Chapter 349 The Wang Family's Benefactor
Cheng Wanwan asked Cheng Zhao to write up the contract and bring it over.
The contract clearly states that the profits will be split 30/70, but she will receive 30% and the Wang family 70%.
Aunt Wang panicked immediately: "Grandma Dashan, this, this..."
“From now on, this will be your Wang family’s exclusive business. I will no longer interfere with the operation. Just submit the accounts once a quarter.” Cheng Wanwan raised her hand and pressed her fingerprint on the contract. “The market is always changing. If you want to keep making money and make more money, Mudfish Mother will have to put in more effort. If you lose money in the future, it will be your Wang family’s business and will have nothing to do with me.”
Aunt Wang's hand trembled slightly as she pressed her fingerprint onto the contract with shaky steps.
When the contract was handed to her, she couldn't hold back her tears any longer.
In this world, money is the most tempting thing. Even one's own parents wouldn't be so selfless as to hand over a money tree.
Aunt Dashan was so kind to their family; the Wang family truly had no way to repay her...
"Alright, why are you crying?" Cheng Wanwan said helplessly. "Your family works so hard to run this business, and I get paid for nothing every month. It's a great thing for me to make money for free. We both benefit, so it's a win-win situation."
Aunt Wang wiped away her tears: "Big Mountain Mother, don't worry, from now on you will be a great benefactor to our Wang family. When Mudfish grows up, he must put you first and respect you in everything. If this boy dares to disrespect you, I will make him suffer."
Cheng Wanwan: "..."
Does this mean she gained a godson for no reason?
She already has four biological sons, and Shen Zheng is her soon-to-be godson. She should stop having sons as many as possible.
Just then, Old Mrs. Zhao came over and rescued Cheng Wanwan: "Eldest daughter-in-law, do you have time right now? We're having a meeting at home and need your advice."
Cheng Wanwan nodded: "Okay, then I'll go over and listen."
Aunt Wang had no choice but to put the contract away and leave with gratitude in her heart.
The Zhao family is having a big meeting. The whole family, including the youngest daughter Donghua, is sitting at the table, all sitting upright and very engaged.
As soon as Cheng Wanwan arrived, Old Man Zhao gave up the main seat.
"I'll sit here." She dragged a chair over and sat down on the edge. "Dad, please continue."
Old Zhao coughed.
He was always confident and authoritative when speaking in front of the whole family, but for some reason, he seemed a little less confident when his eldest daughter-in-law came over.
"Today's meeting is mainly about discussing business. As you can all see, everyone in the village is busy right now, and they don't even have time to cook," Old Man Zhao said at his own pace. "Take Second Master Zhao's family for example. One son works in the soap workshop, another helps Lord Wu repair the road, and the women work in the fields every day. The children have to gather firewood, dig for wild vegetables, and cook. For half-grown children, it's already a miracle if they can even cook rice properly, but what's the difference between that and pig slop?"
“Now everyone has money, but the food is worse than during the famine years. It’s okay for a day or two, but it can’t go on like this! My wife and I are thinking that our whole family should work together to build a canteen to provide two meals a day for the villagers. There are nearly two thousand people in the village. Of course, not everyone can come to the canteen. Let’s say half of them come. If three to five hundred people are willing to spend the money every day, and we only earn two coins from each person, that’s almost one tael of silver a day, thirty taels of silver a month, and more than three hundred taels a year… As the number of people in the village increases, this income will also increase.”
Mrs. Sun, breathing rapidly, was the first to speak: "Father, I agree! I'll do anything you ask!"
Wen nodded, "I took care of Hui Niang during her postpartum period at my sister-in-law's house and learned some cooking skills from her. I can take charge of the cooking."
Without hesitation, Zhao Youcai said, "Leave the purchasing to me, and let me handle the food sales as well. Xia Hua, Qiu Hua, Dong Hua, you girls can help out."
“Xia Hua is learning embroidery, so she can’t do rough work,” said Old Mrs. Zhao. “Second son’s wife is in charge of the kitchen, third son’s wife is his assistant, third son, you are in charge of purchasing and selling food, Qiu Hua and Dong Hua are in charge of collecting plates and washing dishes, and Er Wang helps with bookkeeping after school.”
With just one sentence from the old lady, everyone's tasks were settled.
The old man and Zhao Youyin weren't without plans; it's just that they still had over thirty mu of land at home, which was the foundation of a farmer's livelihood, and someone had to take care of it.
After Grandma Zhao finished speaking, she looked at Cheng Wanwan and asked, "Eldest daughter-in-law, do you think this arrangement is acceptable?"
Cheng Wanwan nodded: "But at the beginning, we don't need so many people. We should sell a small amount first to test the market. Only if the villagers are willing to spend the money can this business be rolled out on a large scale. Also, we must be careful about the pricing and think it through carefully."
The old man and woman had already discussed this matter.
Nowadays, rice costs ten coins per pound, and millet costs three coins per pound. One pound of rice can make more than ten bowls of thin porridge. A bowl of rice porridge costs two coins, and millet porridge costs one coin. This is the cheapest option. Even the cheapest option includes wild vegetables and pickles, as well as a free bowl of soup.
In addition, a bowl of semi-dried rice costs five coins and is served with some side dishes, while millet is cheaper at four coins.
If you want to eat something better, there are other options: a bowl of dry rice plus an egg, meat and vegetables for eight coins, or all you can eat for twelve coins.
Cheng Wanwan glanced at the pricing. The price was indeed very affordable, and the profit margin was small. But when it comes to running a canteen, the key is to make small profits and quick turnover. As long as there are enough customers, the money earned will be enough.
She said, "There are some officials in the village who sometimes want to eat something nice. I suggest we make a separate list so they can order their own food, and my second aunt can cook it for them. That way, the price can be a little higher."
Wen was a little timid: "I'm fine with cooking for the communal pot, since everyone doesn't really care about the taste anyway. But if I cook separately for the officials, I'm afraid they'll be unhappy and mess things up."
Cheng Wanwan chuckled: "Second Aunt, do you think anyone in the village is better at cooking than you, besides Hui Niang and Chunhua?"
Wen thought about it for a while, but really couldn't think of anyone.
"Second sister-in-law, your cooking skills are top-notch." Sun Shi praised without reservation. "If those officials want to eat better, they can only go to Dahe Banquet in Ping'an County. The restaurants that you run are ridiculously expensive, and the officials may not be willing to spend the money. They can only make do with what they have in the village... Oh, it's not making do. Second sister-in-law's cooking skills are good and the prices are cheap. I guarantee that those officials will not suffer any losses."
Ms. Wen was a little embarrassed by the praise.
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "We can test this business tomorrow. Prepare enough for 100 people. The dishes can be simple. We'll set up a stall near the big locust tree. We'll know whether it works or not after tomorrow."
Grandma Zhao slammed her hand on the table: "Alright, let's officially start tomorrow. Don't sleep, everyone. Get the ingredients ready now and try to make it a great start."
Late that night, the Zhao family was busy, with everyone doing what they could.
Cheng Wanwan casually helped order the menu before heading home under the moonlight.
As soon as they arrived at the door, Zhao Sidan came out carrying a large bowl: "Mom, Aunt Wang just brought over a lot of shrimp, they're still alive. Should we keep them or eat them?"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but lick his lips.
The shrimp at the bottom of the bowl were as small as a fingernail, crystal clear, all newly born little shrimp. Such shrimp are very tender and delicious.
Cheng Wanwan had never eaten shrimp before since arriving in this era. She swallowed hard and said, "Let's put them in a basin to keep them alive first, and we'll cook them tomorrow."
This was the third day since the opening of Dahe Banquet, and Cheng Wanwan did not go again. She was very relieved to leave everything to Er Gou.
At the same time, Old Zhao's family canteen also opened.
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