1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 44 I can't hold back for even a day longer!

All eyes turned to the corner, where Xiao Lei sat on a bench, looking relaxed.

The chefs and cooks' facial muscles twitched slightly as they tried hard to suppress their laughter.

Master Xiao's mouth is truly poisonous; his insults are really nasty.

They really didn't give Huang Fusheng and Wang Defa any face at all.

Outside the door, Wang Defa was furious, his face flushed and his fists clenched tightly.

"Xiao Lei, you...you're utterly lawless!" Huang Fusheng stomped his foot in anger, pointing at Xiao Lei, "Do you have any discipline? Do you have any conscience? Do you even care about our Director Wang?!"

After saying that, he added to the crowd, "Don't you all agree?"

The kitchen remained quiet, and no one responded to Huang Fusheng's words.

Chef Xiao has worked in the kitchen for over ten or twenty years and is a certified Level 2 chef. His culinary skills are undoubtedly the best in the factory canteen.

Which chef or cook present hadn't received his guidance?
They wouldn't do something like eating from a bowl and then cursing their mother.

Huang Fusheng wanted to flatter Wang Defa, but they didn't need to.

Moreover, what Master Xiao said was absolutely correct.

Ever since Huang Fusheng became the head chef, the stir-fries he was in charge of have gotten worse day by day, and even the canteen chefs have been scolded by the workers so much that they can't even lift their heads when they go out.

Back when Chef Xiao was the head chef, they received a lot of praise.

"Ducks blame steep slopes for climbing hills, and crabs blame narrow paths for walking." Xiao Lei sneered, "Zhou Yan learned his skills in the cafeteria. His skill is getting customers to come to his restaurant, which is a legitimate business. If you put half the effort you put into flattering Wang Defa into cooking, the workers wouldn't be cursing so harshly."

“Xiao Lei, you…” Huang Fusheng gritted his teeth.

"Alright, it's almost time to get off work, why aren't you preparing the ingredients!" Wang Defa walked into the kitchen and said in a deep voice, "Huang Fusheng, come out here for a moment."

"Director..." Huang Fusheng quickly put on a fawning smile and followed him out of the kitchen, immediately complaining, "That bastard Xiao Lei is undisciplined and has no sense of organization. He openly insulted you. I think we should find a way to fire him!"

"Fire him my ass! He's been with us longer than me and hasn't done anything wrong. Why should I fire him?" Wang Defa rolled his eyes at him. "I heard that Zhou Erwa's restaurant is starting to sell braised and stir-fried dishes today. They're going to compete with our small stir-fry restaurant. Today is crucial. You better step up for me."

"I guarantee I'll stand up strong!" Huang Fusheng immediately stood up straight.

……

"Wang Wei, isn't Zhou Yan's cooking notoriously bad? How come his reputation has suddenly reversed? These days, everyone is talking about Zhou Erwa's restaurant every time we eat."

"Yes, for the past two months everyone was complaining that his stir-fries were even worse than the cafeteria food. I never expected that the students from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute would eat at his place twice in a row."

Two female accountants from the finance department walked towards the factory gate with Wang Wei, all with curious expressions on their faces.

“I think Zhou Yan just didn’t find his niche before. How could one person manage a whole wall of dishes?” Wang Wei flicked her short hair and said with a smile, “He’s changed his strategy now. He only makes noodles and braised beef, and the taste is even better than state-run restaurants. I heard he’s starting to sell stir-fries and braised dishes today. Let’s go try them and keep up with the trend.”

"We have to try it, otherwise we won't be able to join in the conversation with those women in the workshop," Wen Ling nodded.

"I haven't seen Zhou Yan in a long time since he stopped working in the cafeteria. Is he still as handsome as ever? Wang Wei, you see him all the time, do you know him?" Zheng Xiuhui asked with a gossipy look on her face.

"Well, let's keep it the same," Wang Wei said with a smile.

She saw Zhou Yan at the noodle shop the day before yesterday. His appearance hadn't changed, but his aura was different. He had changed from being dejected and confused to being confident and composed.

His improved demeanor made him more attractive, giving him a youthful glow.

The three chatted and laughed all the way to Zhou Erwa Restaurant. They had just finished get off work and several tables of customers were already occupied.

"Little sister, be good and come inside," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

“Okay, Aunt Zhao,” Wang Wei replied with a smile, leading the two to an empty table to sit down, and looking up at the menu hanging on the wall.

"This price, one yuan a serving of braised beef with dried bamboo shoots, is more expensive than the stir-fries in the cafeteria."

"Yes, braised pork ribs cost 1.6 yuan, which is equivalent to my daily wage."

Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui were both taken aback by the prices of the stir-fries and braised dishes.

As customers entered the store, they hesitated after seeing the prices written on the sign.

Zhao Tieying was anxious. She opened her mouth but couldn't explain. If it were her, she would have just glanced at the price and turned away. No matter how good it was, it was not something she could afford.

“This price isn’t actually that expensive. Our canteen’s purchasing tickets are almost half the price of those at the farmers’ market,” Wang Wei explained with a smile. “For a small restaurant like this, beef costs two yuan per pound. A serving of braised or stir-fried beef is at least three ounces of beef, and the cost of the meat alone is six mao (0.6 yuan). Not to mention the side dishes, seasonings, oil, as well as the rent and labor costs of the restaurant. We barely make two or three jiao (0.2-0.3 yuan) per serving, which is less than the profit from a serving of noodles.”

Wang Wei didn't try to lower her voice when she said this, and everyone else heard it.

Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui are both accountants, so they understood what Wang Wei meant when she said that.

“That makes sense. If we prepare fewer dishes than we sell, we might even lose money,” Wen Ling nodded.

The guests nodded in agreement. As expected of the factory canteen accountant, she explained things in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

This is a clear calculation; meat prices are already high, so when you look at it this way, vegetable prices seem to offer some value for money.

"Shall we order a couple of dishes to try?" Zheng Xiuhui asked.

"How about we order a plate of braised beef with chili peppers and another dish, and we'll split the bill?" Wen Ling suggested. Wang Wei said, "How about double-pepper minced beef? Last time I saw them eating noodles with chili peppers, it looked so appetizing."

“Okay.” Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui nodded with smiles.

"Aunt Zhao, let's order some dishes." Wang Wei called out, ordering a plate of stir-fried beef with double peppers, a plate of braised beef, and three bowls of rice.

"Okay, good girl, I'll cook it for you right away." Aunt Zhao beamed, her eyes practically drooling as she looked at Wang Wei.

This girl is so kind. If it weren't for her words, I don't know how we would have been able to get things out of this afternoon.

Seeing this, the other guests began to order food.

Braised beef with dried bamboo shoots and minced beef with double peppers are the most popular dishes. Spare ribs are rarely ordered, and crucian carp with mint flavor, which costs two yuan a serving, is completely ignored.

The freshly stir-fried minced beef was served in no time. The bell peppers were bright in color, the beef was slightly charred and coated with a glossy red oil, and the spicy aroma wafted up with the steam, making all three of them's eyes light up.

"It smells so good! This portion is quite generous, with at least three ounces of beef. It's really honest!" Wen Ling exclaimed.

"This piece of ground beef looks so appetizing, and it's freshly stir-fried." Zheng Xiuhui swallowed.

"Here you go, my goodness, your braised beef." Zhao Tieying brought over a plate of braised beef, along with three dry dipping sauces, three small bowls, and two dishes of pickled radishes. She smiled and said, "Just call me when you've finished the soup, and I'll refill it for you. There's plenty."

"Aunt Zhao, if we order a plate of braised beef, can we have unlimited soup? You'd be losing money if we did that," Wang Wei said somewhat embarrassedly.

"What's the loss? All-you-can-drink soup is our rule. You can drink as much as you want," Zhao Tieying said with a smile, raising her voice slightly. "Everyone is the same. You can get free refills of the beef soup. Don't be shy."

“Yes, that’s fine,” the guests replied with smiles.

"Aunt Zhao is such a kind person. Compared to those swearing waitresses in state-run restaurants, she's heavenly. She's even better than the cafeteria ladies serving food," Wang Wei exclaimed.

“Yes, this meal is very comforting.” Wen Ling nodded, glanced at Wang Wei, and said with a smile, “It’s even better as a mother-in-law; she seems very easy to get along with.”

“That makes sense.” Zheng Xiuhui nodded and looked at Wang Wei, saying, “Wang Wei, we’re both married and have kids, so we don’t have a chance anymore. You can try to make the most of it.”

"What are you talking about? Eat your food," Wang Wei said angrily. These two older women in the office always liked to tease her.

"Come on, remove your beef first, two slices each, just right." Zheng Xiuhui smiled, picked up her chopsticks, dipped a slice of beef in the dry dish, and then put it in her mouth, and was immediately surprised.

The large, thin slices of beef were so tender they were beyond his expectations, and they even had a faint milky aroma, which collided with the spicy dipping sauce on his tongue.

good to eat!

"Let me try this minced beef first." Wen Ling picked up a small spoon, scooped a spoonful of minced beef with double peppers onto the rice, stirred it slightly with chopsticks, and then took a big bite.

The crispy on the outside and tender on the inside ground beef, fragrant and spicy, oily and moist, when chewed together with the fragrant rice, brings an intense sense of satisfaction.

The beef was very fragrant and had a wonderful wok hei (wok aroma). The combination with green and red peppers was not only a clash of colors, but also a perfect blend of aroma and spiciness.

She ate minced beef at the factory canteen last month, and the texture and taste were far inferior!

"The ground beef rice is so delicious, it's simply amazing!" Wen Ling said, enthusiastically recommending it to the two sisters.

Wang Wei was drinking a bowl of soup when she heard this and said, "This soup is so delicious! You should try it, the hotter it is, the more delicious it is. I heard it was simmered for eight hours."

Satisfied customers are undoubtedly the best advertisement.

However, most customers still opted for the "Qiaojiao Beef".

A serving costs six cents, includes meat and soup, and you can also have a bowl of rice. It's a delicious meal for one person.

If you have someone to eat with, you can order a dish and share it, which isn't expensive in the end.

As the dishes were served, praises poured in.

The guests were extremely satisfied.

Today marks the first step for Tuesday's baby restaurant in cooking stir-fries and braised dishes.

……

"What kind of chicken stew is this? It tastes burnt! The peanuts aren't crunchy at all!"

"Is this how you cut garlic pork belly? It's thicker than my shoe insole!"

"Damn it, I can't hold back for another day!"

"Huang Fusheng, come out and try it yourself! Is this food for humans?"

In the dining area in front of the stir-fry section of the factory canteen, Zhao Dong slammed his fist on the table and cursed angrily.

The workers who were eating all looked at him as if they were looking at a hero who had stood up.

　Please read on! Tomorrow we're going to have a showdown at Sanjiang, so please read on!

　　Today's chapter is also a long one of 3,000 words, and a new chapter will be updated at midnight tonight.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)