Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 860: Chapter 856: Jubao Pavilion

Arriving at the entrance of Liulichang, Huo Sining, along with the others, got out of the car and walked towards the antique shop.

Though it was already September, the Imperial Capital was abnormally experiencing a high temperature of 38 degrees. It was afternoon, and the blazing sun released waves of heat. The poplar leaves along the streets were lush and green, but under the scorching sun, you could lift your head indoors to find the long Liulichang filled with people. From the east end to the west end, it was a sea of people.

The sixth store at the eastern entrance of Liulichang had a prime location. Not only was it larger compared to the shops on either side, but it also avoided the obstruction of the poplar trees along the street. Basically, once you walked into Liulichang, you could see it at a glance.

Currently, the plaque on the shop, which previously read ”Guanfutang,” had been replaced with a new sign reading ”Jubao Pavilion,” with three large, bold, and expressive characters.

Standing under the plaque, Huo Sining examined the three characters carefully before turning around and smiling at Li Quan, saying, ”This plaque looks quite grand, but it feels like there’s something missing in the writing.”

Upon hearing Huo Sining’s words, Li Quan immediately felt a pang of anxiety, fearing he had made some mistake. He hurriedly asked, ”What’s missing? We haven’t opened yet, I can still take it back for modifications.”

Seeing Li Quan’s reaction, Huo Sining couldn’t help but laugh, ”You don’t need to be so nervous. I was just casually mentioning it. The characters are flawless, but it lacks an inscription; that takes away some of the charm and feels a bit anonymous.”

Li Quan frowned upon hearing this, ”What do you mean?”

”Since we’re running an antique shop, the facade is crucial. The plaque may seem trivial, but there’s actually a lot of knowledge behind it,” Huo Sining smiled, her eyes gleaming, ”Explaining this won’t be of much use. I’ll find an opportunity to ask my mentor for a piece of calligraphy, and have him inscribe our shop’s name. I guarantee the plaque will be sensational!”

Li Quan’s expression froze at Huo Sining’s words. Joking aside, Zhou Shitao’s reputation in the Imperial Capital was formidable. Even those so-called experts at the Forbidden City Museum, whose eyes were fixed skyward, would be humbled in front of Zhou Shitao.

Zhou Shitao was not only an appraisal expert but also held a modest position in the calligraphy world. His calligraphy and painting skills were quite high, and even in his middle age, a painting had sold for tens of thousands of yuan.

Back in the early 80s, tens of thousands of yuan was an extraordinary amount; even a county might not have a person with that kind of wealth.

Unfortunately, Zhou Shitao spent his life focusing on antique appraisal, approaching calligraphy rather casually, and never advanced much further in that field.

Yet, given Elder Zhou’s revered position in the antique circle, even if his fame didn’t quite match those specialized calligraphy masters, his works were still incredibly hard to come by.

Li Quan could imagine that if Elder Zhou inscribed the plaque for Jubao Pavilion, it would be unparalleled on Antique Street. Just the presence of that plaque might attract considerable business, causing Li Quan’s eyes to brighten.

Seeing Li Quan’s excited and expectant look, Huo Sining couldn’t help but laugh and poured cold water on him:

”I’m just saying, I can’t promise you anything. My mentor has a quirky temperament. If I request his calligraphy for the plaque, he might not agree. Meanwhile, keep this plaque. If we can’t get it, it will just remain as it is, decent and without major issues.”

Li Quan’s excitement was immediately doused, and with a somewhat disappointed look, he exchanged glances with Jiang Xiaoqin, nodded, and said no more.

Huo Sining didn’t rush into the shop right away but looked around the surroundings before her gaze settled on a car parked in front of the shop across the street. Seemingly recalling something, she suddenly asked, ”Li Quan, do you have a driver’s license?”

Li Quan nodded, ”I have a license, but I haven’t driven since I got it, probably rusty and not good at driving.”

”Having a license is enough. Rusty hands will get better after driving around a few times, no big deal,” Huo Sining pointed at the cars parked in front of the antique shops and said, ”I almost forgot, you need a car for acquiring goods outside. Without a car, it will be inconvenient for your business, especially since almost every store has one.”

”Miss Huo, are you serious? You really want to get me a car?” Hearing Huo Sining’s words, Li Quan’s eyes immediately lit up.

No man dislikes cars. When Huo Sining got Wu Jun a light truck for Xianyu Shop, he was delighted. Now it was Li Quan’s turn, and he was no exception, showing an excited expression.

”We’ll see later; if today’s not possible, we’ll go tomorrow. A car is the store’s image too. As the boss, taking public transportation or taxis daily looks bad. Having a car elevates the store’s status and allows you to handle urgent matters conveniently.”

Smiling, Huo Sining also visited a few surrounding stores to assess the competition before returning and walking into Jubao Pavilion.

The renovation of Jubao Pavilion was nearing completion. The curio shelves and glass cabinets had been moved in, with only the soft furnishings still being pondered upon. The overall appearance of the store was about seventy to eighty percent complete, so when Huo Sining entered, it already looked like a proper shop.

After examining the interior and exterior, Huo Sining was mostly satisfied, offering a few minor suggestions and leaving the rest to Li Quan to manage. She had handed the store over to him and didn’t plan to overstep.

Delegating authority is also a skill in employing people, allowing for maximum potential to be tapped and facilitating subordinates’ loyalty.

As she inspected the store and discussed the opening date with Li Quan, Huo Sining mentioned that she would be going to Dongyang in mid-October as an exchange student, so the opening must take place before then, ideally late September or early October.

Li Quan checked the calendar and finally decided on October 1st, considering it Golden Week and an auspicious day.

Huo Sining had no objections. While she hadn’t planned for a grand opening, it was just an occasion to invite some acquaintances, a few relatives and friends, and set off some firecrackers for the sake of it.

Nevertheless, since the store was under Li Quan’s full management, if he wanted a grand affair, Huo Sining wouldn’t veto his idea. It was all the same to her anyway.

As they were discussing, the slightly ajar shop door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Inside, the three of them froze and simultaneously looked towards the door.