Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 648 New Store Preparations

After finishing their meal, Xie Dongzi and his friends drove their Liberation truck back to Longcheng. Xiao Wei slipped Xie Dongzi three hundred yuan, which the guy happily pocketed without any hesitation.

After resting for a while, and once Xiaohong and Yingzi woke up, Xiaowei and Master Zhai, along with their two companions, arrived at the restaurant.

The entire restaurant area has been completely transformed. The facade is grand and ancient, and the old wood coated with tung oil has a weathered sheen. The restaurant name is covered with red silk.

The walls and baseboards, lacking ancient bricks, are designed in the style of golden pillars. However, instead of glazed tiles, they are made of pure wood to create the feel of flying eaves and scaled tiles. The entire facade is transformed into a colorful hanging flower gate. The windows feature Ming-style double-pane lattice doors, even more exquisite than those in Fengtian.

Old Wu, still fanning himself with his large palm-leaf fan, walked over to Xiao Wei, gave him a thumbs-up, and said, "I've learned something new. This is absolutely amazing! This is like an old royal palace! The Hall of Supreme Harmony must feel just like this, right? You got your money's worth. Absolutely worth it."

Xiao Wei smiled as he took the key from Lao Wu and opened the door. Everyone went inside to visit the store.

Chef Zhai looked around and said, "The kitchen is in here? It's a bit troublesome to serve dishes back and forth; we have to come out and walk around."

Xiao Wei said, "No need, there's another staircase at the back. You can use the inside staircase to serve the food. The outside staircase is for guests."

The entire ceiling inside the house is a coffered ceiling with hanging floral patterns. The building has sufficient ceiling height, and the coffered ceiling is five stories deep, making it truly beautiful. Because a matching chandelier couldn't be found, Lao Xu made a wooden lamp frame, hiding the light tubes behind it, which blends perfectly with the coffered ceiling.

The stair railings have been replaced with solid wood carved bars, and the stairs themselves, like those in Fengtian, are covered with wooden planks. Stepping on them causes a slight tremor, producing a thumping sound, which is quite unique. The second floor consists entirely of individual seats, and due to its shape, there is no performance stage. Otherwise, it is basically the same as in Fengtian. The third floor consists entirely of private rooms, using a corridor structure.

After looking around, Old Wu asked, "Xiao Wei, how much did it cost to clean this up?"

Xiao Wei said, "The total cost is around 400,000 to 500,000. It's mainly because we use a lot of large pieces of wood, which requires high-quality timber."

Old Wu said, "I'm impressed. You really dare to invest money. How long will it take to break even? Aren't you afraid of losing money?"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "Didn't I tell you? My meals are a bit expensive, but I'm not worried about breaking even."

Old Wu asked, "How much would it cost for six or seven people to eat at your place? Including drinks?"

Xiao Wei said, "That depends on what kind of alcohol you're drinking. Beer, spirits, champagne—the differences are huge."

Old Wu said, "This is the best wine you have."

Xiao Hong covered her mouth and laughed. Xiao Wei said, "That would be expensive. If we eat and drink well for six or seven people, it would cost over ten thousand, around twelve thousand."

Old Wu blushed: "Damn, are you trying to kill someone without a knife?"

Xiao Wei said, "I didn't force you to drink such good wine. A thousand or so yuan is usually enough, two thousand at most."

Old Wu asked, "What's the cheapest option, just rice and no alcohol?"

Xiao Wei scratched his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Six or seven hundred yuan."

Old Wu shook his head: "I can't afford it, I can't afford it. Forget it, I'll just go to a small restaurant, it's economical and I won't let you rip me off."

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "How can that be the same? My shop is a century-old establishment, with secret recipes passed down for over a hundred years."

Old Wu said, "You're just bluffing, aren't you? I know that kind of thing."

Xiao Wei said, "I'm not kidding. My family's tradition has been officially registered and passed down for five generations without interruption. I'll invite you to try it sometime."

Because the renovation was just completed, some facilities are not yet in place, such as the heritage wall, old brand signs, sideboards, sofas, tableware, plant murals, etc. So right now the store looks nice, but it doesn't have that luxurious feel yet. Once all the facilities are in place, I believe Lao Wu will be able to make a judgment.

Old Wu said, "I see you haven't even put these stools out yet. Have you bought them yet? If not, buy them from me. I guarantee the quality is top-notch."

Xiao Wei said, "It's already been made, but it hasn't arrived yet."

Old Wu asked, "Where did you buy them? How much did they cost?"

Xiao Wei said, "I ordered them from Xinji, they cost less than a thousand each. I'm using a sofa, not a stool. It's a leather sofa."

Master Zhai said, "I knew it. The spacing between these tables isn't quite right. A sofa would be more suitable; those things take up too much space."

Xiao Wei said, "There are still quite a few things. They will all arrive in the next few days. Li Na will bring the waitresses over tomorrow. They know how to arrange these things, so you don't need to worry about it. You and Bozi just need to get the kitchen organized."

Master Zhai asked, "Where will the people stay when they arrive?"

Xiao Wei said, "Let's stay in a guesthouse for now and get a car to pick us up and drop us off. The main thing is to recruit a group of locals. Once the locals are ready, the elderly will have to go back, which will take about a month. As for dormitories, I'll think of a solution. There's no room for them here."

Old Wu asked, "Did you buy that half-block of buildings in the back?"

Xiao Wei glanced at Xiao Hong and said, "I bought it, but I haven't packed it up yet, so I can't use it now." Xiao Hong smiled and turned her head away.

Xiao Wei said to Master Zhai, "We have a few students from our culinary training program coming to work here in Andong. I'll give you their phone number in a bit. You can tell them when to come. We'll need to hire some helpers. Bozi has all the specific procedures and management rules. Just follow the rules when they come."

Hygiene must be impeccable; not a single detail can be overlooked. You're a good person in every way except for being too easygoing, so you absolutely cannot be soft-hearted. Management must be strict. Those who follow the rules and are responsible will be paid fairly, and those who can't will be let go immediately. We can't tolerate complacency. This restaurant is different from any you've worked at before; details are extremely important.

Bozi said, "Don't worry, Uncle Zhang, I'm here. I can handle things. My fifth uncle told me all this before I came."

Xiao Wei said with a smile, "Brother Zhai, this restaurant has a share for your son-in-law, which is your daughter's money. If you can't be strict and manage it, it'll be your family's money that suffers the loss."

The shares of the An family in this branch store in Andong are registered under the name of Comrade An Hongbo. An Laowu's intention is that the store's revenue should go to Bozi.

Master Zhai smiled and nodded, saying, "Take it slow. I need to get used to it too. Things are changing a bit too fast; I can't keep up."

Xiao Wei said, "Let's go take a look at the back." The group went out through the back door of the restaurant and came to the back courtyard.

The nursery at the back had its own side entrance, and the original main entrance in the middle was blocked off on one side. The main entrance was locked, and the lock was rusted. The entire third floor was empty.

Xiao Wei broke the lock, and a group of people went inside and took a look around. The place wasn't very big; it was the kind of structure with a central corridor and rooms on both sides. Each floor was about 300 square meters, enough to set up a small food factory to supply a cake shop. Xiao Wei called Xie Zhiqiang over and asked him to find someone to renovate it, turning the first and second floors into a factory and the third floor into a dormitory.

No one doubted whether Xiaowei had actually bought it.

(End of this chapter)