Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

Zhou Wen was well aware that the low sales of cold noodles had little to do with Shi Ying's promotion.

Compared to in-store advertising, customer feedback is the most crucial factor.

However, Zhou Wen did not dampen Shi Ying's enthusiasm, and nodded with a smile: "Okay. But health is the foundation of everything, so we must take good care of our health first."

After saying that, he handed the throat lozenges he had bought to Shi Ying. Because it was in a small red package, Shi Ying didn't know what was inside, so she asked:

"Boss, what's this? Is it for me?"

Zhou Wen nodded and said, "There are throat lozenges inside. You can eat one whenever you have time in the store. Also, drink plenty of hot water. When there's no one in the store, take a break. Otherwise, it won't be good if you develop any health problems."

Don't go grocery shopping with me these next few days, just get some rest.

A simple action and ordinary words left Shi Ying stunned. Having worked away from home for several years, Shi Ying felt a mix of emotions she couldn't quite describe.

She blew her nose, holding back the tears that almost fell.

Then I silently told myself that I should work even harder that night.

……

……

At 10 p.m., after Zhouji Restaurant closed.

Just as Zhou Wen had expected, the sales of cold noodles were several bowls less than yesterday. If it weren't for the cold noodles ordered by the workers at noon today, the total sales would have been pitifully low.

Furthermore, there was a phenomenon where several bowls of cold noodles still had a lot of noodles left, but the side dishes were completely eaten.

In the following days... although the sales volume of cold noodles fluctuated around twenty bowls per day, the sales volume of fried rice, fried noodles, and tomato and egg noodles steadily increased.

Zhou Wen believes that among the diners who order cold noodles, some may be specifically there for the braised beef.

There's no need to remove cold noodles from the menu. Enriching the menu would be a good idea, and it would also give diners a change of pace from time to time.

As for feeling frustrated, Zhou Wen did have some feelings of defeat, but as the boss, he naturally couldn't show these negative emotions.

Just as Shi Ying and most of the diners said, the cold noodles tasted absolutely right, and Zhou Wen had seen Shi Ying's hard work every day.

It's no wonder that cold noodles haven't become popular in the hot summer provinces of Fujian and Guangdong; the reason is simply that people aren't used to the taste.

Zhou Wen already had a plan for the next step, but he decided to wait a few days. The past few days since the cold noodles were served had been too busy for both Zhou Wen and Shi Ying.

The two put a lot of effort into the cold noodles, but the result was disappointing.

……

After two days, Zhou Wen's body had almost fully recovered, and he planned to make new dishes the next day.

noon.

"Young lady, could you help us order some dishes?"

The speaker was a woman around fifty years old, with a kind face, a gentle tone, and a way of speaking that made people feel very comfortable.

"Can."

"What do you two need?" Unconsciously, Shi Ying's tone softened compared to usual.

"Stir-fried green peppers with pork, braised potatoes, cold seaweed salad, and finally a stir-fried green vegetable dish—these four dishes are enough."

Shi Ying was slightly taken aback, then said, "Auntie, I'm sorry, we don't have these dishes in the store right now."

"These dishes aren't available?"

"No?"

Compared to the woman's soft voice, the man's tone was rather harsh, and his shout attracted the attention of the other diners in the restaurant.

"Excuse me, sir, there are other customers in the restaurant right now. Please keep your voice down," Shi Ying said, frowning slightly.

The woman gently nudged her husband, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach.

"What dishes does the restaurant offer now?"

"Fried rice, fried noodles, tomato and egg noodles, and cold noodles."

The couple were both stunned for a moment, then said, "That's it?"

Shi Ying nodded slightly and said, "We only have these four dishes on the menu for now. We may have some new dishes in a few days. If you think the food will taste good, you can come back in a few days to try the new dishes."

After exchanging a glance, the couple said, "Then we'll have a fried rice and tomato and egg noodles."

"Okay. Please wait a moment."

After Shi Ying left, the woman whispered to her husband, "This seems to be a new girl, right? If I remember correctly, this girl wasn't in the shop before."

Seeing that her husband remained silent, the woman continued, "The shop is much cleaner than before; it's a very pleasant place to look at."

Upon hearing this, the man let out a heavy sigh and said:

"What's the use of keeping it clean? Look what he's done to the shop now! We used to have so many more customers. Now, all the food is gone, and the place is getting worse. It's not even as good as when we first opened."

"That brat's got too big for his britches, daring to try and cut corners on prices and ingredients."

Without a doubt, the couple are Zhou Wen's parents, his father Zhou Songyan and his mother Zhang Mo.

When the couple arrived, they heard some comments about Zhouji Restaurant from other people, some bad and some good.

As a woman, Zhang Mo naturally pays close attention to the details of the store: "I feel that the store is better now than before, although there are not as many customers as before. But before, it just felt so-so, but now I feel that there is hope for the store."

"Don't just believe whatever others say."

Zhou Songyan certainly had his own judgment, but his father seemed to rarely praise his son, often thinking about how to do better.

The couple didn't have to wait long before the fried rice and tomato and egg noodles were served together.

"Little girl, could you please get us two small bowls?"

"No problem, just a moment."

"Young lady, thank you for your help."

Shi Ying felt something was off. The way this aunt was looking at her seemed strange, like the way an elder in the family would look at a younger person.

Many people say that the taste of the food in the store has improved a lot compared to before, so Zhang Mo naturally had to try it. However, she was afraid of ordering too much and wasting it, so she ordered a bowl of fried rice and noodles with soup.

After receiving the small bowl, Zhang Mo scooped rice into it.

"Old Zhou, you should try this. Your son's cooking skills have improved a lot since then," Zhang Mo urged her husband after taking a bite of the fried rice.

Zhou Songyan curled his lip and said, "What's the big deal about a bowl of fried rice? How delicious can it possibly be?"

However, after tasting it, Zhou Songyan, who is usually stubborn, couldn't help but soften his tone: "My skills have indeed improved compared to before."

Zhang Mo said no more and then began to enjoy the tomato and egg noodles.