1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 67 I spoke a little loudly just now (Please read on!)

After failing to storm the textile factory gate a few days ago, Zhou Liangliang urgently retreated to the dock.

That evening, he brought the noodles and meat sauce to the dock and sold them for two cents a serving, managing to sell them all and recoup some of his losses.

At the dock, people were quite receptive to the affordable and delicious noodles, which gave him a glimpse of a business opportunity.

The next day, he set up his noodle stall as well, selling only two kinds of meat sauce. A bowl of noodles cost three cents, and he could sell about twenty bowls a day, earning an extra two dollars.

This made the couple extremely happy. Although they lost several tens of yuan, it wasn't a complete loss.

To his surprise, Zhou Jie worked at Zhou Yan's shop for three days and then came back and changed the signboard. The soup pot was changed to "Qiaojiao Beef" and the price was raised from four cents to six cents a bowl.
You should know that at this dock, Zhou Jie's soup pot was already the most expensive when he sold it for four cents a bowl.

“Zhou Yan sells for six mao, and he sells for six mao too, so don’t those two brothers earn more than before?” Wu Guihua said with a hint of jealousy.

They sell them for three cents a bowl, and they only sell twenty or thirty bowls a day, earning one or two dollars.

Zhou Jie and his team could sell hundreds of bowls for four mao each, earning ten or twenty yuan a day.

"Hmph, I don't think so. From this failure, I've learned one lesson: sell the right things in the right place." Zhou Liangliang snorted confidently.
"Zhou Yan can fetch a high price at the textile factory because the workers there are indeed wealthy. But at the docks, most people do manual labor. Zhou Jie and his group can only sell for four cents at most. The extra two cents could buy another bowl of soup at other places. There's no such thing as being a sucker."

"That makes sense." Wu Guihua's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "If they think it's too expensive, wouldn't they come to our house to eat?"

"It's possible, after all, it's right next to our house." Zhou Liang nodded, also looking forward to it.

As noon approached, more and more customers came to the dock for lunch.

Many people had a clear goal and headed straight for Zhou Jie's booth.

"Zhou Jie, I haven't seen you for two or three days. What have you been up to?"

"That's right, the day before yesterday they weren't even set up yet, I came to eat hot pot but there was no one there."

Some guests greeted Zhou Jie with smiles and familiarity.

As they were talking, six or seven guests had already arrived.

Zhou Jie said with a smile, "I've been going to learn the craft from a master chef these past few days. From now on, we won't call this hot pot 'Soup Pot,' we'll call it 'Zhou's Braised Beef.'"

Upon hearing this, the guests noticed that the signboard and price list had been changed.

"Six cents a bowl? You...you've raised the price way too much!"

"Absolutely! It used to be four cents a bowl, and since yours tastes good, we were happy to eat there. But now that you've raised it to six cents a bowl, who can afford it!"

The customers were annoyed when they saw that the price had increased by two cents.

The Zhou Liangliang couple, who had been listening intently, couldn't help but start laughing.

Zhou Hai looked at Zhou Jie, feeling a little flustered.

Zhou Jie remained calm and smiled, saying, "Everyone, don't worry. Everyone knows that my brother and I sell hot pot. We're focused on making good soup and have no ulterior motives. This time, I did go to my younger brother Zhou Yan to learn the traditional way of making hot pot, which is the recipe for 'Qiaojiao Beef'."

Why does our braised beef cost six mao (0.6 yuan)? Because our soup contains various spices and Chinese herbs, which have the effects of dispelling dampness, dispelling cold, nourishing the stomach, and tonifying yin and yang. This is not just a delicious soup, but a medicinal dish passed down from the old traditional Chinese medicine doctors in Zhoucun.

The guests were stunned by Zhou Jie's words.

"What 'Qiaojiao Beef'? I've never even heard of it. The health benefits you're talking about are probably just a hoax."

"Exactly, if it were that effective, what would be the point of hospitals? They could cure everything for you."

But the customers aren't so easily fooled; they're masters of arguing.

Zhou Jie raised his hand, and Zhou Hai, who was standing next to him, lifted the pot lid.

Steam rose up, carrying a rich aroma of meat that wafted towards the guests.

"Hmm? It smells good!"

"This tastes a little different from before."

The guests' eyes lit up; they were all drawn in by the aroma of the broth.

Then look at that big pot, full of soup, clear and bright, without a single impurity, it's a comforting sight.

"Words are no proof. We're all regular customers. You should try the soup first. If you don't like it, I'll accept it even if you throw the bowl at me." Zhou Jie took an earthenware bowl, ladled out a small half-bowl of soup for each of them, and handed it directly to the regular customers.

The bowls were handed to them, the aroma of hot soup filled the air, and Zhou Jie had a smile on his face, so the guests couldn't refuse. They picked up the bowls, blew on them to cool them down, and started drinking.

The commotion attracted a lot of onlookers.

There were vendors setting up stalls and customers eating.

A soup pot for six cents a bowl, that's quite a novelty!
If regular customers can't accept it, the reputation that Zhou Jie has built up over the past two years might be ruined.

"Mmm! This soup is so delicious! It tastes much better than before!"

"It's so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fly off! What did they add to it? There's absolutely no gamey smell from the offal, it's absolutely amazing!"

"It does have a slight herbal taste, but it enhances the flavor and aroma. After drinking it, I really feel warm all over."

Several regular customers finished their drinks one after another, and they were all in high spirits, praising the food highly.

The hot pot restaurant run by the Zhou brothers is absolutely top-notch on this dock. The offal is cleaned thoroughly, and the soup tastes great, so customers are willing to pay an extra penny to support them.

But today's soup tastes so much better than before! They are regulars who come two or three times a week, and they can tell the difference in just one sip.

The behavior of these guests surprised and intrigued the onlookers.

Is this soup really that delicious?

"The soup tastes good, but your price has gone up too much." An uncle holding a bowl said in a softer tone.

The other customers nodded in agreement; two cents more for a bowl was too much.

"Actually, it's only a dime more per bowl than before. Look, this bowl is fifty cents now. It has beef intestines, beef tendon, tripe, and beef heart inside. The portion is the same as before, but the food is even better. Moreover, the Chinese herbs I added are all high-quality ingredients, so the cost is much higher than before." Zhou Jie immediately cooked a regular serving of braised beef and showed it to the guests.

As he spoke, he picked up four more slices of beef and blanched them in the pot for a few seconds. The beef was still slightly pink. He immediately took them out of the pot and placed them on top of the soup pot: "A serving of this kind of beef with beef in the 'Qiaojiao' (a type of cut of beef) costs only six cents. To be honest, I didn't earn a single cent from this extra cent. It's all fresh 'Qiaojiao' beef, and I cut it into four big slices so that you can eat fresh 'Qiaojiao' beef for just one cent."

"You know how much beef costs per pound, right? Even if you have money, you might not be able to buy hanging tenderloin. The supply and marketing cooperative has never put it on display. It's all ordered by people with connections."

"Now you tell me, is six cents a lot for a plate of this kind of beef with 'qiaojiao'?"

There was a sudden silence at the scene.

Everyone has their own plans, and they're busy making them right now.

"I admit I spoke a little loudly just now. Give me this bowl of braised beef first, I need to go to Jiaozhou for business after I eat it." The uncle who spoke earlier handed over the earthen bowl in his hand. "You can turn it upside down. I've used this bowl before, so you won't have to wash another one."

"I want one too, with beef! I'll use this bowl."

"I don't think it's expensive. I'd like a bowl, and I'd like to add some hanging tenderloin."

The others couldn't sit still any longer and handed their bowls to Zhou Jie.

Is it worth it?
Need I say more? It's an absolute steal!
The soup tastes really good. They would accept an extra penny just for the taste. Adding Chinese herbs and spices increases the cost, which is understandable.

But for just one more cent, you can get four slices of hanging tenderloin.

Is there any need to hesitate?

The tender, pink brittle tuna is so delicious, who wouldn't want to try it!
The situation suddenly reversed.

What started as angry questioning turned into a group of people holding empty bowls, vying to order food.

This left the nearby vendors and passersby stunned.

A soup pot that costs only six cents a bowl, why is it so popular?
But that hanging dragon looks really good!
Several passersby immediately came over to order food.

"I've collected the bowls. Everyone, please sit inside. The braised beef is served fresh, and it tastes the best." Zhou Jie collected the bowls and put them directly into the wooden bucket next to him. He gave the bowl of cooked beef to the uncle first and said with a smile, "Uncle, if you're in a hurry, you eat first."

"Great, you're really good at business." The uncle happily sat down with the bowl of braised beef, nodding as he ate, "The tenderloin is really fresh and tender, sliced ​​thinly enough, and blanched just right. With the dipping sauce, the taste is simply amazing."

"Boss, give us two bowls of braised beef, six cents each."

"I'd like to try one of these bowls too."

In no time, the eight small tables were almost full, and everyone ordered the six-cent bowls.

While greeting the guests, Zhou Jie and Zhou Hai were busy cutting beef intestines and blanching tripe.

"Zhou Yan is amazing! If we do it his way, the customer will immediately accept the price." Zhou Hai was overjoyed and muttered to himself.

“That’s right. Zhou Yan is much smarter than us. Work hard and make big money with him in the future. Don’t hold him back.” Zhou Jie’s mouth was almost stretched to his ears as he whispered the same thing.

……

"No, is that right?"

"Why are people scrambling to order a bowl of this for just six cents at the dock?"

Are you guys playing me?

Zhou Liangliang held his head, looking utterly bewildered.

"How about we add two cents?" Wu Guihua whispered.

Zhou Liangliang rolled his eyes at her: "Silly woman, what gives you the right to add it?"

"You silly woman? You think I'm giving you face?!" Wu Guihua jumped up and headbutted her!
"hiss……"

……

Zhou Yan was unaware of the situation at the dock and was currently busy cooking.

"One serving of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts!"

"Another serving of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, please!"

"Twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts..."

Zhao Hong kept going back and forth to the kitchen to bring out dishes and to inform them of any new orders.

The newly added twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts has become a new favorite among guests and a must-order dish for large tables.

The King of Sichuan Cuisine, truly deserving of the title!
　Please vote for me and keep reading!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)