"This shop is really not small."
The fellow villagers from the northern region took a look inside and outside the shop, and they all expressed the same opinion.
Although the location of this shop is not very good, it is already close to the edge of the city, but considering the desolation of Beiyu County, a few people feel that the shop on the edge of Tongzhou capital is more than enough for the bustling city of Beiyu County.
Several people rode over, it was still early.
The scorching sun of the summer moon is like a leaf that has just sprouted and has not yet become rich green, as gentle as if it has been washed.
Huo Shu led a few people first and arranged for the cleaning of the shop. He also wanted to hire a carpenter outside to make beds for sleeping in the backyard and shelves for the front yard.
You can also buy finished products directly from the wood workshop, but the price will be much higher.
The Ji family has enough wood that can be used in the shop, so there is no need to spend more decoration costs on it.
After making arrangements, he came out of the backyard and saw Taoyu walking slowly from the street.
In his hand, he also held a bean sprout bun that he had taken two bites of.
When she was having breakfast at home, Taoyu secretly put half of her bowl of noodles into his bowl, just to eat some at the morning market in the city.
Huo Shu looked at the man who was walking briskly and cheerfully, like a child. He was helpless but asked spontaneously: "Is it delicious?"
Taoyu moved the buns closer to Huo Shu's mouth: "Try it."
Huo Shu looked at the white and soft dough, with chopped bean sprouts and a little bit of minced meat spit out from the inside. Maybe it had just come out of the pot and was still steaming.
He didn't comment, but he actually leaned forward and took a bite according to the original gap.
Taoyu broke into a small crescent moon bun, and immediately turned into a full moon approaching the fifteenth day.
"not bad."
Taoyu looked at the bun that was about to fall apart in her hand. Only the dough on the edge was left, and all the fillings fell into someone's mouth.
He pursed his lips in confusion and silently stuffed the remaining dough into his mouth.
The shops along the street were opening one after another. When Taoyu came over, he counted them carefully and found that there were currently seven or eight shops open.
It's not much different from an ordinary market. It's all about eating, playing, and shops for daily use.
However, there was a shop that was about to open at the corner of the street. Seeing that it was pretending to be wealthy, he asked about it and found out that it was a salt shop.
Nowadays, the salt business is jointly run by officials and merchants, but the merchants who can obtain the salt quota are very rare, and they must all be famous merchants.
Salt is an indispensable thing for ordinary people to have three meals a day. The salt store has never been worried about business. Once the salt store opens, there will be a lot of people here.
Taking their shop as the center, there are now completed shops to the east of the street entrance.
To the west, paved buildings are still under construction.
The two looked around together and found that there was an open space only one mile to the west.
If the land purchase is one mile away, the bow workshop and the riding range will be separated.
However, the distance is not that far, and businesses at both ends can still be connected.
So Huo Shucai bought some food and wine, and got the contact address of the businessmen in this area through the construction team.
The people in the work team were quite friendly.
Tong Huoshu introduced that this land was the property of Chimelong Trading Company, and they were all employees of the trading company.
Chimelong is a large commercial bank, and its affairs are distributed in a very orderly manner.
Under the trading firm, there are master craftsmen who specialize in building houses and buildings, and there are fangs who specialize in attracting customers and buying and selling, each performing their own duties.
If you need anything, you can go directly to the door of Chimelong Commercial Bank and someone will receive you.
However, the leader of the work team never asked Huo Shu to go directly to the door shop, saying that those who went like this would be regarded as laymen and would not be able to get a good price.
He was willing to introduce acquaintances to Huo Shu.
Taoyu knows some tricks, and buying a house is not a small amount of money. Fang Ya, who is a businessman, can get some reward money from every successful transaction.
The leaders of the work team knew these rules. They introduced people to the familiar Fang Ya. Once the business was done, they would naturally get some benefits, so they were willing to help.
So the leader of the work team was asked to pull the strings, and someone from Chimelong Trading Company came in the afternoon.
"This is Manager Qin from Fang Ya of the trading company. This is Brother Huo who wants to trade. His husband's surname is Ji."
The leader of the work team brought the person over and made a brief introduction, then went about his business, leaving the two parties to talk.
When steward Fang Ya met with people, he looked at Huo Shu and Tao Yu.
Seeing that Huo Shu was dressed in simple clothes, he could not be found at first sight on the street. However, he was tall, slender and quite imposing, and the husband who followed him was also delicate.
He was also cautious and polite in his words.
"I heard from Foreman Liu that you two are interested in doing business. Do you want to rent or buy? Our firm has shops and houses available for rent and sale in various locations in Tongzhou City."
Manager Qin gave a brief introduction, but it became more and more obvious that Chimelong Commercial Bank was wealthy and had a great business.
Huo Shu did not mince words and said bluntly: "We want to buy land, an open space on the west side of Xin Street."
When the steward heard this, he was even more delighted. Buying land was a bigger business than building.
He became even more respectful: "I don't know how much Brother Huo wants to buy. The land price at the Xinjie end is a bit or two more affordable than in the downtown area, but it still has to be this amount."
The steward compared the number eight.
There are more than ten acres of fields outside the city. This number is not unusual in the city.
After all, it costs several hundred taels to buy a house. If you can build a house on one acre of land, it will change hands for several hundred taels.
If you want to set up a riding and shooting range, even if it is not very big in the city, you still need the horses to be able to run, otherwise it will be no different from being penned in a shed.
He made a rough calculation and found that one acre of land now exceeds 400 square meters, and a horse farm owner would need 20 acres of land.
In total, it would take more than a thousand and two thousand taels to win the land.
Taoyu said: "We want twenty acres of land, which comes to one thousand six hundred taels. It would be great if we could add one hundred taels to make up one thousand and fifty taels."
"My husband is really good at joking. A hundred taels can be more than enough to buy another acre of land. At this price, wouldn't I give you an acre of land for free?"
Manager Qin was overjoyed when he heard that the two wanted a lot of land, but he was not happy to hear such a price cut again: "Our Chimelong Trading Company has a bit of a thin output, but we can't afford it."
Taoyu continued: "These more than a thousand taels are just a small business for Chimelong Trading Company, but what ordinary people like us do is just a little subsistence business. The cost investment is so huge, and there is no new street here. How can we make a living if there are no customers? It's far inferior to the bustling city."
Manager Qin said jokingly: "The price in downtown is not like this. Even if you two can afford the price, downtown may not be able to buy the land. Now our business does not have any land in downtown."
Youxian asked, "I wonder what kind of business you two want to do when you buy this lot of land?"
The two of them didn't hide anything. The plan was to open the door for business, so there was no need to hide it.
"Riding shooting range?"
Manager Qin was a little surprised. There were the most food and drink shops in the city. There were no such shops in Xinjie yet. He originally thought that the two of them wanted to do this business.
He said vaguely: "Boss Huo does have a far-sighted vision."
After saying this, Manager Qin thought for a moment and said, "How about this? I'll write down your opinions first, and then I'll go back and ask our boss for instructions."
"If things can work out, everyone will be happy. If things don't work out, we should make friends. How about that?"
At this point, there is nothing much to say.
Huo Shu and Tao Yu sent away the steward Fang Ya.
The business was not concluded, but the sun was already setting in the west. Taoyu stepped on the golden afterglow on the bluestone, feeling slightly in a trance.
Huo Shu shook his hand and said, "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm wondering whether Manager Qin thinks we've lowered the price too harshly and deliberately said this to politely reject us, or whether he can't make the final decision and really go back and ask the owner of the trading firm for instructions."
"As long as he has some vision, he will not refuse politely."
Huo Shu said.
"How to say?"
"There is no dedicated riding and shooting range in the city. We are the first of its kind. Not to mention, it is not easy to find people with horses to ride and shoot. These merchants like to make connections and will consider this."
Taoyu blinked, but it made sense.
Merchants put profit first, and they also consider future benefits when doing a business.
"Then just wait and see, Zuogongfang is still busy."
When Huo Shu led Taoyu back to the shop, Huo Shou transported two carts of wood from the village. The carpenter had already made two simple wooden beds.
The shop has not yet customized the shelves, so everyone washed and rinsed the floor. The sun was strong at noon and they were left to dry in the morning.
The new shop, which has only been built for a short time, is not dirty, but when you step inside, you can see that the floor is clean and shiny.
Uncle Fan took his people to purchase some raw materials for making bows and arrows and came back. Several people were working energetically.
Taoyu looked at the wood and sawdust from workmanship spread all over the backyard, which was a bit messy.
When the time is ready, I will move two jars in to grow some lotus flowers, and transplant some trees outside, such as osmanthus and bamboo, to decorate and add nobility.
"Hey, did you buy a mattress?"
Taoyu saw some quilts piled up in the house facing the yard, and couldn't help but take a second look.
Uncle Fan said: "The carpenter said that the bed will be ready in a while. We will make the bed when we bring it in. We will rest here tonight. This will save us a lot of trouble and give us more time to make bows and arrows."
"It's quite tiring to sleep on a wooden bed with only a mattress. The kitchen hasn't been set up yet, and everything is not ready. Isn't it too rushed?"
Taoyu was a little worried.
"When Mamoru went back to pull the wood, he pulled some straw and we used it to make the bed. The sawdust scraped from the bed and shelves can be used as firewood. It's hot in the summer, so just two fires are enough. These rough guys don't care much, they just need a place to sleep."
Taoyu saw a few people insisting, thinking that they would be much more comfortable living here than in the village because they had something to do.
Since this was the case, he didn't force it, and turned to see what was missing in the kitchen, and took Huo Shu to buy everything.
Pots and pans are indispensable. They are used today and will be used every day in the future. The other is rice, flour and food.
Taoyu didn't know whether the men could cook or not, so she bought some with them.
It's just that it's getting late, and the vegetables and meat aren't as plentiful and fresh as the morning market, but the prices are affordable.
He only bought a small amount. He grew a lot of vegetables in his own land. He would pick some and bring them over tomorrow without spending money to keep them fresh. He could also give some to his Azu along the way.
In the summer months, there are many kinds of fruits and vegetables in the countryside. It is the most abundant season of the year when there is no shortage of vegetables. The shop has not yet opened to make a profit. To put it bluntly, the couple and the rest of the group are still in a state of being unable to get out. , I think I can save a little bit at this moment.
The two of them came back with a lot of things in large and small bags, and after giving Uncle Fan and others a few instructions, they went home.
Huo Shu and Tao Yu traveled back and forth between the city and the countryside these days. They hurried to the Xinjie shop in the morning before the sun was shining, and they didn't go back until the sun turned westward in the evening. They seemed to have the style of leaving early and returning late.
That day, Uncle Fan was talking to Huo Shu about whether to build a slightly larger stable at this end of the shop. After all, Huo Shu had given them horses for traveling.
The horse was originally kept at Ji's house, but a few people needed it to transport wood or do other things, so they rode it out. Since they didn't return to Ji's house at night, they didn't know what to do with the horse.
The livestock shed here in the shop is indispensable for preparation. As for the size, Huo Shu was still a little hesitant.
Fortunately, the manager of Chimelong Trading Company came to reply at this time, and sold the vacant land west of Xinjie to Huoshu and Taoyu according to their wishes.
The news came at the right time. Huo Shudang even went through the paperwork with Chimelong Trading Company, paid the money, and got the land deed.
Now that there is land, the horses no longer need to be penned in the shop. They can just build a stable at the riding range.
So this side of the shop was roughly arranged, and the other side of the riding range could also be planned accordingly.
The weather is cool after autumn, and it is the best time for the wealthy and idle people in the city to have fun riding and shooting. If the riding and shooting range opens before then, it will be a good time to catch a wave of customers.
After Huo Shu finished writing the paperwork, his men hoeed the weeds on the ground and smoothed the uneven ground.
The autumn harvest hasn't happened yet, so Ji Wenliang is relatively free. Huo Shou lives in a shop in the city, and he has no one to walk his horse with.
Hearing that a riding and shooting range was going to be set up here, he happily came to the city on horseback to help with some work.
Ge Liang also often ran to this end. Before he met Huo Shu, he was already making bows and arrows and sending them to the archery workshop in the city. Now that Huo Shu was about to open a bow workshop, he was naturally helping to make bows and arrows here.
The people who were traveling together with Hongli Village also came to help occasionally when they were free.
It was quite lively for a while, and there were plenty of people.
After a few days, Huo Shu saw that the ground was almost flat, and he was ready to find a construction team to build a house.
In the afternoon, he was preparing to burn the excavated grass pockets and some tree roots. Unexpectedly, it turned cloudy as soon as possible. Everyone wiped the sweat and said that they had a chance to breathe.
It was really hot to sit on the flat grass field under the bright sun. I didn't expect it to stop opening as soon as the sun became overcast. Slowly, some wind picked up, causing the flags in the distance to fly, which was probably a sign of another rain.
There has been a lot of rain this month, not very heavy, but it has been raining for a long time, not only hindering the progress of work from time to time, but also making farmers shake their heads in pain.
There has been too much rain, and it is certain that this year's crop harvest will not be satisfactory.
Huo Shu was not sure how long it would rain, so he asked everyone to stop the work.
He went back to the shop and prepared to take Taoyu back to the village. It was not too early, but if it rained continuously, they would not be able to go back at night.
Taoyu was cooking some summer-relieving soup in the stove in the backyard, but the soup turned dark even before it was sunny.
"Are you going back or staying in the city?"
Taoyu had just walked to the center of the yard with a spoon to see what the weather was like, when Huo Shu's voice came.
From what he said, it looked like it was going to rain.
Their room in the shop in the city hasn't been finished yet, so they can live in Azu's house, but after working for most of the day, they smell of sweat and have to take a shower at night.
His Azu didn't have Huo Shu's clothes to wear, which was still inconvenient.
Taoyu hurriedly took off her scarf: "Go home."
The two of them rode back. Although they ran fast, Xia Yu came quickly.
There was a thunder followed by raindrops.
When it rained, Huo Shu happened to enter the village. He hid the peach elm under his chest and covered it with a shawl.
By the time we got there, Huo Shu was already soaked to the skin, while Tao Yu was better, but still mostly wet.
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing looked at the two people rushing home and quickly boiled some hot water.
When Taoyu returned to the house, she took off her wet clothes and rubbed her arms that had goosebumps.
It was raining heavily and windy, and it was a bit cold.
Huo Shu untied his soaked coat and frowned slightly as he watched Taoyu's movements: "Go to the clean room first. I'll bring you water right away to take a bath."
Fever is no easier than cold.
Taoyu obediently ran into the clean room with bare feet, and untied his hair behind the screen.
Huo Shu came in with a bucket of water in one hand. There were two splashes, hot water entered the bathtub, and he went out again.
Taoyu heard the sound of rain on the roof, as if someone was running past, and quickly untied her clothes.
The wet clothes became a little heavy, and after loosening the belt, they slid to the ground, revealing Taoyu's round and smooth shoulders.
Although it was raining, it was still bright before it got dark. Taoyu lowered her head and saw her white chest and delicate rosy color.
He pursed his lower lip tightly, quickly raised his head and looked elsewhere.
Although it is my own body, it is usually wrapped up It's a pretty tight place, but it's a bit unfamiliar at first glance.
But someone seemed to like it so much that some inappropriate images flashed through his mind.
He blushed and was about to reach for the long cloth to wrap himself up, when Huo Shu came back with water.
The person standing at the screen looked at the naked man and was obviously startled.
Huo Shu's Adam's apple slipped, and he steadily picked up the water and poured it into the tub.
"Okay, come here."