A Maid's Survival Story in a Noble Family Mansion? Rich Landlords Are More Appealing.

Lin Wei was taken aback by her words, then burst out laughing, bending down to pinch Chen Qinghui's still chubby cheeks:

"Oh my, how come I didn't realize before that our Qinghui is such a thrifty little money-lover? She's so young and already knows how to save money for her older sister?"

"Okay, okay, even broken pastries are still pastries. We Qinghui don't mind; they taste just as good. We won't waste them, right?"

Chen Qinghui felt a little embarrassed by the pinch, but upon hearing the praise, she grinned and carefully held the repackaged pastries in her arms.

Food that can be eaten should not be wasted.

When the innkeeper saw them come in, he quickly got up. Lin Wei originally wanted to take Chen Wanxing and Chen Qinghui to a restaurant outside for a good meal to celebrate the good start, but seeing that she couldn't leave anyone behind and that the waiters hadn't eaten yet, she changed her mind.

"It's noon. Have someone go to a restaurant outside and bring back some food. Everyone can make do with this. You've all worked hard today."

The shopkeeper agreed and instructed a quick-witted young waiter to do it. Before long, the food was brought back.

The food was all ordinary, but after a busy morning, everyone was hungry, so they set up a small table in the backyard and sat around it to eat.

Chen Qinghui was still a child and hadn't eaten at restaurants much. She happily opened her bag of spoils and, with the food, savored the slightly damaged but still adorable rabbit rice cake, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction.

Seeing how much she enjoyed her meal, Lin Wei felt her own appetite improve as well.

During the meal, she couldn't help but ask the shopkeeper some detailed questions, such as which snacks sold out the fastest, whether customers had any special feedback, and whether restocking was possible.

The shopkeeper answered each question. He mentioned that although the rabbit rice cake was popular, as a customer had mentioned before, the ears were easy to break when handling it. He needed to remind the staff to be extra careful, or ask the chef to adjust the method of reinforcing the cake after unmolding.

Chen Wanxing listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with a word or two, suggesting that they consider using smaller, individual paper cups to hold these fragile, shaped desserts, which would not only look more delicate but also provide some protection.

Lin Wei and the shopkeeper both thought it was feasible and decided to write it down and try it out later.

After lunch and a short rest, the afternoon became busy again. Although not as bustling as in the morning, customers continued to arrive, and the place was never quiet.

The shopkeeper and his staff worked efficiently and methodically, replenishing stock, keeping accounts, and answering inquiries, gradually figuring out their rhythm.

It wasn't until late afternoon that the streets gradually quieted down. They figured there wouldn't be many customers anymore, and besides, all the snacks they had prepared for the day had already been sold out. Qiaoxinzhai then put up its doors and closed for inventory.

The abacus clicked away as the shopkeeper meticulously calculated the day's revenue. Lin Wei and Chen Wanxing sat to the side, watching the numbers on the paper gradually become clearer.

"Master, Miss Chen," the shopkeeper rubbed his temples, but his face was filled with undisguised joy: "Our shop has sold a total of twenty taels today."

"After deducting all costs and materials, plus the samples and freebies sent out today, this is all we have left." He said, pushing a piece of paper with the final figures written on it over.

Lin Wei took the paper, glanced at it quickly, her eyes widened suddenly, and she couldn't help but gasp. She then handed the paper to Chen Wanxing.

Chen Wanxing looked at the numbers and they were indeed quite impressive. Today's gross profit was already eight taels and five mace, which far exceeded the daily turnover of an ordinary pastry shop.

Qiaoxinzhai owned the shop and paid no rent. Master Wang earned two and a half taels of silver a month, the manager earned one tael of silver a month, and the two apprentices and Master Wang's two apprentices each earned five qian, totaling two taels of silver.

That means the daily labor cost is around 160-170 coins, so the net profit is quite satisfactory.

More importantly, today's revenue signifies that all their initial investments and meticulous planning have gained initial market recognition.

"Okay, okay." Lin Wei said "okay" twice, her face flushed with excitement.

"We've had a great start. Everyone worked hard today, so here's a reward of twenty coins for each of you. Go buy a pound of meat tonight as an extra meal."

Master Wang, the shopkeeper, and the waiter were all overjoyed upon hearing this and thanked him repeatedly.

After the shopkeeper led the people away, Lin Wei's gaze involuntarily drifted back to the piece of paper. Her mind raced as she calculated the accounts, her eyes widening and her breathing becoming rapid.

"Sister, look at this amount..." She held Chen Wanxing's hand, her voice trembling slightly with excitement, tears welling in her eyes. She lowered her voice, but could not hide the shock and joy in her tone.

"Today, in just one day, we have netted nearly eight taels of silver."

"If this were a month with thirty days, wouldn't that be..." She stretched out her slender white fingers and drew names in the air, "Eight taels, sixteen taels, twenty-four taels, heavens, two hundred and forty taels!"

"With a net profit of over two hundred taels a month, that's more than a year's worth..."

She dared not think any further, feeling only a surge of heat rushing to her head, and seeing silver ingots like snowflakes dancing before her eyes.

With over two hundred taels a month and two to three thousand taels a year, how could Lin Wei's first shop be so profitable?

If her father found out, wouldn't he be shocked and start to look at her with new respect?

This enormous, sudden fantasy of wealth made her heart pound and her cheeks flush. She felt that the twenty coins she had just announced for each of the employees seemed a bit stingy.

She almost wanted to call the shopkeeper back immediately and reward him handsomely again.

"Wei'er." Chen Wanxing's clear and gentle voice rang out, not loud, but like a ladle of cool water, just right to pour on Lin Wei's somewhat feverish thoughts.

Lin Wei snapped out of her daze, looked at Chen Wanxing, and her eyes still shone with lingering excitement.

Chen Wanxing picked up the paper, her fingertip lightly touching the number eight taels, her voice still steady: "Don't rush to calculate the year's accounts."

How much of today's revenue is driven by pre-existing hype, the novelty of the first day of opening, and today's free tasting offers?

After this period, how many customers will still be willing to buy? And how much will they buy?

Her questions were asked slowly and deliberately, yet every word hit the nail on the head.

Lin Wei's feverish mind gradually cooled down.

Yes, they've been building up interest for almost half a month. The reason so many people came today is because of the novelty and the special offers. In the future…

Seeing that Lin Wei's eyes had regained their clarity, Chen Wanxing continued, "Doing business, especially the food business, is difficult in the first three steps, but once you get started, it's even harder to stand firm for a long time."

Today's good start is a good thing, proving that we're on the right track. But if we think that this will continue every day, then we're mistaken.

What we need to calculate now is not the dream of earning several thousand taels a year, but how much the customer flow will drop after the novelty wears off.

After the decline, what range will the stable daily revenue likely be within?

Within this range, can we still maintain a reasonable profit margin considering our pastry costs, labor, shop depreciation, etc.? And how much profit margin can we maintain?

We also need to think about how to maintain the freshness for our guests for a longer period of time.

She gently put the paper down: "Only by calculating and thinking things through can I have a clear understanding of whether this shop can last and what it can become."