12dz Chapter 101 What's the important matter?
Chapter 101 What's the important matter?
They're still living in Manager Su's house. If they were to fight over business, wouldn't that lead to a complete falling out?
Shen Xiaotang patiently explained, "Dad, don't worry, opening a braised pig's trotter shop won't interfere with Manager Su's restaurant selling braised pig's trotters."
Shen Qingchuan was confused. He asked with a puzzled look, "Tang'er, you've confused your father. How can opening a braised pig's trotters shop not affect Manager Su's restaurant? If customers buy braised pig's trotters from the shop, will they still go to the restaurant to eat?"
"Father, think about it, what do guests go to a restaurant for?"
"Time to eat!"
"That's right. Customers go to restaurants to eat, so it's normal for them to order a table of dishes plus a plate of braised pig's trotters, right? But what if some customers want to eat braised pig's trotters but don't want to spend extra money to order other dishes at the restaurant? It's not appropriate for them to just order a plate of braised pig's trotters. If that's the case, they might just put up with it and not go."
Makes sense!
If some customers only want to buy braised pig's trotters and don't want to eat a whole table of dishes, then they'll have to wait, and we'll lose a customer. But if we opened a braised pig's trotters shop and only sold braised pig's trotters, customers might just go and buy some.
Shen Qingchuan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, Tang'er is right, opening a braised pig's trotters shop is a good idea!"
His smile faltered for a moment, then he suddenly remembered, "But what if Manager Su is unwilling? We can make money and move the empty Su mansion thanks to Manager Su's help. We can't do something like crossing the river and burning the bridge, can we?"
Shen Xiaotang thought about it and felt that her father's concerns were not unreasonable.
She wanted to make her braised pig's trotters a big success, build a reputation, and establish her own brand. Once the braised pig's trotters became famous, only Manager Su's restaurant would have this dish, giving her restaurant an advantage over other restaurants. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Of course, it's impossible for Manager Su's restaurant to stand out from the crowd solely based on her braised pig's trotters. She doesn't have the ability to turn the tide, and Manager Su's restaurant needs to have its own unique features.
Before deciding to open a braised pig's trotters shop in the future, we must first discuss it with Manager Su to avoid any misunderstandings.
After all, it was Manager Su who gave them this opportunity, allowing her braised pig's trotters to be offered for trial sale.
Perhaps she could get Manager Su to become a shareholder!
Based on our interactions over this period, Manager Su is quick-witted and intelligent. Not only is he a good person, but he is also kind and tolerant towards the restaurant's managers, accountants, and staff. In this day and age, it's really hard to find a manager like him!
However, Manager Su's identity and background have always been very mysterious. He has a house in town, but it is empty, and he only comes to the town restaurant occasionally.
Since the braised pig's trotters at both restaurants became consistently popular, he has disappeared from the scene.
Ugh!
We need to save enough money quickly to buy a small house and move in. We can't keep living in Manager Su's house. If Grandpa and Stepmother's family find out, it will definitely cause trouble.
As for opening a braised pig's trotters shop, one must save money slowly and plan for the long term.
"Tang'er?"
"Tang'er, what are you thinking about? Why aren't you saying anything? Do you also think that Manager Su won't agree to us opening another braised pig's trotters shop?"
"If we don't want to open, then we don't want to open. We can earn a few dozen taels a month, which is already quite remarkable. Not to mention the surrounding villages, even in the whole town, there aren't many businesses that can make more than a few dozen taels of net profit a month."
Shen Xiaotang snapped out of her reverie and smiled, "Let's talk about opening a shop next year. I have more important things to do right now."
Shen Qingchuan paused for a moment, then asked, "What's the important matter?"
"Let's eat wontons!"
"Dad, I'm starving. Next time we go to Dushui County, we must bring some food with us."
Shen Qingchuan felt both heartache and frustration seeing his daughter so hungry.
"No, next time, Dad will buy you two sesame seed cakes to fill your stomach!"
His daughter leads the family to earn money, so he can't let her go hungry. He was so thoughtless before, he didn't think of these things. He won't let his daughter go hungry from now on!
Shen Xiaotang smiled faintly, "Buy four, and bring two back for Mother and Xiaoyu!"
"Yes, yes, buy four! What's wrong with Dad's brain? Is it frozen?"
Shen Qingchuan led the mule cart into Qinghe Town.
Shen Xiaotang sat on the mule cart, looking at the large basin of fresh pig's trotters behind her, feeling extremely satisfied.
Ever since she delivered braised pig trotters to Wanhe Restaurant in Dushui County, she and her father have been buying raw pig trotters there. At first, they thought that Dushui County was more prosperous and economically developed because it was close to the ferry crossing, and that raw pig trotters would be more expensive.
Unexpectedly, the butcher shops there were even bigger, and there were even more pig slaughterers.
There are many wealthy people, so meat sells quickly, but raw pig's trotters don't sell as fast. When she found out, she almost laughed her head off.
Moreover, the pig trotters from Dushui County are much more uniform in size than those from Pingding County.
She used her silver tongue and spent two hours persuading the butcher to give her a rough estimate. She negotiated with three butcher shops in total, which was enough for the order. The final price wasn't much higher than in Pingding County.
For just ten or eight extra coins, she and her father wouldn't have to go through the trouble of traveling all the way to Pingding County and wasting time buying supplies.
Great deal!
Shen Qingchuan first led the mule into the Su residence through the back gate, parked the mule in the stable in the backyard, and put out some grass for the mule to eat.
He unloaded the pig's trotters into the kitchen before leading his daughter out to find his wife near the Yunlai Restaurant.
……
At the entrance of the alley to Yunlai Restaurant.
Wang Sao took out some dry food and ate it for a while. She glanced at Liu Shi and saw her take out a small roasted sweet potato, peel it, and hand it to her youngest daughter.
She pouted and said, "Fengniang, it's almost noon. You've been hungry all day. Aren't you going to eat anything?"
Liu said in a gentle voice, forcing a smile, "I'm not hungry yet. Her father and Tang'er will cook when they get back. I'll wait for them to eat together."
Sister Wang nodded, understanding dawning on her.
Seeing that Liu had been selling roasted sweet potatoes for half a day without eating a single one, she must have been reluctant to part with them.
"Then your father-in-law and mother-in-law... they're not coming again, are they?"
Liu's face turned pale, and she shook her head.
"I do not know either!"
Wang Sao couldn't stand it anymore, so taking advantage of the fact that it was early noon and no customers were buying her vegetables, she started teaching Liu Shi how to cook.
"If you ask me, it's because you two are too soft-hearted that you've spoiled them so much. You two aren't young anymore, and your two daughters are already a few years old. What are you afraid of? At worst, you can just have a public falling out, throw a tantrum, cry, and play the victim. Can't you do that?"
Liu nodded and then shook her head, saying, "I know how to wipe away tears, but I don't know how to throw a tantrum or play the victim."
Wang's wife wished she could stretch her fingers several feet out and touch Liu's forehead.
"Didn't your parents teach you that you shouldn't suffer losses, that you should be able to endure what you can, and that you shouldn't blindly endure what you can't?"
Liu continued to shake her head.
"I have many siblings in my family, and my parents told me to always be patient, not to say anything, and not to argue!"
Sister-in-law Wang: "..."
What kind of parents are these?
Adoptive parents, or stepparents?
She immediately retorted indignantly, "No, your parents must have been biased in how they taught you, making you always have to be tolerant and yielding at home. That's not right. If you keep tolerating and yielding, people will only think you're soft-hearted and easy to manipulate!"
Liu sighed and said helplessly, "I've been used to it since I was a child. This is how it's been all these years. Since we separated the family, her father and I have come to understand, but I just can't open my mouth when something happens."
Aunt Wang glanced around and muttered a lot of advice to Liu, telling her to use it when needed.
Shen Xiaotang followed her father to the roasted sweet potato stall and saw her mother and Wang Sao from the next stall whispering to each other.
"Mom, we're here. Shall we go eat?"