"Madam, thanks to you, business has been booming since the beginning of the year! From the third to the fifteenth of the first lunar month, we were packed every day, and we sold more than 300 roast geese alone."

Lin Li opened the ledger, her eyes scanning the densely packed numbers.

The smile on her lips was impossible to suppress.

Nan Hai Ge specializes in Cantonese dim sum and roast meats. After the Lunar New Year, under her initiative, the storefront was expanded, 20 new tables were added, and a dim sum chef from Macau was hired.

How much of the expansion cost has been recouped?

"Sixty percent has already been recovered!"

Jiang Fusheng's eyes lit up. "Master's almond cookies and egg tarts have become his signature dishes. Many foreigners take taxis specifically to buy them, saying they want to take them back for the people at the consulate to try."

Ah Zhen added from the side, "The problem is that we're not quite manpower enough. The auntie who washes dishes had to go back to Dongguan because of some family matters, so we'd like to add two more people to the kitchen. Also, the owner of the shop next door said he wants to sublet it. If we take it over, we can expand it into a private room to accommodate some customers who don't want to eat in the main hall."

Lin Li tapped her fingertips on the ledger, pondering for a moment.

"If we don't have enough people, we'll hire more. We need to find people with clean hands, preferably from our hometown whom we know well. We'll ask about the price of the shop next door first, and if it's reasonable, we'll take it over. We'll separate the private room with a pear wood screen and put a few pots of orchids in it to make it look more elegant."

She looked up at Jiang Fusheng and said, "Increase the wages of the roast meat chefs by 20%. Tell the kitchen staff that they cannot skimp on ingredients. They would rather earn less than ruin the reputation of Nanhai Pavilion."

Jiang Fusheng readily agreed and took out a small notebook from his pocket to write it down.

Ah Zhen added, "By the way, madam, a few days ago a gentleman in a suit came over and said he wanted to cooperate with us to vacuum-pack roast meats and ship them to the mainland. He said that a shopping mall in Shenzhen wanted the goods."

Lin Li picked up her teacup and took a sip of tea; the flavor had already faded.

"Mainland China?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is he a legitimate businessman? Have you checked his background?"

"I checked, and they say they're in the import/export business and have an office in Tsim Sha Tsui."

Jiang Fusheng replied, "I asked around, and there is indeed such a person, but his asking price is a bit high, saying he wants to take 30% of the profits."

Lin Li put down her teacup, the sound of the lid hitting the cup as if she had made a decision.

"Tell him it's a maximum of 20%. If he agrees, have him bring his identification. If you think there are no problems, then sign it!"

She looked at Ah Zhen and said, "I'll keep the ledger to take a look. Ah Zhen, go back first. Tomorrow morning, have the kitchen send two baskets of char siu buns to the restaurant so the staff can share them."

Then, looking at Jiang Fusheng, he said, "Stay here for a moment, I have something I want to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fusheng's heart skipped a beat.

Then.

His brows furrowed tightly as his mind raced, recalling all the recent events at the Nanhai Pavilion restaurant.

From ingredient procurement to the daily performance of the staff, from accounting records to customer feedback, he went through every detail in his mind, but he still couldn't think of anything he hadn't done well.

Was there a problem with last month's accounts?

He remembered that Ah Zhen had checked it several times, so there shouldn't be any problem.

Or is it that the roast meat tastes off?

But customer reviews have been consistently positive, even more so than before.

Could it be that the workers were slacking off and the wife found out?

He usually has high expectations for his employees, so this shouldn't happen.

Jiang Fusheng became increasingly nervous as he thought about it, and the back of his clothes was soaked with sweat.

Lin Li picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and calmly focused her gaze on Jiang Fusheng.

She noticed his nervousness, but instead of speaking immediately, she deliberately slowed down her movements, letting him linger in the tense atmosphere for a while longer.

She knew that Jiang Fusheng was a serious person, but sometimes he was too cautious. Appropriate pressure could make him more clear-headed about what was to come.

After a long while, Lin Li slowly spoke, her voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable power.

"Fusheng, don't be nervous. You've done a great job at the restaurant. I don't mean to blame you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fusheng felt a little relieved, but he still dared not relax and respectfully replied.

"Thank you for your understanding, Madam. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

Lin Li put down her teacup, leaned forward slightly, and looked into Jiang Fusheng's eyes.

"I want to tell you something else. Under your management, the Nanhai Pavilion restaurant has been doing very well lately, which shows that you have a good business sense and management skills."

Jiang Fusheng lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly and said, "You flatter me, Madam. It's all thanks to your excellent leadership. I was just doing what I was supposed to do."

"You don't need to be modest, I've seen your abilities."

Lin Li smiled slightly and continued, "I recently had an idea to open a Chinese medicine shop that specializes in selling Chinese medicine. Although Western medicine is well-developed in Hong Kong, there are still quite a few people who believe in Chinese medicine and like to use Chinese medicine. This market should have potential."

Jiang Fusheng was stunned when he heard this.

He never imagined that his wife would suddenly want to open a Chinese medicine shop.

Traditional Chinese medicine shops and food shops are two completely different fields, with very different business models and customer groups.

He was momentarily at a loss, opening his mouth but not knowing what to say.

Lin Li noticed his surprise and continued, "I know this is a new challenge for you, but I believe in your abilities. I want you to be the head manager of this Chinese medicine shop, responsible for its overall operation and management. You'll be in charge of site selection and the procurement of medicinal herbs. What do you say? Are you confident?"

Jiang Fusheng's heart raced again, but this time it wasn't from nervousness, but from excitement.

His wife trusted him so much that she put him in charge of a brand new Chinese medicine shop; this was a great affirmation of him.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and looked at Lin Li with a firm gaze.

"Madam, thank you for your trust! Although I am not very familiar with running a traditional Chinese medicine store, I will definitely study hard and live up to your expectations! I am confident that I can make this traditional Chinese medicine store a success!"

Lin Li nodded in satisfaction: "Good, I'm relieved to hear that. I've already made some arrangements for the source of the Chinese medicinal herbs. You know Mr. Huang from Nanyang, right? He can provide some high-quality Chinese medicinal herbs at reasonable prices. I'll provide the rest through other channels to ensure the quality and stable supply of the herbs."

Jiang Fusheng quickly replied, "Thank you for being so considerate, Madam. Mr. Huang has been doing medicinal herb business in Southeast Asia for many years and has an excellent reputation. With him providing the herbs, I feel even more confident."

"Um!"

Lin Li nodded. "You need to put more effort into site selection. It's best to choose a place with high foot traffic and convenient transportation, such as a densely populated residential area or a location near a hospital or clinic, so that customers can easily come and make purchases. At the same time, you also need to consider the rent; it can't be too high, so as not to increase operating costs."

Jiang Fusheng listened attentively, took out his notebook and pen, and wrote down Lin Li's instructions one by one.