Volume 1 / Chapter 39: Zhejiang Provincial Cancer Hospital
In the steady drizzle, MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ had just finished a delivery and was pedaling his three-wheeled cart through the quiet streets, he slowed to a stopânot because of fatigue, but because something had caught his eye a vacant storefrontâan odd sight, given that the location wasnât half bad. He couldnât help but wonder why no one had rented it.
This was the outskirts of Hangzhou, in a place separated from neighboring Yuhang District by a hill called BĂ nshÄn
Coincidentally, it was also quite close to YÇkĆng High School, where his daughter MĂČ XuÄyĂĄo attendedâjust a ten-minute bike ride, give or take.
In terms of location, this spot was already pushing the edge of Hangzhouâs urban sprawl. There had been talks of annexing Yuhang into Hangzhou proper, but it hadnât happened yet. So naturally, development in this borderline zone remained pretty average.
The road here was narrow, just two lanes with no green median. But in the 90s, car ownership wasnât widespread. The road wasnât congestedâcars passed steadily, but there was no gridlock.
Technically, this was within city limits, but due to the terrain, the road sloped steadily uphill.
And at the very top of that slope stood a well-known institution: the Zhejiang Provincial Cancer Hospital.
This hospital specialized in cancer and tumors. Only those with some financial means could afford treatment here.
After all, in these days, the average person simply couldnât afford to battle such serious illnesses.
The vacant shop that had caught his attention sat just below the hospitalâs street. Located at a four-way intersection, in factâanyone heading to the hospital would inevitably pass this storefront.
A clear business opportunity.
MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ had been watching this area for a while now. Today, he finally made up his mind to stop the tricycle and find out how much the rent would be.
The entire street was built on a slope, with every shop perched level atop it.
After looking around for a spot, he finally parked his tricycle and braved the rain to approach the storefront. A handwritten notice was taped to the shuttered metal gate.
"For Rent, Not Transfer."
Good sign.
MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ was pleasedâit meant he might avoid some unnecessary expenses.
âRentâ meant dealing directly with the property owner. âTransfer,â on the other hand, involved someone who had previously rented the place and was now passing the remaining lease on to someone elseâfor a hefty fee.
Say, for example, the rent was „10,000 a year, but the transfer fee could be „50,000, with all sorts of ârenovationâ or âgoodwillâ charges tacked on. That was money burned.
Even though the street was sloped, the shops were all built level. Any uneven ground had already been adjusted with foundations to keep them flat. Standing in front of one, you wouldn't even notice the incline underneath.
He jotted down the number and pulled out his phone.
âHello?â
âHi, whoâs this?â The voice on the other end was speaking Mandarin tinged with a local accent.
âIâm calling about the shop listed for rent.â
âOh, youâre interested in that one? We usually sign three-year contracts. Rent can be paid every six months.â
âHow much is it per month?â MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ asked, a little nervous.
âNot too expensive. Where are you right now?â
âUh⊠Iâm standing right outside the shop.â
âLetâs talk face to face then. Do you see that grocery store down the slope?â
âYeah, I see it.â
âIâm in there. Come on in.â
âGot it.â MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ hung up and stepped into the rain again, walking toward the shop.
The grocery store was fully stocked. Behind the counter sat a stylish elderly womanâgold-rimmed glasses, a head of permed curls. Probably around sixty or so.
âHi, Iâm the one who just called about the storefront.â
âFigured as much. Have a seat.â
âAh⊠thanks.â MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ sat down on the chair near the counter, Thinking it best to approach.
The woman smiled warmly and poured him a glass of water. She didnât immediately mention the rent, instead asking, âSo, why do you want to rent the place?â
âWell⊠to make a living, of course!â He laughed loudly, trying to brush off the awkwardness of the question.
âWhat kind of business are you planning?â
âA fruit shop, maybe. I noticed there arenât any fruit shops on that street.â
âThatâs true.â She sized him up, her gaze sharp but not unfriendly. âWhatâs your surname, if you donât mind?â
âNo need to be so formal,â MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ replied quickly. âMy surnameâs MĂČ.â
âIâm Auntie JÄ«n, you can just call me that.â
âNice to meet you, Auntie JÄ«n,â he chuckled. âYou seem to own quite a few shops.â
âActually, that entire row of shops belongs to me.â
âNo wonder youâre not in a rush to rent this one out.â
âThatâs right. Iâd rather wait for the right tenantâsomeone steady, not the type who quits after a few months. That just causes more hassle" Auntie JÄ«n said, tapping the table with her fingers. âHave you run a shop before?â
âI have.â
âWhy did you stop, then?â
âWell⊠various reasons.â MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ scratched his head. âI was young and impulsive back then. Later, I worked at a company for many years, but I got laid off recently. So Iâm thinking of starting over.â
âI see. And where do you live?â
âNear DĂ©shĂšng.â
âThatâs a bit far.â
âJust a little.â
âFrom your accent, you sound like a local?â
âOh, no noâIâm not. But Iâve been in Hangzhou so long that I can speak the dialect.â
âMm, not bad. Want to take a look at the place first?â She still hadnât told him the rent.
âSure,â he said patiently.
âYouâre not using an umbrella?â Auntie JÄ«n followed him out with a large umbrella. âItâs still raining.â
âItâs just a light drizzle,â he replied, casually, in his short-sleeved shirt.
âYouâre in good shapeâah, youth really is a gift,â She sighed, holding a large umbrella over the two of them.
âHaha, me? Young? My sonâI mean, my daughterâs already in her first year of high school!â He reached into his pocket for a cigarette but hesitated, glancing at Auntie JÄ«n, and decided against it.
They rolled up the metal shutter. The space inside wasnât big, but it was far from small eitherâjust right for a modest fruit shop.
âThis used to be a fruit shop, too. A lot of stuff is still left behind. Looks like youâve got good timing,â Auntie JÄ«n said with a grin. âMaybe itâs fate.â
âHaha⊠maybe so.â He gave a modest laugh and started checking out the place thoroughly.
He really did seem serious about opening a business hereâexamining every nook and cranny.
âThat door leads toâŠ?â he asked.
âA small back room. You can use it for storage or even put a bed in there. But only one person would fit.â
She unlocked the door. Dust filled the air the moment it opened.
No windows inside. The room felt stifling.
Sleeping there would be more like getting by for a night than resting.
And itâd be sweltering in summerâŠ
Still, it was practical. A basic but complete setup. No renovations neededâhe could start almost immediately.
âWhat do you think?â Auntie JÄ«n asked with a smile.
âLooks good. So⊠how much is the rent?â He finally asked again.
âHeheâactually, Iâm not hurting for money,â she said, chuckling. âI feel we get along young man. Youâre sharp, and youâve got spirit.â
Being called a âyoung manâ made MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ scratch his head in embarrassment.
Sure, he was younger than her, but hardly a young man anymore.
"How about this-the monthly rent is one thousand..."
"One thousand yuan?" Mo Wenli excitedly rubbed his hands.
That would only be „12,000 for a whole year, which really wasn't expensive rent.
An average person's monthly salary was about a „1,000, and if you ran a store, once business picked up, you'd obviously earn more than that per month.
Excluding costs, you could at least earn „3,000 yuan, so paying „1,000 in rent was completely within acceptable range.
This price could be considered a personal favor- normally it wouldn't be this cheap.
After all, although this was the edge of Hangzhou, it was right next to the tumor hospital and at a crossroads. As long as you weren't too stupid, business wouldn't be hard to do.
If done well, earning ten thousand yuan a month would be easy.
Mo Wenli, who had been hauling goods for half a month, understood this deeply.
Just buying fruit wholesale from the wholesale market and selling it in a fruit store-the price difference was several times over.
Not just five times, even ten times was possible.
"Good... so I just need to pay half a year's rent in advance, right? That would be... six thousand."
After all, fruit was... a high-profit business.
"Haha, young man, why are you so anxious?" Aunt Jin once again called Mo Xueyao's father "young man."
"I haven't finished talking yet, the last tenant paid „1,000 a month, but since we get along, Iâll rent it to you for „800. You just pay utilities yourself.â
Wait, what? A landlord voluntarily lowering the rent?
He stared at her in disbelief.
It felt like a pie had fallen straight from the sky and landed on his face.
âWhat, you donât believe me?â
âI⊠It just seems too good to be true,â he said awkwardly. âIt kind of makes me nervous.â
âDonât worry. I donât do things purely for profit. Itâs all about gut feeling.â Auntie JÄ«n touched the goldâor perhaps gold-platedâearring on her earlobe. âWhat, you think Iâd scam you after signing a contract?â
âThank you, thank you⊠But Iâll still need to discuss this with my wife firstâŠâ Despite her sincerity, the unexpected generosity made him cautious. He didnât want to fall into some hidden trap.
âOf course. Just come find me anytime these next few days.â
âThe number I just calledâthatâs your personal number, right?â
âYesâand no more calling me âyouâ in the formal sense. Sounds too distant.â
âAhaha⊠Well, we did just meet after all.â MĂČ WĂ©nlĂŹ thumped his chest playfully. âAlright then, Iâll be in touch soon.â
âIâll wait to hear from you,â Auntie JÄ«n replied with a smile, her eyes softâlike she was looking at her own son.
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