Tasty and Pretty Fisherman’s opening day garnered eight silver taels in revenue, aside from the five silver taels someone tipped, amounting to a total sale of three silver taels. Yet, these three silver taels didn’t really turn a profit; after accounting for all costs, they made just about half a tael of silver—and that didn’t even include labor expenses. So no matter how you calculated it, it just didn’t add up.
For the first three days, that was about the standard. After the official opening, earning one to two silver taels a day was already good, as they were a small noodle shop catering to ordinary folks and couldn’t charge high prices.
But the situation was different upstairs. The counter was ready-to-use; she just needed to prepare more bottles and jars, produce more labels and manuals. Selling a bottle of shampoo could earn what the noodle shop made in an entire day.
Opening the noodle shop was a hobby; but establishing the skincare shop was to make money.
After three days of soft opening, they made a total of three silver taels. Although it wasn’t much, it helped Yaya and the other two to quickly get into their roles.
Yaya worked the counter, Fubao served the tables, and Yuanbao was in the kitchen. Later, she’d hire a few more to help out, and then she could essentially leave the noodle shop to Yuanbao. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0velFire.ɴet
As for the essence-making process needed for the noodles, she just needed to wake up early and make it, then Yuanbao could handle the rest alone.
On the official opening day, she went to the broker and bought three apprentices who were around fifteen or sixteen, with lifelong contracts.
With these three helping out, the noodle shop was able to fully get on its feet.
Yaya had her heart set on selling her small potatoes, claiming they were profitable and in demand, unlike noodles which couldn’t fetch high prices.
"Don’t rush," she said. "Once the noodle shop stabilizes, I’ll consider adding other side dishes. Right now, it’s time for the main course; everyone hasn’t had their fill yet. Just wait."
In the following days, she busied herself with setting up Fisherman Skincare upstairs. The sign was made together with the one for Fisherman’s Noodle, so as soon as the noodle shop had a solid foundation, she hung up the sign for the skincare shop as well.
Then she bustled about upstairs every day, preparing those skincare products to display. Once every counter was full to the brim,
She used a printer to print the instruction manuals (using fonts of that era). Unable to write them herself, she hired others, but the paper used was too big. So, after considering it, she decided to print with the printer. This had become a kind of indirect patent, as she believed only she could ’write’ that typeface, and there were no semicolons.
Many days passed and she didn’t know how things fared at Yanyu Building. So one afternoon, Xiao Yu knocked on the back door of Yanyu Building.
The same young man who had encountered her last time opened the door. His eyes crinkled with excitement upon seeing her.
"Ah, you’ve come! My nanny has asked me about you countless times. Come in quickly, I’ll go get someone."
Xiao Yu sat smilingly at the stone table while another guard who was perceptive quickly served her tea and desserts.
It wasn’t long before the nanny came sashaying over, as happy as if she had seen gold upon seeing her.
"You’ve made me wait! You promised seven days, but look, how many days have passed?"
"Well, I’ve been busy dealing with the opening of my noodle shop!"
"Noodle shop? What noodle shop?"
"Oh, it’s that one on Chang’an Street, the Fisherman’s Noodle. That’s my place. Upstairs, we have Fisherman Skincare. I’ll be selling skincare products there in the future. So, what do you think, nanny, have you decided? Do you want to buy?"