I'm incredibly ambitious after being reborn.

Chapter 8: Adding Interest to Make the Relationship Even More Prosperous
The most troublesome thing about being eighteen is that financial activities are restricted, and getting a loan is also very difficult. Fortunately, as a member of the "village elders", Zhang Daxiang may not be able to get a loan from a bank, but getting a loan from his own family is still very simple.

"Gentlemen, please keep this IOU safe. And the grandfathers are here to bear witness."

There are quite a few uncles and cousins ​​in the family who have a lot of money but don't need it urgently and have some savings.

They borrowed 10,000 from each of the twenty borrowers, raising a total of 200,000 to buy another piece of land next to the metasequoia forest in Wujiatan, plus a waterfront wharf.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the pier is only a few meters wide. If you want to buy one, you have to go to the Water Resources Department and the Fisheries Administration. Fishing boats don't need a vessel license to dock, but cargo ships do.

We don't need larger sand barges for now, but having a dock has many advantages. The biggest advantage is that it makes it incredibly convenient to haul bulk cargo in the city.

Although there are differences in development compared to Earth before its rebirth, there are still similarities in the trajectory of social development.

At that time, Jiyang City had a second ring road in its urban area. Agricultural tractors were not allowed to enter the city, so goods had to be transported by tricycles and small trucks.

The location where Zhang Daxiang plans to open his shop near the North Gate is close to primary and secondary schools, but also has a lot of office buildings nearby.

There are quite a few small and medium-sized companies here. It's not uncommon to see hundreds of companies registered on a single floor, and many of them are export trading agents.

As for how much money the employees make, they certainly don't make much. And even if the bosses do make money, they might not rent an office space and also run a cafeteria.

A meal allowance would suffice as a token gesture.

Zhang Daxiang's idea was simple: to contract out the lunchboxes for office buildings.

It doesn't matter if we can't get the contract; we can just hand out flyers in office buildings, with the price list following the flyers, and then offer a phone ordering service.

If we can increase the volume, that would be best. If not, then we should just focus on making a good lunch for the students.

Too far away won't work, and if it's too close, the storefront price will be high, not to mention that unless there's some kind of family emergency, they would never sell it to cash out.

The storefront that Zhang Daxiang was interested in was an old, run-down, ground-floor shop facing the street. It had once been quite popular, but with the rise of various wholesale markets and pedestrian streets, the price of such storefronts in ordinary locations could only increase so much.

The area is mostly filled with renovation companies or building material and hardware stores; it's rare to find a restaurant, usually a family-run business or a long-established neighborhood establishment.

Zhang Daxiang had no intention of running a small, unassuming restaurant; he aimed for a chain operation from the very beginning.

"Uncle, you have two storefronts across from the Fourth Middle School in Beimen New Village. You sell houses in the city. Could you help me find out the market price?"

"The storefronts next to No. 4 Middle School are the best locations, Zhang Xiang, you should think carefully."

My family has an uncle named Zhang Zhengjin who works in real estate sales in the city. Over the years, housing prices have fluctuated, and he hasn't earned much commission. However, because he works in this industry, Zhang Zhengjin has a good understanding of housing prices, rents, and the different areas and locations in Jiyang City.

Zhang Daxiang has just borrowed 200,000 yuan from his uncle and is now thinking about buying a shop in a mediocre location. This makes Zhang Zhengjin uneasy, so he quickly tries to persuade his tough nephew from the Sanxingli family, who is known for his thirteen years of hard work.

"Help me find out more first. I need to get things settled this summer."

"The storefronts in Beimen New Village are not cheap, but they are not expensive either, around 30,000 to 50,000 yuan per store. Corner locations are around 30,000 yuan, while those facing the road are around 50,000 yuan. There are no particularly good locations there; the prices have always been neither high nor low."

"Help me find out."

"OK then."

Zhang Zhengjin wanted to persuade him further, but then he remembered that the "one person, twelve incense offerings" arrangement was backed by his uncle Zhang Qihui, so even if Zhang Daxiang's 200,000 yuan loan went down the drain, he wasn't worried about not being able to find the person to repay the money. However, because he was still uneasy, he called his cousin Zhang Zhengyu to tell her that Zhang Daxiang had borrowed 200,000 yuan from the family, and also expressed his concern that his nephew might misuse the money.

When the old man Zhang Qihui found out, he was about to slam his fist on the table, but he suddenly stood up and sat back down.

My grandson can't be a stupid idiot.

Despite being a useless old man, Zhang chose to believe his grandson.

It's only 200,000, can't Zhang Qihui afford it?
Besides, he also has an eldest son, Zhang Zhengqing.

The matter was thus easily dismissed, but it caused quite a stir in the Zhang family. However, as Zhang Daxiang's stall business in Wujiatan changed from a "traveling merchant" to a "stationary merchant," the uncles who had lent Zhang Daxiang money all asked their nephew if he still needed money by the end of July.

Don't worry if you're short of money; the old folks always have a way to get it out.

Although I'm not after that little bit of interest, it's mainly because of the interest.

The idea that you can't pay back the interest is nonsense; if you can pay it back, then it's like "becoming even closer to your family."

By the end of July, everyone in Zhangshi Village knew that Zhang Daxiang would definitely be able to pay back his debts, because the stall in Wujiatan now had a formal storefront sign – Shizipo.

At first glance, it seems like a shady shop selling human flesh buns, but Zhang Daxiang is not a "vegetable garden" and doesn't have a wife named Sun Erniang. So, the experienced drivers of the big eight-wheeled trucks would instead tease him about when Boss Zhang would find a "she-devil" to warm his bed.

After the land was leveled, there was a place for trucks to park; as the prefabricated houses were built, various hot water rooms, laundry rooms, small bathhouses, and single beds were also set up.

This brings us to "oil thieves" and "oil thieves." Experienced truck drivers aren't really afraid of checkpoints checking for overloading; what they fear most are highway robbers and thieves eyeing the little bit of fuel in their tanks.

Even if you save a little fuel by using your "golden right foot" while driving, if you happen to encounter a "fuel thief" while sleeping, it will mean several trips were wasted.

Therefore, truck drivers must be very perceptive, knowing which areas are safe and which are unreliable. They should also communicate with their fellow drivers.

In Wujiatan, there was a saying that "one person has twelve incense sticks," and the word spread far and wide among the long-distance drivers in the surrounding area in just ten days, not even a month.

In addition, Zhang Daxiang's suppression of those who seized territory and business was a matter of a single encounter. People who traveled all over the country were discerning and knew that he was the descendant of a "local sage" and that Bao was a man who "passed down the family tradition of farming and studying."

He was not a thief, but a descendant of a local worthy.

Because there is a simple elephant drawing on the "Shizipo" sign, many experienced drivers who can pronounce it by heart simply call the elephant "Elephant Twelve".

When the corrugated steel roof was installed at the end of July for the expanded makeshift restaurant, some of the old hands had become very familiar with Zhang Daxiang, and even helped him find a wife.

"Elephant Twelve, do you want a wife?"

"Flat-chested girls need not apply; girls weighing eight and a half pounds are preferred."

"..."

The drivers who shared the table were stunned for a moment, but when they realized what an eight-and-a-half-pound animal was, they burst into laughter. Even the seasoned long-distance drivers almost choked on their cigarettes.

(End of this chapter)