Granny Lu is no ordinary rural old lady now; having run her own business for so many years, she wasn’t exactly a business shark, but she knew well enough where the best spots for food selling were. Places crossroads where foot traffic was high, and areas with lots of factories, schools, and offices were bound to do good business, and there was a vegetable market here too. Being close to the market could also drive some business.
It’s just a pity that these premises were already built but not for sale, and she was too late in asking. The more astute had come and reserved their spaces long before her, and now she was too late even to rent a place.
Granny Lu stopped in her tracks, eyeing the two-story shop with envy. It was indeed spacious inside, and sometimes she thought about how she could sell a lot more items if she had a shop .
"Ah..." She sighed once more.
"What’s the matter, Granny?" Qin Xiangnuan’s gaze rested on her own shop, the keys to which she had received a few days ago. The place was renovated and ready for use at any time.
"It’s nothing," Granny Lu wanted to laugh but couldn’t manage to, then she sighed involuntarily, "Granny just has some regrets about not listening to you back then."
"Huh?" Chun Xiangnuan was somewhat baffled by what Granny Lu said.
"Granny, is it because they’re not letting you sell by the park anymore?" Only then did she remember that there seemed to be a recent redevelopment plan for the park area, which meant their little shop would have to be demolished. Since that was the case, they could no longer sell there.
Granny Lu didn’t want to talk about it, but there was no helping it, and she ended up sighing once again, "Yes, the park area has notified us that they’re closing it, so the shop there has to be torn down. It seems we’ll have to find a new location."
They couldn’t just give up their business; it accounted for their family’s major expenses throughout the year, amounting to over ten thousand yuan. If they really stopped, it wouldn’t just be a pity; without this business, what would she do here?
"How good would it have been if we had bought this place back then," Granny Lu now desired nothing more than one of these shops. A few had already opened, but none of them conflicted with their business. Every time she passed by, the place was packed with people. She was truly envious; it’s just a pity that it was no longer an option for them.
"Granny likes it here,"
Qin Xiangnuan stopped again, right in front of her shop. Lately, there seemed to have been quite a few inquiries about this shop – perhaps they wanted to rent it?
Of course, Granny Lu loved it. Now that she thought about it, her heart ached. How great it would have been if she had listened to you and bought this place.
"Then let’s move our store over here," Qin Xiangnuan hugged Granny Lu’s arm and rubbed her little face against Granny Lu’s arm.
"Hehe..." Granny Lu ruffled her granddaughter’s hair.
"Let’s not talk about this anymore. In a few days, Granny will find another suitable place. If we must, setting up a roadside stall would do as well," There surely would be space available in such a vast place where they could sell their goods.
Qin Xiangnuan just smiled silently, knowing that whatever she said, Granny Lu wouldn’t believe her now. They could just move in tomorrow, couldn’t they?
The two of them went to the greenhouse to pick some vegetables, and on the way back, Granny Lu again sighed longingly at the sight of the two-story shop.
And with the park area requiring them to relocate soon, Granny Lu had no choice but to move their things back home for now.
Qin Xiangyang brought his classmates over, several sturdy young men with quite some strength, and they pushed the family’s tricycle, loading the stove, cutting boards, and whatnot onto it. But instead of going back to the Siheyuan, they headed to the shop that had made Granny Lu so envious.
"What are we doing here?"
Having followed Qin Xiangyang here, Granny Lu was completely confused the whole way.
"Granny, this is our new shop," Qin Xiangyang said with a grin, revealing a nice set of white teeth – a sign of good health.
"Our shop, a new one? That’s impossible, right?" Granny Lu couldn’t believe it. She had asked around, and every shop had already been rented out. Moreover, those commercial spaces weren’t for sale – how could they possibly have gotten one?
Yes, it’s ours. Qin Xiangyang fumbled in his pocket for a while before finally producing a set of keys.
With a click, he unlocked the door, leaving Granny Lu no choice but to believe it now.
With the keys in hand, could there be any doubt?
Qin Xiangyang and Li Dongsheng, with their classmates, hastily moved the stove inside. The shop had two floors and was quite spacious with a front and a rear door, the latter leading to the restroom. This place was originally designed for catering; thus, the water taps and other fixtures had all been installed, and mainly, there was enough room for a good number of tables and chairs.
After the park’s relocation, Xie Yonghong had already found another spot, inviting Granny Lu to join. However, Granny Lu found it too far, and since Xie Yonghong could now manage on her own, Granny Lu let her set up her own shop.
Granny Lu had been contemplating starting up something bigger, incorporating more items, and hiring one or two people which could increase the profits each month.
The young men quickly began to clean up. The place wasn’t actually very dirty, having been cleaned after the construction was completed, and Qin Xiangnuan had swept through it a few times, so a slight dusting was all that was needed to get the business going.
Utilities were convenient here; even using the restroom was easy, just open a door and you’re there. The space was ample, the upper floor could be used for living, so if people came to eat, it wouldn’t feel cramped at all, and there was also ample space in front of the door for a few more tables.
Only after everything was tidied up did Granny Lu still feel somewhat skeptical of her own eyes.
On the way back, Qin Xiangnuan was bathing Conghua, who haughtily lifted its head while Qin Jinuan combed its fur.
Conghua had grown up quite healthy and handsome, a splendid dog indeed. Regardless of being lazy or gluttonous, its pedigree was top-notch, making it grow into a fine dog.
"Nuannuan, come over here."
Granny Lu sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, her heart thumping wildly.
Qin Xiangnuan stood up, letting Conghua play by itself, washed her hands, and then came over, sitting opposite Granny Lu.
"Granny, do you have something to say?" She actually knew what Granny Lu wanted to ask – Granny must have been surprised by the unexpected good news.
"Nuannuan, tell Granny," Granny Lu patted her chest, then cautiously asked Qin Xiangnuan, "Is that shop really ours?"
"Yes," Qin Xiangnuan looked her in the eye, "Granny, it truly is ours. I bought it."
But Granny Lu still found it hard to believe, "I asked around, and they said those shops weren’t for sale."