1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 157 Life is getting better and better.

The cloth and new cotton that Zhao bought in Jiaozhou last time were taken to tailor Jia after she returned. After waiting for more than a week, it was finally finished today.

These days, Aunt Zhao goes to Jia the tailor's shop every day, sometimes bringing back a few ounces of unsold pig's head meat. She uses subtle tactics to collect the money and successfully cuts in line.

For a typical customer, it would take at least a month to receive this stack of clothes.

"New clothes!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up, and she slid down from Zhou Yan's arms and ran towards Aunt Zhao, calling out, "Mommy! Mommy! Do I have any? Do I have any new clothes?"

"Yes, I've made you a set. I'll knit you another set of sweaters and pants, that'll be enough for this winter," Aunt Zhao replied with a smile, walking into the shop.

When Zhou Yan entered, Aunt Zhao had already untied the ropes, and the unfolded clothes covered the counter.

"Fourth Aunt, you've made so many clothes!" Zhao Hong exclaimed as she stepped forward.

“Last time the house collapsed, they couldn’t even salvage winter clothes for the father and daughter. The weather is getting colder every day, so we definitely need to make sure they get some,” Zhao Tieying said with a smile. “And Zhou Yan, he can’t find a decent outfit either. He’s a restaurant owner now, so he should dress presentably for certain occasions.”

“That makes sense.” Zhao Hong nodded.

Aunt Zhao first took out a small red floral jacket and put it on Zhou Momo. The sleeves were a little long, and the jacket was thick, making her look chubby.

Zhou Momo twirled around and smiled triumphantly: "Little floral jacket, so pretty!"

"Hmm, the sleeves are a little long, but they fit perfectly. You can wear them for another year next year." Aunt Zhao rolled up the sleeves and nodded with satisfaction.

I then compared it to a pair of floral cotton pants, and the length was just right. I could roll them up twice and wear them for two years.

Making clothes in this day and age is not easy, especially for children. They usually wear hand-me-downs from older children in the family.

Zhou Yan is much older than Zhou Momo; his childhood clothes should be given to Huihui and the others.

The Zhou family has quite a few children, but they are all boys. Except for some nicely knitted sweaters, Aunt Zhao generally doesn't let Zhou Momo wear old clothes.

Comrade Zhou said that he could have more patches on his clothes, but his daughter and wife had to be dressed beautifully.

Then came Comrade Zhou's new clothes: a thick indigo cotton-padded coat, simple in style but very sturdy, and a pair of thick black suit trousers.

Comrade Zhou put on his cotton-padded coat, tugged at the hem, and grinned, revealing eight teeth: "Great! It fits perfectly and is very warm!"

Aunt Zhao only made herself a floral print short jacket, the same pattern as Zhou Momo's, making them a perfect matching set. The style was simple and elegant, with a slightly fitted waist. It was probably a design created by the tailor himself, and the color was well chosen, making her look radiant.

"Here you go, Zhou Yan." Aunt Zhao handed a stack of clothes to Zhou Yan.

A white cotton-linen chef's uniform, black suit pants, and a corduroy cotton jacket on the bottom.

“You can wear this new chef’s uniform depending on the occasion. If that editor-in-chief comes again, it will be presentable. I didn’t make wide-leg pants for you. Boys should dress more formally and look more sunny. Just being fashionable isn’t enough.” Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan and said with a smile, “I saw this corduroy jacket at the department store last time. I didn’t expect that the tailor Jia also happened to be learning pattern making, so she agreed to make one for me. Try it on and see if it fits. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll take it to her to have it altered.”

Zhou Yan held the clothes, feeling a warmth in his heart. Although they weren't made by his mother, each piece contained her deep affection and love, a feeling he had never experienced in his previous life.

"Okay, I'll go try it on." Zhou Yan's voice was slightly muffled as he took the clothes upstairs and changed.

The chef's uniform fits perfectly; the cut is quite slim, and it allows for easy arm movements. The cotton and linen material is cool and breathable, making it ideal for working.

The fabric of the black suit pants was much better than his previous pants; it had a good drape, the legs were straight, and it made his legs look particularly long. The waist size was also just right, and he could put nothing in the pockets or wear a belt without any problem.

With her sleeves rolled up to reveal her watch and her shirt tucked into her trousers, she looked neat and tidy.

Then, I put on the brown corduroy jacket, which fit perfectly. It looked much more stylish and energetic than the old-fashioned cotton-padded jacket, and it really looked quite presentable.

This small-town tailor has skill!
As Zhou Yan came downstairs, Aunt Zhao circled him twice, nodding with satisfaction: "Great! Looks good! You look like a boss now."

"Last time at the department store, a jacket like this cost fifty-five yuan! I bought the fabric myself, stuffed it with the best cotton, and with the tailoring fee, it only cost me fourteen yuan and fifty cents! It was a great deal!"

"The style of the suit trousers is also new. The material is soft and smooth, and the trousers made from it are very crisp and straight. They make you look very smart when you wear them."

Aunt Zhao looked down at the liberation shoes Zhou Yan was wearing and said with a smile, "Next time we go to the department store, I'll buy you a new pair of leather shoes. You have to pay attention to matching your clothes, otherwise people will laugh at you."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. Aunt Zhao was indeed at the forefront of fashion in the town, even knowing how to dress.

"You're so good at managing money. You saved over a hundred yuan this time, and the clothes are both nice and warm," Zhou Miao praised with a smile.

"Of course!" Aunt Zhao smiled with a hint of pride, and looked at Zhou Yan, adding, "If you make money during the New Year, I'll get you a leather jacket too. That'll be really stylish."

"I won't wear the leather jacket. You can get one for the old man later," Zhou Yan said with a smile. He had seen leather jackets in the mall last time, but they were all for middle-aged men and didn't suit a young and handsome guy like him at all. This jacket was much more refreshing and neat.

As the weather gets colder, the family, dressed in new clothes, feels warm both physically and emotionally.

"Life is getting better and better," Aunt Zhao said with a smile as she carried the clothes upstairs.

...In the following days, Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang came to practice making spicy pork liver every noon, and also helped Zhou Yan by serving as his assistants.

Zhou Jie's daily sales of braised pig's head have exceeded ten jin (5 kg), and he has successfully stabilized his reputation. He plans to start increasing the sales by one or two jin (500-600 kg) next week to find the upper limit.

Selling ten kilograms a day can earn five yuan, which is one hundred and fifty yuan a month.

This extra income made both his and Zhou Jie's families quite happy, and they received strong support from his two sisters-in-law.

Yesterday, Zhou Jie even came to Zhou Yan to write a signboard, which read "Zhou Erwa Restaurant Braised Food", directly driving traffic to Zhou Yan's restaurant.

What does it mean to exchange sincerity for sincerity?
Brother Jie is a person I can get along with!
After three consecutive days of rising sales of braised vegetarian dishes at the restaurant, sales have declined and stabilized.

Potatoes and lotus root each weigh 50 jin a day, and Grandma Sun and Laifu can provide 6 jin of dried bean curd sticks a day. It is difficult for production to increase significantly in the short term.

The price of dried tofu has increased from five jin to ten jin, and it has become very popular due to its delicate texture and taste.

The braised bamboo shoots were canceled. He couldn't find suitable small bamboo shoots in Suji, and the large bamboo shoots were too old, so the taste was not good after braising. Although they sold well, they did not meet Zhou Yan's own requirements and were temporarily taken off the shelves.

With a stable output of seaweed, Aunt Zhao and Zhao Hong tie ten kilograms of seaweed knots a day, and their movements have become increasingly skilled.

The sale of braised vegetarian dishes was a major success, with sales exceeding 80 yuan and successfully driving a 10% increase in braised meat sales.

The low-price strategy was executed very successfully, attracting a wider range of female workers in the textile factory.

"Half a pound of plain braised tofu, and another pound of plain potatoes and lotus root mixed together."

"I want three ounces of spiced tofu skin and three ounces of spicy tofu skin, plus four ounces of spicy dried tofu. I don't have to work tomorrow, so I definitely need to make something nice tonight!"

"Are you sold out of dried bean curd sticks? Oh, boss, could you please order more? I've come twice and haven't been able to buy any. I'd like half a pound of dried bean curd sticks and three ounces of braised pig's head meat."

On Saturday evening, after get off work, the workers lined up in three long queues in front of the braised meat stall.

After a busy week, the day off has finally arrived, and the enthusiasm for spending is high.

Comrade Zhou was busy cutting braised meat and packing braised vegetables.

The confident Comrade Zhou came up with an idea: not to weigh any of the braised food, but to judge it entirely by its weight based on experience.

However, there is a scale next to it, so if the customer suspects that the weight is short, they can weigh it again on the spot. If the weight is less than one qian (a unit of weight), the order will be waived.

At first, customers lined up to re-weigh the food, but after three days without a single mistake, and often even a few extra coins for the vegetarian dishes, people gradually stopped re-weighing it.

Comrade Zhou's nickname, "Human-shaped Electronic Scale," became a household name in the textile factory.

Without weighing, efficiency is indeed greatly improved.

Comrade Lao Zhou managed to sell over 100 jin of braised vegetables without increasing manpower.

This greatly shocked Zhou Yandu.

Without Comrade Zhou, this restaurant is really going to fall apart.

Looking at the long queue outside Zhou Erwa's restaurant, Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng squatted by the roadside, smoking one cigarette after another, their faces as black as the bottom of a pot.

Both braised food stalls have new signs: Braised vegetables for 3 cents a pound! Free samples!

But still, no one paid any attention.

"How can we even do this business? We can't compete with him even if we sell it cheaper!" Old Yang sighed.

"Braised meat was already hard to sell, and now with the introduction of braised vegetables, it's completely impossible to sell them. I only made five yuan yesterday, which wasn't even enough to cover my costs," Zhu Feng said, scratching his head.

During this period, the two of them have been scheming and devising all sorts of tricks, including lowering prices, following trends, hawking their wares, and offering free samples.

This business, it seems, is getting worse every day.

It's not about how much money we make anymore, but about how to sell our capital every day.

"Forget it! I'm not selling anymore! I'm moving my stall to the stone bridge tomorrow. I'm too lazy to put up with his jerk here!" Old Yang threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it hard.

"If you leave, I'll leave too! We just can't sell anything at the textile factory gate." Zhu Feng spat, glancing at the three long lines with nothing but envy in his eyes.

Holy crap, how much money do they make in a day?!

I'm so envious my dick is turning purple!
They initially joined forces to try and oust Zhao Minghui, but they never imagined that one day Zhou Yan would steal all their business, leaving them with no choice but to find another way to make a living.

　There will be an even bigger chapter tonight!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)