novelraw Chapter 339 - 336: Why Do We Still Have to Pay a Fee?
Chapter 339 - 336: Why Do We Still Have to Pay a Fee?
After two days of non-stop work, they finally finished sanding and painting all the tables and stools. They also had Carpenter He and his men build an awning against the eaves.
Once the tables and stools were set up, the family stood at the entrance of the shop. Looking at the brand-new furniture and snow-white walls, the whole place seemed bright and clean.
Wu Shufen and her daughter-in-law bought and arranged the new pots, bowls, and other kitchenware. Now, all they had to do was wait for the grand opening on the nineteenth.
In the afternoon, while Lin Lan was busy at the pastry shop, Xu Dong arrived with the business license for Lin Changyou’s restaurant, as well as the one for the shoe store.
"Xiangyang’s been gone for eight or nine days now, hasn’t he?"
Lin Lan looked at the brand-new licenses and smiled gratefully. "Today makes exactly nine days. He bought a lot of stock this time, so he should be back in another two days."
Xu Dong nodded. "I’ll get going then. When Xiangyang is back, give me a shout about the move, okay?"
"Okay." Lin Lan walked him to the street. Just as she was about to head back into her shop, she saw several inspectors with red armbands walking toward the steamed bun shop across the street.
Yang Liying jutted her chin in their direction. "Lin Lan, look. They’re here."
Lin Lan smiled. "Nothing to be afraid of. All our permits are in order. They can check whatever they want."
"Mhm!" Yang Liying glanced at her. "I heard from Little Li that Little Douzi is going to City No. 1 Elementary now, huh?"
Lin Lan nodded. "That’s right! Brother Xu helped find a connection to get him in. And Xiaoyun is taking her junior high entrance exams this year."
Speaking of her eldest daughter, Yang Liying’s face filled with pride. "She’s been studying so hard lately. She says she wants to get into City No. 1 Middle School."
Lin Lan thought for a moment, then said, "Liying, you should go to the Xinhua Bookstore and buy her some review materials and practice tests."
Yang Liying paused, taken aback. "I’ve never bought anything like that. Does the Xinhua Bookstore even sell them?"
Lin Lan wasn’t entirely sure either. "They should! Just tell the clerk your daughter is in fifth grade and you need materials and practice tests for the junior high entrance exam."
"Okay." Yang Liying untied her apron. "There aren’t any customers right now, so I’ll go check. Can I borrow your bicycle?"
Lin Lan pulled the key from her pocket. "Of course. Take it."
Yang Liying took the key, but then she thought of something and looked at Lin Lan sheepishly. "Lin Lan, when Xiangyang comes back, could you ask him to help me buy a bicycle?"
Getting here from Lexing took at least an hour, even at the fastest pace. A bicycle would make it much quicker.
Lin Lan gave her a playful, scolding look. "It’s a simple favor. You don’t have to be so formal with me."
"Hehe!" Yang Liying gave a sheepish grin. "My big sister also said yesterday she wanted to ask Xiangyang to help her buy a bicycle and a sewing machine for Zhixue’s wedding."
Lin Lan agreed readily. "Alright, I’ll tell Xiangyang as soon as he’s back."
"Great, thanks!" Yang Liying said, riding off on the bicycle.
Lin Lan saw the inspection team emerge from the steamed bun shop across the street and head straight in her direction. She turned and went back inside her shop.
The group walked up to the pastry shop’s entrance, glanced around for a moment, and then walked straight in.
The leader, a slender middle-aged man, said, "Ma’am, let me see your business license."
"Of course." Lin Lan stepped onto a tall stool to take down the business license from its place high on a cabinet. "Here you are, Comrade. You see, we keep it displayed in the shop. We even framed it to keep it from getting damaged."
The leader took the license and, after examining it, turned to the four people behind him with a satisfied look. "Their approach is commendable. From now on, make sure all the other licensed shops display their permits in a conspicuous place as well."
"Understood, Director Feng," the others chimed in, nodding profusely.
Lin Lan thought to herself, ’So he’s the director of the Bureau for Industry and Commerce. He seems alright.’
Director Feng handed the license back to Lin Lan and said pleasantly, "Ma’am, be sure to control the number of employees. A shop this size can have three workers at most, including yourself. And remember to pay the management fee. If you’re late, there’s a fine and a late payment penalty."
Lin Lan felt a wave of relief that Lin Yuezhen was at home on maternity rest and hadn’t come in. She accepted the license with both hands and said respectfully, "Thank you, Director. It’s just me and my two younger cousins working here. I’ll go pay the management fee shortly."
Director Feng led his men on a tour of the work area, asked Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan a few questions, and then headed with his group toward Yang Liying’s shop.
Qiaohui and Tong Xinglan patted their chests in relief. "That scared me, cousin!"
"We’re running a legitimate business. What’s there to be afraid of?" Lin Lan said, looking at them with amusement. "Xinglan, go watch the front of the shop. Qiaohui and I need to finish the kidney bean rolls. I have to go pay the fee at the Bureau office this afternoon."
"Right!" Tong Xinglan went out to the storefront.
Lin Lan tied on her apron and got back to work.
The brothers Zhixue and Zhilin were running stalls at two different markets, selling their family’s dried tofu, and business was pretty good.
Yesterday, Yang Lirong had also come looking for Lin Lan. She wanted to take some of Lin Lan’s pastries to sell in the western part of the city. Lin Lan had given her a batch that morning to test the waters.
Yang Liying came into the back courtyard with the bicycle key. "Lin Lan, the inspectors told us to go pay some ’management fee.’ Did they mention it to you?"
Lin Lan nodded. "They did. Dongzi mentioned it this morning, too. He said we have to pay on time to avoid a fine."
"It’s our own shop. We do everything ourselves, we buy everything ourselves... What exactly are they ’managing’ for us that we have to pay a fee?"
Yang Liying grumbled, "Dehai asked the man in charge. He said my shop has to pay fifteen yuan a month, plus some kind of tax?"
"If it’s not too much, we should just pay it. If it’s too high, we can try to find someone to put in a good word for us."
Dongzi had already taken care of it for Lin Lan. Her taxes plus the management fee came to thirty-five yuan a month. While not a huge sum, it was still equivalent to an ordinary worker’s monthly salary.
Yang Liying breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. When the time comes, I’ll have to trouble you to talk to Dongzi for me."
Lin Lan smiled. "It’s no trouble. Did you buy the review materials?"
Yang Liying nodded. "I did. I got a book on essay writing and one for math. It cost me more than five yuan."
"That’s not expensive. After Xiaoyun is done with them, you can pass them on to Little Li," Lin Lan said with a grin.
"That’s true. Well, you’re busy, so I’ll head back." And with that, Yang Liying bustled out.
Lin Lan worked right up until it was time to make lunch, finally finishing the last of the kidney bean rolls.
Business at the shop was slow and Old Li had gone fishing again, so Lin Lan only had to cook for Zhigang and the three of them.
Lunch wasn’t ready yet when Zhigang walked into the back courtyard carrying a basket. "Sister-in-law, I have two pig’s trotters and two pork spines left. How should we cook them?"
Pork wasn’t selling well right after the New Year holiday. Aside from what was delivered to cafeterias and restaurants, they were only selling about two pigs a day through retail.
"We just had sour and spicy pig’s trotters yesterday, so let’s braise them today!" Lin Lan said. She looked at the pork spines and thought for a moment. "How about pork spine and kelp soup?"
Yang Zhigang grinned. "Sounds good. I’ll prep the trotters. I don’t have anything else to do this afternoon, so I can help out."
Qiaohui glanced at him and nodded with a wide smile. "Great! This afternoon you can help us mash bean paste."
"Sigh!" Yang Zhigang lamented. "You’re always trying to rope me into doing hard labor."
Qiaohui rolled her eyes at him. "You’re young and healthy. What are you going to do after eating if not work? Just sit around and get fat?"
Tong Xinglan walked in with a baking sheet and chimed in with a grin, "Exactly! You’re not that tall, so you look better on the leaner side. If you got all chubby... well, just imagine, is a big winter melon good-looking?"