Chapter 400: Storefront
Chapter 400: Chapter 400: Storefront
Bai Suihe began to understand why Gu Kaiyuan had insisted on rushing over at this time. The news here likely wouldn’t stay hidden for much longer. Once the prominent noble families caught wind of it, they would undoubtedly spring into action. By arriving now, they could at least get a head start.
Although those powerful families possessed deep pockets and immense foundations, they were also bound by numerous cumbersome rules.
Even if they saw the potential of Lingnan and sent representatives to purchase large tracts of land, those agents certainly wouldn’t have free rein over their budgets. Major transactions would still need to be reported to their superiors for approval.
The time wasted in all that back-and-forth communication meant they could never compete with someone like Gu Kaiyuan, who wielded absolute authority over his own affairs.
Seeing so many vacant storefronts, Bai Suihe felt tempted. Her fabric shop back home was doing quite well, and there was no reason she couldn’t open a branch here.
With that thought in mind, she began paying closer attention to the available commercial properties.
After pacing back and forth along the two main streets a couple of times, two particular storefronts caught her eye.
Noticing the wooden signs hanging on their doors, Bai Suihe instructed Zisu to go up and knock.
For quite a while, no one answered. Assuming the property was completely deserted, Bai Suihe and her group were just about to leave.
Just then, they heard movement from inside. The door creaked open to reveal two white-haired elders, who peered at them with curious expressions. "And you might be...?"
"Hello, sir," Bai Suihe said politely, adjusting the child in her arms. "I see that you’re preparing to sell this storefront. May I take a look inside?"
"Ah, you’re here to look at the shop," the old man said, hurriedly taking down the remaining door boards. "I am indeed selling these two storefronts. There’s also a courtyard in the back. Please, come in and have a look."
The elderly couple had been guarding the property for a long time without a single inquiry. If they couldn’t find a buyer in the next couple of days, they would be forced to sell it at a steep discount to the property brokers.
This property represented a lifetime of hard work. If they hadn’t been driven to a dead end, they never would have considered parting with it.
Hearing that there was a courtyard in the back only increased Bai Suihe’s interest. Once a few more door boards were removed, she could take in the interior at a glance.
The two storefronts were connected. Likely due to being sealed up for so long, the air inside carried a distinct musty odor.
More importantly, the space was completely empty. Without a single piece of merchandise left inside and no signboard hanging outside, it was impossible to tell what kind of business had originally operated here.
Stepping into the shop, she noticed a door on the far right side, which presumably led to the backyard.
"Ma’am, let’s head to the backyard to chat," the old man said, gesturing to the bare storefront. "There isn’t much to see out here. I imagine that if you buy the place, you’ll want to renovate it completely anyway.
"This used to be a fabric shop. But over the years, the county town has suffered an economic downturn, and business has become increasingly difficult to manage.
"The two of us tended this shop from dawn till dusk, yet we barely made enough to feed ourselves.
"Later, my son chose another location to open a new shop, and he moved all the inventory over there.
"We’re getting on in years now, so we can only listen to our children and grandchildren. They went ahead to run the new shop, leaving us to pack up the rest of these things, sell what needs to be sold, and follow them back to our rural hometown."
The more the old man spoke, the more reluctant he seemed. When no one came to ask about the shop, he had been anxious, but now that someone was actually inquiring, a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.
The old woman trailing beside him periodically wiped away her tears. They had truly poured their hearts and souls into this shop and the courtyard behind it.
Upon entering the backyard, Bai Suihe’s eyes lit up. It was clear that the elderly couple knew how to make the most of their lives. The modest courtyard, roughly twenty square meters in size, was meticulously organized. Aside from a central walkway, the edges had been cultivated into neat vegetable patches.
Furthermore, two rows of Chinese roses had been planted along both sides of the path. Whether due to the favorable climate or the specific breed, the bushes were already brimming with numerous flower buds.
At the end of the walkway stood two main rooms. Next to them was a kitchen, beside which lay neatly stacked piles of firewood.
"The layout back here is quite nice. Back during our prime, many people offered high prices for this property, but I couldn’t bear to let it go," the old man rambled on, his voice growing somewhat somber. "I won’t hide the truth from you. Business has been poor these past few years. Moreover, with the County Magistrate recently arrested, there’s no telling what his successor will be like.
"If the new one is anything like that bloodthirsty former County Magistrate, taking over my shop would end up being a massive loss for you."
"Old man," the old woman interjected, exasperated as she saw her husband’s stubborn honesty acting up again. If he introduced the property like this, who would ever buy it?
"It’s fine. We have to be clear with people upfront; we can’t just scam them." The old man pushed open the doors to the two rooms. Inside, there were only two bare beds and very few daily necessities, indicating that most of their belongings had already been moved out.
"However, what I just mentioned is only the worst-case scenario. There’s also another possibility: the incoming County Magistrate might be a good official. If our county town flourishes as it did in the past, buying this storefront would bring you a massive profit."
Bai Suihe smiled but said nothing. His reasoning was sound. Doing business relied not just on brains, but also on opportunity and luck—especially in this ancient era.
If another incompetent or corrupt County Magistrate arrived, Bai Suihe’s current status truly wouldn’t be enough to withstand the fallout, and this investment could very well wash down the drain.
"I have someone deliver this firewood on a set schedule; he comes at the beginning of every month." The old man pointed to the woodpile by the kitchen and continued his introductions. "He’s an honest fellow. He doesn’t know how to sweet-talk, but he’s an excellent worker. He even helped me stack all of this wood.
"If you don’t need him to deliver firewood anymore, you can just tell him straight. I’ve already given him a heads-up.
"There’s also a well over in this corner..."
The old man continued to chatter on. For some inexplicable reason, looking at the woman before him, he had a strong premonition that his shop would be changing hands today.
With every detail he introduced, his internal reluctance deepened. This old property had been with him for decades. Here, he had supported his family and spent the better half of his life.
The old woman wiped her tears from time to time. Bai Suihe listened quietly, feeling that if these two kept acting like this, she wouldn’t even dare to buy the storefront. It felt tantamount to snatching away someone’s most treasured possession.
Just as she was considering looking elsewhere, the old man abruptly changed his tune. "If you do want to buy it, Ma’am, I won’t arbitrarily inflate the price like those property brokers. I’ll sell it for exactly what the building is worth. Give me three hundred taels of silver, and both the storefront and the courtyard are yours."
Before Bai Suihe came, Gu Kaiyuan had briefed her on the general market prices in this area, so she knew the old man wasn’t deceiving her. "Are you truly willing to part with it, sir?"
"No," the old man replied with brutal honesty. "But when you get old, you no longer get to make the decisions.
"We no longer have the energy to meticulously maintain this property like we used to, and our children and grandchildren won’t allow us to keep working anyway.
"Now, our only option is to sell this place and return to our rural village for retirement."
Bai Suihe was slightly taken aback. "You aren’t going to live with your children and grandchildren?"
If she remembered correctly, the old man’s son had merely found another location to open a shop.
"No. The two of us have been used to running our own household for our entire lives. We could never get used to living under someone else’s roof and reading their moods."
Hearing the sorrow and resentment in his voice, she realized there was definitely another story hidden behind those words.