Preparing for Business

Hearing that her "cheap son-in-law" had opened a high-end fruit supermarket worth millions, Liu Fen's first reaction was disbelief.

Her second reaction? A guy with no prior business experience suddenly going all in like this? He was bound to fail.

"Young people are just too impulsive," she muttered.

Feeling a strong urge to intervene, she eagerly hopped into her car—a ten-year-old Volkswagen Passat. She had wanted to replace it for a while, but finances didn't allow it.

Although her and her husband's income was stable, their younger daughter's art school tuition was bleeding them dry. If they wanted a new car, they'd have to wait until she became a big star.

And when that day came, she'd love to see who still dared to talk behind her back.

The family of three set off for Beixin'an. It had been years since they last visited their eldest daughter's home—probably only once, back when they had first moved to Beijing. If their daughter hadn't sent them the address, they might not have been able to find it at all.

By the time they arrived, it was already six in the evening.

Inside the supermarket, things had just started to settle down. Zhang Tao and Liu Jing had made two full trips to restock, filling up the refrigerated storage with a portion of the goods while stacking the rest onto the display shelves outside.

This simple change completely transformed the atmosphere—the store now looked vibrant and upscale.

"Jie, is this really your store?"

As soon as Song Wu got out of the car, she eagerly took a tour around. First off, the place was huge. Second, the interior design was top-notch—it had cost Li Zehao tens of thousands to hire a professional design company before starting renovations.

She could hardly believe that such a large, well-decorated store was owned by her brother-in-law, who used to sell durians on the street.

How did he afford this?

"Not just us two—it's a joint venture," Song Yanxi explained.

That made a little more sense. In a city like Beijing, opening such a store would cost at least several hundred thousand. There was no way her cheap brother-in-law had that kind of money. But if five or six people pooled their funds, it seemed more plausible.

Liu Fen, stepping out of the car, maintained a calm and calculating demeanor—like an old-school landlady sizing up her new property. With her short hair and sharp gaze, if she had a cigarette in her mouth and a pair of tongs in hand, she'd complete the look.

"You two invested so much without discussing it with us first? What if you lose everything?"

Her concerns weren't unwarranted. In her mind, there were only three possible outcomes:

1. Total failure—which she considered an 80% likelihood. If that happened, she'd demand her daughter divorce immediately. She already had the excuse prepared.

2. Breaking even—just barely making enough to survive. Honestly, this was the worst-case scenario. Like her current son-in-law, it would be neither good nor bad, making it difficult to just walk away.

3. Success—her son-in-law becoming a stable business owner with an annual income of 400,000 to 500,000 and a respectable title. This was the ideal outcome… but she simply didn't believe he could pull it off.

"Mom, can you lower your voice? We haven't even opened yet, and you're already jinxing us," Song Yanxi whispered, pulling her aside.

Didn't she notice that Zhang Tao and the others didn't even bother greeting her? They didn't like her, and only Old Chen had the patience to put up with this mother-in-law's attitude.

If it were anyone else, they wouldn't be able to argue with the mother-in-law—but they could definitely take it out on the daughter.

"What, you don't like what I'm saying? Maybe you should've thought things through before opening this store."

Liu Fen had worked at a state-owned enterprise before being laid off and later found a job in a small supermarket. She knew all too well how difficult it was to run one—especially a fruit store, where spoilage rates were ridiculously high.

"What do you mean we didn't think it through? You just don't believe in him!"

Song Yanxi transformed into a fierce defender of her husband. Whoever insulted him, she would fight back.

"You don't know anything, yet you're here making assumptions. Do you even realize that my husband got this store without spending a single cent—and even made a profit of a few thousand?"

"Hah! You should be doing stand-up comedy at De Yun She!"

Liu Fen scoffed. If she actually believed that nonsense, people would laugh at her for days.

A store this nice, for free? Who would just give it away?

"See? I knew you wouldn't believe me," Song Yanxi smirked. "We acquired this store for just 300,000. When we partnered with Zhang Tao and the others, the total investment was calculated at 700,000, with 48 shares sold. In the end, not only did we not spend a dime, but we actually made a few thousand."

"Are you kidding me? A store this good would cost way more than 300,000 even if it was just sitting there! Who in their right mind would sell it for that?"

Liu Fen's voice shot up several octaves. "What kind of idiot was the previous owner?"

At home, Li Zehao suddenly sneezed violently.

Which bastard was badmouthing him?

If it was a woman, he'd have to… well, take certain "measures."

If it was a man, he'd curse him to never touch a woman for the rest of his life.

"Can you calm down for once?"

Song Huamin stepped in to mediate. He wasn't here to argue—he genuinely wanted to have a drink with his son-in-law.

After all, starting a business in Beijing as an outsider was no easy feat.

Family should talk things out properly.

"Hmph."

Every time she talked about Chen Pingsheng with her eldest daughter, it ended in an argument.

Liu Fen refused to back down, and neither would Song Yanxi. As a result, they barely saw each other over the past few years—only meeting during holidays and special occasions.

In truth, Song Yanxi wanted to be a filial daughter. But her mother had simply gone too far.

"We've booked a restaurant for dinner. Once we finish up here, let's eat together."

Now that his mother-in-law had finally quieted down, Chen Pingsheng stepped in with a practical suggestion.

They hadn't planned any grand opening ceremony—everything was happening quietly. No one even knew the store had changed ownership.

But since this was their first business venture, a small celebratory dinner was necessary.

The chosen venue was a well-known traditional Chinese restaurant, decorated with luxurious classical elements.

None of them had ever been there before. But this was their first time as business owners—ceremony was important.

Chen Pingsheng had booked a large private dining room.

Compared to wealthy second-generation heirs and corporate bosses, their biggest advantage wasn't education, resources, or capital.

It was the fact that when they invested in something, they gave it their all.

And that was why Chen Pingsheng was confident that this store would succeed.