“Auntie, please rise quickly. I cannot accept such a grand courtesy!”
Jin Feng hurriedly stepped aside, then reached out to help Madam Zhu Chen to her feet. “It was merely a small effort on my part.”
“Your small effort, sir, is a life-saving grace for my Zhu family!”
Madam Zhu Chen said, “A-Tang, A-Que, you must always remember this. You can never forget Master Jin’s great kindness in this lifetime.”
“Yes!” The two remaining young boys of the Zhu family nodded quickly.
“Linglong, the same goes for you. You must never forget the master’s great kindness, do you understand?”
After instructing the children, Madam Zhu Chen turned to look at Zhu Linglong.
“I understand!” Zhu Linglong gazed at Jin Feng with deep gratitude. “Without you, sir, there would be no Linglong today. No matter what happens in this life, I will absolutely never betray you, or may I be struck by heaven’s thunder!”
“You speak too seriously, too seriously!”
Jin Feng gestured invitingly with his hand. “It is cold outside. Everyone, please come in.”
In his heart, he felt some comfort.
Though he had searched for the Zhu women primarily for Zhu Linglong’s sake, no one wished to rescue a pack of ungrateful wolves.
The group entered the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce one after another. Jin Feng had assumed Madam Zhu Chen had come only to express thanks. Yet shortly after they sat down, she did not engage in idle family talk, but asked directly, “Sir, do you have plans to open a restaurant?”
“A restaurant?”
Jin Feng was momentarily surprised. He shook his head. “I had not considered it before. Why? Does Auntie have any suggestions?”
“This old woman truly does not know how to repay your great kindness, but I managed restaurants with Linglong’s father for a lifetime. If you are willing to open one, sir, I am ready to serve you. It would at least repay a fraction of your grace,” Madam Zhu Chen replied.
“That’s right, sir!”
Zhu Linglong’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. “Our family restaurant was always managed by my mother before. She is very capable.”
“So Auntie is truly a heroine among women.”
Jin Feng smiled at Madam Zhu Chen, but his mind raced quickly.
A restaurant business was similar to hotels in his previous life.
It required large investment and had a long return cycle. Jin Feng had not encountered relevant talent before, so he had never considered it.
But now that Madam Zhu Chen had offered herself, Jin Feng could not help feeling interested.
Whether the restaurant would make money aside, the most important thing was that it served as a vital source of intelligence and an excellent place for publicity.
“Auntie, you are the expert. If I wanted to open a restaurant that combines accommodation, dining, and entertainment, do you think it feasible?” Jin Feng asked.
“Entertainment? What is that?” Madam Zhu Chen asked in confusion.
This was the first time she had heard the term.
“Entertainment, how to explain…”
Jin Feng thought for a moment, then replied, “I mean, I want to build a stage in the restaurant. Guests would not only eat and stay, but also listen to storytellers or watch plays there. What do you think?”
“You mean to open a teahouse within the restaurant, sir?”
Madam Zhu Chen understood this time.
“Yes!” Jin Feng nodded.
“In principle, it is possible. However, the cost would likely be considerably higher than a normal restaurant.”
Madam Zhu Chen frowned as she answered.
“How much money would it roughly require? How long to recover the investment?”
“That depends on how large you wish to build it, sir, and the location of the restaurant,” Madam Zhu Chen replied helplessly.
“Yes, yes. I was thinking too simplistically. Restaurants in different locations have different construction costs and customer sources.”
Jin Feng also came back to his senses. “I truly know nothing about this trade. If you have time, Auntie, I would like to trouble you to conduct a market survey for me.”
“Survey?” Madam Zhu Chen heard another new term.
“A survey means going out to enquire about basic information such as rents, land prices, and customer flow for opening restaurants in different areas.”
Zhu Linglong explained, “With this information, through calculations, we can easily work out the costs and profits of opening a restaurant in different places, then select the most suitable location.”
“So that is how it works.”
Madam Zhu Chen nodded in sudden understanding. “Rest assured, sir. I shall see to it tomorrow.”
“No need to rush. You have only just arrived, Auntie. Settle in first.”
“Linglong has already rented a courtyard. There is nothing much to settle.”
Madam Zhu Chen said, “Sir, just wait for my news.”
“Then I shall trouble you, Auntie.”
Jin Feng cupped his hands in a scholarly salute.
He could see that Madam Zhu Chen was a woman with great ambition.
Moreover, she had rich experience and bold vision.
Though she kept calling herself “old woman,” she had married and borne children early. She was only just over forty now, in the prime of life.
Such a talent, who also felt deep gratitude towards him, was naturally one Jin Feng would not let slip away.
Even if he did not open a restaurant, Jin Feng planned to bring her into the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce or the Jinchuan Money House to work.
Madam Zhu Chen then asked Jin Feng for some pointers on what to note during the survey before leaving.
When Jin Feng saw the Zhu women off, he noticed that snow pellets had begun falling at some point.
“This year’s first snow is a bit early!”
Da Liu, following behind, shivered. “This year will surely be a bitter winter. Who knows how many people will freeze to death?”
“La Niña is coming.”
Jin Feng also sighed.
The thing he feared most had still happened.
“Who is La Niña?” Da Liu asked curiously.
Jin Feng did not answer, but instructed, “Go fetch a few horses. It is time to pay respects to Her Highness the Princess and Lord Qing.”
La Niña was a global natural phenomenon, also called the anti-El Niño phenomenon.
Its specific impact on their country manifested as hot summers and cold winters, with a tendency towards extreme weather such as floods and droughts.
Having noticed the summer drought in Chuanshu this year, followed by continuous autumn rains, Jin Feng had long predicted a possible La Niña event.
Thus, he had begun stockpiling grain very early.
Though Da Liu was gossipy, he acted quickly.
Moments later, the mounted party left the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce.
Upon reaching the temporary residence of the Ninth Princess, they happened to see her carriage setting out.
“Sir, I was just about to go find you!”
The Ninth Princess lifted the carriage curtain. “Since you are here, let us go together to find Brother Xinyao.”
“Good!”
Jin Feng turned his horse, and the group headed straight for the Qing residence.
Yet before reaching it, they spotted Qing Xinyao riding towards them.
The three mounted parties merged into one and returned to the Qing residence.
They had barely sat down in the study when A-Mei appeared, supporting a limping Qing Muluan.
More than half a month earlier, she had gone to Great Python Slope and received military punishment.
Even though the female escort administering it had shown mercy, she had still been bedridden for over half a month.
Today, seeing the snow, she had forced herself to come.
“Sister Muluan, why have you come?”
The Ninth Princess quickly stood and, together with A-Mei, helped Qing Muluan into the study.
Qing Muluan did not answer the Ninth Princess, but looked at Jin Feng. “Sir, your calculations were truly accurate. This year’s first snow has indeed come nearly a month earlier than last year!”
Hearing this, Qing Xinyao and the Ninth Princess looked at Jin Feng with added awe.
Long ago, Jin Feng had told them that this winter would be very cold and snow would come early. He had advised them to prepare soon.
At the time, they had been half-believing. Now facts proved Jin Feng completely correct.
The first snow had indeed arrived much earlier than the previous year.
