"But our funds are limited, and Iām not sure how much it would cost to rent a big house in the city." This is what Lin Wan was most worried about.
At this time, hotpots didnāt have induction stoves, and gas was also hard to come by, so coal stoves were the only option. Fortunately, there was no shortage of coal stoves here.
However, coal stoves with a hole in the middle were rare. By that time, the stoves and tables would have to be custom-made.
After discussing with her brother, Lin Wan started another event in the store, as she needed money now.
Although they had a food truck, they couldnāt stop others from imitating. Now, nearby restaurants were starting to imitate them.
Lin Wan wasnāt afraid of imitation; she knew the dishes made by a few places couldnāt compare to their familyās.
Last week, Lin Wan added a new dish to the lunchtime menu, which was braised noodles.
There were a lot of people eating braised noodles at lunchtime. Among the competitors, none could compare to their family.
In her spare time, Lin Wan bought a lot of spices and chili powder at the market. When she got home, she wrote down the hotpot base recipes she remembered.
In the evening, after Mom had finished frying the leftover meat, Lin Wan began simmering the base in a pot.
For the past few evenings, Lin Wan didnāt let Liang Hongmei eat at the store. She brought back dishes and used her homemade base for the hotpot.
After eating hotpot for half a month straight, Lin Wan finally perfected her desired bases. One was clear, and the other was spicy.
After Lin Wanās store was bustling for half a month, Lin Yinghui had found a new place.
Early the next morning, Lin Wan and Lin Yinghui hurried to the new store. Liang Hongmei observed her son and daughter being secretive, assuming that as they were older now, there were things they didnāt want her to know, so she didnāt ask much.
Since her daughter was busy at the store all day, she couldnāt say much about her making a trip.
"There are two factories around here, one is a steel factory, and the other is a food factory. Between the two factories is a residential area, and thereās also a residential area across from it, but that one is for government departments." Lin Yinghui explained the situation around the area to his sister when they arrived.
Lin Wan took a look; the government departmentās residences were small courtyards, either single-story or two-story small buildings, while the residential area inside the factory consisted of newly built tubular buildings.
In this era, living in a tubular building was something to take pride in.
Lin Wan knew that the steel factory was doing well in this era, so the workers should be quite affluent.
"Brother, there should be a cafeteria inside the factory, right?"
"Yes, there is, but Iāve observed that there are two restaurants and a state-operated canteen nearby. They do well at lunchtime and in the evenings. Some people come out of the factory, but many others pass by to eat here. This is a main road, and there are a few factories on the outskirts of the city whose workers live nearby, and they all pass by here. Many people like to dine out. Iāve investigated a few nearby restaurants, and they have seven or eight tables with a turnover rate of two times. In the evenings, there are even more people."
"Brother, you really think things through. Letās go see the house then," Lin Wan did not expect her brother to be so thorough in his research; heās indeed cut out for business.
"The house is a storefront on the roadside of the government residential area, belonging to the government. Iāve seen it, itās a two-story small building," Lin Yinghui said as they arrived at the place. The door to the house wasnāt locked, probably because it wasnāt privately owned and not well-maintained. It could also be because the staff were reluctant to run errands, so anyone who wanted to see could just come directly.
Previously, this place was equipped by the government for the courtyard as an activity room and entertainment area. They were reluctant to go out all the way through the gates every day. There was a space inside the courtyard too, so over time, it was left empty.