Chapter 85 Buying a House with Cash
Fang Jianmin genuinely believes he did not make empty promises.
What he told Song Xinran was all part of his plan. As a big boss in the catering industry, he was naturally not satisfied with just running a small braised food shop. If that were the case, he wouldn't be poaching people everywhere. He planned to turn it into a brand chain store and add another piece to his business empire.
This 5% equity stake is the maximum sincerity we can offer. Once the braised food business becomes a brand, wouldn't that allow Song Xinran to transcend social classes? It's much better than setting up a stall in a small town.
But Song Xinran just smiled lightly, as if she didn't care about the favor Fang Jianmin had given her at all: "Chairman Fang, thank you for your high regard, but I prefer freedom and don't like a fixed work schedule, so I can only apologize for your kindness."
Fang Jianmin looked somewhat surprised and was about to say something when he suddenly heard someone in the hot pot restaurant shout, "Sister Xinran, come and try Xiaoxia's cooking. She brought some dumplings with her."
A smile appeared on Song Xinran's face. She nodded slightly to Fang Jianmin and then walked into the mala tang restaurant.
Fang Jianmin stood at the door and saw several women sitting at a table in the mala tang restaurant. The dumplings they had wrapped were still steaming hot, and the women were chatting and laughing, looking very familiar with each other. He suddenly realized that he had forgotten something very important: he had not investigated Song Xinran's background and had only subconsciously assumed that she was just an ordinary street vendor.
But having rejected him twice, it's clear he's no ordinary person.
Inside the shop, Song Xinwen asked, "Xinran, who was that person who was talking to you just now? He was driving a car, and he didn't look like a local."
Song Xinran said, "People from the city."
She tried a dumpling, which was filled with chives and eggs. The eggs were fluffy and tender, and the chives were fragrant and crisp. Ge Xia's cooking skills were getting better and better, and she could make ordinary home-cooked dishes taste and flavor extraordinary.
Song Xinwen's eyes suddenly lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "Did he come here specifically to see you?"
As soon as Song Xinran saw Song Xinwen's expression, she knew what she wanted to say. She sighed silently, thinking that no matter when, she couldn't escape being pressured to get married.
After the business stabilized, Song Xinwen mentioned this matter to her, but Song Xinran said that she hadn't thought that far ahead and just wanted to make money. After that, Song Xinwen stopped mentioning it. They were much better than Song Xinran's parents in her previous life. They would urge her every time there was a holiday, which made Song Xinran a little afraid to go home.
But now there's a strange man in a car who looks quite well-off, so Song Xinwen probably remembered this again.
Song Xinran said calmly, "Sister, you're overthinking it. He wants me to work at his shop."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the shop immediately frowned. Song Xinwen said, "Don't go. Working for someone else is nothing compared to running your own business. Don't be fooled by city people."
Song Xinran chuckled, thinking to herself that Song Xinwen was now somewhat career-minded: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
After finishing the dumplings, the streets became more crowded. When Song Xinran went out, she found that Fang Jianmin had already left.
Before she had sold all the braised meat, Song Xinran's phone rang. As soon as she answered, her expression turned to surprise and delight: "Okay, thank you. I'm free now. I'll come over and take a look at the house. Wait for me for two or three hours."
After hanging up the phone, Song Xinran called out to the shop, "Sister, can you watch the stall for me? I have an urgent matter to attend to in the city."
Song Xinwen was surprised: "What's wrong? What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Song Xinran couldn't hide her smile: "The real estate agent told me they have a new house that meets all my requirements and asked me to go see it as soon as possible. Everyone's eyeing good houses. Sister, could you help me sell some braised meat? If Xiao Yu isn't home from school by then, could you keep him company?"
Upon hearing this, Song Xinwen's face lit up with joy: "Okay, go and take a look. We need to pay close attention to this!"
Song Xinran didn't even have time to take the shuttle bus, so she directly found a chartered car to go to the city. Chartering a car is faster than taking the shuttle bus, and it delivers directly point-to-point. It only took two hours to get to the agency.
"Sister Shi, I'm here. Sorry to keep you waiting." Song Xinran said as she got out of the car, "Can we go see the apartment now?"
Shi Yan knew she had come from town, but she hadn't expected it to be so fast. She exclaimed, "Sister, you're so quick!"
Song Xinran said, "Sister Shi, you think of me as soon as you have a house, so I definitely have to come as soon as possible. I can't let someone else take it away."
Shi Yan smiled and said, "We need to hurry, good houses don't wait. I'll take you to see it!"
Shi Yan was very satisfied at this moment. The distance from Lingde Town to the city was quite far, and Song Xinran directly called a car, which was not cheap. This proved that she really wanted to buy a house.
Shi Yan had a deep impression of Song Xinran, so she called her as soon as she got the news. Of course, Shi Yan also notified other clients, but they were all at work and some didn't seem to be in a hurry. Song Xinran was the first to arrive.
Shi Yan carefully introduced the house to Song Xinran. The house was relatively new, located on the third floor, a prime floor. It had three bedrooms and an area of 120 square meters. It was originally the landlord's owner-occupied house, but the landlord's family had too many people and the three bedrooms were not enough, so they wanted to move to a larger house and decided to sell this one.
Shi Yan said, "The landlord's asking price is 550,000 yuan, but we can still negotiate."
Song Xinran nodded: "Thank you, Sister Shi."
When Shi Yan announced the price, she glanced at Song Xinran and, seeing that Song Xinran did not appear calm, knew that the price was acceptable to her.
Song Xinran could indeed accept the price. Shuangqiao Elementary School is located relatively close to the city center, and this is a school district property. If the house is decent, then it's acceptable.
The house is also close to Shuangqiao Primary School, about a ten-minute walk away. Song Xinran thinks this distance is just right, as it is close to the school but not disturbed by the noise from the school.
Outside the residential area is a row of shops, selling vegetables, fruits, and stationery. By today's standards, it's already a fairly mature commercial area, very suitable for living.
The house for sale is located in a corner of the community, facing the central courtyard. The community has excellent landscaping, with dense banyan trees that almost block out the sun. The apartment building also has good natural lighting. You can see the ventilation frames in the corridor from the doorway. You can tell it's much better than the house you saw the first time without even going inside.
Shi Yan led her to the third floor and knocked on the door of the apartment on the left. Song Xinran glanced around the hallway and saw that there was no garbage piled up. There were two apartments on each floor, which was a reasonable layout.
The door opened, and a woman in her sixties stepped out, glancing at them with her eyelids: "Looking for a house again?"
Shi Yan smiled and said, "Yes, Aunt Hu, are you home alone?"
Aunt Hu stepped aside: "My son asked me to come and keep an eye on things. He said he's put the house on the deed at a real estate agency because there are a lot of people looking at houses today."
While speaking, Aunt Hu complained, "There are too many. We've only been registered for a few hours, and there have already been three groups of people coming to see the house."
Her tone sounded like a complaint, but her words were full of boasting: "My house is great! I only bought it two years ago, it's still brand new, and the interior decoration uses all the best stuff. It cost almost 100,000 yuan! If I didn't have too much room, I really wouldn't want to move. It's comfortable here."
Shi Yan chimed in, "Yes, yes, Aunt Hu, your house looks great. It has a square layout and good natural light."
"Sister, come and take a look."
Without Shi Yan saying anything, Song Xinran looked around the apartment's layout as soon as she entered. Although Shi Yan flattered the landlord, she was right; the apartment itself was nice. However, Song Xinran was certain that the renovation hadn't cost more than 100,000 yuan.
When Aunt Hu heard Shi Yan's greeting, she turned around and looked Song Xinran up and down, saying, "Young lady, why don't you and your family stay here? This house can accommodate five or six people."
She felt that Song Xinran looked too young and was looking at the house alone, so she was a little worried. Young girls couldn't afford this house; it would be fine if it were a family.
Song Xinran hummed in agreement; there was no need to tell the truth in public.
Shi Yan quickly said, "Aunt Hu, I'll show her the house."
Grandma Hu said, "The more you look at my house, the more you like it."
Shi Yan also knew who her customers were. As soon as she entered the room, she lowered her voice and said to Song Xinran, "Aunt Hu is not the landlord. She discussed the purchase with her son and daughter-in-law. Her son and daughter-in-law are reasonable and easy to talk to."
Song Xinran nodded to indicate that she knew. She had bought houses in both her lives and knew what to pay attention to when buying a house. After carefully looking around, she thought the house was pretty good. It was a genuine apartment in a residential community. Judging from the cleanliness of the hallway, the neighbors were also of decent quality. Two rooms faced the courtyard, and one room faced outwards. Moreover, the room had a good view, overlooking a patch of green banyan trees.
but……
Song Xinran said, "The price is a bit high."
The house was basically empty of furniture, leaving only an empty shell. Actually, Song Xinran quite liked this kind of house because she could buy things and decorate it herself. However, she knew the market price and knew that decorating such a house would cost more money, and the selling price would be correspondingly lower.
After all, most people think this way: they buy second-hand houses to save money on renovations.
Shi Yan asked, "What do you think of the house?"
Song Xinran said, "Sister Shi, you know me. I don't like to lie to lower the price. I think the house is okay, but I can't accept the price. If it can be as low as 500,000, I think that's about right."
From the beginning, Song Xinran gave Shi Yan the impression of being sincere, frank, and not fond of any pretentious stuff. Therefore, after listening to Song Xinran's bargaining, Shi Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Fifty thousand less is indeed too much, but I'll talk to Aunt Hu's son about it."
Knowing that Shi Yan, as the intermediary, was definitely better at negotiating than her, Song Xinran said, "Then I'll leave this to Sister Shi. As long as it reaches my target price, I'll definitely buy it."
Shi Yan nodded and left with Song Xinran.
Aunt Hu said, "If you like it, make a decision as soon as possible. There are a lot of people looking at houses these days, and they might be sold before you know it."
Shi Yan smiled and said, "Okay, Aunt Hu, you should get some rest."
After leaving, Shi Yan asked, "Girl, are you planning to buy a house with a mortgage or pay in full?"
Song Xinran: "Full payment."
Shi Yan's expression brightened: "Okay, that makes it more likely. I'll go and talk to them when I get back."
Song Xinran said she was going to take a ride back, and Shi Yan left.
But Song Xinran circled around outside the community and came back. She was carrying a bag of roasted melon seeds and broad beans. As soon as she entered the community, she went straight to the rest pavilion in the center of the community. Several elderly women and men were sitting there chatting and playing cards. Song Xinran took the opportunity to sneak into one of the tables.
Everyone else was a woman in her sixties or seventies, and she, a young woman, stood out. But Song Xinran used a bag of roasted melon seeds to make herself more approachable. She created a story about a widow and her child, who had come to the city to work and was looking for a place to rent in the neighborhood. She mentioned that the real estate agent had recommended a particular building to her.
The elderly folks are the most well-informed and love to talk about these things. With just a few words from them, Song Xinran knows what's going on in the neighborhood.
The elderly residents all praised the neighborhood, and some even recommended other neighborhoods to Song Xinran, saying that although the conditions weren't as good, they were cheaper.
Song Xinran said casually, "The real estate agent just took me to Building 6. It seems like there are people looking at apartments on the third floor. There are still a lot of people renting apartments in this community."
An older woman immediately said, "That family is selling the house, not renting it. Old Hu already said they're moving to a bigger house."
"Old Hu is really lucky. His son and daughter-in-law are all successful. They run a supermarket and make a lot of money. It's just that Old Hu himself..." Another old lady shook her head.
"I don't think I made that much. If I really did, I wouldn't have sold the house. Why can't I just leave it here?"
...
Listening to their conversation, Song Xinran thought to herself that this Aunt Hu was quite well-known in the neighborhood. She also confirmed some information: it was true that she was selling the house to exchange for another one. The house was originally her own residence, and the neighborhood was relatively peaceful and had never had any major problems.
From this perspective, she has a significant advantage in buying it outright. Shi Yan said she would go back and negotiate the price, and Song Xinran felt that a deal for 500,000 was very likely.
On her way home, Song Xinran took the bus. It was already 6:30 pm when she arrived. As soon as Song Yu saw her, he ran over and said, "Mom, you're finally back."
Song Xinran asked, "What's wrong? Do you have homework today?"
Since Song Yu started kindergarten, the teacher has gradually started assigning homework, but it's mostly simple tasks like reading to parents or telling them stories.
Song Yu said, "I've finished all my homework."
He was used to reading to his mother and telling her stories, so he felt a little uncomfortable today because the person opposite him was his aunt.
Song Xinwen smiled and kept praising, "Xinran, you have no idea how well-behaved Xiaoyu was today. She told stories so fluently, I think she's even better than those second or third graders!"
Although Song Xinwen also works in the town, she doesn't interact with Song Yu much. She has a job and Song Yu has to go to school. She only knows that Song Yu is in kindergarten and that it's very difficult to get into that kindergarten. She never expected that Song Yu would change so much.
They saw each other often, and their appearances changed day by day, so they couldn't really tell that there were big differences. But they rarely had in-depth conversations. When Song Xinwen heard this, he was surprised. This was better than some of the adults in the village who stuttered when they spoke.
Hearing the repeated praise from her aunt, Song Yu felt a little embarrassed and held Song Xinran's hand without saying a word.
Song Xinran laughed and said, "Sister, please stop talking, Xiao Yu is getting shy."
Song Xinwen said, "What's there to be shy about? Auntie is telling the truth!"
But then the topic changed: "Xinran, how did your house-hunting trip to the city go today?"
Song Xinran said, "It's alright, but we haven't reached an agreement on the price. I'll wait for the agent to contact me in a couple of days and then we'll see."
Song Xinwen said, "Then you have to hurry. Unlike in the village, you can't go to school to register two or three days in advance in the city. Once you register, you can get in."
The two chatted for a few minutes, and as Song Xinwen left, he said to Song Yu, "Little Yu is really getting better and better at her studies!"
As soon as everyone left, Song Yu said, "Mom, today the teacher asked us to tell the story of the Three Little Pigs to our parents. I just told it to my aunt, and now I'll tell it to you again, Mom!"
Song Yu loves chatting and telling stories with his mother. His mother never interrupts him, listens attentively to him without doing anything else, and applauds him after he finishes speaking.
Teacher An had told the story of the Three Little Pigs to the class once, but Song Yu had already read the story before Teacher An told it, so he could retell it without any stumbles. He even said at the end, "The Three Little Pigs teach us to be down-to-earth in our work, and that you reap what you sow."
Looking at his serious expression, Song Xinran couldn't help but chuckle softly: "Does Xiao Yu know what it means to be down-to-earth and reap what you sow?"
Song Yu blushed slightly and lowered her head without saying a word.
Actually, he saw those two sentences in a storybook. He has now learned pinyin and can pronounce and recognize characters, but he can only memorize some uncommon idioms and repeat them like a crow. Today, he just wanted to show off in front of his mother, but... he was exposed.
Song Xinran patted his head: "Xiao Yu, you don't need to say what you learned from the story. It's enough for you to know it yourself. It's okay if you didn't learn anything. A story is just a story. You've already given it the greatest value by liking it."
It would be tragic if reading were always done with a purpose, as it would easily cause children to lose interest in reading. Reading should be something you do because you enjoy it, without any pressure or standards.
Song Yu nodded. He did understand something, but he was too young to put it into words.
"Did Mom go to the city to look at houses today?" Song Yu asked.
Song Xinran nodded.
"Mom, take me with you next time," Song Yu said. "I want to go with Mom."
He felt sorry for his mother going to the city alone. He was afraid to go to the city himself, afraid that he would get lost. His mother was very brave and capable. The first time she took him to the city, he didn't get lost and they came back together.
Song Xinran said, "But Xiao Yu is studying."
Song Yu frowned, also feeling that this was a bit difficult, but he quickly came up with an idea: "I'll go with my mom when I have my vacation."
Song Xinran smiled and said okay.
The next day, Song Xinran did not receive a call from Shi Yan, but she was not too distressed. Shi Yan was a real estate agent and was definitely more professional in negotiating with landlords.
But then Fang Jianmin appeared. This Fang Jianmin was not the same Fang Jianmin as yesterday. After he went back and inquired about Song Xinran, he learned that she was not the small vendor he thought she was, but a female boss who already owned two shops. Although they were both small shops in the town, they were doing very well.
Even so, she didn't give up on the braised meat stall business. Fang Jianmin knew that Song Xinran was a thoughtful and hardworking person. He felt that it would be difficult to control such a person as a subordinate. However, the braised meat stall was a newly opened store, which needed such a person with courage. Therefore, Fang Jianmin brought a more generous reward to try to get Song Xinran to invest in the business.
More generous rewards naturally include higher salaries and more equity stakes; Fang Jianmin also proposed the term "technology-based equity investment."
Song Xinran did not refuse as she had yesterday, and she naturally noticed the difference in Fang Jianmin's attitude.
Although Fang Jianmin has a strong fatherly attitude, that's a common problem among middle-aged men, especially since he's quite successful. The first two times, although Fang Jianmin said he was sincere, his behavior still showed an arrogance that he wouldn't suffer if he worked with me. Today, at least he was genuinely sincere.
Song Xinran guessed what was going on and said with a smile, "Chairman Fang, the conditions you offered are indeed good, but they are not what I want. I also have two shops in town, and I will have to give them up if I go to the city."
Fang Jianmin said, "Boss Song is really young and promising, but the resources in the city are incomparable to those in the town. I think Boss Song is not willing to stay in the town for the rest of his life, especially since I heard that Boss Song's child is about to start primary school. The gap between educational resources in the town and the city is huge."
Song Xinran raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking that Fang Jianmin's understanding was quite in-depth; this was probably one of the qualities a big boss should possess.
Song Xinran asked, "Where does Chairman Fang plan to open the first store?"
Upon hearing that there was hope, Fang Jianmin quickly explained his plan: "On Songjiang Road..."
Songjiang Road is not far from Shuangqiao Primary School, about five or six kilometers away.
As Song Xinran listened to Fang Jianmin's words, she pondered whether or not to cooperate. Fang Jianmin certainly had many problems, but he also had many advantages, such as being wealthy and having prepared a business plan. On the other hand, she was suddenly going to a completely unfamiliar place and would need some time to adjust...
Finally, Song Xinran said, "Chairman Fang, I agree with your idea."
Fang Jianmin's face lit up with joy.
“But,” Song Xinran said, “I don’t want shares; I only want a salary.”
Fang Jianmin was stunned, and almost doubted whether Song Xinran was stupid, since the shares would generate dividends continuously.
Song Xinran wasn't stupid. In her past life, she had seen people use shares as bait to lure others. It sounded nice, but the controlling stake and finances were in the boss's hands. There were plenty of ways to dilute the shares when raising funds and expanding the stock in the future, or to set a long redemption period from the beginning, which would actually hinder the employees.
Song Xinran didn't intend to make this a long-term job. She explained her requirements: "Chairman Fang, I can provide technical guidance for the braised food workshop, responsible for the preparation of the core soup base and braising sauce. This is a trade secret, and I will complete it in a designated work area. I will only train the kitchen staff on the operating procedures. As you know, my child is about to start elementary school, so I can't work in the office every day like a regular employee. However, I will come to the store one day a week to be responsible for the soup base and braising sauce for that week. I won't be involved in anything else. I will also do other work on my own, but I will not be making competing braised food products during my work hours. The success or failure of the braised food workshop is irrelevant to me, and I don't want any profit sharing. I will only receive a fixed salary, and the contract will be signed annually."
Song Xinran's request was similar to selling the braising liquid to Gu Tao and his team, but this time she had to do more. She would go directly to the store to make the braising liquid and train the employees, essentially treating the braising shop as a part-time job while remaining a freelancer.
Fang Jianmin understood what she meant, and his face immediately darkened.
This isn't technical guidance at all; it's not even a job anymore. And the contract is signed annually—they're definitely leaving themselves plenty of options.
Song Xinran said, "Chairman Fang, this is my bottom line. My salary cannot be less than five thousand a month."
Fang Jianmin's expression immediately darkened. These days, an ordinary chef only earns two thousand a month!
Song Xinran's tone was still very gentle: "Of course, this matter is not something I can decide alone, Chairman Fang. You should also go back and think about it. If it's possible, we can discuss it again."
Fang Jianmin was quite cultured; although he wanted to curse inwardly, he maintained a good temper on the surface: "Okay, see you later, Boss Song."
Song Xinran smiled and waved. She felt quite relaxed; it didn't matter whether Fang Jianmin accepted it or not.
If she accepts the offer, she'll feel more relaxed. She can go to the city and have a job, without having to rush to open a shop and make money. She can take her salary while preparing for business, living a leisurely life, which would be like a vacation.
However, Fang Jianmin had probably never been asked to do this by his employees, so after thinking about it for a long time, he didn't come to see Song Xinran. Instead, Shi Yan called first.
Shi Yan's voice rang excitedly on the phone: "Girl, the landlord finally relented! He'll sell it for 500,000, but it has to be paid in full!"
Author's Note: It's the end of the month! Don't let the nutrient solution expire! Water this story and help it thrive! [Sprinkling flowers]
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