Chapter 330: Choose For Yourself Whether to Stay or Leave
Wen Yao and Qiu Rongrong didn’t agree on the spot, merely stating that they could assess the situation first before deciding.
With that, Manager Wu knew in his heart that this was as good as settling eighty to ninety percent of the way. As long as these two could retain the staff, there would be no need to worry about those assistants becoming unemployed.
After making a round outside, the group returned once more, which brought immense joy to the teahouse manager standing behind the counter.
“Manager Wu, Manager Qiu, Miss Wen! Please come in, please come in!” The teahouse manager ushered them through the door in person, ordered tea to be served, and then stood off to the side, stealing a glance at Manager Wu.
Manager Wu gave a subtle nod. Only then did the teahouse manager let out a sigh of relief, the smile on his face growing even broader.
“Manager, what is your honorable surname?” Wen Yao asked.
The teahouse manager hastily curtsied: “In reply to Miss, this small one is surnamed Fang. Everyone addresses me as Manager Fang.”
Wen Yao nodded. Manager Wu then instructed Manager Fang to quickly send someone to invite the owner over, and Manager Fang hurriedly dispatched a person to fetch him.
Before long, a man in his thirties arrived at the teahouse. Seeing Wen Yao and Qiu Rongrong, he froze for a brief second. He knew someone had come to buy the building, but he hadn’t expected it to be two young girls.
Once Manager Wu finished the introductions, the man immediately cupped his hands in respect toward the two: “So you two are Manager Qiu and Miss Wen. I have long heard of your esteemed names.”
“Boss Li, please sit down. Inviting you over today is precisely for the matter of this teahouse. We two sisters are genuinely sincere about buying, so we just don’t know if Boss Li is genuinely sincere about selling,” Qiu Rongrong said with calm poise.
Boss Li sat down, looking at the two with a faint smile as he spoke: “Selling is certainly something I genuinely intend to do. Since you two are also sincere about buying, this humble self will not beat around the bush either. Every single item in this teahouse is fully equipped—one could say it can be put to use immediately upon taking over. Furthermore, it was renovated just last year, and everything inside—the tables, chairs, and benches—was replaced with brand-new ones, incurring quite a substantial investment.”
Wen Yao and Qiu Rongrong merely smiled without speaking.
Boss Li added: “Three thousand five hundred taels. Everyone, this price is truly cheap in this prefectural city. If you two don’t believe it, you can go outside and take a look—no restaurant can be bought for this amount. I am also giving an honest price seeing that you two are sincere about buying.”
Manager Wu shot a glance at Wen Yao and Qiu Rongrong, his eyes saying, See? Didn’t I tell you so?
Qiu Rongrong and Wen Yao knitted their brows slightly. If it were three thousand five hundred taels, they would truly have to reconsider.
Receiving the message conveyed by their gazes, Manager Wu offered an apology, then pulled Boss Li off to the side to whisper in private.
Boss Li’s brows could be seen knitting tighter and tighter while Manager Wu spoke with eloquent fluency, seemingly saying something to him. Although Boss Li’s expression looked somewhat displeased, one could tell from his eyes that he appeared moved.
Although it was five hundred taels less, if this teahouse continued to operate, he would have to keep pouring money into it—wages for the assistants, the daily consumption of so many supplies, and even with fewer people tipping the storyteller recently, he still had to pay his wage.
When all was said and done, for every single day it remained in his hands, this teahouse would lose money for another day.
Furthermore, he was currently in urgent need of money. He had received news earlier that maritime trade was about to open in the south; if he arrived late, he feared he wouldn’t even get to drink a drop of the broth.
He knew all too well how lucrative maritime trade had been under the previous dynasty. If he missed this opportunity, there was no telling when he would have another chance to go out and seek his fortune.
Weighing these pros and cons, letting go of five hundred taels was no longer so difficult to accept.
Finally, the two sisters saw Boss Li nod, and both let out a sigh of relief.
When Boss Li and Manager Wu returned to sit down once more, Wen Yao even poured a cup of hot tea for each of them.
Boss Li spoke up: “Miss Wen, there’s no need to be polite. Old Wu told me just now. Three thousand taels—I agree to this price, but I have a request.”
“Please speak,” Qiu Rongrong made a inviting gesture.
Boss Li called Manager Fang over before continuing: “To be frank with you, this time I am leaving to seek development in the south, and I fear I will not be coming back. However, once I leave, Old Fang and the others will have no way to make a living. There are around twenty assistants front and back in this teahouse. If you two find them usable, could you keep them on? Since you two will need to hire people anyway, it would be better to hire those who know the ropes.”
Wen Yao raised an eyebrow. The assistants aside, was he not even taking the manager along? Weren’t managers in this era usually household servants?
Perhaps perceiving Wen Yao’s doubt, Boss Li explained: “Old Fang is a free man. He only signed an employment contract with my family, not a deed of indenture. He started working at my family’s teahouse back in my father’s time, having worked here for decades.
“The assistants in the teahouse are the same—all are under employment contracts without deeds of indenture. If you two agree, I can transfer the documents previously signed with them over to you both as well.”
Having ready-made assistants and a manager saved Wen Yao and Qiu Rongrong even more trouble.
“This is not a problem. As long as they pass our evaluation, they may stay. However, there are some words we must also state upfront: if there are any who sneak around, play tricks, or act slippery, we will not take them. Furthermore, to continue working in our restaurant, they must strictly follow our requirements. If anyone cannot achieve this, it would be best for Boss Li to dismiss them earlier.”
Wen Yao spoke without standing on ceremony, but in business, things were spoken of strictly in terms of business—it wasn’t something personal favors could resolve. After all, what they would handle in the future was food going into people’s mouths, allowing not even the slightest margin for error.
Boss Li nodded: “Naturally, I understand. In a moment, I will gather everyone in one place to ask them. Those who wish to stay may stay, and for those who wish to leave, I will also give some silver to dismiss them—I won’t add trouble for you two.”
The two nodded: “Then we shall trouble Boss Li.”
Boss Li asked them to rest for a short while, taking Manager Fang to the back courtyard himself. A few customers remained originally, but they were given complimentary items, excused from today’s tea charges, and politely escorted out, after which the main doors were promptly closed.
Reaching the back courtyard, the assistants were all gathered in one spot. Everyone knew by now that this teahouse was likely about to be sold. The expressions on everyone’s faces differed, yet the only thing held in common was a face full of deep worry.
Boss Li didn’t keep it from them either, explaining the situation, before saying in the end: “You have followed me for so many years, and I haven’t mistreated you. I can’t leave without arranging things properly for you at the end. I have agreed with the new owners that those who wish to stay may stay. However, the new owners have requirements as well: you must pass their evaluation, and only those who qualify can continue to remain.
“Consider this for yourselves—whether to stay or not. If you choose not to stay, I won’t mistreat you either. Each person will receive two taels of silver as severance pay, which is equivalent to issuing you three months of wages in advance. These three months should be enough for you to find your next job.”
After speaking, Boss Li looked at these assistants who had followed him for many years and let out a sigh: “Alright, I’ve said everything that needs to be said. Consider it for yourselves. Those who wish to stay shall wait in the shop; those who wish to leave, inform Old Fang, settle your wages, take your severance pay, and head home.”
With that, Boss Li left the back courtyard, returning to the main hall. Wen Yao and Qiu Rongrong were still waiting there, and Manager Wu had prepared all the transfer documents, placing them on the table.
