Who understands? He traveled through time with a high-spec spatial ability.

The business was busy on and off until almost 2 p.m. before finally coming to a close. Half of the vegetables stored in the cellar had been moved out. In the main hall, the waiters were cleaning up the leftover food and sweeping the floor.

Qi Ye'an and Manager Lu were grinning from ear to ear behind the counter, their abacuses clicking away. Qiao Jingjing, leading her younger brother Qiao Shiming, came downstairs and asked with a smile, "Is Manager Qi satisfied?"

Qi Ye'an hurriedly said, "Thank you, Miss Qiao, thank you so much." He said "thank you" three times, clearly very happy. "Even before Kelaixiang, Yilixiang was never this popular. Manager Lu just calculated that today's meal brought in 20 taels, 3 mace, and 178 cash. There were also 10 members, bringing the total to 95 taels. After deducting costs and membership fees, the profit is estimated to be over 11 taels."

Qiao Jingjing nodded, "Young Master Qi, don't be too happy yet. It's only the first day, and the customers are just looking for something new. I estimate that the number of diners will level off in three days. What we need to think about is how to retain customers after three days."

Qi Ye'an knew that this girl must have a plan, otherwise she wouldn't have said that. Sure enough, he heard Qiao Jingjing ask, "Has Young Master Qi thought about how to keep the guests?"

"It seems you have a plan, young lady. I am all ears."

Qiao Jingjing said calmly, "Yilixiang is located at the intersection of East Street and North Street. The east side is where wealthy families are concentrated, while the north street is mostly populated by commoners. I wonder if you have noticed that, starting from Yilixiang, whether you walk 2 miles east or 2 miles north, there are very few breakfast and late-night snack stalls? Late-night snacks are fine, but there are quite a few people eating breakfast."

After Qiao Jingjing's analysis, it really made sense. She had always eaten at home before coming here and hadn't noticed this. Although wealthy people had their own cooks, they would still come to buy and try any breakfast that no one else could make. The ordinary people on North Street also needed to eat breakfast, as did the shop owners in the surrounding area.

Another point is that if you come here often and are satisfied with the breakfast, you'll habitually come to the restaurant whenever you want to eat out for lunch.

Qiao Jingjing remained silent, letting Qi Ye'an indulge in his thoughts. After a moment, he clapped his hands. "Good, that's a good idea. But Miss Qiao, we don't have the skills, and we've never made breakfast before. Without a prominent signboard, we're afraid we'll have to stop after a few days. If you have a breakfast recipe, I'm willing to pay for it, or, like with Chinese food, share the profits."

"Okay, let me think about it."

"By the way, do you know any carpenters who are good people and can be recommended to me? I want to have something made."

Qi Ye'an thought for a moment and replied, "My father has a good friend who is a carpenter. He has been doing this for 30 years. He is a very good person, but... he had an accident before, so he is now semi-retired. I don't know if he would be willing to come over."

"That's great! He's been in the business for so long, his skills are definitely top-notch." Qiao Jingjing decided to uphold her respect for elders and care for the young, and made the trip herself. She got the address, asked for directions, and set off with Xiao Shiming to Master Liu's carpentry shop.

After driving for about 15 minutes, we arrived at Nanping Lane on North Street. The 10th house inside was Li the carpenter's house.

Qiao Jingjing knocked on the door. "Who is it?" a young man's voice came from inside.

"Hello, is this Mr. Li the carpenter's house?"

"Yes, yes, just a moment." Then they heard the sound of something being put down, and soon someone came to open the door. It was a man about the same age as Young Master Qi. In the middle of the courtyard, there was a long bench with a woodworking plane stuck on it, and wood shavings that had fallen from the planing piled up in a small mountain on the ground.

"Young lady, Carpenter Li is my father. May I ask who you are?" Li Xiaochun asked with a smile, his cute tiger teeth making him look much younger than Qiao Jingjing.

Qiao Jingjing said, "It was Young Master Qi Ye'an who introduced me here. My surname is Qiao, and I would like to ask Master Li to help me with something. I wonder if he is here?"

Li Xiaochun scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "He's here, but my dad usually doesn't take jobs these days. I don't know what kind of furniture you want to make, young lady. I can make ordinary furniture too."

Since Li the carpenter injured his leg in an accident a year ago and became unable to walk, he has become depressed. He doesn't want to see people or take on business. He can't stand the strange looks from others, nor can he bear the pity they show him. Fortunately, his son, Li Xiaochun, followed in his footsteps at a young age and learned a lot of carpentry skills, supporting the family by taking on jobs with these skills.

"Brother Li, the thing I need to make is extremely important and will benefit the people. Before we start, we need to sign a confidentiality agreement. Why don't we ask Master Li if he would be willing to participate in its production?"

If such a device were to be put to use, it would not only save time and labor but also greatly increase the threshing rate. Therefore, the original design of this device must be kept secret, given that the entire Liang Dynasty comprises sixteen prefectures, forty-eight counties, and seventy-eight districts, with over a hundred towns and villages below. Its widespread adoption would be an immeasurable asset.

Another concern of Qiao Jingjing was that the imperial court would take notice. If a local county official discovered such a beneficial invention, he would inevitably report it to the court for political gain and promotion. A more conscientious official might reward you, but a ruthless one might even kill you to claim the credit for themselves.

Before the consequences are clear, caution is still advised, and the items should only be used by the family. Currently, she is just an insignificant peasant girl. If she can make progress before the county magistrate discovers these farm tools, double-cropping rice, and seedling cultivation methods, and is no longer an unknown village girl, then she can start to consider a longer-term plan.

Although Li Xiaochun was honest and straightforward, he wasn't stupid. He was very happy and hoped that what the girl said would cheer his father up.

The courtyard wasn't large, and the conversation between the two could be clearly heard by Li the carpenter inside the house. He raised his hand and touched his right calf, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Qiao Jingjing guessed that Master Li might have suffered some setback and become discouraged, and now he needed an opportunity to regain his confidence.

Actually, there are many carpenters, and he's not the only one she needs. It's just that finding one with an upright heart isn't easy these days. Young Master Qi's character is currently quite good, and besides, she could tell from Young Master Li's eyes that he was a clear-headed and kind person. Therefore, she concluded that Carpenter Li was a good person. Besides, she'd already come all this way; how could she let it go to waste?

So he called out to the courtyard, "What I'm going to do is unique in the entire Daliang area. Master Li, are you sure you're not coming out to take a look at the blueprints?"

Hmph, I bet you won't be tempted.