnishings. Since there was no danger, the main entrance was kept open throughout the renovation. If any curious neighbors peeked in, they would not only not be driven away, but would also be allowed to come in and satisfy their curiosity.
The weather suddenly changed that day, and a heavy rain began to fall. Pedestrians on the street were caught off guard and hurried home. An old man had originally sheltered his granddaughter under his raincoat, but when he found it too difficult to walk, he put his raincoat on her and hurried home in the rain.
As the two approached the restaurant, through the rain, they could vaguely see a young waiter standing in front of the restaurant, waving vigorously at them. Seeing that his granddaughter was shivering from the cold, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over.
"Sir, it's raining so hard, you can't even see the road clearly. What if you fall? Come in and rest for a bit, and wait until the rain gets a little lighter before you continue." I couldn't hear what the young waiter was saying before because of the rain, but now I could make out what he was saying.
The two were soaking wet, still dripping with water. Embarrassed, they stepped over the threshold and hesitated to go inside. Seeing this, the shopkeeper took two clean cotton cloths from the counter, handing one to the young girl and the other to the old man: "Hurry up and wipe yourselves off, then warm yourselves by the fire."
The old man then noticed two charcoal stoves burning in the lobby on the first floor, and a kind-faced woman beckoned to them: "What are you doing standing at the door? Quickly bring the child over to warm up by the fire! What if such a small child catches a cold?"
The little girl timidly moved forward, still trembling slightly. Another woman took a dry cotton towel and wrapped it around her: "Oh dear, poor thing, the rain and wind are so strong, wearing a raincoat is practically useless."
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