Chapter 163: Open a Shop Early, Make Money Early

Chen Feng’s idea was simple: to spend money to avoid disaster, and at the same time, to fulfill his filial duty.

Chen Feng was very clear about his little uncle’s character. He was thick-skinned and a bit of a scoundrel. More importantly, his own mother was very fond of this only younger brother of hers.

If he couldn’t let him settle down, his own mother would definitely have a lot of trouble in the future.

The hardest thing to let go of in the world is family affection.

In today’s society, compared to love, family affection is more reliable and more recognized and valued. It’s good if a couple becomes strangers after divorce. Many even become enemies.

But your parents, brothers, and sisters, even if you have quarreled or even fought, it’s still the same saying, “bones are broken but tendons are still connected.” As long as the other party hasn’t done something that you can’t forgive for a lifetime, you will eventually make up one day, or at least get along on the surface.

So, it was definitely impossible to let his own mother cut off contact with his little uncle.

Especially since his maternal grandparents were no longer alive, and before they died, they had “entrusted” their daughters to take care of their younger brother in the future. It was even more impossible for his mother to ignore this younger brother.

And although his little uncle was thick-skinned, fond of eating, and lazy, it couldn’t be said that he was completely useless. When Chen Feng was a child, he was still young and often played at his house. He was indeed very fond of and took care of him and his brother. It was also a common thing for him to ride him like a horse.

Chen Feng remembered that one summer when he was seven or eight years old, he and his brother went to play in the river. He suddenly had a leg cramp. It was his older brother who anxiously called his little uncle who was fishing not far away, and then he was rescued from the river.

His little uncle might have forgotten this matter, but Chen Feng actually still remembered it.

So, even if he didn’t like his little uncle anymore, his little uncle had actually saved his life.

In his heart, he certainly didn’t want his uncle to be poor and destitute for the rest of his life, and to die alone.

In addition, there was that folk saying, “heaven and earth are big, but the uncle is the biggest.” Although most people just said it, the traditional customs that had been passed down for thousands of years still had some truth to them.

His little uncle’s life had not been easy these past few years. It was certainly his own reason, but now that Chen Feng had the conditions to help him, it was completely feasible to spend some money to help him settle down, and it would be best if he could help him form a new family and live a stable life.

What’s more, this was also a way to help his own mother, so that she wouldn’t have to worry about his little uncle’s affairs in the future. This was also a kind of filial piety.

And now, when his little uncle heard the two conditions Chen Feng proposed, he thought about it and agreed very readily. “Alright! I won’t interfere with the shop’s affairs, as long as you don’t short my dividend. But I’ll also say this first. You two brothers are my own nephews. You can’t team up to cheat me of my money. If you do, you’ll be struck by lightning.”

As soon as his little uncle said this, Chen Feng and his brother didn’t say anything, but Zhao Xiaolan was a little unhappy and said, “What are you talking about? They are your nephews. How could they cheat you of your money? Besides, do you have the money to partner with them? Don’t you still have to borrow money from me and your older sister? But this time, I’ll tell you. If you make money after investing this money, you must first pay back the money you owe us sisters.”

As soon as Zhao Xiaolan said this, Zhao Guozhong immediately admitted defeat and said with a forced smile, “I misspoke. I watched Ah Rui and Ah Feng grow up. They are definitely not that kind of person.”

He didn’t mention paying back his two older sisters’ money first after making money, but Chen Feng was not vague. He smiled and said, “Mom, don’t worry. When the shop pays dividends, I will notify you and my great aunt.”

Zhao Guozhong could only say with a bitter face, “Sister, I will definitely pay you and my older sister back after I make money. But I’m already this old. I definitely have to get married first. And getting married costs money. At least I have to redecorate the old house. If I have more money, I’ll buy a new house. Otherwise, not many women will be willing to be with me.”

Before his mother could speak, Chen Feng said, “Little uncle is right. His old house is too dilapidated. Instead of spending tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands on decoration, it’s better to buy a new house. The houses in our countryside are not very expensive. A two or three hundred thousand yuan apartment, plus decoration, will be about three or four hundred thousand yuan.

If the car wash shop we partner in has a good location and is well managed, there should be no problem with five or six hundred thousand a year. In this way, little uncle’s annual dividend should also be more than one hundred thousand. He can save up for a house in two or three years. If little uncle works hard for these two or three years, he can also earn the money for the decoration of the house.

But we all know little uncle’s character. It’s hard to save money. So, I think the annual dividend should be temporarily managed by Mom and Great Aunt. Anyway, you two paid for the partnership money. It’s perfectly reasonable for you to manage it separately. When you have saved enough money, you can buy a house for little uncle.”

Zhao Guozhong was suddenly stunned. He wanted to refute, but he couldn’t find a suitable excuse for a moment. He had always had the consumption concept of spending as much as he had since he was a child. It was indeed difficult to save money. All his relatives and friends knew this, so there was no way to refute it.

And Zhao Xiaolan immediately said happily, “Yes. Ah Feng’s suggestion is good. Your little uncle has never had the habit of saving money since he was a child. We two sisters will save it for him. At most, in two years, or preferably in more than a year, we can save enough money to buy a house. Otherwise, after fifty, it will be difficult to find a wife again.”

Chen Feng said generously, “First of all, you have to find a suitable partner. If you find a suitable partner, even if you haven’t saved enough money, we can all think of a way to get little uncle’s new house ready.”

Zhao Guozhong was originally a little depressed and angry, but when he heard Chen Feng’s words, he suddenly felt warm in his heart.

But before he could be moved, Chen Feng continued, “If it really doesn’t work, you can sell little uncle’s old house. It has a certificate, right? It should be no problem to sell it for two or three hundred thousand. Plus the dividend, you should be able to buy a new house within a year.”

Zhao Guozhong’s face suddenly fell again. He said with a stern face, “The old house is the root of our family. Our parents worked hard to build it. How can we sell it?”

Chen Feng said, “Out with the old, in with the new. That old house is already like that. You don’t want to go back and live there yourself. Isn’t it good to sell it and buy a new house?”

Zhao Xiaolan also said, “Yes, that house is a bit old. It’s not a bad thing to sell it and buy a new house then. Mom and Dad are no longer here. What’s the use of you keeping that old house?”

Zhao Guozhong could only say, “Let’s see. I don’t even have a partner yet. We’ll talk about it when I find one.”

“That’s right. Then we’ll talk about it when you find a partner. I’ll help you find a suitable one in a few days. I’ll call my older sister and tell her about you.”

Zhao Xiaolan said happily as she took out her phone and walked outside to call her older sister, Zhao Xiaohong.

Zhao Guozhong, on the other hand, was a little depressed and didn’t want to talk anymore.

It was originally a good thing. He didn’t have to spend a penny, and he could get a dividend of more than one hundred thousand a year to eat, drink, and have fun.

But now it was a bit of a false joy. Although there was a dividend, it would be withheld and managed by his two older sisters.

Even if he found a partner in the future, he didn’t know if he could still get the right to this dividend.

After all, he didn’t pay for the initial partnership money. It was his two older sisters who paid for it.

Thinking of this, Zhao Guozhong’s eyes rolled. He immediately said to Chen Feng, “Ah Feng, when do you think we should sign the contract for our partnership to open a shop?”

Without a contract, he would definitely not feel at ease.
Chen Feng smiled and said, “Let’s talk about it when you have saved up 100,000 yuan. Now you have to help us choose a place to open a shop and investigate the car beauty and car wash market in your Yuelou Town in detail. You are more familiar with that area than we are, and you know more people than I do. You should be able to do better than us, right?”

Hearing this, Zhao Guozhong was also a little excited. He nodded and said, “Of course. Don’t worry. I’ll go to Yuelou Town tomorrow to investigate it thoroughly, and then contact my friends to find a suitable shop.”

Chen Feng was quite satisfied with his attitude. He nodded and said, “The shop should preferably be close to the main road, and the place should also be appropriately open, convenient for parking. There can be no other shops around, but it must be convenient to get water and to discharge sewage.”

“I know all this. Our main business is car washing. The location of the shop must be on a main road with a large traffic flow. Car washing also definitely requires convenient water intake and drainage. I can be responsible for negotiating then. I’m also very familiar with the procedures for opening a shop in the town. I have many acquaintances.”

Zhao Guozhong’s words were not bragging. After all, he had been messing around in his hometown for decades, and he had been wandering around in society since he was a teenager. He knew some people from all walks of life.

“Alright then, I’ll leave this matter to you,” Chen Feng said with a smile.

“Don’t be so polite. I’m also doing it for myself,” Zhao Guozhong also smiled, but then he said with a thick face, “But then, the transportation expenses, travel expenses, and some expenses for dealing with people will have to be reimbursed.”

Chen Feng waved his hand and said, “I can reimburse you for a thousand yuan for travel expenses. I can’t reimburse you for treating people to meals and drinks. To open such a shop, just follow the normal procedures. Society is different now. There are not as many things as before where you have to eat, take, and ask for things.”

Zhao Guozhong originally wanted to get some benefits, but now he had no chance.

“Then let’s talk about it first. In addition, you can talk to my brother about some specific matters of opening a shop.”

After Chen Feng finished speaking, he went back to his room.

Leaving Zhao Guozhong and Chen Rui looking at each other for a while, Zhao Guozhong then said with a smile, “Ah Rui, why didn’t you say anything just now? You are the older brother of the two of you. You should be the one to make the decision.”

Chen Rui said unhappily, “I’m going to buy a house this year. How can I have extra money to open a second shop?”

“Ah, you can. You’re going to buy a house. It seems you made a lot of money last year.”

Zhao Guozhong looked at Chen Rui with shining eyes. His focus was obviously not on partnering to open a shop, but on Chen Rui buying a house. It seemed that opening a car wash shop was indeed very profitable.

Chen Rui rolled his eyes and directly explained, “I don’t want to partner with you to open a second shop. I can’t even take care of one now. How can I have the energy to work on a second one?”

Zhao Guozhong smiled indifferently and said, “The second one will definitely not let you work on it. Since Ah Feng is making the decision, he will definitely arrange it well. I’m quite confident in him. This kid has been very smart since he was a child. He’s also a college student. He must have his own plan. You just have to invest money with me.”

Chen Rui said with a bitter face, “The main thing is that I don’t have any extra money now…”

Zhao Guozhong waved his hand and said, “Alright. At most, you can also invest 100,000. Let Ah Feng pay for the rest. He will definitely not let you suffer. It’s meaningless if you refuse again. What’s more, you don’t want to have another shop to make money?”

Chen Rui frowned and didn’t speak. The reason why he didn’t want to invest in a second shop was that buying a house was one aspect, and more importantly, he felt that his uncle was unreliable. Although he had agreed not to interfere with the shop’s affairs just now, who knew if he could really do it in the future? So, he still had a lot of concerns.

But if he didn’t agree to the partnership, Chen Feng would have to bear it alone, which would make him, the older brother, look unrighteous. In addition, it would be difficult to explain to his mother. And just as his little uncle said, opening a second shop was also very likely to make money like the first one, and he was also a little reluctant.

After thinking for a while, he could only say, “I have to discuss it with my wife first.”

“Alright, then you go and discuss it with her now. I’m going to find a shop tomorrow. This matter should be settled as soon as possible. The sooner the shop is opened, the sooner we can make money. Every day is money.”

After Zhao Guozhong finished speaking, he also patted his shoulder, which made him speechless for a while. He went to the kitchen in the back to find his wife with a sullen face.

At dinner, Zhao Xiaolan announced that the whole family would go to Chen Feng’s aunt’s house tomorrow.

In Chen Feng’s family, his grandfather had passed away when he was a teenager. His grandmother was still alive, but she had moved to the next city to live with his aunt more than ten years ago.

As for why she didn’t live with her son in her hometown for her old age, there were some hidden reasons.

Chen Feng’s father, Chen Dayong, was not his current grandmother’s biological son. His biological grandmother had passed away long ago. This grandmother was his nominal grandmother. After his biological grandmother passed away, his grandfather married this grandmother, and after marriage, she gave birth to his aunt.

At that time, Chen Dayong was in his teens and was already sensible. His stepmother was not very good to him, but not very bad either. Anyway, the mother-son relationship could only be said to be very average.

So, after his grandfather passed away, Chen Feng’s nominal grandmother soon went to her daughter’s place to live for her old age, and by the way, helped to take care of the children and do some housework. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen years had passed.

Because of this nominal grandmother’s relationship, Chen Feng’s family still had frequent contact with his aunt’s family. It was just that because of the long distance, the two families were not very close.

But no matter what, Chen Feng’s family had to go all the way to pay a New Year’s visit every year. And it was usually the whole family.

In the past, when there was no car at home, it was necessary to transfer several times to go to pay a New Year’s visit.

But now that there were cars at home, and two of them, it was much more convenient.

And the reason why Zhao Xiaolan wanted the whole family to go this time, and let her two sons drive there, was somewhat to show off.

In the past, their family was not rich, while his aunt’s family was relatively rich. His uncle was a factory owner and was said to earn millions a year. When they went to pay a New Year’s visit every year, they felt a little bit of a gap in their hearts, and even faintly felt that they were being looked down upon or even despised.

This time, the two brothers both drove there, and each car was worth more than 200,000 yuan, which was somewhat presentable.

Her two sons were now successful. This time, they could make her and her husband proud and hold their heads high.