After a moment, the shopkeeper reacted and said, “Young lady, you…” He wanted to tell her not to play a joke like that.
Lin Yuelan knew what he was going to say. She waved her hand and said seriously, “shopkeeper, I’m not joking with you.”
The assistant stood at the side. After looking at Lin Yuelan for a while, he whispered a few words into the shopkeeper’s ear.
Then, the shopkeeper nodded and said, “miss, please enter the inner room!”
The shopkeeper had been taking care of his sick wife for the past two to three months and had no time to inquire about what had happened in the town. Therefore, although he had heard of an eight-year-old child carrying a tiger to sell in town, he did not know who she was.
Just now, the assistant whispered to him that Lin Yuelan was that child. So, Lin Yuelan was not joking with him. She was rich enough to buy his shop.
Lin Yuelan nodded and entered the inner room with little twelve.
Little twelve followed Lin Yuelan like a bodyguard.
After Lin Yuelan entered, the shopkeeper served her and little twelve a cup of tea. Then, he asked seriously, “miss, do you really want to buy this shop?”
This shop was his child. Even if he was reluctant to part with it, he had no choice but to do so.
Lin Yuelan nodded and said, “of course. But what is your price, shopkeeper?”
The shopkeeper sat down and pondered for a while, then said seriously, “to tell you the truth, my shop’s location is a little remote. Many customers are not willing to come to my shop. If you really buy it, business will not be good, and you might even lose money. Miss, are you still planning to buy it?”
Lin Yuelan put down her teacup, then placed her left hand on the edge of the table and tapped it a few times. The corners of her mouth curved up, and she said clearly, “shopkeeper, I will deal with that in the future. I just need to know what is the shop’s price!” She was telling him not to worry.
The shopkeeper didn’t expect Lin Yuelan to be so sharp and sophisticated.
The shopkeeper said, “based on the size of this area and the shop area, as well as some stock, it would cost at least 500 taels of silver.”
Lin Yuelan nodded. The shopkeeper didn’t ask for an exorbitant price.
This shop was estimated to be 120 square meters in size. Taking into account the number of customers and the stock in the shop, 500 taels of silver was a very reasonable price.
“But since Miss is so sincere, I won’t ask for that high of a price. I can sell it to you for four hundred taels of silver, but I hope miss can promise me one thing.” 400 teals were just enough for his wife’s treatment. He needed that moment.
Lin Yuelan said, “Of course, shopkeeper!”
“I hope that you can keep the assistant, Xiao Li. He has been with me for a few years and has developed feelings for this shop. I don’t want him to leave the shop.” Xiao Li was also his family, so he wanted to make arrangements for Xiao Li before he sold the store.
Lin Yuelan shook her head.
The shopkeeper’s expression immediately changed, and he said angrily, “since you don’t agree, I’m sorry, but I can’t sell you this shop!”
Lin Yuelan shook her head and said with a smile, “shopkeeper, you’ve jumped ahead. I shook my head, not because I didn’t want to keep Xiao Li. On the contrary, not only did I keep him, but I also wanted to hire you to continue to be the manager of this shop!”
The shopkeeper stood up with a whoosh. He looked very excited and in disbelief as he asked, “Miss, what do you mean by this?”
Lin Yuelan looked at the manager’s flushed face and said in a clear voice, “my meaning is very simple. Xiao Li will still work here, and you will continue to manage this shop. However, the ownership of this store will be mine.”
The shopkeeper was really excited.
He was reluctant to part with this shop that he had run for more than 30 years, but he had to sell it as a last resort. Other than heartache and regret, he had no other choice.
He had considered offering to work for the new boss so he could stay with the shop. However, he knew that was impossible.
He was already so old. Who would hire an old man to be an assistant who had to run errands everywhere? Wouldn’t that be a waste of money?
