SFS Chapter 144 Managing the Shop
Chapter 144 Managing the Shop
Granny Xu flipped through the drawings and finally selected three.
“Madam Song, take a look at these pictures. They all have courtyards and wells.”
Song Jiaojiao took the blueprints from Granny Xu's hand and looked at them.
"This shop is located in the south of the town, where most of the residents are wealthy families, so the prices of the shops there are relatively higher. This shop is selling for 1000 taels of silver, and the rent is 10 taels of silver per month, with a minimum lease term of one year."
Song Jiaojiao looked at the blueprints in her hand. Feng Tang's blueprints were quite nice, just like the house floor plans from her previous life.
The courtyard has five rooms, a well in the middle, a cellar in the back, and a shop in front of it that is about 70 square meters. It's big enough, but the price is comparable to that in the county.
Song Jiaojiao continued looking at the next drawing. Seeing that Song Jiaojiao didn't speak and her face was expressionless, Granny Xu continued her introduction.
"This place is in the east of the city, close to Huichuntang. Because it's at the entrance of the town, the price isn't low either. The landlord is asking for 500 taels of silver, and he's only selling, not renting."
Song Jiaojiao really liked the location of this place, but the courtyard wasn't big, with only three main rooms. After a well was dug in the yard, there wasn't much space left.
Since there is no cellar, the front shop is about 50 square meters, which is a suitable size.
Song Jiaojiao planned to visit all three companies before making a decision. When she saw the third company, her eyes lit up.
Granny Xu noticed the change in Song Jiaojiao and spoke even more enthusiastically.
"This place is in the town center. Madam Song, you know Sifanglou, right? This place isn't far from Sifanglou."
The shop had a fairly large backyard, similar to a two-courtyard house in town, with both a warehouse and a cellar.
The original owner used the house for cooking, and the yard was fully equipped with a well and other amenities. The two-courtyard layout allowed the front yard to be used as a private dining room or similar space.
There are five more rooms in the back courtyard, more than enough for people to live in. The location is also excellent.
Given Sifanglou's reputation, people flocked to the shop. It was only for sale, not for rent; the owner planned to expand in the county town and wouldn't be returning.
Because it's an urgent sale, the price is 200 taels more expensive than the one above.
As Granny Xu spoke, she observed Song Jiaojiao's expression. Unfortunately, apart from the initial change, there was no further difference.
Song Jiaojiao put down the blueprints and asked, "Are these the only ones?"
"There are quite a few others, but they either don't have a well, the storefront is too small, or they're just a shop. These are the best ones that meet your requirements."
Granny Xu said with a smile, completely unable to tell whether Song Jiaojiao was satisfied or not.
"It's not clear from these blueprints. Can we go and see them in person?"
"Of course, the keys to these houses are right here. Please wait a moment, Madam Song, I'll go get them right away."
After saying that, Granny Xu turned and left, thinking that if she could go and see it, she would usually buy something.
The two grabbed the keys and set off. Since Fengtang was closest to Sifanglou, they went straight to the largest one first.
Granny Xu led Song Jiaojiao to the shop's entrance and first looked at its location.
Song Jiaojiao was very satisfied with this location, as it was roughly on one of the three main roads in the town.
Then, enter through the side gate of the alley. Once inside, you'll see a large courtyard with a small pavilion in the middle where you can rest.
"This is the front yard. The rooms here can all be used as private rooms," Granny Xu explained, pointing to a row of houses.
There are three rooms in the front yard, and opposite the rooms is a small pavilion. Next to the pavilion is the kitchen. The outhouse is located between the kitchen and the rooms against the wall.
"I didn't see a well," Song Jiaojiao asked, puzzled.
"The well is over here, Miss Song, come with me." Granny Xu led Song Jiaojiao to the kitchen.
After passing through the kitchen and going a little outside, the well came into view.
"The original owner considered that there might be some oversights when cooking, so he built the well in a relatively hidden place, so that at least the safety of the water supply was guaranteed."
When Granny Xu said that, Song Jiaojiao understood. The main concern was to guard against malicious people. The original owner of the house was a smart person, which Song Jiaojiao appreciated.
The well was basically enclosed within the kitchen; it was just big enough to be a courtyard with a skylight inside the kitchen, so you had to go through the kitchen to get water.
Granny Xu continued to show Song Jiaojiao around. Each room in the front yard was about the same size, and could fit a large round table like those in the old hotel that could seat ten or more people. The three rooms were basically the same.
The backyard is next to the back gate just inside the main entrance. There's a small door leading to the backyard, which has five rooms arranged in a semi-enclosed layout. The central courtyard isn't large, only slightly larger than the well in the kitchen. It's mainly used for drying clothes. None of the windows in the front yard open to the back, so privacy isn't a concern.
Song Jiaojiao was very satisfied with the courtyard; now it was just a matter of seeing what the shops in front of it were like.
Granny Xu led Song Jiaojiao to the shop in front and first opened the window to let in the light.
There are still tables and chairs left by the owner in the shop, exactly ten tables. There is a display case on one side of the shop, which is usually used for accounting and storing wine.
To Song Jiaojiao's surprise, the shop actually had an attic. The attic was quite low, just enough to accommodate people who were about 1.7 or 1.8 meters tall.
There were only two small windows for ventilation, so the lighting wasn't good, and there were no tables or chairs; it was mostly just miscellaneous items on top.
Seeing this attic, even if there aren't enough rooms in the back, this space can be converted into a temporary place to live. It can also be decorated and can accommodate quite a few people.
Song Jiaojiao was increasingly satisfied with the look and had already made a silent decision in her heart.
"Old Mrs. Xu, this shop is nice, but the price is..."
“Madam Song, where around here can you buy such a good location at this price? Besides, the backyard is also very large. If the owner wasn’t in a hurry to sell, there wouldn’t be such a cheap place.”
Granny Xu spoke earnestly, her eyes fixed on Song Jiaojiao without blinking.
Song Jiaojiao didn't speak, but silently looked around. Looking out from the pavilion, she saw that most of the pedestrians on the road had gone to Sifanglou, which was in stark contrast to the surrounding shops.
The Yuan Family Restaurant, which is opposite the Sifanglou, has not been sold yet. That restaurant is really good, but it is too big. Song Jiaojiao has never thought about buying it.
A shop this big can only be used as a restaurant or a teahouse. I doubt anyone would dare open a restaurant near Sifanglou.
No wonder it's been almost a year and it still hasn't sold.
Seeing that Song Jiaojiao hadn't spoken, Granny Xu said helplessly, "Madam Song, we're such good friends now, how about this, I'll give you a low price. The landlord said the price can be reduced by up to 20 taels, so how about 680 taels?"
Granny Xu nervously rubbed her hands together.