DLRC – Chapter 34 Creating Good Conditions for Her Son

Upon hearing from Jiang Aihua that this woman was raising a child alone while running a shop, he figured he should offer a lower rent. Still, a woman running a restaurant with a child in tow sounded exhausting.

With that thought, he heard Yu Wei explain, “No, I’m planning to open a dessert shop. But if your place doesn’t have a kitchen, I’m afraid…”

How could one make desserts without a kitchen? It’s not like they could appear out of thin air.

This indeed posed a bit of a problem, and Xiang Dadong showed a troubled expression.

“This… You’ve seen the place, it’s this small. There’s no kitchen, just a toilet. If you don’t mind, I can rent it to you for twelve yuan a month. What do you think?”

Yu Wei looked troubled. “I’m afraid that won’t work. Without a kitchen, I can’t make desserts. No matter how cheap it is, it’s useless.”

She looked helplessly at Jiang Aihua, but it was clear this woman didn’t know what to do either.

When she viewed the place before, she hadn’t paid attention to whether it had a kitchen. Now look—after all that effort finding a good spot, it was ruined by the lack of a kitchen.

“So what now? We can’t just turn the toilet into a kitchen,” Jiang Aihua joked.

Yu Wei smiled and looked at Xiang Dadong. “In that case… I’m afraid I can’t rent this place.”

She had no choice but to look elsewhere.

The group was a bit dejected. Just as Jiang Aihua was about to take Yu Wei and leave, Xiang Dadong suddenly slapped his thigh and called out to them, “Oh right, Aihua! I just remembered. Isn’t that old Niu renting out a shop next to Central Primary School? Why don’t you two go take a look? It used to be a noodle shop, so it definitely has a kitchen!”

How could you run a noodle shop without a kitchen? That’s just nonsense.

Yu Wei’s eyes lit up—was this a chance? She thought it would be a wasted trip.

She quickly smiled and asked Xiang Dadong, “Great! I’d love to check it out now. Could you tell me where it is?”

Jiang Aihua patted her on the shoulder. “I know that place—it’s right by Central Primary School. But it’s a bit far from here. If you open your shop there, it might be inconvenient to go home.”

In fact, opening a dessert shop near a school was something Yu Wei had thought about long ago. During a recent livestream, she’d asked many viewers for their opinions, and they all thought it was feasible. Besides, in the future, Central Primary School would be the best elementary school in the entire Lucheng. It was definitely worth grabbing a spot now, while the area was still undeveloped.

So Yu Wei was already tempted, and Jiang Aihua didn’t say anything more. After thanking Xiang Dadong, she took Yu Wei to see Old Niu’s shop by Central Primary School.

“But let me tell you, Yu Wei, the rent over there is definitely higher than here,” Jiang Aihua said. “Old Niu and Old Xiang know each other—well, he knows me too—but I’m closer with Old Xiang. So I don’t know what kind of price Old Niu will offer.”

Yu Wei smiled gently. “That’s alright. As long as the shop has all the right conditions, a higher price isn’t a big deal. After all, I plan to run it long-term. Choosing the right location is the key.”

Money wasn’t a concern to her—what she really wanted was a shop with good prospects, especially one near a primary school. Her son would eventually need to attend school, and if he could go to Central Primary, it would be even more convenient.

Hearing her say this, Jiang Aihua finally felt at ease and quickly led her to the shop near the school, which was owned by Old Niu.

The shop was similar to Xiang Dadong’s—already cleared out, with everything inside moved away. It was easy to see everything at a glance. The shop Xiang Dadong mentioned was indeed easy to find, located diagonally across from a major intersection. From there, you could see Lucheng Central Primary School just half a block away.

This street was called Boxue Road. The shop was close to the school and had north-south ventilation. It was perfect for a food business. Sunlight came in from all directions, with no shady corners, and being on such a spacious street corner, the location was truly excellent.

It was the ideal spot for a dessert shop. Moreover, the store’s door was made of clean, reflective glass panels—very luxurious and rare in the late 1980s. Shops like this were only seen in the high-end areas of Hucheng.

When they entered the store, a couple was already there viewing the property. The landlord, a skinny middle-aged man, heard footsteps and turned around. Seeing who it was, he exclaimed joyfully, “Hey! Aihua!”

“Old Niu, still busy I see.” Jiang Aihua greeted him with a smile, then introduced Yu Wei. “I heard you’re renting out this shop, so I brought a prospective tenant.”

While Niu Zhongshi was sizing up Yu Wei, Jiang Aihua took the opportunity to size up the couple viewing the property—trying to gauge the “competition” based on their appearance.

If they were wealthy and decided to rent the place on the spot, then this trip would be a waste.

But clearly she was overthinking it. The couple was very ordinary. When they saw Jiang Aihua and her group enter, their expressions shifted slightly. The woman quickly asked the landlord:

“Could you lower the price a bit?” she asked with a troubled expression. “I just want to open a restaurant, but I’m not sure if business will be good here. If it’s too expensive, I might not even break even.”

That kind of talk didn’t sit well with Niu Zhongshi.

If your food tastes good, why worry about business? He was just renting the place—not guaranteeing your profits. What kind of nonsense was that?

Thinking this, he immediately felt that even if he rented to this couple, they’d probably be stingy and difficult. So he turned and smiled at Yu Wei.

“How about this, I’ll just set the price here and now for you all. You’ve seen the location of my shop — I won’t boast about how good it is, you know in your heart how valuable this spot is. So, about the price, honestly, I’m short on cash recently. I won’t charge you too much — fifteen a month. What do you think?”

Fifteen? The woman looked at her husband in surprise, and their expressions grew more unpleasant. Even Yu Wei raised her brows and began seriously considering it.

The couple were ordinary residents of Lucheng. Just deciding to rent a place to open a shop had taken a lot of courage. But doing business always came with risks. With rent this high, who knew if they’d even make back their investment? So, naturally, they hesitated.

“Then…” The woman still wanted to bargain a bit. “Would thirteen work?”

But Niu Zhongshi waved his hand and said flatly, “This place is seventy square meters. Fifteen is not expensive. I really can’t go any lower. To tell you the truth, I don’t mind waiting a few more months to rent this place out. But I have to eat too! If the rent’s too low, I’ll be losing money in the long run.”

Hearing that, the woman didn’t know what else to say. She exchanged glances with her husband and, after a while, sighed and walked out of the shop.

Honestly, if Jiang Aihua hadn’t brought Yu Wei along, Niu Zhongshi probably wouldn’t have been so firm in his attitude. So, after watching the couple leave, he finally smiled at Yu Wei and the others.

“Aihua, how come you have time to bring someone over to check out the place today?” The shop was empty, with just two small stools in the corner. Niu Zhongshi walked over, picked them up, and placed them beside the two.

“Sit down.”

“Alright.” Jiang Aihua sat down on a stool and let out a sigh before saying, “Here’s the thing. This kid’s mom is my upstairs tenant. She wants to rent a shop to open a dessert place. I heard yours just happens to be available, so I brought her over to have a look.”

Niu Zhongshi nodded to show he understood, then invited Yu Wei to take a look around freely.

Yu Wei smiled and nodded, then took Yu Hui for a little tour around the place. She also took a quick walk around the area within a few dozen meters outside the shop to get a general feel for the environment.

The shop was about the same size as the one old Xiang had. It was neat and tidy, and you could see the whole space at a glance. With seventy square meters, there was even a small room in the back, which served as the kitchen. It wasn’t big, but it was more than enough for making desserts. Plus, the stove and everything were already in place — she’d only need to buy the equipment to get started.

At the back of the kitchen, there was a hidden door that led to a small bathroom. It was clean and odorless. The most important thing was that the layout of the shop was excellent, and the location was great.

Images of modern dessert shop designs flashed through Yu Wei’s mind — besides the clean, clear glass display window, she’d also need a cashier’s counter. This shop had a perfect layout: the kitchen was directly in the back center, so she could install a cashier counter at the kitchen entrance. It’d be convenient for moving in and out, and easy to keep an eye on the front.

She quietly snapped a few photos at the door, intending to share her discovery on the Jiumi Community later and ask her fans for decoration suggestions. She really had this all figured out!

Nice, very nice. Overall, Yu Wei was very satisfied with Niu Zhongshi’s shop, and her heart was already moved. But she kept a calm expression and asked the landlord,

“If I were to rent long-term — say, two or three years, or even seven or eight — could you offer a discount?”

The discount itself wasn’t the main point; she mainly wanted to let the landlord know she was serious about renting long-term. Of course, she couldn’t come across as too eager either — otherwise, she’d look like a rich fool.

“Well…” Niu Zhongshi chuckled and finally said, “It’s not out of the question. After all, you’re someone Aihua personally brought over. We’ve been neighbors for decades. I can offer a small discount. But how long exactly are you thinking of renting?”

Yu Wei smiled with a hint of joy. “I’m thinking of two years to start — three is fine too. Unless the business is so bad I can’t keep going, I plan to run this shop for many years.”

Cooking was her passion. Even if it were just a job, she believed she’d stay passionate about it, so she naturally wanted something long-term.

Niu Zhongshi thought it over. It wasn’t really a difficult decision — who wouldn’t want a long-term, stable tenant? It would save him a lot of trouble in the future.

So he agreed, “Alright, then let’s make it fourteen a month. Can’t go lower.”

Yu Wei’s face lit up with gratitude, and she said to Niu Zhongshi, “Alright, since you’re being so straightforward, I won’t haggle anymore. I really like your shop, so let’s settle on it. I didn’t bring money with me today. I’ll head home for lunch first, then come back this afternoon with the deposit — sound good?”

“Sure, sure!” Now that the deal was done, Niu Zhongshi was in a great mood. “Go have lunch first. Just bring the money later.”

Jiang Aihua was overjoyed to see that Yu Wei and Niu Zhongshi had reached an agreement. She thought this trip would end up being a waste of time, but it actually worked out!

On the way home, Jiang Aihua couldn’t stop talking, even more excited than Yu Wei.

“Honestly, that shop has a great location. Kids passing by on their way to and from school — your desserts smell so good — once those students catch a whiff, they’ll be dragging their parents in to buy some!”

She laughed at her own words. “My little grandson is exactly like that. I can never take him past a candy store — he’ll cry until he gets something!”

“Kids are always like that,” Yu Wei replied happily. Yu Hui held his mother’s hand steadily, walking along with his little footprints.

“You’ll be a boss soon — work hard, I believe in you!”

Yu Wei smiled softly and said, “Thank you, Auntie Jiang. I’ll do my best. I’ve got to make money so our Huihui can live in a big house someday, right?”

She looked down at Yu Hui. The little guy was walking seriously. When he heard his mom call his name, he looked up with his big sparkling eyes. “Mama.”

Yu Wei was overwhelmed with affection. She bent down, picked him up, and planted two kisses on his fair little cheeks.

“Our Huihui is so good, Mama will work hard to make more money and give you the best life possible!”

Not just for him — but also for her own future. So she could live a better life, one where she didn’t have to worry about affording even a single piece of meat.

Maybe it was because they’d been eating better lately, but when she kissed her obedient son’s cheek, it felt a little chubbier — soft, fragrant, and smooth. Yu Wei rubbed her face against his, making the little guy giggle.

He buried his head in the warmth of her neck, his long curly lashes brushing against her skin, tickling gently. Then came his soft little voice whispering in her ear:

“Mama…”

Watching the mother and son, Jiang Aihua felt a wave of warmth in her heart. She thought of her own grandson — not as cute and well-behaved as Yu Hui, but still a very lovable child.

Smiling, she patted Yu Hui’s little shoulder.

“Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up, isn’t it? My energetic little grandson will be visiting. Let him take your Yu Hui out to play — it’s good to make a few more friends.”

“Okay, thank you, Auntie Jiang.”

“No need to thank me.”