Seventeen Again: The Sweet Life with My Family

Chapter 43: Shop

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As they sat down to eat dinner, Wen Yu shared some exciting news. “I’ve found the perfect shop!” she exclaimed.

Upon hearing Wen Yu’s announcement, Wen Nian set aside her history book and eagerly rushed out of the bedroom. “Where is it? How old is it?”

Wen Yu took off her bag and beamed as she shared more details. “It’s also located near the school, but closer to Xifeng Court, so it’s a bit pricier. However, the location is excellent, and it’ll be worth it,” she explained.

Wen Xing helped his wife bring the dishes to the table and overheard the conversation. He expressed his concern and asked, “How much will it cost per month?”

Wen Yu provided a brief overview of the situation. “It’ll cost 3,000 yuan per month, and the lease will start in six months. The shop is 85 square meters, and the current owner is running a stir-fry restaurant but wants to accompany his son to university, which is why he is transferring it,” she explained.

Wen Yu then turned to Wen Nian and added, “Do you remember the restaurant ‘Stir-Fry Every Day’? It’s affordable and popular among students. It has a good reputation in our school. Today, I saw the owner putting up a transfer notice outside the shop, and I made an appointment to visit it tomorrow morning.” After her rebirth, Wen Nian had gotten used to eating at the school canteen every day. She doesn’t remember “Stir-fry Every Day” at all, but she still nodded and said, “Yeah, I know. Mom, since Wen Yu had already scheduled an appointment, let’s go and take a look at the shop tomorrow.”

When Zhou Mei heard the monthly rent, she suddenly became hesitant. “3,000 yuan a month? That’s quite expensive. Our family’s three-bedroom apartment’s rent is only 1,200 yuan a month. If no one eats at our restaurant, we would have to starve and wake up everyday just to pay 3,000 yuan every month.”

The couple had always been farmers or workers for others. They had no prior business experience. They initially thought that renting a small shop would not be too expensive. But upon hearing the price, they suddenly lost their confidence.

Seeing their hesitation, Wen Nian quickly tried to encourage her parents. “Mom, don’t just focus on the rent. You have to consider the potential customer flow. Otherwise, why would the landlord charge such a high price? They know that the location is valuable and there will be demand for it. Our school is always busy and finding a suitable shop is not easy. My brother and I have been looking around for a while but haven’t found anything better. That’s why this shop is worth considering.”

“Besides, a bowl of noodles can be sold for between 8 to 20 yuan. After deducting the cost of the ingredients, I think a bowl of noodles will earn at least 4- to 5 yuan. Taking the average, it’s 4.5 yuan per bowl! With the shop being near the school and the surrounding residential buildings and considering the people working nearby, we will definitely have no problem selling 100 bowls during each mealtime in the morning, noon, and night. That’s 450 yuan a day, which is 13,500 yuan in revenue per month.”

“I’ve factored in the highest possible amount for the utility bills, which comes to around 2,000 yuan per month. After deducting the rent, we’ll still have around 8,500 yuan left. You and Dad work so hard and only earn about 5,000 yuan per month, while also having to endure the supervisor’s anger.”

Zhou Mei and Wen Xing looked at each other and thought for a moment before saying, “Then let’s go take a look tomorrow.”

Wen Yu secretly gave Wen Nian a thumbs up. This was the first time he realized that his sister was so persuasive.

Certainly, it wasn’t a case of outright deceit. In fact, provided that the restaurants situated near the school were reasonably decent, there was a notable amount of business during meal times.

Once Zhou Mei and Wen Xing had completed their meal, they promptly sought out the supervisor to request a leave of absence.

The next morning, the family of four went to the stir-fry restaurant together.

The stir-fry restaurant encompassed a total area of 85 square meters. Upon entering through the door, the cashier’s counter could be found on the left-hand side. Beyond that was the dining area, which featured six tables that could seat four individuals each, as well as three tables that could accommodate six individuals each. Additionally, there was a bathroom and sink available for customer use. Further in was the kitchen.

The catering equipment was already there, and once they took over, they could commence operations right away by simply changing the decor and style of the interior.

Everyone was content with the shop’s layout. The transfer fee was ultimately settled at 20,000 yuan following negotiations.

Zhou Mei and Wen Xing felt like they were caught off guard, as if they were ducks being hastily put into a fight. Before they could gather their bearings, they discovered that the transfer and rental agreements had already been signed, and the rental deposit had been settled.

Upon returning home, Zhou Mei narrowed her eyes and fixed a scrutinizing gaze on Wen Nian. “If I didn’t know you were my daughter, I would have assumed that you were acting as a middleman. It feels as though I was on a high-speed train just now. I was only gone for a mere three hours, and everything has already been settled. The transfer fee, rent, and deposit amounting to a total of 40,000 yuan had disappeared.”

Wen Nian’s sense of urgency wasn’t due to impatience; rather, it was born out of her deep concern that her parents might befall the same fate as they did in their previous lives. Even though everything had started to change for the better, Wen Nian would only feel truly at ease once her parents had completely escaped the work environment of their past lives.

Furthermore, working at night proved to be detrimental to their health, and with their improved economic conditions, there was no reason for them to sacrifice their well-being..