Chapter 4

In the alley west of the Qingyuan Department Store, Lin Xi spent three yuan to buy a birthday gift for Hao Xinyan, a unique hair clip. It wasn't that Lin Xi was stingy, but apart from these three yuan, his pockets were cleaner than his face.

After buying the gift, Lin Xi got on his bike and headed straight for the county government.

After riding about a hundred meters, Lin Xi slowed down, focusing on the unremarkable storefront of the Dongsheng Furniture Store.

He couldn't believe that the largest furniture square in Qingyuan County in the future was so shabby at this moment, with only a sign on the right side of the door, painted in white with red letters, reading "Dongsheng Furniture Store."

If it weren't for the fact that he had switched to the furniture business after the home appliance market went bankrupt, and the prominent reputation of Dongsheng, Lin Xi would hardly recognize this as the famous Dongsheng Home Square of over twenty years later.

"Right now, if I were to open a furniture store, replacing this weak Dongsheng would be a piece of cake." Just as Lin Xi was feeling pleased with this idea, he suddenly noticed a notice next to the crudely made but very conspicuous sign of the Dongsheng Furniture Store. The words "For Sale" in red were particularly noticeable, but the specific content written in smaller letters below was unclear due to the distance.

Lin Xi immediately stopped his bike, put both feet on the ground, lifted the front and rear wheels onto the curb, and then pedaled hard, heading straight for the "Notice."

Up close, Lin Xi saw that the notice read, "The owner needs money urgently and intends to transfer this furniture store. Interested parties please discuss in the store."

After reading this, Lin Xi was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Could it be that the owner of this Dongsheng Furniture Store has changed? I have no recollection of this at all."

After a brief moment of shock, Lin Xi realized that this was a heaven-sent opportunity for him. He had been thinking about opening a furniture store, and now he had encountered Dongsheng, which was about to be transferred. Taking it over would save him a lot of trouble, but he needed to know how feasible it was. He decided to go into the store and take a look.

Upon entering the furniture store, Lin Xi saw that many of the furniture items typical of this era were prominently displayed, such as cabinets, wardrobes, and dressing tables. The beds were the common solid wood handcrafted ones from the late 1990s, not as fancy as those in the future but absolutely sturdy and durable. The accompanying mattresses, however, looked a bit outdated. The office desks, bedside tables, and coat racks were all painted with a light yellow clear varnish, clearly marked by the era.

The furniture store was not very large, and Lin Xi estimated it to be around 200 square meters. This small workshop-style store had no standout features in his eyes, and what particularly made him feel uncomfortable was the dim lighting inside, which was a stark contrast to the well-lit furniture stores of the future.

Lin Xi noticed a young couple, around 23 or 24 years old, carefully selecting a set of combination furniture, which was a necessity for marriage at the time. From their serious expressions, it was clear that this was more than just a set of furniture for them.

When he saw the girl standing aside, enthusiastically introducing the furniture to the couple, Lin Xi couldn't help but feel puzzled. He recognized her; her name was He Xuan, one of the owners of Dongsheng Home Square. The owners of Dongsheng Furniture were siblings, and in the future, they were well-known figures in Qingyuan County.

If that was the case, it meant that Dongsheng had not changed hands, but what was the notice on the wall outside? Could it be a prank? Lin Xi wondered.

Lin Xi decided to see the situation first. Although he recognized this girl, she didn't recognize him, so he could sit on a chair and observe carefully before making a decision.

The couple ultimately didn't decide to buy the furniture, leaving with the words, "We'll look at other places."

After hearing this, Lin Xi couldn't help but feel a bit lost. At this moment, the scale of the Dongsheng Furniture Store was already like this, and other stores were even worse, which made him feel a bit nostalgic.

In his previous life, when Lin Xi opened a furniture store, Qingyuan County already had at least twenty furniture stores. By 2013, when he was reborn, Qingyuan District had become a well-known furniture hub in the province. The rapid development of the furniture industry in Qingyuan County over the past twenty years was truly astonishing.

"Hello, our furniture selection is the most comprehensive in the county, with high quality and reasonable prices, ensuring you a worry-free purchase. What kind of furniture are you looking for?" The girl walked over to Lin Xi with a smile and asked.

When she got closer, He Xuan was a bit taken aback. The boy in front of her was no more than twenty years old, and at this age, it was unlikely that he would come to buy furniture. Could he be one of those guys?

Thinking of this, He Xuan secretly glanced at the sharp scissors on the square table. She had prepared them in advance, and if the other party made any suspicious moves, she would not hesitate to use them.

"Hello, I just want to ask if this store is for sale?" Lin Xi stood up and asked with a smile.

After hearing this, He Xuan was slightly taken aback because the other party's tone didn't seem to be part of that group. She thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, you... don't want to buy... buy it, right?"

When He Xuan asked this, she stuttered. The boy in front of her was only about twenty years old, and she couldn't believe that he had the money to buy the store.

"Why not? There's no age limit on the transfer notice outside, is there?" Lin Xi countered.

He Xuan was taken aback by this, then said apologetically, "Sorry, I overthought it. If you really want to buy it, I'll give you a price."

Lin Xi nodded in a mature manner and gestured for her to proceed.

"Six ten thousand?" He Xuan tentatively said a number. Seeing Lin Xi frown, she quickly added, "The rent for the house is paid until the end of 92, which is a few thousand yuan."

Lin Xi didn't comment on this, then asked casually, "Since the lease is valid until the end of next year, why are you in such a hurry to sell it?"

"Or my brother... " When she said this, He Xuan realized she had slipped and quickly corrected herself, "If it weren't for my brother wanting to sell, I wouldn't do this!"

Lin Xi saw the unusual expression on her face, but he didn't have time to investigate further. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Okay, six ten thousand it is, but you need to give me a few days to prepare."

After hearing this, He Xuan quickly said, "That won't work, I need the money urgently. At most by tomorrow night, otherwise I'll have to sell it to someone else."

"Tomorrow night, that's too rushed, isn't it?" Lin Xi exclaimed.

"I have no choice, I need the money by tomorrow morning, and it must be in place by tomorrow night." He Xuan looked worried, but her words were very decisive, leaving no room for Lin Xi to haggle.