I just remembered Jiang Feng saying that he could no longer run the restaurant by "throwing tantrums and acting tough".
Thinking back to how she had forced Zhao Ashi into the crowd, Song Liyun felt heartbroken again.
Am I really a shrew in my daily life?
Indeed, now that I'm the manager of a restaurant, I need to be mindful of my image.
We can no longer speak bluntly or use violent language, lest we scare away customers.
"To be a lady, to be elegant and poised..." Song Liyun silently recited to herself.
Having prepared herself mentally, Song Liyun smiled gently as she looked at the former employees of Tianxianglou.
She straightened her skirt, sat down on the chair she had just tidied up, and then said softly:
"If you want to leave, I won't stop you. Everyone goes out to do business with the goal of making money."
But Tianxiang Restaurant is no longer the same as before. Once you leave, it won't be easy for you to come back.
Some people in the crowd grimaced, while others chuckled.
The female shopkeeper was young and looked delicate, but she spoke with a rather arrogant tone.
Tianxianglou has long been noticed by others, and given its current state, it's uncertain whether it can open or how long it can remain open.
Although the government is backing them now, the local thugs don't dare to rob them.
It's easy for competitors to bring down a store.
Without manpower and ingredients, opening a business is just empty talk, not to mention the countless overt and covert tactics that will be employed in the future.
Ignoring the ill-intentioned glances, Song Liyun continued, "I also need help here. The wages will remain the same as before. We all know each other, so if you'd like to stay, you're welcome..."
Before she could finish speaking, someone interrupted and urged, "Miss Song, don't say so much. We don't want to stay in this unlucky place."
Song Liyun looked up at him; he was a man in his thirties with an arrogant look in his eyes.
In the eyes of a cook, I see arrogance and conceit...
Song Liyun smiled slightly, "This must be Chef Gao, right?"
The man paused for a moment, then raised his chin and said, "So what if it is? You'd better give me the contract quickly, I'm in a hurry to get to work."
The signature dish of Tianxianglou, roasted lamb chops, was created by a chef named Gao Li.
According to the agreement, Tianxianglou signed a lifetime contract with him, meaning that the roasted lamb could only be sold at Tianxianglou, and no other restaurant could sell it.
Hong Jingtian paid him a generous wage: a house in Qili County and five taels of silver per month.
After the incident at Tianxianglou, he was the first person to be poached. Now he has a high salary and is favored by his new employer.
However, as soon as Tianxianglou reopened, Gao Li worried that the contract he had left behind would be used against him, so he invited others to come and demand it back.
Seeing that the man was being rude, Zhou Xiang, who had been following Song Liyun, said with a stern face, "How dare you! This contract belongs to Tianxianglou. Whether we give it to you or not depends on our mood. Besides, it's not something you can just take as you please."
Zhou Xiang was a soldier with a loud and imposing voice. Gao Li shrank back when he was shouted at, but he was not afraid.
He had already inquired about it before he came.
The matter involving Tianxianglou was no small matter; he knew about it when the case was heard in court a few days ago.
Manager Mi and his gang have all been imprisoned and will never be able to come back in this lifetime.
Tianxianglou was confiscated by the government, and the manager who came now is from Suijin Town, and it seems to be related to that case.
But what does this have to do with me? I earn money with my skills, and I can make a living no matter where I go.
If Tianxianglou insists on keeping its money tight, then it's possible for me to add more or less to the ingredients when I cook, and I still can't be shortchanged by a single coin in wages.
“Miss, it’s fine if you don’t give me a contract of indenture. Tianxiang Tower used to pay me five taels of silver a month, plus four sets of clothes for spring, summer, autumn and winter every year.”
"If the young lady is willing to give me ten taels of silver every month, plus five days off, so that I have money and time to go home and take care of my elderly mother, I can stay at Tianxiang Tower." Gao Li made an outrageous demand.
"You..." Zhou Xiang clenched his fists in anger. He had been a flag bearer, desperately guarding the border, and only received a monthly salary of three hundred coins. This wretched cook dared to ask for ten taels of silver.
Song Liyun was not annoyed. She held up a finger and shook it, smiling as she said, "Chef Gao, it's really too cheap for your excellent skills to only cost ten taels of silver. You should at least get half the price of the dishes."
"What do people eat when they go to a restaurant? Is it really lamb chops? Of course not."
Lamb is available everywhere; you can eat it anywhere. Why would customers specifically choose yours? Of course, it's because they want to taste your cooking skills and the flavor of your grilling!
"So you're saying ten taels of silver is too little. A serving of roasted lamb chops costs two taels of silver, so you should get one tael. The restaurant sells ten servings a day, so you should get ten taels."
At this point, Song Liyun held up ten fingers again and sighed, "That's three hundred taels a month."
People say women have long hair but short brains, but I don't think you're any better.
For just ten taels of silver and a few sets of clothes, he sold himself—a living person who could be a money tree wherever he went.
Look at you, so smug! Did I tell you I was right? Tsk tsk tsk, what a pity!
Gao Li was stunned.
After Song Liyun calculated it this way, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have lost a silver mine.
Seeing Gao Li in a daze, Song Liyun took out a contract from the wooden box and handed it to him: "This is your contract. Tianxiang Tower is too small and shallow to support a great god like you. We'll give you your freedom!"
Gao Li tentatively took it, opened it, and saw that it was indeed his contract.
He put it away and immediately turned to leave, but his steps were not as hurried as when he came, and he seemed preoccupied.
As soon as Gao Li left, the crowd, who had been silently observing, began to stir, and two cooks followed him away.
A waiter squeezed out and said, "Greetings, manager. My name is Chen Xiaoliu. I've worked at Tianxiang Restaurant for five years. I heard from the young lady that you should get a commission for delivering a dish. Since you've taken over Tianxiang Restaurant, please make up for the commission I was owed before. Hehe, it's not much, just fifty taels."
Song Liyun glanced at him: "Really?"
The waiter nodded vigorously, his face full of flattery: "Yes, fifty taels, take it and go."
"Brother Zhou, kick him out and send him to the county government to ask his old master for money."
"Ah!" Chen Xiaoliu screamed in fright, "You're the one who said you wanted to ask the owner for a share of the food money."
"Go ask your boss for the money! I might as well be kind enough to help you and let you see him." Song Liyun took out Chen Xiaoliu's indenture and slapped it across his face.
The soldiers beside Zhou Xiang stepped forward, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and threw him out the door.
Damn it, if I just be a little nicer to them, they'll lose their bearings.
The remaining people looked at each other, wondering what the female shopkeeper meant by her alternating smiles and anger.
However, they dared not have any further thoughts, much less cause trouble.
Although Song Liyun was a delicate and frail girl, she was surrounded by five men in short, tight-fitting clothes, who were not ordinary hangers-on.
They stood tall and straight, full of energy and vitality; one could easily guess they were related to the military.
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