"Mrs. Jingjing, today Jingjing had a minor conflict with a classmate at school. You might need to come to my office." Ms. Zhang, Jingjing's homeroom teacher, stood at the door waiting for the three parents.
"Is Jingjing being disobedient at school?" Although she asked this question, Shu Yan knew her daughter's personality well. She wasn't mischievous; she was the kind of girl who wouldn't even say a word if she was bullied. Compared to Ye Tianbao, Shu Yan was more worried that her daughter was being bullied.
"Don't worry, it's just a little misunderstanding between the children," the teacher said with a gentle smile.
Shu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. When she entered the office, she saw an elegantly dressed woman comforting a crying little girl. Two other children were standing in front of the teacher's desk. One was a naughty little boy, and the other was her daughter, Ye Jingjing.
"Hello, you must be Jingjing's mother?" The woman subtly sized up Shuyan. She was of average appearance and a slightly plump figure, looking like a village woman who farmed in the countryside. However, her clothes were very well-fitting and made of good quality material. She wore high-heeled leather shoes, her hair was neatly combed back, and her gaze was clear and honest. Her attire and demeanor did not seem to be from the countryside. In short, she gave off a very contradictory feeling.
“Yes, I am Jingjing’s mother. And you are?” Shu Yan glanced at the little girl next to her. This was the girl who had walked to school hand in hand with Jingjing that morning.
"I am Wang Yitong's mother. My surname is Lin, and my given name is Hui. You can just call me Lin Hui. What should I call you?" Lin Hui had heard her daughter mention Ye Jingjing several times at home. She wouldn't interfere with her daughter making friends, although it would be better if she could make good friends.
"My name is Shu Yan." Shu Yan turned to look at Ye Jingjing, then knelt down in front of her. "What's wrong?"
Ye Jingjing glanced timidly at Shu Yan, and when she realized that her mother wasn't angry, her eyes welled up with tears.
"Mom." She didn't say another word, which almost drove Shu Yan crazy with worry.
Just then, Teacher Zhang returned with a woman, who was clearly the boy's parent.
"Let me introduce you. This is Wang Yitong's mother, this is Ye Jingjing's mother, and this is Zhang Chenghan's mother. Actually, it's nothing serious. This noon, Zhang Chenghan wanted to eat the braised pork from Ye Jingjing's bowl. Because Wang Yitong didn't want to eat with boys, they had a small argument. Then, during PE class this afternoon, Zhang Chenghan snatched Ye Jingjing's hat. Wang Yitong argued with Zhang Chenghan about it, but the PE teacher quickly stopped them. I also criticized Zhang Chenghan. He has realized his mistake and apologized to Ye Jingjing. I called you parents here today mainly to explain the situation to you." Teacher Zhang told the three parents what had happened.
Shu Yan looked back at the three children. The little boy seemed to know he had done something wrong and kept his head down. Ye Jingjing held Shu Yan's hand without saying a word. However, the little girl Wang Yitong, who was sobbing, opened Shu Yan's eyes. She never expected that such a delicate and weak little girl would stand up for Ye Jingjing.
"Tongtong, we're all classmates, and the food is Jingjing's. How could you refuse? Didn't Mom teach you to be good friends with your classmates?" Lin Hui criticized her child first.
“But he’s a boy, and Dad said it’s impossible for him to eat with boys.” Wang Yitong felt particularly wronged. “Besides, he snatched Jingjing’s hat, made fun of Jingjing for not having hair and looking like a boy, and threw Jingjing’s hat away. He’s not well-behaved at all. I don’t want to be friends with him.”
"Hmph, I don't want to be friends with you either." Zhang Chenghan was displeased upon hearing this.
"Hanhan." Zhang Chenghan's mother scolded him, then looked at Shu Yan and Lin Hui somewhat apologetically, "I'm really sorry, this child is very naughty at home, I will definitely teach him properly later."
Teacher Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that all three parents were reasonable. What she feared most was encountering parents who were unreasonable and argumentative.
"Zhang Chenghan, that's not what you just said to the teacher. Did you forget what you promised the teacher?"
"I know I was wrong, teacher. Ye Jingjing, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken your hat and made fun of you. I won't do it again." Zhang Chenghan's attitude in admitting his mistake was very good.
"No...it's okay." Ye Jingjing glanced at Shu Yan and said boldly.
"Where is Wang Yitong?" Teacher Zhang asked, looking at Wang Yitong.
“Zhang Chenghan has already apologized, and Jingjing accepted his apology, so I forgive him and will be good friends with him,” Wang Yitong said, pouting.
Shu Yan didn't know what the children were thinking, but at least on the surface, things seemed harmonious. After the event, the three women led their children away, while the three mothers chatted more and more congenially. Upon hearing that Shu Yan now lived in the old neighborhood behind Xuefu Street, Zhang Chenghan's mother, Wu Xiuyue, immediately smiled and said, "That's really fate! My home is right there. Which building do you live in?"
"What a coincidence, I live in room 301 of building 5. We'll visit each other often now that we're so close."
“What a coincidence! I live in apartment 202 of building 7, it’s just a short walk away. Come visit me sometime. This is your son, how old is he? Which kindergarten does he go to?” Wu Xiuyue asked, noticing a little boy with a backpack following behind Shu Yan.
“He’s three and a half years old and just started kindergarten at Nanfu Mansion. He’s quite mischievous and doesn’t know you yet. Tianbao, quickly call her Auntie.” Shu Yan pulled Ye Tianbao, who was hiding behind her, out of the kindergarten.
Ye Tianbao called out softly twice, his courage gradually growing. He ran over to Ye Jingjing's side. Children like to play with older children, and now that there was an older brother named Zhang Chenghan, Ye Tianbao was even happier.
"You bought a house in Nanfu Mansion?" Lin Hui looked at Shu Yan with delight. "Then we're neighbors now."
"You're also at Nanfu Mansion? Which building are you in?" It was truly an unexpected coincidence. Shu Yan never imagined that being called to her parents' house once would lead to the discovery of two neighbors.
To be honest, Shu Yan doesn't know anyone in Nancheng. With her child at school, she has no one to talk to, and sometimes she feels very lonely and empty. She used to stay at home because she had a phone, but now she really has no entertainment to pass the time. It's really important to know a couple of people to talk to. Most importantly, they both seem like easy-going people, so she thinks it would be quite pleasant to get along with them.
"I'm on the 12th floor of Building 2, what about you?" Lin Hui was actually quite surprised. She didn't expect Shu Yan to be able to afford a house in Nanfu Mansion. Even the smallest 60-square-meter apartment there costs more than 200,000 yuan, which many dual-income families might not be able to afford.
"I'm also on the 12th floor of Building 2, I'm in 1201." Shu Yan felt goosebumps; how could it be such a coincidence?
There are only 4 households on their floor. Shu Yan lives in 1201, the next one is 1203, and Lin Hui lives either across from her or diagonally across from her.
“I’m from 1208, so we’re practically neighbors now, it’s such a coincidence.” Lin Hui was quite happy. She had always felt that her daughter was too lonely, but she never expected that she would suddenly have a classmate who was a neighbor. From now on, she would have someone to accompany her to and from school, and they could play together on weekends.
Lin Hui bought her house earlier than Shu Yan, and it's already renovated. She can move in once it's been ventilated. She even gave Shu Yan a lot of advice on the renovation while she heard that Shu Yan was still renovating.
Hearing how happy they were, Wu Xiuyue felt a little envious. "The houses in Nanfu Mansion must be very expensive, right? I originally planned to buy a 60-square-meter apartment, but my husband didn't agree. He wanted to wait for the prices to drop a bit before buying."
A large portion of the Chinese population will likely remain on the sidelines, waiting for house prices to drop before buying. Shu Yan believes that while it's acceptable to wait and see if it's for investment, it's unnecessary to overthink it if it's just for personal use. The apartment complex they're currently renting is small and old, and Wu Xiuyue mentioned that her in-laws also live there—how cramped must that be?
However, housing prices remained stable for many years to come, and then dropped significantly in 1997. Therefore, Shu Yan would not persuade the other party to buy a house, lest she be blamed later.
Lin Hui didn't say anything. Buying a house is a big deal, and they had only just met, so it wasn't appropriate to say things carelessly.
Of the three, only Shu Yan has two children; the others each have one. Lin Hui's situation is because she and her husband both work at their respective companies, and the policy stipulates that they can only have one child. Wu Xiuyue's situation is because her first child is a son, and the policy prohibits her from having a second child.
"It's best to be like you, with both a son and a daughter." Both of them envied Shu Yan.
"One is fine too, the pressure isn't so great." If Shu Yan were to give birth herself, one would be enough. Fortunately, she doesn't need to get pregnant or give birth herself; she has a ready-made mother.
Shu Yan had arranged to go shopping with them over the weekend. After taking the children home, Shu Yan said to Ye Jingjing, "You child, you don't even know how to fight back when others bully you. If Wang Yitong hadn't helped you today, would you have just stood there and been bullied?"
"Mom, don't be angry." Ye Jingjing lowered her head. "I promise I won't cause you any trouble next time."
Looking at her cautious child, Shu Yan felt a pang of sadness. "What nonsense are you talking about? Mom isn't angry that you caused trouble. Besides, it wasn't your fault in the first place. What angers Mom is that you don't know how to protect yourself. Jingjing, Mom can't always be by your side. There will always be times when I can't take care of you. So you have to learn to protect yourself. Otherwise, if you get bullied, Mom will be heartbroken. If anything happens at school, you must tell Mom. As long as it's not your fault, Mom will always be on your side."
Ye Jingjing stopped crying and smiled, nodding vigorously.
“Mom, I will be good too, don’t be sad,” Ye Tianbao suddenly said from the side.
Shu Yan couldn't help but pat his head. "You're both good children. Are you hungry? I'll go make you some food."
I don't know if they have rice cookers? If they do, I'll buy one and start cooking before picking up the kids. When I get back, I can stir-fry some vegetables and have dinner ready. Besides, it's really hard to cook rice in a pressure cooker; it's either too hard or too soft.
She still divided it into two portions. Today, she had seaweed soup. She usually likes seaweed soup, but seaweed soup with little oil and salt is really not tasty. The feeling of being hungry is unbearable, and it can be said to be very agonizing. Countless times in her mind, Shu Yan was clamoring to give up.
When Shuyan woke up in the morning, she felt like she was about to give up. Dieting was painful, and exercising was even more painful, so why was she trying to lose weight? No, it was really hard to stick to this. She decided to buy a mirror so that she could see herself getting thinner little by little and that would give her the motivation to keep going.
After watching her child enter kindergarten, Shu Yan deliberately stayed a little later to chat with the parents of Ye Tianbao's classmates about the after-school program.
"That place? I've been there. It's all taught by foreigners. They learn while playing games, and the kids love it. I can even say a few words now. The best part is that it's right next to the kindergarten. The teacher takes them there after school, so we can pick them up after work. They can also go to the training center on weekends. Anyway, the kids just play wildly at home, so it's much better for them to learn something while playing at school." The speaker was the grandmother who said yesterday that she was going to the property management office to demand an explanation.
Shu Yan: She really said everything, good or bad.
After asking around, most of the other people had signed up, while a few others, like Shuyan, were still observing. Shuyan then went to check out a nearby study center. The environment was very nice, and she heard that it didn't require particularly strict rote memorization, and the children seemed to enjoy learning there.
“The teachers are all doing this for the good of our children, so we parents can’t hold them back. You should sign up too, and spend your weekends learning with your child so we can all improve together,” another parent said with a smile.
Since they had already signed up, Shu Yan naturally followed suit. She couldn't let her child be left out; it wouldn't be good for the child.
The training course costs 100 yuan a month, which is actually quite expensive these days. The four-legged money-devouring beast truly lives up to its name.
As usual, after checking on the progress of the house renovation, around noon, Shu Yan went to Lao Hu to inquire about the shop. Lao Hu's door was closed. Shu Yan knocked on the door, but no one was inside. She guessed that he was outside. It's inconvenient not having a cell phone; otherwise, a phone call would have solved the problem. She would have to come back another day.
On her way home, Shu Yan bought groceries for dinner and a full-length mirror. She ate a simple lunch, took a nap, and started her daily burpee workout. Today it felt much more strenuous than the previous two days, especially her thighs and stomach, which were a little sore. Shu Yan gritted her teeth and persevered. After 10 minutes, she finished, panting heavily, and slowly did some gentle exercises.
Looking at herself in the mirror, compared to the first day she looked in the mirror, she had really lost weight. Shu Yan turned around, her life was not yet over, she had to keep trying!
Cleaning, washing clothes, washing and chopping vegetables—it was already past four o'clock when Shu Yan glanced at the time. Supporting her aching back, she sighed at the hardships of being a housewife. She needed to find a shop to start a business as soon as possible and get rid of these trivial matters. In such a great era, with such a great opportunity, wasting time on these things was a waste of life.
I used to have to pick up my child from kindergarten at four o'clock, but now that my child has enrolled in a study class, I can go at five o'clock. This has helped a lot of parents.
"Mom, the teacher praised me today," Ye Tianbao said proudly.
"Really? Why did the teacher praise you?" Shu Yan asked with a light laugh when she saw the little red flower on Ye Tianbao's forehead.
"I've memorized all the words the teacher said yesterday," Ye Tianbao said proudly, puffing out his little chest.
"Our Tianbao is so smart, I'll reward you with a big chicken leg tonight." Shu Yan squatted down and carefully examined the little red flower on his forehead. "The little red flower is so pretty, try to get more little red flowers in the future."
"I will." Ye Tianbao raised his little head, full of confidence.
Children are sometimes quite easy to teach, so the environment is really important. Shu Yan thinks the current kindergarten is good; Ye Tianbao is much more polite and clean now.
Ye Tianbao enrolled in a tutoring class, and Ye Jingjing's class also needs to be put on the agenda. She only attended kindergarten in her hometown for half a year, but she didn't learn much. The teacher only taught her simple counting and pinyin, so she couldn't keep up with the children in Nancheng at all. Fortunately, she was in first grade, so she could catch up if she went to take some extra classes.
“Your younger brother is going to an English tutoring class this weekend. Jingjing, Mom wants to enroll you in an English tutoring class as well, and also Chinese and math tutoring for a while, so that you can catch up with the school's pace and won't have to work so hard.” Tutoring in three subjects at once will indeed be tiring, but the earlier the better, because it will be harder to catch up later.
"Mom, are you signing me up for tutoring classes too?" Ye Jingjing asked Shu Yan excitedly. "Tongtong has signed up for math and English tutoring classes. She even asked me at noon if I wanted to go with her. Can I go to the same tutoring class as her?"
"Sure, when I see Wang Yitong's mom tomorrow, I'll ask her which tutoring class it is, and then I'll take you to register. Besides that, is there anything else you want to learn? Like singing, dancing, or other talents. Has Wang Yitong learned any?" Shu Yan thought it was a good thing for her child to learn some talents, such as singing, which would really be a plus when socializing.
Talents? Ye Jingjing's eyes lit up. Many girls in the class had talents, especially their class's art and literature representative, who was not only beautiful but also could sing, dance, play the piano, and draw. Other female classmates had also signed up to learn, including Wang Yitong. Ye Jingjing was always envious when they chatted.
“Tongtong is learning to dance.” Ye Jingjing shook her head. “I’m going to my tutoring class first, so I won’t go to the talent class.”
"Of course we have to take it one step at a time. Once you've caught up in one of your three subjects, then we'll sign you up for an arts class. You seemed really happy just now, so why did you suddenly decide not to go?"
"My mother has to raise my brother and me, it's so hard for her."
Shu Yan was surprised that Ye Jingjing would refuse for this reason, and her heart ached slightly. "Don't worry, Mom can support you and your brother. You can tell Mom what you want to learn. But there's one thing Mom wants to make clear to you: once you choose to learn something, you must stick to it to the end. You can't give up halfway, understand?"
"I will definitely persevere." Ye Jingjing grinned. "I also want to learn to dance."
"Okay, we'll sign up once you catch up with your studies." Shu Yan herself had taken dance lessons for a few days when she was little, but it was too hard, and she quit after a few days. She didn't know how long Ye Jingjing could stick with it.
The two children were already used to their mother eating different things for dinner. Ye Tianbao was eating with relish, occasionally glancing at Shu Yan, "Mom, this meat is delicious, do you want some?"
Shu Yan gritted her teeth. "You brat! You're being so filial now. I have to pretend to be happy and say, 'Thank you, Tianbao, but Mom can't eat it. You eat it.'"
At times like this, Shu Yan felt she couldn't go on. Hunger made her tremble, her heart raced, and she felt utterly powerless. The thought of giving up constantly swirled in her mind. She went in and out of the kitchen and living room more than ten times, finally standing in front of the mirror looking at the fat on her stomach. She had to persevere. Perseverance was victory. She would be able to wear beautiful dresses and make everyone envious. Persevere…
For some reason, she couldn't fall asleep tonight. When she finally felt sleepy, it was already dawn. Shu Yan washed her face with cold water and went out to buy breakfast. As soon as she arrived at the breakfast shop, she grabbed a cup of soy milk and sipped it slowly. She had been starving all night and couldn't sleep at all. When she walked here, she felt light on her feet, as if she were flying.
After having breakfast, Shu Yan finally felt a bit more human. She prepared lunchboxes and sent the two children to school, where Lin Hui happened to be there as well.
"I was just looking for you." Shu Yan called out to Lin Hui with a smile. "My daughter has been living with her grandmother in the countryside and is falling behind her classmates. I was thinking of enrolling her in a tutoring class, and I heard that your Tongtong is also taking tutoring classes. Where is it? I'll go check it out."
"It's not far, just in the residential area behind the school. It's run by a few retired professors from Nancheng University. They're very good at teaching children, and many people have signed up there. I have to go to work right away. How about this, when you pick up your child this afternoon, I'll take you there." Lin Hui had to go to work and couldn't chat with Shu Yan for too long, so she left after saying that.
I didn't expect him to be a retired professor from Nancheng University. After checking him out that night and finding no problems, I immediately enrolled my daughter.
After dropping Ye Tianbao off, Shu Yan didn't go to see the house renovation; instead, she went straight to find Lao Hu, thankfully not leaving the house.
"Oh! Ms. Shu, I was just about to come find you later." Old Hu quickly greeted Shu Yan and ushered her inside.
"How about it? Do you have any storefronts for sale?" If it's suitable, she'll buy two, run a small business in peace, save money to buy two small, dilapidated courtyard houses in the suburbs, and when the land is demolished and the two children receive compensation, she'll give them half each. That way, she'll have done right by them.
"The houses over there are easy to rent now, over a thousand yuan a month. They're like golden geese laying gold, who would be willing to sell?" Old Hu has been running all over Chengnan West Road these past few days, using all sorts of connections, but no one's selling. They say one shop can support three generations, who would sell such a prime location? "But I found a clothing store that wants to transfer ownership, do you want to go take a look?"
Shu Yan wasn't disappointed. She hadn't had high hopes to begin with. Buying a house isn't easy, and even if someone was selling, she would still look at it carefully.
"How's the location? How does the owner plan to transfer it?" Most people rent houses to do business. Shu Yan thinks that as long as the location is good and the landlord is decent, renting a storefront to open a shop is a good idea.
The location of the shop that Lao Hu found was excellent, just a two or three-minute walk from the intersection. There were two shops in total, totaling 100 square meters. However, the clothes sold inside were a bit hard to describe; they felt rather cheap.
Chengnan West Road targets the mid-to-high-end market, and most of the shoppers here are women from well-off families or who have jobs. This clothing store's positioning is problematic. If it intends to offer affordable and high-quality products, it shouldn't be located on Jin Street. There are many clothing stores in the alleys nearby; it would be much better to open there.
"My clothing store is doing very well. If it weren't for some things happening back home, I really wouldn't want to sell it." The proprietress had long, wavy hair, wore a red dress, and had light makeup on; she looked quite stylish.
Take that with a grain of salt. If business were really good, why would they be willing to sell? Just look at the employees in the store and you can see the problem. Such a big store only has the owner and one employee, and the employee looks lazy. Moreover, the lights aren't even on. When you open a business, you need to turn on the lights and make it bright so that people will come in. This place is dark and looks deserted. Even if the clothes are nice, people won't come in, let alone these clothes which aren't even that nice.
“Boss lady, I was here yesterday. This is my friend who’s looking for a shop. Let’s skip the formalities and just tell me how you want to transfer the business and how much it costs,” Old Hu said.
"There are two transfer options: 3,000 yuan for an empty shop and 10,000 yuan for the entire shop. I still have so much stock here, I'm really losing money." The proprietress looked distressed.
"Boss lady, that's not fair. Where in this house are there goods worth seven thousand yuan?" Old Hu said with a smile.
Although he didn't make enough clothes, he could tell that the clothes here weren't good quality, costing at most three thousand yuan.
"The clothes aren't worth much, but the cash register, hangers, and sofa are valuable. I spent a lot of money on these things back then," the proprietress retorted.
Shu Yan had already returned from her rounds. She smiled when she heard what the proprietress said. She didn't want any of these things. She would definitely have to renovate them later. At least she didn't like them as they were now.
"I don't want anything; I only want to transfer ownership of the empty shop," Shu Yan declared decisively. "How long until the rent is due? What did the landlord say?"
The biggest problem for her is the rent; if the landlord is not good, everything else is useless.
"The rent is due in a few months, and the landlord is very easy to talk to, so you don't need to worry about that. If you want to transfer the business as an empty shop, that's fine too. I'll have someone move the stuff out later," the proprietress said with a smile.
"Do you have a rental agreement? I'd like to see it. Also, I need to meet the landlord before I can transfer the lease." Are you kidding me? Whatever you say goes. I absolutely have to meet the landlord in person and reach an agreement before I can take over. Otherwise, who will I turn to after she takes the money?
The proprietress was taken aback, then laughed and said, "You're being too cautious. Do I look like someone who would scam people?"
The contract stated that it would expire in a little over a month and three days, but she insisted on making it seem like it would last for several months. This was the biggest lie. Shu Yan glanced at her and became even more determined to meet the landlord.
Unfortunately, the landlord is away on a business trip today and said he won't be back until the day after tomorrow, so we'll just have to wait until then.
“Ms. Shu, do you want the storefront on Chengnan West Road? Actually, there are several other good streets nearby. I’ve been observing them for a long time, and their businesses aren’t much worse than those on Chengnan West Road. There’s even a house for sale in one of them. Would you like to take a look?” Old Hu carefully observed Shu Yan’s expression.
"That works too." Actually, it doesn't have to be Chengnan West Road. Any good storefront is fine. The storefronts in this area will increase a hundredfold in the future, so you definitely won't lose money.
Shu Yan knew the street Lao Hu mentioned, but it was mostly restaurants, and clothing stores didn't do very well. The store he mentioned had a good location, and when she asked, wow, it cost a million! Even a lion wouldn't be able to ask for that much.
"I didn't expect the boss to ask for such a high price," Lao Hu said apologetically.
"That's none of your business. Could you please continue to help me find a storefront? It doesn't have to be on Chengnan West Road, anywhere else is fine too. Also, keep an eye on that shop on Chengnan West Road for me. If it's okay, I'll take it over. And then there's the clothing factory issue. Could you help me see which one is better? I'll go check it out later." The house is bought, the children are all in school, and these days money is only going out, not coming in. I need to start a business and make money as soon as possible.
There are also clothing factories in Nancheng, but most of them are in Hangzhou. Many people go there to buy their goods because it's a bit far. Shuyan plans to buy her goods there first, and then cooperate with local clothing factories to produce and sell her own clothes later.
Old Hu had to go back first, so Shu Yan stayed here to wander around. There were no major changes, just some small places that had changed. Overall, it didn't have a big impact. Actually, there was enough space to open a jewelry store here, but unfortunately, there were no other storefronts available for transfer. It seems that business on this street is indeed quite good.
It's a seven or eight-stop bus ride from Chengnan West Road to Xuefu Street. On such a hot day, Shu Yan was too lazy to go back, so she just found a small shop and ate a bowl of noodles to pass the time.
In the afternoon, she visited the surrounding area. Many places were filled with low, old houses that would eventually be replaced by high-rise buildings. It was a pity she didn't have the capital; otherwise, buying land and building houses would have been the most profitable thing to do.
First, they went to pick up Ye Tianbao. When they arrived at Chengxi Elementary School, school had just let out. Lin Hui rode over on her bicycle and smiled at Shu Yan, saying, "Come on, I'll take you to see the tutoring classes."
It's not a formal tutoring center; it's just a room in their own house that they've set aside as a classroom. Many children come here for tutoring, and the small room is crammed with kids.
Wang Yitong's Chinese language grades are very good, so she doesn't need extra tutoring. She only studies math and English. Ye Jingjing's foundation is weak, so she needs tutoring in all three main subjects. The tutoring fee is thirty yuan a month, which is ninety yuan for all three subjects. It's neither too high nor too low. Shu Yan paid the money, and classes will officially start tomorrow.
The next day, as soon as Shu Yan returned home, Lao Hu came to her door and said that the landlord of Chengnan West Road had returned early and that the house would definitely be rented out, but the landlord would not sign a long-term lease, only a one-year lease, and the rent would be determined based on the rent of the neighbors, meaning that he would pay the same rent as the surrounding houses.
How can she run this business? She only signs a one-year lease. What if she finishes decorating and starts a business, but then the landlord suddenly stops renting to her? She'll lose a fortune. That's definitely not going to work.
"The lease will be for at least three years, with an annual increase of 10%. I will have priority in renting the property after the lease expires, and I will also have the right to transfer ownership." Shu Yan agreed on the terms with Lao Hu, and then let him handle the details.
It wasn't until three days later that Shu Yan received a message from Lao Hu saying that he could agree to Shu Yan's conditions, but the details would need to be discussed in person.
"The house can only be transferred to people in the same industry. If it's to someone else, you have to get my permission. This house is so new, you definitely can't transfer it to someone else to open a restaurant. Also, the rent will increase by 15% every year." The landlord was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing glasses, and looked very shrewd.
Shu Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Okay, but we need to add a breach of contract clause. If either party breaches the contract during the period, they must compensate the other party with ten times the rent."
"Double it," the landlord said, frowning.
After Lao Hu's consultation, it was finally decided to triple the amount.
The clothing store's lease expires in a month, and she's sticking to her price of 3,000 yuan for the empty store transfer. This price is a bit high, and Shu Yan naturally won't be a sucker.
In the end, Lao Hu negotiated a price of 1,500 yuan, and the proprietress gave him a cash register as a bonus.
"Don't you want this sofa? I bought it only a year ago, haven't used it much, it's still 90% new. If you want it, take it for fifty. And these clothes racks, they're all brand new, I'll pack them up for you for one hundred yuan." The shopkeeper enthusiastically recommended.
The red sofa looks quite new, and she does need a clothes rack, but not bargaining isn't a good habit.
"Give me a hundred yuan to pack everything up. You won't have much use for these things if you take them back. It will cost you money to hire someone to carry them."
The proprietress didn't look too happy, but in the end she agreed to give her 100 yuan and leave all the items to Shuyan.
"Do you want the clothes? I'll give them all to you for a thousand yuan." She has several thousand yuan worth of goods here; it hurts just thinking about it.
Shu Yan shook her head. Forget about the clothes. She planned to renovate the house and put all the clothes back on the shelves. Her taste, if not outstanding, was definitely more fashionable than most people's at the moment.
The proprietress wasn't wearing makeup today and looked very haggard. As she walked out the door, she glanced back at the clothing store a few times and sighed, "Several owners of this store have failed to keep it going. Everyone says it's bad feng shui. You'd better watch out."
"Don't talk nonsense. This is a new society now. Who still believes in feudal superstitions?" The landlord glanced at Shu Yan cautiously, afraid that she would believe it. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with my house. It's her own fault for not knowing how to do business. How can you blame the shop?"
Shu Yan's expression was not good. She used to not believe in these things, but ever since she found out that she had transmigrated into a book, she had become much more respectful of ghosts and gods. Of course, she knew in her heart that the boss was having problems with his business, but she still felt a little uncomfortable.
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with my house. If you keep talking nonsense, I'll call the police." The landlord glared fiercely at the landlady.
"I was just saying," the proprietress said with an embarrassed smile. She had just lost a lot of money and was in a bad mood.
The rent is 800 a month, the same as in 1992. With water, electricity and other miscellaneous expenses, you'd really go bankrupt if you didn't have any business.
Old Hu nodded and leaned closer to Shu Yan, whispering, "This price is quite fair."
In fact, Shu Yan had already inquired about it yesterday, and it was indeed fair. "Can't we sign for a longer period?"
"Three years is a long time. The neighboring properties are all on one-year leases, and my rent increase is so small." The rent on this street has been rising every year for the past two years, and who knows how much it will rise next year. He feels like he's been ripped off.
"Alright, let's sign the contract." Shu Yan was a decisive person; once she made a decision, she would do it.
Author's Note: This is now a paid subscription! I hope you all will continue to support me, muah! (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
Next novel, please add to your reading list: Transmigrated as the Heiress's Wealthy Mother-in-Law
Synopsis: Upon waking up, Xin Mo not only became a mother, but also the legendary wealthy mother-in-law who told the female lead to get lost with a five million yuan check...
Holding the check he had just written, Xin Mo calmly put it back: "I've thought about it. Solving problems with money is too vulgar and would tarnish your noble and pure character. Since you only love him as a person, then from now on, please work hard together. Good luck!"
Female lead: ...
An older single woman transmigrates into the body of a wealthy socialite; the more elegant and refined she was before, the more her persona crumbles afterward...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
