Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 136 Cooperation
After seeing Hong San off, Li Zhe closed the door and began to settle accounts.

上次算总账是12月5日，当时总收入人民币27620元；外汇券2480元；保证金3153元。

Today is December 27th. During this period, Li Zhe earned 42050 yuan in RMB and 11260 yuan in foreign exchange certificates.

The expenses during this period were also considerable, including 14900 yuan for expanding the greenhouse, paying staff wages, and other daily expenses; a 6000 yuan deposit for the house; 2600 foreign exchange certificates for gifts and supplies purchased at the Friendship Store; and 2000 foreign exchange certificates for top-up at the Mona Lisa Restaurant.

After deducting all expenses, Li Zhe now has a total of RMB 48770, foreign exchange certificates of RMB 9140, ​​and a margin of RMB 3153.

With money in hand, Li Zhe was in a great mood and spent some time playing with Jinzi.

Jinzi ate well and slept soundly in the capital. Now she weighs about ten kilograms and is nearly half a meter long. She is very strong.

"Knock knock..." There was a knock on the door.

When Li Zhe opened the door, he saw Tan Jingya standing there. She was wearing a red woolen coat and dark jeans. Her fair face looked a little haggard, and she appeared thinner than usual.

Li Zhe was a little surprised: this was the first time he had seen her in days. "Sister-in-law, what's up? It's cold outside, come in and talk."

"Thank you, Mr. Li." Tan Jingya entered the room and sat down in the chair opposite Li Zhe. "Mr. Li, how's business lately?"

This unexpected question caught Li Zhe off guard, and he replied casually, "It's alright, are you looking to buy groceries?"

Tan Jingya didn't answer, but instead asked, "Mr. Li, if I may ask, how long can your vegetables last? Don't misunderstand, I mean the weather is getting colder and colder, can your vegetables last the whole winter?"

Li Zhe didn't answer her, but instead asked, "From what I'm saying, you're here to do business with me?"

"Yes, there is indeed a business opportunity I'd like to discuss with you, which is why I'm curious about how long your food supply will last."

There's no point in hiding it, Li Zhe said truthfully, "My vegetables are grown in greenhouses, which can provide a stable supply throughout the winter. What kind of business do you want to discuss with me?"

"Here's the thing, I'm planning to open a restaurant and I need a stable supply of ingredients, so I'd like to work with you."

Li Zhe frowned slightly: Wasn't Ji Hongbin going abroad? Why is he opening a restaurant again? Could there be some change in plans?
Immediately, Li Zhe felt relieved. He had signed a deposit contract with Old Mrs. Ji, and he could lose money if he went back on his word.

"Sister-in-law, I heard from Boss Ji that he's planning to go abroad next month. Why is he thinking about opening a restaurant again?"

Tan Jingya said somewhat awkwardly, "Ji Hongbin is indeed going abroad. This restaurant is something I'm opening; it has nothing to do with him."

Upon hearing this reason, Li Zhe thought for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law, I would be happy to cooperate with you. But my vegetables are already sold out, and I have a stable supply channel. Until the vegetable production increases, I can't supply more restaurants."

Li Zhe's statement was half true and half false. On the one hand, he genuinely didn't have enough vegetables to supply other restaurants; on the other hand, the newly built 10-mu greenhouses were all planted with seedlings in advance at the end of December. Some vegetables with short growth cycles were also the first to be transplanted, and their market launch date is not far off.

Even if that batch of vegetables were put on the market, Li Zhe would prioritize supplying foreign-related or state-owned restaurants. Why would he cooperate with a newly opened private restaurant?
Tan Jingya smiled slightly, revealing two shallow dimples on her cheeks: "Mr. Li, I heard that Sister Lin also discussed a business deal with you before. Their restaurant wanted to use the vegetables you damaged, and you could eat at their restaurant in exchange for the remaining cost of the vegetables, which would be settled monthly. Why did you disagree?"

Li Zhe poured her a cup of tea: "Your thinking is quite unconventional. Why are you thinking about Sister Lin again?"

“Actually, I had the same idea as her; we were also thinking about using your leftover vegetables. I know your winter vegetables are precious, and our small restaurant can't afford to use them. Using leftover vegetables on the same day won't have any impact, and it's more cost-effective for our small restaurant,” Tan Jingya said, revealing her thoughts.

Li Zhe thought for a moment and said, "There were two reasons why I refused to cooperate with Sister Lin in the first place. The immediate reason was that I didn't trust the service at their restaurant and was worried that if I went there too often, the waiters would become rude. The fundamental reason was that I also wanted to open a restaurant. I could use all these ingredients myself, so why should I cooperate with others?"

"You make a lot of money selling vegetables, so why do you want to open a restaurant?" This was somewhat unexpected for Tan Jingya.

Instead of answering, Li Zhe asked, "Then why did you want to collaborate with me?"

“Because of your vegetables…” Tan Jingya trailed off. Indeed, most restaurants these days didn't have any leafy greens, and Li Zhe's vegetables were his signature dish. He had an unparalleled advantage in opening a restaurant. Especially since these vegetables themselves had low costs, but when cooked, they sold for almost the same price as ordinary leafy greens, resulting in substantial profits.

Tan Jingya couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and wanted to get up to say goodbye, but then she thought of something: "When will your restaurant open? I'll congratulate you then."

Li Zhe took a sip of tea: "I do have the idea of ​​opening a restaurant, but I've been quite busy lately and have a lot of things to take care of. I really can't say for sure when it will open."

Tan Jingya wasn't in a hurry to leave and continued, "Mr. Li, do you have any experience running a restaurant? Don't underestimate the restaurant business; there are many intricacies involved. In the last two years, many private restaurants have opened, squeezing out many state-owned restaurants to the point of collapse. If you don't have experience running a restaurant, I suggest you find an experienced partner to run it."

Li Zhe countered, "Sister-in-law, you don't look that old. Do you have experience running a restaurant? Or are you planning to find an experienced partner?"

Tan Jingya smiled and said, "Boss Li, although I'm not much older than you, I do have experience running a restaurant. My father was a chef, and I grew up in restaurants. I worked as a waitress and receptionist when I was a teenager. I've done almost every job in a restaurant, and I know all the ins and outs. Although my father is no longer with us, he took on about a dozen apprentices. Those senior apprentices watched me grow up, and if I were to open a restaurant, they would definitely come to help."

Li Zhe wasn't sure if she was really that capable or just bragging: "So you're planning to open your own restaurant?"

"To be honest, I'm also planning to find a partner. I have plenty of experience and connections, but I'm a bit short on funds," Tan Jingya offered herself. "If you're looking for a partner, you might want to consider me."

Li Zhe did not answer directly: "If I may ask, which cuisine does your father specialize in?"

“Sichuan cuisine.”

Li Zhe thought for a moment, then deliberately probed, "I saw that your braised pork with preserved mustard greens tasted pretty good last time. Did you learn it from your father?"

“Braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens is a Cantonese dish. I don’t know if my father knew how to make it. But as far as I can remember, he never did.” Tan Jingya pursed her lips, hesitating as she spoke.
"Actually, I'm better at making Sichuan-style braised pork belly. But Grandma Ji thought it was too sweet, so she specifically asked me to learn how to make braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens. Fortunately, the two methods are quite similar and not difficult at all."

Li Zhe had tasted her braised pork with preserved mustard greens, and it was indeed quite delicious: "How much capital do you expect to need to open a restaurant?"

"There are ways to open a business with limited funds and ways to open a business with more funds. You can open a business with 4000 to 8000 yuan."

Li Zhe asked, "Then tell me about opening a business with limited funds?"

"First, choose a location. The monthly rent is calculated at 100 yuan. Generally speaking, people who rent out houses prefer to pay annually. If you don't have enough funds, you should negotiate the price. It's best to negotiate a deposit of one month's rent and three months' rent in advance or one month's rent and two months' rent in advance."

For example, when it comes to home renovation, all you need to do is apply a coat of white paint.

Buying secondhand kitchenware and restaurant tables and chairs saves money. Since it's cold now, we don't need a refrigerator either.

The costs of obtaining a business license, purchasing ingredients, and working capital are all substantial; a minimum of 4000 yuan should suffice.

Li Zhe thought the plan was good; saving money is earning money when opening a restaurant, and you shouldn't buy new things if you can use second-hand ones: "Have you chosen a location for the restaurant yet?"

Tan Jingya hesitated for a moment: "Mr. Li, I heard you bought the Ji family's courtyard house?"

"Yes, what's the problem?"

"Actually, the front yard where you live now used to be a restaurant. After you buy the courtyard house, you can move to the back yard and use the front yard to run the restaurant, saving you the cost of rent."

Li Zhe thought about it and realized that this idea was really not good. Wouldn't it be a waste to use such a good house to open a restaurant? "We still need to reconsider the location. I don't think this place is very suitable."

Tan Jingya quickly said, "I was just saying. If you don't think it's suitable, we can go somewhere else."

Li Zhe changed the subject, "If the two of us open a restaurant together, how would the shares be divided? How would we divide the work?"

Tan Jingya replied, "The shares will be split 40/60, you get 60% and I get 40%. I will be in charge of the restaurant's operation, and you can arrange for someone to manage the accounts."

Although Li Zhe had never run a restaurant before, he knew that the worst thing for a restaurant was having equal shareholdings. Once the shareholders disagreed, the restaurant would eventually fall apart. The best solution was to have one major shareholder and one minor shareholder, with the major shareholder taking the helm and the minor shareholder handling day-to-day management.

“I suggest a 20/80 split, with me holding 80% and you 20%. In addition, if you can perform well as the restaurant manager and achieve the monthly business targets, you can receive an extra 5%-10% bonus on the restaurant’s net profit.”

Tan Jingya nervously twisted her hands together. Li Zhe's suggestion had both advantages and disadvantages for her. The advantage was that she would have to invest less money; the disadvantage was that she would have less say. If a dispute arose in the future, the restaurant would still have to give way to Li Zhe's opinion: "I'll think about it."

“No rush, take your time to think it over. If you agree to my proposal, bring a detailed plan next time you come. If you don’t have the ability to manage a restaurant, then there’s not much point in cooperating with me…” Li Zhe only said half of his sentence, but he believed the other party would understand.

Tan Jingya's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. She thought to herself: This Mr. Li usually seems quite easy to talk to, but how come he becomes a completely different person when it comes to business?
Tan Jingya also wanted to say something tough, but the other person had money and food, while she really couldn't muster any backbone. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she forced a smile and said, "Then you go ahead with your work, I'll be going now."

"Take care." Li Zhe escorted her to the door and watched her leave.

Looking at the other person's slender figure from behind, Li Zhe couldn't help but sigh: Is going abroad really that magical? Enough to make someone sell their house and abandon their wife?

I originally had two drafts saved up, but I used them all up in the last two days due to writer's block, so I can only write and update as I go.

Future updates will be at 6 PM.

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(End of this chapter)