GBP Chapter 412 Mingcui Tower
Chapter 412 Mingcui Tower
Lin Qingchuan and Manager Su had been working together for several years and their cooperation was very pleasant. Although his family was not extremely wealthy, they were not greedy and did not hoard money. Since Manager Su had suggested opening a restaurant together, he was quite happy to do so.
"Alright, let's open it together."
He also told Manager Su about the exile of the restaurant's owners, both the front and back owners, so that Manager Su wouldn't mind.
Mr. Su remained calm. “If we were to be superstitious about this or that in business, we would never be able to do anything. Like you, I never care about those things. I have always believed in the word ‘honesty’.”
The two hit it off immediately. Manager Su led Lin Qingchuan to the bank to collect the silver and then used it to pay the remaining one thousand taels at the restaurant.
The man in the restaurant hadn't expected this person to be so fast. He said he needed four days to go back and collect the silver, but the silver was delivered in half a day without him even asking for it.
He doesn't stand out much in terms of appearance and clothing, but I didn't expect him to be such a low-key person.
They deserve to be able to make a living!
The money was paid in full, the IOU was torn up, and the written agreement was drawn up. The man gave Lin Qingchuan the deed to the restaurant, said some words of congratulations, and then left with the money.
Manager Su and Lin Qingchuan toured the restaurant from top to bottom and front to back, nodding and sighing in admiration.
"That five thousand taels of silver was well spent!"
“That’s right. This restaurant is not only well-built, but also very new. Everything inside is brand new. It seems that the previous owner was willing to spend money, so we don’t need to worry about spending money to buy anything. There are just some kitchen utensils that they don’t have. We can just have someone make a set.”
"How can you not be willing to spend money? That person was exiled with his entire clan for embezzlement. Sigh, people still have to do business properly. Money is a good thing, and you can never have too much of it. But how much is enough?"
Lin Qingchuan couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement as he looked at the furnishings in the restaurant.
The maroon carved windows are adorned with lifelike patterns. The white walls look freshly painted. The restaurant's furnishings are exquisite, and the sturdy wooden stairs, with even the handrails carved with patterns, lead all the way to the fourth floor.
Each floor has private rooms, where people can not only eat, chat, and discuss business, but also rest.
The private room is by the window, where you can look into the distance and clearly see the bustling market and the surrounding area.
The third floor offers views of the bustling city, while the fourth floor provides scenic views. The restaurant is well-soundproofed, offering a quiet oasis amidst the noise.
Manager Su became more and more satisfied with the restaurant and couldn't help but praise Lin Qingchuan for his good taste.
"Qingchuan, you have a good eye. Despite being busy, you were able to find such a good restaurant in just a few days. I also benefited from your help this time, and opened another restaurant without any effort."
Lin Qingchuan blushed and said somewhat embarrassedly, "It's all thanks to meeting you at the ferry that the money issue was resolved so quickly, saving me from having to make another trip. It also solved the capital problem. If anyone benefited, it's because of you."
"Haha, let's not stand on ceremony. We've toured the restaurant and are satisfied. Now it's time to start recruiting."
The two returned to the first floor, where Manager Su fetched a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. He wrote a job posting and had his attendant post it on the outside wall. He also wrote a letter and sent it back to Dushui County by messenger.
They selected two chefs each from Wanhe Restaurant and Qianzhen Restaurant to come to the capital and teach the new chefs how to cook.
Then, based on his memory, Manager Su drew some kitchen utensils that Xiao Tang had created herself and found blacksmiths and carpenters to make them.
Ten days later, Mingcui Tower officially opened!
Manager Su hired a lion dance troupe to perform in front of the restaurant. Amidst the sound of firecrackers, the lion dance troupe began their lively performance.
Pedestrians nearby stopped to watch, and the area in front of Mingcui Tower was packed with people.
The onlookers saw that the restaurant, which had been raided by the authorities a few days ago, had reopened with a new signboard and name, and they couldn't help but start discussing it.
"Wasn't this restaurant raided by the government? Who is so bold as to buy it and start a business?"
"That's right. I heard that the owner behind the restaurant is that third-rank official, Lord Chen. His entire clan was exiled, and everyone feels it's bad luck, so they dare not use this restaurant for business anymore."
"That's why this restaurant has such a good location and a lot of customers. It's a restaurant that people usually fight tooth and nail to buy, but it's been on the market for several days now. But the owner of this restaurant is really bold and doesn't care about so many things."
"Hey, what's with all the taboos? It's like our own house, passed down from generation to generation. Every family has had its elders die. Does that mean we should just abandon our own house just because a relative has died?"
"What you say makes sense. The previous owner of this restaurant was exiled because his family was involved in embezzlement. If there's bad luck, it's their family's bad luck, not the restaurant's fault."
"Therefore, the restaurant owner is the smart one now."
After discussing it for a while, they saw that the restaurant waiter had strung up a rope outside the restaurant and hung a string of wooden signs on it. Out of curiosity, the adults immediately went over to take a look.
Each wooden sign had the name of the dish written on it, along with the original price and the opening special price.
Such novel opening offers were something everyone had never seen before, and everyone found them quite novel.
"My goodness, the prices of vegetables today are really cheap. I've never eaten such cheap vegetables in all my years in Beijing. Regardless of whether they taste good or not, I'm going to try them today just for their freshness and see if they're salty enough."
"Yes, you have to taste it to see if it's salty or bland."
"This eight-treasure chicken, eight-treasure duck, poached chicken, spicy braised pig's trotters, chestnuts..."
Everyone was listing the dishes one by one, and just reading them made their mouths water. Seeing the guests coming in one after another, they were afraid that if they went in too late, they would not get a seat, so they rushed to squeeze in.
Seeing the constant stream of people at the threshold, Manager Su and Lin Qingchuan exchanged a glance, feeling quite satisfied.
The first day of business went very smoothly. Once we establish a reputation, this restaurant will have no shortage of business in the future.
Manager Su smiled and looked at the customers who were still hesitating outside, "Dear customers, our Mingcui Restaurant is opening today. We have a three-day opening special, with discounted prices on every dish, which are much cheaper than usual."
Our chefs were all transferred from other restaurants under our name. They have been cooking for many years, so our dishes are absolutely guaranteed. Many of our dishes are delicious and unique, and we don't even have them in restaurants in Beijing. We also have a wide variety of desserts, snacks, fruit teas, and drinks... everything you could want.
Today, every customer entering the restaurant will receive a complimentary drink. If you enjoy our food and drinks, you are welcome to order some to take home for your family.
After Manager Su finished speaking, Lin Qingchuan, mimicking his eldest daughter's usual tone, added, "Special offers for the first three days of opening! Don't miss out..."
Passersby who stopped outside heard that not only were there discounts on every dish, but each customer dining in the restaurant would also receive a free drink.
In other words, regardless of how many people are at a table, everyone gets a free drink?
This is quite a good deal!