Chapter 708
During this period, Meng Sui always remembered what Su Miao said to him. In order to expand his own store and avoid the uncertainty of renting, buying the shop next door would be the best way.
So he began a months-long "reconnaissance" work.
Master Zhou from the blacksmith shop next door is a man from northern Shaanxi who is in his fifties. His bronze face is full of wrinkles, like tree bark that has been smoked by the fire for years.
The blacksmithing skill is inherited from his ancestors. It is said that his father once made horseshoes for the Red Army. He has rented a shop here for seven or eight years.
The bluestone steps in front of the blacksmith shop have been polished to a shine, witnessing the footsteps of customers over the years.
In the past, everyone liked to come to his shop, but with the rapid development of the machinery manufacturing industry, the demand for handmade ironware has become less and less.
Now, there are only a handful of customers patronizing the store every day. Every time Meng Sui goes outside the store to get some fresh air, he can see Master Zhou sitting on a small bench at the door, dozing with his eyes closed. The shop is so deserted that he can almost hear the sound of flies flying by.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the store closed. Meng Sui stood at the door of the blacksmith shop with two large bowls of braised pork rice and a smile on his face.
"Master Zhou, have you had lunch? Let's eat together."
Master Zhou opened his cloudy eyes, and after seeing who it was, he smiled. "Xiao Meng, you're bringing me food again? I'm so sorry, I've already eaten."
"You're welcome, let's eat some more. Last time, thanks to you for helping me fix the spatula, otherwise it would have delayed the business."
Meng Sui placed the bowl on the small table in front of Master Zhou, sat down on the stool next to it, and started eating.
"Haha, it's just a matter of convenience. How could your shop only have one spatula? You young people are so strong that you can even break a metal spatula. Be careful not to break the pot~"
Ever since Master Zhou helped repair a spatula, something breaks down in the store every few days.
They were all minor problems, and Master Zhou would just fix them and never charge for them. Meng Sui would often bring meals over and eat with him.
Therefore, he was no longer polite, thinking that after eating such a big bowl of rice, he would not need to cook another meal in the evening. He could just drink a few mouthfuls of porridge, and he could also save some food and oil.
This scene would happen every few days. Meng Sui not only delivered food, but also often helped Master Zhou move heavy objects and repair leaking roofs.
Gradually, Master Zhou developed trust in this diligent and generous young man.
After dinner that day, Master Zhou suddenly put down his bowl and chopsticks and sighed:
"Xiao Meng, do you think it's time to close my shop? The crops back home are already being harvested, and I can still help my children if I go back now."
There was loneliness in his eyes and fatigue in his voice. His rough fingers unconsciously scratched a crack on the table.
Meng Sui's eyelids twitched, and he said casually:
"You want to go back and help your children with the harvest? That's great. Just think of it as going back to visit your parents and then come back later."
"Haha, if you go back now, you won't come back!" Master Zhou said with a wry smile.
"Don't you want to open the store anymore? Do you want to go back to your hometown to retire?" Meng Sui asked tentatively.
Master Zhou sighed and said, "Yes, business is not good now. I can't make any money here even if I stay here all day.
If I were like your boss and bought the shop myself, it would be fine. But now I have to pay rent every month, and after adding in the cost of food and drink, there is nothing left.
More than ten years ago, I came to Beijing to work as a blacksmith after being introduced by a fellow villager in order to build a wedding house for my child.
I started out as a part-time worker, then rented a shop and made pretty good money. Now I can't make any money, and my wife has gone back to her hometown to help take care of the kids, so there's no point in me staying here."
Meng Sui understood his thoughts. After all, Master Zhou was only a few years younger than his father. His father had retired two years ago, while Master Zhou was still busy making a living.
"Actually, this is quite good. You are old now. You worked so hard in the past just to help the children. Now it is time for you to go back and enjoy the happiness of family life and let the children honor you.
But, can you just give up the shop you rented? Shouldn't you tell Uncle Ma in advance?
Uncle Ma is the landlord of the blacksmith shop. In addition to collecting rent every month, he also occasionally comes to chat with Master Zhou.
During this period, Meng Sui also became familiar with him.
"Oh~ That's no problem. Just tell Lao Ma half a month in advance. I've been renting here for so many years and have never been late with my rent. Lao Ma doesn't ask for my deposit either. We're old friends."
Meng Sui secretly took note of Master Zhou's words and said to him:
"Master Zhou, we've known each other for a while now. If you really want to go back to your hometown and never come again, tell me and I'll get some wine and treat Uncle Ma to a drink. After all, we're so far away from each other, and I don't know if we'll ever meet again."
The conversation between the two took place in mid-September, and around the National Day, Master Zhou came to see Meng Sui.
"Xiao Meng, I've decided to go back to my hometown. I've already told Lao Ma about it. The rent is due next week, so I'll clear out the goods and move out.
Are you free tonight? I'll get some wine, cook some side dishes, and invite Lao Ma. Let's have a few drinks together, and it'll be worth our time together."
The farewell party that night was held in the backyard of the blacksmith shop.
Master Zhou specially set up a round table, on which were placed several hometown dishes he cooked himself and a pot of steaming mutton soup.
Uncle Ma brought two bottles of Erguotou, and Meng Sui brought some signature braised dishes.
Uncle Ma is in his early seventies, and he is in good spirits. His wrinkled face always has a kind smile, and he is well-known for his righteousness in the area.
The children he raised are also very capable and are all backbones of the unit.
This shop used to be a house. He and his wife raised several children here. After the children grew up, they improved their living conditions and moved to other places. Only then did they convert the empty house into a shop for rent.
During the renovation, in addition to repairing the toilet and kitchen in the back yard, a second floor was also added. So after Master Zhou and his wife rented the shop, they did business downstairs and lived upstairs, which was very convenient.
Meng Sui filled three glasses with wine, and Uncle Ma said reluctantly:
"Old Zhou, now that you're gone, it'll be hard for us to see each other! When you first came to rent a house from me, your children back home weren't married yet, and now your grandson is about to start elementary school."
Master Zhou picked up his wine glass, his eyes slightly red. "Brother Ma, thank you for taking care of me all these years. If you hadn't rented me this shop at a low price, I wouldn't have been able to save enough money to build a new house for my children."
Uncle Ma waved his hand and also picked up his glass:
"That's unnecessary. Our acquaintance is fate. I don't live on rent anyway, so I've saved myself the worry of renting the house to you over the years."
Meng Sui sat quietly by the side, saying a few words from time to time and adding wine and food to the two of them at the right time.
After three rounds of drinks, the topic naturally turned to the future rental and sale of the shop.
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