Chapter 149: Business Opportunities Born from Eating

"Well, it was originally supposed to be made with bean curd skin, but the ingredients were hard to find. Later, after thinking about it, I simply changed it to wrapping white flour in cabbage leaves, and it's passable to eat. What do you think? Is it okay?" Dajiang's grandfather was cut from the same cloth as Old Master Na; he mainly drank rather than ate, just watching Hong Tao and Dajiang eat.

"It's more than okay! I've eaten two, and I honestly couldn't tell what they were made of. Let me refill your glass..." Hong Tao kept his eyes on the old man's wine glass while eating, making sure it was never empty. Only by keeping him happy could he bring up what he wanted to say next.

The two old men drank cup after cup. Their conversation was entirely about raising birds, topics Hong Tao didn't quite understand, so he could only listen while eating. Dajiang was like a trash can; no matter what dish it was, he stuffed it all into his mouth. After eating two bowls of rice and sweeping away a little less than half the dishes on the table, he finally considered himself satisfied, stepped away from the table, and went off to look at his picture books.

"My life is just about set like this. My son works in the Brass Tube Factory's cafeteria, and my daughter-in-law is in the same unit. They don't have to worry about food and drink. It's just this grandson of mine... sigh, it's hard to tell whether his brain will get any sharper as he grows up. If I can just live to see him take a wife, and ideally give me a great-grandson, I'll have no regrets left." As they chatted on, Old Master Na and Dajiang's grandfather steered the conversation toward family. It seemed this old gentleman was deeply worried about his grandson's future.

"Grandpa, actually I have a great idea that can ensure Dajiang never has to worry about food and drink in the future, and even help him marry a pretty wife. Would you like to hear it?" Hearing this, Hong Tao realized his chance had come and quickly chimed in.

"Hehehehe... Don't you go trying to fool me with your talk. As long as he can marry a decent wife, that's enough. Even if she's from the suburbs, I'll accept it." Dajiang's grandfather shook his head, not taking Hong Tao's words seriously.

"I'm speaking the truth! Not only can I get Dajiang a good job, but I can also help him establish himself and start a family. When the time comes, we won't just be looking for a wife; we'll line them up for Dajiang to choose from. Do you believe me?" Hong Tao continued to use Dajiang as bait.

"Oh? Everyone says you're a smart kid. Tell me then, if this wonderful thing is real, I'll be your family's cook every single day, completely free of charge! I'll cover all three meals a day!" Dajiang's grandfather's curiosity was piqued by Hong Tao, especially when it concerned his grandson; he couldn't help but listen.

"Look at it this way. Counting on Dajiang to excel at studying is definitely unrealistic. By the time we grow up, the system of inheriting state jobs might not even exist anymore. When that happens, Dajiang will have neither a diploma nor a trade, and he'll definitely get the short end of the stick! But Dajiang and I often play ping-pong at school, and he learns it extremely fast—even I can't beat him now. So I think if he inherits your culinary skills and opens a small restaurant, the business would surely be good. Surely that's better than going to a factory and getting bullied by others, right? Just like the clothing store and barbershop my family runs—earning your own living, how wonderful is that!"

Hong Tao wasn't bluffing this time. He had genuinely thought about a future path for Dajiang. Office work definitely wasn't the best choice, and running a restaurant of his own seemed most suitable for him. Dajiang wasn't good at interpersonal communication, but he grasped certain things very quickly—he might just turn out to be a fine chef.

"That's true... He's got a brain that would only suffer in a factory! But do you think he could learn this craft of mine?" The old gentleman didn't raise any objections about traditions or rules. It seemed that in order to secure a future for his grandson, he could no longer afford to care about such things; his only doubt lay in Dajiang's intelligence.

"You're underestimating Dajiang too much. He's not stupid, just a bit slow-minded. But people like that have one major advantage: they can endure solitude and concentrate deeply on mastering one thing. Who knows, he might even carry on and elevate your culinary arts! Old Master Na just told me the origin of your craft. I think times have changed, and the concept of 'rules' needs to change too. Aren't rules only made to better pass down a craft? You should give it a try." Hong Tao kept encouraging the old man, pressing him with his eldest grandson's future on one hand and persuading him with grand principles on the other.

"Old Na, do you think this is something we can actually do?" Dajiang's grandfather was clearly moved by Hong Tao's words, but he still didn't trust Hong Tao completely. In his eyes, no matter how smart, Hong Tao was still just a child, and surely couldn't consider problems comprehensively.

"Brother, if we're talking about making money, the two of us put together can't outcalculate this kid. Besides, he and Dajiang grew up together since nursery school. Since he's willing to give Dajiang a hand, I don't think it's a bad thing. But as for actually doing it, we need to think it over carefully. Dajiang is still young; even if he learns, it'll take a few years, right? Is there any need to be in such a rush?" Old Master Na didn't completely take Hong Tao's side this time, likely still holding a grudge over the loan business.

"You're not quite right about that. Although I haven't studied culinary arts, I know that learning to cook is just like learning to tailor—what matters isn't just studying, but practicing. Just listening to lectures is useless; you have to do it yourself. Whether it's knife skills, tossing the wok, or controlling the heat, those are things you practice, not things you learn from a book. Am I right or wrong?" Hong Tao was locking horns with Old Master Na.

"That reasoning is sound, but I can't have him cooking every single day, can I?" Dajiang's grandfather agreed with Hong Tao's point, but logistically, he couldn't pull it off.

"Hehehe, that's exactly what I'm getting to! Look, I still have a vacant room upstairs. Dajiang's father is working and definitely won't have time to manage it. Since you're retired and have free time anyway, why not start a small restaurant? That way, you can increase your income and have the leisure to teach Dajiang at the same time." Hong Tao finally revealed his sinister nature—he hadn't just dragged Old Master Na into the water; now he wanted to drag Dajiang's grandfather in as well.

"That's a terrible idea! Running a restaurant belongs to the grueling service trades. Let alone just me, an old man, even if you brought in Dajiang's parents as well, the three of us would work ourselves to death every day. Where would we even find the time to teach Dajiang? No, no, absolutely not!" Before Old Master Na could voice any objections, Dajiang's grandfather had already rejected Hong Tao's proposal outright.

"The restaurant I'm talking about isn't what you have in mind. Let me finish! This restaurant of ours will only serve two tables of guests a day—one at noon, one in the evening! We won't do any more than that. Each table will cost at least 100 yuan, and that depends on the ingredients. If we use high-end items, the price goes up even higher! That way, you won't be overworked, you'll still have time to teach Dajiang his craft, and Dajiang will have a place to practice. Isn't that the best of both worlds?" Hong Tao finished the second half of his pitch. If it had been a spur-of-the-moment idea earlier, after a brief period of reflection, he now had a complete, flawless plan.

"...Isn't this just the old Manchu-Han banquet style cuisine? The problem is, will anyone actually come to eat? 100 yuan a table? What are you planning to serve them?" Both Dajiang's grandfather and Old Master Na were stunned by Hong Tao's proposal. Old Master Na recovered first and voiced his doubts.

"See, you're being small-minded again. This isn't a few years ago anymore. If ordinary Chinese people can't afford it, we can fleece foreigners instead! Look at the female customers coming into my shop—they get a perm, and I won't even let them through the door for less than 20 or 30 yuan, yet people are still coming and going all day long, right? If you could manage 20 tables a day, I really wouldn't have anywhere to find that many wealthy people for you. But if it's only two tables a day, I think there's no problem at all. Besides, once you sell a single table, the principal and profit are all recovered in one go. I won't shortchange you: how about this, I'll provide the building, I'll provide all the capital, and you just provide your culinary skills. We'll split the profits fifty-fifty, and if we lose money, I'll cover it entirely. What do you say? Consider it me paying Dajiang's tuition, and right now, I can afford it!" Hong Tao spoke with passion and fervor, patting his small chest rhythmically, giving off a strong vibe of being willing to leap through fire for a friend.

"Would this be appropriate? Wouldn't I be taking advantage of a younger generation? If word gets out, people will point fingers at my spine!" Dajiang's grandfather was no longer arguing about whether the restaurant could open; instead, he had moved on to discussing investment and profit-sharing ratios, which showed he had already accepted Hong Tao's premise.

"Old brother, don't talk about taking advantage of him. You can't take advantage of this kid, and he wouldn't partner with just anyone. If it's not his eldest aunt's husband, it'd be me! Do it. No matter what, this matter has no downsides for your family or your eldest grandson. I'm just baffled—where on earth do you come up with all these schemes?" Old Master Na finally understood; this kid was cut from the same cloth as himself!

"Can we really do it?" Dajiang's grandfather still seemed unsure if there was a catch somewhere and asked Old Master Na for confirmation.

"Aren't I doing business with him right now? Every day I run around hunting down antiques for him, and he kindly calls it 'letting me make use of my remaining energy.' Don't you sit around idle either—come and make use of your remaining energy with me!" Remembering how he was unwittingly roped into Hong Tao's schemes, Old Master Na felt a strange taste in his mouth. It seemed every step was calculated by this kid beforehand, yet beforehand, you could never tell what he was actually aiming for.

"This is no small matter. I have to go home and discuss it with my boy. If it's really feasible, it looks like this set of tools of mine will be passed down after all, hahaha!" Dajiang's grandfather no longer had any misgivings. He patted the wooden box beside him and laughed heartily. However, he didn't give a final, immediate green light; instead, he used Dajiang's father as a convenient shield.

"Right, right... eager business is never a good deal. There's no rush for a day or two. Even if you really want to do it, getting the paperwork processed will take a few months. Come... have another cup... hehehehe..." As Hong Tao picked up the wine bottle to refill the glasses of Dajiang's grandfather and Old Master Na, he couldn't help laughing out loud. Matched with his long, squinting eyes, he looked no different from a little fox.

Hong Tao wasn't afraid of delay. As long as the old man was tempted, the deal was basically in the bag. With the future of his eldest grandson, Dajiang, churning in the old man's mind, when the time came, the anxious one wouldn't be him, but Dajiang's entire family. This wasn't 1980 anymore; private vendors were popping up all over the streets, and almost everyone was making a profit. Furthermore, with Hong Tao's two storefronts standing right there as living proof, who could resist such temptation? Perhaps there were some, but they were far too few! (To be continued...)

[Author's Note: Guaranteed third chapter, today's task is complete, thank you all for your support!]