Xie Tao was not a talkative person, but he and Zhang Zian had known each other since they were young, so they knew each other's personalities. He would say whatever was on his mind, and once he started talking, he would talk non-stop.
Most of his complaints were about the common problems of small businesses, such as high inventory pressure, slow cash flow, changing fashion trends, more and more picky customers, physical stores being squeezed by online stores, Grandma Gu charging more and more for hygiene, and so on … There was nothing new under the sun. However, Zhang Zian had also encountered these problems, and they were even more serious. The difference was that Zhang Zian gritted his teeth and got through it, while Xie Tao was full of self-pity and negative energy.
They had known each other since they were young, but after they grew up, they became more distant from each other. Zhang Zian agreed with his complaints, but he did not agree with his attitude. However, he did not say much, but listened carefully and added a few words from time to time.
Xie Tao suddenly realized that he was the one talking, which was very impolite, so he changed the topic and smiled mischievously. "Don't just talk about me. How are you now? I passed by your pet shop this morning, and it seems that business is quite good. Several people are choosing pets in the shop, and most of them are young girls. "
Zhang Zian also laughed. "Brother Tao, didn't you see the news a few months ago? Isn't there a picture that has been shared all over WeChat Moments? It's said that a certain e-commerce website released a set of consumer investment and market value PowerPoint slides. In terms of market value, it's young girl > children > young woman > old man > dog > man. Then some meddlesome netizens added the word 'cat' in front of young girl, and it became cat > young girl > children > young woman > old man > dog > man … "
It was better to spend money on dogs than men, and it was better to spend money on cats than women. This conclusion was probably correct.
"Haha! Right! Right! I've seen this before! Now that you mention it, I remember it! " Xie Tao patted his head and suddenly understood. "I get it. You mean it's not easy to make money from men, and it's easier to do business with young girls? That's true. It seems that you have to find the right way to do business! I don't have the brains to do business. I'm afraid that the shop left by my parents will be ruined by me. "
"Brother Tao, why don't you buy more women's shoes? Also, buy some fashion magazines for women and find out the trends. Maybe it will become popular, "Zhang Zian suggested.
Although he was here to take over the store, they had known each other for many years and had grown up together. He still wanted to try and help Xie Tao. Even if he couldn't buy this shop, he could try his luck in other shops.
Xie Tao waved his hand with a wry smile, "Zian, I appreciate your kindness, but forget it, I don't know how to do it. Besides, I'm not good at sales promotion. When customers come in, I let them see for themselves. If they want to try it, I'll find the right shoe size for them. If they ask me what the sole is made of and what the upper is made of, I'll only tell them that it's made of cloth, leather, rubber, and mesh. I don't know anything else."
Zhang Zian secretly shook his head. With Xie Tao's way of doing business, no wonder his business was getting worse. He didn't know much about pets in the beginning, but he bought a lot of books to cram on, so he wouldn't be stumped by customers' tricky questions. Fina could teach kittens to dance, but not everyone bought cats just because they could dance. For example, if Zhang Zian hadn't learned that Siberian cats were non-allergic, he would have missed out on a lot of business with that girl, Vivi.
"Actually, you can study more …" he tried to persuade Xie Tao.
Xie Tao shook his head, "I don't have the time, and I can't concentrate on reading. I'm different from you. I've never liked reading since I was a child. I get headaches when I read … Forget it, I don't want to continue doing this business. I'll find a way to clear out all the shoes in the warehouse and go home to spend the New Year with my wife and kids."
Zhang Zian heard this and asked, "Brother Tao, what do you plan to do with this shop?"
Xie Tao pondered for a moment and said uncertainly, "If I can sell it, I'll sell it. If I can't sell it, I'll rent it. Even if I rent it, it's still a source of income. It's better than wasting my energy like this …"
Zhang Zian hesitated a little and said, "Brother Tao, I want to know how much you plan to sell it for?"
Xie Tao was stunned, "What? You want to sell it too? Your business is good, right? Why do you want to sell it? "
He obviously misunderstood and thought that Zhang Zian also wanted to sell his shop.
"No, no, actually … I've been planning to expand recently, so if the price is right, I want to buy it." Zhang Zian answered truthfully, and then stared at Xie Tao's expression nervously. They were neighbors, separated by only a wall. If one's business was so bad that he wanted to close his shop, while the other's business was so good that he wanted to expand, this huge psychological gap could easily cause disgust and resistance from the other party.
Xie Tao's face stiffened. Just as Zhang Zian was about to curse, he smiled and said with relief, "That's great! I was going to find a real estate agent to advertise. If you buy it, you can save a lot of intermediary fees. It's a good deal for both of us. "
Zhang Zian heard that Xie Tao's tone was very sincere, and it didn't seem like he was jealous. He let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Brother Tao, don't you think it's a pity to sell the shop?"
"It's not a pity. What's there to feel pity about? People can survive if they move. I'm not a nostalgic person. I know that I'm not cut out to do business, so why do I have to be stubborn? Don't you think so? " Xie Tao said lightly, "My children and wife need me more. After selling the shop, I can move them to a bigger house. I won't stay in Binhai City anymore … Maybe I'll come back to drink with you occasionally."
Zhang Zian suppressed the excitement in his heart, nodded and said, "Don't worry, Brother Tao. I'll treat you when the time comes … Do you want to discuss such a big deal with your wife?"
"I've mentioned it to her before, and she agreed." Xie Tao smiled and said, "Our children have just been born, and they need money. Milk powder costs one or two thousand yuan every month. This shoe shop can't make money, and we have to spend money on it. It's better to sell it. How much is love worth? Zian, you're not married yet. You'll understand when you get married and have a child. "
"Maybe that's true," Zhang Zian admitted. After all, he hadn't experienced the same situation.
Since Xie Tao and his wife both agreed to sell, there were no obstacles. The next step was to reach an agreement on the issue of money. Although the housing prices in Binhai City had been rising, the rate of increase had been stable. There had been no sharp rise or fall. Everyone had an idea of how much the house could be sold for.
The property market was in its golden nine months and silver ten months. The trading volume during the Spring Festival was the lowest period. Xie Tao was eager to sell, and he was familiar with Zhang Zian, so he didn't make things difficult for him on the price. He even gave Zhang Zian a discount. Soon, they reached a verbal agreement.
After the negotiation, both parties were relieved. Xie Tao told his wife the result of the negotiation through WeChat and guaranteed Zhang Zian's credibility. His wife was very reasonable and let him decide for himself.
While Xie Tao and his wife were talking, Zhang Zian walked around the store, knocked on the wall, and did some calculations. Considering that he had to renovate the store after buying it, the funds would be tight, and he might have to go to the bank to get a loan … He had worked so hard for decades, and now he was back to square one.
The last renovation of the shoe shop was at least 20 years ago, but it didn't matter. The most important thing was that the walls were very thin, and they were neither soundproof nor insulated. There were also many gaps in the joints of the walls and the floor, which needed to be repainted and reinforced.
This store was used as a delivery room, which meant that they had to put in adult cats that hadn't been sterilized. If the soundproofing measures were not in place, the cries of the cats at night might be very disturbing to the residents and cause complaints. In addition, all the gaps had to be smoothed to prevent insects, or it would attract groups of fleas.
“OK！”
Xie Tao excitedly put the phone back into his pocket and made an OK gesture.
"Did you talk to your wife?" Zhang Zian asked.
"Yes." Xie Tao looked at the store with emotion. "Zian, this store is yours from now on. You have to work hard. Don't be like me. When I pass by Binhai City, I want to come in and have a look. I don't want you to transfer it to someone else …"
"Don't worry, Brother Tao," Zhang Zian said confidently.
"Okay, I'm glad you said that." Xie Tao pointed to the store next door. "I trust you too. When I passed by your store, I saw that you hired someone?"
"Yes, sometimes I have to go out to buy things, and I can't do it alone," Zhang Zian replied. "I want to open the store every day, so I have to hire someone."
Xie Tao smiled a little desolately. "You know how to do business, and it will definitely get better and better. Okay, I'm going back today. I'll come back another day to pack up these shoes that I can't sell and clean up the room upstairs. I'll make room for you sooner. "
Seeing that he was about to say goodbye, Zhang Zian suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Brother Tao, wait for me."
He hurried back to the store, picked up a British Shorthair kitten, and took an air box. Ignoring Lu Yi Yun's question, he once again entered the shoe store next door.
"Brother Tao, my store sells pets. There's nothing else in the store except pets … This kitten is for you and your wife. It's my wedding gift. I hope you don't mind," he said.
Xie Tao was stunned. "Brother, you are too kind. How can I accept this? Even if it's a wedding gift, it's only three or five hundred yuan … "
"It's okay. If your wife wasn't pregnant, I wouldn't dare to give her a cat. After all, there might be toxoplasmosis. But now that she has a child, it's no problem to raise a cat," Zhang Zian said as he put the British Shorthair kitten into the air box and handed it to him.
"Wow, this cat is so beautiful! How much is it? I can't accept it if it's too expensive! "Xie Tao carried the air box and carefully looked at the Ragdoll through the cage door.
"It's not expensive. It's just an ordinary cat." Zhang Zian didn't allow him to refuse. He turned around and walked out of the store. He waved his hand and said, "Brother Tao, say hello to your wife for me when you go back."
"Okay, don't worry," Xie Tao said casually. His attention had been completely attracted by the well-behaved kitten.
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