Chapter 17 - 15 Borrowing Money to Open a Restaurant
Grandma has always looked down on me. You could say she favors boys, but oddly enough, she's very fond of Li Fei from my second uncle's family. Although my aunt is partial to Li Fei and has treated me indifferently, at least she hasn't tried to harm me. I believe if my dad were still here, seeing his sister in trouble, he'd step in to help. Now that she's in financial difficulty, if I can help her, I guess I should lend her a hand.
But how do I help? My aunt's personality is a bit soft, and her household is run by her husband. She doesn't have control over their finances either. Uncle-in-law Wu Dachuan, from a farming family near the outskirts, is their only son and has a somewhat stingy temperament. His mother often gives my aunt a hard time for having given birth to a daughter.
Thinking of this, Li Si came up with an idea that could not only help her aunt but also make her more financially independent—and incidentally solve a few of her own issues. Ultimately, though, it's up to her aunt to muster up some backbone.
"Grandma, my dad only left me 20,000 yuan. The heating bill for this house is coming up soon, and I'm only a sophomore in college, with three more years until graduation. That money barely covers my tuition and daily expenses; I can't possibly lend it to anyone!"
Li Si calculated her costs for the next three years and casually mentioned a figure. She was also being cautious of her second uncle's family.
"If the restaurant makes money, your aunt and uncle-in-law won't let you off the hook! What's this called—right, this is called investment. The interest you'd earn putting that 20,000 yuan in the bank is peanuts. Your aunt and uncle-in-law could give you much more later on!"
Grandma Li wore herself out trying to persuade Li Si, lowering her voice in a way uncharacteristic of her usual dominance. Had it not been for her second son's wife analyzing this opportunity and pointing out that the eldest son had left a decent amount of money, Grandma Li wouldn't have come over here and swallowed her pride.
Li Si glanced over at her aunt, who nodded approvingly from the side and tried persuading her, saying, "I still think you should seriously consider this. Even if it's a small restaurant, it's hard for one person to manage everything. You'd need to hire staff. And if business isn't good, you'd lose money. One of my classmates' families tried running a restaurant—they shut it down in less than a year."
"Li Si, your uncle-in-law has already researched the market! There's a shop for rent right next to Central Market in our area. The annual rent is only 4,000 yuan, and the place isn't small—it can fit eight tables! It's guaranteed to be profitable!"