Chapter 278 Xinglong Restaurant
"My wife, where are you going next?"
Chen Yongnian's question made Wan Qiqi pause in her tracks.
She turned to look at Chen Yongnian.
This man no longer has the simple and honest appearance of the past; he has gained a more upright demeanor, and his features have become more rugged.
Apart from getting a bit darker, he no longer looks like a country bumpkin!
Seeing that Chen Yongnian seemed somewhat anxious, she asked, "Is something wrong?"
Chen Yongnian nodded, "I need to go find..."
Wan Qiqi gestured for him to stop, "If you have official business to attend to, just do it. You don't need to tell me the details."
She glanced at the street. "I'll be waiting for you at Xiangmingxuan."
"Okay." Chen Yongnian grinned and habitually raised his hand in greeting, but then realized something was wrong.
This is outside, not in the county government office. The person in front of me is my wife, not the county magistrate. There is no need for formalities.
Upon seeing this, Wan Qiqi smiled and bowed to Chen Yongnian, mimicking the manner of a woman's greeting.
After they bowed, they both suddenly laughed.
Afterwards, the two parted ways at the entrance of Xiangmingxuan and went their separate ways to attend to their own business.
Xiangmingxuan had closed two days earlier, while "Bafanglaike" across the street was doing brisk business.
The shop assistant at the entrance was stunned when he saw Wan Qiqi, and then he was called away.
Wan Qiqi didn't care, staring at the "Guests from All Directions" sign, a hint of hostility in her eyes.
Next year, her restaurant is bound to be even more popular than "Guests from All Directions"!
She turned and walked to the entrance of Xiangmingxuan, raising her hand to knock on the door.
After a long while, a sound came from inside.
"Xiangmingxuan is currently closed. If you would like to have tea, please come again after the New Year..."
"It's me!"
The two words "Wan Qiqi" brought the conversation to an abrupt halt.
Then, the door opened.
"Miss Wan, you've finally arrived! There are still two days until the New Year, we thought you weren't coming!" Xiao Liuzi said as he ushered Wan Qiqi inside.
"The boss is upstairs, troubled by the shop's renovations. You've come at the perfect time." Xiao Liuzi closed the door and led Wan Qiqi upstairs.
Wan Qiqi didn't go upstairs, but stopped on the first floor. She looked up at Xiao Liuzi and said, "No rush, how about you show me around?"
Xiao Liu was quite clever; he understood Wan Qiqi's meaning and immediately came down to lead her around the first floor.
As he led the way, he explained, "Our shop isn't very big, but our kitchen is quite good..."
Wan Qiqi followed him into the kitchen, which was indeed quite spacious, just as Xiao Liuzi had said.
However, there is only one stove, which is definitely not enough if you want to open a restaurant.
Then they passed by the backyard.
The backyard is actually quite spacious, but it's piled up with firewood, making it look a bit messy.
The cashier is located behind the stairs on the first floor. The whole place is standard and there's nothing new or interesting about it.
Going up to the second floor, there are only private rooms; there are no public areas left.
Each private room is furnished with simple tables and chairs, providing a space for people to drink tea and chat.
Wan Qiqi's assessment of it was: "It's nothing special, too ordinary!"
Hearing the noise, Boss Zhu didn't come out, but instead shouted, "Little Liu, who did you bring? Didn't I tell you we're not open for business? Why did you let people in again..."
Xiao Liuzi led Wan Qiqi to the door, suppressing a laugh, and said, "Boss, look up and see who I've brought for you!"
“I have no interest in seeing anyone, unless it’s that girl from the Wan family…” Boss Zhu looked up, his voice trailing off.
Then, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly stood up, exclaiming happily, "Qiqi, it really is you!"
"Last time, the Wan family was in a hurry and I couldn't finish talking to Boss Zhu, so I've come to apologize in person." Wan Qiqi smiled confidently and stepped into the house.
She glanced at the drawing in Boss Zhu's hand and frowned slightly.
It wasn't that the drawing wasn't good enough, but that she couldn't understand it.
"You've come at the right time. I just had someone design the blueprints for me. Take a look and see how it goes for the renovations." Boss Zhu beckoned to Wan Qiqi and handed her the blueprints.
Although Wan Qiqi couldn't understand it, she still accepted the blueprints.
At the very least, we can't lose face!
She pretended to look at it for a while, then put it aside and said, "I just had Xiao Liu take me around. I have a few suggestions. I wonder if Boss Zhu would like to hear them?"
When Boss Zhu heard that she was going to make a suggestion, he immediately nodded, "Of course, you will also be the owner of this store from now on, so we can discuss everything together."
Wan Qiqi nodded.
Although this shop is a bit small, it's just starting out. Starting small and building a reputation first, then moving to a bigger location isn't out of the question.
So she began to share her suggestions with Boss Zhu.
"The main things in running a restaurant are the taste and appearance of the dishes, and also the speed of serving the food! I looked at the kitchen and found that we need two woks, a special place for steaming dishes and dim sum, and separate cold and hot dishes, as well as dim sum, vegetables and fruits and fishy smells."
"And that plot of land in the backyard, move the firewood away and set up a place to park the carriage, so that we can keep the wealthy families who come to eat here."
"On the first floor, set up a reception desk and move the cashier to the entrance. The drinks in the store are displayed on the cabinet behind the cashier, with the categories and prices clearly marked so that customers can see them at a glance when they enter."
"My suggestion for the main hall is to use square tables, placed on either side of the windows, with a square table in the middle for a family of four. Upstairs, the private rooms can accommodate groups of five or six. Of course, two small private rooms can also be used..."
"I've seen that there are twelve private rooms of various sizes, so we'll set up different themes and decorations to meet the needs of different guests..."
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