There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 78 Unjust Waste

Upon hearing this, Li Lingxiao was dumbfounded. How could his older sister be so amazing? She had planted fruits and vegetables, and she was growing them so well, making him seem like a freeloader.

He needs to study even harder; he can't be a useless person and hold his older sister back.

Li Lingxiao: "When will the shop open? If I have time, I'll bring my brothers to support my sister."

Li Shuchen: "The fifteenth day"

Li Lingxiao's eyes lit up as she said, "I happened to be off work that day, so I went to the shop entrance to cheer on my sister."

Li Shuchen smiled and said, "Okay."

Li Lingxiao spat out a grape skin and asked, "Sister, where is the shop, and what's it called?"

Li Shuchen: "It's opposite Yaqingxuan on West Street, and it's called 'Simei Fresh Fruit'."

Li Lingxiao nodded: "Okay, I've got it, sister."

The next morning, Li Shuchen got up and went to the inn. She needed to practice her calligraphy; after all, the plaque was the signboard, and she had to write it well.

Inside the Sanbao Hall, Li Shuchen wrote on sheet after sheet of Xuan paper, densely covered with the four characters "Four Beauties and Fresh Fruits," finally settling on a template font.

She really liked his free-spirited and unrestrained nature.

When Li Shuchen looked up again, it was already 1 p.m. He had delivered the letter to Kong Gongjiang's shop.

Li Shuchen enters the store: "Craftsman Kong"

Kong the craftsman looked up and said, "It's Miss Li. What brings you here this time?"

Li Shuchen: "I'd like to commission craftsman Kong to carve a plaque, just like the one on this piece of paper."

The craftsman, Kong, took the paper, glanced at it, and nodded: "Alright, ten taels of silver."

Li Shuchen: "It needs to be done before the 15th of this month."

Craftsman Kong: "Don't worry, Miss Li."

Li Shuchen paid a five-tael deposit and returned to the inn, pondering whether to hold a second happiness meeting with everyone.

At 7 PM, there were no more guests in the main hall, so Li Shuchen asked Xiao Feng to gather everyone together.

A moment later, everyone gathered in the living room.

Shopkeeper Xu, Xiao Feng, Cook Wang, Wang Shuang'er, Chu Xia, Aunt Zhang, Zhang Lingyu, Zhang Yuling

One table wasn't enough to seat everyone, so Xiaofeng pushed two tables together to barely fit everyone.

Looking at the ever-growing group, Li Shuchen felt very gratified. Her inn was getting better and better, and her life was becoming more and more promising.

Everyone sat down. The young girls were a little uneasy; those who had never attended a happiness meeting before were somewhat nervous. The veteran shop assistants, however, were not. Aunt Wang was quite composed now, showing none of the restraint she had shown last time.

Li Shuchen began, "The reason I've gathered everyone together today is because it's currently summer, and the seasonal changes have been interrupted for over a month."

It's time to update our seasonal offerings; this is quite important. We also need to discuss some areas where the inn needs improvement. Please don't be anxious.

This is the second time we've held a happiness meeting; we might have a third, a fourth one in the future.

In short, people get used to these kinds of situations and won't be nervous.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Li Shuchen joked around for a while, and after they relaxed, he said, "First of all, there's the issue of seasonality. We didn't have anything suitable before, but now we have something to continue the tradition, which is the fruits I brought."

Li Shuchen looked towards Chef Wang and said, "Watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, sweet pears, and tangerines—Wang, Shuang'er, and Chuxia will be in charge of developing them. The main focus will be on making them refreshing and delicious."

I plan to launch the new products on the 15th, and then everyone can enjoy them together on the evening of the 14th.

The three of you don't need to worry too much; I'll give you some advice.

Cook Wang, Wang Shuang'er, and Chu Xia: "Yes, Miss."

Li Shuchen: "That's all I wanted to say. Does anyone have any suggestions for the inn? Please feel free to speak your mind."

Li Shuchen looked around and met Zhang Yuling's gaze; her eyes seemed to say something.

Li Shuchen smiled and said, "Yu Ling, say whatever you want to say."

Zhang Yuling cautiously began, "There are many guests in the inn who need to write letters to their relatives."

Our inn is far from the letter-writing service, and the prices are high. Therefore, could the inn also offer letter-writing services to earn more money?

Li Shuchen asked, "How many copper coins are in a single envelope outside?"

Zhang Yuling said, "Two hundred coins per envelope."

Li Shuchen raised an eyebrow. It was indeed expensive; she hadn't expected it. However, given the high cost of paper, ink, and pens, and the limited number of literate people, it was reasonable.

Li Shuchen then asked, "Can you write?"

Zhang Yuling replied, "Both my sister and I can."

Li Shuchen nodded: "Alright, in that case, whoever is free, Lingyu or Yuling, will write the letter."

Uncle Xu could tell the guests when they checked in that the inn offered letter-writing services at the same price as elsewhere: two hundred coins per letter.

I would also like to trouble Uncle Xu to write down who wrote the letter. He can write one himself, and the inn will provide the paper, ink, and pen.

After Li Shuchen finished speaking, Zhang Lingyu and Zhang Yuling were overjoyed, and Aunt Zhang also smiled.

Li Shuchen: "That's a very good point. Does anyone else have any suggestions?"

Manager Xu slowly began, "Many guests ask where to rent a carriage, and what mode of transport to take to a certain place. I think if the inn takes on this task as well..."

"This will save guests time and effort, and we can also earn some money. By providing convenience for our guests, they will choose our inn as their first choice for future stays, which will also enhance our reputation."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen found it quite feasible. Most of the people coming and going in the capital were merchants, and many were from out of town. It was common for them to be unfamiliar with certain things and not know where to turn, so they would ask locals for advice.

Everyone nodded in agreement, agreeing that it was feasible.

Li Shuchen looked around at everyone present but couldn't find a suitable person; no one was available.

Li Shuchen thought for a moment and said, "This method is excellent, but since there is no suitable candidate, we can only put it on hold for now."

Manager Xu looked around at everyone present and, finding no suitable candidate, nodded in agreement.

Li Shuchen: "Does anyone have any more questions?"

“No”*8

Li Shuchen: "Alright, the second Happiness Meeting has come to a successful conclusion. Let's all work together to take Happiness Inn to the next level, and I'll certainly make sure everyone benefits from that."

Everyone responded with smiles: "Let's work hard to make the inn even better!" *8

The crowd dispersed

Happiness level +50

Li Shuchen raised an eyebrow. "Oh wow~, that much? Little Jizi is quite good."

The next morning, Li Shuchen went to the backyard kitchen, washed his hands, and then went to the fruit and vegetable area.

I peeled an orange, stuffed it into my mouth, and tried to figure out how to eat it.

How can we make summer seasonal dishes both appealing and delicious, so that people will rave about them and feel that their money was well spent?

In the blink of an eye, I saw Chu Xia fiddling with ginger paste.

Li Shuchen then asked, "Chuxia, how is your mother's health? Do you have enough money?"

Chu Xia bowed to Li Shuchen and replied with a relaxed expression, "Thank you for your concern, Miss. My mother is much better now. She said I've found a good employer and told me to work hard and not let you down."

Li Shuchen nodded: "As long as your mother is better."