Chapter Thirteen: The Desire to Start a Business

The move to the bungalow happened at the end of June. After settling in, she faced the exams, and by the time the tests were over and the official summer break began, it was already early July. Those days coincided with the college entrance exams, and the weather was unbearable—simply sitting still left her drenched in sweat.

Chen Xin calculated the money she had, then sent five thousand yuan to her brother-in-law’s parents. Although the elderly couple still had another child with them, their lives were certainly less comfortable than when Chen Xin’s brother-in-law was alive. She hadn’t realized this problem before; it was Grandma Liu who mentioned it to her during a private conversation.

The old couple were straightforward people. With their son and daughter-in-law gone, they couldn't afford to raise their grandson and had no choice but to leave him in the care of their daughter-in-law’s sister. For this, they didn’t take a single cent of compensation, handing it all over to Chen Xin. If she had no other source of income, no one would say anything, but now that she had bought a house and a computer, it was inevitable that people would gossip if she didn’t show some consideration.

Chen Xin wasn’t stingy by nature; she genuinely hadn’t thought about it before. Besides, she wasn’t the original Chen Xin—she had no memory of her brother-in-law or his family—but since Grandma Liu had brought it up, she didn’t intend to ignore it. After all, she had inherited everything from the original, including Zhang Zhang’s familial ties and obligations.

She wasn’t left with only a few thousand yuan, but she still needed to keep some in reserve just in case. She had been planning to sell her breakfast shop and open a small restaurant, so she had to save enough to rent a new place.

Indeed, Uncle Tie had previously suggested she transfer the breakfast shop, but she hadn’t agreed at the time. Now things were different. The area outside the residential complex was saturated with breakfast shops, and competition was fierce. Moreover, since this year, the school cafeteria had undergone reforms, inviting outsiders to bid for its operation. Many students felt the food had improved and was now comparable to outside offerings, so they weren’t inclined to walk a long way for breakfast. With rising incomes, those who cared about convenience bought appliances like microwaves for quick, clean, and easy meals. The only ones still eating breakfast outside were those unwilling to cook, or single young professionals.

Since May and June, breakfast earnings had declined. Uncle Tie and his wife had discussed this with Chen Xin; several breakfast shops on the street had already closed, and the remaining ones, like theirs, had started offering lunch and dinner takeout alongside breakfast.

Since the breakfast business was no longer profitable, Chen Xin decided not to continue. She thought of transferring the shop and using the money to rent a riverside storefront, opening a café that also served workday meals.

This idea was inspired by the café in her school. The graduate department had an old, two-story red brick building, unused for years, which was cleared out, repaired externally, and repainted and decorated inside. Greenery was used to create a nostalgic atmosphere. The little red building became a café where people could eat, drink, and study. It was said to be constantly full, especially with couples lining up early in the morning, waiting for it to open.

Students didn’t demand much from their coffee—so long as it wasn’t unpleasant, and the price was low, just a few yuan per cup. Unless they came daily, most students from reasonably comfortable families could afford it. At that time, instant coffee still dominated the market.

Chen Xin didn’t know much about coffee, but she understood the basics. When she did food live streams, she sometimes needed to add a touch of sophistication, even if it was just for show. Especially later, when many young women wanted to lose weight, black coffee and light meals became daily staples, and turning bland greens into delicious food was an art.

The riverside was farther from the school’s main gate, but it was directly opposite the side entrance to C University’s adult education institute. Fifty meters to the right was a bridge, and beyond it stood a row of old riverside houses.

These old houses belonged to work units, without property rights, and required a certain rank to purchase, so they had never been sold. After the welfare housing policy changed, they became unwanted. Demolition wouldn’t reach here, and these small buildings, erected in the 1950s, were vastly different from modern layouts. Buying one meant spending heavily on renovations—enough to buy a brand-new commercial apartment in a prime location.

Moreover, the riverbank here ran fast, the scenery was poor, and the road below was the original dual carriageway, crowded with people and bicycles, leading to daily traffic jams. Few liked this street, so it lacked popularity.

Chen Xin found out that a small two-story house here sold for only eighty thousand yuan—a bargain. Most importantly, the inner side’s main entrance had a fifty-to-sixty-square-meter courtyard, same size for each household, with about seven or eight houses in a row. Behind them were another ten or so larger two-story houses with front and back gardens, priced at only one hundred twenty or thirty thousand.

Chen Xin didn’t have the money, but if she did, she wouldn’t hesitate to buy three or five and hold them—later, the rental income alone would be enough for her and her niece to live comfortably.

When Grandpa Liu learned she was looking at houses again, he was a bit annoyed, thinking the young girl had suddenly become reckless—why buy so many houses? How many could she possibly live in?

“Grandpa Liu, you see, the welfare housing policy has changed twice already. I heard it’ll be abolished in the future; what will people do without a place to live? We’ll have to buy, and prices will surely rise. I just want to stock up while prices are low. You know, neither Zhang Zhang nor I have family to rely on. If we don’t plan ahead, what will we do?” Chen Xin explained gently, citing the rising property prices on the coast as an example.

Grandpa Liu sensed property prices would rise, but for his generation, accustomed to state allocation, buying property felt like something only capitalists did. He didn’t want Chen Xin to go down the wrong path, so he spoke sternly.

Chen Xin understood Grandpa Liu cared for her—if he didn’t, he wouldn’t bother about her decisions or her future.

“Also, Grandpa Liu, I plan to open a café that serves simple workday meals. I want my brother-in-law’s older brother to help with grocery shopping—it’s safer to have family involved. What do you think?”

She had mentioned her café idea to Cheng Jie and her husband, who were decisively supportive. Cheng Jie even wanted to partner with Chen Xin, saying she wouldn’t manage the business, but just take dividends as a hands-off owner.

Chen Xin was still considering it. She trusted Cheng Jie and her husband, but social ties were complex. Now Cheng Jie said she’d be a passive investor, but what if her family wanted to get involved later? Chen Xin didn’t want their relationship to become distant or hostile over such matters.

“That's easy to solve—just find another partner. Sometimes, you can’t say certain things; a third partner can speak for you. But be careful—if the other two team up against you, it could get complicated,” Grandpa Liu, experienced as he was, quickly analyzed the situation for her, covering possible issues and solutions.

“If you’re willing, I can ask my son if he wants to get involved. With three of you, everyone’s interests are tied together. If anyone wants out, they can simply sell their share as per the initial agreement.”

Chen Xin thought it over—it was doable, but now another problem arose: she didn’t have enough funds to open a café.

“Take out a loan. I can help you contact Uncle Fang—his wife works at the bank, maybe she can find a way to get you some financing.”