Chapter 451 - 219: Wishing to Buy Guihua and Sail with Wine

Chapter 451: Chapter 219: Wishing to Buy Guihua and Sail with Wine

After spending over an hour at the riverside teahouse, Duan Yu Yan treated Zhou Momo to all sorts of snacks and then took her to a Sichuan opera face-changing performance before finally heading back with the very contented little girl.

"Today was so fun! The food was yummy, the show was pretty, and the car was comfy too." Zhou Momo sat beside Duan Yu Yan, gently resting her head on her arm. "Yuyan," she said softly, "I’m so happy! Thank you for taking me out to play~~"

"You’re welcome." Duan Yu Yan shook her head with a smile, though she was screaming internally. ’Oh my god! How can she be so cute! She’s a perfect little angel!’

"You haven’t even left, but I already miss you." Zhou Momo looked at her with longing eyes. "So, when will you come back?"

"I..." Duan Yu Yan hesitated.

Her grandmother was returning to Xiangjiang with her, and according to her original plan, she had no reason to come back to Jiazhou.

This small city in Southern Sichuan held no particular significance for her.

Her grandmother was the reason she came here and stayed for nearly a year.

She wasn’t particularly close with her other relatives—not even as close as she was with Song Wanqing, who often went shopping with her.

But now, things seemed different.

Zhou Yan’s cooking, and the adorable little Zhou Momo, had imperceptibly deepened her connection to Jiazhou.

"I’ll come back when your brother’s restaurant in Jiazhou opens," Duan Yu Yan said with a smile.

"Really?!" Zhou Momo’s eyes brightened. She lifted her right hand and extended her little finger. "Pinky promise!"

"Pinky promise for a hundred years, no take-backs," Duan Yu Yan said, smiling as she hooked her finger with the little girl’s.

"Once we seal it, it counts!" Zhou Momo said, watching with a serious expression as they pressed their thumbs together. Then, she broke into a happy smile.

Duan Yu Yan beamed.

"You have to come, okay! I’ll have Brother treat you to dinner!" the little girl said.

"So, Boss Zhou, is that an invitation?" Duan Yu Yan asked, looking with a smile at Zhou Yan sitting in the front seat.

"Since Miss Duan will be coming all this way, of course I’ll treat you," Zhou Yan replied with a smiling nod.

"I’ll hold you to that. And I’ll be sure to order only the most expensive things on the menu."

"Order whatever you like. You eat like a bird; you’re not going to bankrupt me."

"If you’re going to be like that, I’ll bring my youngest uncle next time. He can eat a whole cow in one sitting!"

"Really? Can he really eat a whole cow?" Zhou Momo asked, her face a mask of astonished curiosity.

At this, everyone in the car laughed.

Back at the Qiu Mansion, Duan Yu Yan took out the documents she had prepared and had Zhou Yan sign them.

After Zhou Yan carefully read them over, he signed his name and looked at Duan Yu Yan. "The taxes and processing fees..."

Duan Yu Yan said, "You don’t need to worry about that; we’re covering it all. Come by tomorrow afternoon. Someone will be here to take you to handle the paperwork. You just need to sign in a few places. I’ve already checked—the process isn’t too complicated. The mansion belongs to my grandmother, so the title is clear and there are no disputes."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded.

’Who could say no to a woman this rich?’

’Too bad she only has eyes for Zhou Momo.’

"Thank you," Zhou Yan said sincerely, sliding the papers back into the file folder as he looked at Duan Yu Yan.

’If it weren’t for her, there’s no way he could have gotten this house so easily for ten thousand yuan, let alone have Mrs. Qiu throw in so much valuable furniture and so many antique books.’

"Saying ’thank you’ sounds so formal. Let’s just call it a successful partnership," Duan Yu Yan said with a laugh. "If it weren’t for you, my uncles and aunts would have had to descend on Grandma in a group. There’s no way we could have gotten her to Xiangjiang for the New Year otherwise."

"A family reunion is a wonderful thing," Zhou Yan said with a smiling nod.

"Finished signing?" Mrs. Qiu asked, coming in from the courtyard.

"Yes, it’s all signed," Zhou Yan nodded.

"Come here. I have a few things to go over with you." Mrs. Qiu beckoned to Zhou Yan and walked towards the main gate.

Zhou Yan quickened his pace to catch up.

"I’ve been renting these two storefronts to Qi the Fourth, who sells braised meat, and Zhang, who sells noodles, for two years now," Mrs. Qiu said as they walked. "The rent is fifteen yuan a month, paid monthly on a yearly lease. The current term doesn’t end until after the month of the New Year."

"So it’s up to you whether you want to continue renting to them until the New Year or take the storefronts back right away. If you let them stay, you’ll collect the rest of the rent. If you want the spaces back now, that’s no problem either. I can just pay them three months’ rent as a termination fee."

Zhou Yan thought for a moment before saying, "Let’s just stick to the original lease until the New Year. It’s only a little over two months, anyway."

"Alright. In that case, I’ll take you to meet them first, so they know the mansion has a new owner," Mrs. Qiu nodded.

Zhou Yan stepped forward and pulled open the heavy main gate.

A single comment from Zhou Yan had left Qi the Fourth on edge all day.

It was Sunday, and with plenty of tourists and traveling merchants at the wharf, business at the braised meat shop had been non-stop. His mood, however, was not nearly as bright as it usually was.

’That kid... he’s not actually buying the building, is he?’

’I just saw him get into Miss Duan’s car, laughing and talking with her. They looked really familiar. There’s definitely something going on there.’

’Buying the building would be one thing, but the kid’s in the same business as me!’

’And that’s a huge problem.’

’He must’ve seen how good my business is and now wants to kick me out so he can take over!’

’He’d been running his braised meat shop here for two years. And while he hadn’t built much of a reputation, he was definitely making good money—at least six or seven hundred a month, and even more during the holidays.’

’People are more likely to make impulse buys when they’re out having fun.’

’Customers who came in to buy braised meat after a boat tour to see the Leshan Giant Buddha were always more generous with their money.’

"Half a jin of pig’s head meat, one pig’s ear... that’ll be three yuan and twenty cents. Your change is thirty cents. Have a good one." Qi the Fourth took the money from his last customer. As he looked up, he saw Mrs. Qiu—who hadn’t set foot in his shop for ages—and Zhou Yan walk in one after the other. His heart sank.