mesbooks Chapter 123 The Restaurant Opens!
Chapter 123 The Restaurant Opens!
Meanwhile, the shop that Mu Xinyao sold was undergoing a complete renovation, with such a large-scale undertaking that it seemed as if she wanted to demolish the entire building!
When the fabric arrived, Mu Xinyao had already worked through the night to create several beautiful design sketches. Unfortunately, she hadn't studied art in her previous life, so the clothes she drew were somewhat incomprehensible to others. Helpless, she took some more fabric back to the mansion and, while talking to Qiaohui, asked her to make them.
This time, Mu Xinyao thought it over and over again several times!
The fabric of this dress is obvious, so there shouldn't be any more problems this time, right? Although she doesn't know much about fabrics, she is, after all, a young lady from an official family, and she is naturally surrounded by high-quality fabrics every day. It's hard to say if someone tries to fool her!
Not long after the new clothing store reopened, Mu Xinyao's several outfits, which were displayed in the most eye-catching section of the store, attracted a lot of attention.
Business was so-so for the first few days, but after a few more days, it became incredibly good!
Mu Xinyao remained calm this time. After all, she had lost so much money in the jewelry shop, and she had to find a way to make up for it.
Mu Xinyao initially thought that it was just a matter of some jewelry being stolen, and at least the shop was still there. However, after flipping through the account books, she realized that she actually still owed jewelry to six families that had not yet been made.
Afterwards, they pleaded with Manager Zhou to go to these businesses and ask them to give them a few more days to return the money.
Finally, this hurdle has been overcome. Now, all that's left is to return the silver to those six families, and that will put my mind at ease. At least, I won't have to live in constant fear anymore.
Mu Xinyao's designs are indeed quite good; in less than half a month, the cash in the clothing store has increased considerably. Clothing is not as profitable as jewelry. Unless it's made of particularly expensive fabrics, such as Shu brocade, no matter how well the clothes sell, it won't earn as much as selling a single piece of jewelry in a day.
So, after reviewing the account books again, Mu Xinyao still thought that she would open a jewelry shop when she had more money in her pocket, because that kind of business was more profitable!
While Mu Xinyao's place was bustling with activity, the shop that Li Haoran had someone buy was also busy. It was already decorated and a sign was hung up—it had become a restaurant!
Of course, it was Li Haoran who sent the person, but the money was provided by Mu Xin Nuan. The mastermind behind this was naturally Mu Xin Nuan!
Mu Xin Nuan had someone choose a name for her, Taihe Lou, meaning prosperity and harmony.
On the opening day, Mu Xin Nuan was naturally unable to attend, but with her cousin present, she naturally attracted many wealthy young men. The congratulatory gifts they presented were, of course, quite substantial!
To Ling Muxin's surprise, Chu Rong also went!
She thought that because she had spoken so coldly and distantly last time, he wouldn't try to befriend her again. But it turns out he's quite an interesting guy! Come to think of it, it was her older cousin who told her that Taihe Restaurant belonged to him, right?
Both the Li and Chu families are military officers and have been friends for generations. Is he coming to express his opinion specifically because of the Zhenguo General's Mansion?
Mu Xin Nuan didn't bother to guess why he congratulated her; in fact, she didn't care at all! In her past life, she had been utterly broken by that scumbag, and even now, thinking about it still caused her intense heartache! In this life, she was determined to guard her heart firmly and never let it be trampled on so easily again!
What Mu Xin Nuan didn't expect was that on the opening day of Taihe Restaurant, it attracted quite a few princes and noblemen! There was the heir of the Duke's Mansion, the young master of the Princess's Mansion, and even the famous Fourth Prince!
These people not only went, but they also sent extremely generous gifts!
When Mu Xin Nuan received the gift list, she was so shocked that she almost fainted!
The gifts from others were all fairly average, after all, they were all from wealthy families, and anything too ordinary would naturally not be presentable! But this fourth prince actually had a piece of sandalwood, about half a foot long and two inches wide, sent over!
Agarwood can be said to embody the spirit of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, and the accumulation of time, to the point that the value of top-grade agarwood can reach nearly two hundred times that of gold. It is astonishingly heavy and incredibly fragrant, and has been cherished by people for thousands of years.
Medical books record that the fragrance of agarwood enters the spleen, clears the mind and regulates qi, and nourishes the five internal organs, among other benefits. This is why it is so beloved by many noble families! It's just unexpected that the fourth prince would present such a valuable gift; it's truly surprising!
Because Mu Xinnuan's status as the owner of Taihe Tower was kept secret, Li Haoran only sent back some valuable and exquisite gifts when he arrived. The rest were temporarily stored in Taihe Tower's storeroom.
"My cousin is so lucky! I never imagined that the Fourth Prince would actually grace us with his presence just because I casually mentioned it. And he even gave her such a generous gift!" Li Hao said with envy.
"Thank you very much, cousin. Ah Nuan is young and, being a woman, there are some things that are really not suitable for her to do herself. I'm grateful for your help, cousins."
“What are you saying? We’re all family, why be so formal?” Li Haozheng retorted first.
Li Haoran looked at Mu Xinnuan with a smile on his face, "Why don't you continue running the jewelry shop, Anuan? The profit margin for those items is probably better than running a restaurant, isn't it?"
"No rush! Of course I'll do business that makes money. But not now! Besides, that shop's reputation was ruined because of the inferior jewelry. If I continue to run a jewelry and precious stones shop there, I'm afraid it won't be long before it has to close down."
“Anuan is right. But why did you suddenly decide to open a restaurant? That’s a dangerous place. Not just anyone can open one without someone protecting them.”
Mu Xin Nuan smiled faintly, "Now, aren't you protected by the Fourth Prince?"
Li Hao was speechless. Indeed, the news of the Fourth Prince's personal arrival had probably already been deliberately spread. Perhaps some people would think that Taihe Restaurant had the Fourth Prince's backing!
Li Haozheng said somewhat awkwardly, "Anuan, wouldn't you call this borrowing someone else's power?" After saying that, he thought about it and realized it didn't quite seem right, so he shook his head, "No, that's not right either! You should say that you're using someone else's fame to promote yourself?"
Mu Xin Nuan only smiled and remained silent, while Li Hao Ran stared at her sharply, seemingly waiting for her answer.
"Actually, the only reason I chose to open a restaurant is because of its good location. There's only one restaurant on that street, and it serves only high-end goods. The people who shop there are all rich and powerful. Opening a grand-looking restaurant is naturally a way to make money!"
"It's not just that, is it?" Li Haoran said with a smile.