Chapter 22  

After the break, Zhang Rui planned to look for a suitable store. The first choice was, of course, the one near the university. This place was highly recommended by Tian Jiao and Zhang Yanran. If he bought it, he would surely make money in the future!  

But because of this, the chance of buying it was small, especially in terms of value. They had no advantage over others and could only try their luck.  

Tian Jiao was very interested in the food business, so she followed Zhang Rui and helped as much as she could.  

Thanks to her good luck, she found a store for sale near the university town in just half a day. Zhang Rui bought it quickly and began to purchase materials.  

The first step was decoration.  

Tian Jiao looked at the large store and suddenly had an idea. She raised her hand and said, “I’ll do it!”  

Zhang Rui laughed. “You want to do it?”  

Tian Jiao puffed out her chest proudly. “Of course! Let’s build an ancient-style restaurant. I will paint and decorate it with Chinese paintings. The students will definitely like an ancient-style restaurant. Just paint the store white. I’ll go buy some paint.”  

For such large walls, the paint she brought wouldn’t be enough.  

Zhang Rui also thought of his daughter’s artistic talent. Her skills were already very mature, and everything she painted was beautiful and meaningful. It was a brilliant idea.

The more cultured people were, the more they appreciated such art. Just look at Mr. Song Zhen’s paintings—they were highly praised. The works of a genius who inherited his talent would surely captivate many.

He nodded, “Alright, I’ll let you handle it. I’ll pay you 20 yuan for each wall.”

Tian Jiao pouted, “I can’t take it. Forget it.”

Zhang Rui chuckled, thinking about his daughter’s luck. 

Xiao He looked at the excited Tian Jiao and then at Zhang Rui, saying, “I can help with the accounting.”

Zhang Rui’s eyes lit up, “I almost forgot about you!”

They were all put to work. Zhang Yanran went to Song Zhen’s place to buy various ingredients and started experimenting. Every day, she visited the vegetable market, and all the food she made was tasted by Song Zhen and Li Mu, with some saved for the restaurant.

Everyone performed their tasks diligently, and progress went smoothly. The entire store was completed in just half a month.

The large landscape paintings on the walls were eye-catching. They weren’t traditional ink paintings but vibrant depictions of mountains, rivers, and flowers in various shades of green and yellow. 

The colors were bright yet complementary, and the murals captured a fairyland-like beauty. Many of the flowers depicted were unfamiliar even to Song Zhen, who had searched through numerous plant books without success.

The painting was so realistic that it felt as though such a place existed in real life.

“This painting is fantastic!” Song Zhen praised wholeheartedly.

The little disciple was indeed talented. To achieve such a level at only twelve years old was remarkable. He mused about her potential for greatness in the future.

Tian Jiao smiled modestly, accepting the compliment and waving her little hands shyly behind her back.

The scene in the painting was something she had seen before—she had experienced countless real fairylands in her previous life. Picking a random landscape scene was enough to make her heart flutter.

Of course, the lack of the Internet at this time meant that magnificent scenery wasn’t easily accessible. Even when the Internet became popular, searching for beautiful landscapes wouldn’t compare to the stunning imagery of her own creation.

Suddenly, a polite voice interrupted her thoughts. “Excuse me,” a young man wearing glasses said, standing nearby with a drawing board in hand. “Is there an art exhibition here?”

Zhang Rui shook his head. “No.”

The young man looked surprised and confused. “Then what are you doing…?”

Zhang Rui realized and raised an eyebrow proudly. “My daughter painted this. Isn’t it amazing? This will be a restaurant soon, so you can come by to eat!”

The young man glanced at the others but didn’t find who he was looking for. He felt a bit disappointed but grew more excited, saying, “I admire your daughter’s paintings and would like to be her pen pal.”

This caused an awkward silence.

Tian Jiao felt several eyes on her, her face turning red. She raised her hand in embarrassment. “Um, I’m his daughter, and I painted this. I don’t need a pen pal, sorry.”

The young man’s eyes widened in shock, and he looked back at the painting, wiping his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he saw. 

After a few moments of disbelief, he asked, “Is it really you?”

Tian Jiao nodded, and the young man’s face flushed as he hurriedly left, unaware that he had just encountered a true master painter.

Zhang Rui couldn’t help but laugh loudly. 

Xiao He tugged at Tian Jiao’s sleeve, slightly annoyed. 

Zhang Yanran covered her mouth, giggling. “Jiaojiao is amazing!”

Song Zhen coughed lightly and affectionately rubbed Tian Jiao’s head. “This shows that people recognize your talent. When we hold an art exhibition in two years, I’ll reserve a wall for you!”

Tian Jiao’s earlier embarrassment faded, and she nodded happily, “Okay, okay!”

After that episode, they turned their focus to the real work ahead.

They needed to purchase tables, chairs, benches, gas tanks, pots, pans, and other essential items, which would require a considerable expense.

Zhang Rui felt a sting in his wallet, but after tasting Zhang Yanran’s cooking, he was no longer bothered by it.

The school food was cheap and affordable, and they didn’t plan to make it high-end, making it accessible to everyone. Thus, Zhang Yanran prepared several types of dishes: stir-fries of various flavors and many braised dishes served as individual meals. Since she had to attend school, it wasn’t feasible for her to be the sole chef. Fortunately, there weren’t many professional chefs available at the time, and Zhang Rui was smart enough to learn a few recipes quickly. With Zhang Yanran’s special ingredients, the flavors were nearly identical.

They hired a chef and two apprentices, and the kitchen began to take shape.

Once the decorations were underway, a recruitment notice was posted at the restaurant’s door, and by the time they were ready to open, several people had already been hired.

During this period, labor was still relatively inexpensive, and with Xiao He managing expenses efficiently, they saved quite a bit.

Tian Jiao thought Xiao He wasn’t particularly good at bargaining.

However, when she accompanied him to the vegetable market and observed how he communicated with vendors in a straightforward and efficient manner, effortlessly lowering prices, she realized that she had underestimated him.

As they were about to leave, one vendor muttered, “I thought he was just a kid, but he turned out to be so powerful. Damn it!”

Tian Jiao chuckled and nudged Xiao He’s shoulder. “How did you manage to communicate with people before? Did you bargain by writing on paper?”

Xiao He smiled, pursing his lips. “No, but there are many good people who always lower the prices themselves.”

Tian Jiao blinked and didn’t say anything else.

Xiao He lowered his eyes, showing some nostalgia: “They felt sorry for me and thought I looked good. I couldn’t speak well when I was young and had no books, so they didn’t ask for expensive things. A few days ago, when I went to play and asked for directions, everyone was very nice. Thank you, Jiaojiao.”

Tian Jiao scoffed, “Why thank you? It’s your fault. I didn’t make you look good.”

It was still the same Xu, although she had never seen her as beautiful. Whenever she saw Xu, it was either when she was being beaten or going crazy.

But since the villain was in this state now, she wouldn’t become someone who ends up as an enemy of others, suffering a mental breakdown and committing suicide later.

Did this mean she had fulfilled her wish from her previous life?

The two left the vegetable market. Tian Jiao looked around and suddenly saw a familiar face. When she focused, the face disappeared.

She rubbed her eyes but still couldn’t see anything. Xiao He noticed this and looked at her in confusion.

“Nothing, let’s go.” Tian Jiao shook her head, and they headed back.

…

The opening is in three days. Everything is ready, and the next step is promotion.

The deadline for reporting to the university is quite flexible, considering students who travel long distances.

After Tian Jiao and Zhang Yanran successfully reported, more students began to gather around, and the store opened.

Before this, Zhang Yanran had printed flyers and hired people to distribute them. There weren’t many flyers in that time, so the effect was still pretty good.

On the opening day, firecrackers and gongs and drums were set off, drawing in many people.

When they saw this, their eyes lit up.

The name of this small restaurant is simple: “Delicious Inn.”

The sign is from ancient times, and the door has been styled with ancient doors. The location is spacious, and when the four doors are opened, the antique decor of the restaurant is immediately visible. When they saw the walls inside, their eyes widened.

“This is really beautiful! It’s so pleasing to the eye!”

“This painting is stunning. At first glance, it feels like you are standing between heaven and earth!”

“The store is very clean. No, I have to go in first.”

“Wait, I’ll go too.”

“Save me a spot.”

“Oh my gosh, it looks better sitting inside. It has a stronger feeling up close.”

“…”

The hired shopkeeper beamed with joy: “Come in!”

“Here is the menu, take a look.” The young clerk, dressed in ancient waiter’s clothes, placed the menu in front of the customers and waited with a smile.

Two students came in together. When they saw the menu, they felt a bit embarrassed. Although the prices are not overly expensive, they are still pricier than other places. They could afford it if they squeezed their budget, but they couldn’t come here often.

The waiter smiled and said, “Today is our opening, and all dishes are 20% off.”

The students’ eyes brightened, and one pointed at two dishes: “We want these two.”

“Okay.” The waiter nodded and took the order to the kitchen.

Zhang Rui took a deep breath and said excitedly, “Let’s do this!”

The chef who had signed the contract nodded: “Okay!”

Then, orders came in steadily, and even with two helpers, they were very busy. Thankfully, Zhang Yanran had prepared various braised dishes in advance to help fill in.

Especially the braised pig’s trotters, which smelled so good when heated that it was hard to sit still.

Seeing that there were too many customers, Tian Jiao and Zhang Yanran jumped in to help, one as a waiter in front and the other cooking in the back kitchen.

“Why did you bring us here? Oh, it looks very expensive!” A middle-aged woman followed her son in and immediately felt cautious when she saw the decor.

The son smiled and said, “Mom, I made some money. There are so many people here; the food must be good. Didn’t you just say it smelled great outside? It’s a good chance to try it.”

The woman immediately reacted with disgust and began to criticize the restaurant, “What’s so special about it? I don’t smell anything…” Mid-sentence, a clear voice interrupted her, “Hello, auntie, hello, brother, please sit over here. There’s an empty table.”

The woman swallowed the words she had not finished and looked at the delicate and pretty girl in front of her. Wow, she’s only twelve and already working?

She suddenly felt sad for her but couldn’t say anything. She could only sit down, still feeling it was a waste.

Her son, however, smiled and asked, “Can you recommend something? I don’t know what is delicious.”

Tian Jiao thought of how good Zhang Yanran’s cooking was and felt her mouth water. She swallowed and asked, “Can you eat spicy food?”

The young man nodded: “All is fine.”

“I recommend this boiled fish fillet; it’s delicious, and the fish meat is very tender!” Tian Jiao pointed at the dish on the menu, “We just opened today, and you can get 20% off.”

The middle-aged woman immediately looked at her son: “What do you think?”

“Okay.” The young man nodded.

So they ordered this dish plus two servings of rice. The rice can be refilled as much as you want, but generally, you won’t lose out unless you meet a big eater.

After they ordered, Tian Jiao quickly went to serve other guests. Under her cute face and bright smile, almost all the guests who came in ordered food.

Soon, the hall was filled with the delicious aroma of food.

Many students were there as well, admiring the paintings on the wall and praising them highly.

As time went on, more people continued to arrive at the restaurant. Occasionally, a few guests with cameras could be seen taking pictures of the wall. Some even asked the shopkeeper who painted the picture, wanting to meet him.

Of course, everything was still unclear.

Xiao He worked as the cashier. He was skilled at accounting. Whenever someone asked for a bill, he would quickly take the account book and settle everything without delay.

Zhang Rui thought of every detail before opening the restaurant. The preparations were thorough, and nothing went wrong on the opening day.

When he tallied the profits in the evening, he was shocked.

After paying all expenses, including wages for helpers and costs for groceries, there was still over 20 yuan left. Even though it was the first day and everything was discounted, without the discount, the profits would have been even higher.

Most people are careful with their money these days. Although the restaurant is not too expensive, it is still two cents pricier than nearby small eateries. While two cents may not seem like much later, it does matter now.

****

After a successful opening day, Zhang Rui’s business was off to a good start. On the second day, he offered a 5% discount. Although it was a small reduction, many people came to try the food.

Zhang Yanran kept adding new dishes, including milk tea, which is popular with girls in later generations. Once it was made, its popularity quickly grew.

The staff, especially the chefs, earned twice as much as those in ordinary restaurants. For safety, Zhang Rui and his team signed contracts. If anyone leaked the secret recipes, they would face huge penalties.

The workers were not from wealthy families, so they were unlikely to leak any secrets.

The pearls in the pearl milk tea were made by Zhang Yanran herself, so they couldn’t be copied easily.

Thinking about this made Tian Jiao admire Zhang Yanran’s cooking skills even more.

While munching on a delicious pie, Tian Jiao praised her in the car: “Your cooking is really amazing.”

Zhang Yanran smiled humbly: “It’s nothing. Your paintings are beautiful.”

After exchanging compliments, they reached the school gate and got out. One headed to the medical building, while the other went to the history building. Song Zhen headed to the School of Art.

The three friends split off in different directions.

As the youngest college student, Tian Jiao stood out in her department, but everyone liked her.

When class was about to start, Tian Jiao gave some extra pie made by Zhang Yanran to her friend Yuan Shu, who taught at the school.