Chapter 134: A Place of Their Own

The following morning, Joe accompanied his parents and Simon to inspect the shop Francis had transferred as compensation. The property stood two streets from Blackwood's main market, along a road serving nearby households and small businesses. Its location was convenient for ordinary customers, and delivery carts could reach the rear entrance without obstructing the street. Inside, the sales floor contained several rows of provisions and household goods, with a counter near the back and a storage room adjoining a small office.

Three employees were preparing the shop for opening when Simon introduced the family. Darrel, a middle-aged man, managed deliveries and storage. Mina handled sales and maintained the daily ledger, while Owen, the youngest, stocked shelves and assisted wherever needed. All three appeared uneasy about the change in ownership, particularly since the former owners had lost the property through a Francis family investigation.

Mike addressed their concerns before beginning the inspection. "We intend to keep the shop operating. Your wages will continue, and we won't dismiss anyone simply because the ownership has changed. I want to understand how the business runs before deciding what needs improvement. If you've encountered problems with the previous arrangements, tell us."

Darrel confirmed that the employees had received their wages and that none had been involved in the misconduct uncovered by Francis. He then accompanied Mike into the storeroom, while Lily remained at the counter with Mina. Simon went into the office to examine the accounts, leaving Joe to follow his father.

Lily discovered a problem in the sales area. The shelves held considerable quantities of imported spices, preserved fruit, and expensive preparations, yet the ledger showed that several items sold only occasionally. Meanwhile, ordinary goods such as soap, lamp oil, and salt had repeatedly run out before the next delivery.

"Why are you still ordering so much of these?" Lily asked, indicating several jars that had remained on the shelves for months. Mina explained that the supplier had maintained a close relationship with the previous owners. She had been instructed to continue receiving the products regardless of how slowly they sold. Lily examined the purchase records again. "We'll review those orders. There's no reason to keep filling the shelves with goods people rarely buy while regular customers have to go elsewhere for necessities. Make me a list of the items people ask for most often, including those we don't currently sell."

Mina began gathering the relevant entries while Lily continued checking the stock. She wanted to know which products customers purchased regularly, how often deliveries arrived, and whether the employees had been permitted to adjust orders when demand changed. By then, Simon had examined enough of the accounts to identify several unnecessary expenses. The shop remained profitable, but some suppliers charged more than comparable merchants elsewhere in Blackwood. The previous owners had also mixed certain household expenses with business purchases, making it difficult to judge the actual operating costs.

When Mike joined him, Simon showed him the relevant entries. "The business earns enough to support itself, but the purchasing needs attention. These three suppliers charge more than the usual market price, and some of their goods hardly sell. We can improve the accounts without changing the shop's basic operations."

Mike examined the figures and asked whether the existing contracts could be terminated. Two allowed the shop to change suppliers after its current orders were completed, while another remained binding until the end of the month. "Then finish the agreements we're required to honor," Mike decided. "Collect prices from other suppliers before renewing anything. We should compare quality as well as cost, particularly for grain and food."

The family gathered in the office near noon to discuss what they had found. Lily believed the shop should concentrate on everyday provisions rather than expensive goods with uncertain demand. Mike agreed and suggested purchasing grain, eggs, dried vegetables, and seasonal produce from farmers around Green Hollow, where he already knew several reliable households.

Simon pointed out that some workshop carts traveled through the same area and returned with spare capacity. They could carry modest quantities of shop goods without requiring a separate transport arrangement, provided each business paid its own share of the expense. "Try it with a few deliveries first," Mike said. "I know the farmers, but we still need to inspect what they supply. If the quality and prices are good, we can establish regular arrangements."

The inspection convinced Mike and Lily that the shop was worth keeping. It had established customers, experienced employees, and a suitable location. Its main weaknesses concerned purchasing, storage, and supervision, all of which they understood well enough to address.

Before leaving, Mike gathered the employees near the counter and explained what would happen over the coming weeks. The shop would remain open while the storage room was repaired and the purchasing arrangements reviewed. He wanted accurate records of stock and expenses, and he expected the workers to report problems rather than continue making temporary adjustments without informing the owners. Lily added that they intended to retain the shop's existing trade. "You'll still be selling provisions and household goods. Mina knows the customers, and Darrel knows the deliveries. We'll make changes where they're needed, but I want to hear from the people working here before changing how everything is done." The employees accepted the instructions cautiously. They had heard promises from new owners before, but Mike and Lily had spent the morning asking about their work rather than searching for reasons to replace them.

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The business registration required a name, which Lily settled before they departed. "Vale Provisions," she suggested. "It's simple, and people will know what the shop sells." Mike agreed, and Simon added the name to the transfer documents.

The following day, Joe accompanied his parents to the magistrate's office. The clerk assigned to Vale affairs had already prepared the necessary papers under the Francis compensation order. Joe requested that the property be registered jointly under Mike and Lily rather than under his own name.

"The shop is theirs," he explained. "They'll own and manage it. I won't be involved in its daily operations."

The clerk adjusted the deed and attached Francis's confirmation that the previous owners' debts had been cleared. Mike examined the ownership details before signing, while Lily asked about the obligations attached to the continuing business, particularly employee wages and supplier contracts. The clerk reviewed the documents with them and identified which agreements remained in effect after the transfer.

Serena checked the completed papers that evening. She found no outstanding claims recorded against the property and advised Mike and Lily to maintain separate business and household accounts. Simon agreed to help Mina establish a clearer ledger until the employees became familiar with the new arrangements.

Over the following days, the family began putting its plans into practice. Mike hired a carpenter to repair the damp wall and improve the storeroom's ventilation. Darrel assisted with the work, ensuring that the new shelving would not obstruct deliveries or reduce the space needed during busy periods. The grain and flour were moved onto raised supports, while damaged stock was separated for inspection.

Lily worked with Mina to reorganize the sales floor. They reduced orders for slow-moving products and gave more space to goods that customers purchased regularly. Rather than discard the expensive stock already on hand, Lily decided to sell what remained before considering further purchases.

During that work, Mina mentioned that customers sometimes requested smaller quantities of oil, salt, or dried food than the shop normally sold. The previous owners had required them to purchase the full measure or return another day.

"Then we'll get smaller measures," Lily said. "Charge the proper amount for what they buy and record it accurately. A customer shouldn't have to purchase more than they need simply because our containers are too large."

Mina agreed and added the required measures to the next supply order. Lily also asked her to record repeated requests for goods the shop did not carry, allowing them to consider new products according to actual demand.

Mike meanwhile contacted several farmers around Green Hollow. He knew which households produced reliable grain and which could supply eggs or dried vegetables regularly. He compared their prices with those charged by Blackwood's wholesalers before arranging a small trial delivery.

The first shipment arrived several days later on a cart returning from the direction of Green Hollow. Mike inspected the grain before accepting it, checking the moisture, cleanliness, and condition of the sacks. The quality met his requirements, and the price left enough room for the shop to earn a reasonable profit after transport.

"If the next deliveries remain this good, we'll arrange a regular order," he told Simon. "There's no need to commit to more than the shop can sell."

Simon recorded the purchase and its share of the transport cost in the new accounts. The arrangement would allow the shop to test its suppliers without purchasing another cart or hiring additional workers. By the end of the week, Vale Provisions had completed its first changes under the new owners. Darrel supervised deliveries and storage, Mina managed the counter, and Owen continued handling stock and general work. Mike reviewed purchases and suppliers, while Lily oversaw the goods offered for sale. Neither parent needed to remain in the shop throughout the day, although both visited regularly while the new arrangements settled.

Joe returned one afternoon and found Lily examining the sales ledger with Mina. Soap and lamp oil had sold well, while several expensive products remained untouched. Lily adjusted the next order accordingly and asked Mina to keep tracking the changes before they reduced the remaining stock further.

In the rear office, Mike was comparing quotations from two seed suppliers. One offered a lower price, but Darrel had reported inconsistent quality during previous seasons. Mike preferred the more reliable supplier until they had enough evidence to judge the cheaper alternative.

Joe examined the figures when his father showed them to him, but Mike had already reached his decision. He returned the papers and accompanied Lily through the front room, where several customers were finishing their purchases. The shop still needed time to establish better purchasing habits, and the repairs had consumed part of its available funds. Nevertheless, its daily operations continued without interruption, and the employees had begun adjusting to the new owners' expectations.

As evening approached, Mike returned to the storeroom to inspect a delivery, while Lily remained at the counter to finish reviewing the day's sales. Joe left them to close the shop with their employees. They had already made their plans for the following week, and neither needed him to remain.