Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Second floor acceptance inspection...
Manager Xu only found out about this two days ago. Now that the shop's decoration is nearing completion, he doesn't come here often, otherwise he would have known about it a long time ago.
This is naturally a happy event for the Xiao family. When a dead person comes back to life, the family will be reunited and happy. But the second young master has been paying too much attention to Lin Qiuran these days.
Not only did he give him concessions on business, he also asked him to take charge of the decoration of the second floor of the Xiao family restaurant, and even taught Lin Qiuran how to manage interpersonal relationships, and even condescended to eat in such a simple place on the first floor... Manager Xu was usually good at observing people's words and expressions, and he always felt that the second young master had other intentions.
To be honest, Manager Xu felt that Xu Yuanheng treated Lin Qiuran very well, and it wasn't like he was just treating a partner well.
What to do now? Manager Xu didn’t know how to explain this to Xu Yuanheng.
Lin Qiuran smiled and nodded, "Yes, I came back a few days ago."
Manager Xu politely offered his congratulations. Xiao Dashi was still around, so he couldn't say anything to someone else's daughter-in-law in front of their father. He stopped dwelling on the matter and told Lin Qiuran to come back to him if she had any problems.
This was Xu Yuanheng's order, so Manager Xu just did it.
After sending the people away, Lin Qiuran went upstairs to take a look.
Because it is a private room, the corridor is a little dark during the day, but if there is business, the corridor will be lit. Of course, there is also the ingenuity of the craftsmen in this.
The lamps are embedded in the wall, with lotus-shaped lamps and cloud-shaped lamps. The candle lamp on the left wall depicts auspicious clouds and the sun, while the one on the right depicts the moon and stars. All are illuminated by lamp oil. The Ximaina wall is decorated with mountains and rivers, reflecting the stars, sun, and moon. It's a truly unique design. When the lamps are lit, the scene becomes even more captivating.
Lin Qiuran could spend a long time looking at the things in the corridor on the second floor. They were so beautiful.
She reached out and touched it. These were all money, worth a small donkey. It was better to own the shop. If it was rented, Lin Qiuran would not have spent so much money on renovations.
Going further in, the left side was the bright room, and the right side was the dark room. Lin Qiuran planned to select some decorations to put there. After looking around for a while, she came down from the second floor. She said to Shopkeeper Shi, "If anyone is interested, you can take them to the second floor for a look."
Now that the second floor is finished, it's definitely time to start attracting business and recoup the investment. The first floor of the restaurant is small, and I was afraid people wouldn't believe the second floor could handle the banquets, so I took it up there. After all, seeing is believing.
Shopkeeper Shi said, "Okay, I'll tell my customers these days that we'll be catering on the second floor, and they can reserve a table in advance, but they'll definitely ask about the price..."
The decoration of the shop cost a lot of money, and these have to be included in the cost.
If I can't make back the money, I won't add another twenty taels to the price of the shop when I want to sell it in the future. Of course, if business is good, I can add a little more for the sake of the second floor.
Useful and useless things are clear at a glance.
You can’t raise the prices of dishes on the first floor menu. After all, the prices have already been set, and they can’t become more expensive just because they are served on the second floor.
Besides, most people will compare prices before going out to eat. If a restaurant is too expensive, they probably won’t come even if the decoration is nice.
If other customers want to eat on the second floor, they have to stop them. Many things will be damaged. For example, the things on the first floor, after the shop was opened for more than a month, one of the stools was broken, three legs of the table were broken, and two chopstick buckets were broken after falling to the ground.
During the meal, countless chopsticks were bent and broken, and some plates and bowls were broken. Fortunately, they were all very ordinary things, and it would seem stingy to ask the customers to pay for these small amounts, so they were all charged to the restaurant's bill.
Tables and chairs can be repaired if possible, but the tables and chairs on the second floor are expensive. Shopkeeper Shi is very greedy when he sees them. If a customer accidentally damages or scratches them, he will not be able to bear the consequences of compensating the customer. He will also say that the shop is stingy and does not know how to do business. If he does not compensate, he will not be able to bear the consequences.
Lin Qiuran said, "I'd like to order a few menus for the banquet. They can't all be new dishes, but most of them are not currently available in the shop."
It can solve the problem of not being able to increase prices on the second floor.
For example, pagoda meat is no longer available in stores, but it is actually very delicious, fatty but not greasy. You can put dried cowpeas on the bottom. The aroma of the meat will then seep into the dried cowpeas, making the top fatty but not greasy, while the bottom is full of meaty aroma.
This dish isn't currently available because it requires skill with a knife, is slow to prepare, and isn't suitable for multiple tables. For example, fish dishes are now limited to braised fish and pickled fish in restaurants.
Lin Qiuran has many specialties, such as squirrel mandarin fish. If he were to entertain guests, the presentation of this dish would definitely be better than braised fish.
Lin Qiuran felt that weddings and funerals would definitely not be held here because there were too many people and there was no room on the second floor. For one or two tables, they would probably either invite guests or prepare the meals themselves.
So we take on more small banquets here, such as full-moon banquets, welcoming banquets, and when a few good friends come to discuss things, we write a few menus and the dishes can be changed. Everything is negotiable.
After looking through the menu, Shopkeeper Shi found some of the names sounded nice, but he couldn't figure out what they were. He asked, "What if the customer insists on ordering dishes from the restaurant?"
Lin Qiuran said, "Then we'll have to talk to the shopkeeper and Lu Fan about it. If he insists on ordering, we can't stop him. However, the dishes on the first floor are large and cheap, so they're not suitable for the banquet."
There is also braised pork on the menu, but it is a modified version of the braised pork, called abalone braised pork, with some precious dried goods added. The taste and grade of the dish are different. I forgot when I went out, but Lin Qiuran also saw dried abalone.
Moreover, the menu will also be based on personal taste. Some of the Yu Ans are not locals, and there are more than just the Xu and Jiang families who are rich. Although the Jiang family is now in decline, the big pot dishes definitely cannot be considered.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Although it is also for the purpose of making money, you will find the difference after eating it.
Shopkeeper Shi nodded and said, "I understand. Don't worry, leave it to me."
He thought this was a good idea. He planned to redesign the banquet menu, making it delicious and beautiful, and taking the decoration costs into account. If he told the guests that they had to pay to eat on the second floor, they might not be happy even if it was only five or ten cents, let alone the high price.
But if it's included in the dishes, the customers won't know about it anyway. The menu has prices clearly marked, so if you want to eat, then eat. If you don't want to, then forget it. There's no need to complain about the price.
When doing business, you can't tell the truth in every word. You can leave the dishes to Lin Qiuran without any worries. Manager Shi won't ask whether they taste good or not. Not to mention beef, even if it's a rabbit or a tortoise, he can believe that Lin Qiuran can make it delicious.
The food on the first floor is not expensive. If you want to eat, just choose a day to come and eat. If you have three or five people, go to the second floor. Manager Shi can say that there are too few people and the private room cannot be used, so you have to go to a place with more people.
If there are twelve or thirteen people who want to squeeze in, they can order a lot of dishes. It's not impossible if they insist on having dishes from the restaurant.
It's easy to negotiate and we're also easy to talk to.
In the evening, when Shi Zhangshi and Lu Fan were taking their orders, they told the guests, "The second floor has been decorated and has four private rooms. If you want to reserve a table, you can go to the second floor of the restaurant. The menu is also available, and you can change it if you don't like it."
Some customers just come here in the evening to satisfy their cravings, have a meal, and have a drink with friends, and they are not interested in this.
What's so good about going there? The private room is not as lively as the one on the first floor.
But some guests were really interested and asked, "What dishes are there?"
Shopkeeper Shi mentioned a few, "There's squirrel mandarin fish, pagoda meat, chopped pepper fish head, twice-cooked pork, braised pork with abalone, and braised lion's head..."
The customer was stunned for a moment, his eyes shining, and he said, "I don't think the restaurant has these dishes."
The guest looked at his friends around him. There were four of them today and they ordered five dishes. Although the restaurant served large portions, they wanted to try more dishes, so they decided to order after discussing it.
Those sound delicious.
Shopkeeper Shi smiled and said, "No, this is a new dish our restaurant cook has prepared for the second floor. The first floor specializes in home-cooked dishes, which are large, delicious, and filling. The second floor also hosts banquets, such as when a child is one month old or someone travels thousands of miles to come, and we can host a welcoming reception. The food on the first floor is delicious, but we have to let outsiders see our Yu'an cuisine."
Shopkeeper Shi said with a smile, "You can trust our cook's skills."
"Well, that makes sense. But I haven't eaten at Yu'an's local restaurant before, so why should we give it to outsiders? Do we have to order it in advance?"
Shopkeeper Shi observed their expressions and saw that they were determined. He said, "Of course. The tables upstairs are large, seating eleven or twelve people. It's a hassle to decorate them, so booking a table on the second floor depends not only on the order of arrival but also on the number of people. If you only order five or six dishes, you'll have to move to the back if you get other orders. Restaurants are open to make money, so there's nothing we can do about it."
After all, there will be a lot of people later, so we will have to hire a waiter.
Several people hesitated after hearing this, and the one who was looking at the menu even pulled someone aside to talk in private.
Another customer came in from outside, and Shopkeeper Shi said, "Take your time to look around."
After saying that, Manager Shi went to entertain other guests.
When Shopkeeper Shi came back to serve the dishes, a few people called him over and said, "Tomorrow night, the ten of us will have a meal on the second floor. We'll follow this menu. Can we replace the boiled chicken with this chicken stewed with mushrooms?"
Boiled chicken sounds tasteless, so it’s better to stew it instead.
There are a total of twelve dishes on this menu, with spicy flavors, including braised meat platter, cold-mixed black fungus, and garlic pork. Hot dishes include chopped pepper fish head, twice-cooked pork, etc. The boiled chicken was written by Lin Qiuran for a light and refreshing dish to relieve the greasiness and spiciness.
This table of sixteen dishes was priced at an auspicious price of 1,288 wen. It was auspicious, but on average, each dish cost 80 wen.
Of course there are more expensive ones, such as the table of abalone and braised pork, which costs 1,688 wen.
Shopkeeper Shi said, "Okay, the second floor has just opened for business. We'll give you a discount of one hundred coins for the first three days. You'll need to pay a deposit."
Several customers were happy too. They always ate at the restaurant and were not afraid that the restaurant would run away with the money, so they paid half of the bill immediately.
Two tables were booked in one evening. The other table was said to be for a banquet, so the person chose the most expensive abalone and braised pork dish, which contained a lot of fresh river seafood, as well as a dish that Lin Qiuran liked very much, scallop and egg custard.
It was very fresh and tender, and it was smooth and bouncy, much better than ordinary egg custard. Lin Qiuran always ate the ones made by Sun, but most of the time they were steamed, which greatly reduced the taste.
As for why they paid a deposit, it was naturally because they were afraid that the customers would not come.
Abalone and dried scallops are all dried goods and need to be soaked in advance. Many dishes have to be bought in advance. What should I do if the guests don’t come? Who will pay for the dishes?
It’s different after paying the deposit. Lin Qiuran can use a lot of good things. The broth from the beef stew he bought that time has been frozen, and now he can add some dried shrimps and seafood.
Lin Qiuran planned to use broth for this dish. The second floor had just started accepting business, so it was crucial to promote the brand.
A deposit of one or two taels of silver was collected that evening, and since the banquet was all in the evening, Xiao Dashi went to buy these things in the morning, and he had to buy them quickly. He couldn't buy carp this time, but bighead carp. This fish stall had them, and they were not expensive.
Dried goods such as dried abalone and dried scallops also need to be bought. In addition to pork belly, there is also pork leg meat... Fortunately, there are many people in the shop, so Xiao Dashi can go out to purchase without worry. He must buy everything before noon.
In order to make it easier for Lin Qiuran to prepare, he had to bring back a few things after buying them. He couldn't run around outside for half the day.
Xiao Dashi and Sun could handle the waiter duties on the second floor first. Lin Xia could also help out if there were more people. In this day and age, if you wanted to eat, you had to work, let alone child labor.
Lin Qiuran gave Lin Xia a few instructions, "Be smart. The second floor is far away and I can't take care of it here. Come out after delivering the food and leave the door open. If you need anything, run downstairs. The plates and bowls are far away and there are no more important people."
The reason for the last instruction was that one time when Lin Xia was helping to serve food, her foot slipped. She could have steady the plate by dropping it, but in trying to hold it steady, she fell over and got a big bruise on her leg.
The restaurant's patrons were generally polite, but there were also some who got drunk and acted recklessly. Most of them were eventually dragged away by their families, and nothing was damaged. But Lin Xia was young, and a girl, so she had to be careful.
Lin Xia sighed twice, a hint of joy in her eyes. To be honest, Lin Dong could already stir-fry shredded potatoes, and now she'd learned to shred cabbage. She was already cooking for customers. She even worked for the shopkeeper, Shi Sun, doing odd jobs.
Lin Xia was very anxious, and this time she could help.
After giving the instructions and finishing a busy day, Lin Qiuran took a donkey cart and went home with his family.
The donkey cart made her life much easier, but Xiao Dashi had an extra job: cleaning the donkey shed and feeding the donkeys every day, which meant he had to wait for Lin Qiuran every morning and evening. However, Lin Xia and Lin Dong took care of the chores of picking eggs, cleaning, and washing clothes, making her life much easier than before.
While getting ready, Lin Qiuran told Sun about asking Zhao Guangcai to look at a new house. Sun nodded, and the wrinkles on her forehead smoothed out. "Our house is a little small, so we can move on."
Aunt Yu's family also planned to look at a house. She came over in the afternoon and went straight to the restaurant to deliver the share of the past few days, a total of four taels of silver.
The sauce cake business was good. He had only been in the county town for two months, but he had made quite a bit of money. He had a large family and was willing to work hard. These days, Aunt Yu did most of the work, splitting it into two batches and selling it elsewhere.
As long as you have the skills and are willing to work hard, you will have no worries about making money.
Aunt Yu added hot soup to the stall these two days because the weather was too cold. The idea was Aunt Yu's. After she finished making it, she asked Lin Qiuran, and Lin Qiuran taught her how to make spicy soup, which could also bring more income to the stall.
Forget about the share. Her family has a lot of people and it's not easy. The Xiao family doesn't lack this money. In the future, they just want the share of the sauce-flavored cakes. Although there is no written document, Aunt Yu has a good character and can be trusted.
Aunt Yu wanted to show Da Hu that if he hadn't given him a share of the profits, he wouldn't have gotten these things now! It wasn't the Li family that helped, but the Xiao family was doing well and giving them a hand!
The Li family now has more than 20 taels of savings. This time, Aunt Yu came here not only to inquire about the price of the house, but also asked about Sun's story about Xiao Xun. Sun couldn't help but tell him everything.
Aunt Yu was stunned after hearing this. "I was told that Li Cuihua came to my stall to look for me once, and it turns out she was waiting here!"
She seldom returned to the village, and when she learned that Li Cuihua and Xiao Wei were being beaten, she couldn't help but wonder what she was up to. However, Li Cuihua had disliked Sun for more than ten years, and this time, not only was she beaten, but she also had to sell her land to raise money.
Karma is a cycle, the land that was sold was bought by the Xiao family.
The person was beaten and it will probably take a long time to recover. The family will have to raise a lot of money. Given Li Cuihua's partiality, it would be strange if she didn't cause chaos in the family.
In the past few days, people have been coming to the county government to follow the progress of the case. The five taels of silver that were embezzled have been returned, but there is still a fine to be paid. They can leave when the money is paid.
With the Lunar New Year just over a month away, his family probably didn't want him to stay in jail, otherwise they wouldn't be in such a hurry to sell the land. Now that Xiao Xun has an official position, he can finally rest assured.
We broke up when we moved from the old house, so there is no connection even if we come back.
Aunt Yu: "What do you think she wants?"
Sun had just learned that suing officials and embezzling money would result in fines. She said, "I heard from the people in the county government that the government would use part of the collected money as rewards and commendations. There are quite a lot of benefits."
If this really happened, the Xiao family's shop would probably be gone, but Li Cuihua's family would get a lot of money.
No wonder, otherwise who would be willing to work hard for nothing? Xiao Wei spent all the five taels of silver, probably thinking that if he sued the Xiao family, he would get a lot of reward and would have no shortage of money to spend.
Aunt Yu breathed a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, Xiao Xun is doing well, and Qiu Ran is also smart."
Sun nodded and said, "Xiao Xun has returned, and this place is not big enough for us to live in, so we are planning to move to another house."
Aunt Yu didn't ask how much money the restaurant made, she just nodded in agreement, "With Xiao Xun back, there will be too many people to stay here, and there will be no room after the baby is born."
If you were in the village, you could get extra land for your homestead after you get married, and you could build your own house. Plus, the houses in the village are big, so you could split them into two. But that's not the case in the county town. Aunt Yu suddenly remembered why she came here today. Wasn't she here to ask about the house?
She has two sons and a daughter. Now Da Hu wants to get married. The girl is not willing to marry him if he rents a house, but buying a house that is too small is not a good option either.
She asked Sun, "How much is your house worth now?"
Sun said, "This one we live in? It cost thirty-seven taels, and now it's thirty-nine taels after adding everything else."
Buying a bigger one would give you a better location, but it would definitely be more expensive. Aunt Yu said, "Then we'll have to wait a little longer. It's okay. A man should build a career first and then start a family."
The savings at home are not enough, we have to save more.
Sun heard that Aunt Yu didn't have enough money. She had a good relationship with Aunt Yu, but the money was all with Lin Qiuran. If she wanted to borrow more than ten taels, it would be difficult for her family to give it to her. So she didn't ask for it, but only told her to go find Zhao Guangcai, who was a good man.
Aunt Yu was even less willing to ask. She had just taught me how to make hot soup, so why not borrow money? The Xiao family was fine, but they still had to live their own lives. Helping in emergencies wasn't enough. The Li family was halfway to buying a house. If they were even a few taels short, Aunt Yu would have asked. It was better to earn it slowly than to be short of money. If she did borrow money, she would have felt suffocated and kept thinking about it.
After sending Aunt Yu away, Sun also packed some steamed buns and braised pork for her. Xiao Xun said that she gave her three pounds of sauce cakes when she went out that day.
Having watched them grow up, Sun also hopes that Taozi and the others can eat more.
Reciprocity is the way to get along with others.
After seeing Aunt Yu off, Sun went to get busy. There were two banquets tomorrow, so she had to prepare a lot of things tonight.
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The author has something to say: Thank you little angel for the thunder and nutrient solution~
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