The restaurant was indeed up for a transfer, and the transfer fee was one hundred yuan, including all the furniture and fixtures of the restaurant. In addition, since the house was their private property, they were also required to pay rent. If Cheng Su took over, the first year’s rent would be waived. Starting next year, the rent would be ten yuan per month.
The transfer fee was one hundred yuan, which made Cheng Su hesitate.
"Actually, our location is quite excellent. It’s just our lack of good management, and on top of that, a family elder fell ill and needed care. We also have a pineapple orchard to tend to, which is why we’re transferring the business," Old Wang, the owner, said upon seeing Cheng Su’s hesitation. "Since you’re interested in taking over, and it seems you can cook, if you can cook well and the food tastes good, business will follow naturally."
"One hundred yuan does seem a bit expensive," Cheng Su said. "If it were a bit cheaper, I could consider it. Besides, since you say the location is so good, just a change in your cooking style, and you could continue to run it. Or you could hire a chef. Why transfer it then?"
"We did think about that, but we’re concerned about our home. Our Old Wang is an only child. Moreover, he had an accident before and has trouble with his leg," Sister Wang said with a wry smile.
Cheng Su fell silent.
Upon taking another look at the restaurant, all the equipment and facilities were fairly new. She believed that if she took over and worked hard with her cooking skills, she could definitely make the business work. If all else failed, she could hire a chef and manage behind the scenes.
She had already planned out what she would do. She could open a fast-food restaurant, which was very popular in the nineties. She could set prices for different dishes, allowing people to choose, and also cater to takeout orders.
Once the restaurant was successful, she could open branches, expand it, turn it into a big dining establishment, and ultimately a grand hotel.
Indeed, owning a grand hotel was her ultimate goal.
So, if she took over this restaurant, it would mark the beginning of her career.
But the price exceeded Cheng Su’s original budget. She did not have much in personal savings, so she would have to go back and carefully consider it.
"I’m really out of options. At home, we have an elder and four children relying on us; the burden is too heavy. How about this, I’ll reduce the transfer fee by ten yuan for you. If you are really interested, I can vacate the place within the next couple of days."
After hearing Sister Wang’s words, Cheng Su became somewhat tempted.
The restaurant already had a full set of equipment; with clean pots and pans and a change of the restaurant’s name, she could purchase ingredients and start the business.
After careful consideration, Cheng Su felt it was an opportunity not to be missed but didn’t want them to think it was too easy for her, so she said, "How about this, I’ll go back and discuss it with my husband and come back tomorrow, is that okay? After all, this is a large sum of money, and I need to scrape it together."
"That sounds good. I see you’re capable. Make it quick. There have been others interested in this restaurant!" Sister Wang hinted at the urgency to pique Cheng Su’s interest.
Cheng Su smiled, nodded, said her goodbyes, and left, her steps light with the prospect of a hopeful future.
Once home, Qi Taiguo had not returned. Cheng Su drank a couple of sips of water, and seeing it was not yet dusk, she washed an apple to munch on and took out pen and paper to write down her plans.
As she was writing, she tossed aside her pen, ran into the room, and dug out her private savings box to count the money she had saved.
Together with the money left over from before and what Qi Taiguo had given her for household expenses for buying things recently, she had just over fifty-two yuan in cash.
"It’s not even enough to cover the transfer fee," Cheng Su pursed her lips and frowned.