At the breakfast table the next day, Song Anhao's round eyes kept darting toward Gu Baozhu, his thick eyelashes fluttering.
Just as the aunt and nephew were getting ready to head to the clinic together after the meal, Song Anhao blocked her path in the courtyard outside the guest rooms.
"Sister Zhuzhu, I have something I want to discuss with you."
Gu Baozhu smiled gently, resting her hands on her knees.
"What is it?" He was acting like a little adult; he probably just wanted to go out and play.
Song Anhao straightened his back, lifted his chin, and looked at Gu Baozhu with a face full of earnestness.
"I heard that the Xue family bookstore in the south of the city is Madam Gu's property. Can you sell it to me?"
Gu Baozhu looked startled. She straightened her upper body and blinked.
"Does the County Princess want to buy the bookstore?"
For an eight-year-old child to suddenly ask to buy a bookstore, it had to be an adult's idea.
Song Anhao shook his head. "I want to buy it myself."
His hands, hanging by his sides, gripped his clothes so tightly that they formed several creases.
"When I went to ask a few days ago, the manager said it was going to be sold, but when I went again yesterday, he said it wasn't for sale anymore. Do you not want to sell it anymore, or do you think the price isn't right?"
The aunt and nephew exchanged a glance.
They had indeed visited the bookstore yesterday, and it was Gu Baozhu who had instructed them not to sell.
It was her mother's dowry, and Madam Gu had tacitly given it to Gu Baozhu.
Gu Baozhu told the truth, "Originally, I did want to sell it. But I noticed that Suining City is doing much better than before, and there are a lot more traveling merchants. I figured there will be more and more people in the future, so I decided against selling it."
"Ah," Song Anhao's face fell, not expecting this reason.
"It will take at least a few years for Suining City to fully develop, and it's inconvenient for you to manage it while staying in Songzhou City. Just sell it to me, okay? I can pay a little more silver."
Song Anhao widened his eyes, looking incredibly pitiful.
Gu Baozhu asked in confusion, "Why do you want to buy a bookstore? Does the County Princess know?"
Song Anhao looked down at the ground, his eyes darting around.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally looked up.
"I think highly of this business. Once I write the business plan, I'll show it to my older sister."
As he spoke, his expression turned determined.
"Sister Zhuzhu, just sell it to me, alright? I promise to give you a good price."
"Miss Gu, Young Master Gu, the County Princess and the others are already waiting at the door." Seeing that the two hadn't come over for a long time, Song Jinzhao sent a maid to hurry them.
Gu Baozhu turned her head to look at Gu Jinghong.
"You go ahead first. I'll head to the clinic myself a bit later."
Gu Jinghong nodded. His gaze swept over Song Anhao before he smiled and turned to leave.
Wanting to do business at such a young age—who knew who had taught him that.
Gu Baozhu walked into the pavilion and sat down, with Song Anhao sitting right across from her.
His unblinking stare made it look like he wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal.
"My family's bookstore is being sold together with the bookshop and the printing workshop. How much silver are you planning to offer?"
As long as the price was high enough, she would sell it. She wouldn't go easy on him just because Song Anhao was young.
"The bookshop plus the printing workshop, and I'll take over all the staff inside. Five hundred taels of silver." Song Anhao held up his hand to gesture.
Gu Baozhu shook her head. "The shop is in a good location, and the workshop covers a large area. Five hundred taels of silver is too little. It has to be one thousand taels."
Song Anhao's eyes widened, and he voiced his astonishment, "That's way too high! North Street isn't considered bustling, and shops there are only a hundred taels of silver each. The workshop is only one mu of land, and it's in the outer city. Six hundred taels of silver at most."
Gu Baozhu shook her head again. "Separated by just a wall isn't that far."
"Suining City will only become more prosperous in the future. Prices will only go up, not down. You have to look at the long term. One thousand taels is definitely not expensive."
Song Anhao kept a straight face, his cheeks puffing out in anger.
Using the exact same words to block him—if he had known, he wouldn't have said that earlier.
This was more than just paying a little more; this was her jacking up the price on the spot.
"Who knows what will happen in the future? If a war breaks out, it's all over. One thousand taels is too much. Six hundred and fifty taels of silver at most."
Hearing Song Anhao's gritted-teeth tone, Gu Baozhu couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
He really sounded the part. The County Princess must have taught him.
"For the sake of the County Princess, I'll give you a discount of one hundred taels. Deal at nine hundred taels."
Song Anhao's two little eyebrows scrunched together like two caterpillars.
"I've been to the printing workshop. There are very few orders, and many tools have been left idle for so long that they are ruined. Buying new ones will cost a lot of silver. Drop it by another hundred taels."
Gu Baozhu rested her chin on her hand, thinking for a long time before nodding.
"For the sake of your second sister, eight hundred taels is fine. Do you even have that much money?"
Hearing Gu Baozhu agree, Song Anhao's eyes instantly lit up.
He leaned on the stone table and moved closer with a smile. "What do you think about paying in installments?"
"I'll give you two hundred taels first, and the remaining six hundred taels will be paid off over half a year, giving you one hundred taels a month."
Gu Baozhu stood up, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "No way. The eight hundred taels of silver must be paid in full all at once, otherwise I won't sell it."
Watching her decisively walk away, Song Anhao felt like crying but had no tears.
Doing business with someone who doesn't lack money is just difficult; it doesn't matter to them whether they sell or not.
"Fine, all at once it is. Give me a little time to raise the money. Tomorrow morning at the latest, we'll go to the government office to transfer the deed."
Gu Baozhu waved her hand with her back to Song Anhao.
"Hurry up and raise the money. I won't wait if you're late."
