Chapter Fourteen: Must Make More Money

  As they passed by the teahouse, the owner came out with great respect and invited Wang Tong to enter. Wang Tong shook his head in refusal, finally understanding that Zhao Guotang was originally stationed there every day.

  It was early winter, and the northern capital was also bitterly cold. Zhang Shiqiang had only walked a few steps before he felt his whole body chill, let alone those Jin Yiwei guards who were already late. By the time they returned to Nanjie, it was almost lunchtime. Walking on the road, both cold and hungry, was truly unbearable.

  Nowadays, being on duty on this street, going to that wine building is also a free meal and drink, there is warmth over there, why suffer here.

  Wang Tong, who was walking on the road, looked very serious and kept looking around while walking, as if he didn't know what to look at. Zhang Shi Qiang fell two steps behind and saw Wang Tong stop someone and ask a few questions politely, then turned to ask others.

  Wearing a flying fish garment and straddling an embroidered spring knife, the person asking the questions didn't care about age, but those being asked were all extremely frightened, afraid of answering incorrectly.

  Zhang Shiqiang hurried up a few steps and heard Wang Tong's question, which was "Where are you going to have lunch?" "Why not go to the wine building..." Zhang Shiqiang slowed down his pace, thinking that this little brother had just gained some power and wanted to show off on the street.

  When Wang Tong arrived at the entrance of the Ji Yi Fang, he stopped and looked around. The two burly men standing at the entrance saw the Brocade Guard passing by their door, but there was no expression on their faces, not even a courteous greeting.

  This gambling house looks like an ordinary residence from the outside, but standing outside can hear the sound of people inside, gamblers rushing in and out, it is very popular.

  Zhang Shiqiang felt a bit nervous, fearing that Wang Tong's youthful vigor would stir up trouble. The backstage of this Justice Square was not even dared to be provoked by Tian Baihu, the hundred-household leader, so it was better to be cautious.

  However, Wang Tong just stood there watching, Zhang Shiqiang was a bit confused, and after following his gaze for a while, he found that Wang Tong was staring at the gamblers entering and leaving the door, and specifically at the dry rations in their hands. It was lunchtime, many gamblers had gambled to their heart's content, rushed out to buy buns or dumplings to eat, and then came back to continue gambling.

  Zhang Shiqiang was both angry and amused by this discovery. It turned out that Wang Tong was just a hungry little kid!

  It was just a glance, but Wang Tong finally knew that watching others eat was not as good as going to the wine house to eat himself, and he proactively called Zhang Shiqiang together to go to the wine house.

  Zhenxing Building is located on the east side of South Street, a two-story wine building, with scattered seats on the first floor and elegant seats on the second floor, and six separate courtyards behind.

  When Wang Tong and the other person walked in, they were warmly welcomed by the host. However, Wang Tong noticed a look of difficulty on his face, and he knew why he was having trouble.

  Zhengxing Building should not entertain small gatherings, only whole tables. The two tables on the first floor are just for show. Most of the guests are either in the elegant seats or private rooms. The surrounding businesses on Nan Street don't have many wealthy officials, so they welcome and bid farewell to public and private guests here during festivals and holidays.

  The people living in this area are mostly wealthy, and the restaurant has been booming for many years. It's always packed at noon and night, and business is very good.

  It's not that I mind the two Jin Yiwei coming to eat for free, but it's just that at noon, there are no seats available on the second floor, and meeting them in the first-floor casual seating area is too slow. However, going to other seats is also impossible because they're all taken.

  This Wang Tong is newly appointed, everyone has seen his violent temper, if he is slow to act, wouldn't that be inviting trouble for his own wine shop.

  The shopkeeper and the waiter thought they had covered it up well, but Wang Tong saw through it clearly, so he just smiled and said:

  "This floor still has empty seats, sitting here is fine."

  The people in the building let out a sigh of relief, but what happened next left them even more bewildered. It was reasonable to expect free hospitality, yet the Jin Yiwei called over his partner and asked the prices of all the dishes in the restaurant, only to order two simple side dishes to go with their rice.

  What's even more puzzling is that after finishing the meal, Wang Tong actually still had to pay for it. When did the valuable Brocade Guard have to spend money on meals?

  After several rejections, he finally left the wine tower. Even if it was low-key and thick, like Zhang Shiqiang, he felt his face burning. I thought this Wang Tong little brother was a mature youth, but looking at his behavior today, he is obviously very confused, and his actions are completely childish. If he does this, being laughed at by his colleagues in the hundred households is nothing, the key is that he must not lose his job, or else he will be finished.

  Zhang Shiqiang did not expect that this wandering around, inquiring about prices at various shops, and walking on the road with a dazed expression would continue for four days.

  By the fifth day at noon, Wang Tong finally stopped wandering around and sat in the Lucky Teahouse staring blankly. Zhang Shi-Qiang was worried, thinking that Wang Tong was still just a young man after all. In this short period of less than ten days, he had experienced great joys and sorrows, and had even seen bloodshed. What if he couldn't take it and his mind became unhinged? He needed to be consoled.

  The fragrant tea in front of Wang Tong had gone cold, he stared at the crowd outside the teahouse door, Zhang Shijiang beside him was about to ask a question when he heard Wang Tong sigh and say to himself:

  "Four years of university, ten years of work experience, thought I could make big deals anywhere anytime, but in the end still have to rely on catering to make money!"

  What Wang Tong remembered most deeply about his university days was what his professor said at the beginning of his first professional course:

  Making money is easy, the catering industry, especially the fast food industry, as long as you do a good job of hygiene, have enough food and dishes, deliver on time, find companies and individuals who need to eat, you will definitely make money.

  But then something unexpected happened when the students' emotions were stirred up:

  "Anyone can earn this kind of money, but if you do it for ten years, you still won't be able to buy a two-bedroom house in the suburbs of a big city. Want to succeed? Then study hard and listen to my lectures..."

  Wang Tong really wanted to succeed and get rid of the poverty that came with being an orphan for many years, so he was moved by his professor's words and did not waste his time like other classmates. He studied hard for four years and achieved success in his career.

  He firmly remembered what he heard in his first professional class and told newcomers during training, and reminded his younger brothers during casual conversations.

  Unconsciously, in Wang Tong's heart, he had always been resistant to the catering industry, feeling that it was not purely sales and trade.

  With thirty or forty taels of silver a year, one can live a fairly comfortable life. If one saves and is frugal, perhaps they can live out their years in peace. Wang Tong, who had some knowledge of history, began making calculations from when he was an infant. The great Ming dynasty still had about sixty years of peaceful times left. If he were lucky enough to live into his seventies or eighties, at the very least he could make it to Jiangnan. He vaguely remembered that Southern Ming still had twenty-some years left, and after that, Wang Tong didn't think he would be able to live past a hundred.

  But Wang Tong was not content with such a peaceful life, he wanted to make a career and get rich, what he didn't achieve before, he wants to achieve in this life. Moreover, the monthly silver salary is not stable, who knows if this position will be given to others by the superior or some other situation will occur.

  Wang Tong wants to find another way out and find other financial resources.

  In Beijing and Macau, Wang Tong had been quietly observing that this era indeed had many businesses that could make people rich overnight, but these were not suitable for a boy who was less than fourteen years old.

  After getting this errand, Wang Tong had a substantial income, but his sense of urgency increased greatly. From previous observations and the on-site investigation and analysis in Nanshan Street over the past few days, he found that most businesses were not accessible to him, and only the catering industry seemed to have a relatively low threshold and higher earnings.

  Maybe the earnings are not much, but if you don't do it, then you won't earn a single cent. The principle of piling up sand to form a tower is something Wang Tong understands. However, thinking about that lesson he heard, Wang Tong suddenly thought, if he were to work in the catering industry for ten years, would he be able to afford a big house in the capital city to spend his old age?

  To be honest, writing until now, I still feel a bit awkward.

  It's an old saying, but this is a different story.