Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

The night in Nantong city is brightly lit, and Wang Jianye’s branch on South Street is bustling with activity.

The restaurant was packed with people, laughter and chatter could be heard everywhere, diners were enjoying the delicious dishes, and the aroma of food filled the air.

There was also a long queue outside the store, with people waiting with great anticipation to taste this delicacy with a unique fusion of flavors.

However, behind this prosperity, a crisis is quietly approaching.

On a seemingly ordinary morning, Wang Jianye walked into the food purchasing area as usual, but his brows soon wrinkled into the shape of the Chinese character "川".

The suppliers who were once familiar all had an unnatural look on their faces.

In front of the egg stall, Wang Jianye picked up an egg, felt its weight, and suddenly felt confused.

"Mr. Zhang, why has the price of eggs increased so much all of a sudden?" Wang Jianye looked at the supplier in front of him, with whom he had a good relationship, and his eyes revealed surprise and confusion.

Lao Zhang rubbed his hands, his eyes evasive, and he stammered, "Boss Wang, this... this is nothing we can do. The cost has gone up, so the price has also gone up. The price of eggs has soared by 30% overnight."

Wang Jianye felt something was amiss. The price increase was too outrageous and it was definitely not a simple cost issue.

But he did not lose his temper immediately. Instead, he continued to ask other suppliers in the market calmly.

Other suppliers also gave the same reason, that prices have indeed increased, and the increase is not small.

Wang Jianye felt an uneasy premonition in his heart, and he felt that there must be other hidden secrets behind this matter.

"There must be something fishy going on here. It's not just a simple cost increase."

Wang Jianye thought to himself, and he was determined to get to the bottom of the matter.

After some secret investigations, Wang Jianye finally discovered the clues.

It turned out that a certain catering group secretly made a large-scale purchase of supplies from farms around Nantong, intending to monopolize the local catering market by controlling the supply of ingredients, raising prices, and forcing out external competitors like Wang Jianye.

After hearing the news, Wang Jianye was so angry that his face turned red, his hands clenched into fists, and he felt angry and unwilling: "How can these people be so unscrupulous? In order to achieve their goals, they even do not hesitate to destroy fair competition in the market!" But anger was anger, and facing the serious situation before him, Wang Jianye understood that it was useless to just be angry, and he had to come up with a response plan as soon as possible.

"We can't let them succeed. I have to keep the restaurant's food supply."

Wang Jianye gritted his teeth and made up his mind secretly.

After some thought, he turned his attention to Dafeng, Yancheng, 200 kilometers away from Nantong.

There are quite a few farmers there, and perhaps we can get a stable supply of food from them.

As night falls, the city of Nantong is shrouded in silence.

Wang Jianye sat in the driver's seat, and the sound of the car's engine was particularly loud in the quiet street.

He looked ahead with a firm gaze, gripping the steering wheel tightly, with only one thought in his mind - to rush to Dafeng, Yancheng, and find a way to solve the food supply problem.

The car was speeding on the highway and the scenery outside the window was passing by quickly, but Wang Jianye had no time to pay attention.

Various scenes of interviews with farmers kept emerging in his mind, thinking about how to convince them to cooperate with him.

After more than two hours of travel, Wang Jianye finally arrived in Dafeng, Yancheng.

The early morning sun shines on this vast field. In the fields beside the country road, the green crops sway in the wind.

Based on the address he had inquired about before, Wang Jianye found the home of a farmer.

This is an ordinary farmyard with various farm tools placed in the yard. A few hens are leisurely pecking at rice grains in the corner.

Wang Jianye knocked on the door gently, and soon a simple middle-aged man opened the door. He was the farmer Lao Liu.

When Old Liu saw that Wang Jianye was a stranger, he showed a trace of doubt on his face: "Who are you?" Wang Jianye quickly introduced himself with a smile: "Hello, Brother Liu! I am the owner of a restaurant on Nantong South Street, my name is Wang Jianye.

I came here to discuss something with you."

Old Liu frowned slightly and asked cautiously, "What do you want to talk to me about?" Wang Jianye pleaded, "Brother Liu, as you know, there have been some problems with the food supply in Nantong recently, and the prices have risen ridiculously.

I would like to cooperate with you and purchase ingredients from you.

I can prepay for half a year's worth of orders in cash, and the price is 5% higher than the market price. Is that okay with you?" Old Liu hesitated when he heard this: "Boss Wang, your offer is indeed very tempting, but I have already promised some other customers, so it's not easy to break the contract."

Wang Jianye’s heart tightened, but he did not give up and continued to say sincerely: “Brother Liu, I understand your concerns.

But my restaurant is doing very well recently, and the demand for ingredients is huge. And you will feel comfortable with my cash payment, right? If we have a long-term cooperation in the future, I'm sure you will get the order from me."

Old Liu thought for a while, and finally shook his head: "Boss Wang, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that it's already been decided, and it's hard to change it."

Wang Jianye felt a little disappointed, but he still said politely: “Brother Liu, it’s okay, I’m sorry to bother you.

Then I'll go ask somewhere else."

After leaving Lao Liu's home, Wang Jianye was not discouraged. He continued to visit farmers one by one.

Under the scorching sun, he knocked on doors and asked questions from house to house, his clothes soaked with sweat.

Like Lao Liu, many farmers rejected him for various reasons.

A farmer named Wang said helplessly: "Boss Wang, I want to help you, but my scale is limited and I can't supply so much."

Wang Jianye was extremely anxious, but he persisted.

It was not until the afternoon that he found a farmer named Lao Zhou.

Lao Zhou’s farm is large in scale, but it has also faced some sales pressure recently.

Wang Jianye once again sincerely proposed his cooperation plan: "Brother Zhou, look at my order for half a year's advance payment in cash, the price is 5% higher than the market price.

If you cooperate with me, not only can I solve your sales problem, but we can also have a long-term cooperation and a stable income. "

Old Zhou thought for a long time, looked at Wang Jianye's tired but determined eyes, and asked: "Is your restaurant really in such great demand in Nantong? You won't default on the payment, right?" Wang Jianye patted his chest and assured: "Brother Zhou, don't worry! My restaurant is doing very good business in Nantong, and there are many customers every day. I am a person who values ​​integrity in business, and I will never default on you a penny!" Old Zhou was finally moved by Wang Jianye's sincerity and nodded: "Okay, Boss Wang, since you are so sincere, I will try to cooperate with you."

Wang Jianye was overjoyed and hurriedly shook hands with Lao Zhou: "That's great, Brother Zhou! Thank you for your trust. Let's sign the contract now!" After settling the supply of eggs and other ingredients, the supply of seafood became a concern for Wang Jianye.

Seafood is vital to Nantong's local cuisine, and Nantong's Lushi Fishing Port is an important source of fresh seafood.

Wang Jianye rushed to Lushi Fishing Port again, exhausted.

The sea breeze blew in with a salty smell. The fishing port was full of fishing boats of all sizes. The fishermen on the boats were busy sorting out fishing nets and caught seafood.

Wang Jianye asked around the port and finally found several ship captains.

He walked up to a tall, dark-skinned boat captain and said with a smile, "Hello, boss! I am the owner of a restaurant in Nantong and I want to discuss something with you."

The captain looked at him and asked in a gruff voice, "What's the matter?" Wang Jianye explained his purpose: "Boss, I know you go fishing every day, and you must have a lot of catches.

I want to make a deal with you. I will send someone to wait at the dock every morning and give priority to selecting the freshest pomfret, swimming crab and other seafood. We can negotiate the price. What do you think?" The captain smiled and said disapprovingly: "Boss Wang, your idea is very good, but there are many people rushing to buy seafood every day. Why should you be given priority?" Wang Jianye hurriedly said: "Boss, my restaurant business is good and there is a great demand for seafood. I promise that the price will never let you suffer a loss.

As long as you provide fresh goods, I will cooperate with you for a long time. "

The captain pondered for a while, then shook his head: "Boss Wang, this is not easy to handle. Everyone is watching us."

Wang Jianye felt a little frustrated, but he did not give up and continued to communicate with the ship captains.

After a lot of persuasion, a younger captain finally gave in.

The young captain said, "Boss Wang, since you are so sincere, I can agree to it, but you have to be punctual and not delay our business."

Wang Jianye nodded quickly: "Boss, don't worry! I will definitely arrange the most reliable person to come and make sure not to waste your time!" After Wang Jianye reached an agreement with the captain, he immediately arranged for someone to be responsible for purchasing seafood at Lushi Fishing Port every morning.

Every early morning, when the whole city was still asleep, the purchasing staff arranged by Wang Jianye had already arrived at the fishing port.

They shuttle among numerous fishing boats, carefully selecting the freshest and fattest pomfret and swimming crabs to ensure that the restaurant can get the best quality seafood.

At this time, Wang Jianye's competitors were immersed in the joy of "victory".

They thought that by controlling the supply from farms around Nantong, they could successfully force Wang Jianye to retreat and watch his restaurant run into a food shortage.

However, when they were surprised to find that Wang's branch still maintained a stable supply of dishes, it was too late.

Wang Jianye's decisive decision-making and hard work enabled him to successfully overcome the crisis and firmly occupy the market.

Diners still flocked to Wang's branches as usual to enjoy the delicious dishes, completely unaware that a fierce food supply chain battle was taking place behind the scenes.

Inside the restaurant, diners were chatting happily and the waiters were busy and orderly.

"The food in this restaurant is still so delicious, and the ingredients are so fresh!" said an old customer with satisfaction.

My friend next to me echoed: "Yeah, I don't know how the boss did it. The prices in the surrounding areas are very unstable, but his store is not affected."

In the kitchen, the chefs skillfully handle fresh ingredients and create delicious dishes.

The fresh pomfret sizzles in the pan with an attractive color; the boiled eggs are round and shiny with an excellent taste.

Outside the restaurant, Wang Jianye looked at the people coming and going, feeling filled with emotion.

From the anger and anxiety of learning that the food supply was being controlled, to the exhaustion of visiting farmers one by one, to the relief of finally successfully solving the problem, the journey was full of hardships.

"This is just one difficult hurdle. There may be more difficulties in the future, but as long as I persevere, I will be able to keep this restaurant."

Wang Jianye looked at the bustling streets and a firm belief surged in his heart.

As time goes by, life becomes increasingly difficult for competitors.

Due to the excessive monopoly of supply and higher prices in the early stage, many small and medium-sized catering businesses complained about them.

Some suppliers who had originally cooperated with them gradually began to change their attitudes after seeing that Wang Jianye's business was stable and the cooperation was honest.

Mr. Sun, a supplier who once followed a catering group in raising prices, took the initiative to find Wang Jianye and said with regret: "Boss Wang, I was bewitched before and followed them in raising prices. I'm sorry.

Now I understand that only honest business can last long. Can you give me a chance to continue supplying you?" Wang Jianye looked at Lao Sun's sincere look, thought for a moment and said, "Lao Sun, we are all doing business, honesty is indeed very important.

Since you have this intention, I can give you another chance, but don't do such stupid things again in the future."

Old Sun nodded quickly: "Boss Wang, don't worry, I will definitely change for the better!" Seeing that Wang Jianye was doing better and better, some employees who did not understand why he purchased stable ingredients at high prices in the past also gave him a thumbs up.

The young waiter Xiao Li asked Wang Jianye curiously: "Boss, you purchased the ingredients at a high price at that time. Weren't you afraid that the cost would be too high?" Wang Jianye smiled and patiently explained: "Xiao Li, cost is important, but the reputation of the restaurant is more important.

If customers are disappointed due to food shortages or quality issues, all our previous efforts will be wasted.

Only by ensuring a stable supply and quality of dishes can we win the long-term trust of customers and our restaurant can develop in the long run."

Xiao Li nodded thoughtfully: "Boss, I understand. You are really far-sighted."

As the market gradually stabilized, relevant local departments in Nantong also launched an investigation into the unfair competition of a certain catering group.

Faced with conclusive evidence, the restaurant group received the appropriate punishment.

The catering market has restored the order of fair competition, and Wang Jianye's restaurant has also ushered in a better development environment.

After this incident, Wang Jianye was not satisfied with the status quo, but paid more attention to the diversification and stability of the food supply chain.

Not only does he continue to maintain close cooperation with farmers in Dafeng, Yancheng, he also continues to explore new food supply channels and sets his sights further afield.

Once, while on a business trip, Wang Jianye accidentally learned that the local chickens raised in a mountainous area in Anhui were of excellent quality, with delicious and natural meat.

Without any hesitation, he immediately rushed to the mountainous area and conducted an in-depth inspection of the farm.

In the farm in the mountains, Wang Jianye was attracted by the scene before him. (End of this chapter)