Chapter 461: Buying a Shop

He didn't know if the trade fair organizers also felt that there were too many illiterate people here, so for two days, no one had asked about the shops, but now there was one more person holding a loudspeaker and reading the investment promotion notice off a wooden board.

The surrounding merchants and vendors all whispered among themselves after hearing it.

The four Zhou brothers and the two Lan brothers were also chatting there, everyone saying they couldn't afford it—they'd all just built new houses, where would they have spare money?

Zhou Da and the others had only just gone in on a boat together at the end of last year.

Besides, everyone felt the city was too far from their village, not a single thought of buying, they only planned to watch the excitement.

But just because they had no thoughts didn't mean others didn't—Ye Yaodong could calculate this account, and so could others; clever people could also see the market's prospects from the current foot traffic.

Everyone started asking what the procedure was.

Ye Yaodong listened carefully too.

This new market was definitely under public management, and they'd have to sign a contract and go through procedures, so they wouldn't get cheated, and many present were already tempted.

First to act wins, last to act suffers.

Only now they were still queuing, too many people around, not suitable for borrowing money.

After everyone finished selling their goods and excitedly walked out together, he pulled them to an empty corner with no one around, and said to them seriously: "About that investment promotion and shop-buying just now, do you have any thoughts?"

Everyone was a bit puzzled. "What thoughts could we have? Just listening is fine, we can't afford it."

"Everyone's house was just built, where would we have spare money?"

"Right, we can't afford it, and we don't live in the city, what would we buy it for?"

"Exactly, just listening is fine. If we're lucky and have a lot of goods, we can carpool to deliver them together, rent a stall, the commission isn't expensive, why spend so much money buying a shop?"

Ye Yaodong smiled. "Since none of you have any thoughts, how about lending me the money first, I'll pay you back when I get home, I'm only 350 yuan short."

"What? You want to buy this shop? That's 3000 yuan!"

"Right, you haven't caught a fever, have you, A-Dong? This isn't 300 yuan, this 3000 could buy two apartments in our county town, you buy one in the city but you're not even here, what do you buy it for?"

"Buying a shop is a big deal, you have to think it over carefully. Why don't you go back and discuss it with your family first? You can't be impulsive about this."

"Right, such a large sum, you really have to think it through, you can't just say buy and buy."

Everyone chimed in trying to persuade him to think twice before acting—if they didn't hold him back a bit, once he went back, they'd also get blamed.

Ye Yaodong appreciated their good intentions, but this shop really could be bought, it truly wouldn't be a loss.

Even if he wasn't here, he could rent it out and collect rent, in a few years it'd be a sure profit. Anyway, he didn't know how to do business either, money in hand was just money sitting there—he knew too well how fast money depreciated.

If not for thinking that buying two would cost too much, he'd want to buy as many as his family's money could afford at home, but then he'd have little cash left. It hadn't been easy to save up this much family fortune, he wasn't willing to spend it all, had to keep some in hand to look at.

He smiled and said to everyone: "I appreciate your good intentions. The thought of buying a shop wasn't just sparked just now—when I went to sell scallops before, I already looked into it, did the math in my head, I feel buying a shop won't be a loss, it's a good deal, anyway it'll definitely be worth money in the future."

You throw a papaya, I return a jade.

Ye Yaodong ran through the account he'd just calculated in his head for them again, and told them the country would get better and better, the market's foot traffic would grow larger and larger, shops would become more and more valuable, and if they could afford it, they'd best buy one too and leave it there to make money.

Even if they couldn't use it themselves, renting it out would be fine.

Everyone also did the math in their heads using the commission from just now, and felt that what he said did seem like a good deal, but thinking about it, 3000 yuan was just too much, and they all shook their heads again.

"No no no, can't afford it, we don't have that much family fortune."

"Right, nothing to be done about it. Let's not even say we don't have that much money—even if we did, we wouldn't dare buy. If we bought this, the tigress at home would turn the whole house upside down on us."

"Right, this really can't be decided on our own. A-Dong, don't rush. We've sold our goods, let's go back and discuss with our families first. If the family has no objections, we'll come back and buy."

"Right, anyway the shop's there, it won't run away."

Ye Yaodong shook his head. "It won't run away, but there are too many people tempted. You saw it too while you were queuing just now—plenty of bosses and boat owners were tempted."

"But those people have money..."

"I got ahead of everyone catching cuttlefish before, and the big king squid before that. In this half year or so I've also saved up some money—scraping together a bit here and there, borrowing some from my brothers and dad, it should just barely be enough. If I don't buy it, I won't be able to let it go. This shop will definitely make money if bought, you have to trust me."

"Even if we trust you, we still need money to buy. We can't do it. If this were before, we wouldn't even dare think about it—no, we don't dare think about it now either."

Ye Yaodong shrugged his shoulders, then he wouldn't waste his breath.

"Then forget it if you don't dare think about it. I'm buying. How about each of you lending me 60 yuan? I'll pay you back when we get home."

The others hesitated: "Lending you money is fine, but when we get back, your wife won't come knocking on our door cursing us for not stopping you, will she?"

"Should be worrying about his mother."

"Right, let's go back and discuss with them first."

"No need, going back would take too much time, several trips back and forth."

Seeing they couldn't talk him out of it, everyone had no choice but to count out 60 yuan each to lend him.

Ye Yaodong breathed a sigh of relief, happily took it. "Thanks! I'll ask my wife for the money to pay you back once we're home, definitely won't drag past today."

"It's just a few dozen yuan, it's fine if you pay back a few days later, smooth things over with the wife at home first."

"Right, don't have a big fight over buying a shop. Go back and talk it through properly, and analyze it properly."

"Thanks, I'd like to go take a look at that new market's location now, then come over and finalize the shop purchase."

The others all nodded in agreement. "Right right right, have to go look, can't just take one person's word for it."

"We'll walk over with you to take a look."

The new market was on an empty lot not far away—they could roughly see a bit of it from where they stood, but up close they could see more clearly, and saw how big the site was.

Ye Yaodong, seeing this new seafood market's footprint and location, roughly matched it up in his head from memory. Although in his past life he'd only been two or three times, and the surroundings were a bit more desolate now, vastly different from the bustling crowds of his past life, the geographical position hadn't changed.

Anyway, the city would develop in the future, and gradually expand outward.

The others also looked on in amazement. "This place isn't small!"

"What a big piece of land, how much would this need to build?"

"It's not small, that's why I urged you to buy a shop, it won't be a loss."

"Forget it? There's no one around here, everyone's going inside to rent stalls, what's the use of buying a shop here? Think it over again?"

"It'll get lively. With such a big market here, won't food and drink places spring up around it? With people around, how could it not develop?"

"Sigh, won't try to persuade you anymore."

Everyone felt he was already possessed by a demon, no matter what they said it was useless.

It's clearly so desolate here, there's barely anyone around, yet he insists it'll develop. Can't it develop in the city? Why develop this godforsaken place? This is a place where even birds won't shit. Everyone could clearly just rent a stall, so why rent a shop?

If they can't persuade him, then they won't. Each person has their own aspirations; no one can make decisions for someone else.

"Remember to keep it secret for me, otherwise it'll spread like wildfire through the village."

There's no wall in the world that doesn't let wind through, but a reminder can at least delay the spread a bit.

After they returned to the market, they went to the transaction point again. Unexpectedly, they heard two bosses had already reserved two. Ye Yaodong also stood nearby watching them sign the contract.

The others looked on in a daze, and at this moment he once again felt grateful that he knew how to read.

The feeling of being literate was just too good.

After they finished signing the contract and got their receipts, he also stated that he wanted to buy one.

Just like that, he also secured a shop in what would become the largest seafood wholesale market in Fujian Province in the future.

He neatly folded the receipt and the drafted contract before tucking them into the hidden pocket of his shorts. These were important things.

When Ye Yaodong stood up, someone else said they wanted to buy a shop. They watched there for a while longer before heading out.

Looking at the blue sky, white clouds, and bright sun outside, everyone felt like they were dreaming. Hadn't they just come to the city's wholesale market to sell some scallops?

How did one of them end up buying a shop?

And spent a whopping 3,000 yuan all at once?

They didn't know whether this trip should have happened for Adong or not. They always felt he got the short end of the stick.

"Regret it?"

"Regret what?" Ye Yaodong said with a smile: "You all should think of it as me making a profit!"

"Fine, anyway you've already bought it. We can only pray to Guanyin to bless it and be worth something in the future."

"Let's go, head home."

"Yeah, stick your neck out for the blade or pull it back, either way it's a cut. Let's hurry back and take the scolding. Just don't make your wife so angry she goes back to her parents' home."

"Pfft~ my wife will definitely support me."

"Heh heh~"

Everyone didn't expose him. Who wouldn't get scolded after spending so much money?

Actually, Ye Yaodong was also a bit unsure in his heart, wondering if Ah Qing would make a fuss. After all, it was 3,000 yuan, not a small sum. Last year, their family could scrape together at most 300 yuan.

Coming out on this trip, not bringing money back, and being told he spent 3,000 yuan—if it were his dad, his mom would scold his dad bloody, and the two might even split the family and live separately.

Gotta explain it properly!

Gotta explain it properly!

A harmonious family brings prosperity in all things!

The accounts have to be made clear to her!

The money was all spent, and he even owed money. Ye Yaodong didn't have the heart to wander around the city anymore.

The others, with so much money in their pockets, also didn't dare run around. They just wanted to hurry home. Anyway, on the way back they could also take a look at what the city looked like.

The tractor had been waiting there the whole time. Going back empty would still cost fuel money. They had originally agreed on a round-trip price.

Everyone climbed back onto the tractor and headed back.