Seventeen Again: The Sweet Life with My Family

Chapter 111: Added Takeout

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

As their conversation continued, the time approached 12:30 AM. Despite his reluctance, Shen Jun couldn’t bear the thought of Wen Nian staying up late any longer. Knowing the importance of rest, he gently hinted that it was time for her to get some sleep.

[Shen Jun: Staying up late is bad for your health. Hurry up and go to sleep. See you at the airport the day after tomorrow.]

Wen Nian had approached her parents and requested 10,000 yuan to book the plane tickets. She planned to reimburse them for the expense when they traveled to the capital. This arrangement would make it more convenient for her to settle the financial matter with her parents in person.

Feeling the lateness of the hour, Wen Nian acknowledged her drowsiness and bid Shen Jun a goodnight. With a sleepy yawn, she settled into her bed, ready to drift off into a peaceful slumber.

Shen Jun exited the page and finally had the time to reply other people’s new year wishes.

With a touch of disdain, Shen Jun’s attention was drawn to a WeChat group named “The Five Tyrants of the Capital” that occupied the top position on the list. Curiosity piqued, he clicked on the group and was greeted by the sight of over 99 unread messages.

The following morning, Wen Xing and Zhou Mei embarked on their usual shopping trip. However, they noticed a change in the shop as there were now two staff members present. With the addition of the extra help, the four of them could take turns resting during non-busy hours, alleviating some of the fatigue they had previously experienced.

They were fully aware that running their own catering business meant there were no scheduled days off throughout the year. Rest days were only taken in the case of a family emergency or during the Spring Festival.

As Wen Nian and Wen Xing were scheduled to depart for the capital the following day, Zhou Mei made arrangements for the two employees to take care of the shop in their absence. The couple returned home around 5 p.m., eager to have a special farewell reunion dinner together in the comfort of their own home.

At the dining table, Wen Nian poured orange juice for her parents and everyone clinked glasses.

After months of dedicated work at their noodle shop, this evening marked the first time the family gathered for a home-cooked meal. Wen Xing, in an unusually cheerful mood, raised his cup and proposed a toast.”Each one of us in this family is passionately pursuing our own dreams and aspirations. This spirit of hard work and determination is something truly valuable. Let us continue to uphold and nurture it. And I have some exciting news to share with all of you.”

Wen Yu widened his eyes and immediately continued, “Mom is pregnant?”

Zhou Mei smacked Wen Yu on the shoulder. “You are out of your mind! Nonsense! Don’t tease me and your father!”

Wen Yu hurriedly smiled obsequiously. “I spoke too quickly. If you want to blame someone, blame my father. Why don’t you just say it directly? Why are you talking in riddles?”

Observing his son’s attempt to shift the blame, Wen Xing cast a stern glare at Wen Yu. “Fortunately, our noodle shop has successfully operated for two months. After deducting all expenses, as of the final day of last year, our profit amounted to an impressive 23,580 yuan!”

It was already good enough that he did not incur losses when he first opened the shop. Now, he could still make so much profit. It was indeed something to celebrate.

Witnessing her parents’ triumphant middle-aged entrepreneurship, Wen Nian beamed with delight, her eyes nearly disappearing in her wide smile. She looked up and broke into applause. “Dad, Mom, we all need to give you a round of applause!”

Wen Yu trailed closely behind and remarked casually, “Hey, Dad, Mom, mark my words: our noodle shop is destined to evolve into a thriving chain of stores in the future.”

Zhou Mei chuckled, thoroughly entertained. “Oh, 1 wouldn’t dare dream that big. Right now, I’m simply focused on finding a suitable location and opening a braised food shop. Lately, I’ve been receiving numerous inquiries about catering for the upcoming new year. People want to reserve some pre-prepared cold dishes for their festive celebrations. What’s more, we’ve had over ten new customers join our group solely for the purpose of booking our delicious braised food.”

The Wen couple had meticulously built their noodle shop, investing their utmost effort and time into its development. Now, witnessing the fruitful results, Zhou Mei’s passion for entrepreneurship was completely ignited.

Wen Nian smiled and chimed in, “I had a feeling from the start. With my mother’s exceptional skills, success was guaranteed. While finding a nearby shop may be challenging, the demand for booking braised food is steadily increasing. 1 suggest we consider renting a stall at the nearby market.”

“Indeed, many successful restaurants have expanded by offering takeaway services,” Wen Nian exclaimed. “We can follow their lead and recruit a few university students interested in part-time work from a nearby university. By providing delivery services within a two-kilometer radius, we can leverage our loyal customer base to spread the word and attract new customers amidst the bustling market.”

“You’re absolutely right,” agreed Wen Nian. “The most crucial factor is that the rent at the market will undoubtedly be more affordable compared to our current location. Even the stalls outside have a competitive advantage in terms of rental costs.”

During this period, take-out apps had yet to emerge as a widespread phenomenon. Instead, businesses typically focused on expanding their in-house take-out services by assigning their employees to deliver orders to nearby customers. Generally, they limited delivery distances to within a kilometer.

Wen Nian’s suggestion to extend the delivery radius to two kilometers was aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the noodle shop. It’s important not to underestimate the potential impact of this additional kilometer, as it has the potential to attract a significant number of new customers and expand our reach in the market.

Wen Nian recognized that takeout services were the future of the service industry and saw this as an opportune moment to suggest it. She wanted to seize the potential opportunities it could bring.

The food and beverage industry was also a service industry. The better the service, the higher the emotional value provided to the customers. Naturally, the customers would buy more readily..