"We villagers have always been afraid to go out to work, fearing we'll be cheated and our efforts will be in vain, with no money earned in the end. However, since third sister-in-law is a university student, knowledgeable and experienced, I don't think we need to worry about the wages. I'll go with fourth brother."
Gu Xingguo was the first to voice his support. He had two sons, and Xiao Song was already eleven this year. Whether it was for schooling or marriage, they needed to start preparing for the child.
"My second brother is a carpenter. Should I go home and ask him?" Zhang Xiaoju, seeing this rare opportunity to earn money, also wanted to help her second brother.
"I'll go back with you to ask after dinner."
Her second brother-in-law was honest and reliable. Since this was a trip to the provincial capital, Gu Xingye also wanted to bring some dependable people.
When Liu Yuemin heard Zhang Xiaoju wanted to bring her second brother, she immediately said, "My eldest brother learned masonry when he was young."
Gu Xingmin frowned, "Your eldest brother? Don't joke. Look at his pathetic work ethic. Last time you went back to your maiden home to build a courtyard wall..."
Before he could finish, his leg hurt. He looked down and saw Liu Yuemin glaring at him with a warning look. Gu Xingmin had no choice but to shut up with a disgruntled huff.
"It's all the same who we use. If fourth sister-in-law's brothers can be used, why can't my brothers be used?"
Zhang Xiaoju's face turned red when she heard her words. She wanted to say something but feared it would only make things worse, so she gave up.
Gu Xingye finally made the decision, "Alright, then tomorrow, second brother, you and your wife should also go back to your maiden home to ask. I'll also ask Zhao Qi from the Zhao family later. He's built houses for many people and his work is good."
Not long after, the personnel were finalized: the three Gu brothers, Zhang Xiaoju's second brother Zhang Tie Zhu, Liu Yuemin's eldest brother Liu Dashan, and Zhao Qi from the same village. A total of six people.
Before leaving, Gu Xingye called Chen Lishu first. However, she had classes that day and couldn't pick them up, so she arranged for Lin Qi to pick them up in advance.
It was the first time the six of them had come to the provincial capital. As soon as they got off the train, they were stunned by the tall buildings and the passing vehicles.
"As expected of the provincial capital. If no one was here to pick us up, I'm sure we'd get lost." Gu Xingmin kept looking around, saying with a smile.
"Sister Chen said you'll stay at the inn first, and she'll cover your meals during this period. Once the shop is renovated, if we take on other jobs, you'll be responsible for your own food and lodging."
"What? If you don't provide food or lodging, what are we supposed to do? Why didn't you tell us this before coming? You people are something else!" Liu Dashan's face immediately fell, and he said unhappily.
Lin Qi glanced at him, then directly took out two large stacks of bills from his pocket and handed them over. "Here's twenty yuan. Including the round-trip fare, there's still some left. If you're not willing to do it, you can leave now. No one will stop you."
Liu Dashan thought that since they were all relatives, a little fuss would surely lead to arrangements. He never expected Lin Qi to give him no face at all.
"We're all relatives, there's no need for this. Little Lin, give second brother some face." Gu Xingmin quickly came over with a smile to smooth things over, and also took out a cigarette from his pocket.
Lin Qi took it, and his expression eased considerably. "Sister Chen is quite busy now. She said she'll treat everyone to a meal when she has time tomorrow."
After this incident, Liu Dashan became much more obedient, and Zhang Tie Zhu and Zhao Qi acted as if they were invisible. They just needed to work diligently and get paid.
Zhou Bin arrived the next morning. He first found a guesthouse to stay in, tidied up briefly, and then went directly to the shop Chen Lishu had rented.
At noon, Chen Lishu came over after her class and invited everyone to eat at a nearby restaurant.
"I've communicated with them, and I've also informed them about the approximate amount of materials needed. They'll be delivered tomorrow morning. If anything else is needed in the future, just have Little Lin contact them directly."
Chen Lishu was surprised by Zhou Bin's promptness; he had arranged everything so quickly.
Since she had classes in the afternoon, Chen Lishu returned to school after lunch, bidding farewell to everyone.
The next day, the materials arrived, and Gu Xingye and the others began their work.
Meanwhile, Chen Lishu took time to go to the district under the shop's jurisdiction to submit an application. Then, the competent authority would provide specific opinions, and finally, the Administration for Industry and Commerce would review it before issuing a business license.
Chen Lishu never knew that obtaining a business license was so complicated. Previously, in the county town, because Nan Haitao intervened, she hadn't even participated.
It took another week for Chen Lishu to obtain the specific opinions from the competent authority, and the final exams were also approaching.
After two days of exams, there was still reviewing to do, dealing with the business license, and occasionally overseeing the renovation. She felt like she was spinning like a top. After the exams, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After more than a week of renovation, the shop had transformed. The partitions used for living quarters had been removed, greatly increasing the space. Gu Xingye and the others were now laying mosaic tiles. Once the floor tiles were done, the carpentry work would begin, building shelves, counters, and fitting rooms.
This day, Chen Lishu took the documents from the competent authority to the Administration for Industry and Commerce.
When she arrived, there were already two people in line. She was sitting on a bench in the hallway, waiting to be called in by a staff member.
"Do you think there will be any problems after getting the license? We've been used to operating secretly. Now that they're suddenly asking us to get a license, it feels unreal. What if they change their minds? If we have a license, won't it be officially confirmed?"
A man in his forties nervously said, clutching a slip of paper in his hand.
"I did some research before coming. I inquired, and the business nature can be written as 'trial operation.' Anyway, we were asked to come, so if there are any problems later, we'll just blame the staff."
Soon, someone came out from inside, and the person who had just answered got up and walked in.
Before long, it was Chen Lishu's turn. When she entered, she saw a man in his forties sitting at the desk. His face looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had seen him before.
"Submit the materials, and pay an additional twenty yuan."
The man looked up from a pile of documents, glanced at Chen Lishu, and then continued writing something.
Hearing his words, Chen Lishu paused as she handed over the materials. She asked with a smile, "I heard that applying for a business license is free. What is this twenty yuan fee for?"
She remembered Nan Haitao mentioning that the country was encouraging individual businesses to obtain business licenses for free. Moreover, when she applied for the certificate in the jurisdiction earlier, she had specifically inquired and hadn't heard of any fees.
The man looked up impatiently upon hearing her words, "Why so much nonsense? Do you want to do it or not? If you want to do it, pay the money. If not, just take your things and leave."
Chen Lishu had encountered many people like him in her previous life. As the saying goes, it's easier to deal with the king of hell than his subordinates. If she really offended such a person, it would be difficult to get the license. Based on the principle of avoiding trouble, Chen Lishu obediently paid the twenty yuan.
She had expected the man to ask about the business nature or something similar, but he didn't ask anything and directly wrote "trial operation."