Chapter 344 Selling Century Eggs

After finishing her meal, Madam Shen left. Of course, she insisted on paying at the counter, unwilling to let Cheng Wanwan, a junior, treat her.

But the Daheyan Restaurant was still busy, with people coming to try the dishes in an endless stream.

Another new dish we tried was tofu with preserved eggs. Each small dish contained a spoonful, just enough for one bite.

For the other dishes, you can guess what they're made of after just one bite, but this dish is the one that has sparked the most discussion.

"I recognize the white stuff here, it's tofu. The blackish-brown stuff looks like an egg, but an egg that color must be rotten, right?"

"It's so soft, tender and fragrant. It just slides down your throat as soon as you put it in your mouth. I always feel like I haven't had enough."

"This dish on the menu costs four hundred coins, which is really expensive. This restaurant is not something that ordinary people like us can afford."

“We clearly couldn’t afford it, but Madam Sui didn’t kick us out. Madam Sui is truly magnanimous and kind.”

"Hey, waiter, come here!"

Someone called out, and Yan Tiezi immediately went over, smiling and saying, "Sister-in-law, please tell me your needs as soon as possible."

The woman said somewhat embarrassedly, "What are those black things in this tofu? It's okay if you can't tell me, I'm just asking."

Her family sells tofu, and tofu can be used to make hundreds of dishes, but she had never seen anything like this before, so she was extremely curious.

Yan Tiezi replied with a smile, "These black and yellow ones are called preserved eggs, and they are made from duck eggs. If this sister-in-law wants to buy some, she can go to Dahe Village and ask. This kind of thing can only be found in Dahe Village."

These were words Cheng Wanwan had instructed her to say: whenever anyone asked, help promote the preserved eggs.

That winter, Mrs. Zhu and her family made over a thousand preserved eggs. The Daheyan Restaurant alone certainly couldn't use them all, so they had to expand their sales channels.

Old Mrs. Zhu and Zhu Huzi were both elderly women, and neither of them had much credibility when they stood out. They had been busy for more than half a month but still couldn't find a good solution.

Cheng Wanwan took on the task. She was responsible for giving directions, and how the sale went and how the business fared was entirely up to the Zhu family's own fate.

"How much is one of these preserved eggs?" the woman couldn't help but ask again.

Yan Tiezi answered very patiently, "In Ping'an County, a duck egg costs three copper coins. This preserved egg is quite complicated to make, taking two months to form, so the price is naturally higher."

His words made everyone a little uneasy. How much more expensive? If it was too expensive, ordinary people like them wouldn't be able to afford it.

"Ten coins each," Yan Tiezi said with a smile. "These preserved eggs are delicious. You can eat them directly or use them in cooking. They're perfect with alcohol. If any of you ladies want some, you can pre-order them at our Dahe Banquet restaurant and pick them up tomorrow."

Ten coins is indeed a bit expensive, since a bowl of noodles only costs ten coins. But it's also a bit cheap. A dish of tofu and preserved egg at the Great River Banquet costs four hundred coins. You can buy a preserved egg for ten coins, and a few pieces of tofu for four or five coins. With a little intuition, you can make a delicious dish.

"Then I'll have a preserved egg."

"I'll buy one too, and try it out when I get home."

"I'll buy some more tofu tomorrow and try making a dish so the kids can have a taste too."

The women took out their money and each ordered one preserved egg, which added up to only a dozen or so. But this was just the beginning. Once these people tasted the deliciousness of the preserved eggs, they would not order just one in the future.

Century eggs are a traditional Chinese delicacy. Some people don't like them and don't want to touch them, but some people love them to death. Those who like century eggs are potential permanent customers.

The restaurant became lively again during the afternoon dinner time.

Zhao Ergou and Yan Tiezi were in charge of receiving guests, Lu Yingxue and Cheng Wanwan were in charge of serving dishes, Zhao Dawang served tea to guests, Chunhua helped in the kitchen and washed dishes, and Wu Huiniang was busy with a spatula.

Fortunately, there were only ten tables, so it wasn't too hectic.

Before it had completely darkened, the day's work finally came to an end.

The ingredients in the kitchen were almost all used up. The chicken, duck, fish and meat were all purchased from elsewhere, while the vegetables and side dishes were bought from the village. Nothing was wasted.

Zhao Ergou tapped away on his abacus, calculating the day's bills.

Cheng Wanwan, Lu Yingxue, and Wu Huiniang went to the kitchen to help Chunhua wash the dishes.

This girl spends all day washing, preparing, and chopping vegetables, and she also has to wash dishes in the gaps between her time. She's so busy that she's dizzy and exhausted, covered in sweat.

"Aunt, Madam Yu, Sister-in-law, you can go outside and rest. I'll take care of the washing." Chunhua took it all on. "I can manage by myself."

Wu Huiniang sat down nimbly beside a large basin: "So many bowls, how long will it take you to wash them?"

Besides the plates and dishes for main meals, there are mostly small plates for free tastings, and a bucket of chopsticks. It's a lot of work. After washing all of these, the kitchen needs a thorough cleaning, which will keep us busy for at least another hour.

Cheng Wanwan glanced at the sky outside; it was indeed getting late.

She has to hire a dishwasher, otherwise her work hours will be delayed by half an hour every time.

While doing business is about making money, it shouldn't be so exhausting that it drives you crazy. Her goal is to earn money easily and effortlessly.

"Mother, the accounts are settled!"

Zhao Ergou walked over excitedly and handed the ledger to Cheng Wanwan.

She wiped her hands with her apron, stood up, and took the ledger. Today's total profit was seventy-two taels of silver. Adding the membership fees recharged by customers—six gold card members and eighteen silver card members—the total was eight hundred and fifty-two taels of silver.

The main cost was for dishes like chicken, duck, fish, and meat, which cost over thirty taels of silver. Most of the money was used for free tastings, but even after deducting these costs, there was still a considerable net profit.

Zhao Ergou's breathing became rapid.

When his mother launched this membership card program, he always thought it was just wishful thinking on her part, but as it turns out, many people are willing to sign up for the card.

In this way, the money spent on buying the shop has almost been earned back.

Cheng Wanwan walked towards the counter with the ledger in hand, saying as she went, "These twenty-odd customers who have signed up for membership cards are all people who don't care about money. If our restaurant launches any new dishes, we can have Tiezi send them over for these customers to try for free, to enhance their loyalty..."

She carefully explained some business methods and techniques to Zhao Ergou, who listened attentively. The mother and son didn't notice the time and ended up talking for half an hour.

Meanwhile, Lu Yingxue, having finished her work in the kitchen, came out rubbing her slender waist and sighing, "Sister Wanwan, you have to pay me more. I'm really exhausted today. I'm not coming tomorrow, really not."

Cheng Wanwan chuckled and said, "The results of the second county examination will be announced tomorrow. Are you sure you're not coming?"

"Alright, let's go."

Lu Yingxue continued to rub her lower back. She just wanted to know as soon as possible whether her son was on the list, and it was definitely not for the money.

After tidying up the restaurant, the large group headed home.

Yan Tiezi's home was in the city, so he could walk back. Zhao Ergou and Zhao Dawang sat outside the car driving, while Cheng Wanwan and the other three women sat inside.

The main road was pitch black at night, but fortunately there was moonlight, and Zhao Ergou was already familiar with this road. Before long, he arrived at the entrance of Dahe Village.