In that era, people generally didn’t have too many crafty thoughts. The influence of the Cultural Revolution had not yet faded, and nobody dared too much.
But suddenly, she thought of something else, and her mind began to wander.
"Uncle, are you selling this shop?" she asked tentatively.
"Selling?" The middle-aged man’s thick eyebrows almost knotted together, "Young lady, if I were to sell my shop, it would cost quite a sum of money?"
"Um," Qin Xiangnuan pretended to be enlightened, "then Uncle, how much are you asking for?"
"150 yuan, will you buy it?"
The middle-aged man blurted out this price, which was actually much lower than his bottom line. He originally wanted to start at 500, but considering that not many people could e up with such an amount, despite the shop being somewhat old, it was in a good location. If it weren’t for a family matter, he wouldn’t even consider selling it. So, if he could get 150 yuan for it, he would really let it go, as he had no intention of ing back in the future.
Qin Xiangnuan pondered over this price. In the early 80s there were basically no mercial buildings, and housing prices depended on location. Roughly three rooms and a courtyard could cost over one thousand yuan. At that time, the concept of mercial real estate didn’t really exist; most were allocated by the state. Yet, there were still those who engaged in under-the-table buying and selling, so the transaction process was quite simple – you just needed a proof of sale from the village.
So, the 150 yuan was honestly a great deal. Remembering how expensive each inch of land would be here in the future, it felt like a dream to get it so cheap.
Qin Xiangnuan tugged Qin Xiangyang’s clothes and then nodded to him.
Understanding, Qin Xiangyang turned again to the middle-aged uncle, "Uncle, if it’s convenient, we’ll buy this place for 150 yuan."
The owner was actually reluctant to sell, since the shop would no longer be his, and he would have nowhere to return to in the future. However, considering his recent financial difficulties, 150 yuan wasn’t an insignificant amount. After some thought, he decided to sell the shop.
The paperwork was processed quickly, perhaps the owner had some connections. That day, Qin Xiangnuan and their group acquired the shop, and the money was given to the middle-aged uncle. From that moment on, Qin Xiangyang and his sister had their own shop. Their new shop, approximately twenty square meters, looked old from the outside but quite spacious inside. The shop was registered under Qin Xiangyang’s name. Now their household registration was separated from Qin Guohua’s, making them an independent household. Even if Qin Guohua learned about the shop later, it wouldn’t be easy to simply take it back – unless one had no shame.
The siblings also bought flour, rice, oil, and the like; they found a wooden board to divide the interior of the shop and placed several stoves inside with their tricycle. Fortunately, the space was large enough to acmodate the stoves. The countertops and cabinets were ready to use, as were some long benches and chairs. The previous owner didn’t take these when he left, which saved them the trouble of having to customize new ones.
The next day, they would be able to sell pastries in their new shop.
After closing the shop door, they finally went home. They were tired after a full day’s work and decided to get some sleep first. Around 2 o’clock, they woke up, as usual. However, the difference was that now, they made pastries inside their very own shop.
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