Translator: Flying Lines

  Proofread by Claire.KK

  Again Ye went to the government office to look for Xiao Baoshan, told him about the restaurant which was available to rent and said that she would like to get it.

  “Baoshan, my plan is like this. I really have to rent that restaurant and I have the confidence to open it up, but I don’t have enough money and I still need three more taels of silver, so could you borrow some for me?” Ye Xiaoxian said with determination.

  That restaurant was indeed in a good location and so long as the dishes were delicious with their own style, they would surely make a profit in the future. Moreover, it was almost autumn and they could not depend on selling cold jelly and douhua for long. When the weather became cold they would have to open up shop in the wind and rain which was just too laborious.

  Xiao Baoshan did not speak and seemed to think.

  Ye Xiaoxian knew that Baoshan was a thoughtful person so she asked, “Baoshan, what do you think? Don’t worry, just tell me your ideas.”


  Xiao Baoshan then asked her, “I heard that you have to go to the local commercial firm and register if you want to open up a restaurant. Do you know about this?”


  “I’ve heard it before,” said Ye Xiaoxian.

  At this time all the agricultural land as well as stores in town were owned by local wealthy landlords. Wealthy landlords owned them and rented out to people who did business. Still, some successful business people would finally purchase the store as their own private property.

  Xiao Baoshan asked again, “Did you ask the manager if he owns the shop or has rented it from the commercial firm?”


  “Uh? I didn’t ask him about this.” Ye Xiaoxian was only thinking to rent that store as soon as possible so she had not asked about the details. Ye Xiaoxian then said, “He only charged ten taels, so he must have rented it. If he owned it then he would at least have charged fifty taels.”


  Xiao Baoshan answered, “Yeah, you’re right. If he has rented it from the commercial firm, we might as well find a friend and let them negotiate the price.”


  “So do you have a friend in the commercial firm?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.

  “We’re just going to inquire about it, so it’s not that complicated.” Xiao Baoshan smiled. “We can go to the commercial firm now.”
……

  The commercial firm was in another street and a little bit remote. The size of it was about that of a pawn shop and there were two members of staff inside.

  Xiao Baoshan led Ye Xiaoxian inside and showed his card as a handyman in the government office. The staff saw that Xiao Baoshan was from the government and thought he was here for business, so the staff were quite polite to them.

  Xiao Baoshan asked them to see if the restaurant had been registered with the commercial firm and whose property it was. As it turned out it was quite a coincidence, because the property was that of Lord Liu.

  When they came out of the commercial firm Xiao Baoshan suggested that Ye Xiaoxian talk to Lord Liu. If Lord Liu would like to give her a discount she may get the store for eight taels of silver instead of ten.

  Ever since Ye Xiaoxian had the idea of opening up a restaurant she started to pay attention to the tricks and ways of doing business. She did not expect there to be so many complicated relationships involved in this.

  She immediately went to find Lord Liu. Lord Liu heard that she wanted to rent that shop and smiled. “No wonder you are not willing to work for us, as it turns out that you have such ideas. That restaurant in town is ours. Several managers have been changed over the last couple of years and the business has not done very well. Some argued that it was not a good place to open up a restaurant because of fengshui (geomantic omen; it prevailed in China that the location of a house or tomb supposed to have an influence on the fortune of a family).”


  “It all depends on human effort. Others failed but that doesn’t mean that I won’t succeed.” Ye Xiaoxian smiled.

  “It’s good to be so determined. Since you’ve made up your mind I’ll let Housekeeper Liu discuss it with the manager for you and also get the restaurant back.”


  “Well, thank you so much, Lord Liu, but……” Ye Xiaoxian continued. “I actually have another request. When I open up the restaurant I may not be able to cook for Miss Qianqian everyday and if you and miss were hungry for my cooking, perhaps you could come to my restaurant in person or I could always ask my staff to deliver the food to you.”


  Lord Liu looked at Ye Xiaoxian with a smile. “You’re hoping that we can make a name for you, right? You little girl, you want to maintain appearance as well as save money. You’re indeed a future business person.”


  Ye Xiaoxian smiled.

  Lord Liu then said, “Well, well, you don’t have to come and cook for us if you don’t want to. We can go to your place or ask the servants to take some food home, but you have to give us some discounts with extra food in every portion.”


  “Certainly I will!” Ye Xiaoxian promised.

  As Housekeeper Liu went there personally, things were going very smoothly. It originally cost ten tales but after the negotiation it had been reduced to seven taels, which happened to be all that Ye Xiaoxian had saved. After the transfer fee she had to pay two taels every month in rent.

  There was still half a month left on the previous manager’s lease and Ye Xiaoxian could have a good think about how to open up a restaurant.

  Ye Xiaoxian just strolled around the town for a whole afternoon and had rented a restaurant, which surprised everyone in the second household. During the dinner that night they were all staring at Ye Xiaoxian in a daze.

  Although Ye Xiaoxian looked very calm and ate her meal as usual, she was chuckling to herself.

  “Little, little Ye……what on earth is on your mind?” Li Hongmei asked her, unable to hold it in.

  “I’m thinking of expanding the business. Don’t you always say my cooking is great? Even Lord Liu loves what I cook so why can’t we open up a restaurant?” Ye Xiaoxian asked.

  “In our Daliang village……women never open up a restaurant. Not just women, but even men don’t have the guts to do this. All the men of the village were doing work for others, like your elder and third uncle who were working for the government office as attendants, which can be counted as a great achievement, besides, doing business does not always mean that one makes money.”


  Ye Xiaoxian said, “If we can’t make money out of it we might as well continue to sell cold jelly and douhua, so we won’t starve to death. Anyway, we haven’t opened the restaurant up yet, and Ma, how could you be so sure that we can’t make money?”


  “I didn’t mean that. I don’t worry if you can make money or not. I’m just……very surprised. I had no idea you’re so brave. Little Ye, whether you can make money or not Ma will always support you,” Li Hongmei said firmly.

  Xiao Baofeng had not moved his gaze from Ye Xiaoxian. At this moment he found his sister-in-law to not be a village woman, instead she was like a mysterious lady depicted in books.

  While Xiao Baozhu suddenly recalled the novels she read and she found that her sister-in-law possessed the characteristics belonging to the heroine, which were determination, ambition and strength. Xiao Baozhu thought that she should learn from little Ye Xiaoxian and only by that could she become the kind of heroine in those novels.

  “Little Ye, you have enough money? You said it was ten taels and you’re short three taels?” Of everyone in the family only Xiao Baoshan asked the most realistic question.

  Although he knew that Ye Xiaoxian had made money by selling cold jelly and had also made quite a few coins by cooking in Lord Liu’s, he never asked the specific amount.

  Ye Xiaoxian answered, “It’s almost there and we’ll have enough from selling more cold jelly.”


  “Do you need to redecorate the restaurant?” asked Xiao Baoshan.