Siheyuan: If you ruin the reputation of the whole courtyard, I will move out

Then, he proposed a new idea: "I have a suggestion. There are many empty stores nearby. Can you go to the community and see if you can rent them for expansion? You can go and ask about this."

Zhao Zihao agreed excitedly: "Get started now!" His positive attitude was evident.

However, Zhang Yu reminded: "It's a little late now. Everyone on the road has gotten off work."

Hearing this, Zhao Zihao immediately understood and said with a smile: "Yes, I am extremely worried."

Zhang Yu then made further plans: "Now that the business is booming, we plan to rent two more stores to specialize in clothing, shoes and pants to ensure that each store can be operated professionally."

Facing the upcoming expansion, Zhao Zihao was worried: "Can we handle it?"

"Of course, we do need help. I have a plan to recruit a few young and attractive girls to serve as sales staff. The effect should be very good." Zhang Yu responded. As if seeing the potential of the future, Zhao Zihao fell into deep thought. But Zhang Yu immediately shared his idea: "In two weeks, we will go to Guangzhou to develop a brand alliance and increase the variety of goods in the store."

After the two reached a strategy, they devoted themselves to the expansion of the business. As the business of "Taobao Zhang" expanded, they successively established "Taobao Zhang Clothing Store", "Taobao Zhang Shoe Store" and "Taobao Zhang Clothing Store". They are adjacent to each other, and the uniform design style can be seen at a glance that they are from the same person.

At this moment, Zhao Zihao has successfully negotiated with the community office. The monthly rent of the three stores is one hundred yuan each, and they have signed a ten-year lease with an agreement to increase the rent by 5% each year.

The rise of Zhang Sanjia's store on Taobao has led to the prosperity of small shops in the surrounding four districts. Some imitate Zhang Yu's model to sell clothing, shoes and socks, and others boldly open restaurants. The spring breeze warms every corner of the city.

Time flies, and eighty years have passed in a flash. Despite their busy work schedule, Zhang Yu and Zhao Zihao still happily look forward to the arrival of the Spring Festival. As usual, they close their three stores for a week to welcome the coming of the New Year.

On New Year's Eve, a rare family reunion took place. Dressed in brand new clothes and decorated with New Year's goods, they returned home to visit their old place in the slum, attracting the attention of their neighbors.

"Hey, Xiao Zhang, you're back home!" Neighbor Yan Bugui took the initiative to greet him and joked, "Your new clothes are really exquisite. You must have chosen them from your Taobao Zhang, right?" After resigning, Zhang Yu tried to keep a low profile and pretended that he didn't know his identity: "News comes really fast. If you want to find the most fashionable clothes in Beijing, you must go to Taobao Zhang."

Although he knows that the goods in the store are not cheap, he smiles and says: "It is true that they are not cheap, but in order to keep up with the fashion trend, no matter how much you save, it is not too much."

After a short rest, they visited He Yuzhu's home. Neighbors greeted them wherever they passed by. Their achievements caused widespread discussion among the neighbors: "Look, the worker uncle just left his job not long ago, and there is such a grand display." A neighbor commented.

"I remember a saying that someone gave up a stable job to start a business, but messed it up. It's probably too late to regret it then."

"That kid is dressed like a little celebrity. How much does the whole thing cost?"

Hearing these gossips, Zhang Yu frowned slightly and quickened his pace. As soon as he entered He Yuzhu's house, these rumors stopped.

Liu Xianjin and his family just arrived at this time. They were chatting with Li Shufen and Ran Qiuye. When they saw Zhang Yu and his wife and their children, He Sisi and He Tian, ​​they happily came forward to greet them.

He Yuzhu's child was held by He Yushui, who handed him a bag of fruits and snacks. The three children laughed and ran to the other side to play.

After Zhang Yu and his wife greeted them with New Year greetings, everyone sat around the table.

"Brother is preparing dinner, right?" Zhang Yu noticed that He Yuzhu was not there and guessed that he was preparing delicious food.

"Only the last two things are left, and they will be ready soon." Ran Qiuye added with a smile.

He Yuzhu walked in with dishes in his hands and announced: "My brother and sister-in-law are here, and the food is ready. Let's enjoy!" Zhang Yu had expected this scene. He took out a bottle of Moutai and filled it for Liu Xianjin and He Yuzhu.

At the dining table, two mothers, Qiu Ye and Yu Shui, guide their children to spend the reunion time together, and a lively New Year's Eve dinner is officially started.

He Yuzhu turned on the TV and saw his family gathered around the table, laughing and enjoying the delicious food and the happy atmosphere. This was a lively family feast, with everyone sitting around the fire and enjoying the family happiness. This was exactly the ideal life picture in Zhang Yu's mind.

However, at the dinner table, He Yuzhu asked Zhang Yu about his business situation with a slightly inquiring look: "Brother-in-law, how is the business going now? The store is doing well, how much is the monthly income?"

Facing He Yushui, Zhang Yu took a quick look and replied, "Not bad, a little more profitable than the factory days."

Since the beginning of his business, he has urged He Yushui to keep a low profile about his wealth, not wanting to attract the envy of others. At the end of the year, their efforts were rewarded, and everyone's income was hundreds of thousands of yuan, which was a tangible financial achievement.

Hearing that He Yushui had worked hard to accumulate nearly 300,000 yuan in savings, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. What's more subtle is that she had never told her real brother about the details of these savings.

He Yuzhu asked Zhang Yu: "I found that many privately-owned restaurants have emerged in the city. Have you tried any of them?" This question concealed his true intention.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu vaguely guessed what He Yuzhu was concerned about. "Are you planning to try your hand in the catering industry?" he asked cautiously.

He Yuzhu glanced at Ran Qiuye beside him quietly, his expression a little nervous, "I'm just asking casually." He was trying to hide his inner eagerness to try.

Zhang Yu smiled secretly after noticing Ran Qiuye's eyes, but didn't show it on his face. "To be honest, I support you in opening a shop privately. The prospects in the factory are not very good. The country encourages self-employed entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. If you get involved in the market early, you can see the return faster. Seizing the opportunities of reform and opening up may have more development potential than honestly holding on to a stable job." He persuaded again.

As if it was due to his inner feelings or the effect of alcohol, He Yuzhu said with emotion: "Yes, the factory situation is not very good now. The number of people who open small restaurants and ask me to be a chef has decreased. It is really difficult to be a chef. Every penny earned is hard-earned."

He Yuzhu used to be a well-known chef with a stable job, responsible for grand banquets in factories, and his income often exceeded normal wages. However, as street restaurants flourished under the reform and opening up, his traditional business became increasingly depressed and his life became increasingly difficult.

In fact, He Yuzhu had long wanted to run a restaurant, but Ran Qiuye opposed this, worried that it would have a negative impact on the family's foundation.

"If you really want to open a restaurant, I can help you." Zhang Yu turned to He Yuzhu and said, "There are some vacant stores around me that are rented out. Although the space is not large, it is suitable for opening a restaurant because of its good geographical location." He added.

Ran Qiuye was still a little hesitant: "Is it really possible?" There was some doubt in his tone.

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Do we still need to worry about uncle's cooking skills?" He assured, "The food in the surrounding restaurants cannot compare with uncle's. You know how high our level is."

He Yuzhu was excited when he heard this: "Of course, my family's cooking skills are outstanding. In this city, how many places can surpass us?"

Zhang Yu knew that He Yuzhu's abilities came from his previous studies, which was why he strongly supported He Yuzhu's entrepreneurship.

Ran Qiuye said with some concern: "But opening a restaurant requires a lot of start-up capital. If the business is not going well, you may even lose your job in the factory."

Zhang Yu explained: "We might as well start with a small restaurant, which may require 10,000 yuan in capital to cover rent and employee wages."

The capital investment required to run a restaurant is far greater than that of the retail clothing industry. Even the smallest restaurant needs a space of hundreds of square meters, which includes purchasing equipment, recruiting employees and basic decoration. Ten thousand yuan is at best just the most basic expense.

Realizing that He Yuzhu's inner desire was far from stopping there, Zhang Yu immediately broke the silence: "You can't accomplish anything big with just 10,000 yuan."

The several thousand yuan in savings accumulated through years of hard work was simply a drop in the bucket and was of no help in the preparation of their restaurant.

Hearing this, He Yuzhu looked worried: "No! You should know me. Opening a store is my dream. Now that we have already started trying, how can we give up halfway?"

However, Ran Qiuye quickly questioned: "How can we have extra money? What will happen to the children if the restaurant fails?"

Sensing that the couple was about to argue, Zhang Yu exchanged glances with He Yushuiyuanquan and made timely suggestions:

"If uncle really wants to run a restaurant, I have a proposal: you can lend me the money as start-up capital, and then repay me when you make money, how about that?"

He Yuzhu's eyes suddenly lit up, and he was about to speak in agreement, but was stopped by Ran Qiuye beside him: "It's a lot of money, maybe we can't afford it."

So, He Yuzhu stood up uneasily, but Sister He Yushui stopped him and said, "How about we call ourselves one of the investors and get income from dividends. Even if we lose money, we don't have to return the principal."

Then, Zhang Yu suggested: "Generally speaking, restaurants do better business at night. You can continue working in the factory during the day and go to the store at night." This suggestion without having to resign moved Ran Qiuye.

After the two sat down, they discussed the plan of opening a restaurant in depth. In fact, Zhang Yu also had his own goal. He hoped to generate income from various social activities by running this self-operated restaurant. After the New Year, the two began to look for a suitable venue. Following the traditional negotiation method, through Zhao Zihao and the landlord, they finally chose a two-story store with an area of ​​about 300 square meters. The monthly rent was extremely high, up to 1,000 yuan, and the deposit was twice the rent for three months.

The high rent is mainly attributed to the wide space and the background of rising rental prices year by year. In March 1981, a Sichuan restaurant called "Chuan Xiang Fu" officially welcomed the first batch of customers on a small street called Zhangjiamenkou in the city center.

When planning the opening ceremony, Zhang Yu and He Yuzhu reached a consensus to offer a 70% discount on all dishes for the first three days to attract customers. The construction of the restaurant facilities was carefully planned and designed by Zhang Yu, costing a total of about 500,000 yuan, which was considered luxurious at the time.

Taking these investments into consideration, Ran Qiuye proposed a cooperation contract. She was willing to sacrifice 60% of Chuan Xiangfu's profits just to keep the remaining 40%.

The actual situation showed that He Yuzhu had little control over the invested funds, which were almost less than the capital. He originally planned to transfer 80% of the profits to Zhang Yu, but the latter politely declined.

Faced with financial issues, Zhang Yu did not resist. His request was simple and clear, which was to hope that He Yuzhu could find and train excellent chefs.

In the early days, Zhang Yu envisioned that Chuan Xiang Fu would grow and even open chain stores in major cities across the country. He was confident in He Yuzhu's cooking skills, but had some concerns about management and operation. Therefore, in the early stages of the restaurant, Zhang Yu personally managed the affairs so that He Yuzhu could learn in practice.

The first three days of the promotion successfully attracted a large number of diners, and He Yuzhu gave his all and won a lot of praise for his talent. Although the flow of people decreased after the promotion, there are still some loyal repeat customers who visit regularly.

Because he worked in the factory during the weekdays and the restaurant was only open at night, this undoubtedly increased He Yuzhu's physical and mental pressure. After a month of sorting out the finances, Chuanxiangfu's monthly turnover has stabilized at around 20,000 yuan, and the net profit has even reached an astonishing 3,000 yuan. Compared with the salary of only 30 or 40 yuan in the factory, these are already negligible.

Seeing the income and expenditure data, Ran Qiuye no longer refuted He Yuzhu's idea of ​​leaving the factory, and had to accept his resignation request by default. Time passed quickly, and Zhang Yu had a lot of things to do. Not only did he have to take charge of the purchase of goods for the three stores of the Zhao Group, but he also had to manage the daily operations of Chuanxiang Mansion, and sometimes he had to go out to purchase goods, which limited their family's reunion time.

In the tide of China's reform, all parts of the country are accelerating their development. Take Beijing as an example, prices are gradually rising, but the degree is not as drastic as in the future. Zhang Yu understands that the real price surge will occur in the 1990s, and at the same time, the average wage of the people will also greatly exceed the expected value of 100 yuan.

The arrival of the open era brought entrepreneurs opportunities to get rich. With their keen intuition and unremitting efforts, Zhang Yu and Zhao Zihao both had net profits of 400,000 yuan in their accounts at the end of 1981.

Zhang Yu was surprised to find that Sichuan House's expansion speed exceeded expectations, and due to the large investment in the early stage, it had achieved initial profitability in the first year. These achievements made Zhang more eager to expand new stores. Considering that the rent in Beijing has little fluctuation, the main expenses of the restaurant at present are labor wages and food costs. After discussing with He Yuzhu, he planned to extract cash from the surplus of Sichuan House to open new branches, and believed that Ma Hua, who had excellent cooking skills, could be competent in charge of kitchen affairs.

In order to motivate Ma Hua and strengthen his willingness to cooperate, Zhang Yu offered him favorable conditions, promising him to hold 5% of the shares in Xindian, so as to encourage him to stay involved in the rising performance and share the fruits of success. Upon hearing this proposal, Ma Hua immediately submitted his resignation application and chose to develop with Zhang Yu without hesitation.

He Yuzhu's younger brother Xiaopang was also touched by the success of the older brother. He also had some ideas and tried to persuade him, but Zhang Yu cleverly declined. He still adhered to his original intention and traveled around the country, persisting in finding the supply chain and striving for exclusive agency qualifications, sticking to his ideal of becoming a department store.

In 1982, Zhang Yu spotted a piece of land in the city center where a new residential area was to be built, which was a sign of the opening of the housing market. After verifying from many sources, he confirmed that the land was near Sifangzhuang.

When Zhang Yu got the hint of this land, he was full of expectations and prepared to use all his savings to buy it and build the department store empire in his mind. Unfortunately, there was a huge gap between this demand and his savings at that time. The requirement of at least several million yuan was beyond his reach. Just when he was planning, an unexpected news came - Lou Xiao'e would return to Beijing.

He was in Sichuan and was in great distress when the waiter told him that a lady named Lou Xiao'e was looking for him. He hurried downstairs and saw her outside the door.

"Sister, you came here quietly?" Zhang Yu led her to sit in the private room with a smile and asked for the best tea to be prepared.

"I gave you my phone number, so you should find a chance to contact me." Lou Xiao'e said with a relaxed smile.

In response to Lou Xiaoe's complaint, Zhang Yu sincerely apologized: "I have been too busy recently and have no time to contact you."

After appreciating the decoration in the store, Lou Xiaoe exclaimed: "Look at you now. The clothing store you opened is already thriving, and even this restaurant is so prosperous."