Chapter 10: Taking Over a Stall
Wen Yao was amused by him and poked his little face, teasing, “Do you even understand what we’re talking about, or are you just nodding along for fun?”
Datou let out a little huff and burrowed into Wen Xiuyi’s arms.
Seeing that, Wen Yao continued, “So, our main customers should be laborers and passersby. What do they want? The ability to spend the least amount of money—sometimes just enough to fill their stomachs.
But since we’re going to set up a stall, we can’t just focus on filling bellies without considering taste—that’s not my style.
So, our goal is simple: low prices, filling portions, and good flavors.”
“Keep going.” Wen Xiuyi shifted slightly to hold Datou more securely.
Wen Yao continued, “I checked with the grain shops earlier. Rice comes in different grades—premium polished rice sells for over twenty wen per jin, and there’s even more expensive white rice that regular folks can’t afford. Then, there’s standard white rice, which costs fifteen or sixteen wen per jin, mostly used in restaurants. Lastly, there’s brown rice, which costs eight wen per jin and is what most people eat.
Given our current situation, we should start with something simple—fried rice. We can use a pushcart with a built-in stove, cook the rice at home in advance, store it in a bucket, and have prepped ingredients ready. When a customer orders, we fry it on the spot—fast, efficient, and filling.
A jin of rice can make enough fried rice for at least three adult portions, and we can add some vegetables to balance it out. As for pricing, plain fried rice should be around ten wen, egg fried rice twelve wen, and if they want minced meat, fifteen wen per serving.”
Wen Xiuyi nodded. This was a solid plan. This way, he and Wen Jun could handle the stall while Wen Yao stayed home to take care of Datou and prepare supplies.
But there was one issue…
“Will we even make a profit at these prices?” Wen Xiuyi asked.
Wen Yao had already calculated everything—otherwise, she wouldn’t have set the prices this way. After spending the morning observing the market, she had a good grasp of the local costs.
“We’ll definitely make a profit, just not a huge one. What we need to consider is whether people will actually be willing to spend ten wen on a meal. Many laborers only earn around fifty to sixty wen a day—who knows how many would be willing to pay that much for food?”
Hearing this, Wen Xiuyi awkwardly rubbed his nose and corrected her. “Uh… that’s just your father earning fifty wen a day. Most other laborers make at least a hundred wen per day. Spending ten wen on a meal isn’t a big deal for them.”
Well, it couldn’t be helped—his body was strong, but he was still unfamiliar with this world, especially the kind of labor required. Naturally, he wasn’t as efficient as the others, and it was already a blessing that his employer hadn’t fired him.
Huh? Wen Yao stared at him in shock. She had thought that a full day of laboring only earned fifty to sixty wen, making the wages in this world seem incredibly low. But now she realized—it was just Old Man Wen’s problem.
To avoid being judged by his children, Wen Xiuyi immediately made the decision: they would go with this plan.
Thus, their first family business meeting came to a successful conclusion.
Just then, a voice suddenly spoke up from beside them. “So, you’re done discussing? When are you setting up your stall?”
All three of them—and the little one—jumped in surprise. When they looked up, they saw a young man squatting near a tree, curiously watching their family of four.
Seeing them all staring at him, the young man scratched his head awkwardly and stood up, pointing at a nearby stall. “That’s my stall over there. I noticed you guys huddled together whispering, and since I didn’t have any customers, I overheard a bit. Sorry for scaring you.
But hey, what’s this ‘fried rice’ thing you were talking about? Is it tasty? I’ve never heard of rice being fried before—aren’t dishes usually just stir-fried?”
Wen Yao’s eyes lit up. There’s no fried rice here? That was great news—heaven was practically helping them! She glanced at his stall and saw that he was selling wooden items, with several wooden basins and buckets placed on the ground. Their family actually needed some of these things, so she figured she might as well ask about the rules for setting up a stall while she was at it.
“Big Brother, nice to meet you! As for fried rice, you’ll just have to come and try it once we start selling it,” Wen Yao said sweetly with a grin.
Hearing himself called “Big Brother,” the young man blushed slightly and scratched his head. “I’m called Liuzi. Just call me Liuzi. So, when are you setting up your stall?”
The three of them exchanged glances.
“Brother Liuzi, are there any rules for setting up a stall at the docks? This is our first time here,” Wen Yao asked.
Liuzi grabbed a few small stools from his stall and invited them to sit before explaining, “There aren’t many strict rules. As long as you don’t block the road, you can set up wherever you find space. But the government officials come by once a month to collect a hundred wen as a management fee.”
A hundred wen per month? That was basically a stall rental fee.
“If we want to set up a stall, do we need to register at the government office?” Wen Yao asked again.
“If it’s your first time, you need to register at the yamen. But if you’re taking over an existing stall, you just need to let the officials know when they come to collect fees at the end of the month,” Liuzi replied.
The three of them exchanged glances. Looked like they’d need to make a trip to the government office.
But Liuzi’s next words brought a pleasant surprise.
“My third uncle has a stall—right there, next to mine. But he injured his leg while working last month, and since his younger siblings are still small, they can’t run the stall. He’s decided to give it up, so he’s looking to transfer it to someone else.” Liuzi pointed to the empty stall beside his.
The three of them looked over. The stall wasn’t big, but it had a pre-built canopy for shade. Best of all, there was already a stove.
Wen Yao had noticed this spot earlier but had assumed it belonged to a vendor who hadn’t come in today. Turns out, it was up for grabs.
Liuzi continued, “The only downside is that it’s a bit farther from the main dock area. Most food vendors are set up over there because that’s where the laborers usually go. My uncle used to run a tea stall here—it’s a busy path for merchants and travelers, so his business was decent.”
Since he had overheard their plan to target laborers, he was reminding them about the location issue.
Hearing this, the three of them found Liuzi to be quite a decent person. And as for the location? So what if it was a bit out of the way? Hadn’t they heard the saying—good food is worth the extra walk?
“Liuzi, how is your uncle planning to transfer the stall? What’s the price?” Wen Xiuyi asked.
Liuzi knew the details.
“My uncle is asking for two hundred wen—that includes the tea stall setup, stove, two tables, and eight chairs. If you think that’s too much, he’s willing to go down to one hundred eighty wen, but not lower than that.”
Hearing this, the three of them found the price quite reasonable. The spot itself was good—it wasn’t as chaotic or noisy as the main dock area. And as long as they built a solid reputation, customers would come.
