Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 290 Class Begins

On the 25th, after breakfast, Liu Hongliang and Yu Qiu drove their 17-seater Hiace to Longcheng Railway Station.

We parked the car near the station exit in the plaza, put the large sign we had written on in front of the windshield, and the two of us huddled inside the car talking. It was still quite cold outside. Why do they say "dress warmly in spring and lightly in autumn"? When the snow melts in spring, it can really chill you to the bone; it can be quite painful.

Looking out the train window at the station exit, Yu Qiu asked, "Brother Liu, how many people do you think we can pick up? Will anyone even come?"

Liu Hongliang said, "Didn't you come all this way? These days, jobs are hard to find, and not everyone can run a business. There must be quite a few people who want to learn a skill. The boss said there might not be many people in the first batch, but I think there will be plenty."

Yu Qiu asked, "Brother Liu, do you think there will be any women among those who come to learn?"

Liu Hongliang glanced at Yu Qiu and said, "What's wrong? Still thinking of settling things with your wife here?"

Yu Qiu chuckled and said, "That's definitely great! I spent six years in the army with only men, so I hardly ever met any women. Now that I'm out, I have to find someone right away. Brother Liu, I have a question for you. Do you have someone in your life?"

Liu Hongliang nodded and said, "Yes, what's wrong?"

Yu Qiu asked, "Does Shan Hongmei have a boyfriend?"

Liu Hongliang looked at Yu Qiu and asked, "You've taken a liking to her? I didn't know. We don't usually interact much. The others are from the Labor Bureau, and I'm from the Construction and Installation Company. We're not familiar with each other."

Yu Qiu asked, "Huh? Aren't they all together? No?"

Liu Hongliang said, "The area over there from the restaurant belongs to the construction company that the boss has contracted. The women from the food factory and I all work there. The training center area belongs to the Labor Bureau. Shan Hongmei and a few others, as well as Uncle Guan who works as the night watchman, all work there. We don't usually have much contact with them. The person I have the most contact with is Xiao Jun, the one who drives for the food factory. He also works for the Labor Bureau. There's also An Zhonghua, but he hasn't come these past two days. I don't think he'll stay long."

Yu Qiu asked, "Is it Xiao Jun? And someone with the surname Shi? Which one is it?"

Liu Hongliang said, "Whether it is or not, this is the first time I've met him, and he's a very nice person."

Someone knocked on the car door. Yu Qiu stood up and opened the door. Four people were standing under the car. The man in the lead asked, "Are you from the training center?"

Xiao Wei's monthly expenses for utilities, labor, and other expenses total about 8,000 yuan. A three-month term would cost 25,000 yuan. Internship costs are slightly higher. The total net expenses for internship materials, utilities, etc., for the three types of classes would be around 40,000 yuan. Graduation certificates also cost money. Then there are the teachers' hourly fees, transportation expenses, etc., which is the biggest expense, around 100,000 yuan.

In other words, Xiaowei and Xia Maosheng made a gross profit of around 350,000 yuan in the first phase of these training courses. Running an education business is indeed quite profitable, and it's only getting more profitable. Of course, without this pastry class, the profit would have been only tens of thousands of yuan, not nearly this much. This is the benefit of seizing the opportunity and being one step ahead.

April 1st, Monday, four days before the traditional Qingming Festival.

The snow is melting over a large area, bringing with it a biting cold. However, by midday, people can already take off their winter coats, and some fashion-conscious individuals are already wearing sweaters, even though they'll be shivering in the mornings and evenings. The mountains and fields are already showing signs of green.

Classes have started; all four classes across three categories began today.

The chef's instructor, surnamed Fan, is considered a direct disciple of Liu Jingxian. This time, Old Liu has been very accommodating, sending three apprentices to work in shifts, ten days each. They all have other jobs, so any longer wouldn't be appropriate. After the internship, the instructor won't be needed.

The pastry class was taught by Sister Shang. Sister Shang is really good at making dough; there's nothing she can't do if it's available on the market.

In the pastry class, the theory lessons are combined for the first half month, so one teacher is enough. Later, during the internship, the two classes will be separated. One class will take turns teaching in the internship classroom and the food factory. One class will learn baking skills, and the other will practice piping. Once you have a basic foundation, it will be easier to send your students to noodle shops.

Xiao Wei wandered around the training center, checking on the classes, and then sat in the office for a while. The enrollment work was still ongoing; it was a year-round task, otherwise, it would be troublesome if the students couldn't keep up after this term.

Zuo Hong said, "Sigh, there aren't enough people. We set up six dorm rooms, but only three are occupied. Those three aren't even full; we could add more people. Boss, shouldn't we think of something?"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "What idea do you have? Just tell me if you have any good ideas, and I'll give you a bonus if they work."

Zuo Hong thought for a moment and said, "Making a TV show?"

Xiao Wei shook his head and said, "That doesn't count. It was all arranged beforehand. The training course here will be broadcast on TV in three provinces, and the local TV station will come to record it in a few days. They'll help make the video."

Zuo Hong pouted, then immediately asked excitedly, "Boss, can we be on TV?" The three girls next to her all turned to look at Xiao Wei with excitement.

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, go for it if you want. When you're filming, you can each introduce the three classes and the cafeteria, workshop, etc., one segment each. Think about what to say and don't mess things up." The four girls are all pretty good-looking. There are no ugly young people, only those who don't know how to dress. We'll just tidy them up for the time being.

(End of this chapter)