1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 263 Preparing for something big? (6.2k words, two chapters combined)

Upon hearing this, the worker, who was about to pay, stopped in his tracks.

The customers who were about to buy steamed buns immediately withdrew their hands.

"Negative review! This is a malicious review!" He Ermao was anxious. He was counting on selling these two hundred buns in the short term to recoup his costs, otherwise he wouldn't even have money to buy meat tomorrow.

It was selling well; once people gathered, it would sell out in no time.

The female worker put her hands on her hips, curled her lip, and said, "Negative reviews? This is my honest review! My fellow workers who have already taken a bite will know that these buns are not even as good as those in our factory canteen! With this kind of skill, they still dare to set up a stall and tarnish the reputation of Rongcheng Restaurant. It's shameful!"

Upon hearing this, the workers who had already received their buns picked them up and took a bite, their expressions turning somewhat unpleasant.

"It's really soft and mushy, with no texture at all. It tastes just like the leftovers from yesterday."

"These steamed buns are so poorly made! They have no texture and no flavor. Give me my money back!"

"Give me my money back! Eating these buns has ruined my whole day!"

The workers threw the buns back onto the stove and angrily addressed He Ermao.

Across from her, Aunt Zhao was skimming the foam off the pot, watching this scene with a broad smile on her face.

Well, it's only the first day and he's already ruined his reputation. This bachelor has found a terrible teammate.

I was a little worried at first, but now it seems I was overthinking it.

"Impossible! My steamed buns are so delicious!" He Ermao said indignantly, grabbing a steamed bun from the steamer.

As soon as he picked up the steamed bun, his heart sank. Its soft, limp texture was a bad sign.

I picked up the steamed bun and took a bite; it was mushy and crumbly, with no texture at all.

He Er Mao's spirits immediately vanished. If his master ate that bun, he would definitely beat him up.

The buns were mushy and had been left in the steamer for too long after steaming. They had absorbed too much moisture and were no longer edible.

"We've already bought it, and you even took a bite out of it, how can we get a refund..." Liu Fen hugged the money box, not wanting to return the money.

"Refund! Give them their money back." He Ermao looked up at her. "These buns were steamed for too long today, they really can't be eaten. It's my fault for not timing them properly, and we can't let the customers bear the consequences."

"What should we do then?" Liu Fen's eyes were red with anxiety. She had begged and pleaded with Wang Laowu to borrow this money, hoping to turn her life around with these steamed buns.

"Let's start over tomorrow." He Ermao took the money box from her hand and returned the money to the workers.

After getting their money back, the crowd's anger subsided somewhat.

"I'm so sorry everyone, this is my first time setting up a stall, I have no experience. These buns were steamed for too long, so the texture is a bit off. I apologize to everyone." He Ermao smiled and bowed to everyone in apology, then opened the steamer next to him and said:

"These are the steamed buns I made earlier. As an apology, everyone can take one for free. These buns were steamed and then left aside. The taste is absolutely fine, they're just a little cold. You can put them in your lunchboxes and steam them again at noon. They're great with kimchi."

The saying goes, "You can't hit a smiling face." Not only did they smile, they even offered a steamed bun as an apology.

The workers, who were initially furious, found themselves unable to say anything more.

"Let me see how your steamed buns are." A worker reached out and took a steamed bun, tore off a piece and put it in his mouth. After chewing it, he nodded and said, "The texture of these old-fashioned steamed buns is pretty good. They're very fragrant. If your buns have this texture, they'll definitely be better than the ones at the bridgehead, if not better than Boss Zhou's."

Upon hearing this, the other workers stepped forward and took a steamed bun. Some put it directly into their lunchboxes, while others tore off a piece to taste it.

The reviews are all pretty good.

Seeing that his reputation was turning around, He Ermao quickly said, "My steamed buns actually taste pretty good. I just didn't know your work hours today, so I messed up the cooking time. I'll know better tomorrow. Please do me the honor of coming to patronize us."

The workers didn't say anything, just packed up the steamed buns and left.

"Tomorrow? I'd like to try Boss Zhou's pickled mustard greens and pork buns tomorrow."

"Yes."

"These steamed buns are alright, they taste good with pickled vegetables."

The workers chatted as they went into the factory.

Aunt Zhao's smile faded, and she looked at He Er Mao with a newfound seriousness in her eyes.

This guy is something else; he's a bit more sophisticated than Wang Laowu, knowing how to cut his losses and salvage his reputation in time.

It was clear that the workers were quite satisfied with the steamed buns; their anger had visibly subsided.

We still need to pay attention to the tactics!

He Ermao and Liu Fen looked at the steamed buns lying on the stove and sighed in unison.

"What am I going to do now? Two hundred steamed buns are ruined, and now I've given away dozens of steamed breads. I haven't earned a single penny. How am I going to explain this to Wang Laowu?" Liu Fen was a little discouraged and scared. She had already imagined how Wang Laowu would scold her when she got back.

"It's alright. In business, it's normal to make and lose money. Nobody makes a fortune right away. Taking a loss isn't a bad thing." He Ermao comforted her with a smile, patting his chest and saying, "Don't be afraid. I'll take responsibility for this. When I get back, I'll tell Wang Laowu that today's loss is on me. I'll make up for it when I make money later. It's not your fault."

“You…” Liu Fen looked up at him, her expression somewhat complicated. Wang Laowu had never said such a thing to her before. Even when it came to the diseased pork, he still blamed her for not stopping him.

He Ermao seems unreliable, but he appears to be more responsible than Wang Laowu.

“These buns are inedible. We can take the meat filling out and use it as a dish, and put the dough away to feed the pigs. It won’t be a waste,” He Ermao continued. “As for the remaining hundred buns, we’ll steam them right now. The textile factory workers have all gone to work. I’ll take them to the Shibanqiao Bridge on my tricycle and see if I can sell some.”

"Huh? Go to the bridge and sell directly opposite that steamed bun shop?" Liu Fen was stunned.

“That’s right! If we can’t outsell Zhou Erwa’s restaurant this week, I refuse to believe we can’t outsell that run-down shop at the bridgehead! A tree dies if it’s moved, but a person thrives. You have to understand that principle.” He Ermao said, immediately lifting the lid of the steamer and getting to work.

Liu Fen didn't have much of her own opinion, so when she heard him say that, she just helped him with it.

"It's all Zhou Yan's fault! Otherwise, we wouldn't have been treated so badly." Liu Fen couldn't help but complain as she looked at the pile of steamed buns.

"Your mentality is wrong. If you can't do it well, you need to look for the reasons within yourselves. You need to have basic respect for food. I feel ashamed to even sell these steamed buns," He Ermao said, shaking his head earnestly.

"If other people make good steamed buns and their customers like them, it means our level is inferior. We should improve our level instead of looking for other people's problems."

"Tomorrow I'll summarize the experience, control the heat and the workers' working hours, and I'm sure my steamed buns will sell well!"

Liu Fen paused for a moment, then shut her mouth and stopped complaining.

Soon, the remaining one hundred buns were steamed. He Ermao lifted the steamer and the buns onto the tricycle, covered them with a cloth, got on the tricycle, and rode away with Liu Fen.

"Why did you leave so soon?" Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen after finishing her work and saw them riding away on their bikes. She asked with a smile, "How are their steamed buns selling?"

"The first one didn't sell, so we lowered the price to one cent and sold dozens. But the customers said it was rotten and demanded a refund, so we returned all the money," Aunt Zhao said. "However, this person was smarter than Wang Laowu. He knew that steamed buns don't taste good if they're steamed for too long, so he was very decisive in returning the money and immediately gave each customer a steamed bun made with old dough."

The customers all loved the old-fashioned steamed buns, which helped him regain some of his good reputation. I saw him steam the remaining buns all at once; I wonder where he'll take them to sell.

After listening, Zhou Yan stopped laughing and nodded in deep agreement, saying, "This crisis management is indeed quite skillful, and he's quick-witted. The workers took his steamed buns, so they can't say his buns are bad anymore. After all, they're indebted to him. Taking them out for lunch can also boost his popularity."

"So how do we do it? It seems like Wang Laowu can still make some money from him." Aunt Zhao wasn't happy. She disliked Wang Laowu from the bottom of her heart, and she was even more annoyed to see that he could make money by lying at home all day as a boss.

“It’s alright. Tomorrow we’ll make three hundred buns and steal his business. We’ll compete with him based on taste.” Zhou Yan said nonchalantly, “Our pickled mustard greens and pork buns are very popular. At the same price, we will definitely sell better than them. As long as we sell enough, no matter how clever he is, he won’t be able to sell them. After all, there are only so many workers in the textile factory.”

Aunt Zhao nodded: "You're right, starting tomorrow morning, I'll get up early to make steamed buns too!"

"Mom, you work so hard every day, you should get some more sleep. You almost didn't finish those failed steamed buns this morning," Zhou Yan gently advised. He didn't want to eat those round steamed buns.

With the current quantity of three to four hundred steamed buns, it shouldn't be a problem once Li Lihua and Zhao Hong become more skilled.

He can also help with some other things.

His judgment was correct. The price of 15 cents per bun made workers who were used to eating breakfast in the factory canteen choose to try their buns.

I couldn't afford to eat a bowl of noodles that cost six cents every day, but I could still afford a few steamed buns that cost one cent and fifty cents every now and then.

This means that they successfully found a new source of revenue growth by focusing on breakfast.

Aunt Zhao understood Zhou Yan's meaning and didn't press the matter. She smiled and said, "These buns are still selling well. I think the noodles from this morning sold out, but they've brought in some new customers."

"Yes, the profit is not bad." Zhou Yan nodded. Two hundred buns sold for thirty yuan, and the gross profit was fifteen or sixteen yuan.

"Old Zhang said it was delicious and he wants to come back for more tomorrow." Old Zhou carried in a basin of cleaned pig's head. "He said to ask you to save him two bean sprout and pork buns tomorrow, and he'll come to pick them up later."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded in agreement; even a mosquito's leg is still meat.

He Ermao pulled his tricycle to the bridgehead, found an open space opposite the bun shop, parked it, lifted the lid of the steamer, took out a steaming bun, tore it in half to reveal the oily scallion and meat filling, and shouted loudly, "Buns for sale! Freshly made big meat buns! Thin skin, big filling, and the taste is absolutely amazing! Fifteen cents each! Fifteen cents each!"

The market at the dock hadn't dispersed yet, and upon hearing the commotion, a group of customers immediately gathered around.

"Hmm, this bun looks pretty good, there seems to be a lot of meat in it."

"These look much better than Sun Ji's steamed buns. Their meat filling is in big chunks, and you can hardly taste the meat if you're not careful."

"Come on, let's buy one and try it!"

An elderly man immediately took out his money to buy it.

"No rush, take half to try first. If you like it, you can buy more. If you don't, just tell me." He Ermao handed over the half bun in his hand. "It's hand-torn, guaranteed clean and hygienic." "You've got a good business sense." The old man smiled and took the bun.

Everyone else looked at the old man; whether it was delicious or not, they'd have to eat it to know.

Liu Fen looked at the old man nervously; they were counting on these hundred steamed buns for the day.

He Ermao, on the other hand, looked confident. The steamed buns were cooked to perfection, and it had only taken less than ten minutes to get here, so they were at their best.

The old man took a bite of the steamed bun, chewed it with his gap-toothed front teeth for a while before swallowing, and nodded, saying, "Mmm, it's very fragrant, with lots of meat and plenty of oil, and the dough is very fluffy. It's delicious! Give me two, I'll take them back for my old lady to try too."

"Sure! I'll pack it for you!" He Ermao replied with a smile, taking an oil paper bag and packing two buns for the old man.

"Then I'll have two too, they look comfortable."

"I want one."

After the old man gave his comments, the crowd immediately started buying, with some ordering two of this one and one of that one. Liu Fen helped pack the buns and collect the money, beaming from ear to ear.

Customers standing in front of Sun's Steamed Bun Shop across the street came over when they heard the noise and bought some too.

Sun Laosan, the owner of Sun's Steamed Bun Shop, stared wide-eyed. Where did this guy come from? How did he end up selling steamed buns right across from his shop? He's completely stolen all his customers!

One hundred steamed buns sold out quickly.

He Ermao picked up the remaining half of the cold bun and stuffed it into his mouth. Looking at Liu Fen, who was counting money with a big smile, he laughed and said, "You're smiling now? I told you my buns couldn't possibly be wrong! I misjudged the situation today. Tomorrow will be the time to really shine."

"Yes! I believe you!" Liu Fen looked up at him, her eyes filled with admiration.

If it were Wang Laowu in this situation, he would just grumble and pack up to go home, having lost everything.

Liu Fen put the money in her pocket and said, "The bridgehead is great! Why don't we sell here tomorrow? I think business here is better than at the textile factory gate, there are quite a few people at the market."

“No way, we spent twenty yuan to set up this stall in front of the textile factory, we have to earn that money back! I want to see just how good Zhou Yan’s steamed buns are. Tomorrow I’ll add another flavor, I don’t believe I can’t beat him.” He Er Mao shook his head, his eyes full of competitive spirit.

"but……"

He Ermao interrupted her, saying, "The workers in the textile factory have high wages and are willing to spend money. They buy buns in groups of three or four to make big money. Here at the dock, they sell them one or two at a time, and they can't sell many in a morning. It's not very interesting. If you're going to do something, do it big. You have to have ambition."

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Liu Fen nodded and didn't say anything more.

After they packed up, Wang Laowu rushed over, looking puzzled. "Why are you selling steamed buns at the bridgehead? Weren't you setting up a stall at the textile factory gate? You invested so much money, and now it's all empty? What are you thinking all day?"

“We…” Liu Fen’s gaze darted away.

"Did you make a lot of money this morning?" Old Wang reached out to grab the money box.

"Put it down, I need this money to buy meat tomorrow." He Ermao pressed down on the money box, stepped forward to block Liu Fen, and said with a sneer, "What do you know? Everyone at the textile factory is working. If we don't bring it to the bridge to sell, who will we sell it to? The market wasn't very good today, so we only sold a hundred, just enough to break even. A hundred of them were steamed for too long and didn't sell, so the taste wasn't good anymore. We'll take them back to feed the pigs."

"Feed the pigs!" Wang Laowu's voice suddenly drew out, "Which family's pigs are so precious, eating meat-filled buns?!"

He pulled open the bucket beside him and saw the tattered dumpling wrappers and a pile of meat filling. His face was full of heartache, and he started yelling at Liu Fen, "You spendthrift woman! How could you ruin such good dumplings like this? Couldn't you have lowered the price? I really want to hit you with a hammer!"

"Wang Laowu, don't go crazy! I'm the one who opened these buns. If they're inedible, they're inedible. I won't allow bad-tasting buns to be sold to customers! As a pastry chef, I have standards!" He Ermao glared at Wang Laowu and said coldly.

"This is all money!" Wang Laowu drawled.

He Ermao raised his voice, "If I don't make these steamed buns, how much money will you make? You can stay home and be a boss, just be happy, don't cause trouble here. If you curse your wife again, I'm quitting! We're done!"

"Huh?" Wang Laowu looked at He Ermao with a puzzled expression.

Liu Fen looked up at He Er Mao, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh, Brother Er Mao, I did speak a little too loudly just now. Please don't be angry. I apologize." Wang Laowu finally softened his stance.

“What’s the point of apologizing to me? Apologize to Liu Fen.” He Ermao raised his hand.

Wang Laowu looked at Liu Fen.

Liu Fen's gaze darted away, and she said vaguely, "Never mind, let's leave it at that and go back first."

……

Zhou Yan was busy making braised food and had completely forgotten about He Ermao.

As long as he competes fairly and doesn't resort to underhanded tactics, Zhou Yan won't bother with him.

With the opening up of the individual economy, everyone wants to make money, and market competition is inevitable.

If you're afraid of even a simple steamed bun stall, how can you venture into the wider world of Jiaozhou?

On East Street, there are dozens or even hundreds of restaurants and stalls, each with its own specialty, making the competition much fiercer than at the entrance of the textile factory.

If He Ermao has any real skills, then this is a perfect test.

To avoid Aunt Zhao and the others getting anxious and upset if they encounter any problems in Jiaozhou.

The sound of a motorcycle grew louder as it approached. Huang Bing, wearing a black hooded hat that revealed only his eyes and mouth, entered carrying a suitcase.

"Ready to do something big?" Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh as he looked at his bandit-like appearance.

"Brother Yan, you wouldn't understand if you didn't ride a bike, this hat is really warm!" Huang Bing reached out and took off his hat, grinning, "Did you prepare the extra three catties of pig's head meat I asked for?"

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded: "Over there, that small pile is yours, the rest are for your restaurant, you can pack them yourself."

"Okay!" Huang Bing replied, opened the box, took out a pair of tongs and started packing the meat. He happily shared, "Your braised meat tastes so good that it sells well. I sell it for one yuan more per pound than other places, but I already have repeat customers. An appliance store owner asked me to deliver half a pound to his house every day."

"You're doing quite well, you've become a small business owner," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"I'm far inferior to Brother Yan, but I'm much better than I used to be." Huang Bing straightened his back, looking proud, with bright eyes.

"You look much more energetic than before," Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

After cycling back and forth to Suji for more than a month, Huang Bing, who was originally pale and thin, has obviously gained some muscle and looks much more upright.

The most obvious change is that the dark circles under the eyes that were originally very prominent have now completely disappeared.

The round trip is 60 kilometers by bicycle, and I also have to practice my knife skills at the same time.

He can no longer stay up all night; he falls asleep as soon as he hits the bed when he gets home, forcing his body to become unhealthy.

"Did you manage to win over Xue'er?" Zhou Yan asked gossipily.

"I don't have time to chase after her anymore. I heard she's pregnant, but I don't know whose child it is. Luckily, I haven't been near her lately, or I would have ended up as a sucker without even knowing it." Huang Bing packed all the meat into the box, looking lingeringly shaken. "Brother Yan, you saved my life. I never expected that she, who seemed so innocent, would be more cunning than me behind the scenes."

"That's alright, it would be a bit unfair to become a father unexpectedly." Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh.

After a brief chat, Huang Bing paid the bill, took off his hat, picked up his suitcase, and went out.

Huang Bing proved his braised meat's competitiveness in Jiaozhou; its flavor was the key to its success and it would never go out of style.

Even if he sells it at the price of Feiyan Restaurant, he can still sell six or seven catties of braised pig's head meat a day, and earning ten or eight yuan a day is not a problem.

Of course, riding a Jialing 70 and using the name of Feiyan Restaurant is also an advantage for him; at least the hype is huge.

Huang Xiaoji is quite clever; she not only fulfilled her son's idea of ​​starting a business at low cost, but also gave Feiyan Restaurant a great advertisement.

The stove by the door is used to steam buns in the morning and braised pork belly at noon.

Zhou Yan took some time to make a steamed pork dish according to her master's method, and steamed it together with salted braised pork belly in a steamer.

He now makes 30 servings of salted braised pork belly every day. He steams 10 servings until they are 70% cooked, then moves them to the stove next to him and steams them again in the evening to ensure that the taste and flavor are consistent.

After steaming the pork until it is 70% cooked, remove it from the steamer and steam it separately in a small pot for the required time and heat. Serve it as a dish for your lunch break.

The steamed pork belly needs to be cooked perfectly by the time the workers finish their shift, and sold out by noon so that customers can enjoy the best taste and texture.

When the weather is cold, Zhou Momo likes to tend the fire at the stove while chatting with Zhou Yan.

She's a chatterbox; she always has something to say.

Knowing that they were having steamed pork with rice flour for lunch, she had been waiting in front of the small pot since early morning. She put a piece of firewood into the stove, looked up at Zhou Yan, and asked curiously, "Brother, what is steamed pork with rice flour? Is it pink and meaty?"

"It's meat coated in rice flour, the kind you've had before," Zhou Yan replied with a smile. He had already cooked two dishes, and glancing at the time, it was just enough for two hours.

He bent down, removed the firewood from the small stove, moved it to the large stove next to him, lifted the lid, used a towel as a pad to pick up the earthenware bowl from the pot, and placed it on a white porcelain plate.

Gently shake the earthenware bowl, slowly lift it, and a plate of bright red, oily, and fragrant steamed pork comes into view.

The rice noodles, stir-fried until golden brown, coat the slices of meat. The oily, grainy texture is mouthwatering. The marinated meat slices are soaked in oil and have a bright red color.

A corner of the golden, translucent pumpkin peeks out, creating a vibrant and appealing contrast with the bright red slices of meat.

"Wow! It's pumpkin! I love pumpkin!" Zhou Momo stood on tiptoe, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the steamed pork in Zhou Yan's hands. "I love meat even more!!!"

　No extra update today, will update earlier tomorrow~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)