157: Chapter 156: Acquiring the Store (4 more updates) 157: Chapter 156: Acquiring the Store (4 more updates) As soon as Xu Niannian heard about going to look at the store, she couldn’t have been happier, her eyes sparkling with excitent as she said, “Sure, let’s go now.
Just wait for , I’ll be ready in no ti.”
Her smile was very attractive; her eyes curved and her expression was charming.
Seeing her cheerfully run towards her room, Jin Yu put his hands in his pockets, his eyes lowered in a gentle smile.
She was truly a girl who wore her emotions on her face; how could he have ever thought she was a spy sent by the enemy?
What kind of spy couldn’t hide their intentions?
It didn’t take long for Xu Niannian to get ready.
Jin Yu drove her to 241 Daxing Street.
The store was in the center of the county, not far from Li Qingshui’s dried goods store.
Xu Niannian blinked in astonishnt.
She had seen this store before; it was a tailor’s shop, and she had even inquired about it.
The tailor’s shop owner had said they were looking to rent for several years.
Xu Niannian turned her head and asked Jin Yu in surprise, “Are you sure it’s this place?”
“241 Daxing Street, that’s correct,” he said, pointing at the number on the doorplate.
He took out the keys, inserted them into the lock, gave them a gentle twist, and the door opened.
At that point, not even Xu Niannian could have any doubts.
She followed Jin Yu into the store in a daze.
The store wasn’t too big or too small, just about a hundred square ters, an empty space with just one big room.
Since it had been open for business just a couple of days ago, there wasn’t much dust.
However, the inside was already empty.
The location was good and the space was suitable; it t Xu Niannian’s requirents perfectly.
Such coincidences didn’t exist in the world, and they had also rejected her when she inquired before.
She walked over and pulled on Jin Yu’s sleeve, asking, “How did Ye Shaoting rent this place?
Just a few days ago when I asked, they weren’t even willing to consider it.”
Jin Yu didn’t answer her imdiately, his gaze dropping to his sleeve that she was pinching.
Her fingers were pretty and elegant, slender and tender, with round, softly pink-hued tips.
Although she was just holding onto his cuff, Jin Yu felt as if she was holding onto his fingers.
As his straight lips curved upwards, Jin Yu cleared his throat gently, “It’s not a rental, it’s a purchase.”
“Ah?
Purchased!”
Xu Niannian’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened in surprise, “…just purchased like that?”
“Otherwise?” Jin Yu asked her.
Xu Niannian stumbled over her words a little, “No, I just wanted to rent a place.
I don’t have the money to buy.”
“You don’t have to pay,” Jin Yu said, looking at her plump cheeks and feeling an irresistible urge to squeeze them, which made him rub his thumb instead.
“But I can’t just take advantage of him for nothing.”
After her initial shock, Xu Niannian belatedly realized that the property was bought by Ye Shaoting, not her.
She could just pay him rent later on.
“How about this, I’ll pay him the going market rate for rent,” she suggested.
“There’s no need to pay,” Jin Yu frowned, not liking how she was making things too clear between them.
“No, I must pay.
Ask him how much the rent is per month, and I’ll pay him.
I’m not that well-acquainted with him.
I can’t just take advantage of him without compensation,” Xu Niannian insisted on this matter.
The reason she could live in Jin Yu’s house with a peace of mind was that she had promised to give him half of the profits from her future business ventures.
She had no such deal with Ye Shaoting and couldn’t just take advantage of his generosity.
Only then did Jin Yu understand her point of view; his thin lips lifted into a pleased arc.
“Who told you it was him who bought the house?”
“Huh?”
Xu Niannian was puzzled, “Didn’t you say it was purchased?”
Jin Yu pointed to himself, “I bought it; he just ran the errands.”
Xu Niannian: “…”
Shocked for a mont, Xu Niannian regained her senses and continued, “Then I’ll give the rent to you.”
“No need.”
Jin Yu was feeling irked again, highly displeased with her insistence on keeping things so separate.
“Why not?” Xu Niannian stared at him.
Realizing his approach was too forceful, Jin Yu changed his tactic, “Have you forgotten you promised to share half your future profits with ?
Consider this an upfront investnt.”
Xu Niannian blinked, and then blinked again.
“No, but wasn’t it enough that you were going to teach self-defense techniques?”
Looking at her dumbfounded expression, Jin Yu “tsked” and poked her forehead with his finger.
Her skin was too delicate; he barely pressed.
“Are you really silly or just pretending?
With your cooking skills, could the restaurant do poorly after opening?
Half of the profits might be enough to buy this place outright in the future.
Do you still think you’d be taking advantage of ?”
Upon hearing him say that, Xu Niannian suddenly felt it made sense.
But originally, when she agreed to split half the profits, the only condition was that he teach her self-defense techniques.
Now she not only got a free place to stay but also a free shopfront, and both the location and size of this shopfront t her initial requirents.
It felt like two pies had fallen from the sky and left her dazed from their impact.
Jin Yu, worried she might be unwilling, added, “I don’t want to take too much advantage of you, so let’s decide on this.”
Jin Yu insisted, and Xu Niannian saw the logic in it.
At worst, she’d just have to earn more money in the future and increase his share of profits.
Seeing her relent, a smile spread across Jin Yu’s face.
Now that they had decided to open the shop, they needed to start quickly.
The shop was quite clean— a simple wipe down would do.
The place was previously a tailor’s shop, so turning it into a restaurant would definitely require a separate kitchen in the back.
Fortunately, there was a ten-square-ters corner spot in the back, and by hanging a curtain above it, you could easily partition off a small kitchen area.
Jin Yu went to buy bricks and cent to build a stove for Xu Niannian.
Xu Niannian planned to contact a carpenter to rush the production of tables and benches.
Jin Yu, not trusting her to go alone, had to put aside the work he was doing and accompany her to find a carpenter.
Having found a carpenter, Xu Niannian asked for forty square tables and eighty long benches, each the sa length as the tables.
It cost a total of 280 yuan, which made Xu Niannian wince with the pain of spending so much.
She only had 600 yuan.
Now, she had only 320 left.
And there was still the need to renovate the shop.
It was only because of Jin Yu that she was able to save on the rent for her living quarters and the shopfront.
Xu Niannian’s bulk order for tables and chairs made the carpenter extrely happy.
Seeing the carpenter’s honest and straightforward nature and hearing from Jin Yu that he had been in the carpentry business for over ten years there, Xu Niannian wasn’t worried about him fleeing without delivering, so she paid him outright.
However, with so many items to make, they agreed it would take ten days to complete.
This ti, Jin Yu didn’t pay for Xu Niannian.
The main reason was that he didn’t bring any money with him.
He couldn’t quite play the role of a ‘magnanimous gentleman.’
With the carpenter needing ten days, it was the perfect opportunity to renovate the shop.
The most important aspect of a restaurant is the quality of its dishes, but the environnt matters too.
Xu Niannian was particularly ticulous about this.
Having saved on the rent for both the living quarters and the shopfront, the extra money would co in handy for renovations.
Taking Jin Yu along, she went to buy white paint to refresh the walls.
Then, inspired by the design concept of a restaurant from the future, she had Jin Yu drive her to the countryside to cut so firewood and strip the bark from one side, also purchasing so green plastic vines.
Nothing had started yet, but just gathering these materials had wasted an entire day.
Xu Niannian, who hadn’t lifted much, was quite exhausted; Jin Yu, on the other hand, the makeshift mover, remained spry and refreshed.
Such a comparison could be maddening—Xu Niannian was terribly envious.
Because of the incident with Jin Yu getting hurt, Xu Niannian had been delayed for a few days, and only now did she rember that she hadn’t visited Xu Zhiqiang in the hospital for several days.
“Oh no.” Xu Niannian covered her head: “I’m dood.”
The brother whose affection she had so carefully nurtured might have co to hate her again.
“What’s wrong?”
Jin Yu had just moved the purchased items to the kitchen partition and ca out to see Xu Niannian covering her face in anguish.
Xu Niannian lowered her hands, her voice tinged with a sob, “Jin Yu, take to the hospital.”
Jin Yu also suddenly realized that his brother-in-law seed to have been forgotten.
Rushing to the hospital, Xu Niannian didn’t even knock; she pushed open the door directly, “Zhiqiang…”
Xu Zhiqiang was about to sleep when he heard a familiar voice.
He sat up from the bed imdiately, and upon seeing Xu Niannian and Jin Yu, his eyes quickly reddened, and he choked up, “Sis…”
For the past few days, only Li Qingshui and his fourth brother had cared for him, Xu Niannian had not visited for three days, and today would make it the fourth day.
He hadn’t asked Li Qingshui where she’d been these past two days, but that didn’t an he wasn’t concerned.
He thought that because he couldn’t protect her, Xu Niannian no longer wanted him.
At the sound of Xu Zhiqiang’s choked voice, Xu Niannian was imdiately overwheld with guilt.
“Sorry, Zhiqiang, your sister is late,” said Xu Niannian urgently grabbing Xu Zhiqiang’s hand, while Jin Yu glanced at them, his brows knitting into a frown.
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