"Dad and younger brother have never seen so much silver before. They want to keep it at home for a day to feast their eyes," Dong Qiaocai entered with a smile, holding some vegetables she had just picked from the field, glistening with freshness.
Dong Rende blushed and awkwardly smiled, "To be honest with Master Lin, this old man indeed had this idea. I'm nearly fifty this year, yet I've never seen so much silver."
So, this old Dong is not even fifty yet. But why does he look like a sixty-year-old man? In Lin Wanrong's previous world, being in one's forties and fifties was considered the prime of life, indulging in affairs and enjoying life to the fullest. Perhaps due to the shorter average lifespan here, the almost fifty-year-old Dong Rende insisted on calling himself an old man.
"Look, look, have a good look." Lin Wanrong found a cucumber from the basket Dong Qiaocai carried, unwashed, broke it in half, and put it in his mouth, chewing without any grace.
Dong Qiaocai chuckled while looking at him, her eyes full of joy.
"Master Lin, what should we do next?" Dong Rende reluctantly withdrew his gaze, patting Dong Qingshan on the shoulder, who had been reluctant to look away.
"Dong uncle, according to the original agreement, a fifty-fifty split. There must be at least five thousand taels here, and I have some more." Lin Wanrong took out all the silver he had sold in the afternoon. "Tomorrow, you can exchange all this silver for universal silver notes. Take half directly, and you can temporarily keep the other half for me."
"No, no, no—" Dong Rende quickly waved his hand, "Master, a fifty-fifty split is absolutely not acceptable. This is earned by Master's talent and serves as the capital. This old man will only take the operating expenses and some service fees, a total of fifty taels."
Seeing Dong Rende prioritize integrity over personal gain, Lin Wanrong, who had witnessed countless cunning dealings in the business world, couldn't help but nod silently. "Dong uncle, this is not just my effort; it's also your contribution. I've said before, I want to prepare a substantial dowry for Miss Qiaocai. Consider this a small token of my appreciation."
Dong Qiaocai blushed but looked at Lin Wanrong seriously. "Master Lin, although we were also involved, you are the absolute leader. Without us, you could easily find others to do it. You're just giving us this good opportunity. While we appreciate your kindness, if we take this money, our hearts won't be at ease."
"Yes, big brother, we'll only take what we deserve. We won't take a penny more." Although Dong Qingshan was young, he had a strong sense of integrity, echoing Dong Qiaocai's sentiments.
At this point, Lin Wanrong sighed inwardly. The Dong family, father and son, had short pockets but long ambitions. If he said more, it would be underestimating them. He nodded and said, "Since that's the case, I have a proposal."
"What proposal?" The Dong family eagerly admired his wisdom and quickly asked.
"As we all don't want this five thousand taels, why not use it as capital for another business? Let's make the money work for us," Lin Wanrong suggested.
"Another business?" Dong Rende fell into silence for a moment, asking, "In Master's opinion, what kind of business should we venture into?" With five thousand taels, a considerable amount but not too much, they needed to carefully consider the type of business.
"Qiaocai, what business do you think would be good?" Seeing Dong Qiaocai seeming thoughtful, Lin Wanrong asked. This clever and intelligent woman should not be underestimated.
After pondering for a moment, Dong Qiaocai said, "Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation are the four things ordinary people care about. Clothing is monopolized by the Xiao family and a few other big families, with intense competition. Considering that, we might want to focus on food."
She finished speaking and nervously glanced at Lin Wanrong, afraid that her suggestion might displease him. After all, asking a scholar to engage in business was considered a bit uncultured. Lin Wanrong, with his flexible mind, might not agree with her idea, and she wouldn't know how to handle it if he rejected her.
"Qiaocai thinks the same way I do." Lin Wanrong laughed loudly. Dong Qiaocai breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Lin Wanrong with joy, ready to listen to his thoughts.
"People consider food a top priority. Starting a restaurant requires capital, and the larger the investment, the larger the business. Although it might seem simple to enter the industry, a small restaurant with minimal investment would yield low returns. If we're going to do it, let's go big," Lin Wanrong emphasized.
"Go big?" The Dong family, father and daughter, exclaimed together, not understanding his intentions.
"Yes, go big. For this restaurant, we need a spacious location, a prime location, exquisite culinary skills, excellent service, and clever pricing," Lin Wanrong emphasized each point.
Even the intelligent Dong Qiaocai had trouble understanding the last point. The first few were clear, but what did he mean by "clever pricing"?
Seeing the puzzled expressions of the three, Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "You can understand the first few points, right? Our restaurant needs to have ample space, be located in the liveliest area, and offer excellent cuisine and service. As for pricing, hehe, we need to allocate it reasonably, with low, medium, and high-tier options. Each tier must be well-presented. This way, customers who visit our restaurant will experience a high-end atmosphere, feeling that we are different from others. As the quality goes up, even if our prices are slightly higher, people will understand, as every penny has its worth. Moreover, we can also cater to middle and lower-tier customers."
These words left the Dong family puzzled for a long time, especially the term "clever pricing," which they had never heard before. Lin Wanrong had to spend some time explaining this new term to them, finally making them understand. Upon careful consideration, this notion of promotion truly sparked their interest.
The Dong family had blind trust in Lin Wanrong. Hearing his explanation, they believed Lin Wanrong was an expert in this field, and their desire to open a restaurant soared.
Lin Wanrong's move was quite risky because he had no experience in running a restaurant. However, being daring and shameless, he dared to do anything. Besides, the five thousand taels were earned out of thin air, and even if he lost them, he wouldn't blink an eye.
With everyone's thoughts activated, Dong Rende said, "Listening to Master Lin, I remembered something. A few days ago, the owner of Delicious Pavilion by Xuanwu Lake mentioned that he's getting old and wants to pass his shop to someone else as he returns to retire in Suzhou."
"Oh?" Lin Wanrong became very interested. Xuanwu Lake was a great location—beautiful scenery and a bustling crowd. As long as it was managed properly
, it would bring considerable profits.
Lin Wanrong's risky move might lack practical experience in opening a restaurant. Still, the man, full of courage and confidence, wasn't afraid to venture into uncharted territories.