“Eighty taels??”
Zhang Guihua clutched her chest and leaned against Su Dashu. Su Dashu wasn’t faring much better either, his hand gripped the corner of the table tightly.
“Yes!” Su Wenzu said excitedly. “Grandpa, Grandma, you don’t know how amazing Little Sister was! The shopkeeper first offered fifty taels, and she raised it to eighty in one go!”
Su Tian kicked him lightly. “Grandpa, Grandma, don’t listen to him exaggerating! I negotiated properly. There are conditions attached.”
“What conditions?” Li Hongyue asked, her heart racing a little as she slowly patted her chest.
“We can’t sell soy milk, tofu, or tofu pudding for the next five years.”
“What?!” Zhang Guihua immediately panicked. “How can we stop selling? What are we supposed to do then?” The rest of the Su family nodded anxiously.
Su Tian reassured them, “Grandma, don’t worry. Listen to my reasoning first.”
“Didn’t Father say we couldn’t collect soybeans anymore? What does that mean? It means people nearby have already figured out that soybeans are the raw ingredient for soy milk, right?”
The whole family nodded in unison.
“That means the method will eventually be discovered. It’s only a matter of time.” Su Tian licked her lips slightly. “When Shopkeeper Zhang came to me today, I already guessed he was after the tofu recipe. So I went along with it and sold it before others could copy it. That way, our family will have capital to start another business. Grandpa, doesn’t that make sense?”
Su Dashu thought for a moment. “So you mean to use the eighty taels to start something else?”
“Exactly. Grandpa, I want to rent a shop in the county town and open a restaurant. Then we’ll have our own place.”
The air fell silent for a moment.
“I think it’s doable.” Unexpectedly, Su Wanhe was the first to agree. “If we open a shop, I can come back and help.”
Wu Fen immediately turned her head and shot him a glare. “Nothing’s even settled yet. Why are you already thinking about quitting? That accounting job of yours isn’t easy to find.”
Su Dashu wasn’t fully in favor either. “Second son, don’t rush to quit. Wait until things are stable.”
Su Wanhe had no choice but to drop it.
Su Tian added, “Grandpa, I also negotiated two days’ time with Shopkeeper Zhang. We need to sell off our remaining soybeans.”
“Then let’s finish business these two days first. We’ll decide once we have time.”
Two days passed quickly. Su Tian had already taught the chef at Lingyun Tower how to make soy milk and tofu. All he needed now was practice to maintain consistency.
Before leaving, Su Tian found Shopkeeper Zhang.
“Shopkeeper, do you happen to know any reliable property agents nearby you could introduce to me?”
Shopkeeper Zhang looked at her thoughtfully. “Miss Su has new plans?”
“Not exactly new plans. I’m decent at cooking, so I’d like to open a small restaurant and compete with you a little,” Su Tian joked.
“Hahaha.” Shopkeeper Zhang laughed. “You girl! I do know a property broker. Leave the restaurant, turn left, pass two alleys, and find the fifth storefront. Go inside and say you’re looking for Liu Er.”
Su Tian thanked him and returned to their stall by the bridge to help Li Hongyue pack up the cart.
During these two days of business, Su Tian and Su Wenzu casually informed customers that the soy milk and tofu recipes had been sold to Lingyun Tower. If they wanted to eat it in the future, they could go there and the price would remain the same.
Many customers felt regretful upon hearing the news. Some asked what Su Tian would do next.
She smiled and explained, “Our family is planning to open a restaurant soon. When we open, everyone must come support us!”
They were all regulars. Hearing this, they promised to come when the opening date was announced.
That day, Su Tian and Su Dashu followed the address Shopkeeper Zhang had given them.
“The fifth storefront… Grandpa! Is it that one? The one with two small stone lions at the entrance?” Su Tian’s eyes lit up.
“It should be.”
She stepped forward and knocked on the door. “Hello? Is anyone there?”
The heavy wooden door creaked open. A man in a dark blue long robe peeked out. “Who are you looking for?”
“May I ask if Master Liu Er is here?”
“That’s me.” He pushed the door open wider and stepped aside to let them in.
“Uncle Liu, my grandfather and I are looking to rent a shop in the county to sell food. Shopkeeper Zhang from Lingyun Tower recommended you.”
Liu Er smiled upon hearing that. “Since it’s Shopkeeper Zhang’s recommendation, I’ll make sure to pick something good for you. Do you have any specific requirements?”
Su Dashu pointed to Su Tian. “The food is made by my granddaughter. Let her decide.”
“Uncle Liu, I have no special requirements but I’d like the shop to come with a courtyard.”
Liu Er flipped through his booklet. “With a courtyard… I have three options. One large, two small.”
Su Tian and Su Dashu exchanged a glance. “Uncle Liu, please take us to see them.”
“No problem. Let’s start with the small one on the south side of East Street. The other two are on West Street, not far from each other.”
Su Tian immediately said, “Uncle Liu, let’s go directly to the two on West Street. No need to see the one on East Street.”
Though Liu Er didn’t know why she skipped it, he didn’t question her.
Su Tian had already observed the East Street shops. They were mostly upscale restaurants, spice shops, and jewelry stores that too high-end and mismatched with the kind of eatery she planned to open.
After walking about half an hour, Liu Er stopped in front of a shop.
“This is it. The larger one.” He unlocked the door and stepped aside.
“This used to be a noodle shop,” Liu Er said, hands tucked into his sleeves. “But the taste wasn’t good, so it couldn’t survive.”
Su Tian nodded. The place was indeed spacious. The front dining hall alone was about thirty to forty square meters. The basic facilities were complete. The kitchen and dining areas were already separated, both fairly large and there was no need for major renovations.
She ran to the backyard. It was even larger than the front, divided into four or five smaller rooms. In one corner stood a well making it very convenient, and there was no need to fetch the water from the river. In the middle of the courtyard, stood a large tree.
She kept nodding. She was already leaning toward this bigger shop.
“Miss Su, are you satisfied?” Liu Er smiled. “Quite a few people have viewed this place, but the rent is relatively high, so it hasn’t been rented out yet.”
“How much per month?”
“Two taels. Minimum three-month lease.”
Su Tian sucked in a breath. That was expensive.
Su Dashu also hesitated and tugged at her sleeve. “Tian girl, maybe we should go look at the smaller one.”
After a moment of hesitation, Su Tian agreed to compare.
A short walk later, they arrived at the smaller shop.
As soon as the door opened, Su Tian felt disappointed. It was just an empty room with nothing inside. The courtyard was irregularly shaped and clearly unsuitable for housing many people.
“This one is cheaper, one tael per month.”
“Uncle Liu,” Su Tian said honestly, “I prefer the larger one. But the price…”
Liu Er dusted off his sleeves. “It is expensive. But I personally like that shop too. If you truly want it, I can speak to the landlord and try to lower the price.”
Hearing there was hope, Su Tian quickly thanked him. “That would be much appreciated. I really like that place. If the price can come down a bit, I’d like to sign the contract tomorrow.”
Liu Er waved his hand. “Then come to my courtyard at this time tomorrow.”
She agreed repeatedly.
On the way home, Su Dashu sighed. “I didn’t expect rent in the county to be so expensive. If you can’t negotiate it down tomorrow, let’s rent the small one.”
Su Tian shook her head. “Grandpa, expensive has its reasons. I noticed the larger shop isn’t far from where we used to sell. It’s just around the corner. When we open, our old customers only need to walk a few steps so they’ll definitely come.”
“And did you notice?” she continued. “The big shop isn’t next to other food stalls. One side sells sundries, the other sells wine. Unlike the small shop where both neighbors sell food. That could cause competition issues.”
After hearing her reasoning, Su Dashu leaned more toward the larger shop.
Su Tian added one more point. “Also, the big shop comes with tables and chairs. I suspect the landlord wants to rent it as a full package. If we make our own furniture, it’ll cost money and time. The sooner we open, the sooner we earn.”
Su Dashu sighed again. “We’ll do as you say. Once we get home, we’ll explain everything clearly to the others.”
Su Tian nodded. “Don’t worry, Grandpa.”