Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 466 Experimenting with the Old Broth

The next afternoon, Xiao Wei, Xia Maosheng, Chen Hui, Chen Xiao, and Geng Hui arrived at the restaurant.

Xiaohong went to school today. Even though the review period isn't strictly managed, she can't skip school every day.

Xiaowei guessed that Xiaohong had gone to school to show off to that show-off classmate.

One thing we must acknowledge is that children from families with relatively better financial conditions are more likely to succeed. Of course, this success does not mean becoming a great person, nor does it mean that children from poor families cannot succeed. I am only referring to the proportion.

The difference is similar in elementary school, slightly different in middle school, and becomes significant in high school. By university, the proportion of students from privileged backgrounds increases markedly, and this is still the case today. This phenomenon was particularly pronounced in the early 90s.

It's not that we're talking about anything else, but children from well-off families have more time to study and more personal time. Children from poorer families have to go home and do chores, so what's the point of studying or having hobbies? That's the unfortunate reality.

There were training classes in the early 90s, then called "Children's Palaces," and some were also run privately in small groups. These didn't have many children from poor families. Towns, cities, big cities, provincial capitals—although all were city dwellers, these four terms represented insurmountable barriers in those days. In an era of limited information and transportation, the closer one was to the city center, the more opportunities they had, including access to education.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, the group first sat in Chen Hui's office for a while, discussing work-related matters with Sister Jin and Li Na. Then, Xiao Wei changed into his long-unseen chef's uniform and began cooking. An Laowu provided guidance from the side.

A normal serving of vegetables was stewed with regular broth, and every detail was carefully prepared to the best of our ability. Everyone tasted it to experience the flavor. Then, An Laowu's secret broth was added, and each spoonful was tasted after being added. After four spoonfuls, Chen Xiao said, "No, this doesn't taste right. We can't add any more. Xiaowei, make another bowl. I think three spoonfuls should be about right."

Everyone gathered around the soup bowl, chopsticks and spoons in hand, tasted it and thought about it. Geng Hui agreed with Chen Xiao's suggestion, Xia Maosheng hesitated, and Chen Hui was simply eating; to him, it all tasted delicious. An Laowu tasted it and said, "Let's try it as Xiao Xiao suggested. Maybe I've eaten too much of this stuff and I'm not very sensitive to the flavor anymore."

Sister Jin said, "I think Xiaoxiao is right. The taste was a bit off after adding the fourth spoonful. How should I put it? The flavor was too strong and concentrated. It's not that it tasted bad, but it was a bit too greasy."

Xiao Wei didn't offer any opinion, but quickly made another bowl. The reason Xiao Wei was asked to cook was because he knew how to cook, but his culinary skills weren't very refined, so he was a good fit.

This time, three spoonfuls were added. Everyone tasted it, then tasted the bowl with four spoonfuls added, and nodded, saying, "Xiao Xiao's palate is sharp; the one with three spoonfuls definitely tastes better." Li Na said, "But why does it taste a little different from what we usually eat? It tastes a bit bland."

Jin Jie pointed at Chen Xiao and said with a smile, "The key is that she's heavily pregnant. She's always been picky about food, and with this big belly, her palate is even more discerning. She's definitely more sensitive to flavors than us."

After thinking for a moment, An Laowu said to Xiaowei, "Here's what you do, do it again. This time, halve the salt and don't add MSG. Then bring the broth to a boil, put the stewed vegetables in, and simmer it for a bit."

Another bowl was made, and this time everyone nodded: "Much better, it feels much better than before."

Xiao Wei said, "Three and a half spoonfuls, right? What if we add it in from the beginning?" He then started to prepare a dish and seasonings, following the normal procedure. When it was time to add the soup, he first added three and a half spoonfuls of old broth, then added a little more stock. After it was done, he placed it in front of everyone.

Chen Xiao nodded and said, "That's fine, that's fine this time. Let's do it this way, it'll taste good."

Chen Hui took a bite, then ate the bowl that had been prepared earlier, then ate the first bowl again, and said, "It's a little better, but the difference isn't that big, is it?"

Chen Xiao said, "You're just a pig. As long as you have something to eat, it's all the same to you. Adding one spoonful of cornmeal or three spoonfuls of cornmeal is the same as eating."

Everyone laughed, and An Laowu said, "Okay, let's do it this way. This afternoon, I'll have Xiao Liang make a few copies using this method and see how the customers react. If the customers don't react much, then it's a success."

Xiao Wei said, "Let's try it for a few more days. How about this: during this period, choose two main dishes and make them this way. If it works, we can add more, and gradually change all the main dishes to be made this way. Fifth Brother, you just need to focus on making this soup during this time, and let Xiao Liang and the others handle everything else. The branch store will take at least two or three months to open. This time is a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with and adjust this method. Try it out and make some adjustments."

Old Man An nodded and said, "Okay, we'll do it your way. This way I'll feel much lighter and I'll try to finish this job within two months."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said to Chen Hui, "In that case, we'll have to find a place to open a small factory, a place that specializes in producing the old broth. For nearby places, we'll use barrels; for farther places, we'll use sealed bags. We'll also need to order packaging and filling machines. Fifth Brother, you also need to observe the basic usage and see how much is used each day, so we can have a count and avoid business trips when delivering."

Old Man An nodded and said, "I know, I've thought of that. Two months should be enough time to get a definite result."

Xiao Wei washed his hands, and the group left the kitchen and went to Chen Hui's office. Xiao Wei changed back into his old clothes and said, "It feels a bit unsettling not to do this all the time. Looks like I'll have to find opportunities to pick up a spoon whenever I have free time."

Chen Hui laughed and said, "You talk like you've been doing this for a long time. Besides doing it a few times at home, where else have you done it?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Indeed, I haven't touched a ladle in a long time now. This can't go on. I need to practice more. Once you learn a skill, you have to find opportunities to stick with it. If you give up, you're done for. You won't be able to pick it up again."

Chen Hui stretched and said, "Well, the branch is finally starting to take shape, now all we need is manpower."

Xiao Wei sat down, took out a cigarette, and said, "Take some time to look for a place to live during this period. Visit several of the main commercial areas in Fengtian."

Chen Hui nodded in agreement.

Xia Maosheng said, "This matter suddenly seems to have a lot more meaning."

Xiao Wei said, "Once the office building is completed, let Li Na hand over the manager position to Wei Yun and let her work in the office. She will be in charge of staff recruitment and training, irregular inspections and assessments of various stores, material allocation and procurement, staff assessment, cost accounting, and salary calculation and distribution. She will be in charge of these things from now on. When Chen Xiao comes out, she can also come and handle this."

Chen Hui said, "Why don't we register a food company and manage the restaurants all at once?"

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, weren't we also planning to set up yurts? And sell Xingcheng specialties? We can set up a company, and each restaurant can be a branch, making it easier to allocate personnel and resources among us."

(End of this chapter)