met free Chapter 218 Buying a Shop in Fuzhou
Chapter 218 Buying a Shop in Fuzhou
Early the next morning, Lin Jingce returned to the county town first, leaving Chen the hunter there so that he could drive a carriage with Shen Wanning to see the shop.
After walking for a long time, Shen Wanning finally saw a shop that made her barely satisfied. What made her satisfied with this shop was that it was not far from her house.
That is, it is close to the wealthy area, which means that customers are more likely to pass by here and it is more convenient to buy things.
Shen Wanning pretended to look around for a while before sighing, "Hey, this shop is okay, but it's too small."
As he said this, he shook his head and prepared to leave.
The shop owner quickly called out to her, "Hey, young lady, you might as well take a closer look. Our shop is quite large and even has a back hall."
Shen Wanning shrugged. "What's the use of the back hall? You can't put anything in it."
"Well, if that doesn't work, we still have the second floor, where we can store some things." The shopkeeper continued.
Shen Wanning pretended to be casual and asked, "How much is this shop?"
The shopkeeper thought for a moment and held up a finger, "One thousand taels."
Shen Wanning turned around and left without saying a word.
The shopkeeper followed and grabbed Shen Wanning, but then realized something was wrong and quickly let go. "I'm sorry, young lady, I was too impatient."
"This shop is too expensive. We can buy a bigger shop for one thousand taels. I think there is no need to waste our time, right?" Shen Wanning said lightly.
"The price can be negotiated. Little girl, please don't be so bad-tempered! Why don't we have a good talk and see if we can agree on a suitable price." The shopkeeper continued.
His shop was in a good location, but as Shen Wanning had said, it was indeed a bit small. Ordinary people couldn't afford it, and the wealthy didn't like it, so it never sold.
Most people come in to take a look, and leave as soon as they see that the shop is too small.
Shen Wanning placed her hand on the counter and knocked casually, "Six hundred taels, six hundred taels and I'll take it."
"Little girl, have you never gone out to buy things? Who would bargain for half the price right away? Six hundred taels is not an option. I can't even make back my capital." The shopkeeper waved his hands and said no.
Shen Wanning frowned and looked at it. "This shop is so small, I'm not very satisfied! If it weren't for the good location, I wouldn't even come in to take a look."
"Little girl, you also said that my shop has a good location. How about this, I'll give you a discount of one hundred taels, the lowest being nine hundred taels. If it's okay, we can transfer the ownership right now, and I'll give you the deed."
Shen Wanning shook her head. "Forget it. I'll buy a bigger shop for nine hundred taels. I'll also make a concession. Seven hundred taels, I can pay now."
"Seven hundred taels won't work, the price is too low. Eight hundred and fifty taels." The shopkeeper gritted his teeth and pretended to be embarrassed.
Shen Wanning didn't want to waste any more time, so she directly stated her bottom price. "Well, I won't say much. Eight hundred taels. Any higher and I'll leave."
The shopkeeper thought about it and decided that eight hundred taels was indeed the lowest price he could sell it for. He reluctantly replied, "Okay, eight hundred taels then! The little girl is really good at talking, eh!"
The shopkeeper went in and took out the deed, and the two of them went to the government office to handle the transfer of ownership. From now on, this shop belonged to Shen Wanning.
Although the shop is small, she doesn't want to overstock it. She plans to create small grids on the wall and arrange the items within them. Finally, she'll place samples on the counter for everyone to try out and choose from.
Now that we have finished our work, we just need to wait for Aunt Zhang and her family to come to Fuzhou. According to the timetable, they should arrive in Fuzhou just one day before the Lantern Festival.
Thinking that they would be treated well when they arrived in Fuzhou, Shen Wanning prepared to familiarize herself with Fuzhou in advance so that she could take them on tours and eat all kinds of delicious food.
After asking the vendors, Shen Wanning and Chen Liehu went to Qingyilou, the largest teahouse in Fuzhou City.
After checking it out, Shen Wanning booked a private room on the second floor for the Lantern Festival. The waiter kept saying she had arrived at the right time, as there was only one room left.
"Uncle Chen, I want to walk around the city. Uncle Chen, would you like to go back to the house first or come with me?" Shen Wanning asked the hunter Chen who was following behind him.
Hunter Chen thought for a moment and said, "Let me go with you. I'm worried it's not safe for you to go out alone as a woman."
"Okay, then let's just stroll around. Uncle Chen, why don't you spend the Lantern Festival with us in Fuzhou before going back?" Shen Wanning asked casually on the way.
Hunter Chen shook his head. "No, I have to go back before the Lantern Festival. I... I have things to do."
Shen Wanning was confused, but since this was Chen Liehu's private matter after all, she didn't ask directly.
"Okay, Uncle Chen, why don't you go back tomorrow? It's too late today, so let's stay in Fuzhou City for one night."
Hunter Chen nodded without saying anything.
The two walked in silence for a while, and then stopped near a stall where a woman was selling jewelry.
Hunter Chen hesitated and asked, "Wan Ning, can you help me pick out some women's jewelry? I don't know much about these things and have never bought them before."
Shen Wanning was even more surprised. Hunter Chen was over 30 years old and still not married, but now it seemed that he was feeling romantic.
"Everyone has different preferences. I can't guarantee that the woman will like the style I choose. I wonder if Uncle Chen knows what the woman likes?" Shen Wanning asked.
Hunter Chen thought for a moment and said slowly, "I don't think I've ever seen her wearing jewelry, but I remember she once said that her best friend had a plum blossom hairpin and she was very envious."
Upon hearing this, the stall owner picked up a pair of silver bracelets carved with plum blossoms and said, "Sir, you have excellent taste. These silver bracelets are selling very well. Look at the plum blossoms on them. They are so lifelike and beautiful!"
Hunter Chen was at a loss and looked at Shen Wanning.
Shen Wanning picked up the bracelet and took a look. It was indeed a nice bracelet, and most women would like it. Considering that Hunter Chen had been hunting and selling his prey over the years, he must have saved a lot of money.
She nodded and said, "This pair of plum blossom bracelets is indeed nice. The plum blossom is one of the Four Gentlemen, symbolizing noble character, perseverance, and indomitable spirit. If I give her this pair of plum blossom bracelets, that woman will probably like it."
Hunter Chen's eyes lit up. "Tenacious, unyielding—that's exactly what she was!" He looked at the bracelets with increasing satisfaction.
He nodded and reached into his arms, "How much is this pair of bracelets? I want them."
"Hey, sir, you have really good taste. This bracelet is not expensive, only four taels of silver." The woman said with a smile from ear to ear.
Hunter Chen was about to pay, but Shen Wanning stopped him, "This bracelet should be hollow! Silver bracelets aren't very heavy, four taels of silver is a bit expensive! Uncle Chen, let's go look somewhere else."