Chef Hua
Chapter 231: Episode 140 Going to Open a Restaurant

Chapter 231: Episode 140 Going to Open a Restaurant

Brokers, like Zheng Yakuai, make their living by manipulating prices. How could Zheng not know the rental prices and yet come to sway Hua Xiaomai? He immediately flipped through the small booklet he had with him, nodded slightly after a moment, and said, "Mmm, the shop in question is a two-story building with a clean courtyard in the back. If you were to buy the whole property, it would cost you eighty-six taels of silver in a lump sum. If you choose to rent, it would be twenty strings of cash per year."

As he spoke, he closed the booklet and said earnestly, "Little sister Xiaomai, if you ask me, if you have enough silver on hand, it’s better to buy the entire storefront in one go. It’s much more cost-effective that way!"

His advice was reasonable, but the commission brokers earned from sales compared to rentals was significantly different. To some extent, he had his own interests in mind. Hua Xiaomai was well aware of this and smiled, "How could I not know this? But I really don’t have that amount of cash at hand! I can’t make this decision alone; I need to go back and discuss it with my brother-in-law and older sister. Could you please talk to the shop owner again for me, and see if there’s any room to negotiate that twenty strings of rent down? I know you have gone through a lot of trouble, and should the deal go through, I will thank you properly."

Zheng Yakuai was not one to stall or hesitate. Upon hearing her, he smiled and nodded, "You needn’t tell me, I will speak to him thoroughly about the rent. Why wouldn’t I, when little brother Taihe has always treated me well? You just take your time and discuss with brother Taihe and big sister Jing. Once you’ve decided, find a time, and I’ll take you there to have a look."

After finishing his words, he said goodbye to Hua Xiaomai with a big laugh and went on his way. Hua Xiaomai pondered for a while and quickly finished her remaining work in the fields. She then hurried back home, first briefly discussing the matter with second Madame Hua, and after returning from setting up the stall by the river in the evening, detailed the situation again to Jing Taihe.

Second Madame Hua sat sprawling in the main hall chair, holding a plate of steamed taro and shrimp cakes, eating deliciously while mumbling vaguely, "Twenty strings of cash per year, that’s too expensive! I could buy the whole shop outright with the money I would have paid for renting it for four years!"

"That’s true, but the problem is, we don’t have that much money!" Hua Xiaomai turned to her with a smile, "And you are not willing to take out all the money you’ve saved up, so what can I do?"

"I’ve told you it’s not savings, that money can’t be touched!" What was meant as a joke was taken seriously by second Madame Hua, who reached out to pinch Hua Xiaomai’s cheek scolding, "Do you even have a conscience?"

"Alright, alright." Hua Xiaomai dodged with a laugh, "Let’s be serious. I’ve thought it over carefully. The rent might not be cheap, but the good thing is it’s only once a year. If the restaurant business doesn’t go well, we can leave at any time. If we buy the property and business is booming, that’s fine, but if it fails to take off, won’t we be stuck? If no one else takes over the shop, we’ll be left holding the bag, and that will be a real headache for you!"

"Moreover, running a restaurant is not like setting up a street stall. Even if we don’t spend a lot on decoration, we still have to spruce it up, right? We’ll need to hire at least two people for the shop, and stock up on all sorts of vegetables, meats... All these things cost money! If we spend all our cash on buying that property, not a single copper coin will be left. What would we do then, just sit in an empty shop and stare blankly?"

Second Madame Hua grunted, pursed her lips, and said nothing further. Hua Xiaomai then turned to Jing Taihe, who was deep in thought, "What do you think, brother-in-law?"

"Renting a shop may seem less economical, but it’s definitely safer," Jing Taihe said with a slight frown, tapping his fingers on the table earnestly, "We only have so much money right now. If we spend it all at once, we’d be left with no leeway. Even if we manage to open the shop, we’d likely feel uneasy every day. It’s better to rent the place for a year and then make plans accordingly."

Hua Xiaomai clapped her hands with laughter, "That’s exactly the point, brother-in-law is the most thoughtful!" She glanced at second Madame Hua with a half-smiling, half-mocking look.

Jing Taihe smiled naively, pondered for a moment, then with a bit of hesitation said, "However... little sister, shouldn’t we also discuss this with brother Yuhuai?"

"...Why discuss with him?" Hua Xiaomai’s mouth involuntarily curled into a smile, which she quickly withdrew, speaking seriously, "This is our family’s business, and we should decide how to manage it. Why bother asking someone else? As long as you and big sister agree, we should just rent the shop."