Both Matriarch He and the servants in Chu Lian’s courtyard were looking forward to Guilin Restaurant’s reopening.
Guilin Restaurant held a special place in Matriarch He’s heart. As for the third branch, the restaurant was going to be a very important source of income for them.
He Sanlang had ventured out to the northern border by himself. Who knew when he would be able to return to this courtyard? Third Young Madam was all alone in the estate and her dowry was rather pitiful. She also wasn’t in line to manage the estate. The expenses of their branch were paid from the estate’s shared accounts, but they still had to have some personal funds to use freely. Otherwise, they would definitely be looked down upon by others.
Back in the Ying Estate, she was just a young miss, so it was fine if she didn’t have much money of her own. However, Chu Lian was now the lady-in-charge of the third branch, so she had to have some funds squared away.
Furthermore, Third Young Madam wasn’t miserly. If she got rich one day, she would naturally award her servants richly as well.
Thus, from Senior Servants Gui and Zhong to the menial servants sweeping the floors in the courtyard, all of them were hoping that Third Young Madam’s Guilin Restaurant would do well and prosper.
In the end, Chu Lian turned out to be the most relaxed person in the estate. She just ate, drank and slept all day, enjoying what little pleasures she could. Guilin Restaurant’s reopening seemed to be an event as ordinary as her daily calligraphy practice to her. As the date of the reopening drew closer, even Xiyan started to get anxious. However, her master was just lying on a lounge chair and eating some candied fruits while casually flipping through a newly published comedy book.
Looking at her master’s overly relaxed appearance, Xiyan didn’t know whether to complain or relax along with Chu Lian.
She walked over to Chu Lian with a few different types of fabric in hand. “Third Young Madam, which colour should we use for the drapes in the private rooms?”
When Chu Lian heard Xiyan’s words, she didn’t even look up. She was in the middle of an exciting part of her book. “You can decide that yourself, you don’t have to come to me for these small matters.”
If she had to be consulted for details as small as the colours of the drapes, wouldn’t she be overwhelmed with work in the future when she had more stores in hand? She was reopening Guilin Restaurant so that she could earn more money and enjoy life, not to create more troubles and work for herself.
Her final goal was to become a carefree and relaxed layabout!
Xiyan felt a little helpless, but she knew that Third Young Madam’s words were the law. Thus, she quietly picked out a colour that she liked.
However, she didn’t leave after that and continued talking, “Third Young Madam, should we train two more loyal cooks?”
Chu Lian finally looked up from her book and turned to Xiyan. “Why do you say that?”
Seeing that Third Young Madam was finally paying attention to her, Xiyan got a little excited. “Third Young Madam, have you seen those large restaurants in the capital? They’re always so full to the point that there aren’t any empty seats. The restaurants with some unique specialties usually have a long queue outside. How will Cook Mao be able to manage everything alone? Won’t he be overworked?”
After hearing Xiyan’s words, Chu Lian smiled and put down her book. She then took up a teacup from the table next to her and sipped some honey water.
“Xiyan, you’re overthinking things. I’m planning to have only about twenty tables of guests each day.”
Xiyan’s eyes widened in shock and she said in disbelief, “Third Young Madam, didn’t you say that you were going to make Guilin Restaurant famed throughout the capital and defeat that Yuehong Restaurant on Zhuque Avenue?”
With just around twenty tables of guests a day, how were they going to win Yuehong Restaurant? Just the amount of income daily was definitely not going to be enough to support the restaurant’s expenses.
After seeing Xiyan’s astonishment, Chu Lian couldn’t resist the urge to chuckle. She looked just like a cute little white fox whose tricks had finally succeeded.
“Silly girl. I’ll give you an example. If there was a set of armour that could protect your whole body and there was only one like it in the whole world, then it would be a one-of-a-kind treasure. All the warriors in the world would definitely pit their lives to win it. If there were ten sets of this armour, then it could be called a rarity. If there were suddenly ten thousand sets of it, there would be enough to outfit every single member of the city guards. Then this armour would no longer be a treasure, and it would simply be some common rubbish.”
Xiyan wasn’t slow. After getting Chu Lian’s guidance, it was as if she had woken up from a dream.
Actually, this was very simple common sense. Everyone knew that the value of things was pegged to their rarity. Otherwise, why would Hetian jade be something that even money couldn’t buy? The easier it was to get something, the less people would treasure it.
This applied to Third Young Madam’s secret recipes as well.
As long as the restaurant built up a good reputation and kept its services rare, it would definitely attract the nobility of the capital, to the point that they might even fight over it.
By then, even if they set the cost to reserve a single table as a hundred taels, there would still be buyers lining up with cash in hand.
The difference between earning a hundred taels from a hundred tables versus earning a hundred taels from a single table was like heaven and earth.
Chu Lian’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Xiyan. “Do you understand now?”
Xiyan’s expression had also turned to joy. She stared at her master with admiration, just so happening to look like a loyal little puppy.
Chu Lian smiled.
This was what she had planned from the moment she had decided to reopen Guilin Restaurant. Who had the most money to spend in the Great Wu Dynasty? It was the nobility of course! She was a madam of House Jing’an and also held the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi now. She was starting off with an advantage and she didn’t need to fear some nobles trying to use their status to take advantage of her business. Furthermore, she would feel more at peace with herself if she targeted the nobles. The purses of those distinguished houses were all stuffed full of money. Who else would she target if not them?
If she had to go against her conscience and target the commoners who earned their money with blood, sweat and tears, she wouldn’t be able to do it!
After another day passed, Chu Lian made her preparations early in the morning and went over to Qingxi Hall. Today, she was to accompany Matriarch He to make a visit to the Zheng Estate.
They had just gotten ready and were about to head over to the outer court to board the carriage when a steward came over to report that House Zheng had sent someone over.
Matriarch He quickly ordered the servants to guide the person from House Zheng into Qingxi Hall.
It was the main steward of the Zheng Estate who had come. The moment he entered, he fell to the ground on his knees and knelt before Matriarch He.
“Matriarch He, please allow Honoured Lady Jinyi to save our Old Duke Zheng!”
