The Evil Mother-in-law: Torment Children, Work Hard, Be Rich!-Chapter 196: The New Shopkeeper Takes Office
Tong Huaqiong withdrew her gaze and, along with He Chao, helped Mrs. Hong down from the donkey cart.
After getting off the cart, Mrs. Hong felt the dizziness easing and insisted on walking on her own.
Dashi also carried Man Er down from the cart.
"The shopkeeper is here," Hong Xiaoxi said excitedly.
Today is payday at Taohua Dessert, and Ma Huateng had handed out the monthly wages to everyone early in the morning.
In the past, at Crispy Food Garden, the wages were always delayed for ten days to half a month.
Everyone knew that their wages were being used by Manager Feng to pay high-interest loans, but Hong Xiaoxi dared not speak out, all he could do was wait anxiously.
In contrast, at Taohua Dessert, wages are given precisely on the stipulated day without any delay.
Besides the basic wage, there are also bonuses.
The atmosphere at Taohua Dessert today feels like New Year’s. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
Hong Xiaoxi clamored to invite Ma Huateng and Qin Qingyou for drinks to celebrate, but Ma Huateng said he would spend his money on books.
Gu Xiaocao and Liu Qiaoyun planned to visit the jewelry and fabric shops to buy themselves a new set of accessories and get some clothes for their parents and in-laws.
When everyone heard that Tong Huaqiong had returned from Pingchuan County, they came out to greet her.
Tong Huaqiong had already announced in advance that she was going to Pingchuan County to hire a new shopkeeper.
So, seeing He Chao, they knew he was the new shopkeeper.
Everyone helped with carrying things, tying up the donkey, and making tea for Tong Huaqiong and the others.
He Chao felt everyone’s warmth and was thankful that, thanks to Tong Huaqiong’s insistence, they had arrived in Yan Guan Town today.
Gu Taohua said, "Sister-in-law and Sister Qiaoyun have already tidied up the storage room, and Brother Qingyou and Xiaoxi brought over a bed and table from Ma Accountant’s house."
He Chao thanked them.
Chen Sufen and Liu Qiaoyun led Mrs. Hong to the temporary residence.
Mrs. Hong saw that although the house was full of stuff, it was clean and tidy.
More importantly, living here, no one would say anything bad, nor would anyone enter the house and rummage through things.
She was very satisfied.
"Auntie, if you need anything, just let me know," Liu Qiaoyun said to Mrs. Hong.
"Auntie, you don’t look well. Should we get a doctor to check on you?" Chen Sufen asked with concern.
Engulfed by their warmth, Mrs. Hong relaxed and replied with a smile, "It’s an old illness. I’ve already taken medicine for it. It’s nothing to worry about."
Chen Sufen and Liu Qiaoyun brought Mrs. Hong hot water and food, reminded her of a few things, and knowing she needed rest, they left one after the other.
After settling Mrs. Hong in, Tong Huaqiong began inquiring about the disagreement between Gu Taohua and Liu Yueer.
In essence, neither of them was wrong.
One was concerned about product quality, while the other was focused on customer satisfaction.
According to the correct business philosophy, both product quality and customer satisfaction should be prioritized and not neglected.
After all, the quality of the product determines customer satisfaction.
The root of their conflict wasn’t a difference in philosophy; it ultimately stemmed from a lack of manpower.
If there were enough bakers, with timely production, today’s conflict wouldn’t have happened.
"Owner, from what I’ve gathered, this isn’t really a problem. The fact is that we’re understaffed. It’s not realistic to immediately hire the right people at this stage, so we can only work with the current staff. For instance, I noticed that anyone can take cake orders, but if there’s no timely communication, it could lead to all orders being due at the same time, overwhelming the bakery. I’ve thought it over: starting tomorrow, everyone can still take orders, but we’ll appoint someone specifically to coordinate and schedule delivery times. This person would also ensure proper scheduling for the bakery, like estimating the time needed to make a birthday cake or a full-month cake. Every detail should be clearly logged for every clerk to understand. That way, when customers place orders, we won’t promise unrealistic timelines offhand. Over time, customers will get a sense of our schedule and book their orders in advance, giving us ample preparation time."
He Chao quickly immersed himself in the role of shopkeeper and began participating in the discussions.
Tong Huaqiong smiled and said, "I knew hiring you was the right decision."
What He Chao mentioned is classic time management.
It’s one of the most important aspects of business operations.
Though coordinating time seems simple, it’s quite difficult in practice.
Just like how in her previous life, coordinating and communicating between different groups in experiments was a challenge for Tong Huaqiong.
She had considered this aspect but had been too busy balancing the shop and the bakery to manage it herself.
Plus, she intentionally let the clerks manage on their own, hoping they would eventually come around to this realization and create their own procedures.
It seems she overestimated their capabilities.
Currently, the staff includes accountants, customer recruiters, and bakers, but lacks a capable manager.
Still, it’s not a problem that their skills haven’t reached that level yet.
Shop management is something that needs to be learned.
After all, except for Hong Xiaoxi, who had worked as a clerk before, everyone else was new to this work.
Now that He Chao is here, she believes not only can he help run Taohua Dessert efficiently, but he can also train a whole team of managers.
"Old He, I’ll call you Manager He from now on. Take a rest; in a few days, you’ll start working," Tong Huaqiong said to He Chao.
He Chao replied with a smile, "No need to wait a few days. I’ll start tonight. I want to get familiar with the shop, and you can tell me any thoughts or instructions you have."
Now that he’s in Yan Guan Town, freed from the stigma on his reputation, and with Mrs. Hong’s health improving, he’s full of energy.
He’s eager to start, ready to work wholeheartedly for Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong didn’t hold back; she handed him the ledger to review the shop’s operations.
Once the daily affairs of the shop were sorted, Tong Huaqiong shared her business plan for the former Crispy Food Garden with He Chao.
She plans to transform the space into a bakery for cakes and new-style pastries.
Although it would be possible to retain Crispy Food Garden’s traditional pastries, making it easy for the original bakers and clerks to transition into their roles, she chose not to.
Firstly, Crispy Food Garden’s brand is tarnished in Yan Guan Town. People still associate that location with its old pastries. Continuing to sell traditional pastries might not attract customers, but offering new ones could provide a refreshing change, which is appealing. Customers in Yan Guan Town like novelty just as much.
Secondly, she wants to eliminate the legacy of Crispy Food Garden through a complete transformation, which could spark creativity among former employees.
He Chao thought Tong Huaqiong had a well-rounded plan.
Of course, he wouldn’t dare to praise her openly, as she was now his boss, not the feisty widow he remembered.
He felt there was a bright future with Tong Huaqiong and decided to commit fully.
"There’s one more thing I need Manager He to help with," Tong Huaqiong said. "You see, my shop is called Taohua Dessert after my daughter, and I want to train Taohua to take over someday. I’m entrusting her to you to teach her how to manage the shop. We’ve agreed—you’ll help me cultivate a new manager, and Taohua will be the first."
He Chao couldn’t help but be amazed by Tong Huaqiong’s suggestion to train Gu Taohua.
In this era, it was customary to train sons, not daughters.
But He Chao knew it wasn’t his place to question whether the owner nurtures a son or daughter; he just needed to carry out the task.
He Chao said, "Owner, there’s no trouble at all. Rest assured, I’ll make sure to train Miss Taohua well."
