allonlinenovel Chapter 242 Franchisees
Chapter 242 Franchisees
Chapter 242 Franchisees
Marquis Chen Daoning of Chengshan frowned, looking at the invitation in his hand, hesitant and unsure whether to go or not.
Chen Daoning also had several shops in Nanjing, mainly dealing in silk, porcelain, and other goods. The nobles all owned their own businesses; otherwise, they would have been impoverished long ago relying solely on their government stipends.
Chen Daoning didn't want to attend the banquet because he felt that Zhang Shize was hosting a trap. Chen Daoning was quite helpless. Had the heir of the Duke of Yingguo gone mad with greed, actually trying to target other nobles and offend so many people? Did the Duke of Yingguo not intend to continue as Duke? Your Zhang family may have power, but you can't just ride roughshod over others, can you?
These days, the Nanjing nobility have all heard rumors that Zhang Shize is planning to open a supermarket. After all, Zhang Shize is a big player, buying an entire street right off the bat. It's currently under renovation, and it's said he's going to create a leisure and shopping destination that integrates eating, drinking, entertainment, and leisure.
"Why drag us into your business when you're running your own shop?" Chen Daoning understood that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Although Zhang Shize's invitation stated that there would be no charge for the first month if they joined, Chen Daoning still found it troublesome. Why should he sell his goods in Zhang's supermarket when he already had several shops open and operating smoothly? Besides, it seemed like he would definitely start charging after the first month.
I'll have to pay my employees' wages for the month I'm renting your shop for free.
Chen Daoning thought for a moment and decided to go and take a look; he couldn't be too rude. He'd see what others were doing, and if everyone joined, he'd rent a shop and try it out first. At worst, he'd lose a few employees and a month's wages.
……
Nanjing, Hanshan Supermarket flagship store.
Zhang Shize bought all the shops along this two-mile-long street, and they are currently under renovation. Hanshan Hot Pot City has just finished renovations and has not yet opened for business.
Today, Zhang Shize is hosting a grand banquet for his guests, hoping to recruit them as franchisees of Hanshan Supermarket.
According to Wang Wenzhou, some of the goods in the supermarket can be self-operated, while the rest must be provided by franchisees. After all, there are too many goods, and the required capital is simply too large.
Zhang Shize invested one million taels of silver, and more than 30 taels were spent just on buying this street and renovations. If he were to operate all the goods himself, the remaining silver would simply not be enough.
Chen Daoning, accompanied by his shopkeeper Li, entered Hanshan Hot Pot City.
"Welcome!" Four hostesses in business suits bowed and said.
"Oh my!" Chen Daoning tilted his head to look at the hostess and smiled slightly. "That's interesting. They're all dressed in Ting'ermei clothing. Putting everything else aside, just this alone shows that Zhang Shize and Wang Wenzhou have done a very generous job."
There are also Tingermei clothing stores in Nanjing. Tingermei is considered a luxury brand in Nanjing. The cheapest piece of clothing costs more than ten taels of silver. If even the hostesses are dressed so expensively, the atmosphere of the hot pot restaurant immediately becomes much more upscale.
"Sir, please follow me." A hostess stepped forward to lead the way.
Chen Daoning followed behind him, glancing at the store's decor from time to time.
It must be said that the store's decoration is very luxurious, with all the windows made of crystal. Sunlight shines through the crystals, making the store colorful and very beautiful.
Chen Daoning nodded slightly. He hadn't expected that Zhang Shize and the silly little Wu from the Xinjianbo family could run the restaurant like this. He wondered if it was all show and no substance. The most important thing about a restaurant is the food.
Hot pot existed in the Ming Dynasty, and the way it was eaten was probably similar to today. Chen Daoning didn't understand what was so delicious about boiled vegetables and meat in plain water.
Chen Daoning and Manager Li walked to the table and sat down. Chen Daoning knew everyone at the table; they were either nobles or wealthy merchants from Nanjing. He drank tea and chatted with them, exchanging a few pleasantries.
Seeing that all the guests had arrived, Zhang Shize stood up and said, "Welcome everyone. It's great that you've taken time out of your busy schedules to come. We can discuss other matters after we've eaten. First, please try the hot pot at Hanshan Hot Pot City. This restaurant was opened by me and my brother-in-law, Wang Wenzhou. If you enjoy the food, please come again in the future. Now, let's serve the dishes!"
The waiter immediately filled the hot pot on the table with broth and lit it.
"Do you have spicy food?" the waiter asked.
Xu Daoning nodded and replied, "I eat spicy food."
The waiter smiled and said, "Then I'll get you a hot pot with two broths."
The hot pot with two broths existed in the Ming Dynasty as well, which did not surprise Xu Daoning.
But when the waiter had prepared all the seasonings and other items, Xu Daoning frowned, he had never seen so many seasonings before.
The waiter pointed to the condiments and said with a smile, "Sir, you can mix your own condiments according to your own taste. This is special fermented bean curd, and this is fine sesame paste..."
Xu Daoning nodded, selected a few things he liked, and mixed them together.
In a short while, the water boiled. Xu Daoning picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth. He was immediately stunned—how could it be so delicious!
Xu Daoning wasn't unfamiliar with hot pot; it was a common dish in the Ming Dynasty, especially for nobles like himself. So why was the hot pot here so delicious?
Zhang Shize held a bowl of condiments in one hand and chopsticks in the other, devouring the food with gusto. It was so delicious! He had tried it once yesterday and ate half a lamb by himself.
Zhang Shize also couldn't understand why the hot pot Wang Wenzhou made was so delicious.
Wang Wenzhou held Zhang Rong in one arm and Gao Guilan in the other, taking bites of meat from one baby's mouth and bites of vegetables from another. Wang Wenzhou had developed the habit of feeding himself from the babies' mouths; he wouldn't feel comfortable eating unless they fed him mouth-to-mouth.
The children have gotten used to Wang Wenzhou's unserious behavior and are no longer shy about feeding him in front of so many people.
While eating, Zhang Shize asked, "Silly Xiao Wu, how did you make this hot pot? Why is it so delicious?"
"Haha!" Wang Wenzhou laughed loudly, "Brother, this is a trade secret and cannot be revealed to outsiders! Besides, you have shares in this restaurant. If you want to eat, just come and eat."
Zhang Shize picked up a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, swallowed it in a big gulp, and said, "Silly Xiao Wu, we're family, are you afraid I'll steal your business?"
Zhang Rong fed Wang Wenzhou a bite and said softly, "Husband, just tell my elder brother."
Zhang Rong was considered half a daughter in the Duke of Ying's mansion, so she always called Zhang Shize "brother".
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "It's very simple. These soups are all specially made. For example, this soup was simmered with beef and mutton bones for three days and three nights, plus various seasonings. How could it not be delicious!"
Zhang Shize nodded, glanced at Wang Wenzhou, and thought, "Silly Xiao Wu has indeed changed; he knows how to eat, play, and make money. It seems that cooperating with Silly Xiao Wu this time will definitely make us a lot of money."
Even someone like Zhang Shize, who came from a noble family and had been pampered since childhood, thought the hot pot was delicious, let alone the others. The guests all enjoyed their meal immensely, with many saying they had never eaten such a delicious meal in their lives.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Wang Wenzhou stood up and said loudly, "Gentlemen, did you enjoy the food?"
"Little Wu! You're really great! I'll definitely be a regular customer from now on!"
"Exactly! I'm in my thirties, and I've never eaten anything so delicious in my entire life!"
Everyone exclaimed that the hot pot was so delicious!
Hehe! Wang Wenzhou chuckled to himself. "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding. Let's see how I fool you guys later!"