Selling wine
"Let me see your shop first." Fu Zhi Qiao had her own reasons for wanting to buy the shop.
The Gao family wine shop was located on a cross street. Cross streets are typically characterized by a shop in the front and a courtyard in the back, and the Gao family wine shop was no exception. The front shop was a large open space, with one side room that could be used as a storeroom.
Just a few steps from the back door is the brewing workshop, which is about 100 square meters in size. There is a well in the workshop, from which the water for brewing is taken. Further back, there is a small courtyard where people can live. It can be said to be a place that integrates buying, selling, and living.
Land prices in Qingzhou weren't too high. Gao's Wine Shop was located on the street, and similar shops around it were worth about two, three, or four hundred taels of silver. Gao's Wine Shop was slightly larger, and the overall layout of the shop was quite nice.
Another, more important reason is that she wasn't just eyeing the shop, but also the Gao family.
Or rather, Old Man Goriot's brewing skills.
The Gao family had already decided to sell the shop. Knowing that Fu Zhi Qiao might be the buyer, Old Man Gao prepared tea and snacks and personally poured tea and water for her.
“I will buy your shop for five hundred taels to help you pay off your debts, but you need to do things for me.”
Five hundred taels? Old Gao was somewhat tempted. After paying off their gambling debts, they would still have one hundred taels left over. They could use this one hundred taels to continue living, or start a new business.
There was one thing that Old Man Gao didn't understand: what did it mean to help her with her work?
"What do you mean, young lady?"
"I can buy the shop, and I'll buy you too."
Fu Zhi Qiao then stated her requirements: she could pay off their debts, but the old man and woman would have to stay at the Gao family's wine shop to work for her and sign a lifelong contract to keep it a secret for life and not disclose it to anyone else.
Old Gao strongly objected, saying, "I will not sign a contract of servitude." What dignity is there in selling oneself into slavery? His Gao family has been commoners for generations, making a living by brewing wine. How can he become someone else's servant?
Fu Zhiqiao was speechless. "It's not a contract of servitude, it's a formal agreement! You can continue to stay here and brew wine. I'm just buying your working hours. I don't need you to be my slave."
So she explained the purpose of the contract to Old Man Gao again.
If Old Man Goriot were to help her brew wine, she would inevitably teach him some new winemaking knowledge, winemaking methods that didn't exist in this era. To prevent leaks, a contract was necessary.
"It's like you're a worker I hire, someone who gets paid! You're a completely free person, just hired for a long time, understand?"
This time, Old Man Gao understood. "But I brew Gao family wine. If I brew wine for you, it won't be my Gao family's brand."
This was undoubtedly throwing away his own reputation. The name of Gao Family Wine Shop was passed down from his grandfather, and Old Man Gao was somewhat unwilling.
What's your brand? Is your Gao family wine famous? If your wine sells well, how come you're so poor that you can't even come up with five hundred taels of silver?
Fu Zhi Qiao was so angry she almost laughed.
"You've been brewing wine for so many years, have you produced any famous wines?"
"Never..."
"As the saying goes, good wine needs no bush, but is your shop really that hidden away?"
"Not deep..."
"Once you leave Qingzhou, who will even know that there's a Gao family wine shop here?"
"I don't know..."
Old Gao's face turned red. Most of his wine was bought by people from the city and the neighborhood.
"So, what makes your Gao family's wine better than others?"
Old Man Goriot: ...
Old Gao was so embarrassed by Fu Zhi Qiao's sarcasm that he almost couldn't catch his breath.
A barrage of questions left Old Gao speechless. He had been brewing wine for most of his life and always thought his wine tasted pretty good. But after being scolded by Fu Zhi Qiao, he finally admitted that his wine was indeed just ordinary.
Old Gao was an arrogant and rigid man. His brewing skills were fine, but there were many people like him in Dawei who knew how to brew wine. They clung to their ancestral brewing methods and never thought of improving them, so they remained stagnant.
There were only two people in the Gao family's workshop: Gao himself and his wife. They had always brewed wine according to their ancestral techniques. The wine shop's output was not large. If they brewed too much, they wouldn't be able to sell it, and if they brewed too little, it wouldn't be enough to sell. Therefore, Old Man Gao always carefully calculated the amount of wine he brewed, enough for the surrounding neighbors to buy and drink.
He had been selling wine for over twenty years and was quite well-known on the street, living a comfortable life. Later, as more and more wineries opened up in the city, his small wine shop was no longer his only option, and his business plummeted.
“If you agree, your wife can continue to work here, and I will pay her wages separately.”
Fu Zhiqiao added, "Mr. Zhou, you should really think about this. You're the one who urgently needs the money right now. I don't care, but can you afford to wait?"
Old Gao was reluctant to sell the shop, but the debt collectors couldn't wait any longer, and each day of delay meant an extra day of interest.
Fu Zhiqiao struck again, and cold sweat broke out on Old Man Gao's forehead.
Seeing this, Fu Zhiqiao did not press him further. "If Boss Zhou agrees, come to the Fu residence in Lingshui Lane to find me tomorrow."
After saying that, he led Granny Cui and Defu away.
On the way back, Granny Cui asked, puzzled, "Miss, why are we buying that wine shop?"
Fu Zhi Qiao smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out when the time comes."
After Fu Zhiqiao left, the Gao family discussed the matter together. They found that Fu Zhiqiao's price was fair and that he did not take the opportunity to lower the price, showing that he was not the kind of person who would kick someone when they were down.
Old Mrs. Gao thought, where else could I find such a good deal? The debt was paid off, and they still had nearly a hundred taels of silver to build a new home. The whole family could continue to stay here and brew wine, and they would still get paid.
A glint of light flashed in Old Lady Gao's eyes as she leaned close to Old Man Gao's ear and whispered, "Old man, we won't lose out on this deal."
Old Gao considered it for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, "Fine, let's sell!"
The next day, Old Man Gao went to Fu Zhiqiao to sell the shop.
Old Gao found a familiar pawnbroker at the government office, paid the deed tax, and quickly completed the transfer of the shop's land deed.
With the shop in hand, the renovation and decoration work was once again entrusted to the Wen brothers, Wenjiang and Wenshan. The Fu residence had been renovated once before, so they were already familiar with the craftsmen here.
Old Man Gao took the remaining money and went to find a new place to live.
Fu Zhiqiao renovated the Gao family's wine shop. The original tables, chairs, and wine cabinets in the shop were too old. Fu Zhiqiao was used to being exquisite, and Old Man Gao's aesthetic sense for decoration did not meet her requirements at all, so she had to tear everything down and start over.
Tables, chairs, and benches were thrown away as they were needed. After cleaning up, the shop was completely empty, with no clutter at all.
Old Gao was shocked when he walked in. Seeing the shop completely demolished, he exclaimed that he was heartbroken. Fu Zhi Qiao added coolly from the side, "What are you heartbroken about? The shop is mine now!"
Old Man Goriot: ...
He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
After buying the shop, Fu Zhiqiao felt a sense of relief, and she could now focus on preparing for her entrepreneurial plan.
Yu Roulan was so shocked when she learned that she had bought a shop to open a liquor store that she was speechless for a long time before she could find her voice again.
"How can a girl like you go out and do business in public?"
A pampered young lady who's never lifted a finger in her life suddenly wants to go into business? This is no joke! Is business really that easy?
Granny Cui, standing to the side, also looked disapproving.
"Mother, we need money." Fu Zhi Qiao didn't offer any further explanation.
She's determined to do business, and no one can stop her.
Looking at her daughter's resolute face, Yu Roulan hesitated for a moment, but finally lowered her standards: "A Qiao, we can do business in rouge and calligraphy and painting, but I'm not sure about opening a wine shop."
"Mother, don't worry! I've planned everything out. I'm not investing much in this business. Even if I lose money in the end, I won't lose all my savings."
Fu Zhi Qiao spoke logically and persuasively, and seeing her daughter's firm resolve, Yu Rou Lan didn't say anything more.
The Fu family has been in business for generations. As Fu Changyue's daughter, Fu Zhi Qiao might have some business talent due to being influenced by her family. Furthermore, since arriving in Qingzhou, Fu Zhi Qiao has visibly become more cheerful and lively. As a mother, nothing makes her happier than seeing her daughter's health improve day by day.
Yu Roulan convinced herself.
Yu Roulan's concerns were not without merit. Businesses such as rouge and calligraphy and painting were obviously more suitable for her, but such businesses were too common in Dawei. If she was going to do something, she had to do something unique. As for why she chose to sell wine, it was the wine shop of Old Man Gao that gave her the inspiration.
Thanks to her past life, she has some knowledge of winemaking.
In her previous life, after graduating, she took over a five-star hotel under the Fu Group and increased the hotel's net profit by 30% in just one year.
Five-star hotels cater to middle- and high-end customers, and the hotel played a crucial role in turning a loss-making hotel into a profitable one.
During her time running her hotel, Fu Zhiqiao traveled almost the entire world in search of various famous, precious, unique, and rare wines, which she then introduced to her hotel. Her hotel offers thousands of wines and even has a special wine wall for guests to take photos.
Because of her status as the "Crown Princess" of the Fu Group, Fu Zhi Qiao has easy access to top talents in various industries. She actively expands her network, leverages the influence of celebrities to drive the hotel's development, and with the help of media promotion and marketing, the hotel has attracted a large number of celebrities to stay there.
People flocked to the hotel to check it out, and gradually, the hotel became famous on social media.
In just two years, she turned the hotel's performance from loss to profit. Then, the beverage company she invested in successfully went public, and in less than three years, she brought billions of dollars in profits to the group.
That's why the shareholders of the Fu Group saw her capabilities.
Fu Zhi Qiao has put in a lot of effort to transform from the little princess of the Fu Group into the heir of the Fu Group.
She also admitted that she achieved success by standing on the shoulders of giants. Her path to success was aided by the protection of her family and the support of her parents, but the ability to make good use of the resources around her is also a skill.
Especially compared to a group of spendthrift second-generation heirs, Fu Zhi Qiao's abilities stood out. At the subsequent shareholders' meeting within the Fu Group, all shareholders expressed their support for her to become the group's successor.
Fu Zhi Qiao is still young. Although she has been designated as the next successor of the group, the day when she will truly take over the reins from her father is still far away.
The title of "Crown Princess" thus spread among the second-generation elites.
*
Drawing on her experience from her previous life, Fu Zhi Qiao searched the world for unique wines for the hotel. She learned a lot about winemaking techniques and had also tried brewing many fruit wines herself, so she had a certain foundation in winemaking.
Especially now, she is in a land untouched by various wine cultures, where she can boldly express herself and create.
Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.
During the renovation of the wine shop, Fu Zhiqiao was not idle. She ordered people to buy a lot of different wines to taste and find out the details of her competitors so that she could defeat them better.
Fu Zhi Qiao pulled Yu Rou Lan, Cui Mama, De Fu, Wen Jiang, Wen Shan and others to taste the wine together. Because her body was only fourteen years old, she followed the rule that minors should not drink alcohol, so she only used her chopsticks to taste each kind of wine.
You won't know until you try it, and once you do, you'll be amazed.
The wines of Dawei are incomparable to modern wines; Dawei's wine industry is still in its infancy.
Here, most people drink cloudy wine.
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