Dragon Blood Divine Son-in-law
Chapter 180: Big Business Opportunity Comes Knocking

Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Big Business Opportunity Comes Knocking

Ding Lijuan had heard about the high rent at Yida Plaza, but she hadn’t expected it to be this expensive!

"Are you kidding me, a million for a year’s rent, why don’t you just go rob people!" Ding Lijuan cursed angrily.

The staff member’s face immediately darkened, "Please watch your language! Yida Plaza is a high-end place to begin with, and this store is our plaza’s crown jewel. If you can’t afford the rent, you don’t have to lease it, no one is forcing you!"

"You..." Ding Lijuan was so angry she could hardly speak.

Han Bowwen quickly tried to mediate, "Lijuan, if it’s not possible, just pay them the money, after all, the business of this store is booming, we won’t have to worry about making money!"

Ding Lijuan thought so too.

"Fine, it’s just two million, I’ll pay!"

After paying the two million rent, Ding Lijuan only felt a wave of pain.

This two million was all the savings her family had; it was the same money they used last time to redeem Han Bowwen from the casino.

Ding Lijuan had always been frugal, and spending two million all at once caused her a lot of distress.

But the thought of earning more money from the store in the future eased her mind somewhat.

Before Ding Lijuan could relax, more than a dozen mud-covered workers walked in.

"We heard that this store has a new owner, are you the new boss?" a foreman-looking man asked while smoking.

Ding Lijuan froze for a moment, instinctively nodding her head.

The foreman directly laid a list in front of Ding Lijuan.

"We are the decorators of this store, and we’re here to settle the accounts with you today."

Ding Lijuan picked up the list and was stunned, "Five hundred thousand? This... this is too much!"

The foreman shrugged, "We used the best materials, and the price was agreed upon beforehand. Now cut the chatter and settle up, we still need to get to the next job!"

But Ding Lijuan was not willing, tossing the list back at the foreman.

"The decoration costs were negotiated with Xu Suzhen, what does it have to do with me? If you want money, go ask Xu Suzhen!"

Having just paid out two million and now being asked for another five hundred thousand, Ding Lijuan was utterly unwilling.

The foreman’s expression turned ugly upon hearing this, "How does it have nothing to do with you? You’re the boss of this store, if I don’t ask you for the money, who else should I ask?"

While saying this, the foreman grabbed Ding Lijuan’s collar, "I think you’re trying to weasel out of paying, right? The money we earn is hard-earned, and if anyone dares to stiff us, do you believe we would fight them to the death!"

"That’s right, fight to the death!"

The dozen or so workers also surrounded her with a fierce aura, scaring Ding Lijuan considerably.

She only dared to throw tantrums in front of honest people like Chen Xuan and Xu Suzhen, and when faced with real tough characters, she was more cowardly than anyone else.

Han Bowwen quickly stepped forward to mediate, "Brothers, don’t get angry, can’t we just pay the money?"

The foreman then let Ding Lijuan go, "You should have said that earlier! Hurry up, transfer the money to my card now, not a penny less."

Having paid all their money for the rent, they didn’t have a dime to their name.

With no other choice, Ding Lijuan had to call Han Jingting.

"Jingting, do you have five hundred thousand? I have an emergency here," she said.

Han Jingting was puzzled, "Mom, what do you need that much money for?"

"What now, you can give money for your mother-in-law to open a store, but when I ask you for money, you start asking all these questions. Do you even consider me your mother? Tell me, will you give it or not? If not, I’ll ask Xiao Liang to borrow it!"

Ding Lijuan had a nephew back home named Ding Liang, the son of Ding Lijuan’s younger brother.

Ding Lijuan’s brother died early in a car accident, and his wife remarried not long after, leaving Ding Liang to be raised by Ding Lijuan until he was about five or six years old, when his mother took him away. In Ding Lijuan’s eyes, Ding Liang was like her own son.

However, Ding Liang had been staying in the countryside in recent years, and rarely kept in touch with Ding Lijuan.

Han Jingting obviously wouldn’t let Ding Lijuan ask Ding Liang for money, so she had no choice but to say, "Alright, I’ll transfer it to you right now."

Han Jingting didn’t have any money, the funds were from a card that Chen Xuan had given her previously. She had originally not wanted to use it, but with Ding Lijuan forcing her hand, she was left with no other option but to take it out.

Ding Lijuan transferred the money to the foreman as soon as she received it.

The foreman took the money and immediately left with his crew.

It was only then that Ding Lijuan and Han Bowwen could breathe a sigh of relief.

It was just the first day they took over the shop and they hadn’t earned a single cent yet, but they had already lost two and a half million. This was a huge loss!

Before they could even catch their breath, Liu Ping and the other employees walked over, each holding a resignation letter.

"What are you doing?"

"Boss, we don’t want to work here anymore."

"But if you all leave, how are we supposed to run the shop?" Han Bowwen asked, worried.

Liu Ping gave a bitter smile, "That’s not our concern anymore. Didn’t you say yesterday that we can work if we want, and if not, we should all get lost?"

"This..."

Han Bowwen was at a loss for words—that was exactly what Ding Lijuan had said yesterday.

Ding Lijuan made a sweeping gesture with her hand, "If you want to leave, then leave. Three-legged toads may be hard to find, but there’s no shortage of two-legged people! I refuse to believe that with money, I can’t hire anyone else!"

"Alright, then please settle our wages first. I’ve calculated it: one month of training wages plus one week of formal wages comes to a total of three hundred thousand!"

"What? Another three hundred thousand?" Ding Lijuan was completely stunned.

In just one day, they were about to lose nearly three million.

This wasn’t so much a noodle shop as it was a bottomless pit!

"Lijuan, where do we have the money to pay them?"

Ding Lijuan gritted her teeth, "If worst comes to worst, we’ll just borrow more! I refuse to believe that what a countrywoman can do, I, Ding Lijuan, cannot do well!"

After that, Ding Lijuan started making calls to borrow money everywhere, including her distant relatives and even the women she usually danced with at the square, and finally managed to scrape together three hundred thousand.

After settling the wages, Liu Ping left with all the employees.

Once Liu Ping and the others had gone, only Ding Lijuan and Han Bowwen were left in the vast noodle shop.

It was only then that Ding Lijuan realized something was amiss.

There were the rent payments, renovation expenses, and even the workers’ wages that she had paid herself.

Turns out she hadn’t made any profit, but had poured all her own money into it.

How was this any different from opening a shop with her own money?

But at this point, they couldn’t just give up halfway, so Ding Lijuan could only persevere, putting on a brave face.

Without any staff, Ding Lijuan and Han Bowwen had no choice but to roll up their sleeves and get to work themselves.

A once bustling noodle shop had been turned into something resembling a manual workshop.

Under such conditions, naturally, they couldn’t attract many customers.

For the entire day, the noodle shop was as quiet as a deserted area, with barely any customers. Even the few who did come by would leave immediately upon seeing only Ding Lijuan and Han Bowwen in the shop.

By the end of the day, Ding Lijuan and Han Bowwen had barely made a cent and still had to pay for utilities out of pocket, losing all faith.

Just then.

"Where’s the boss? We need thirty bowls of noodles, please!"

As he spoke, twenty or thirty burly men walked in.

Ding Lijuan’s eyes lit up.

Thirty bowls of noodles in one go? This was definitely a big customer!

Who said Ding Lijuan couldn’t do business, when such a big deal just walked through the door!