Wang Zhongyi's fists were clenched tightly, and his hands were so sweaty that the pages of the account book were slightly damp.
Jiang Bai noticed something was off about him and asked, "Brother Wang, do you think there's a problem with this account?"
“No,” Wang Zhongyi smiled awkwardly, “I’m just shocked that you invested so much in the early stages.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai patiently explained, "When I decided to open a medicinal cuisine restaurant, my plan was to position it as a high-end establishment with high prices, but also good taste, good service, and a good environment."
"All of these items were purchased to the highest standards for opening a shop, and every customer who has dined here has praised them highly."
“If you open a shop, I think you can use these things without changing them. If you redecorate according to this style, the price will only be higher, not lower.”
Wang Zhongyi also understood Jiang Bai's meaning.
If he doesn't give him the seventy taels for renovation, Jiang Bai definitely won't leave it to him. In that case, the time spent on demolition will be wasted, and the other party might even try to negotiate the workers' fees with him again.
Furthermore, Wang Zhongyi's idea at the time was to take over Jiangbai's customers, who were all wealthy and powerful. If they saw the cheap decorations, they might never come back.
This money must be paid; it absolutely must be paid.
He smiled ingratiatingly at Jiang Bai: "I understand, but Jiang Bai, I don't have that much money on hand right now. Could you allow me a few days to save it up?"
“Sure!” Jiang Bai nodded.
Before Wang Zhongyi could say anything, Jiang Bai said, "In that case, I'll move out when you've saved up enough money."
Wang Zhongyi's lips twitched down.
We can't delay any longer; the longer we delay, the more likely things will get complicated.
Yesterday, Zhao Yi said he wouldn't make decisions for Jiang Bai, but with his power, he could bring down the Wang family with a flick of his finger.
Putting aside everything else, if Zhao Yi were to open an identical medicinal cuisine restaurant for Jiang Bai in the house next door, Jiang Bai could simply take his customers there, while he and his wife, who have no prior experience in the industry, would suffer a huge loss.
He had actually guessed Zhao Yi's original plan correctly.
Wang Zhongyi gritted his teeth and said, "It's okay, I'll give you the money tomorrow."
Jiang Bai was pragmatic: "Then I'll move out tomorrow."
In fact, she had already moved most of it. If Wang Zhongyi had followed her into the bedroom just now, he would have seen that apart from a few account books, there was nothing else in the bedroom.
Wang Zhongyi didn't go to the restaurant; he walked home with faltering steps.
Madam Wang was playing games with her son when she saw him return. She stood up in shock, walked quickly over, and asked in a low voice, "Has something happened?"
Wang Zhongyi gestured a number: "Jiang Bai costs one hundred and twenty-five taels."
Madam Wang couldn't control her voice and exclaimed, "One hundred and twenty-five? Why doesn't she just rob someone?"
Wang Zhongyi explained it to her in detail and then showed her the account book.
Madam Wang had previously worked as the accountant at Hongding Restaurant. She picked up the account book and carefully examined it line by line. The numbers she calculated in her mind were exactly the same as those written in black and white on the account book.
She gritted her teeth, took the account book back into the house, fiddled with the abacus for a long time, and came out looking dejected.
“There really is so much,” Madam Wang said dejectedly. “Jiang Bai is too extravagant; he’s not cut out for domestic life at all.”
In her opinion, the decoration can be done casually, but the important thing is that the food is delicious.
Wang Zhongyi said, "Zhao Yi is richer than a country, so Jiang Bai naturally won't help him save money."
“One day, she will squander all of Zhao Yi’s money, and then Zhao Yi will have nowhere to cry.” Madam Wang spat, her face full of contempt for Jiang Bai.
After the couple huddled together and finished cursing Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi, they looked ahead to each other's bleak future and their own family's bright prospects. Then, Wang Zhongyi asked with a gloomy expression, "How are we going to raise the money?"
Madam Wang whispered, "Our family's total savings amount to two hundred taels, but Hongding Restaurant will soon be making up for the debts of the shops that supply ingredients to them."
For those who run restaurants, the cost of buying meat and vegetables doesn't need to be settled every day; generally, it's settled monthly or every three months.
Hongding Restaurant originally settled accounts monthly, but later, due to poor business, it switched to settling accounts every three months, which would give it more working capital.
Wang Zhongyi asked, "How much will be needed for the settlement?"
Madam Wang looked troubled: "It will not be less than one hundred and fifty taels."
This is already considered very little. When the restaurant was at its peak, it would settle accounts for more than two hundred taels of silver every month.
Wang Zhongyi gritted his teeth: "Let's delay for now, give Jiang Bai what she wants, and then make up for the shortfall after the medicinal cuisine restaurant opens and becomes profitable."
Madam Wang nodded: "Okay."
She thought for a moment and then said, "Can we buy the ingredients for the medicinal cuisine restaurant together with Hongding Restaurant?" Buying in bulk like that would get the restaurant a discount.
Wang Zhongyi sighed, "Spend it sparingly."
After the couple discussed it for a long time, Mrs. Wang said confidently, "This money can definitely last for a month, and we might even make a profit in less than a month."
Wang Zhongyi also held high hopes for this.
That evening, Madam Wang brought Aunt Wang back, and the two of them discussed their plans with her.
Aunt Wang frowned deeply and asked, "The medicinal cuisine restaurant, isn't that Jiang Bai's?"
Madam Wang's smile faded slightly, and she said somewhat awkwardly, "Jiang Bai opened the shop for half a year, but felt it was losing money, so he decided to close it down. Zhongyi and I thought about it and felt that leaving the renovations empty was a waste, and since I was free anyway, we decided to reopen the shop as an investment."
Aunt Wang lowered her head and thought for a moment before asking, "Aren't you afraid of losing money?"
“Don’t worry, Jiang Bai may lack experience, but we’ve been running restaurants for so many years and are much more experienced than her,” Madam Wang quickly explained. “Besides, with you helping us, Mother, the pressure of hiring people is much less than it is for us.”
Mrs. Wang has already made plans to fire several of her original employees.
Aunt Wang didn't ask any more questions. She picked up a peanut with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, saying, "You decide for yourselves. I won't interfere with anything. Wherever you tell me to go, I'll go. If you tell me to come here to take care of the children, I'll come. If you tell me to go back and rent out the yard, I'll go back. I'm adaptable."
The couple exchanged a glance, and Wang Zhongyi put more food on Wang Da Niang's plate: "Mom, eat more."
Aunt Wang ate a few mouthfuls of porridge with the vegetables, swallowed what was in her mouth, and couldn't help but ask, "Where does Jiang Bai live now?"
Wang Zhongyi replied, "Zhao Yi is back. I think they should be together."
Aunt Wang tidied her hair: "I'm going to go see her later."
“Mother, we don’t know where Zhao Yi is either,” Madam Wang smiled at her. “Otherwise, tomorrow, Zhongyi will go to Jiang Bai to get a refund of the rent, and he can take you there.”
“Okay.” Aunt Wang was very easy to talk to.
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