Chapter 130 - The One Who Steals Customers (1/2)

Chapter 130: The One Who Steals Customers

Translator: Fan Translation Studio

After they came back from the river bank, Ye Xiaoxian called Little Five, Little Six and Xian over to have a small meeting. Ye Xiaoxian looked quite like a chief manager.

“Think about it, every one of you has been working for me for quite some time. How have you been doing recently? Are you happy working here? Do you feel that I, the manager, bully you or exploit you?”

Little Five hurriedly said, “Of course not. Sister Ye, you’ve treated us really well, like your own family. We eat what you eat and I’ve eaten more meat here than I ever have before.”

Everyone was roaring with laughter and Little Six also said, “Yeah, I think, I think I’m really happy here.”

Xian felt a bit ashamed so she did not speak. She was worried that Ye Xiaoxian was holding this meeting to talk about her issue.

However, Ye Xiaoxian did not say anything but kept asking, “So are you satisfied with your salaries?”

Everyone was looking each other confused. Little Five said first, “Yes, I am satisfied.”

Little Six also said, “Yes, Yes.”

Xian nodded too.

Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “You told me that you’re satisfied but you certainly lied. One tale of silver a month. How can that be satisfying?”

They looked at each other again and did not know what Ye Xiaoxian had up her sleeve. Besides, having one tael of silver a month with free meals and accommodation, they could make some handsome savings.

Ye Xiaoxian said, “Actually, when I hired you back then, I told you that I hope that you can improve yourselves. If I can make more money, you can earn more also. Have you already forgotten my words?”

The rest of them did not speak and only Little Five scratched his head. “I seem…to vaguely remember this.”

Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “If you don’t remember, I’m here now to reaffirm it. You’re with me and work for me and I pay you according to your abilities. When you first came here you were only able to wash dishes, wash vegetables and serve food, no different from other waiters in other restaurants, so your salary was naturally the same as others.

But you’ve already made some progress. You can cook dishes now, so you’re worth more than you used to be. If you still earned the same as other waiters do, I would be exploiting you. Hence from next month your salaries will be raised to two taels a month each. Whether your salaries will be raised again in the future depends on your improvement.”

Little Five, Little Six and Xian were all stunned. They could even get a pay rise working in this restaurant!

Ye Xiaoxian then added, “Where there’s a promotion, there’s a deduction. From now on when you cook dishes for the customers you must guarantee to make them satisfied. If they are not satisfied I will deduct your salary. Bear this mind and don’t then accuse me of being unreasonable or say that I dock your salaries.”

“Right, rest a.s.sured, Sister Ye. I will do my best!” Little Five was the first to support the idea.

Little Six was the second. “I will also do my best.”

Xian asked timidly, “Sister Ye, can I also have a pay rise?”

Ye Xiaoxian smiled. “What’s the difference between you and them? Or do you think I won’t give you a raise because you’re a woman?”

Xian immediately felt relieved and also tried to show her determination. “Sister Ye, rest a.s.sured, I will certainly do my best!”

“Xianglin Hotel”.

Sister Xiaing had been waiting for Xian for two hours.

They had made a deal that if Xian agreed to come she would come at a quarter past seven and wait in Xianglin Hotel, however, Sister Xiang failed to see Xian show up. Sister Xiang could not control her temper and thumped a table.

Xian only earned one tael of silver working for Ye Xiaoxian and Sister Xiang had offered her a promotion paying three taels a month, but Xian still did not agree to change jobs.

As Xian did not show up she could only try other a.s.sistants of The Xiaos’ Cuisine. Where there were heavy rewards, there were informants. Sister Xiang found an a.s.sistant who was in charge of buying ingredients and asked him to keep an eye on the recipes and procedures of the dishes cooked by The Xiaos’ Cuisine and to relay to her all the details.

Sister Xiang also had cooks in her hotel and had dined at Ye Xiaoxian’s restaurant for quite some time. As long as she tasted their food carefully she was not worried that she would not be able to make the same kind of dishes.

After half a month, Ye Xiaoxian heard from some diners that Xianglin Hotel had launched the exact same dishes as theirs at much lower prices. For example, Taro Braised Pork was 40 coins per portion here in The Xiaos’ Cuisine but only cost 30 coins in Xianglin Hotel.

Ye Xiaoxian felt confused at first. As Xian did not leave and Little Five and Little Six also worked very hard all day, how could Xianglin launch the same kind of dishes? They even hung the menu publicly outside of their hotel which was obviously to lure their customers away.

After what Xianlin Hotel did, the customers of Ye Xiaoxian’s restaurant decreased a lot.

Even Li Hongmei came to ask Ye Xiaoxian nervously, “What shall we do? They are rich and mighty and what do we have to fight them with?”

Ye Xiaoxian thought about it and then said, “Ma, let’s go. We’ll get a table there and also taste their food.”

Xianglin Hotel’s waiters did not know Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei. As they were also customers, they just went over and served them.

Ye Xiaoxian ordered several dishes which were the same as The Xiaos’ Cuisine and then waited for the food to be served.

Being honest with themselves, this Xianglin Hotel looked rather big and fancy. The daily cost was quite high, so it was rare for ordinary people to come and dine here. Now the hotel had decreased their prices and had also made some new dishes, so the diners naturally came to eat here as soon as possible.