Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 313 Finding Faults (Happy Birthday to My Ni's Dad)

Xiao Wei said, "It won't be long before there are still people buying two boxes per table. Plus, with gifts for others and cigarettes for myself, ten or so packs a day will be gone."

Chen Xiao said, "Take ten back with you. Five for your dad, and five for my dad and my brother."

Chen Hui said, "Okay, I'll put it in the car later. Oh my, now we have our own special cigarette supply. Life is so lonely."

Everyone laughed, and Chen Xiao glared at Chen Hui and said, "Dexing."

The flight attendants who were training clapped their hands, and the waiters immediately went to line up. Li Na walked past Xiao Wei, reached out and pinched him, making Xiao Wei shudder in pain.

Chen Hui said, "Let's go upstairs and see if we're missing anything."

The two of them climbed the solid wood stairs. Xiaowei said, "We need to think of a solution. Let's put a big dust-absorbing mat by the door, otherwise these stairs will be worn out in a few days."

Chen Hui said, "It's done. We'll put it up as soon as we open. After that, we'll tell the cleaning staff to pay attention and keep it tidy up."

Upon reaching the second floor, the decorations were already in place: traditional Chinese paintings, plants, and some Chinese-style wall hangings. Xiao Wei looked around and then went into the kitchen.

Fifth Brother, dressed in a snow-white chef's uniform, was standing by the workbench talking to a tall, thin man who looked like a chef. The kitchen helpers and assistants surrounded the two men. Chen Hui said, "That's Chef Fan. Chef Fan, Fifth Brother," and raised his voice to greet him.

An Laowu turned his head and looked over: "Xiao Wei's here. When did you get back?"

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "I came back last night and came to check on things. Is everything alright?"

An Laowu said, "No problem, everything is almost ready. Master Fan's skills are also quite good, and he gave me a lot of guidance."

Chen Hui said to Master Fan, "Master Fan, this is Zhang Wei, you can just call him Xiao Wei." Master Fan nodded to Xiao Wei, and Xiao Wei smiled.

I walked around the kitchen and looked around. There was a row of stoves on An Laowu's side, with several large stainless steel pots simmering on the stove, steaming. There were old broth, new broth, bone broth, braising broth, sauerkraut broth, radish broth, and mixed broth. The ingredients were simmered until they were well combined, so that the broth would be used to stew the dishes and make them more flavorful.

The ditch on the ground was covered with wire mesh, and some rotten vegetables and scraps of meat hung on the mesh. Xiao Wei said to Chen Hui, "Isn't there a handyman in the kitchen?"

Chen Hui glanced at the ground and said, "It's been arranged. We'll clean it three or four times a day. What's up?"

Xiao Wei said, "This drain can't be blocked. We need to skim off as much of the mixed water as possible before pouring it out. And these bits of meat will rot in no time in the summer. We need to get used to this."

Chen Hui nodded and said, "Okay, I'll talk to Sister Jin in a bit. I can't just say anything directly if I give this to her."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "That's the right thing to do. Once you've assigned someone to manage it, don't overstep your authority. It's not only chaotic, but it also leaves the people below clueless about what to do. But I really have to say, our situation is different from the Cultural Palace. They have their own sewage pumps, but we don't. We use the municipal sewer system, so if it gets clogged, it's a huge problem."

Chen Hui agreed.

Xiao Wei turned his head and looked around, then said, "Then it's fine. Are you staying here or going back?"

Chen Hui said, "Aren't we eating here? Chef Fan and Fifth Brother have been testing dishes lately, taking turns making them and asking for everyone's feedback."

Xiao Wei checked the time and said, "Okay, let's eat here. It's almost time anyway. I'll go back and catch up on some sleep this afternoon, since I have to drive all day tomorrow."

The meals were prepared by the helpers, and the two young men by the stove looked at everyone else with boredom from time to time.

Xiao Wei asked Chen Hui, "Are you going to serve dumplings? Didn't you ask anyone? Are you just serving rice as the main dish?"

Chen Hui said, "I've found them. We'll have dumplings and pancakes, boiled dumplings, steamed dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, sugar pancakes, spring pancakes, and dumplings. There's no rush. Just come over before we open. We don't have anything to do these days anyway."

Xiao Wei said, "We still need to try it a few days in advance, inside the factory first, just in case the food turns out bad."

Chen Hui said, "It's okay, I know what I'm doing. Sister Jin has arranged everything. She's the one who found all the people."

Xiao Wei frowned and said, "Sister Jin used to work in the kitchen, so I'm comfortable leaving the kitchen to her. But can she handle the dough? What kind of dumplings will she make? What kind of dough will she use? How will she prepare the filling? Are you sure the person Sister Jin found can do it?"

Chen Hui laughed and patted Xiao Wei on the shoulder, saying, "You can be silly sometimes too. You forgot that you learned it from Fifth Brother."

Xiao Wei suddenly realized and nodded. He had really forgotten about it. An Laowu's dumplings were quite delicious, so he was relieved.

Over there, Chef Fan and Old Man An were working together on the menu. Ordinary people eat out for large portions, while those with a bit more money demand delicious food—this reflects the changing needs as social status rises. At Anji Old Restaurant, the standards are not only high; the food must also look good and have a catchy name. Plating has become a key element.

Moreover, plating has a hidden benefit: cost reduction. Go to a roadside restaurant, and they'll just serve a huge plate of food hastily scrambled together with their hands. But go to a five-star restaurant, and it becomes art. Can you compare the amount of ingredients used to pile up a huge amount of food to that used to arrange a lifelike fish?

Master Fan asked An Laowu, "Fifth Brother, who is that? They seem to have a good relationship with Boss Chen."

An Laowu turned to look at Xiaowei and Chen Hui and said, "He's still the boss. He's the one who keeps his word. Xiaohui and I have to listen to him too. But he's a good person and easy to talk to."

Master Fan asked, "What do you do? Is your family more powerful than Boss Chen's?"

An Laowu shook his head and said, "No, he's from the countryside, a farmer. He's smart and generous. He gets along well with Boss Chen and another Boss Xia you haven't met. Both of them listen to Xiaowei. They're the ones who set up all these businesses."

Master Fan said, "He's the one who set up this shop? Then why don't you come here often? This is the first time I've seen him here."

An Laowu said, "They handled everything from choosing the location and decorating the shop to setting the standard. Even the uniforms for the waiters were chosen by them. In these matters, Boss Chen's father listens to Xiaowei. They run a big business and have a large operation in our Longcheng."

The helper came over and said, "Master, Master An, the food is ready." An Laowu nodded and said, "If it's ready, then get ready to eat. I'll go get some braised pork. Lao Fan, aren't you going to make some today?"

Chef Fan glanced at the stove and said, "Let's get two. Do you have any rehydrated sea cucumbers? I'll get one, and some beef too."

Sister Jin walked in and asked, "Did you make anything delicious today?"

The helpers all laughed, and Master Fan asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Sister Jin smiled and said, "Anything is fine, as long as it tastes good. Xiaowei and Chen Hui, time to eat! What are you two talking about?" She walked over to Xiaowei and Chen Hui inside.

Chen Hui turned to look at Sister Jin and said, "Xiao Wei said that you have to skim the water before pouring it in, and you can't just pour rotten vegetables and scraps of meat directly in here, because it might clog the way and then it will smell bad in the summer. That's what we were talking about."

Sister Jin glanced at the ditch and said, "Are you alright? So that's how they all end up over there."

Three provinces

(End of this chapter)