The brokerage firm had several departments. Tao Wanniang and Chen Gui completed the handover at the brokerage firm and happened to run into some brokers they had met when they rented the house before.
"Aunt Tao, are you here to see me?" Xiao Lu was somewhat surprised to see Tao Wanniang, yet also somewhat expected it. She must have been frightened by a ghost and was here to cancel her lease.
"Auntie, we won't refund this month's rent," Xiao Lu said with difficulty. Even in the most difficult circumstances, every profession has its own rules!
"Xiao Lu, here we are. Not everyone can take on a hot potato. This old lady is so pitiful. Why don't you use your own wages to return it?"
“That’s right, Xiao Lu. We’ve been in this industry for a few more years than you. Sometimes, you need to learn to discern things.”
The brokers who worked with Xiao Lu all spoke to him as if they were seasoned veterans, making sarcastic remarks that made Tao Wanniang frown.
"Little Lu, I'm here today with this young man to handle the paperwork for the sale of our shop." Tao Wanniang glanced at the brokers who were making sarcastic remarks. "Since we've run into you, alright, we'll rent the place for six months first, and I'll pay the remaining five months' rent and brokerage fees as well!"
Xiao Lu was stunned, and so were the other brokers. Things weren't going the way they expected!
"We got a great deal to rent a two-courtyard house for only 300 coins. Xiao Lu, thank you so much for taking us to see that house. If it weren't for you, we would definitely have been cheated."
Tao Wanniang said cheerfully, "Come on, come on, let's pay now. It'll be one and a half taels of silver for five months, right? Plus one hundred and fifty coins for brokerage fees. Xiao Lu, hurry up and write the contract. I'm in a rush to hand over the shop to this brother!"
"Oh? Oh, okay, Aunt Tao, please wait a moment, I'll go and talk to our manager right away."
Xiao Lu was both confused and delighted. Had money suddenly fallen from the sky?
"Brother, please wait a little longer. I'll rent this place for six months first."
"Sure, sure, big sister, I didn't realize you were so rich." Chen Gui looked at Tao Wanniang with a complicated expression. He just couldn't believe that one of his wonton wrappers could make Tao Wanniang make five.
He'll come and try the wontons once the shop is moved. Anyone can talk big, right?
After re-signing the rental agreement, Xiao Lu saw Tao Wanniang off at the brokerage firm, his smile still beaming. He'd managed to rent out the most notoriously difficult-to-rent haunted house, and even signed a six-month lease!
"Sister Tao, are you planning to take over this business tomorrow? Then please allow me to finish the business today!"
After finishing these tasks, Chen Gui and Tao Wanniang returned to the shop. Chen Gui clutched the silver and said happily.
"Okay, you go ahead and get busy. I need to prepare some things too. I need to add another large cutting board here, and another large pot here. Your stove is nice. Where did you buy it? I'll go buy one too."
Tao Wanniang was making plans to renovate Chen Gui's shop, which made Chen Gui speechless. Did he have to go through all this trouble to run a small business?
Tao Wanniang already had her own plans. One bowl of wontons wouldn't earn her much money; one bowl wasn't enough to fill her up, and two bowls were too expensive. She also wanted to make some snacks. With her two simple-minded sons, they could probably only come and help out.
Chen Gui told him where he could buy these stoves and iron pots. After watching Tao Wanniang leave with the little girl, he lost interest in doing business. However, he still had to finish wrapping the remaining wonton wrappers.
Tao Wanniang was a woman of action; she did what she said she would do. Soon, she ordered two iron pots and two stoves. On her way home, she also went to the pork shop.
"Big sister, you're too late, there's not much meat left."
When Wang the butcher saw Tao Wanniang, he shouted loudly.
"How much is left? Let me see. Is there any fat left?"
Tao Wanniang saw that there was hardly any meat left on the cutting board; it was all scraps, with an uneven distribution of fat and lean.
"There's only this much fat. Most people can't eat much of this white fat; there has to be some lean meat too."
Butcher Wang took out a few pieces of fatty meat and said, "Sister, how about I give you a discount? Take all of these and I'll only charge you one hundred coins."
Tao Wanniang looked at it and thought it must weigh at least two or three pounds, mostly fat with a few strands of lean meat mixed in.
"Okay, then it'll be one hundred coins. But I need three catties of pork leg tomorrow morning, first thing in the morning. Can you hold onto it for me?"
Tao Wanniang readily agreed.
Butcher Wang was quite surprised. Seeing that Tao Wanniang was with a child, she didn't seem to be from a wealthy family, yet she was so generous!
"Sure, but I can't turn down a business deal. What if you take the person and then don't come?"
Butcher Wang said, "My shop opens at dawn. Are you sure you can come and pick it up, sister?"
"That's about right. Here are two hundred coins. Consider it my deposit."
Tao Wan's mother readily took out the money, "I've bought the wonton shop owned by Manager Chen in front. From now on, how can we go without meat?"
Butcher Wang was taken aback, but he also reminded her, "This wonton shop shouldn't need three catties of meat, right? Sister, you have quite an appetite!"
"I said three catties, so it's three catties. You butcher, how can you refuse business when you have it?"
Tao Wanniang said with a smile, "If I don't come to collect the meat by Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow, then you can sell it!"
When Butcher Wang heard what Tao Wanniang said, he nodded and agreed that the deal was worthwhile.
"Okay, I'll wrap these up for you!"
Tao Wanniang picked up the meat, then wandered around and saw a vegetable farmer who still had some scallions left to sell, so she bought them all at once.
When she got home, it was lunchtime. Her son and daughter-in-law were waiting for Tao Wan's mother. As soon as she returned, Ling Dahu blurted out, "Mother, you're finally back! My stomach has been growling with hunger."
"Hey Mom, why did you buy so much meat and scallions?"
Ling Dahu belatedly noticed what Tao Wanniang was holding and asked in surprise.
"Oh, I bought a wonton shop. Starting tomorrow, I'll be selling wontons. Two pots, two stoves, and a cutting board should be delivered later."
Tao Wanniang spoke casually, in the same calm tone as when she asked what she would have for lunch, but her son and daughter-in-law were stunned when she finished speaking.
"Also, I rented this house for six months, and I paid the rent and the dental work fee."
"Mom, why didn't you discuss this with us? Are you planning to open a wonton shop?" Ling Dapeng said with dissatisfaction.
"What, do I need your permission to do things?"
Tao Wan's mother glanced at her son and daughter-in-law, "Little Qiao'er has already agreed to come with me to set up the stall, so what, are you really just waiting to sit around and eat our savings away!"
"You two are all about height, not brains. You expect me, at my age, to figure out how to earn money to support the family. Starting tomorrow, you'll both work for me."
Tao Wan's mother said with a stern face, "I've started my own business to support the family, so how could my son and daughter-in-law not cooperate? That's just how autocratic and domineering I am!"
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