sjar Chapter 94 Listen to me, thank you, I won't go to jail.
Chapter 94 Listen to me, thank you, I won't go to jail.
Upon hearing this, the other vendors nodded in agreement; that was exactly what they meant!
A large group of people rushed into the west side of the city.
After searching for a long time, I finally found a shop with the words "Wangsi for Rent" posted on the door.
Gao Mengli twitched her lips violently.
After all, this is one of the biggest lies in the world, alongside "seeking a child for a large sum of money," "high-price buyback," and "Pinduoduo is just one cent short"—"Wangsi Rent"!
Xicheng is home to 60% of the vendors in Pingyao County, who do business on this street.
However, this "Wangsi" was located on Xicheng Middle Street, but there were hardly any people there.
As the group approached the shop, a thin layer of dust covered the doors and windows, and several weeds grew in the cracks of the stone path in front of the door.
Just then, an old man with a cane walked by at a snail's pace.
Seeing a group of people gathered there, he stopped and slowly said, "Don't look at this place. Several groups of people have changed hands here before, but none of them could make it work."
"Saying it's a bustling area is a lie; the crowds are all at the west entrance of the city. This place is just a dead end."
Lin Xi and Gao Mengli turned their heads and nodded their thanks to the old man.
Lin Xi stepped forward and said, "Thank you for telling me, sir. We'd like to know where the owner of this shop lives. We're planning to rent this place to start a small business."
This place is spacious, and there's even a drainage ditch at the entrance.
However, if a deal is made, the drainage ditch at the entrance must be covered with a stone slab.
They're sure to revitalize this place once they arrive.
The old man looked at Lin Xi with some surprise.
Did this person not understand what he meant? So rebellious, yet so stubborn as to run into this unlucky shop?
He looked Lin Xi up and down, then pointed to the alley to the west: "The owner lives in the third house after you go into that alley, the one with the old locust tree in front of the door."
After saying that, he continued walking slowly, leaning on his cane.
Having obtained the shop owner's address, the group escorted Lin Xi and Gao Mengli to the old locust tree.
A kind vendor nearby knocked on the door and asked, "Is anyone home?"
Footsteps came from inside the house, and then the door creaked open. A middle-aged man poked his head out and was startled to see a group of people at the door.
He frowned slightly, his voice wary: "What are you doing here?"
When Gao Mengli saw the middle-aged man come out, she took two steps forward and said, "Uncle, we're here to inquire about renting this shop. How much is the rent? How do we rent it?"
The middle-aged man relaxed a bit when he heard that the person had come to inquire about renting out a shop.
He looked Gao Mengli up and down, his eyes darting around, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Girl, the rent for my shop is three taels of silver a month, and you have to pay three months' rent upfront, plus a one-month deposit."
"This rule can't be broken; those previous tenants were a real handful."
Three taels of silver?
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi exchanged a glance and frowned slightly.
Even a lion wouldn't dare to make such a bold demand based on that "prosperous" reputation; his courage is truly commendable...
Gao Mengli glanced at the middle-aged man who was ripping them off, then quickly pulled Lin Xi away, saying, "Tsk tsk, too expensive, Xi Xi, let's go."
The shop owner was dumbfounded as he watched the group turn and leave.
After regaining his senses, he anxiously shouted at them, "Hey, don't go! The price is negotiable!"
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi paused, but didn't turn around. "If we don't leave, how much less will you lose?"
The shop owner hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and shouted, "Then... then two and a half taels of silver a month, that's the lowest I can go. That's the bottom line."
But this time, Gao Mengli and Lin Xi acted as if they hadn't heard anything and kept walking.
After taking only a few steps, I saw Dou Weiyi, beaming with joy, walking towards me with Qin Shen Shen.
Dou Weiyi spotted them from afar and quickly ran over. "Lin Xi, Gao Mengli, did you two reach an agreement or something? Why do you look a little off?"
He returned to the county government office, finished his official business, and rushed over.
I just wanted to see if the food stall owner had gone into the city to look for a shop.
After all, he was in a hurry; he even brought the contract and the red clay seal with him!
To their surprise, the two men had long faces, and the vendors surrounding them looked dejected.
Just then, the shop owner chased after them from behind, "Hey, don't go! If you're not satisfied with the price, we can...we can talk about it again..."
The middle-aged man, who was running with great enthusiasm, suddenly "braked" in front of Dou Weiyi, who had a stern face.
Feeling guilty, he stammered, his voice filled with trepidation, "Lord Dou... why have you come here?"
Dou Weiyi, with a stern face, cleared her throat and pointed to the "Wang Si" shop next to her, "How much was the original rent for your shop?"
The shop owner's eyes darted around, his head lowered, and he muttered under his breath, "It was...it was originally one tael and two ounces..."
Upon hearing this, Dou Wei glared at him intently: "One tael and two centimeters? What did you just tell them? What? Are you trying to rip me off again, demanding an exorbitant price? Do you think I'm just a figurehead?"
I finally managed to coax the snack stall owner into Xicheng, but this bastard almost made him run away.
Just look at the other vendors next to the snack stall owner, and you'll know they've come to Xicheng. This place is bound to be bustling, and once it gets lively, there will be even more vendors.
They were able to keep up with daily business "check-ins," making the county government's business tax register dozens of pages thick.
The shop owner turned pale with fright and hurriedly waved his hands to explain, "Sir, sir, you've misunderstood! I just... I just wanted to earn more money. This shop has been empty for so long, and my family is almost starving."
Dou Weiyi sneered: "Can't make ends meet? You think you can just take everyone else's pots and pans? If you really can't make ends meet, I'll treat you to a free meal in jail!"
Upon hearing the words "prison food," the shop owner was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.
With his head raised and a sob in his voice, he cried out, "My lord, spare my life! I will never dare to do it again. I will definitely rent it to them at the price of one tael and two ounces."
No, one tael, one tael of silver a month.
Listen to me, thank you, but I refuse your hospitality. I don't want to go to jail...
Dou Weiyi raised an eyebrow, her expression softening slightly: "Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you."
However, this one or two taels of silver a month requires a three-year contract, during which time the rent cannot be increased arbitrarily, and one is not allowed to cause them any trouble.
The shop owner nodded hurriedly: "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely do as you say and I would never dare to disobey."
Dou Weiyi nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Gao Mengli and Lin Xi, "Are you satisfied with this price? Although the location of this shop is a bit out of the way, I can tell you're both capable people, and I'm sure you can make the business a success!"
Moreover, it will definitely become the hottest location!
Gao Mengli rubbed her chin, her eyes sparkling.
I never expected Dou Weiyi to be such a bargaining expert!
She and Lin Xi nodded immediately, and the two thanked him together, "Thank you very much, Lord Dou!"
Seeing that the two of them had agreed, Dou Weiyi immediately took out the lease agreement with great joy.
He dipped the dry, cracked brush in his mouth and wrote down the names of several people.
Qin Shen Shen pressed her handprints onto the red clay, and the shop was considered rented.
Qin Shen handed a lease agreement to the shop owner, saying, "This is yours. By the way, thank you for the 30 cash tax."