1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 131 This kid is secretly up to something big behind our backs! (6k-page compilation)

Zhou Yan smiled and welcomed Huang He and his wife into the shop, made them tea, sat down opposite them, and said with a smile, "Mr. Huang, what do you want to discuss with me?"

"Huang Ying ate some braised meat here today and thought it was delicious, so she packed some for us too." Huang He looked at Zhou Yan and said, "The braised meat is indeed delicious, but the taste seems very familiar. I wonder what your relationship is with that Aunt Zhang who sold braised meat at Suji Bridge back then? Did you learn the craft from her?"

"The Aunt Zhang you mentioned should be my grandmother." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile: "I did learn my braised meat skills from her."

"No wonder!" Huang He clapped his hands and stood up, unable to hide his excitement. "I knew it tasted exactly the same! You've learned the technique so well! You've captured the essence perfectly!"

Zhao Shulan glanced at him and immediately shrank back into her chair.

There was no way around it; he had waited for over twenty years and was simply too excited. Even though Zhao Shulan had repeatedly warned him along the way, Huang He couldn't help but get carried away when he heard Zhou Yan's definite words.

Zhou Yan's lips curled up slightly. Judging from Huang He's reaction, the cooperation seemed to be a sure thing.

“Mr. Zhou, we’re here today mainly to discuss a collaboration with you.” Zhao Shulan smiled and said, “I don’t know if your grandmother ever told you about her days when she was a street vendor and her collaboration with our Feiyan Restaurant on braised meat. We are now interested in continuing this collaboration and ordering braised meat from you every day.”

Zhou Yan prefers this straightforward approach to conversation.

It's clear that Zhao Shulan is the one in charge of Feiyan Restaurant.

“My grandmother did mention to me that she used to supply braised meat to many restaurants and eateries in Jiaozhou, but she didn’t mention the specific names of the restaurants.” Zhou Yan said calmly, “If it’s a daily order for braised meat, then of course there’s no problem. Selling it to individual customers is one thing, selling it to you is another. As long as the price is right, we can discuss it.”

"I think about Aunt Zhang every day, but she hasn't even mentioned our Feiyan Restaurant once?" Huang He looked hurt, feeling like he had wasted his time.

“It’s not that I haven’t mentioned it before,” Zhou Yan said with a smile. “My grandma told me about Feiyan Restaurant before, saying that Boss Huang has a young son who used to come to Suji with his father to get braised meat when he was a child.”

"It's me, it's me!" Huang He pointed to himself happily.

Zhou Yan looked puzzled: "My grandma said that the youngest son's name is Huang Xiaoji, right, Boss Huang..."

Huang He's smile froze, and he looked slightly embarrassed.

Zhao Shulan, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but laugh. She looked at Huang He and asked, "Who is Huang Xiaoji? Huang Xiaoji..."

"Oh, I am Huang Xiaoji!" Huang He waved his hand and said indifferently, "It's the nickname that the older generation used to call me. I haven't heard anyone call me that for many years since my father passed away."

Zhou Yan smiled upon hearing this, feeling that their relationship had suddenly become much closer.

Today, the old lady chatted with him for a bit about Feiyan Restaurant. Back then, their cooperative relationship was indeed very good. One very important point was that Feiyan Restaurant never extended credit. No matter how much goods they took each day, they could always settle the payment and goods in full.

The Huang family is fair in their business dealings.

Moreover, Fei Yan Restaurant was indeed excellent. Back then, it was the most popular restaurant among wealthy merchants and celebrities in Jiaozhou.

Huang He looked at Zhou Yan and said, "When Aunt Zhang supplied us with goods, she gave us a price that was 20% lower than her selling price. What do you think of this price? If it's suitable, we can cooperate at this price."

"A 20% reduction?" Zhou Yan asked thoughtfully.

He keeps the profit margin of braised pig's head at around 55%. If he lowers it by 20%, he still has a 35% profit margin.

The profit margin is not high, but the sales volume is high.

Moreover, he doesn't need to be responsible for cutting, which saves manpower.

This is the same as what was supplied to his master and his family for their banquets.

Two pieces of braised pig's head meat, two pieces of braised pig's ears and two pieces of braised pig's snout. Huang He's proposed price is quite reasonable.

Zhou Yan's prices were generally three cents higher than the market prices in Suji.

The other party will definitely sell the braised meat after buying it wholesale.

The price they can sell it for is up to them.

However, sufficient profit margins must be left for the other party in order for the cooperation to last.

Zhou Yan didn't nod immediately, but instead asked, "How much do you need per day? Do you pick up the goods yourselves each day, or do you need me to deliver them to your door?"

Zhao Shulan looked at Zhou Yan with more appreciation. This young man was so calm and composed. He was not arrogant or impatient. Not to mention Huang Bing, even Huang He was not as good as him.

She said, "In the early stages, we'll guarantee at least two pig heads per day. Once we build up our reputation, we'll adjust the amount based on sales volume. You don't need to deliver the goods or help with the cutting. I'll have Huang Bing pick up the goods every day and pay in cash."

See? That's what you call professional!

Pig heads are sold individually; pig ears and snouts are not sold separately.

In this day and age, a pig only has two ears. If you want more, then other places don't have pig ears and only sell pig head meat, which is not appropriate.

“Okay, let’s go with this price then.” Zhou Yan nodded.

If the other party is sincere and easygoing, then he is not a coy person.

Upon hearing this, Huang He and Zhao Shulan both smiled.

On their way here, the two discussed many possible solutions.

If Zhou Yan is not satisfied with the price, how should they negotiate? What is their bottom line? If they really can't reach an agreement, should they try to appeal to Aunt Zhang's emotions?

And once he arrives, he'll likely have to talk to more than just Zhou Yan; his parents will also have their own ideas.

Zhou Yan was about the same age as Huang Bing and Huang Ying. In their eyes, he was like a child, and they always felt that he couldn't make decisions.

Once inside the shop, the tea was brewed, and the conversation went surprisingly smoothly.

There was no wrangling or pretense.

Zhou Yan's mother sat behind the counter with her sleeping younger sister in her arms. Apart from greeting everyone when she came in, she didn't say a word the whole time.

Zhou Yan made the decision all by himself.

It's clear that he didn't make this decision rashly or impulsively; he was as composed as a seasoned businessman.

"Besides braised pig's head, when will the braised beef be served? Have you mastered the technique yet?" Huang He asked impatiently.

Back then, Feiyan Restaurant's best-selling product was actually braised beef, selling over 30 jin a day, and even more during holidays. Feiyan Restaurant obtained the exclusive supply rights for Jiaozhou braised beef from Aunt Zhang, and had to pay her an extra fee each year for this exclusive supply, all for the sake of exclusivity.

"The braised beef is still a bit lacking. Because it's too expensive, we don't make much of it, so we might have to wait a while longer," Zhou Yan admitted. "But it will definitely be available later."

Huang He was a little disappointed upon hearing this, but looking at Zhou Yan, he still sighed, "To be able to make braised pork products to this level at such a young age is quite impressive."

"You flatter me," Zhou Yan said modestly.

"Once your braised beef is ready, can our Feiyan Restaurant sign a contract with you to exclusively supply braised beef for the Jiaozhou urban area?" Huang He said.

"Exclusively for use?" Zhou Yan asked, puzzled.

Huang He said, "Your braised meat will definitely be sold to restaurants in Jiaozhou, just like Aunt Zhang did back then, but could you please provide braised beef exclusively to our Feiyan Restaurant?"

I will give you an extra special fee every year to make up for the money you lose on the braised beef. That's how Feiyan Restaurant and Aunt Zhang cooperated back then.

"Once we rebuild our reputation, the demand for braised beef will be much higher. We can sell dozens of kilograms a day, which is much faster than selling two or three kilograms to small restaurants."

Zhao Shulan also looked at Zhou Yan, her expression slightly tense.

Besides negotiating the price, the exclusive supply of braised beef is also a very important point for us today.

Without differentiation, once Zhou Yan's braised meat is rolled out across Jiaozhou, they will no longer be able to use braised beef as a selling point to increase the unit price.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yan shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, I can't sign this agreement."

"Why? We've been cooperating like this for over twenty years," Huang He asked, puzzled.

Zhou Yan smiled and explained, "You can't guarantee the quantity of beef you'll order right now. Expectations can't be used for negotiation. The market in Jiaozhou is so big. You're just talking about a few dozen kilograms and want a special supply agreement. I can't give you that."

Since the braised beef hasn't been launched yet, there's no need to rush. Why not build up the reputation of braised pig's head and other products first? Once the volume increases, you'll have a better idea of ​​how much braised beef can sell, and then it won't be too late to talk about exclusive supply.

Otherwise, if I were to ask you for a thousand yuan a year for exclusive supply, but you can't even earn a thousand yuan a year selling braised beef, wouldn't you be losing money?"

Huang He looked thoughtful.

Zhao Shulan nodded and said, "Boss Zhou is right. You've thought things through more thoroughly than we have. Let's do it your way. We'll sell braised pig's head first to open up the market before we talk about other things. We'll have a proper discussion when you launch braised beef."

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded: "No problem. As long as the conditions are right, I will definitely give priority to old customers and big customers."

The two sides shook hands and made peace. Zhou Yan took out paper and pen and directly drafted a braised meat cooperation agreement.

Both parties agreed on the price and daily pickup time, and the payment for the braised meat was settled daily, with no credit allowed.

"Your handwriting is really good, and the strokes are even beautiful," Zhao Shulan couldn't help but praise as she watched Zhou Yan write the agreement.

“That’s right, Huang Bing’s handwriting is like a scribble, even a shrimp can crawl better on the paper.” Huang He nodded in agreement, looking disappointed.

Zhou Yan smiled but didn't reply, lest he incite trouble and cause Huang Bing to suffer an undeserved disaster.

To be fair, he was a VIP customer who had been receiving long-term meals from him.

The agreement was made in duplicate, and both parties signed and sealed it. Huang He and Zhao Shulan, carrying the agreement, returned home satisfied.

Zhou Yan held the agreement, a smile appearing on his face.

Jiaozhou's first major client has been secured!
Compared to those scattered small clients, one such large client is worth ten of them.

Zhou Yan didn't rush to agree to the beef supply agreement. Besides the reason he had told them, there was another very important reason: he might open a restaurant in Jiaozhou in the future.

We can't close our own path just for a little extra money.

Businessmen always try to create the most favorable conditions for themselves, and Huang He was right about that. That's how the old lady cooperated with them back then.

But the biggest difference between Zhou Yan and his grandmother is that he doesn't plan to spend his whole life with Su Ji.

If the prerequisites change, the experience no longer applies.

Zhao Tieying carried the sleeping Zhou Momo upstairs to the second floor, and only after coming downstairs did she say, "You've secured your first cooperation so smoothly, you're quite impressive."

"Aunt Zhao's guidance is excellent," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Not bad, not bad, keep it up." Aunt Zhao's smile grew even brighter, and she casually asked, "Are you planning to look for other restaurants?"

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "I plan to hold off for now and give them some time to build up their reputation." Zhou Yan shook his head, "What they said makes some sense. A small restaurant only consumes three or four catties a day. Ten restaurants can't compare to one."

"If they can build up their reputation for braised food and sell dozens of kilograms a day, I won't sell to any other restaurants around Feiyan Restaurant. I won't betray a major client."

The old lady had actually discussed the ins and outs with him that morning.

Grand restaurants value their reputation most.

Zhang's braised food tastes good and looks good. When big restaurants take it back, cut it up, put it on those pretty plates, and serve it, the price doubles.

But there's a prerequisite: the braised meat must be claimed to be homemade.

A century-old shop paired with a century-old braising sauce makes for delicious braised meat, so customers are happy to pay for it.

But if customers know that your braised meat comes from a small-town braised meat stall, they will have a problem with it and feel that it is not worth the price.

Even if it's the same piece of braised meat, and the taste is exactly the same, its price will immediately be different.

The old lady had no ambition, but she was very clear-headed.

She never mentions to outsiders which restaurants get their supplies from her; she quietly makes a small profit.

The restaurants that have been cooperating with her for over a decade or two have all been happy to get their braised meat from her, and that's why.

Zhou Yande learned this from.

Pushing his bicycle out the door, Zhou Yan went to the knife maker to order two more pig heads.

……

"Zhou Yan is so young, but he is very mature in his speech and actions. This young man is sure to have a bright future," Zhao Shulan said with some emotion as she sat in the back seat.

"It's a pity he's not my son. If I had a son like him, I would retire right now and take you around to eat, drink, and have fun." Huang He also shook his head with regret: "Tell me, how did we end up with such a spendthrift as Huang Bing?"

“Huang Bing’s temperament won’t change anytime soon.” Zhao Shulan sighed and added, “Yingying is quite a surprise to me. Although she loves to eat, she really knows what she’s eating and is quite clever. When she eats delicious braised meat, she can immediately think of what the restaurant is missing. Even Huang Bing can’t compare to her in this respect.”

“I knew Yingying was just like me, she has a discerning palate and can tell good from bad in a single bite.” Huang He laughed along, “I think we should still hand over the Flying Swallow Restaurant to Yingying in the future. If we hand it over to Huang Bing, I’m afraid he’ll change the wine after half a year.”

Zhao Shulan was silent for a moment after hearing this, then said, "Do you think Zhou Yan and Yingying can get together?"

Huang He suddenly slammed on the brakes, turned around to look at Zhao Shulan, his eyes shining: "That's a great idea! We have no hope for our son in this life, but a son-in-law is like half a son!"

"What are you so excited about?" Zhao Shulan slapped his back, both amused and exasperated.

Huang He grinned: "Why don't we go and get to know Zhou Yan's parents first? Aunt Zhang is such a nice person. I even know Zhou Qing and Zhou Ze, two of the five Zhou brothers. I didn't expect that she didn't recognize Zhou Yan's father yesterday."

The Zhou family has impeccable lineage. If we could become in-laws, our Feiyan Restaurant would truly have a century-old tradition of braised meat!

As he spoke, Huang He was about to turn around.

"Don't mess things up!" Zhao Shulan raised her voice. "Times have changed. Now it's up to the young people to decide for themselves. Your meddling will only ruin things!"

Huang He, whose soft flesh had been pinched, dared not move and said with an awkward laugh, "Then...then we can also give you some help."

"What do you know? Zhou Yan is clearly the one in charge in his family. If he doesn't agree, his parents definitely won't be able to influence him; on the contrary, it will make him resentful, and he might not be able to do business in the future." Zhao Shulan rolled her eyes at him and continued:
"Let the young people get to know each other on their own. If it works out, great. If not, don't try to set them up. Yingying goes to Zhou Yan's shop to eat every day now. If she can lose weight, that would be the best."

Huang He thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

As he pedaled away on his bicycle, Huang He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "If only I had a son-in-law like that..."

……

Textile factory, staff quarters.

Holding a pair of chopsticks, Meng Anhe looked at Lin Zhiqiang, who was distributing food from a lunchbox, and said, "My sister wrote me a letter asking about Zhou Yan. What do you think I should say?"

"Who?" Lin Zhiqiang paused, turning around with an incredulous look on his face.

“Who else could it be but Yao Yao’s mother!” Meng Anhe laughed. “I received it yesterday. It was a long three-page letter. One page was about my concern for my younger sister and her two nephews, while the other two pages were all about Zhou Yan’s situation.”

"Why is your sister suddenly asking about Zhou Yan? Wasn't the matter of Yao Yao falling into the water already settled, and they were told not to worry about it..." Lin Zhiqiang paused, his eyes widening slightly, "Wait! Could it be that Yao Yao mentioned Zhou Yan in a letter to her mother?"

"You guessed right." Meng Anhe took the rice bowl from Lin Zhiqiang and placed it on the table next to her.

"What did Yao Yao say? To make your sister so nervous, she must have said something unusual, right?" Lin Zhiqiang brought over the other three bowls, looking quite gossipy.

"My sister said in her letter that Yao Yao has never mentioned other boys, including male classmates, in her letters to them. But in the letter she sent them a couple of days ago, she praised Zhou Yan to the skies, filling a whole page. You could tell from her writing that she was definitely smiling when she wrote about him." Meng Anhe clicked her tongue and said, "How could my sister not be anxious? Her handwriting was so forceful, it was almost murderous!"

"That Zhou Yan is secretly doing something big behind our backs!" Lin Zhiqiang couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

My sister-in-law is such a cool and composed master of traditional Chinese painting. For her to imbue her paintings with such murderous intent, she must have sensed something unusual in Xia Yao's letter.

“Last week, I asked around for some information and wrote some job advice for Xia Yao, but she only mentioned thirty-five words to her mother. Zhou Yan also gave her some advice, and she ended up writing a whole page praising him! Zhou Yan must have been bewitching her.” Meng Anhe gritted her teeth.

Lin Zhiqiang suppressed a laugh. Zhou Yan was quite capable of provoking both sisters at the same time. He smiled and said, "Maybe Zhou Yan's suggestion is really good. I've been running with him these past few days, and some of his views have amazed even me."

Although he's young, he's not the type to boast. If he doesn't understand something, he listens attentively, but if he's willing to talk about something, he definitely has his own unique insights.

"Look how smug you are, secretly pleased with yourself, aren't you?" Meng Anhe glared at him. Lin Zhiqiang really liked Zhou Yan and couldn't wait for him and Xia Yao to get together.

Lin Zhiqiang smiled and said, "Xia Yao is someone you've watched grow up. Do you think any small-town cook could easily fool her with sweet talk? There must be something about Zhou Yan that you haven't noticed, something that makes even a privileged girl like her feel dazzled, which is why she can't wait to share her with her mother."

“You’ve hit the nail on the head. If Zhou Yan were really just a smooth-talking cook, Xia Yao would definitely not be interested in him.” Meng Anhe nodded and said, “My sister thinks so too, which is why she sent me such an urgent letter, asking me to investigate Zhou Yan thoroughly. First, to see what kind of person he is, and second, to see what kind of family he comes from.”

“He is of good character and outstanding ability; I can vouch for those two points.” Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, “Look, he was expelled because he clashed with Wang Defa on behalf of his master. It turns out that Wang Defa was a greedy scoundrel, while Zhou Yan respects his teacher.”

"He bravely jumped into the Qingyi River to save Xia Yao, and this spirit of risking his life to save others is enough to prove that he is of excellent character."

"Not to mention his abilities, after being laid off from the textile factory, he immediately followed the policy and opened a restaurant as a self-employed individual. In just four months, he made the restaurant a great success and even drove the stir-fry section of the factory canteen out of business."

"A young man like that, who wouldn't praise him?"

Meng Anhe nodded silently after listening. Although Old Lin was biased towards Zhou Yan, everything he said was true, and she had seen it all.

Judging solely from her character and abilities, Zhou Yan is indeed no less capable than the recent college graduates from her design institute.

College students only earn fifty yuan a month.

Zhou Yan's restaurant is thriving; he must earn more than fifty yuan a day.

"Then how should I reply? Should I write a three-page letter praising him?" Meng Anhe looked at Lin Zhiqiang with a hint of helplessness: "I'm afraid my sister and brother-in-law will fly over here tomorrow."

"Just write the truth," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile. "President Xia only has this one precious daughter, whom he has pampered since she was little. If he comes to kill us tomorrow, I won't be surprised at all."

"Let me think..." Meng Anhe rubbed her temples, turned around and turned off the TV. She yelled at her two sons, who were staring blankly at her, "Eat! Stop watching TV, it's giving me a headache!"

Lin Jingxing immediately ran to the table and sat down obediently.

Lin Bingwen looked at Meng Anhe with surprise: "Mom? When did you learn Sichuan dialect?"

"Slap!" Meng Anhe's hand reached out and slapped his buttocks.

"Because your mom found that Sichuan dialect is really catchy when you swear!" Meng Anhe sneered. "I'm from Shudao Mountain! If you're still standing here, I'm going to get your dad's belt!"

"Here you go!" Lin Zhiqiang quickly unbuckled his belt and handed it over.

"Dad, what happened to our promise of being close comrades?! You traitor!" Lin Bingwen screamed and ran towards the table.

……

　Asking for a monthly ticket~
　　There will be an extra chapter tonight!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)