Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After sending off Old Kong and the others, Shi Tian took Yi Laotou to the shop.
As soon as they entered, Yi Laotou switched to self-service mode, setting up his fishing gear and replenishing his supplies. "Master, I've finished reading the book on face reading. Can you take me out to practice?" Shi Tian said with a grin once Yi Laotou had selected his items.
Upon hearing Shi Tian's request, Yi Laotou was unexpectedly moved to tears. He had taken on this disciple hoping to teach him the art of Easy to Learn, but the boy seemed more interested in fishing and running a restaurant, making Yi Laotou worry that his skills might be lost forever. Now that Shi Tian had taken the initiative to learn face reading, Yi Laotou was naturally pleased. He set aside his Fishing Box and rubbed his hands together. "This is great! Let’s head out to the street and see how much you've learned!"
As they stepped outside, Shi Tian headed towards the opposite side, strolling along the seaside road while surveying the future food street area. As they walked, he listened to Yi Laotou's explanations.
"Observe the eight sections, examine the three courts, and balance the five elements," Yi Laotou elaborated. "The eight characters are Tian, You, Guo, Yong, Mu, Jia, Feng, and Shen. A flat and square face represents Tian. A tapered upper face with a square lower face represents You. A square shape signifies Guo. A larger upper face with a smaller lower face indicates Yong. An inverted long shape represents Mu. A tapered upper face with a broader lower face signifies Jia. Wide cheeks represent Feng. A tapered upper face with a pointed lower face indicates Shen."
Listening to Yi Laotou's endless chatter, Shi Tian remained unfazed. When it came to reciting information, he could easily match Yi Laotou's knowledge!
"This first location is quite good; the rent hasn’t gone up yet. If we don’t secure it soon, I expect it will rise after the New Year." Previously, Su Xueyi had shown interest in these two shops but ultimately decided against them due to slightly higher rent and opted for a location further west where the rent was only seventy percent of this place.
"Hey there! Are you out here clamming? Looks like you’ve caught quite a few!" The landlord was at the door processing clams, providing an easy conversation starter.
Noticing that Shi Tian was distracted, Yi Laotou felt like smacking him down for losing focus. However, he couldn’t afford to lose this disciple who was learning Yi Shu!
"Hey! Boss Shi! Aren’t you supposed to be fishing? What brings you here instead?" Since Shi Tian spent so much time around here, it was natural for him to meet others.
"I just got back from the sea yesterday; I figured I should give the fish a break! Where did you find those clams? You should take me along next time!" He squatted down to take a look at what the old man had collected—enough for a decent stir-fry.
"Over on the west side; I strolled around while waiting for low tide this morning and gathered these! My son is coming back soon; he’s always loved these!"
After chatting for a bit longer, an elderly woman came out from her house with two stools for Shi Tian and Yi Laotou and brought in some freshly washed clams.
The couple were in their sixties; they had one son who went north for university and stayed there after graduation as a teacher in Qingdao. He married a local girl and only returned home twice a year.
"Hainan can’t keep young people; high costs of living, low wages, and skyrocketing housing prices make it tough—this situation isn’t uncommon around here."
"To be honest with you, I’m interested in your house!" After some casual conversation, Shi Tian casually remarked.
With that said, there was no need for pretense; it all depended on how much the old man would ask for it.
Hearing Shi Tian's words, the old man was not surprised at all. He looked up with a smile, fixed his gaze on Shi Tian, and after washing his hands, pulled out some cigarettes from his pocket, handing one to both Shi Tian and Yi Laotou before lighting one for himself.
"What's the deal? Just like Old Zhang's place? One set for two sets, and then throw in a recipe?"
As soon as the old man spoke, Shi Tian was nearly stunned. Was he really going to approach it this way?
"I can go along with it, but you should be a bit more subtle!"
After all, Old Zhang had five storefronts! How big is your operation?
Besides, Old Zhang’s little high-end shop was something they bought with their own money; it wasn’t something I was trading for! Let’s keep it practical! Shi Tian joked back at the old man, who seemed to have quite the appetite.
"Isn't this practical? My son is in Qingdao, over on Huang Island. Housing is quite cheap there. A family of four living in a seventy-square-meter place is a bit cramped. I want to get him a bigger one; it’s not expensive—just around a million or so!"
"If we set up a little high-end shop here, a small unit wouldn’t cost too much either! When you add it all up, you’ll be making a fortune!" The old man seemed to think he was losing out.
With that said, Shi Tian began to feel that the price was reasonable. However, he had his eye on several storefronts, and coming up with over two million to secure them felt a bit tight.
He wasn’t just planning on one store; he wanted to open ten at once. These storefronts weren’t meant for others but were entirely under his control.
"You’re selling your house and not thinking about enjoying life with your son; what do you need these properties for? Besides, your son is a teacher—what do you need the house for? Are you planning to have him quit his job to run a restaurant?"
Comment 0 Comment Count