EBE Chapter 205 suggests that Uncle 4 go to Dushui County to sell breakfast.
Chapter 205 suggests that Uncle 4 go to Dushui County to sell breakfast.
If you're willing to do it yourself, that's fine!
It seems that Fourth Uncle isn't greedy. His personality is quite suitable for doing business with her family. When the turmeric ripens in the future, Fourth Uncle and Uncle Shuisheng can work together with her and her father as middlemen to buy and sell the turmeric. They will definitely be a great help to them.
However, their family hasn't moved to the county yet. If the Shen family finds out that their fourth uncle is doing business with them, they might get jealous and have other ideas. What if they suddenly stick a leech on them and can't be peeled off?
What she was most worried about was her stepmother and those good-for-nothing uncles. They were selfish and prone to making trouble. Her grandfather was even worse; he thought he was the head of the family and wanted to make all the decisions.
She didn't want to suffer that humiliation anymore!
So she said, “Fourth Uncle, why don’t you go sell savory pancakes? It’s a small business, you don’t need a lot of capital. Dad can lend you some money first, and you can pay Dad back when you earn money. You can earn money with your own hands, and after you pay off your part of the debt, you will be free. Once you have saved enough money, you can choose to continue doing business or go to school in the county. It’s all up to you.”
Can he really make money and choose his own life by doing business with his own hands?
He felt like it was all a dream, and that everything would vanish when he woke up.
More than eighty taels of silver, not eight taels. Many poor families in the village would never see so much silver in their entire lives. When will he ever earn enough?
My father was a scholar who had taught at a school for many years, but he had no business acumen. Could I do it?
Seeing that his fourth brother was silent, Lin Qingchuan guessed that he was worried. He comforted him, "Qianchuan, don't worry. Tang'er is very smart. She never makes a mistake with any of her ideas. Your sister-in-law and I are able to live such a good life with our two children thanks to Tang'er's ideas. That's how we've expanded our business."
Shen Qianchuan was surprised. He had always thought that his elder brother and sister-in-law were able to live a good life with their two children because of their diligence and competence. He never expected that the business they ran was entirely based on Xiaotang's ideas.
Xiao Tang is only seven years old. When her older brother and sister-in-law started their business last year, she was only six years old. It's unbelievable that someone so young has such a sharp business mind.
Back when the family was still together, why didn't he realize that Xiao Tang had this ability?
He asked, "Xiao Tang, can you tell your fourth uncle why you're selling savory pancakes and not something else?"
"Fourth Uncle, we often go to the county to supply braised pig's trotters to restaurants. We set off before dawn. Sometimes we get up early to prepare some food to eat on the way, and sometimes we don't have time to prepare. After we arrive in the county and deliver the braised pig's trotters to the restaurants, we spend a few copper coins to have breakfast. Then we go to the steamed bun shop to eat steamed buns and drink porridge. There are many customers there."
There are vendors selling steamed buns and fried dough sticks in the county, and also wontons, but no scallion pancakes or savory pancakes. So I think you could give it a try. Cook some rice porridge and boil some tea eggs, find a place with high foot traffic in the early morning and sell a batch. After selling breakfast, you won't have much to do in the afternoon, and you can use the time to study.
Make savory pancakes?
Selling breakfast?
He asked doubtfully, "Xiao Tang, not many people in our town spend money on breakfast, and you just said that the steamed bun shops in the county are crowded. Fourth Uncle still owes money to Juxian Restaurant. The manager will definitely not agree to release people until the money is paid off, and I have no way to go to the county."
Shen Qianchuan was somewhat annoyed. He had wasted so many years of his studies, and his brain was not as sharp as his niece's. He had no business acumen at all.
Yes, if we were to sell breakfast, Uncle Si would have to get up before dawn to get busy. There are few customers in town, so business is so-so. But it's different in Dushui County. It's close to the ferry crossing, so there are many workers unloading and loading goods, and many merchants coming and going. The number of customers eating breakfast there is many times greater than in other counties.
With such a good market, why stay in the town if you can go to the county?
She thought for a moment and said, "Fourth Uncle, don't worry, let me think of a way for you."
Once the shop is rented, the whole family will move to the county, leaving the house in town empty. If they let Uncle Si live there for free, he would still have to get up very early to sell breakfast in the county, which wouldn't work either.
The shop was jointly invested and opened with Manager Su. It would be inappropriate to let Uncle Si, who sells breakfast, move in without permission. To Manager Su, it would be as if they were acting on their own initiative and not respecting him.
However, Uncle Si can give a small amount of rent as a token of appreciation.
Even though the Shen family knew that their fourth uncle had gone to the county with them, they sold braised pig's trotters, while their fourth uncle sold breakfast. They didn't have any connection with each other, so the Shen family had nothing to say.
She took a deep breath, looked up at her with a smile, and said, "Fourth Uncle, we're planning to rent a shop in the county. We'll rent one with a backyard where people can live. Why don't you live with us? You can still sell breakfast, and we'll run our shop."
If possible, open a back door in the backyard of the shop, just like a restaurant. Our own staff can use the back door when they go out to run errands, while the front door is reserved for customers, which will make it easier to do business.
As for the eighty-odd taels of silver you owe the manager of Juxian Restaurant, you can talk to him about paying him five taels of silver at the end of each month for a year and a half. Make a written agreement with him. If you can't do that, agree to go back and continue working for him. But don't worry, I reckon that as long as you work hard, you can earn more than that amount a month and you'll definitely be able to pay it back.
Even if things get really bad, my dad can lend you money to pay off your debts. However, if you sign a written agreement with the restaurant owner to pay in installments, your second uncle, third uncle, and youngest uncle can't say anything.
Shen Qianchuan, having studied for many years, understood immediately and was so surprised that his mouth dropped open.
"Oh, Xiao Tang, is that possible? Will Manager Zhang agree to let me pay in installments?"
"If we talk things out properly and make our point convincing, he should agree."
Lin Xiaotang waved her hand, signaling her fourth uncle to bend down. She whispered some tips to him, leaving Shen Qianchuan stunned.
"Alright, Xiao Tang, when I get back I'll tell Manager Zhang what you told me. I believe your method will definitely work!"
Shen Qianchuan breathed a heavy sigh of relief, a smile returning to his face, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Lin Qingchuan's mind was slow, unlike his daughter's quick wit. Unable to come up with a good idea, he could only encourage her, "Fourth brother, your elder brother believes you can do it."
Remembering that his fourth brother had fallen out with the Shen family, and if he reached an agreement with Manager Su, leaving his three brothers at the restaurant while he went home alone, he would definitely be surrounded and criticized by his whole family. So he continued, "After you've reached an agreement with Manager Su, pack your clothes and go find your brother Shuisheng. Ask him to take you to our home in town tomorrow morning."
Shen Qianchuan's eyes reddened instantly, and he choked out, "Brother, thank you so much for helping me. How can I ever repay such a kindness?"
Lin Qingchuan grinned and said, "We're brothers, don't be so polite with your older brother."