Courtyard House: Is Xu Damao a childless man? Let me help.

After hearing Ye Jianchuan's words, Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment, and then said with some disbelief, "Impossible, right? Besides those shady dealings, what kind of job can earn fifty or sixty yuan a month?"

"Our salaries are considered 'high' at least; it's probably not easy for anyone to earn more than us, right?"

Ye Jianchuan nodded, then shook his head. "That's right, our current job is indeed quite good, and the salary is indeed very high."

But don't forget, that's because all our current regulations are designed for the country's planned economy.

This situation will likely continue for a short period of time. Once the planned economy is abolished or restrictions are relaxed, these regulations will probably no longer exist.

Ye Jianchuan paused for a moment, then continued, "Think about it, if the public-private partnership model is abolished and the crime of speculation is removed, who will be richer in the future? Isn't that obvious?"

Seeing that Sha Zhu still looked confused, He Yushui couldn't help but say, "Brother Sha, you really are stupid. Before the public-private partnership, weren't the capitalists the ones who were richer?"

What do those capitalists do? Aren't they basically all in business? Whether they own factories or restaurants, they're all in business!

After his sister's reminder, Shazhu finally realized, "Oh... Jianchuan, you mean you want to quit your job and go into business?"

Ye Jianchuan nodded. "That's right, that's what I was thinking. But I haven't figured out the specific plan yet. Anyway, I'll probably start after the policy from above comes out."

"And I think with your skills, you could actually gravitate towards that direction; opening a restaurant or something would be quite a good idea..."

Sha Zhu fell silent after hearing Ye Jianchuan's words, because this was a big deal for him. He was currently the deputy director of the canteen and earned more than fifty yuan a month.

This money is more than enough to support my family of six. Not only is the money sufficient, but I've also saved up quite a bit over the past ten years.

But if I quit my job, I'll lose this stable income. And opening a restaurant requires a certain amount of capital. If I succeed, great, but if I fail, my family of six will starve!

Seeing the deep hesitation on Sha Zhu's face, Ye Jianchuan immediately understood the other's concerns and began to persuade him.

"Brother Zhu, you don't need to think so much. This matter is still in its infancy. You can still consider it when the policy is released."

As for me, I only have this idea, and I still need to think carefully about how to implement it.

And... when I said you should open a restaurant, I didn't mean a simple stir-fry restaurant. Those kinds of restaurants, while serving large portions, don't make much money."

"What I want you to open is a high-end restaurant, like the Zuixianlou of yesteryear, a place for dignitaries to chat and discuss business."

Those kinds of places actually value the rarity of the dishes, as well as the ambiance. Of course, if you can also get a meal with your level of skill, that would be the best.

"Of course, if you feel there's any risk involved, our two families can pool our money to open this restaurant. That way, you won't have to worry about losing everything, right?"

After hearing Ye Jianchuan's words, Sha Zhu lowered his head and began to think again, while He Yushui looked at Ye Jianchuan.

“Brother Jianchuan, you’ve had this idea for a while now, haven’t you? No wonder you didn’t react at all when we were promoting workers at the store last time.”

Ye Jianchuan nodded, then said, "Your workers' store doesn't have much of a future, and the promotions you received that time weren't high-ranking positions. You're still stuck sitting in the store, so it doesn't really matter whether you were promoted or not."

Chapter 270 Ye Jianchuan's Plan

He Yushui nodded, then continued, "So... if the policy is actually released, should I resign along with you?"

"You can wait a little longer before resigning. Once I've finished all the preparations, it will be fine for you to resign and come help me."

Furthermore, we still need to prepare some start-up capital, so after a while, I might have to resign early and go abroad to raise some money.

"Go abroad? Why go abroad?"

Ye Jianchuan didn't say much. He pretended to go home and then took out an emerald and handed it to Sha Zhu.

"Brother Zhu, do you recognize this?"

Sha Zhu took it, looked at it, and shook his head. "This stone is greenish-green and looks quite strange. What is it?"

Ye Jianchuan smiled and took the stone, then said, "This thing is called emerald. There probably aren't many people in our country who know its value."

This was an unexpected find for me recently, during a shopping trip. If I hadn't taken it abroad, selling it domestically would probably have only fetched a few hundred to a thousand yuan.

Before Ye Jianchuan could finish speaking, Sha Zhu exclaimed in surprise, "What? This green, worthless rock can sell for thousands of yuan? How is that possible!"

Ye Jianchuan shook his head and continued, "This is still the price in China. Do you know how much this thing could sell for overseas?"

Such a large emerald, you can forget about owning it for less than 50,000 yuan, and that's in US dollars!

Moreover, the figure I mentioned is just a conservative estimate. If several wealthy individuals are interested in this item at the same time, it might fetch an even higher price!

"My goodness, do these foreigners' money grow on trees? They spend so much money just to buy such a piece of junk?"

Ye Jianchuan smiled and said, "Hey, what's so special about this? For rich people, is their money even money? It's just a number to them."

Besides, the same principle applies to us. Even though we are suffering now, if you flip through your history textbooks, you know about the dragon thrones of those emperors, right?

Look at all those gemstones and gold inlaid on that dragon throne—that's all money! Similarly, foreigners also like to adorn themselves with these strange and unusual stones, trying to make themselves appear more... 'noble'.

Sha Zhu wasn't really clear about Ye Jianchuan's example, but he was good at dragging these issues into his own familiar territory.

"Oh, I get it. It's like the food those emperors ate back then. It wasn't because the food was actually that delicious, but because eating these rare things could show off their status and wealth, right?"

Ye Jianchuan smiled and nodded, then said, "That's roughly the idea. I plan to go abroad and sell all these things, then come back and open my own food processing plant and start my own business!"

"A food processing plant? Is that the same thing as your current food factories?"

Ye Jianchuan nodded and then shook his head, then said, "If you say they are the same, that's fine too, since they are both food factories, and the things they produce are basically similar to snacks."

Although they look similar, they are actually quite different. After all... I can't just directly copy these products from the food factory, can I?

So my food processing plant will definitely be launching some new products, and I'm very confident that I can make them a hit!

After hearing Ye Jianchuan's words, Sha Zhu was silent for a moment, and then he made up his mind: "Jianchuan, since you already have a general plan and ideas, I will also be bold and open a restaurant together!"

However, I don't think the Tan Family Restaurant you mentioned is quite suitable. It's too troublesome to prepare. In the past, Tan Family Cuisine required several days' notice and preparation to begin well in advance.

If a customer comes in and wants to order, I don't have time to cook anything for him in a short period of time!

Ye Jianchuan shrugged and said, "Brother Zhu, don't worry, this matter is very simple to handle. I've already thought of everything for you."

We'll open a regular restaurant first, just serving simple stir-fries and such, to build up our customer base.

The first floor, which is the main hall, is where most of the ordinary guests can sit and eat.

Then on the second floor, we set up some private rooms. These private rooms are like small rooms for entertaining leaders, allowing them to have private conversations, discuss business, and so on.

"As for Tan Family Cuisine, that's our 'hidden recipe.' Only our regular customers can order your Tan Family Cuisine."

Moreover, the price is quite high, and you need to book in advance. This way, because you need to book in advance, you will have time to prepare.

And because they are regular customers, you don't have to worry about them not showing up after making a reservation, leaving you with nothing to show for your time.

Moreover, this way we can also attract some higher-end guests, the kind I mentioned before, high-ranking officials and dignitaries.”

At this point, Ye Jianchuan paused for a moment before continuing, "Once we have more customers like this, we'll separate your Tan Family Cuisine Restaurant from the original restaurant."

From now on, you'll focus on catering to those who want to eat Tan family cuisine. As for the old restaurant... what do you think about me bringing Chef Nan Yinan over to work with you then?

Upon hearing Ye Jianchuan's analysis, Sha Zhu was overjoyed. "Okay, okay, I think it's a good idea. Let's do it your way! Chef Nan's imperial cuisine is still very impressive."

If we could get Chef Nan to come along, it would be impossible for our restaurant not to become a huge success!

Actually, there was a reason why Ye Jianchuan went to so much trouble to get Sha Zhu to open a restaurant. He knew that he would need to socialize a lot when he started his own factory or business.

These social interactions will likely involve drinking, and the custom of discussing business over drinks has never changed. Therefore, for his own convenience in the future, Ye Jianchuan felt that he should open his own restaurant.

That way, when discussing business in the future, you can just bring it to your own shop and be done with it. Even... if you really encounter a heavy drinker, having some diluted liquor in your shop to prevent yourself from getting completely drunk is quite necessary.

Chapter 271 A Few Months Later

After chatting for a while, it was time to rest. Sha Zhu then led Ran Qiuye back to his small earthquake shelter in the central courtyard.

The following months were a turbulent time, with several giants in the country collapsing one after another, and the major earthquake also had a significant impact, so everyone was working in fear.

Fortunately, although things happened one after another, they came and went quickly. The deceased are gone, and the living must move on, right?

So in March of the following year, Ye Jianchuan went to his former boss, Factory Director Zhou, and told him that he was going to resign.

Although Director Zhou is still Director Zhou, he is no longer just Director Zhou. Originally, Director Zhou only managed the affairs of the food factory where Ye Jianchuan worked.

But after more than ten years of ups and downs, and with some connections, he is now the director of the entire Beijing Food Factory.

Although they are both factory managers, their jurisdiction and rank are actually much higher than before.

After hearing Ye Jianchuan's idea, Factory Director Zhou was not surprised at all. "Haha, Little Ye, I knew you couldn't stay idle!"

In the past, there weren't many conditions that allowed you to freely express yourself. Otherwise, just the popcorn and sandwiches you used to make would have been enough for you to earn a fortune.

However, it's not too late now. We are currently in a state of rebuilding after the disaster. As one of the first people to prepare to go into business, you can start by exploring a path.

"If you succeed, perhaps those of you who have gotten rich first can also help those who come later to become wealthy."

Ye Jianchuan could only nod and listen to Director Zhou's polite words, but Director Zhou soon changed the subject.

"By the way, after you resign, you probably won't be planning to do anything small-scale, right?"

"It just so happens that your brother Xiaoxian is also retiring from the army. Why don't you have him work with you then? The more people there are, the more support you'll have..."

To put it bluntly, Director Zhou's words were simply an attempt to get involved in Ye Jianchuan's business, and Ye Jianchuan was actually quite happy to do so.

After all... Director Zhou and he knew each other quite well. Putting aside the support he had received in the past, given the power behind him and the scope of his current jurisdiction, Ye Jianchuan's future plans would not be complete without him.

Otherwise, Ye Jianchuan wouldn't have taken the initiative to talk to Director Zhou about these things.

Since Factory Director Zhou brought it up himself, Ye Jianchuan no longer needed to rack his brains to drag him down. With Factory Director Zhou's help behind the scenes, it would be much easier for his food processing plant to get batch numbers and such.

Of course, this doesn't count as collusion between officials and businessmen, since I have no intention of using such a relationship to pass off inferior goods as superior ones.

As long as the quality of his products is good enough, then Director Zhou will always be just a trump card for him, a trump card he can use to defend himself when others want to mess with him.

So Ye Jianchuan agreed without hesitation, “Uncle Zhou, I will come to you again when I have finished my preliminary preparations. At that time, you can let Brother Xiaoxian follow me!”

By the way, Uncle Zhou, my brother-in-law, that's Master He, he's also planning to start his own business. I'm going to help him open a restaurant.

When the store opens, I'll send you an invitation. Please don't say you're too busy and can't come and support me!

Ye Jianchuan deliberately mentioned Sha Zhu's restaurant again, which actually had another meaning: to tell Director Zhou that if there was any hospitality needed in the future, it could be handled at the restaurant.

On the one hand, the name "Master He" was well-known, and on the other hand, it was a hint to Director Zhou that he wouldn't have to pay if he came.

Factory Director Zhou could certainly understand the underlying meaning, and nodded in agreement, "Don't worry, Xiao Ye, not only will I go myself, but I'll also help you invite some of your uncles' generation to go together!"

. . . . . .

After completing the official 'preparations,' Ye Jianchuan officially resigned from the food factory. However, since the official reform and opening-up policy had not yet been announced, most people outside were still very 'cautious.'