1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 239 It seems like I've been set up by capital! (6k-page compilation)

Xia Yao followed Zhou Momo into the backyard, her eyes immediately lighting up.

The small courtyard is half the size of the outer courtyard, but it is more exquisitely arranged. The path paved with bluestone is winding and twisting, and the white walls have hexagonal lattice windows. Outside the window, a wintersweet tree has already sprouted small buds, which echoes the landscape that can be vaguely seen behind it.

At the corner of the path stands an exquisitely crafted artificial hill made of stream stones. A ceramic pot with flowing water sits in the corner, its water emitting a continuous, Zen-like sound. The garden is planted with magnolias, crabapples, banana trees, osmanthus, and wintersweet. The number of plants is not large, but they evoke the feeling of scenery in all four seasons.

The upturned eaves and carved wooden windows are all quite exquisite, showing that the carpenter's craftsmanship is indeed excellent.

A wooden swing chair hangs in the middle of the half-corridor against the wall, facing the most beautiful spot in the courtyard.

The swing looks a bit out of place in the picturesque landscape of the courtyard, but it is enough to prove the owner's love for the children in the family.

"Sister, sit down, I'll rock you high," Zhou Momo said, leading Xia Yao to the swing.

"You're not even as tall as a swing, how can you swing so high?" Zhou Yan laughed.

"It's okay, let's sit together." Xia Yao hugged Zhou Momo and sat down.

"Hold on tight," Zhou Yan said, gently pushing the swing chair from behind.

The wooden chair and rope were both new, probably replaced after Duan Yuyan arrived. They were hung on the roof beam and had been specially lubricated, so they could sway for a long time with a gentle push, without making any teeth-grinding friction noise.

The swing swung high, and looking up, one could see the azure sky from the courtyard, while Zhou Momo's happy laughter filled the air.

The autumn wind blowing in her face made Xia Yao's lips unconsciously curl up into a smile.

Early winter in this small town can be so beautiful and interesting.

Xia Yao turned her head and asked curiously, "You said you plan to demolish and rebuild this old house. Have you made a specific plan?"

"Considering the significant earthquake problem in Sichuan, I want to prioritize earthquake resistance as much as possible. I'd like to build a frame structure with more reinforced concrete to ensure strength. I also want to increase the floor height to ensure a better finish and provide more room for future modifications," Zhou Yan said.

Xia Yao turned to look at him, her expression serious, and said, "Reinforced concrete is quite expensive. I helped my aunt before and know some of the prices of building materials. In the past two years, prices have dropped somewhat due to the increase in steel and cement production, but if you want to build such a big house, and more than two stories, the cost will be very high."

Zhou Yan nodded: "I had my expectations, but I want this building to be useful for decades and become a true century-old business."

Xia Yao seemed to understand. "I understand. A one-time solution is a good idea."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I actually wanted to preserve some things in this old house and move them to another place to build a small courtyard. For example, these exquisitely carved windows and eaves, these green tiles that have not decayed after a long period of time, and the rockery and flowers in the courtyard. It may be difficult to find craftsmen to replicate them now. I think it would be a pity to destroy them like this."

Xia Yao smiled upon hearing this: "Your idea is quite good. If you prepare the design drawings and markings in advance, it shouldn't be difficult to implement. This courtyard does indeed have the charm and flavor of Suzhou gardens, but the biggest limitation might be how to move it to another place."

The blue tiles are fragile, and the roads in Jiaozhou are in such poor condition that transporting them by tractor would likely result in a very high breakage rate. The artificial hill is especially heavy, making its transport no easy task. Have you found a suitable new foundation? The closer the site, the easier it is to implement.

Zhou Yan shook his head, "I just bought this house, and I'm a little short on cash, so I haven't had time to look for other houses yet. I plan to look around the surrounding area in the meantime."

After playing on the swings with Zhou Momo for a while, Zhou Yan took Xia Yao for a walk.

The house was spotless. Although it was a century-old house, walking inside did not feel gloomy. Instead, it gave people a sense of vicissitude.

The rooms were all locked, and Zhou Yan only took two keys.

One door leads to the front gate, the other to the study.

"This is the study. Miss Qiu often writes and paints here." Zhou Yan took out his key, unlocked the lock on the study door, and pushed open the wooden door. Light shone into the study, revealing a long table by the window and bookshelves covering the walls, exuding a scholarly atmosphere.

Xia Yao's eyes lit up, and she followed Zhou Yan into the room.

Zhou Yan pushed open the two windows, and the room immediately became bright.

The study faces south and has excellent natural light, providing good illumination even during the day without the need to turn on the lights.

Zhou Yan then noticed a piece of paper weighed down by a paperweight on the table. He reached out and picked it up. It read: "Joy arrives at the door, with a gentle breeze and a bright moon. Blessings descend upon the house, piling up jade and gold."

"Your handwriting is beautiful, and the blessing is wonderful too," Xia Yao said, stepping forward and looking at the paper in Zhou Yan's hand.

“It’s Miss Qiu’s handwriting,” Zhou Yan said with a smile. “These books all over the wall were left to me by her.”

"This study is wonderful, it has such a charming atmosphere, especially this long desk. It's perfect for both writing and drawing." Xia Yao walked to the desk, her fingers gliding across the smooth surface, her eyes filled with joy.

Her gaze shifted to the bookshelf, and her eyes quickly lit up again: "So many ancient books, and quite a few rubbings of stone inscriptions by famous calligraphers. My mother has been looking for this copy of 'Dongpo's Postscripts' for a long time. I never expected Miss Qiu to have it in her collection..."

Xia Yao carefully flipped through the books in the bookcase, quite delighted.

"If you have any books you like, you can take them home and read them," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Xia Yao carefully pulled out a yellowed ancient book and said with a smile, "Then I'll borrow this book, 'Dongpo's Postscripts,' and take it home to copy. I'll give it to my mother during the New Year; she'll be very happy."

Zhou Yan said with a smile, "No need to copy it, it's yours."

"Give it to me?" Xia Yao was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head: "How can that be? Such a precious ancient book, and it was given to you by Miss Qiu."

Zhou Yan said earnestly, "When Miss Qiu gave me these books, she said that if she took them to Hong Kong, they would just be left untouched on a shelf, becoming decorations that no one would care about. If I could occasionally read them, these books would realize their true value."

This book, "Dongpo's Postscripts," is very precious to you and your mother, but I probably won't open it even once a year, and even if I do, I'll put it back because I don't understand it.

I'm giving it to you in the hope that it will realize its true value, rather than becoming an old-fashioned decorative piece on my bookshelf. This is also Ms. Qiu's wish.

"Miss Qiu is such a magnanimous and intelligent person." Xia Yao looked at the ancient book in her hand and smiled. "Then I will accept this precious gift. I think my mother will like it very much."

"Hey bro, can I draw here from now on?" Zhou Momo climbed onto the chair and sat down. "This table is so long!"

"Of course, I'll keep this desk for you." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

Zhou Momo turned back to Xia Yao and said, "Sister Yao Yao, you can draw with me from now on. I only need this piece; you can use the rest."

“Okay, let’s draw together.” Xia Yao nodded with a smile.

They stayed in the study for over an hour. Xia Yao roughly divided the books on the bookshelf for Zhou Yan, with calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting books making up about half of them, showing that Miss Qiu was indeed very interested in calligraphy and painting.

The remaining books span from the Tang and Song dynasties to the Republic of China, including many ancient books that even Xia Yao found extremely valuable.

Xia Yao carefully instructed, "These ancient books are too precious. They must be preserved properly. They need to be kept dry, clean, and well-ventilated. You can use peppercorns and tobacco leaves to repel insects. In the humid season, you also need to prevent them from getting damp and moldy..."

Zhou Yan listened attentively and even took out his notebook to carefully record some key points.

Xia Yao's serious attitude made him realize the value of these ancient books, and at the same time, he realized how precious the bookcase of books that Old Mrs. Qiu had given him was.

If these books were destroyed in his hands, wouldn't he become a sinner?

Zhou Yan looked at Xia Yao, who was carefully and gently arranging the ancient books, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection.

If Xia Yao were to take care of and maintain it, she should be able to do a very good job.

or……

Should I send her the oldest batch later?
Dust-proof, insect-proof, rodent-proof, mold-proof...

Zhou Yan was so busy every day that he was constantly on the go, fearing that he might make a mistake because he couldn't guard against it.

These obscure and difficult classical Chinese texts might have a better hypnotic effect on him than "How the Steel Was Tempered".

Xia Yao looked up at Zhou Yan, her eyes full of anticipation: "This study is amazing. Can I come here to read on weekends? I can also draw and write calligraphy."

“Of course you can.” Zhou Yan nodded without hesitation. “You can treat this place like your own home.”

"My own home..." Xia Yao smiled slightly and nodded, "Okay."

After leaving the study, Xia Yao noticed a small staircase in the corner of the yard and looked up: "Can I go up to the roof?"

"I just discovered this little staircase too. I'll go up and take a look." Zhou Yan climbed up the little staircase.

There was indeed a small platform on the roof with a railing. Facing the Minjiang River, there were two bamboo reclining chairs and a small stone tea table in the middle. Judging from the condition of the bamboo chairs, people probably used to sit on them often.

Standing on the small platform, you can see the wide Minjiang River at a glance, with boats of all sizes coming and going on the river. Looking upstream, you can vaguely see a corner of the Jiaozhou Buddha.

The view from the second floor is indeed unbeatable!

“Come on up, there’s a small platform up there,” Zhou Yan said, looking down.

A voice responded from below, and soon Zhou Momo and Xia Yao climbed up.

"Wow! I can see a big ship right here at home!" Zhou Momo exclaimed, her eyes wide with delight, as she approached the railing.

"What a beautiful river view! We can even see the Jiaozhou Buddha and Lingbao Pagoda." Xia Yao was also quite amazed; the mountains and water stretched out in a continuous line, a truly breathtaking sight.

“This view makes me even more determined. If the second floor is built into river-view private rooms, then the third floor will have to be built into half a suite.” Zhou Yan said with a smile, “The courtyard has its own charm, but the river-view penthouse is equally irresistible.”

Xia Yao looked around and her gaze fell on a dilapidated tile-roofed house next to the old house. The roof was collapsed and the yard was overgrown with weeds, making it look very run-down.

It's not very big, probably only a little over 100 square meters.

“Look at that dilapidated tile-roofed house, right behind your backyard. If you could buy it, make a door in the backyard wall, and move your things over little by little, it would be much easier to replicate it. Plus, the place is close to the restaurant, which would be convenient for daily operations,” Xia Yao said, pointing to the tile-roofed house.

Hearing the sound, Zhou Yan walked to the side and his eyes lit up when he saw the dilapidated house.

It actually suits you quite well!

This dilapidated house looks like it has been neglected for a long time. The location is extremely bad, completely blocked in front by the Qiu family's old house, and surrounded by houses on all sides, with only a narrow path leading in.

However, if we could buy it and design it in conjunction with other projects, with a front shop and a back yard, and he could step back a little and widen the alley by one meter, it would feel completely different.

If I hadn't gone up to the second floor, I would never have known that there was such a dilapidated house hidden in the back.

Zhou Yan was considering asking around about the situation when he saw a familiar figure leading two people to push open the gate of the dilapidated tile-roofed house. The figure introduced the house to the people behind him, saying, "Look, although this house is a bit dilapidated and not very big, it's quiet. Compared to the houses facing the street, you won't be disturbed at all when you sleep at night."

For just 800, you can own a home in Jiaozhou City! It's right next to Jiaozhou Port, on the bustling East Street! You won't regret it! If you miss this opportunity today, who knows when you'll get another chance like this.

Hey? Isn't that Yellow Chick?
How did he end up working as a real estate agent?
Or is this the Huang family's house?

“Brother…” Zhou Momo began.

"Shh!" Zhou Yan made a shushing gesture.

Xia Yao understood immediately, and hugged Zhou Momo, whispering, "Momo, let's go sit in the rocking chair."

Zhou Yan walked a few steps along the paved path toward the dilapidated house, listening intently.

"Eight hundred? This dilapidated house costs eight hundred yuan? Are you trying to rip us off like we're Japanese?!"

"Exactly, look how narrow this road is! If my wife gains another ten pounds, she might get stuck." "Five hundred, not a penny more. I need to save some money to repair the roof and lay new tiles, and this wall is about to collapse. What if it collapses tonight and buries me underneath?"

The people viewing the house were a middle-aged couple, and they immediately expressed their disdain upon entering the courtyard.

"Five hundred?! I bought it for eight hundred! It's only been less than a month, and you want me to lose three hundred yuan? I definitely won't do it." Huang He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Forget about not doing it, there are plenty of houses in Jiaozhou. These alleys are so narrow that I can barely push my bicycle home. Let's go, let's see the next one."

"Oh dear, oh dear, let me lower the price a bit more, seven hundred! Seven hundred yuan, do you want it?" Huang He quickly pulled the person back.

"five hundred."

"Six hundred and five!"

"five hundred!"

"Six hundred!" Huang He gritted his teeth.

"five hundred."

"Get lost! I'm not selling!"

The middle-aged couple shrank back and walked away. When they reached the alley entrance, they whispered, "If you don't want to sell, then don't sell. Why are you so aggressive?"

"That's it."

Zhou Yan glanced at Huang He, who was standing in the courtyard with a furrowed brow, and roughly understood what he had heard.

Huang He acquired this dilapidated tile-roofed house a month ago for 800 yuan.

It's estimated that they felt they had a chance to take over the Qiu family's old house, planning to demolish and rebuild it together after taking over that dilapidated tile-roofed house, so that the area would increase from more than 400 square meters to more than 600 square meters, allowing them to put in many more tables.

Now that he has taken over the Qiu family's old house, that dilapidated tile-roofed house has become useless and a hot potato.

The fact that Huang He was willing to lower the price to 600 yuan when bringing people to view the property shows that he is really in a hurry to sell.

Six hundred.

Zhou Yan looked at the dilapidated tile-roofed house and liked it more and more.

Seeing Huang He come out of the courtyard, he turned to Xia Yao and said, "You and Momo play here for a while, I'm going downstairs."

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded.

Zhou Yan hurried downstairs and out the door, just in time to bump into Huang He coming out of the alley.

"Uncle Huang," Zhou Yan greeted with a smile, "what are you doing here?"

"Zhou... Zhou Yan." Huang He, who was lost in thought, was startled by the shout. He looked at Zhou Yan with a slightly unnatural expression: "I... I just came to take a look around."

"Really? I heard you bought a new house around here, right in this alley?" Zhou Yan said with a smile. "What a coincidence! I just bought a house here too. We'll be neighbors from now on."

Huang He looked at the Qiu family's old mansion with its gate wide open, and couldn't quite manage a smile.

The house he had been longing for was eventually acquired by Zhou Yan.

The dilapidated house he bought is now really making him a little vulnerable.

I don't know which gossipy woman was spreading such embarrassing news around.

"You bought this house? You're really capable, young and accomplished," Huang He said to Zhou Yan, his words tinged with a hint of sourness.

"I only managed to get it by luck," Zhou Yan waved his hand. "I heard that Uncle Huang also wanted to buy this house and even spent several hundred yuan to inquire about it."

Huang He: ...

It's so annoying!

Which pot does not open which pot.

Who exactly is it that's spreading rumors and ruining his reputation?
It only cost a little over a hundred!

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Why do you have to do this? If you want to know anything, just ask me. I'll definitely charge you less."

Upon hearing this, Huang He perked up and looked at Zhou Yan, asking, "Mr. Zhou, are you selling this house? I can offer more money."

"How much can you add?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.

Huang He thought for a moment, as if he had made a great decision, and held up three fingers: "Three thousand."

"Not for sale." Zhou Yan shook his head without the slightest hesitation.

"Then... how many do you want?" Huang He asked, looking at him.

"I didn't buy this house to make a profit. I plan to move my restaurant to Jiaozhou in the future and open it here. This house is great, the location is good, and the size is just right," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Huang He's heart sank completely. Shulan was right; even if they offered more money, Zhou Yan wouldn't sell the house.

Zhou Yan then asked, "Boss Huang, are you selling your little shabby house? I can buy it for you at a lower price."

Huang He: ...

“You have such a big family business, what’s the point of keeping this small, dilapidated tile-roofed house?” Zhou Yan continued, “It’s useless to keep it. It’ll only make me feel bad if I see it when I pass by. I saw you just brought people to look at the house.”

"Sell! Do you want it for a thousand yuan?" Huang He looked at him intently: "If you buy this house, you can combine it with other buildings and expand the area from over 400 square meters to over 600 square meters. You can even hold banquets in the hall. It's not very useful for others, but it's different for you. It will be really useful for you."

"Was this your original plan?"

Huang He sighed and said quietly, "I had already prepared 10,000 yuan, and I even convinced my wife to invest in the reconstruction, but I didn't expect you to beat me to it."

“500,” Zhou Yan said.

Huang He glared and bristled, "Who comes up here and tries to haggle for half the price?!"

"It's your turn to bid," Zhou Yan gestured.

"600?"

"Deal." Zhou Yan grabbed his hand and said with a smile, "Uncle Huang, let's sign an agreement first, and then get the property certificate and other documents done next Monday. I'll cover the taxes."

Huang He: ...

Something feels off.

It seems like we've been set up by capital!
Six hundred was Zhao Shulan's bottom line for him. If he couldn't sell it for that price, he would have to make up the difference with his own money, and she wouldn't reimburse him.

I've brought several groups of people to see this place over the past two days, and the highest bid was 500 today.

Zhou Yan's straightforwardness actually touched him a little.

"Six hundred it is!" Huang He nodded and said with a smile, "No need to sign an agreement, just go and handle the formalities on Monday. The time is up to you. Anyway, we're always about the same when the store isn't busy. Just consider it as making friends with Boss Zhou."

"What's the point of making friends? Uncle Huang, you're being too formal," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Uncle Huang, would you like to come in and sit for a while? I just got the keys today, so I came up to take a look."

"I'm not watching anymore, watching will only make me feel worse. I'm going back to work at the restaurant now." Huang He shook his head, pushed his bicycle, and left.

Zhou Yan watched Huang He's retreating figure, unable to suppress the urge to smile.

That's great. I got that dilapidated tile-roofed house for 600 yuan, and now I have a foundation to build a small courtyard.

He still trusted Huang Xiaoji; after all, he was the child he had watched grow up...

After all, they've been long-term partners, and Feiyan Restaurant still controls the braised meat supply chain.

Zhou Yan didn't try to haggle maliciously. Since Huang He could accept 600, he could accept it too, so the deal was done.

"Did you buy it?" Zhou Yan returned to the courtyard, where Xia Yao had already brought Zhou Momo down from the rooftop. She asked with concern.

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded: "I bought it, six hundred."

“That’s quite suitable.” Xia Yao smiled upon hearing this. “When the time comes, you can treat my aunt to a meal and have her come over to help you with the planning.”

She's the vice president of an architectural design institute, an exceptionally talented architect who has worked on relocation and reconstruction projects; she's far more professional than me.

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up after hearing this. He hadn't realized Meng Anhe was so capable. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Can I get Sister Meng to come over for a meal?"

“If one meal isn’t enough, we can have another one. My aunt is a very nice person,” Xia Yao said. “When she comes back in a couple of days, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

"Okay, then I'll trouble you." Zhou Yan nodded.

Xia Yao smiled and shook her head: "It's no trouble at all. That study is wonderful. We can move the whole study there without changing the layout. It would be so artistic to paint in there."

"If you like, you can come anytime."

"Okay."

It was getting late, so Zhou Yan locked the door and took Xia Yao and Zhou Momo back to Suji.

……

"Six hundred?" Zhao Shulan looked at Huang He in silence for a while and nodded: "That's fine. Selling it to Zhou Yan will earn us a favor, but selling it to someone else will result in a pure loss of two hundred."

Huang He, who had been hunching his neck, finally breathed a sigh of relief, straightened his back, and nodded with a smile: "Yes, that's exactly what I think."

Zhao Shulan glared at him: "You're just too reckless. If you ever buy or mess things up for me again, I'll definitely teach you a lesson!"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," Huang He waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he had given in.

He lost several hundred dollars here and there, and he was heartbroken.

"Selling it for six hundred? Then I'll lose the chance to be Zhou Yan's neighbor." Huang Ying sighed and looked at Huang He with some resentment, "Old man, why didn't you say so earlier? I would have bought it for six hundred. I have enough pocket money to buy it."

"If I buy it for six hundred, are you going to live in a dilapidated house? Do you know how much it costs to repair a house? I'll cut off your allowance and see if you're still so arrogant." Zhao Shulan rolled her eyes at her.

"I won't dare, I won't dare," Huang Ying said obediently.

　Asking for a monthly ticket~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)