Chapter 68: The Days with an Accountant

Chapter 68 The Days with an Accountant

Since Elder Weng arrived at Bazhenlou, everything went smoothly along the way, and the journey suddenly became much faster.

Zhao Tong's knife is buried in Shanhe Town, and it's not convenient to go back to retrieve it for the time being. Therefore, Bazhenlou Restaurant has been closed for the past two days. The plan is to go to Liucun Village to get a few more handy knives for the sous chef before leaving.

When traveling the world, all you need is a fish-cleaver.

But working as a sous chef at Bazhenlou, one fish-cleaning knife was naturally not enough.

Although Zhao Tong didn't speak, the closer he got to Liu Village, the more anticipation and nervousness he revealed beneath his seemingly indifferent expression.

Who would have thought that Zhao Tong, the great demon of the Rakshasa Alliance, had long desired several knives, as well as two handy whetstones? Driving the carriage, Zhao Tong unexpectedly burst into laughter.

Bai Cen and Old Master Qu were in another carriage.

Bai Cen had seen it several times. Someone would drive a carriage with nothing in front of them, and then suddenly start to smile insincerely. The smile was more like a grimace, and it was quite creepy!

"Hey, old man, look, isn't it strange?" Bai Cen whispered.

The old man glanced at Zhao Tong, then at him, with a speechless expression. He leaned back in the carriage, even pulling his straw hat over his face, clearly not wanting to talk to him and wanting him not to disturb his sleep.

Bai Cen has a big head.

Doesn't anyone think that Lao Zhao is a bit strange?

Is this the kind of silly grin he's used to?

He had traveled with Deyuan for so long before, saying he deliberately didn't want to return to the Rakshasa Alliance, but judging from his current appearance, it's unclear whether it's because he doesn't want to return to the Rakshasa Alliance, or whether the Rakshasa Alliance thinks their leader is acting strangely...

Bai Cen still felt that he should find an opportunity to talk to his employer.

But Wang Sumo has been very busy these past two days.

When Mr. Weng first came to Bazhenlou, he said he would only take over the accounts.

But she smiled and looked at Old Man Weng; it seemed that Bazhenlou didn't keep separate accounts...

Old Weng wasn't surprised. He smiled gently and then asked, "Who is responsible for spending money, receiving money, and where is the money kept?"

In fact, these were confidential matters in his eyes, and it wouldn't be a problem if Wang Sumo didn't tell him. But Wang Sumo didn't hide anything: "Large amounts of silver notes are kept in the chest of the carriage. We carry some loose silver and small amounts of silver notes with us. If we run out, we go to the chest to get more. Whoever makes the purchases is responsible for the expenses; whoever makes the trip is responsible for collecting the money."

Weng He nodded; he understood. It meant anyone could take or receive, without any rules or regulations.

Elsewhere, this business would have been a sure thing.

But those who come to Bazhenlou have no other thoughts, so the silver notes and silver are no different from blank paper; they will only take them when they need them.

But there's no definite answer.

In other words, when they wanted to see how much silver was left, they would rummage through the chest.

They probably never encountered a time when they were short of money, so no one cared.

Sufficient cash flow can mask most problems.

Naturally, no one cares about the daily turnover, profit, and expenses.

Because the cash flow is large enough that there is no need to consider other operational issues.

That's quite interesting.

Old Weng found pen, ink, and booklets, and first opened the most basic account books and ledgers, as well as a profit and loss statement.

Wang Sumo picked it up and looked at it. Hmm, she understood the numbers on the counting rods, but she couldn't quite understand them when they were all placed together.

Old Weng said calmly, “Give me the accounts. I will record the daily income and expenses. You will keep the money and banknotes of Bazhenlou safe. However, everyone’s purchase expenses must be recorded here. I will set the price for each table and each meal and collect the money. We will reconcile the money and profits once a month.”

Wang Sumo felt that suddenly, everything seemed to be starting to get into order.

"good."

Old Weng continued, "How many times a month does Bazhenlou open for business now?"

Wang Sumo shook his head: "There's no fixed schedule. We won't put up signs if the weather is bad, we won't open for business if we can't get the supplies, and we won't open for business if the journey is too arduous."

Old Weng couldn't help but laugh: "That depends on the weather and also on your mood."

Wang Sumo couldn't help but laugh: "Probably."

Old Weng noted: "Then this one remains unchanged."

Wang Sumo nodded.

Old Mr. Weng continued, "Are the items in the Bazhenlou restaurant inventoried regularly?"

inventory?

Wang Sumo shook his head decisively and said truthfully, "Most of the time, if we see that the food is out of stock, we'll buy it next time we pass through a town or village. If we can't find it, we won't cook the corresponding dish."

Old Weng laughed: "If many of the seasonings are gone, wouldn't we be unable to make anything?"

Wang Sumo thought for a moment and said, "Yes, there are indeed times like that, so I buy a lot of them and put them on the carriage."

Weng He understood that he was afraid of running out, so he piled up a lot, but then he felt he had too much and didn't bother to buy more. He would only adjust his purchases when he suddenly discovered the excess.

Weng He wrote: "Since it's a restaurant, some things need to be kept in rolling inventory. No matter if the next dish is needed, these seasonings should be prepared if the inventory is below this level. Take stock every seven days and check the inventory with the ledger every month, so there won't be any confusion. With clear accounts and inventory, there's no need to hoard too much stuff, freeing up space in the carriage, and we won't have to carry so much weight, allowing us to travel light."

Wang Sumo nodded firmly.

Indeed, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise.

She only enjoys cooking and, in her spare time, studying the spices she has collected along the way, or trying out delicious dishes.

She would be overwhelmed if she spent her time on these trivial matters.

Not only her, but the old man was also having a headache.

Brother Zhao only cares about slaughtering chickens, ducks, and fish; nothing else matters. Bai Cen is good at dealing with people, but when it comes to accounts, he's even more clueless than her.

This really requires Old Man Weng's help!

No wonder Master He reminded her to find a more reliable accountant.

Sure enough, once the accounting was done smoothly, many other things went smoothly as well, and I no longer had to worry about them.

“Although Bazhenlou is a mobile restaurant, it still incurs taxes, and taxes must be paid. Although no one is causing trouble for Bazhenlou right now, if they want to detain you one day, you'll have no way to defend yourself against these outstanding taxes. Pay the taxes as required by the court, and no matter where you go, no one will have a reason to detain you.” Weng Helian had even thought of this.

Wang Sumo asked in surprise, "Bazhenlou doesn't have a fixed location for business, so how do we pay the tax?"

Wang Sumo agreed, but was curious about how to do it.

Weng He smiled and said, "This is the use of these basic ledgers. Record the income, expenses, and profits of each place, pay taxes according to the tax types of the local government offices, keep receipts for future reference. I am the accountant, so you can leave these to me. Once we have started business in each place, I will go to the local government office to pay the taxes before leaving. I can also inquire about the surrounding area along the way."

Wang Sumo nodded.

Suddenly, I felt that Bazhenlou had become a legitimate mobile restaurant serving food from the martial arts world.

Weng He continued, "When we get to the next town, I'll check the necessary permits for the restaurant and get everything done so that no one is left drooling."

"Then I'll trouble you, sir." Wang Sumo was more than satisfied.

Old Master Weng concluded, “We also need to make a rough estimate of the amount of meat, vegetables, and rice needed for the dishes that Bazhenlou will be making, and use them rationally to avoid waste. Although Bazhenlou is not short of money, there is still a disaster in the west, and relief grain from all over the country is being transported there. No matter how much of it can be transported there, excessive waste is shameful. If Bazhenlou can save a portion of its expenses each month, we will divide it into two parts. We will go along the road and find government offices along the way to donate in the name of Bazhenlou, and another part will go to the Ministry of Revenue. With the backing of both the capital and the local governments, Bazhenlou will have confidence wherever it goes in the future.”

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!

Wang Sumo was convinced: "I will listen to Elder Weng."

“Then, sir, I also have a request. How much silver to charge for this meal, and how to charge it, is up to me as the accountant. If you have any objections, you can discuss them with me, but unless there are special circumstances, everything will be as I say.”

After Weng He finished speaking, Wang Sumo immediately nodded: "I'll listen to the accountant."

Now that the agreement was made, Weng He was satisfied.

For the rest of the next two days, Weng He led Wang Sumo through everything that everyone at Bazhenlou needed to do, including how to prepare the food, how to set up the signboard, and what they wanted to do with takeout.

Over the years, Weng He has been working at Zhenhu Division, and he is most familiar with these martial arts sects and their nature.

Over the years, Bazhenlou has been traveling in the martial arts world and has encountered some strange things and strange sects. Wang Sumo asked Elder Weng about the troublesome and ridiculous things he had encountered along the way.

Weng He was very familiar with these sects, so his methods were much more flexible, effective, and skillful than Wang Sumo's.

Old Weng is indeed remarkable; he not only learned about the entire Bazhenlou restaurant, but also managed to straighten out all the operations within it.

Before, it was three monks who had no water to drink; now, every monk can be properly taken care of.

Professionals should do what they are good at, and Mr. Weng is indeed better than any of them in this regard.

With Mr. Weng managing the accounts, everyone seemed to have a lot more free time each day; things were much simpler and clearer than before, with less chaos and confusion.

Wei Wu also became a frequent visitor to Wenghe.

He used to keep many cats at Zhenhusi.

But when he left Zhenhu Division, he didn't take the cat with him.

Swords and blades are invisible, especially given the critical situation at the time.

Now that we've suddenly arrived at the Eight Treasures Pavilion, it seems like we have more time to relax and spend more time with Wei Wu.

Naturally, a daily occurrence is arguing with the old man.

Unable to win through physical confrontation, they resorted to verbal battles every day. Old Qu, unwilling to lose, kept sending messages to him, which he found both amusing and infuriating.

However, Lao Qu looked just like this when he was young, and it seems he hasn't changed at all.

Two days passed in a flash, fulfilling yet efficient, and we arrived at Liu Village.

When they arrived at Liu Village, Zhao Tong's eyes were brimming with excitement.

The old man was reluctant to go to the village. He stayed at the Bazhenlou restaurant while Wang Sumo, Old Man Weng, Bai Cen, and Zhao Tong went to the village.

Old Weng's craving for alcohol was kicking in, and he couldn't wait to go to the village to get some.

Bai Cen and Wang Sumo walked behind Zhao Tong. Bai Cen finally seized the opportunity and asked, "Master, have you ever seen a magpie walk?"

Wang Sumo: "..."

"If you feel unwell anywhere, we'll go see a doctor," Wang Sumo whispered.

Bai Cen was exasperated and whispered, "No, I mean, boss, look at Old Zhao, doesn't he look like a magpie walking? He's all excited and jubilant. Is he really the leader of the Rakshasa Alliance? Or is there some mistake?"

Wang Sumo calmly said, "Tell the old man to drive the carriage more smoothly later."

Huh? Bai Cen didn't react.

Wang Sumo said gently, "Your already small brain has been further damaged by the jolting of the carriage."

Bai Cen: !!!

Ahead, Zhao Tong asked, "Excuse me, where is Mr. Liu, the one who was stepped on?"

The villagers looked at him in surprise: "Are you looking for Old Liu?"

Zhao Tong nodded, but he could clearly see something was off in the villagers' eyes.

Wang Sumo and Bai Cen also stepped forward, and just as the three of them stopped, the villager sighed: "You're a day too late. Old Liu's son is heavily in debt from gambling and has been detained. Old Liu went to Guancheng yesterday to ransom his son! We don't know if he'll be able to come back this time. Alas, in this chaotic world, he's stuck with such a son."

After the villager finished speaking, he shook his head and left.

Zhao Tong, Wang Sumo, and Bai Cen were left standing there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Unfortunately, the person had gone to the city gate.

But Bai Cen had a vivid picture in his mind: "The pass is only a day's journey from here. We were originally going there to resupply before continuing our journey. So it's on the way."

[Author's Note]

I'll only update once for the rest of the month to conserve my energy, and then I'll release a big update in November.