All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

"Xiao Wu, let's just forget about withdrawing our shares. You didn't earn your money easily, and we've all already shared our share. You need capital to open a shop, so maybe... let's just forget about it!"

The second sister's words were sincere. After all, she had invested four hundred yuan and already received a dividend of nine hundred and one yuan. Now, she was being asked to return her principal, which made her feel quite embarrassed.

Even if Han Chunming's soup shop really does lose money in the future, the money everyone has received now is not a loss.

However, the second sister's words clearly did not resonate with the other siblings. This was no small amount of money; it was several hundred yuan!

The others all had their eyes on Han Chunming, fearing that he might accidentally agree to the proposal.

Han Chunming would naturally refund his brothers and sisters; otherwise, if his business prospered in the future, things would become truly complicated.

That's why he wrote the agreement, had his older siblings sign it, and promised to return double their share capital, leaving them with no room for complaint later!

Han Chunming smiled and shook his head.

"Second sister, even brothers should keep clear accounts. Besides, our shop did make money last month. Let's do as we agreed before: double the share capital. Eldest brother, why don't you set an example? Don't be shy, I'm doing this willingly."

As you know, I like to do things my own way, so I'm really not suited for partnerships. I'm sorry! Your share was two hundred yuan, so I'll refund you four hundred yuan. Just sign your name here!

Han Chunming handed the agreement to his elder brother with a smile on his face.

The older brother looked guilty. After hesitating for a moment, he took the agreement, picked up the pen, and wrote his name.

Actually, they had already discussed the matter of withdrawing their shares. If Xiao Wu really withdrew them, they would accept it; if he didn't, they would just have to let it go, since they had already received dividends, which were much more than the initial investment.

But Xiao Wu is so generous; he said he would refund double, and he really did, which was quite unexpected for the eldest brother.

He wanted to say that he didn't need double the amount, just return the principal, but his wife was glaring at him. It was two hundred yuan, and he really couldn't refuse, so he could only silently sign his name.

Several of his older siblings, even his second sister who had always trusted Han Chunming the most, were now not optimistic about the future of Han Chunming's soup shop.

In the past two days, they have inspected nearby shops. Just as Meng Xiaoxing said, there are now several soup shops nearby, and each one is cheaper than Xiao Wu's shop, and each one also offers staple food.

Most importantly, they discovered that these soup shops were doing quite well, and this brief investigation fueled everyone's enthusiasm.

Now that Xiao Wu has withdrawn his investment, that's even better. Of course, whether his older siblings feel guilty or not, only they know!

Seeing their eldest brother take the lead in signing their names, the other siblings breathed a sigh of relief. They were really afraid that their eldest brother would say he didn't want the money, which would put them in a difficult position.

Han Chunming handed the money to his elder brother, who took it while saying something with a guilty expression.

"Xiao Wu, I'm really sorry, we were wrong to do this, but we're preparing to open a new store and we really need money. Consider this money a loan from your older brother!"

Han Chunming quickly waved his hand and smiled.

"Brother, no, no, this is what you deserve. After all, you paid for it and I made the money, so it's only right that I share it with you. Here, sister, here's your four hundred yuan, sign here!"

The eldest sister was quite straightforward. She smiled and offered polite compliments as she signed the papers and happily accepted Han Chunming's money. Her husband was also beaming with joy, and the couple were genuinely happy.

Han Chunming withdrew the agreement, counted out the eight hundred yuan he had prepared, handed it to his second sister next to him, and then smiled casually as he spoke.

"Second sister, this is your eight hundred. I am truly grateful for the four hundred you supported me back then!"

As he spoke, Han Chunming placed the money and the agreement on his second sister's desk. Looking at the thick stack of ten-yuan notes on the desk, his second sister felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

She didn't reach for the money, and the guilt on her face was genuine. She really didn't want to take the money, but her husband next to her was extremely envious. He took the money and handed the agreement to his second sister, then said...

"Chunyan, please accept this gift from Xiaowu. We're all family. If you don't accept it, your older brother and sister will feel awkward accepting it. Don't put Xiaowu in a difficult position!"

The second sister glared at her brother-in-law, took a deep breath, then took the agreement, wrote her name on it, and handed it to Han Chunming, saying something as she did so.

"Xiao Wu, I know you're helping us out. We appreciate your kindness. If you ever need money in the future, just let me know, and you can take this money back anytime!"

Han Chunming smiled and nodded, then glanced at his second brother-in-law, whom he rarely saw.

Now that I've withdrawn my investment, the world is finally at peace.

Just as Han Chunming was about to retract the agreement, his second brother, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up and spoke.

"Xiao Wu, what about mine? What about mine?"

Han Chunming was taken aback. What was his second brother planning to do?

Hearing her fourth son's words from outside the crowd, Han's mother was also taken aback, and then she reprimanded him.

"Little Four, what money do you want from Little Five?"

The second brother glanced at his mother hesitantly, then spoke.

"Mom, I've already given you the money, and they've all refunded it, so I want a refund too!"

Han's mother was so angry with her son that she was speechless. Just as she was about to turn around to get the money, she saw Han Chunming suddenly stand up and say to his second brother with a cold face.

"Okay, okay, you want your investment back, right? Mom, don't go get it, I'll pay for it!"

As he spoke, Han Chunming took out a wad of cash from his bag, counted it, and finally handed four hundred yuan to his second brother!

Seeing that Han Chunming also gave four hundred, Han's mother spoke up.

"Xiao Wu, you can't spoil him. He only offered two hundred yuan, so just give him two hundred yuan!"

Before Han's mother could finish speaking, the second brother had already snatched the four hundred yuan and counted it with a smug look on his face. Hearing his mother say this, he retorted with a displeased expression.

"Mom, how can you talk to your son like that? Xiao Wu made money, didn't he? Everyone else is getting double back, you can't expect me to get nothing!"

Upon hearing his second brother's words, Han Chunming, who had been expressionless, revealed a cold smile. Family ties are so easily exposed when money is involved.

Seeing his mother's troubled look, Han Chunming sometimes felt that money was really not a good thing. When they had no money, the Han family lived a simple life with a loving mother and filial children. But now everyone's desires were aroused by money. It's true that every family has its own troubles!

Han Chunming sighed, his face expressionless, and addressed the crowd.

"Alright, I've returned this money to everyone. From now on, I hope everyone gets rich! Also, I want to say something to my second brother: now that you've returned this money, don't cause any more trouble with Mom!"

Han Erge was still happily counting his money when he readily agreed.

"Xiao Wu, don't worry, I've already withdrawn my shares, why would I argue with Mom!"

The other older siblings were clearly disgusted by their second brother's behavior, and they could also tell that Han Chunming was a little angry. The eldest brother quickly spoke up.

"Xiao Wu, if he dares to cause trouble for Mom again, we older brothers and sisters will definitely not agree. Don't worry!"

Han Chunming nodded coldly, then packed up the agreement, turned and walked towards his room, ignoring the others.

Seeing Han Chunming leave, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. At this moment, everyone had mixed feelings, but they were also extremely excited. Not only had they received their share of the money, but they were also about to open a shop and make a fortune. How could they not be happy?

The eldest sister-in-law glanced at Han Chunming's room, then looked at everyone else, cleared her throat, and said.

"Then let's continue discussing the shop. Each of us will contribute five hundred yuan, and we'll give that money to your eldest brother. I'll also prepare an account book so I can keep track of the shop's expenses every day. What do you think?"

The question of how to manage money sparked a lively discussion, and the room became bustling again. However, no one noticed that Han's mother had quietly returned to her room.

Chapter 46: Business Continues to Be Dismal

After discussing it, the siblings finally settled all the details about opening the shop.

They are so eager to open for business and make money that they have decided to set the opening date for next Monday.

Time is tight; today is already Tuesday, so there are only six days left.

However, with so many people, we can still make it in time. The shop doesn't need to be renovated; we just need to buy some things.

Shop signs, menus, and so on can be done in two days; many things can be copied directly.

The large earthenware pots used for making soup are still readily available; you can bring them back as long as you pay.

Although none of us are chefs, we all know how to make things like steamed buns and mantou, so we just need to familiarize ourselves with the space.

As for the soup-making, it's not a professional nourishing soup. It's just the kind of soup that's advertised but not actually made. They just boil it in water, simmer it overnight, and it's ready. It's a simple job.

Since withdrawing his shares, Han Chunming no longer cared about his older siblings' affairs. He gave his eldest brother a secret recipe for making soup.

It's not really a secret recipe; it's just a common soup-making method using a few cheap herbs, pork bones, beef bones, and the like. Of course, to make it more flavorful, you have to add MSG.

The soup made using these methods is similar to that made in other soup shops; it's all sweet and savory, and all you need to do is drink plenty of water afterwards.

In short, it's cheap!

After the older brother cooked a pot of soup at home, he was very satisfied with the taste. It was similar to other soup shops, and most importantly, the cost made him very happy.

In this day and age, bones are worthless. Everyone loves to eat fatty meat, so the cost is really low. In addition, herbs and the like cost only a few cents per pound.

A large pot of soup, with all the ingredients added up, costs less than two yuan, or three cents a bowl.

A single earthenware pot of soup can sell at least seventy or eighty bowls, each costing one cent, with no limit on supply, and the profit margin is two hundred percent.

The older siblings were very satisfied with the cost, and they also kept the prices of steamed buns and other similar items the same as other stores.

Now the last question is how to attract customers to the store. The older brother suggested that we follow suit and offer free soup for three days in our own store.

Offer three days of free soup, plus an extra steamed bun or mantou for each customer – attract customers first.

The older siblings didn't quite agree on the suggestion of drinking soup for free for three days. After all, even though the cost was low, every little bit helps.

Moreover, their family contributes two workers, which is the wages and food of eight people. Add to that rent, utilities, and the free soup, buns, and steamed buns they provide, and the daily expenses alone amount to two hundred yuan.

In the end, the eldest brother decided to decide by vote. The eldest brother and the second sister agreed to drink soup for free for three days. The second brother objected, and the eldest sister was still a little hesitant. However, seeing that other families were also having free promotions, the eldest sister reluctantly agreed in the end.

So, with a vote of three to one, it was officially passed!

The three-day free soup promotion at Lao Han's Family Secret Recipe Nourishing Soup Shop has been officially confirmed.

The older siblings are having a lively time preparing for the opening ceremony.

Han Chunming's three-day holiday is over, and the shop officially reopened on the fourth day.

The reopening did not bring immediate improvement as many had imagined; instead, business remained dismal.

The Niu Family's Secret Recipe Nourishing Soup shop across the street also just ended its free soup day today, and business has suddenly become slow.

However, perhaps because of the low prices, and the two young men standing at the door trying their best to hawk their wares, business was still pretty good in the morning, with people coming and going in and out constantly.

As for Han Chunming's shop, the only word to describe it is "dismal".

We opened at nine o'clock, but it wasn't until nine-thirty that the first customer finally arrived.

The man who came in was an old man, and he looked somewhat familiar. He must have been a regular customer who had come to the shop for soup before.

The old man came in shouting that he wanted to drink a stomach-soothing soup, seeming quite impatient.

When guests finally arrived, Meng Xiaoxing and Taozi greeted the old man with smiles, treating him with the warmth of family.

Meng Xiaoxing quickly invited the old man to sit down, and Taozi went to serve him soup.

The old man sat down and said to the group with some emotion.

"I thought your shop was closed. I've been waiting for days!"