Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

In Zhao Tianming's restaurant, the poisoned diners lay sprawled in a makeshift room, their faces contorted in pain, their cries echoing throughout. An Daoquan, his expression grave, strode into the room and began to detoxify them.

An Daoquan first approached one of the poisoned diners, carefully observing his complexion. The diners' faces were pale with a hint of bluish-black. He then gently lifted the diners' eyelids to examine their pupils, and next, he placed his fingers on the diners' wrists to carefully feel their pulse. With each diners he examined, An Daoquan's brows furrowed more deeply.

After a moment of contemplation, he took out several herbs from his personal medicine pouch, put them in his mouth, and chewed them vigorously.

"Quick, get a bowl!" An Daoquan shouted urgently. He Xiang hurriedly rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a clean bowl, handing it to An Daoquan. An Daoquan spat the chewed herbs into the bowl, then took the water He Xiang offered, poured it into the bowl, and stirred it well.

He walked up to a diner whose symptoms of poisoning were relatively mild and said gently, "Here, young man, drink this medicine; it will relieve your pain." The diner struggled to lift his head and open his chapped lips. An Daoquan carefully poured the medicine into his mouth little by little.

An Daoquan didn't stop and began preparing other antidotes. While he was busy, he explained to Zhao Tianming and He Xiang, "This poison is extremely vicious, a mixture of many poisons. Fortunately, I saw a similar record in a rare ancient book many years ago, otherwise I really wouldn't know where to start."

Just then, Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, Wu Yong, and others rushed to the restaurant.

Wu Yong gently waved his feather fan and asked with concern, "Mr. An, how is the situation right now? Is there anything we can do to help?"

Without looking up, An Daoquan replied, "I would appreciate it if you could help me prepare some hot water and clean cloths, the more the better."

Without a word, Wu Song and Li Kui turned and ran to the kitchen. A moment later, they returned, one carrying a large bucket of hot water and the other holding a stack of clean cloths.

An Daoquan took the cloth, dipped it in hot water, and gently wiped the foreheads and bodies of the diners who were more severely poisoned, his movements gentle and focused. After wiping each person, he would check their pulse again and adjust the detoxification strategy accordingly.

On the other side, Song Jiang and Lu Junyi stood in the lobby of the restaurant, discussing in hushed tones how to deal with the impact of this incident on the restaurant's reputation.

Song Jiang said with a serious expression, "This matter concerns the life and death of the restaurant. We need to take this opportunity to show everyone the restaurant's sincerity and responsibility in order to salvage its reputation."

Lu Junyi nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "Brother Gongming is absolutely right. Once Mr. An is cured of the poison, we can invite the people of the city to witness this and rebuild the restaurant's image."

Shi Qian and Shi Xiu were outside the restaurant, patiently explaining the situation to the crowd that had gathered around them.

Shi Qian spoke in a clear voice, “Fellow villagers, this was a deliberate frame-up, and Boss Zhao is also a victim. But please rest assured, with Mr. An Daoquan here, everyone who has been poisoned will be safe and sound.”

Shi Xiu echoed, "That's right. Once the matter is resolved, the restaurant will definitely give everyone an explanation."

Dai Zong then took advantage of his speed, rushing like the wind to other clinics in the city to seek more medicinal herbs and help from renowned doctors.

Tong Wei and Tong Meng patrolled the restaurant, maintaining order and ensuring that An Daoquan could focus on detoxification without distractions.

After several hours of intense work, the symptoms of the poisoned diners gradually subsided. The painful groans gradually disappeared, replaced by steady breathing. An Daoquan wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "I have accomplished my mission. They are all out of danger and will recover completely after a few days of rest and recuperation."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianming and He Xiang were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes, and they both knelt down to kowtow to An Daoquan in gratitude.

An Daoquan quickly helped them up, saying, "Please get up quickly. Saving lives and healing the wounded is the duty of a doctor."

In the days that followed, with everyone's concerted efforts, the restaurant underwent a large-scale renovation. The previously somewhat worn tables and chairs were all replaced with new ones, the walls were repainted, and exquisite calligraphy and paintings were hung up.

Wu Yong meticulously devised a new marketing strategy for the restaurant. He said, "We not only need to introduce signature dishes, but also launch corresponding promotional activities according to different seasons and holidays to attract more diners."

Wu Song and Li Kui struck a pose at the entrance of the restaurant, putting on a spectacular martial arts performance. Wu Song's fist techniques were powerful and fierce, while Li Kui's axe whistled through the air, attracting passersby to stop and watch, with cheers erupting continuously.

Shi Qian and Shi Xiu tirelessly promoted the restaurant's new changes. With his agility and eloquence, Shi Qian quickly spread the news throughout the streets and alleys; Shi Xiu, with his sincere and simple words, touched the hearts of many people.

Leveraging his extensive network, Dai Zong invited prominent figures and scholars from the city to dine at the restaurant. Their presence undoubtedly added considerable prestige to the establishment.

Tong Wei and Tong Meng remained steadfastly at the restaurant, responsible for its security. With keen eyes, they vigilantly watched every corner, ensuring diners could enjoy their meals with peace of mind.

Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, the restaurant's business flourished, and its reputation spread throughout the capital. Every day, a steady stream of diners came from far and wide, and the restaurant was filled with laughter and lively conversation.

As the restaurant's business flourished, with customers flocking in every day, Zhao Tianming and his wife Hexiang were extremely busy, but their hearts were filled with joy and satisfaction.

One evening, after closing time, the couple sat in the accounting room reviewing the day's accounts. He Xiang looked at the encouraging numbers in the ledger, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and said to Zhao Tianming, "Husband, the restaurant is doing so well now, I think we should consider expanding into some other businesses."

Zhao Tianming put down his abacus, looked up at his wife, and asked in confusion, "Madam, what do you mean?"

He Xiang pursed her lips gently, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Husband, think about it. Most of the customers who come to our restaurant are here to enjoy the food. But if we could provide some related services, wouldn't that attract more customers and make our existing customers even more satisfied?"

Zhao Tianming frowned slightly, seemingly not fully understanding He Xiang's thoughts, and gestured for her to continue.

He Xiang continued, “We can open an inn. Many out-of-town guests have to go through the trouble of finding a place to stay after enjoying the delicious food. If we have our own inn, they can stay here, which is convenient and comfortable. Moreover, the inn and the restaurant can boost each other’s business. Guests staying at the inn will come to the restaurant to eat, and guests staying at the restaurant may also choose to stay at the inn.”

Zhao Tianming listened and nodded thoughtfully.

He Xiang added, "Also, we can set up a food shop. Our restaurant needs a lot of ingredients every day, and the quality is guaranteed. If we open a shop, we can sell the surplus high-quality ingredients to the surrounding people, which will not only increase our income but also enhance our restaurant's reputation."

Zhao Tianming couldn't help but show an expression of admiration: "Madam, your idea is brilliant."

He Xiang smiled slightly and continued, "Furthermore, we can make some special gourmet gift boxes. Some customers want to bring the delicious food from our restaurant to their relatives and friends far away. If there are exquisite gift boxes, it will be convenient for them to carry and will also be a unique gift."

Zhao Tianming stood up and paced around the room, pondering He Xiang's suggestion.

He Xiang said, "Husband, I know this will require a lot of manpower and financial resources, but with the current profits of our restaurant and the help of all the brothers, I think it is feasible."

Zhao Tianming stopped, took He Xiang's hand, and said, "Madam, your idea is brilliant! Let's go all in and make our business bigger and stronger!"

While listening to his subordinates' report in the government office, Prefect Huang Wenyi learned that Zhao Tianming's restaurant had not only recovered to its former glory and was packed with guests, but had even expanded its business. His anger instantly flared up.

"This Zhao Tianming, how could he be so lucky!" Huang Wenyi gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the table.

He could no longer sit still and got up to head straight for Gao Ke's residence. Along the way, Huang Wenyi's face was so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water, and he kept cursing Gao Ke for taking his money but failing to get things done.

Upon arriving at Gao Ke's residence, Huang Wenyi disregarded all formalities and barged in. Gao Ke was leisurely sipping tea in the courtyard when he saw Huang Wenyi's furious appearance and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Gao Ke, what a mess you've made!" Huang Wenyi roared angrily as soon as he saw Gao Ke.

Gao Ke remained calm and composed, gently setting down his teacup and smiling as he said, "Lord Huang, what has angered you so much? Come, sit down and have a cup of tea to calm down."

Huang Wenyi had no interest in drinking tea. He pointed at Gao Ke's nose and cursed, "You took my money and promised to help me deal with Zhao Tianming, but now his restaurant business is booming and has even expanded. What exactly are you doing?"

Gao Ke remained calm and slowly said, "Lord Huang, please calm down. This matter is not as simple as you think."

Huang Wenyi glared at him angrily: "Hmph, not simple? I think you're just deliberately trying to fool me, taking the money and not doing the job!"

Gao Ke stood up, walked to Huang Wenyi's side, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Lord Huang, please don't worry. There were indeed some unexpected issues with the previous plan, but I have a new solution."

Huang Wenyi flung Gao Ke's hand away and shouted, "I don't care what your plans are, I only know that I gave you the money, so you have to get things done for me!"

A sly glint flashed in Gao Ke's eyes as he said, "Lord Huang, please let me explain. It seems that Zhao Tianming has a mysterious force supporting him, and all our previous methods have been thwarted. But after some investigation, I have found their weakness."

Huang Wenyi looked at Gao Ke with suspicion: "Really? You're not lying to me!"

Gao Ke said confidently, "Lord Huang, how could I dare to lie to you? Zhao Tianming's success today is entirely due to the connections he has with those江湖人士 (jianghu figures). If we start from that angle and frame him for colluding with bandits, how could we not bring him down?"

Huang Wenyi's expression softened slightly upon hearing this: "So what do you plan to do?"

Gao Ke leaned closer to Huang Wenyi and said in a low voice, "I have already arranged for people to collect evidence. As soon as we have the evidence, we will immediately report it to the court. At that time, even if Zhao Tianming has extraordinary abilities, he will find it difficult to escape punishment."

Huang Wenyi frowned and thought for a while before saying, "Then you'd better hurry up and not disappoint me again."

Gao Ke nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, Lord Huang, this time I will definitely not let you down. Just wait and see the show."

Huang Wenyi snorted coldly, "You better be so, or I won't let you off the hook!" With that, he turned and left.

As Gao Ke watched Huang Wenyi's departing figure, a smug smile appeared on his lips, and he secretly plotted his own plan.