The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 700 - 669: Opening a Shop, Buying a House_1

Chapter 700: Chapter 669: Opening a Shop, Buying a House_1

He Tiantian was pleased to learn from Huo Yingjie about Wu Youliang’s plans, happy to have at least one good friend in Nan City.

Huang Jingli was a very smart and principled woman who knew what she could and couldn’t do. Being around such a person was not tiring, nor did you have to worry about her coveting your husband.

School started.

Huo Yingjie and He Tiantian became busier than before.

After the Chinese New Year holiday, Qian Shikun came to get money for the renovation of the Qian Family Ancestral House.

He Tiantian gave Qian Shikun ten thousand yuan and asked, "Uncle Qian, now that you’re busy fixing up the old house, do you have time to open the shop?"

Qian Shikun smiled and said, "I have arranged for the materials, and I have found the craftsmen. As soon as we buy the items, they can start working. I also found a knowledgeable friend to help me oversee the work, which doesn’t hinder us from opening our shop."

He Tiantian nodded and said, "That’s good, I’ve looked at a few shops. If there’s no problem, let’s call Uncle Sun this weekend and go check them out together."

Now that people’s living standards had improved a bit, , their shop should be able to open for business.

Always taking money from her grandmother made He Tiantian feel embarrassed.

"Okay, I’ll call Brother Sun this weekend, he’s more suited for business," said Qian Shikun. "As for me, I’ll just do some odd jobs, watch over the shop, and not much else."

They agreed to check out the shops together over the weekend.

Huo Yingjie also knew about He Tiantian’s plans, and left their child with his parents to join her.

The few shops they were considering were all on the route where He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie went to school.

Sitting on the back of Huo Yingjie’s bicycle, what He Tiantian most enjoyed doing was looking at the surroundings along the way. Since wanting to open a shop, she had targeted the buildings around them.

There were three in total, all with good locations at the market’s entrance.

After seeing them and asking about the prices, the group of four returned home to discuss.

"These three places each have their pros and cons," said Sun Sihao. "But I think the one with the yard, which also has several rooms inside, is very good."

"Don’t you think its storefront is a bit small?" Qian Shikun said. "It lacks grandeur, it’s not impressive! I think the first shop is good, it’s big."

"That shop might be big, but you can’t just fit a pot inside it," argued Sun Sihao. "First, it’s our secret recipe; we need to maintain the sense of mystery. Second, having the pot inside would look dirty. We sell food, the taste is very important, but so is hygiene and health."

"That’s true," said He Tiantian. "What about the third one then? It has a decent-sized front and a not-so-small yard behind it."

"But the rent is expensive!" Sun Sihao made a face. "If we rent that place, our initial investment will be high. Tiantian, how about this, you rent the first one, which is just right and cheaper. If our business goes well later on, you can certainly buy the third location. This way, we minimize the risk."

He Tiantian thought for a while and finally shook her head, "Uncle Sun, I know you mean well, but I want to turn our braised meat into a time-honored brand, so for the next thirty years, I don’t want to change locations."

Qian Shikun and Sun Sihao looked at each other, knowing that with He Tiantian’s culinary skills, becoming a time-honored brand and doing good business was not a problem.

Since He Tiantian had a long-term vision, they didn’t try to stop her.

"Then I will go tomorrow to inquire with that person, to see if he wants to sell," said Sun Sihao. "That house has been owned by a wealthy family before the liberation, and they have several properties. The one we looked at, facing the street, is most suitable for a business. Even if it costs more now to buy, it’s still a bargain."

"Yes, I always feel that business will get even better in the future," Qian Shikun said. "Buying it now is definitely a good deal."

"That’s settled then, I will trouble you two uncles," said He Tiantian, knowing she had to attend school and simply didn’t have the time.

He Tiantian, adept at making braised meat, also knew about future real estate prices being sky-high. Acquiring that large house and yard, even at a higher price, would not be a loss.

If it came to redevelopment, it was estimated she could be compensated with a substantial amount of money.

Never mind that for now, the most important thing was to run the business.

The third location had a row of eight storefronts at the entrance, and a large yard in the back with seven or eight rooms on each side. One side could be used as a storage area and the other as a kitchen.

Buying it meant they could expand and rebuild later if needed.

A few days later, Sun Sihao and Qian Shikun returned with troubled expressions.

"Tiantian, the owner agreed to sell, but the price he’s asking for is a bit high," Sun Sihao said with a worried look. "Moreover, he wants to sell all of his properties, not just one."

"How many properties does he have?" asked He Tiantian, excited by the opportunity laid before her. How could she miss such a chance?

"There are three," said Sun Sihao. "One is the ancestral house; one is a plot of land by Xuanwu Lake with over a dozen dilapidated houses, but the location is nice and fairly convenient; and the third is the place we saw."

He Tiantian was stunned, my goodness, it’s like they say, when you’re ready for bed, someone hands you a pillow.

No matter how much it cost, she intended to buy it.

"Why is he selling the houses?" asked He Tiantian. "Logically speaking, he probably hasn’t had these houses for very long."

"It’s like this, his son was sent down to the countryside as an ’educated youth,’ and later had some trouble and fled to Xiangjiang. Now that he’s able to contact Huaxia, the old man is probably too disappointed and scared, wanting to go to Xiangjiang to reunite with his family. Afraid that the house might be repossessed if they leave, he decided to sell everything at once and not come back," they explained.

He Tiantian nodded and said, "Hmm, not bad; what’s the total price?"

"Two hundred and eighty thousand," said Sun Sihao. "It started at three hundred thousand, but I could only get him down to two hundred and eighty thousand. If we go lower, he won’t sell."

"Two hundred and eighty thousand," He Tiantian paused, "That is indeed quite a sum, but for three properties in good locations, I need to have a look myself. If I’m satisfied, I’ll buy them."

He Tiantian had seventy to eighty thousand yuan, and if she decided to buy, she would first send a telegram to her grandmother, asking her to transfer more money. Once she started earning money, she would repay her grandmother.

Qian Shikun and Sun Sihao were taken aback, but then they remembered He Tiantian had a very wealthy grandmother and were reassured.

"Tiantian, aren’t you afraid of losing the houses if one day policies change and they get taken away?" Sun Sihao finally couldn’t contain his concern.

Qian Shikun had the same worry.

He Tiantian smiled and replied, "The country just came out of turmoil, it shouldn’t fall back into it again. Everything is thriving, and I don’t think it will happen."

On hearing this, Qian Shikun and Sun Sihao took her words to heart.

Since ancient times, when the people of Huaxia Country had money, they would buy houses and land.

When they had enough money, they would also buy a property.