With Shen Yi and Chen Sheng off taking care of orders, Qin Jiao drove her mom to look at some potential storefronts.
The new semester hadn’t started yet, so the shops near North City University and the other schools were still closed, making the area seem a little quieter than usual.
Fortunately, there were quite a few residential areas nearby, so it was only quiet in comparison to how it would be when the students returned for the semester.
One storefront was located right near the West Gate of North City University, adjacent to North City Engineering University. Once the semester began, the foot traffic in this area would be massive.
The space was a little over twenty square meters and came with a small kitchen in the back. The layout was good, too. Plus, the existing tables and chairs could be included in the deal, so it wouldn’t require much renovation—just a bit of sprucing up.
The owner was a middle-aged woman in her forties, a little on the heavy side, who seemed quite friendly.
Qin Jiao said, "Ma’am, this is a great location. I came here for stir-fry last semester. Why are you closing up shop?"
"Sigh... It’s because one of my elders back home got sick, and I have to go back to take care of them. Oh, so you’re a student at the university here? That’s wonderful. You have a bright future ahead of you."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before finally discussing the price. Because the space was part of a former state-owned restaurant, it was a rental property. The monthly rent wasn’t cheap, and there was additional paperwork to handle.
Qin Jiao did some quick mental math. The numbers didn’t quite add up, and she was worried about the complicated paperwork that would follow. She could only say apologetically, "Ma’am, we’ll need to go back and discuss this a bit more."
The woman, Boss Li, understood that renting the place out wouldn’t be easy. She said, "I’m not the one who set the price; there’s nothing I can do about it. If you find a better option, that’s perfectly fine. However, if you’re also planning to open a restaurant, I’d be willing to sell you all these tables, chairs, and kitchen equipment for cheap."
Su Yun’s interest was piqued. She turned to look at her daughter. Qin Jiao smiled and said, "That would be wonderful. Could you give us your phone number? We’ll contact you if we need anything."
Boss Li could tell that although this girl looked young, she was the one in charge. She quickly gave them her number and said, "If you don’t rent this shop, I’ll probably have to take a loss and just leave. If you don’t take the tables and chairs, I’ll have to get rid of them for cheap to someone else. You should contact me soon."
It was clear the woman was in a hurry.
The rent was too expensive, and the lease term likely wouldn’t be very long. Since it involved procedures for state-owned properties, Qin Jiao knew that reforms were due in a couple of years, which could lead to unforeseen changes.
However, the tables and chairs were in great condition. Having only been used for a year or two, they were still quite new, which meant no worries about issues like formaldehyde from new furniture.
Then there was all the equipment needed for the kitchen.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Jiao said, "Ma’am, how about this? Could you tally up a price for all the tables, chairs, and the kitchen equipment? If it’s reasonable, we’ll take it all."
"Alright!"
Su Yun was also tempted, but she felt things were moving too quickly. She pulled her daughter aside and whispered, "Xiao Jiao, shouldn’t we look around a bit more?"
"This is a timely opportunity. Let’s see what price she offers. Then, Mom, you can check what kitchen equipment we can actually use. If Boss Li is reasonable and gives us a good deal, we should take it. I’ve already estimated what this kind of stuff would cost, so I have a number in mind."
Su Yun thought that made a lot of sense, so she nodded.
Seeing that the mother and daughter had finished their discussion, Boss Li spoke up. "The tables, the chairs, everything in the kitchen... how about I give it all to you as a package deal? It’ll save me the trouble. Three hundred yuan for the lot. What do you think? If you agree, I can have someone start packing it all up right now."