Chapter 95 The Concept of Separation
Song Xinran never expected such a good thing to exist in the world. Although she found Grandma Fufu's enthusiasm a bit strange, she took another look at the shop and found that it indeed met her requirements perfectly. Moreover, it was located inside the side door, in a quiet environment with excellent privacy.
She nodded and smiled, "Then thank you, Grandma Fufu. I was just wondering how to contact the owner of this shop, and I couldn't find any information at the real estate agency."
She returned almost verbatim the sarcastic remarks the real estate agent had made earlier, which had been delivered in a fit of madness.
The agent's mouth moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but then he realized he was in the wrong and kept quiet.
Grandma Fu glanced between the two of them and understood immediately. She chuckled and said, "Oh, what information could these real estate agents possibly have? They're nothing compared to an old woman like me who loves to visit and chat."
The agent pursed his lips, standing to the side, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Grandma Fufu said, "Song Yu's mother, let's exchange contact information. I'll let you know when I find out."
Song Xinran left her phone number and name. Fortunately, Grandma Fufu didn't extend a warm invitation to visit her home this time, otherwise she would have had a hard time refusing.
"Okay, come over to my house sometime. After playing at the amusement park on Children's Day, Fufu kept talking about Song Yu. I've been thinking about that child too." Before leaving, Fufu's grandmother left with a smile and said this.
Song Xinran naturally said that the child was in school and they could play together during the holidays.
As soon as Grandma Fufu left, Song Xinran said to the agent, "Then I won't trouble you anymore. I've just found a suitable shop."
"No trouble at all, it's nothing." The superficial politeness was maintained, and the agent quickly slunk away.
Song Xinran didn't expect Grandma Fufu to call her so quickly. At that time, she was eating a simple stir-fry and rice at a restaurant. Grandma Fufu's smile was obvious on the phone: "Little Song, I asked Sister Rong in Building 6. She said that the shop is for rent. When do you have time to meet and talk about it?"
A pie fell from the sky and hit her right on the head. Although Song Xinran was a little dizzy, she immediately said, "I'm free now, anytime is fine!"
Grandma Fufu smiled and said, "How about we meet at the Magpie Tea House at the entrance of our community at two o'clock this afternoon?"
"Okay, thank you, Grandma Fufu!"
After hanging up the phone, Song Xinran quickly ate her meal, found a place with a mirror to fix her hair and clothes, and then went to the agreed meeting place.
Upon arriving at the teahouse, Song Xinran saw Grandma Fufu, a woman in her fifties or sixties sitting next to her, and a young man in his thirties who looked somewhat like the woman and was probably the woman's son.
Song Xinran greeted people with a smile: "Grandma Fufu."
"Aunt Rong, Mr. Rong."
Aunt Rong glanced at her and saw that she was well-dressed, had a graceful demeanor, and greeted everyone she met with a friendly attitude. As people get older, they tend to like people who are unpretentious and straightforward.
Aunt Rong smiled, her wrinkles appearing kind. Her voice was gentle as she got straight to the point: "I heard from Lao Jin that he wants to rent the shop at the side gate of our community?"
Song Xinran said, "Yes, I wanted to rent a shop at the entrance of the community. I even asked a real estate agent to keep an eye out for me, but I haven't found a suitable one yet. Today, when I saw your shop, Aunt Rong, I was immediately interested. However, the real estate agent didn't have any information about it. Luckily, I met Grandma Fufu and was able to contact you. What a coincidence!"
Grandma Fufu smiled and said, "This is fate. On Children's Day, I took Fufu to the amusement park, and Fufu accidentally got lost. Luckily, Xiao Song brought Fufu to the security room. She is a really good person!"
Aunt Rong laughed too: "Old Jin told this story so many times today, I can recite it by heart. Thank you, young lady. I often tease Fufu, he's so cute."
After exchanging pleasantries, it was mostly the two older women talking, while Rong's son remained silent on the side, though he also had a smile on his face, showing that he was a kind and easy-going person.
After exchanging names, Aunt Rong asked, "Little Song, what are you planning to do with that shop?"
Song Xinran: "I want to use it to open a restaurant and make some home-style stir-fries."
Opening a casual restaurant at the entrance of the residential area is the perfect idea.
Aunt Rong looked at Grandma Fufu, then at her son, and finally said, "Xiao Song, I think you are a kind-hearted girl, and I can't take advantage of you. I need to explain some things to you first."
“My shop is 90 square meters, and the rent is relatively expensive. If you want to open a home-style restaurant, you have to consider the costs.”
Nowadays, most restaurants located at the entrance of residential areas are small, unassuming eateries with a fixed customer base. Since most people eat at home, not many choose to dine out. Therefore, a shop of about 30 or 40 square meters with four or five small tables is sufficient.
The apartment at No. 8 Tongyin Road has been handed over for several years, and the surrounding commercial facilities are quite mature. There is a noodle shop that also serves simple stir-fries right outside the main gate of the community, and it does a good job.
If another casual restaurant were to open prematurely, the menu would overlap, and the side entrance location would be significantly less advantageous than the main entrance, making it even more difficult for the new store to steal customers from the old one.
Considering all these factors, and given that it was an introduction from an acquaintance, Sister Rong persuaded her that her family wasn't short of money and didn't need to rent out the shop immediately to get the money.
Song Xinran smiled slightly, her expression sincere and full of gratitude: "Aunt Rong, thank you for telling me this. I know you meant well."
“Actually, I used to run a food stall in town, and I really enjoyed the job. Now that my child is coming to study in the city, I've come here with him. I've looked at many places, and there are many restaurants in the city center and the north of the city, but they don't quite match the type of food I want to offer. I want to open a different kind of home-style restaurant, taking a more upscale approach. I looked around for a long time before finally settling on a few neighborhoods. If I can rent this shop from Aunt Rong, that will be the first step.”
Grandma Fu said with a smile, "Xiao Song is a young man with ideas. I support young people starting their own businesses and becoming their own bosses."
Aunt Rong simply explained the situation to Song Xinran. Seeing that Song Xinran had already considered it, she didn't try to persuade her further. Besides, her good friend Lao Jin had expressed his support, so even if the business failed in the future, it wouldn't affect their friendship.
"Okay, if you've thought it through, then the rent for this shop is 2,500 a month, with a deposit of one month's rent and three months' rent paid in advance, and then it will be paid quarterly."
The price was within Song Xinran's acceptable range. She knew that the rent for shops around this community was generally around 30 yuan per square meter, but the rent for the shop at the far end of the side entrance was lower because of its less desirable location.
Grandma Fu said, "Sister Rong, can you give me a discount? Xiao Song is really serious about renting this shop from you, so please don't overcharge."
Sister Rong chided, "Two thousand five hundred isn't an exorbitant price. But if you want to pay annually, we can give you an extra hundred per month."
When Song Xinran heard Grandma Fufu say that she had reduced the price by another hundred yuan, she wondered if this was a trap. Grandma Fufu and Sister Rong were clearly friends who had known each other for a longer time, so why was she speaking up for a young woman she had only known for a few days?
However, in person, Song Xinran readily agreed to pay the rent of 2,400 yuan per month on an annual basis.
Aunt Rong and her son were prepared, showing Song Xinran their property ownership certificate and identity information. Song Xinran checked them one by one and confirmed that the shop was registered under Aunt Rong's son's name. Finally, they signed a "Shop Lease Contract".
Song Xinran had signed such contracts in her previous life and was very experienced. She carefully reviewed the contract, which was very clear and without any traps. She signed and paid the money only after checking it repeatedly.
Aunt Rong said, "Little Song, I wish you great success in your business!"
Grandma Fufu also said, "Xiao Song, please tell me next time you come over and bring the child along. Fufu was still thinking about Xiao Yu while eating lunch today."
Song Xinran agreed.
After returning to their neighborhood, Rong and her two friends, along with their son who had to go to the company, went to the senior activity center with Fu Fu to exercise.
"Old Jin, are you really comfortable with Xiao Song opening a restaurant in that area?" Aunt Rong asked casually.
Grandma Fu said, "Don't worry, what's there to worry about? The child is so big and well-behaved. The adults must be quite capable too. I don't need to worry. Let me tell you, you don't know how well-behaved her child is. Fu Fu played with them all afternoon and talks about it every day after school, asking me when she can go play with them again."
"I can't just tell Fufu directly that we didn't exchange contact information with them. It's fate that we bumped into each other today."
Aunt Rong laughed and said, "That's true. I could tell just by looking at him today. He has a very upright character."
There's something else Aunt Rong didn't say: she's the kind of person who doesn't like to take advantage of others, nor does she like others taking advantage of her. Such a person naturally has a good temperament, but is also quite cautious.
Grandma Fu Fu nodded: "I would be at ease if Fu Fu could make friends like this. I just hope she doesn't end up like Xiao Duo."
Aunt Rong had also heard Grandma Fufu talk about this, and nodded with a sense of sympathy: "I don't know what's wrong with people these days, they can be so heartless to their own daughters."
“If you met Song Yu, you would like him too!” Grandma Fufu’s face quickly lit up with a smile. “Especially since he’s so cute, just like a little star on TV.”
Aunt Rong joked, "Old Jin, I think it's not just your Fufu who likes good-looking people, you are too! You said Fufu inherited his looks from someone else, but I think he inherited them from you."
Grandma Fufu chuckled reproachfully. Who doesn't like good-looking people? It makes you feel better just looking at them. It's perfectly normal for Fufu to keep thinking about Song Yu these past few days.
After exercising at the senior activity center, the two elderly people went for a walk with other friends and returned home relatively early.
As soon as Aunt Rong got home, her daughter-in-law saw her and asked, "Mom, you didn't go to play mahjong today? You're back so early."
"No, I went to rent a shop this afternoon. The shop by the side door has already been rented out," said Aunt Rong.
The daughter-in-law exclaimed in surprise, "So fast! I only heard Aunt Jin mention it at noon today."
"They genuinely want to rent it."
The daughter-in-law asked curiously, "What are you going to do with it?"
"Open a restaurant."
Upon hearing this answer, his wife exclaimed in surprise, "How can you open a restaurant there? I'm afraid you won't have any business at all."
Aunt Rong didn't discuss this topic in detail with Grandma Fufu today. Upon hearing her daughter-in-law's words, Aunt Rong wholeheartedly agreed: "That's what I think too, but Xiao Song, who rents the place, said he's planning to go for a boutique approach."
"Oh!" the wife said. "I know, there's a place like that in my friend's neighborhood, serving high-end private cuisine. It's doing very well. I guess the tenant saw this place and wanted to imitate it."
“However,” the wife shook her head, “she didn’t see the core point at all. The owner of that high-end private restaurant is worth tens of millions and has many friends. It’s all thanks to his extensive promotion that it’s become what it is today. When it first opened, business was slow. I heard that the monthly profit couldn’t even cover the salary of the head chef he hired, who was poached from a high-end hotel. But he had the capital, so he persevered and it took a few months to gain recognition before things started to improve.”
Aunt Rong was also surprised when she heard this: "Is it that difficult to run a restaurant?"
My wife said, "It's not that the catering industry is difficult, it's that high-end catering is difficult. A meal for two costs more than 200 yuan. Rich people aren't stupid."
Aunt Rong gasped, "So expensive!"
Although Aunt Rong's family is not short of money, her philosophy is that money should be spent where it is needed. Spending more than 200 yuan on a meal is completely unnecessary unless it is a banquet. But when it comes to entertaining guests, people generally choose large restaurants with good locations and a grand appearance, which is the essence of entertaining guests.
If you're going to eat at the entrance of your residential complex, it's definitely for convenience. But a meal that costs 100 yuan per person has nothing to do with convenience. The competitors at the entrance of your complex are small restaurants where a dish costs around 10 yuan.
Although this is Aunt Rong's opinion, many wealthy people share the same view: money should be spent wisely, and sometimes they are even more frugal than the poor.
My wife said, "It's expensive, but I've eaten there and the food is pretty good. It's quite famous in the area now, and you have to make a reservation to eat there."
Aunt Rong couldn't understand how a high-end private restaurant near the entrance of the community could be so popular.
My daughter-in-law said, "Mom, let's go out for a meal together this weekend and try it out."
Aunt Rong smiled and agreed, "Okay!"
Listening to his wife talk about it, she also felt that this restaurant was special, and that it was worth the money, focusing on the experience.
However, Aunt Rong and her daughter-in-law felt that it would not be easy to imitate this restaurant, as it would be extremely expensive in the early stages.
*
After renting the shop, Song Xinran contacted a construction team to start the renovation. She had already planned the interior design. She had renovated two shops before and was quite experienced, so communicating with the construction team was not difficult.
In mid-June, Song Xinran received a message from the intermediary Shi Yan, informing her that the new first-grade students at Shuangqiao Primary School could now register.
After filling out the registration form with all the required documents, Song Xinran felt a sense of relief, as if a major issue had been resolved: the problem of elementary school enrollment was solved, and the problem of opening a shop was also solved.
Not long after, the kindergarten summer vacation started, and Teacher An even prepared a small graduation ceremony for the children in her class.
When Song Yu came home, her eyes were red and her voice was a little nasal: "Mom, I won't be a kindergarten student anymore."
Song Xinran patted his hair to comfort him: "Then Xiao Yu will be a primary school student from now on."
"I won't be able to study in the same class with my friends anymore." Song Yu was very popular in kindergarten, and he liked the environment there.
On the first day of each semester, there are always children crying in the class, but Song Yu has never cried and always helps Teacher An manage discipline.
Song Xinran said, "Because Xiao Yu has grown up, although she will not be able to study with the kindergarten children in the future, she will meet new classmates and friends, and they will form a new class together."
Song Yu thought for a moment. In the new class, everyone would be unfamiliar with the new classmates and teachers, as well as the new books and the new school.
Thinking about it this way, he felt a sense of anticipation again.
“Xiao Yu is growing up slowly. In the future, he will go to junior high school, high school and university. At each stage, he will say goodbye to his old classmates and meet new classmates and friends. Kindergarten is just the first stage.”
This was Song Yu's first experience with separation. After graduating from kindergarten, he might never see his classmates again. Song Xinran hoped that he would not be afraid of separation, because people grow through separation.
Song Yu is still very young and may not understand much, but Song Xinran hopes that he can gradually come into contact with this concept when he is young, so that he will be more accepting of it when he grows up.
Song Yu looked up at her thoughtfully and asked, "Was your mother like that too?"
Song Xinran laughed and said, "Mom only experienced the difference between primary school and junior high school, because she stopped after junior high school."
This is the original owner's life story.
Song Yu suddenly asked, "Did Mom say goodbye to Dad like this too?"
Song Xinran was slightly taken aback. Upon reflection, this seemed to be the first time Song Yu had mentioned his father. He was a precocious child and had heard from his aunt and uncle that his father had passed away early. He was also very sensible and did not ask.
It seems like having a mother in your life is enough, but having a father is an unavoidable topic.
Song Xinran paused for a few seconds without speaking, and Song Yu became a little nervous. He lowered his head and twisted his fingers. His aunt had told him not to mention his father in front of his mother, because it would make her sad.
Song Yu never mentioned it. Although he knew that everyone else had a father, he didn't feel that he was any different from others.
But today, when the topic of saying goodbye came up, he thought of his father. He didn't have much of an impression of his father, but he was a little curious about him.
But did he say something wrong...?
When I felt a little lost, my hand was gently held.
Song Xinran held his little hand in her palm and said softly, "Yes, that's how we said goodbye. Although Xiao Yu's father has passed away, Mom still has her own life, Xiao Yu, and a long life ahead of her, so she will continue living her own life after saying goodbye."
Encouraged, Song Yu asked another question: "Will Mom miss Dad?"
He didn't want to, because he had almost no memory of his father.
Song Xinran pondered this question. From the original owner's perspective, she should have thought about it; the old house in the village proved that they had had a good time. But she didn't want to think about it. If Song Yu hadn't brought it up, she wouldn't have even thought of this person.
She paused for a moment, then said, "I used to miss him a lot, but I have a lot of things to do in my life, so I've started to miss him less. Now, the person I miss the most is Xiao Yu."
Song Yu blinked, his wet eyes revealing a hint of embarrassment. He threw himself into Song Xinran's arms and gently hugged her neck: "I miss Mom the most too."
...
After graduating from kindergarten, Song Xinran took Song Yu to the city.
Song Yu found out Yuanyuan and Wu Yaoxuan's address in the city and went to visit them.
His concept of separation seemed both clearer and more blurred. Although he had graduated from kindergarten and said goodbye to his classmates, his close friends who lived nearby remained the same.
But they didn't play for long before Yuanyuan and Wu Yaoxuan had to go on a trip, their parents taking them on a summer vacation.
Song Yu followed Song Xinran around, often checking on the progress of the shop's renovation. Song Xinran was also free now, and the work at the Fresh Braised Food Shop was easy, but she couldn't leave for more than a week. Although they couldn't go too far, they still managed to travel around the city.
After returning from my trip, I went to No. 8 Tongyin Road, where I happened to run into Fufu.
The little girl's eyes widened as soon as she saw Song Yu: "Song Yu!"
Song Yu has always had a good memory, and she called out in a clear voice, "Fu Fu!"
Fu Fu circled around Song Yu in disbelief: "Are you Song Yu? Why have you gotten so dark!"
Song Yu was a little confused: "Yes, I am. I'm not dark-skinned, am I?"
He stretched out his hand and looked at it himself. It seemed there was no difference, except that when he rolled up his sleeves, he could see a slight color difference.
He said, "My mom took me out to play and sunbathe."
Sun exposure will make you tan. When Song Yu lived in the village, many children would run around in the sun during the hot summer. Everyone would get very dark-skinned in the summer, but they would return to their fair skin after one winter. Song Yu was the same.
But Fufu was clearly shocked: "Why aren't you wearing sunscreen?"
Song Yu was a little confused, as she had never encountered the concept of sun protection before.
Fufu said, "You need to wear a hat and use an umbrella! You won't look good if you get a tan!"
She looked at Song Yu's tanned face and felt a great sense of regret.
But after looking at him a couple more times, he seemed much more pleasing to the eye, and Song Yu, who was tanned, was also prettier than the other children.
Grandma Fu Fu smiled and said, "Xiao Yu is still cute even with a tan. She looks healthier and more lively."
Fufu came up with a good idea: "Come home with me, and I'll give you my mom's face mask. My mom puts on a face mask every time she's in the sun."
This was another concept that Song Yu was unfamiliar with, and he could only look blankly at his mother for help.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Thank you, Fufu. Xiao Yu doesn't need to use face masks. She'll regain her fair complexion by winter."
These days, Song Xinran would come to check on the renovation from time to time. She had never run into Fufu and Fufu's grandma before. Today was a matter of fate. Song Xinran remembered the kindness of Fufu's grandma in introducing the shop's landlord to her, and suggested, "It's not easy to run into you. Fufu, are you hungry? Auntie will take you to eat something delicious. After you eat, you can play with Xiaoyu for a while."
Fu Fu wanted to say that she wasn't hungry, as she had just eaten snacks at home.
But as soon as he heard the second half of the sentence, "Let's play together," he immediately nodded: "I'm hungry!"
Grandma Fu just wanted to facepalm. This child is really something…
Grandma Fufu was familiar with the area, so she found an affordable snack shop: "Fufu's favorite food there is cold rice cake and cold noodles."
Fu Fu's eyes lit up. Although she wasn't very hungry, she still had room in her stomach if she ate cold noodles. She enthusiastically recommended to Song Yu, "The cold noodles here are the best! They have seaweed strips and bean sprouts in them, they're crunchy, sweet, sour, spicy and numbing, and they taste so good that your mouth feels like it's dancing!"
Kids always have a sweet tooth, and when Song Yu heard her say that, he swallowed hard and started looking forward to the cold noodles.
My mom used to make cold noodles too. Song Yu can still remember the taste. Cold noodles are very different from boiled noodles. No matter how long you leave them, they won't stick together. They're coated with all kinds of seasonings, and one bite is so delicious that you feel like you're going to swallow your tongue.
Since arriving in the city, Song Yu's mother had never made cold noodles before. As she thought about it, she covered her mouth, afraid that her saliva would drip down her throat.
The cold noodles were served quickly. The yellow noodles were distinct and covered with a layer of dark brown sauce, with red oil at the bottom of the bowl, making them look very appetizing.
The adults mixed the cold noodles and placed them in front of the child. Fufu picked up his chopsticks, bent down, and quickly scooped up a big mouthful with his mouth close to the rim of the bowl. While chewing, he closed his eyes and said, "I like cold noodles!"
Song Yu also picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. His cheeks twitched, and his brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything and ate slowly and deliberately.
Grandma Fufu couldn't help but want to cover her eyes when she saw this stark contrast. Fufu was wolfing down her food like a whirlwind, while Song Yu was very patient and unhurried.
Even when facing her own granddaughter, Grandma Fufu had to say that Song Yu's eating habits were better than Fufu's. He was also very hygienic, wiping away crumbs on the table and being careful not to let sauce splash onto his clothes.
Fu Fu quickly finished a bowl of cold noodles, covered his mouth and burped, then pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth. Turning around, he saw that Song Yu had only eaten half of it.
She quickly moved closer and enthusiastically recommended, "Have some bean sprouts. I love bean sprouts the most; they're sour and spicy."
"Seaweed is also especially delicious, it goes perfectly with cold noodles!"
"Open your mouth wide and eat it all in one bite, that's the most delicious and satisfying thing!"
She chattered on about her eating techniques, wishing she could have another bite. Song Yu didn't want to say anything, but she couldn't help herself and whispered to Fu Fu, "My mom's cold noodles are even better."
Fu Fu, a talkative child, immediately widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Is it so delicious? I want to eat it too!"
"I want to eat cold noodles that taste even better than the ones in the restaurant!"
The little girl's voice was clear and bright, and the content of her words was peculiar, which immediately attracted the attention of the people eating noodles in the shop. Even the owner, who was mixing the seasonings, looked over, wondering if she had come to cause trouble.
Grandma Fufu quickly grabbed her granddaughter's arm: "What are you saying?"
Kids really know how to offend people!
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