Chapter 209 Choosing a Shop
"Then I hope that when I come back next year, I will hear good news from you."
Jiang Mi smiled very happily, showing that she really enjoyed doing these things.
After seeing Huo off, Jiang Mi headed towards Linshui County with high expectations.
Linshui County was noticeably more lively than Shushan County, with many pedestrians on the streets, creating a bustling atmosphere, probably because the Chinese New Year was approaching.
Jiang Mi came out alone this time. She had experience buying a shop before, so she walked around the county town, made a mental note of the shops she liked, and then went to check them out one by one.
She heard that the most crowded place in Linshui County was Liuxiang Pavilion, which was the most bustling place. Jiang Mi went there and found that it was indeed so.
"Shopkeeper, I saw a sign outside saying 'Auspicious House for Sale,' are you still selling it?"
The room was empty; there was no one there. Only after hearing her voice did someone lift the curtain and come out from behind.
"Do you want to buy the shop?"
Jiang Mi saw that the man was only in his thirties, dressed in fine clothes, but his face was thin, and he was obviously not doing well.
When the man came out, he saw that there was only a young girl standing outside, so he didn't take Jiang Mi seriously.
"What do you do? I'm not doing business here anymore, you can leave."
Jiang Mi asked again, "I asked if you're still selling the shop, not if you're here to buy anything."
She looked around; the area was empty. What else was there to sell?
The man looked down on Jiang Mi, a woman: "You, a woman, want to buy a shop? Can you even afford it? Although my business is not doing well, this place is in a good location, and I don't have to worry about finding buyers. You, a little girl, are trying to amuse me?"
Jiang Mi knows that because she is a girl, many people look down on her, but she is used to it.
"No, I'm buying it. What did you sell in this shop before? Since the location is so good, why hasn't it been sold yet?"
The man was taken aback by Jiang Mi's question, and his expression turned rather unpleasant: "I've only just started selling, and I haven't even finalized the price with anyone yet. Naturally, I need to choose a suitable price. Are you still young? Why don't you call your parents over to talk? Are you looking down on me, sending a little girl like you to come here?"
Jiang Mi found a clean chair and sat down, saying casually, "Do you know if there's a Jiang Family Restaurant in Shushan County?"
The man was taken aback for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "Yes, I know. What's wrong? Why are you asking?"
Jiang Mi said calmly, "I own the Jiang Family Restaurant. Do you think I'm qualified to talk to you about business?"
The man was taken aback and re-examined Jiang Mi with a fresh perspective. Then, he shook his head and said, "No, I remember the manager of Jiang Family Restaurant is a man. How could it be you? You little girl, you lie without even investigating properly. I won't fall for your tricks so easily!"
Jiang Mi said helplessly, "That's right. On the surface, my brother is the manager of Jiang Family Restaurant. My name is Jiang Mi. Some time ago, I saved the people of your Linshui County with medicine and lifted the plague. You must know that, right?"
That person knew about it; it had caused quite a stir back then. Looking at the woman in front of him, even though he didn't believe it, he knew that the girl named Jiang Mi was very young.
"Are you really Jiang Mi? You're not lying to me, are you? But if you are Jiang Mi, it's possible that you can afford to buy a shop. May I ask what you plan to do with this shop?"
The shopkeeper's attitude was much better than before, so Jiang Mi had nothing to hide and said directly, "Of course we're opening another restaurant. Since you've heard of Jiang Family Restaurant, it means our business is doing quite well, at least we've made a name for ourselves. In that case, we should naturally expand our reputation even further."
The shopkeeper looked at Jiang Mi with some admiration. As long as you can afford it, whether you are male or female, you can do business.
"What do you think of my shop? To be honest, the location of my shop is excellent. It's right across from Liuxiang Pavilion. Although I've never eaten at your Jiang Family Restaurant, Liuxiang Pavilion in Linshui County is top-notch, no doubt about it."
ginger
Mi glanced at the pavilion across the street. Although it was called Liuxiang Pavilion, it was also a restaurant. People were coming and going at the entrance, and the business looked very good.
“If you open your shop across from his, as long as your business is good and your food is good, you will naturally benefit from it. For one thing, the duck at Liuxiang Pavilion is exceptional, but it is a bit expensive. If your food is also good, but the prices are lower, your business should be good too.”
Jiang Mi pondered for a moment and asked, "Since your shop is in such a good location, why don't you continue operating it? Why sell it?"
The shopkeeper sighed: "I used to run a small business, which was pretty good. I had income every month and lived a comfortable life. Although I didn't run a restaurant, but just a small teahouse, it was already quite an achievement to be able to survive here."
"Yes, there are many shops here, and I see that every one of them is doing quite well."
The shopkeeper shook his head: "That's just what you see. Many people can't afford to buy a shop and have to rent one. The monthly rent is very high. When business is good, they might have some money left over, but when business is bad, they can't even afford the rent. I'm lucky. I had some money and bought the shop. Now my family member is sick and I urgently need money, so I've put my business on hold and sold everything in the shop."
So that's how it is. The fact that someone can afford to buy a shop here means that the shopkeeper must have been a wealthy person before.
"What illness? It costs so much money, can it be cured?"
The shopkeeper's face was full of sorrow when he spoke of this: "She is my child. She has suffered a lot at such a young age. She was born with a condition that the doctor said early on she would not live past ten years old. She is already twelve years old this year, and her health is deteriorating day by day. Her mother cries every day. Our lives... sigh!"
Jiang Mi couldn't bear to see people so sad. Although birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life, she felt that if she didn't help, she would be against her conscience.
"In that case, I won't haggle anymore. How much are you planning to sell this shop for?"
The shopkeeper was taken aback, not expecting Jiang Mi to be so straightforward. In the past few days, many people had come to inquire about the price, but they were all scared away by the price he quoted.
Actually, he didn't inflate the price; he just felt that there must be something fishy about the shopkeeper's eagerness to sell and wanted to buy it at a lower price. However, the shopkeeper kept refusing, and the shopkeeper's requirement for full payment at once scared everyone away.
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