Food Intelligence King

Chapter 177 The Small Circle of Ground Floor Shop Owners

The owner of Aqi's Home-Style Cuisine is worried about how to resell the food in his shop.

He sublet his restaurant to a head massage and beauty salon.

They have plenty of kitchen knives and dining tables too.

Mr. Chen really made the right decision this time.

Aqi smiled and nodded, "I was just thinking of selling it; I just sublet my shop."

The small circle of shop owners on the ground floor is not large; any news spreads quickly among the neighbors.

Chen Zhou also received intelligence about Boss Qi's parents being ill.

He has a very detailed understanding of his situation.

Chen Zhou and Xiao Hou then began to inspect the tables, chairs, and benches together.

Old Meng was in charge of handing out cigarettes to people.

Tony, on Chen Zhou's side, first helped to inquire about the price:

“I think these table and chairs should be worth about three or four thousand. We can’t sell them as new now. Lao Qi, give our Brother Chen a discount.”

"Oh no, these people are all in cahoots," Boss Qi thought for a moment.

He exhaled a puff of smoke and said:

“We’re all neighbors, take the four thousand yuan.”

Chen Zhou and Hou Wen have checked and confirmed that everything is correct.

He nodded. "Okay."

They're all in the catering business, nothing's easy. Back then, Lao Qi spent tens of thousands to customize tables and chairs, so Chen Zhou was already considered to have gotten a bargain.

Considering his parents' illness, Chen Zhou didn't try to negotiate the price any further.

Aqi was slightly surprised when he heard the answer.

Because Tony just mentioned three or four thousand dollars, Boss Qi's original intention was to say four thousand himself, let the other party say three thousand, and then lean towards the middle.

That's how the deal was reached happily.

To be honest, Lao Qi was a little intimidated by the large mobilization the other side had made.

But Chen Zhou surprisingly agreed to buy it for only four thousand yuan.

Aqi thought to himself: I actually quite like this guy.

happy.

He has a good character. He's a well-regarded businessman in the small circle of shop owners.

Don't try to drive down the price just because you have a large number of people.

He is truly a respectable colleague.

He said to Chen Zhou, "I still have a lot of things in this shop. Take whatever you like, and I won't ask you for money."

Chen Zhou's gaze swept over Aqi's Home-Style Restaurant.
He had already acquired the tables, chairs, and benches—the core items of this transaction—at a relatively low price.

In addition to that, the shop also has an owner and a cook;
Some kitchen utensils; and operating equipment such as cash registers, shelves, and refrigerators.

Chen Zhou actually took a liking to a few things that he could use.

He expanded his store and made good use of second-hand items, which reduced procurement costs.

Aqi was eager to clear out his inventory, so he didn't ask for any more money and let Chen Zhou pack it all up and take it with him.

Let's calculate the price; both sides will get what they need.

Then Chen Zhou also helped contact a used home appliance recycling company on Hexie Road.

The boss mentioned in the original information about the true way of cooking.

Previous rumors and information were also reused.

A group of neighbors joined in to help, and tables, chairs, a cash register, and some other items were quickly moved to the rental and sales center.

There was a small cart, but Hou Wen, being a strong young man, carried the table away on his back.

The other men also abandoned the cart.

They switched to the more primitive Jinchūriki.

Upon arriving at the store, everyone except Xiao Hou was inevitably panting heavily.

Chen Zhou also added a few more bottles of drinks to his drink.

After catching his breath and rambling on, Old Qi made a few final remarks:

"Brother Chen, you really know how to do business. You've rented another storefront in just a few months."

Chen Zhou felt that he actually had the fewest tricks up his sleeve.

Aside from his cooking skills, he tries to use the best ingredients in his restaurant and puts a lot of effort into running the business, considering things from the customer's perspective. However, he rarely studies any tricks or routines.

However, since Lao Qi was going back to his hometown, Chen Zhou still smiled and echoed:
"Hey, what a waste of time. But Brother Qi, I think the food at your restaurant tastes pretty good, honestly."

At Ms. Lin's request, Chen Zhou went to try their stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar that day, and it was really delicious.

Old Qi smiled and patted a middle-aged man next to him, "My buddy here is a good cook."

Chen Zhou and the other party also had a brief exchange.

Vinegar-braised shredded mushrooms is a typical dish that is cooked quickly over high heat. The essence of braising lies in the sauce. If the heat is too high, the sauce will release water; if the heat is too low, the sauce will not thicken instantly.

Chen Zhou summarized the experience from his experience with Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce).

Upon hearing this, the other chef expressed high praise for his colleague's culinary skills.

"Mr. Chen is a smart guy! You'll definitely learn how to make this stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar in no time. Let me tell you how."

Chen Zhou received a system notification.

[You've learned Aqi's home-style recipe for stir-fried shredded pork with vinegar and wood ear mushrooms]

Great, the community canteen has added another new dish.

Of course, it can be a bit boring for professionals to discuss cooking issues.

Tony's gossip about the owner of the health and wellness head spa was even more captivating.

People chatted for a bit in the shop, while Aqi and the chefs went back to their restaurant to continue their work.

Chen Zhou, along with Lao Meng, Tony, and Xiao Hou, simply decorated the second gate of the community canteen.

Move the table around and rearrange the chairs.

The rental and sales center that was there back then is now quite presentable.

When customers come to eat, the dining environment is quite good. We can't let everyone work for nothing.

Chen Zhou hosted the dinner and invited, "Let's sit together tonight."

Old Meng and Tony still wanted to exchange a few polite words.

But it was only two sentences.

He readily agreed.

On the previous occasions when people ate together, they always invited Old Zhang, the butcher.

It's hard not to wonder what this guy is busy with.

Chen Zhou met with Lao Zhang many times and knew that he had opened a branch in the Hexie Road vegetable market.

This fresh food store is quite large and offers a variety of meats.

In addition to pork and chicken, they also sourced beef and mutton from the grasslands.

It's getting better.

Chen Zhou laughed and said, "I'll call him and see if he's free."

This phone call had a significant impact; Old Zhang was quite grateful to Chen Zhou for introducing him to the kind-hearted spice seller.

They said they wanted to sit down together.

Chen Zhou laughed and said, "Then let's all go together. Today is a happy occasion, let's all congratulate you."
-
"Sure, it's been a long time since we got together."

So, it was changed to Old Zhang treating everyone.

In this way, Chen Zhou didn't call anyone else, just the few men present.

Soon after, only Chen Zhou and Xiao Hou remained in the shop.

Hou Wen has gained a lot of experience in fitness over the past two years.

He reminded the boss, "Brother Chen, you're using the wrong posture when you're moving the table, it's easy to get back pain."

Hu Shuo Chen Zhou looked around and saw that there was no one else in the shop.

He smiled and said, "Then can you teach me?"

Xiao Hou nodded:
"No problem. Actually, boss, when I see you in the kitchen, whether you're kneading dough, stir-frying vegetables, or making buns, your technique is extremely professional. It's just that you haven't brought the way you exert force into your daily life."

Taking stir-frying as an example, according to Xiao Hou, the frequent tossing of the wok can effectively exercise the transverse abdominis, oblique abdominis, and erector spinae muscles.

It can help stabilize the spine and improve posture.

The high degree of coordination between hands, eyes, pots, and stoves trains neuromuscular coordination.

Not to mention the short, powerful, explosive movements involved in flipping a wok, similar to light-weight power training. This can improve the instantaneous force exerted by muscles.

I listened to Xiao Hou talk about the issue of force exertion posture.

Chen Zhou received another system notification—

Your physical condition can currently be slightly improved during the cooking process.

This is truly an unexpected joy of turning thirty.

"Good lad!" Chen Zhou praised.

Hou Wen smiled sheepishly. He had been inspired by his boss to think of these things, but his boss hadn't noticed it himself.

Xiao Hou said to Chen Zhou:
"Let's go for a run together sometime, boss. It would be great to add some cardio."

If Chen Zhou hadn't been less robust than him when he was twenty, Chen Zhou would have been quite impressed with his own strength and physique.

At this point, Chen Zhou could only agree, "After I'm done with this busy period."

"Then it's settled," Xiao Hou said excitedly.

Perhaps because he had exerted some effort moving things, his stomach rumbled a few times.

Chen Zhou smiled and told him to bear with it for now, "I'll take you out for a big meal with your brother Zhang tonight, he'll arrange it."

The group arranged a time and place, and gathered around a table. They ate, drank, chatted, and had a very pleasant conversation.

Chen Zhou asked his wife for leave in advance.

When Ms. Lin learned that her husband was out for dinner and drinks, she, like most women, had some reservations.

But thinking about herself, she didn't dare to say anything.

She simply replied, "Okay, I understand. Come back soon."

The word "alcohol" wasn't even mentioned.

Of course, Chen Zhou wasn't the kind of drunkard.

After returning home, I remained clear-headed and rational, only having a few drinks with Lao Zhang and a few others at the dinner table.

Chen Taotao could still smell the alcohol on her father.

He frowned slightly, a hint of disdain in his expression.

The little girl even made a comparison: "Mom doesn't smell after drinking alcohol, and neither does Auntie."

How novel! The two of them together didn't even drink a single bottle of beer.

Chen Zhou smiled and looked at his wife.

Ms. Lin never imagined that her daughter would remember her and her sister's glorious history so clearly.

Quickly tell Chen Taotao to go to sleep:
"Go back to sleep!"

"Ow!"

The little girl left with a frown.

Chen Zhou called out to her from behind, "Dad will take you to eat hot pot tomorrow. Uncle Zhang told me about a good hot pot restaurant."

"Ow~"

With the hope of eating mutton the next day, Chen Taotao went back to her room to sleep.

The couple remained in the master bedroom.

We started chatting casually.

Ms. Lin complained, "How come you get all worked up after just a little bit of alcohol?"

Chen Zhou curled his lip, "How dare you say that to me!"

After hearing this, Ms. Lin became silent and compliant.

The main point is that Chen Zhou has taught me how to apply the techniques of stir-frying to everyday life, but there is still a lack of practical experience with these techniques.

(End of this chapter)