Seeing the two pieces of paper with different handwriting, Princess Ruining looked around and then smiled.
"You two are quite in sync."
Princess Ruining smiled and had Linlang take the two scrolls of paper down and hand them to the other party.
Gu Yaoniang looked at the sharp lines of writing in her hand and pursed her lips.
The paper clearly stated: "Peace and prosperity depend on nothing more than increasing income and reducing expenditure. The court's supervision of market order and distribution of grain can reduce expenditure. Firstly, opening up trade routes and allowing people to buy and sell freely can increase income; secondly, by ensuring that people are employed without selling themselves or being classified as lowly, they can choose good employers and earn money through their own labor."
Lu Zhao'an, on the other side, also smiled. What Gu Yaoniang said was actually very similar to what he had thought. It was just that Gu Yaoniang's writing was more detailed and more appropriate.
She not only came up with these measures, but also suggested that Jin Yu Lou could hire some people to work there. She planned to open some new businesses at Jin Yu Lou, and that was precisely when she was short of manpower.
No wonder it took so long to write.
Lu Zhaoan asked, "What are you doing now? You say you can hire a hundred or so people. Are you going to expand the Golden Jade Pavilion again?"
It's no wonder Lu Zhao'an asked that question. Even at its busiest time, Jin Yulou only needs about ten long-term workers. With a few more odd-job workers, the total number would be at most twenty or thirty.
Later, storytellers and street performers emerged. Although they were not employed by Jin Yulou, they were essentially doing business by finding a place at Jin Yulou and paying rent to Jin Yulou.
In the eyes of the guests, these artists were also considered to be part of Jin Yu Lou.
Even so, including the Gu family, Jin Yu Lou only has about fifty employees. The sudden claim that they could hire another hundred is quite unexpected.
Gu Yaoniang smiled mysteriously: "If I told Boss Lu, would Boss Lu be willing to follow my example?"
Princess Ruining watched the two of them with great interest.
Lu Zhaoan became even more curious: "Of course I want to hear it first. Nowadays, everyone is short of money. Those with money dare not use it, and those without money naturally cannot use it. I don't know how much silver you can spare to hire people to do work. Could it be that you have really fallen in love with being a charity boy?"
Gu Yaoniang glanced at him with a smile before saying, "I'm usually very stingy, and I won't give away money for no reason."
She turned to Princess Ruining and said, "Princess, although commerce has been severely damaged, everything is in ruins and needs to be rebuilt!"
Princess, these days everyone has little money left. If Jin Yu Lou and Zui Yue Lou continue to cater to high-ranking officials and nobles as before, selling only delicacies, I'm afraid there's not much hope left.
The pricing used to be for three reasons: first, to make the dishes look good; second, to save face for the customers; and third, because Jin Yu Lou's portions were large. So, whether it was worth it or not is another matter, but the total price of a dish at Jin Yu Lou was not cheap.
Now that I have fewer social engagements and less spare money, each table of guests eats less food. I plan to halve the portion sizes and prices at Jin Yu Lou. That way, guests will feel it's more cost-effective.
Moreover, if we open up trade routes, many people will be busy earning money to support their families, and many women will also go out to work. In that case, the more ordinary the family, the less likely they are to have anyone to cook. But how can that be? Food is the most important thing for people. What will happen if they go out to work and have no food to eat?
Therefore, I plan to open a separate kitchen at Jin Yu Lou, which I'll call the "Cheap Kitchen," specifically to provide convenience for them. The meals here will be prepared in single-serving portions, priced at only 20% above cost. Furthermore, by employing so many people, the Cheap Kitchen can also deliver meals. If customers want food from the Cheap Kitchen, they simply need to order and leave their address when passing by Jin Yu Lou, and the staff at Jin Yu Lou will deliver the food to them during mealtimes.”
Lu Zhaoan's eyes brightened even more as he listened, and Princess Ruining sighed, "This cheap kitchen is indeed very cheap. But even with an additional 20%, wouldn't it still be very expensive?"
Lu Zhaoan spoke up at the opportune moment: "Your Highness, you may not know this, but our restaurant can only make a profit if the price is 30% or 40% higher than the cost of the ingredients. Madam Gu says she loves money, but with this kind of pricing, she is clearly losing money. It seems that spending money has become a habit."
Gu Yaoniang smiled but remained silent.
Princess Ruining was slightly surprised: "I didn't know?"
"Yes. Running a restaurant involves more than just money for ingredients. The wages of the waiters, the capital of the business, and various favors all cost money. For someone like Madam Gu, who dutifully pays taxes every month, the costs are even higher."
Princess Ruining hesitated for a moment, then smiled again: "Yaoniang, since you are willing to hire those unemployed people to work at Jinyulou and have a cheap kitchen, then I will certainly not let you down. From now on, the income from the cheap kitchen will not need to be taxed."
Gu Yaoniang's eyes lit up: "Thank you, Princess."
-
After leaving the princess's residence, Lu Zhaoan and Gu Yaoniang did not take a carriage, but strolled together through the streets and alleys of Shuojing.
"I haven't mentioned it yet, please accept my condolences."
Gu Yaoniang was slightly taken aback, then smiled nonchalantly: "It's alright, I always have to look forward, don't I?"
Lu Zhaoan looked at her with pity, his eyes gentle and focused: "If that's really what you think, then that's good."
Gu Yaoniang stopped talking and just kept walking forward.
"Lord Gu...Is Uncle Gu at home doing well?"
The Flying Dragon Letter had become the Wild Goose Letter, and everyone knew the various reasons why. Lord Gu, along with several other officials who had been detained and brought to the capital, were merely implicated, yet they were still dismissed from their posts for "dereliction of duty." Fortunately, no other punishments were imposed.
Lu Zhaoan almost said something wrong because he spoke too quickly.
“What could possibly happen? The clerk is the lowest-ranking official in the county government. He has little responsibility and little power, but everything is incredibly tedious. My father is quite satisfied with his current life and is even thinking that once the situation stabilizes, he will take my mother to travel around and enjoy the scenery.”
Gu Yaoniang used to be the one who most wanted to travel all over the country, but she never expected that the one who would be the first to step out of the confines of this house would be Mr. Gu, who used to be the least willing to go out.
"By the way, have you made any progress on the matter I entrusted to you?"
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