Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

"Meet at the store immediately."

Wang Jianye gritted his teeth and said, "Call Lao Zhao as well. We have to find a solution."

Half an hour later, the conference room was filled with smoke.

On the purchase list brought by Ma Qiang, a shocking red arrow pointed all the way upwards.

Mr. Zhao, the finance manager, was calculating: "Boss Wang, at this rate of increase, our gross profit won't even be able to maintain 10%."

Wang Jianye stared at the map of SX Province on the wall in a trance, and suddenly pointed in the direction of northern Shaanxi: "Let's go directly to the source.

Ma Qiang, do you know any breeders in northern Shaanxi?"

Ma Qiang was stunned: "I do know a few, but they are all in Yan'an, the distance is..."

"Prepare the car and leave tonight."

Wang Jianye had already stood up, "Old Zhao, take those bottles of good wine from the safe."

As night fell, a Santana loaded with braised meat and wine drove out of Xi'an and sped north.

Ma Qiang held the steering wheel and couldn't help asking, "Boss Wang, do we really have to go so far to find the goods? If we calculate the transportation cost, it may not be more cost-effective than raising the price."

Wang Jianye rolled down the car window to let in the dry wind from the northern Shaanxi plateau: "It's not just a matter of money.

If I give in this time, Zhou Dafu will become even more aggressive in the future."

The car bumped along the dark winding mountain road for six hours.

At three o'clock in the morning, they finally arrived at Lijiagou on the outskirts of Yan'an.

The loess hillside under the moonlight undulates like the back of a giant beast, with dim lights shining through a few scattered cave dwellings.

"That's the one."

Ma Qiang pointed to a cave with a red lantern hanging on it halfway up the mountain and said, "The native pigs raised by Old Man Li are famous in the surrounding area."

They climbed up the hillside with one step deep and one step shallow, and woke up the big yellow dog that was guarding the gate.

The wooden door of the cave creaked open, and a wrinkled face appeared.

"Who is it? In the middle of the night..."

"Uncle Li, it's me, Xiao Ma!" Ma Qiang stepped forward quickly, "Bring our boss to see your pigs."

Old man Li let them into the house with some doubt.

In the cave, the earthen kang still retained some warmth, and faded New Year pictures were pasted on the walls.

Without saying a word, Wang Jianye placed the Xuzhou braised pork and Xifeng wine he brought on the kang table.

"Brother, try our Xuzhou braised pork."

As soon as the oil paper package was opened, the rich aroma of meat immediately filled the cave.

Old man Li sniffed and couldn't help but pick up a piece.

The sauce-colored pieces of meat glowed attractively under the kerosene lamp, and the alternating fat and lean textures were clearly visible.

"Hmm! It smells good!" The old man narrowed his eyes, "It tastes better than the bacon we have here!"

After three glasses of wine, they started talking.

Only then did Wang Jianye realize that farmers like Old Man Li had their prices suppressed by middlemen all year round, and they could not sell good pigs at a good price.

"Last year, when the dealers came to buy live pigs, they only paid 4.5 yuan per pound."

Old man Li counted the money with his rough fingers, "Except for the money for the feed, it's all in vain!"

Wang Jianye filled the old man's glass with wine and said, "Uncle Li, I'll give you five yuan a pound. If you sign a three-year contract, I'll take as much as you raise."

"What?" The old man's wine bowl was suspended in the air. "Five dollars? And you want the whole thing?"

Ma Qiang was so anxious that he kicked Wang Jianye's feet under the table - this price was higher than the market price of XA.

But Wang Jianye was unmoved and took out a stack of contracts from his bag: "If you don't believe me, we can put our fingerprints on it right now."

As he was speaking, the sound of an engine was heard outside the cave.

A middle-aged man in a leather jacket rushed in and was visibly stunned when he saw Wang Jianye and others.

"Old Li, this year's pig..."

"Boss Zhou?" Ma Qiang cried out.

The person who came was actually Zhou Dafu’s cousin Zhou Xiaofu!
The air solidified instantly.

Zhou Xiaofu's eyes rolled, and he immediately understood the situation. He sneered and said, "Boss Wang is very clever. He came all the way here to poach people?"

Wang Jianye took a sip of wine calmly: "The market is free to trade. Boss Zhou can buy the goods from Xi'an, so why can't I find a new source of goods?"

Zhou Xiaofu turned to Old Man Li and said threateningly, "Old Man Li, you better think this through.

Going against our Qinweiju..."

"What's wrong with being against us?" Old Man Li suddenly slammed the table and stood up. "How many years have you, the Zhou family, been suppressing our prices? Now there's a good boss offering a high price, why don't you let us sell it?"

Zhou Xiaofu's face turned pale. He said, "Just wait and see" and slammed the door and left.

Wang Jianye knew that the real battle had just begun.

Over the next three days, they traveled to six counties in northern Shaanxi and signed contracts with twelve breeders.

At their last stop in Yulin, they encountered even bigger problems.

"Boss Wang, it's not that I don't want to sell it to you."

Zhang Jianjun, a large-scale pig farmer, said with a frown, "To transport live pigs to Xi'an, we have to pass through three quarantine stations on the way, and the handling fees alone are enough to make us suffer.

Not to mention the risks of losing weight and getting sick on the road..."

On the way back to Xi'an, Wang Jianye remained silent.

It was not until he saw the sign of "Used Car Trading Market" on the roadside that he suddenly shouted to stop the car.

"Ma Qiang, what do you think about setting up our own transport team?"

Ma Qiang almost bit his tongue: "Boss Wang, a refrigerated truck costs hundreds of thousands!"

“Buy second-hand.”

Wang Jianye has already taken big steps towards the market. "No matter how expensive it is, it is better than being strangled by others."

After some bargaining, they gritted their teeth and bought two refrigerated trucks that had run 80,000 kilometers.

Wang Jianye touched the rusty car door and said to Lao Zhao, who looked worried, "Remember, this is not an expense, it's an investment."

The next day after returning to Xi'an, Zhou Dafu came to visit.

This man with a fat face and two followers sat in the best seat in the lobby with a swagger.

"Boss Wang, I heard you went to northern Shaanxi?" Zhou Dafu said with a fake smile, holding a Zhonghua cigarette between his legs. "Why bother? We are all businessmen, we can discuss things if we have anything to say."

Wang Jianye asked the waiter to bring a pot of good tea: "What does Mr. Zhou want to discuss?"

"How about this," Zhou Dafu lowered his voice, "You sell me the recipe for spicy pork belly, and I'll supply you with meat at the original price, how about that?"

Wang Jianye smiled: "Mr. Zhou, do you think I will agree?"

Zhou Dafu's face instantly darkened: "Wang Jianye, don't be so shameless! Without my flesh, you won't last more than a month!"

As he was talking, Ma Qiang ran in excitedly: "Boss Wang, the first batch of pork from northern Shaanxi has arrived! The local pigs from Old Man Li's family are just the right amount of fat and lean!"

Zhou Dafu looked like he had swallowed a fly.

He stood up suddenly and the teacup was knocked to the ground: "Good! Very good! We'll see!" After this incident, the business of "Xuzhou Home" not only did not collapse, but the quality of the dishes was improved because of the use of local Shaanxi pork.

Food blogger "Laoshan Xunwei" made a special program, praising their steamed pork with pork "with the grandeur of the Loess Plateau."

Late at night a month later, Wang Jianye was alone in his office checking accounts.

Although purchasing vehicles and transportation increased costs, the stable supply ensured the quality of the dishes, and customer flow actually increased by 20%.

More importantly, they no longer have to please others.

Outside the window, the sound of the clock tower chimes can be heard melodiously.

Wang Jianye walked to the window, looked at the lights of thousands of homes in Xi'an, and suddenly wanted to try the braised pork made from northern Shaanxi's local pork.

He walked towards the kitchen and unexpectedly found Zhang Dehai and Ma Qiang working on new dishes.

"Boss Wang!" Ma Qiang waved excitedly, "We made 'Bazi Rousaozi Noodles' with buckwheat noodles from northern Shaanxi. Would you like to try it?"

Wang Jianye took the bowl. The noodles were topped with amber-colored diced pork and garnished with bright red peppers and emerald green chopped green onions.

After the first bite, the aroma of wheat, meat and spicy flavors explode in the mouth, creating an indescribable harmony.

"How is it?" Zhang Dehai showed a rare expectant expression.

Wang Jianye did not answer immediately.

He thought of the dim kerosene lamp in the cave in northern Shaanxi, the red fingerprint of Old Man Li's rough hands on the contract, and the roar of the refrigerated truck's engine...all of this was melted into this bowl of noodles.

"This smell..." he said softly, "Let's call it 'breakout'."

Harmony between North and South
The glass door of the Xi'an branch was pushed open violently and hit the wall with a loud "bang".

The waitress Liu Xiaojuan rushed into the staff lounge with red eyes and threw her apron hard on the table.

"I'm done with this! That Xu guy scolded me in front of so many guests. Even my parents have never scolded me like that!"

The lounge suddenly exploded.

Several local waiters came over and asked about the situation.

It turned out that at the wedding banquet at noon, Xu Li, the foreman transferred from Xuzhou, scolded Liu Xiaojuan in front of thirty tables of guests because she did not replace the bone plates in time.

"She said I 'didn't know the rules' and 'brought shame to the people of Xuzhou'!" Liu Xiaojuan wiped her tears and cried in her thick Shaanxi accent, "I just chatted with the guests for a few more words!"

Chef Ma Qiang poked his head out of the kitchen with a cigarette in his mouth: "Foreman Xu has that temper. He was like this when he was at the Xuzhou headquarters..."

"Bah!" Liu Xiaojuan's best friend Wang Xiufen put her hands on her hips, "This is Shaanxi! When we entertain guests, we like to chat about family matters. How can this be considered as not knowing the rules?"

This conflict was like a fuse that ignited long-accumulated contradictions.

That afternoon, eight local waiters collectively submitted their resignation letters.

Wang Jianye looked out from the office window and saw them gathered under the locust tree at the store entrance, wiping their tears, while Xu Li was sorting documents at the front desk with a grim face. The two sides were separated by a glass door, but it felt like a natural chasm.

"Boss Wang, you have to take care of this matter."

Store manager Li Wei handed over a stack of resignation letters with a worried look on his face. "If this continues, our store will be left without any staff."

Wang Jianye stroked the stubble on his chin, thinking of the service rating sheet Xu Li handed in yesterday—all “unsatisfactory”.

In her opinion, the service provided by Shaanxi staff is simply useless: they cannot use standard Mandarin to announce the names of dishes, they always like to talk to customers when serving dishes, and they are not quick enough to clear the dishes...

But strangely, customer satisfaction surveys show that many local guests particularly like this kind of "chatty" service.

One old customer even wrote in the opinion book: "I love hearing Xiaojuan's 'Enjoy your meal and drink your food', which is much better than those cold 'standard services'!"

Wang Jianye walked to the front desk, where Xu Li was scolding a new waiter: "How many times have I told you to pronounce the dishes correctly? 'Spicy Braised Pork with Rice', not 'Spicy Braised Pork with Rice'!"

The little girl lowered her head and twisted the edge of her apron with her fingers.

Wang Jianye coughed lightly and said, "Foreman Xu, come to my office."

In the office, Xu Li still looked stubborn: "Boss Wang, I always require them to follow the standards of the Xuzhou headquarters..."

“But this is not Xuzhou.”

Wang Jianye handed her a cup of tea and said, "Xi'an has its own customs."

Xu Li pursed her lips and said nothing, but her tense jawline revealed her unwillingness to accept the defeat.

Wang Jianye suddenly had an idea: "I will close the store tomorrow and take everyone to a place."

The next morning, two buses stopped in front of the store.

The employees looked at each other, not knowing what the boss was up to.

Xu Li and several employees from Xuzhou sat in the front row, while local employees gathered in groups of three or four in the back row, clearly separating the two.

"Today we are going to visit the Terracotta Warriors."

Wang Jianye stood at the front of the car and announced, "Not only will we be visiting, we will also hold a symposium there."

Along the way, the carriage was so quiet that you could only hear the hum of the air conditioner.

Wang Jianye observed through the rearview mirror: Xu Li sat upright, still holding the "Xuzhou Family Service Manual" in her hand; Liu Xiaojuan and her sisters in the back row huddled together and whispered, occasionally letting out suppressed laughter.

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum was crowded with people.

When the spectacular sight of Pit No. 1 came into view, everyone held their breath.

Thousands of terracotta figurines are arranged neatly, each one lifelike and unique.

"Everyone, look carefully," Wang Jianye pointed at the group of terracotta warriors, "the faces and expressions of these terracotta warriors are all different. Some have round faces, some have square faces, some are serious, and some even have smiles..."

The local tour guide Lao Zhang took over the conversation: "This boss is right.

We Shaanxi people often say that the Terracotta Warriors are like a miniature of ordinary people, with thousands of faces!"

Wang Jianye noticed that Xu Li's expression relaxed a little.

He struck while the iron was hot: “Actually, the same applies to catering services.

Xuzhou has its own characteristics, and Shaanxi has its own customs. The key is how to integrate them.”

After the visit, they held a symposium in a teahouse next to the scenic area.

Wang Jianye asked people to prepare Xuzhou specialty Mi Sandao and Shaanxi specialty Shizimo. The two snacks were placed together, which was surprisingly harmonious.

"Let's talk openly today," Wang Jianye looked around at everyone, "any conflicts or suggestions, please put them on the table."

After a moment of silence, Liu Xiaojuan was the first to speak: "Boss Wang, it's not that we don't want to work hard.

But Supervisor Xu always complains that we talk too much, but the guests love to listen to us chat! Last time, the tourist from BJ said that he liked to listen to me introduce the local conditions and customs of Shaanxi! "

Xu Li immediately retorted: "But service must have standards! The head office requires that dishes must be clearly announced and the dishes cannot be cleared within three minutes..."

“Standards are dead, but people are alive.”

Wang Jianye interrupted her, "In Xuzhou, customers may value efficiency more; but in Shaanxi, people value the warmth more."

He picked up a piece of honey three-piece cake and a piece of stone bun: "Just like these two snacks, one is soft and sweet, the other is crispy and salty. They have their own flavors when eaten separately, and they taste even better when put together."

The teahouse owner, Lao Zhou, was listening intently and couldn't help but interrupt: "This boss is right.

When we Shaanxi people entertain guests, we pay attention to the lively and enthusiastic spirit of "嫽７ｌｅ" (Great)!"

The symposium lasted for a full three hours.

Gradually, Xuzhou employees began to understand the practices of local employees, and local employees were also willing to learn some standardized service processes.

Wang Jianye asked someone to bring paper and pen, and drafted a "Xi'an Branch Service Standard" on the spot: (End of this chapter)