“Not hiding anything from Miss Su, there were managers who used to work for me at shops in other places. They thought about coming back to avoid being separated from their families. However, there are only so many shops available in our business, and there hasn’t been a better placement since their return. So, they could only wait. Miss Su needing managers here seems like an opportunity.”

Li Shi’s face was full of smiles. “I’m afraid that once I mention this, they’ll be eager to come back. At that time, I’ll help Miss Su select a few who have experience with restaurants.”

Every line of work was like a mountain, and you needed to adapt to everything.

However, when it came to management, after reaching a certain level, it was also about communication. As long as one managed people well, learning other things gradually wasn’t too late.

“A person who can be a manager under Madam for many years must be good at it.” Su Yujin said with a smile, “I will entrust Madam with full authority on this matter and rely on Madam to help me solve the problem.”

“That’s to be expected.”

Li Shi was originally very grateful to Su Yujin for her help twice in a row and was worried that she could not find anything to repay Su Yujin in return. Now that she has such an opportunity, Li Shi was very considerate.

After sending Su Yujin away, she began to list all the managers of all the shops in Zhou Ji. After discussing with Liánqiáo for a long time, she finally decided on two capable people and sent the letter over. They needed to come back soon so that Su Yujin could take a pick.

As for the vacancies left by the selected people, they will be filled by selecting similar ones from among the stewards.

“Madam, I guess you need to talk to the old lady about this,” Liánqiáo said.

“Yeah.” Li Shi nodded.

Although the housekeeping duty currently rested entirely in Mrs. Li’s hands, the time for the old lady to relinquish power was not far off. Whatever she didn’t manage was one thing, but it was another matter altogether if she didn’t speak about it.

“Speaking of which, Ruoyi has been diligent in studying these days and is often praised by the master. The old lady is very happy. In the evening, she said she would make the bad goose and crystal shrimp dumplings that Ruoyi likes to eat. When Ruoyi comes back from school later, let him go early to the old lady’s yard to say hello.”

“Yes.” Liánqiáo agreed.

“How are the Second and Third houses doing these days?” Li Shi asked.

“In recent days, the Third Madam has been very attentive to the old lady. If it’s not soup, it’s pastries. But every time she sends them to the old lady, she talks about how the Second Madam is behaving badly and being unfilial.”

“Second Madam and Second Master have been having fierce arguments these days. The maid saw bruising on Second Master’s cheek yesterday, and there were red marks on Second Madam’s face. It seems they’ve come to blows. According to some managers, the Second Household has been arguing incessantly every day, causing unrest. The Old Lady has been quite unhappy about this matter in recent days.”

Talking about these things, Liánqiáo looked excited, “I also heard that because Second Madam’s nephew has been praised so much these days, he’s become quite arrogant. He even claimed to be the future head steward. He got a good beating from the Third Madam’s nephew, and now the Second Madam wants to settle the matter with the Third Madam. But Third Madam doesn’t even want to listen.”

“The two houses are having a lot of trouble right now. There’s quite a lot of fun this time, and it’s quite fun to watch.”

“They’re making trouble, and I’m a little more relaxed here.” Li Shi said with a smile on her face, “But we still have to be careful, especially the things around Ruoyi. You must tell the people below to keep an eye on them carefully.”

“The weather is getting colder day by day, and it’s almost winter. If Ruoyi is allergic to plum blossoms, remember to instruct the staff not to let Ruoyi come into contact with them. No plum blossom pastries or plum blossom snow water should be allowed into the courtyard.”

“If there is anyone who is not discerning or has any intentions, just kick him out, there is no need to report back to me.”

“Madam, rest assured, I will make sure to give clear instructions,” Lianqiao nodded repeatedly.

Li Shi said “Hmm” and then looked down at the account book.

——

The purchase and sale procedures of the shop were completed in two days.

Su Yujin found the carpenter who had decorated Su Ji’s restaurant last time to decorate it.

This place was originally a teahouse, with the lobby on the first floor and private rooms on the second floor. The layout was reasonable and did not need to be changed too much. Even the tables and chairs were ready-made and could be used directly.

But some things were not smooth and needed to be slightly modified.

For example, some of the decorations in the private rooms upstairs, as well as the doors and windows, had become somewhat discolored over time and needed to be polished and repainted.

In addition, the counters and the shelves behind them needed to be replaced. Since a kitchen was to be added in the backyard, many food racks, cupboards, etc. were also needed for the convenience of the kitchen.

The carpenters were all master craftsmen with many years of experience. Under Su Yujin’s careful description and simple drawings, the master carpenter already understood and just followed what Su Yujin said and worked carefully.

Su Yujin took advantage of the fact that the shop was busy decorating, so she took Ai Cao and ran to Fuyun Lane all day long.

Find Zheng Mingyuan to confirm the dishes once the restaurant opens.

Su Yujin smiled and said, “What I mean is, if there are too many and too varied dishes in the restaurant, it’s easy for customers to be overwhelmed. It’s also difficult to control the purchase and storage of ingredients daily, leading to inevitable waste.”

“The restaurant should have several signature dishes, each with excellent flavors that can satisfy the majority of people’s tastes. There should be dishes suitable for all ages, affordable yet delicious. If the taste is good, it’s even better, but if it’s not, it should still feel like a must-order due to its affordability. Additionally, there should be a unique dish that no neighboring restaurants in Qinghe County can replicate.”

“If we can do these three dishes well, people will often remember them. Just mentioning our restaurant will make people think of these three dishes. When they eat similar dishes elsewhere, they’ll also think of our restaurant. With a few other dishes to complement them, our restaurant’s menu will be complete.”

Zheng Mingyuan nodded after listening, “The idea is good and very targeted.”

Basically, it included people from all walks of life and spending power who go out to eat.

“But for this cheap dish, which one has the shopkeeper decided on? Do you have any ideas?” Zheng Mingyuan asked.

“I’ve thought about this. Due to seasonal factors, the prices of ordinary vegetables fluctuate greatly every year, making it difficult to ensure that low-cost dishes remain profitable. The only item that can achieve minimal price fluctuations and remain stable is probably tofu.”

Su Yujin said, “It depends on whether Uncle Zheng can use tofu to make a dish that is suitable for all ages, has good taste, and is of high quality and low price.”

This cheap dish would become the most popular dish of the restaurant in the future.

And this single dish would give people an excellent impression that all the dishes in this restaurant were of high quality and low price.

Zheng Mingyuan thought for a while and nodded slightly, “I understand. Let me think about these three dishes. I will figure them out in the next few days. When the time comes, I will ask Dayong to invite you over to try the dishes.”

“I’ll leave everything to Uncle Zheng.” Su Yujin smiled.

“Since I am the chef of the restaurant, it is naturally up to me.”

(End of this chapter)

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