Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1634 - 833: Transferring Ownership of the Pawnshop
"Heard about it." Shopkeeper Chiang could only nod. Lian Lanlan spreading rumors about Si Lang wasn’t just a day or two thing; many people in the county town already knew, so how could he not be aware.
"Si Lang has been in the county town these days... how much truth is in those rumors?" Lian Shouxin finally asked the question he was most concerned about. He had arranged jobs for several nephews, hoping they could do them well. Even if they couldn’t do them well, at the very least, they shouldn’t do anything bad or have any character flaws.
"...Let’s not talk about how he’s doing at work for now. In the county town, there’s none of those things mentioned in the rumors." Shopkeeper Chiang spoke seriously and cautiously, "This boy has just been here for how many days now?"
"That’s right." Lian Shouxin nodded, seemingly relieved.
As Shopkeeper Chiang had said, altogether, it hadn’t been many days since Si Lang came to town for work, unfamiliar with the place and people. Even if he wanted to cause trouble or stray from the right path, he would first need to familiarize himself with the environment, which wouldn’t happen so quickly.
Lian Shouxin understood this logic, but he still needed to ask Shopkeeper Chiang to feel at ease. The reason was nothing more than Lian Shouxin’s inherent doubt about Si Lang’s character.
As the saying goes, "You’ll know how they turn out from how they are as kids," Lian Shouxin, though instinctively biased towards his nephews, still had a clear understanding of Si Lang over the years. Si Lang was not the kind of honest and dependable child that would ease anyone’s mind. Lian Shouxin didn’t say it out loud, but he truly wasn’t sure if Si Lang had committed the wrongs mentioned in the rumors.
"...Be more attentive..." Lian Shouxin finally instructed Shopkeeper Chiang, "If you hear anything, send someone to tell me, whether good or bad, don’t hide it. If they do well, that’s great, but if not, don’t force it and cause trouble for others. If it doesn’t work out, just dismiss them; no matter what happens, I will take responsibility."
Lian Shouxin made it clear to Shopkeeper Chiang that if Erlang, Luo Xiaoying, or Si Lang had issues, the shop could immediately dismiss them without considering saving face for the Lian Family.
It seemed that witnessing the quarrel between Lian Lanlan and Si Lang served as a wake-up call for Lian Shouxin.
Seeing that Lian Shouxin said this, Shopkeeper Chiang naturally nodded in agreement.
After finishing discussions about family matters, they turned to business, the most urgent being the matter of Shenyi Pawnshop. While Lian Manman family were in the Prefecture City these days, Shopkeeper Chiang had been actively working in the county town and finally managed to negotiate the purchase of Shenyi Pawnshop.
Shopkeeper Chiang had already written to Lian Manman family in the Prefecture City about this matter. After Wu Lang replied with approval, a part of the deposit had been prepaid to confirm the deal.
"Knowing that the owner is returning to the county town today, the pawnshop has been thoroughly checked these past few days and agreed with those two sides. Tomorrow, we’ll finalize the paperwork and transfer the ownership," Shopkeeper Chiang said.
Shopkeeper Chiang was astute and loyal. Since he had arranged everything, Lian Manman family were naturally at ease.
"Alright, we’ll do the paperwork tomorrow." Lian Shouxin nodded in agreement.
Shopkeeper Chiang agreed and left. With the daylight not yet fading, he still had arrangements to make. Just after he left, someone reported from outside, saying that Shopkeeper Wang from Lian’s Restaurant had arrived. Shopkeeper Wang’s visit was naturally to discuss the opening of a Shunde Store branch in Jinyang County Town. He said that the shop renovations were complete, and invited Lian Manman and the others to check if further modifications were needed.
Wu Lang said it was too late today and they would visit tomorrow. He then discussed matters concerning the Shunde Store branch with Shopkeeper Wang, only seeing him off around the time of lantern-lighting.
"Though we’re working hard now, once we promote a chief steward to oversee everything, we will be more relaxed," Lian Manman said to Wu Lang when only the family was left.
In the start-up phase, they naturally had to toil more. Once a sound system was in place and hands were skilled, everything would fall into place, and they wouldn’t need to bother with so many details. Then, as the major shareholders, things would be much easier for them.
Wu Lang nodded.
Although tired from the long journey, the family did not rest immediately but continued conversing together. They first talked about Shenyi Pawnshop, Shunde Store, and the like, and in the end, the topic returned to Erlang and Si Lang.
"It seems there are no issues with Erlang over there. No matter what, that child handles things pretty steadily. As for his brother-in-law’s performance, even if it’s not outstanding, avoiding trouble is fine," Lian Shouxin expressed to Lady Zhang and the children, "It’s just Si Lang that we’ll have to keep an eye on. If it doesn’t work out, let’s have him return home. Making money is a small matter. In the village, surrounded by honest farmers, there’s no chance for him to learn bad behavior."
