1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 95 Can I also raise a giant panda?
"impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

“Is that right?”

"This is wrong!"

Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng were exchanging barbs, getting so angry they were practically jumping up and down.

Zhu Feng's wife had just glanced at the price; the braised food was three cents more expensive per pound than theirs.

Three cents more per pound is a lot. When they lowered their prices to target Zhao Minghui, they did so precisely by three cents. No matter what price Zhao Minghui set, they were always three cents cheaper than him.

This dragged Zhao Minghui down, forcing him to stop stocking up on braised pig heads.

But Zhou Yan's current price is three cents more expensive than theirs, so why are these workers so excited?

They weren't just eating for free; many of them went straight into the store, sat down, and ordered cold chicken and braised dishes—all of which Zhu Feng's wife witnessed firsthand.

Seeing their jumping up and down, Zhao Minghui and Zhang Xiuqin turned their faces away, barely able to hold back their laughter.

cool!

It felt like I'd finally gotten my revenge.

After these two moved in at the beginning of the year, they really disgusted them.

They were honest and simple-minded, and couldn't outsmart the two of them, so they could only settle for being sweet-skinned ducks.

Now Zhou Yan has arrived, selling braised pig's head and pig's ears, hitting them right where it hurts.

Judging from their jumping up and down, they're really scared this time.

"Zhou Yan is really something. He only made a slight move, and he's already made them extremely anxious," Zhao Minghui said in a low voice.

"He's quite impressive." Zhang Xiuqin nodded, but then asked with some concern, "If he sells cold chicken salad, won't our business be affected too?"

“There will definitely be some impact. From now on, we won’t sell pig’s head or duck’s head anymore. We’ll focus on selling sweet-skinned duck and try selling braised peanuts.” Zhao Minghui grinned. “They will definitely be affected much more than we are.”

Looking at her honest and upright husband, Zhang Xiuqin realized that he wasn't as calm as he had claimed to be.

As they were talking, a worker passed by and stopped to take a second look at the sweet-skinned duck hanging on their stall. The duck was coated with a layer of sugar and had a bright red color, making it look very tempting.

Zhao Minghui grabbed a handful of braised peanuts and went out with a smile, handing a few to each person. He said with a smile, "Try the braised peanuts I just made today. Our family's sweet-skinned duck is also very delicious. It's an authentic family recipe from Muzhen Town, Jiajiang County, which has been passed down in our family for over a hundred years."

In those days of scarcity, people were reluctant to waste even a single grain of rice, so it was truly rare and unusual for a shop owner to give away small handfuls of braised peanuts like this.

Since no one would hit a smiling face, the crowd stopped and stood there peeling peanuts to taste.

"Mmm, it's delicious. The braised flavor is quite strong, and the saltiness is just right."

"Boss, your braised peanuts smell really good. How much are they per pound?"

The customers who ate the braised peanuts praised them highly and asked about the price.

Zhao Minghui said with a smile, "Peanuts are 45 cents a pound. I use the best sandy peanuts, which are plump and become more fragrant the more you chew them. Dried peanuts are 30 cents a pound."

"It's cheap! The supply and marketing cooperative sells it for 62 cents a pound. It's transported from Jiaozhou every day, but it doesn't taste as good as yours." A customer said while peeling peanuts, "Give me 20 cents, I'll eat it as a snack this afternoon."

"It's really good, give me three cents' worth too," a female worker chimed in, then looked at the hanging sweet-skinned duck and asked, "Is this sweet-skinned duck tasty? How much is it?"

"Our sweet-skinned ducks are all authentic free-range ducks, braised in the same brine as the peanuts. After scalding the skin, they are drizzled with maltose, resulting in fragrant meat and tender bones. They are suitable for all ages. Many of our regular customers buy half a duck every month," Zhao Minghui explained. "They are sold by weight, at one yuan and sixty cents per jin. This one weighs a little over two jin, so it costs a little over three yuan."

The female worker nodded and said, "A pot of braising liquid must be delicious. I'll come back tonight and buy half a chicken to take home and try. My son and my mother love sweet things the most."

“Okay.” Zhao Minghui’s smile widened.

Zhang Xiuqin looked at Zhao Minghui, who was handing out braised peanuts to the workers and actively promoting his family's sweet-skinned duck, with a surprised expression, feeling a bit of a stranger.

Is this still the same husband of hers who wouldn't utter a fart even after three slaps?
We gave away two or three pounds of peanuts, and sold about ten pounds. All the braised peanuts we made today are sold out.

The workers bought them for two or three cents at a time, and ate them as lunchtime snacks.

Of the customers who tried it, one in three would buy some.

Even after they sold out, customers still placed orders for tomorrow.

Everyone knows the price of peanuts, and these braised peanuts are so delicious and cheap, so naturally everyone is happy to buy them.

The sweet-skinned duck didn't sell out at noon, but three people placed orders, each wanting half a duck.

As the crowd dispersed, Zhao Minghui breathed a sigh of relief.

"Old Zhao, where...where did you learn all this?" Zhang Xiuqin looked at him, puzzled but also full of admiration. He's amazing!

"That's how business should be," Zhao Minghui smiled calmly, though his heart was pounding with excitement; he felt his back was already soaked with sweat. Where did he learn that? From Zhou Yan.

These days, he noticed that Zhou Erwa's restaurant business was booming. Every day, he would carefully observe the restaurant's activities and watch Aunt Zhao greet guests with a cheerful smile, always giving people a feeling of warmth. Gradually, he began to understand her.

Today, Zhou Yan was preparing to give the workers some peanuts to try when Zhao Niangniang called out, causing the workers to stop and come in to buy some.

With a determined effort, he went all out, greeting guests with a smile and proactively introducing the sweet-skinned duck. He won over the guests with his sincerity, and sure enough, he reaped great rewards.

When I have some free time, I'll treat Zhou Yan to a drink; he's truly a benefactor to me.

Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng, who were standing to the side, were stunned. Where did this guy learn this method? How did he suddenly get it?

What kind of peanuts sell so well? You can sell over ten kilograms in just one lunch break?

At 45 cents a pound, even if you only make half, you'll still earn more than two dollars in this short afternoon!
Old Yang stepped forward with a fawning smile and said, "Brother Zhao, your peanuts are so delicious, give us a couple to try."

"That's right, catch some for us, and we'll have a good time too," Zhu Feng chimed in.

"Sold out, not a single one left." Zhao Minghui covered the enamel basin with the remaining two handfuls of peanuts and said indifferently.

The two gave each other a cold shoulder and went back looking unhappy.

Zhang Xiuqin smiled and thought, "Old Zhao has really made something of himself!"

……

Tuesday, the restaurant was indeed very busy at noon. They sold ten portions of cold chicken salad, leaving less than a chicken left.

We sold about ten portions of braised pig's head, all ordered by regular customers, who were afraid they wouldn't be able to buy any if they came late at night.

The funniest thing was Zhao Dong and his three friends who had shared their food. They insisted on trying the packaged pig's ear while eating, and ended up taking a piece from each of them. They finished the whole pig's ear by showing it off, so they had to pack another one.

Because he didn't trust the other party to eat it in the afternoon, he left the pig's head and pig's ears with Zhou Yan, planning to pick them up after work in the evening.

Three people, three hundred schemes.

"The tasting results are really good! Our braised food has become famous overnight. Many people have told me they want to come and take some home tonight." Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan with a smile, her eyes full of admiration.

If it weren't for Zhou Yan's idea, I don't know how we would have been able to sell all three pig heads and two chickens today.

That kid is incredibly smart.

"It's mainly because Zhou Yan's braised dishes are so good; they taste just as good as Grandma's," Zhao Hong said with a smile.

"That's still far from enough. Grandma's braised dishes are much better." Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile. He knew better than anyone the difference between himself and the old lady.

Zhou Momo leaned closer, tilting her head up to look at him expectantly, and said, "Brother, can you braise pig's feet? I want to eat some~~"

Yesterday afternoon, the old lady rewarded her with half a pig's trotter. She ate it until her hands and face were covered in oil, and she was so happy and dizzy.

Aunt Zhao said she dreamed of eating pig's trotters last night, and when she woke up this morning, her arms were covered in saliva and two rows of small teeth marks.

"What you ate yesterday was braised by me. How about I braise some for you tomorrow?" Zhou Yan said with a smile. This kind of food needs to be ordered in advance from the knife maker. Not to mention Zhou Momo was craving it, he was craving it too.

"Great!" Zhou Momo jumped up happily. "Brother, you're so great!"

"I want half too." Aunt Zhao decisively made her request. She had been craving braised pig's trotters for many years. With so many younger people in the family, it was never their turn to eat them.

Now that Zhou Yan knows how to make braised food, he'll definitely want to try it, even if it costs him his own money.

"Everyone gets a share. I'll make sure everyone has braised pig's trotters tomorrow." Zhou Yan smiled and waved his hand. All he wanted was pig's trotters, so it was arranged!
Pig's trotter tips have little meat and are difficult to process, so they are much cheaper than pork, costing only 35 cents a pound. A large pig's trotter costs 60 or 70 cents. Tomorrow morning when we're braising meat, we'll throw a batch into the braising liquid as an extra meal for everyone.

Comrade Zhou helped clear the table and said to Aunt Zhao, "It's getting dark, and it might rain tonight. I'll go back this afternoon to reinforce the house and replace some tiles in the kitchen and main room to prevent leaks."

“Go ahead, but be careful on the roof.” Aunt Zhao nodded.

"Does the house need further reinforcement?" Zhou Yan glanced outside; the sky was indeed a bit gloomy today.

"When your father and I got married, we divided the family property and built this house. I carried mud back myself, added straw, and rammed the walls. I'm two years older than you. In the 1970s, there were two earthquakes, and the walls were full of cracks. Even the outhouse collapsed. Later, your father patched it up himself with mud and small stones," Aunt Zhao said with a smile.
"We've patched it up and maintained it all these years. If we make money in the future, we'll tear it down and rebuild it."

“I saw a family in town who built a brick house. It looks so nice and cozy. It doesn’t let in any wind or rain. We’ll build one like that someday.”

When talking about building a new house, Aunt Zhao's face was full of anticipation.

“Okay, we’ll build brick houses in a couple of years too,” Comrade Zhou nodded.

“In a couple of years, when you have money, why bother building a house in the countryside? Take the money and buy a house in Chengdu. Wouldn’t it be great to be a city dweller?” Zhou Yan laughed. He wanted to mention the capital and Shanghai, but those were too far away for Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou to imagine.

Zhou Momo's eyes lit up when she heard about Rongcheng, and she immediately ran over and tugged at his clothes, asking, "Brother! Brother! They say all the kids in Rongcheng have giant pandas, can I keep one as a pet too?"

　Asking for a monthly ticket~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)