Chapter 135 Braised Pork Slices, Sauerkraut and Pork Soup, Steamed Buns with Filling...

While Wenji's business was booming, everything about Jinyulou was heading in an irreversible direction.

Like most established businesses, Jin Yu Lou was not good at online marketing, and the sudden negative reviews threw the young owner into a panic.

The Lunar New Year is usually the busiest time of the year for business, but many regular customers have been affected by online shopping and no longer come to our store.

Jin Yu Lou became increasingly deserted. A week later, during mealtimes, it was less than 30% of its usual size. With fewer customers, Er Jin suggested layoffs. Whether in the kitchen or the front of house, most people were idle. Since business was bad anyway, they decided to lay off people to reduce expenses.

The young master thought it made sense, and without thinking, he started laying off employees according to the list given by Master Erjin.

When Sanjin returned to the shop, he was shocked to find that all the people he had assigned to the kitchen had been fired by Erjin…

Looking at the young master, who was full of hope and asking if he had any way to resolve the issue, and Erjin, who was looking rather gloating, Sanjin sneered inwardly.

"Master Sanjin, have you finalized the matter regarding the trending topics?"

It's really unlucky. There haven't been any major news lately, except for Jin Yu Lou, including the master and apprentice, pre-made dishes, food, equity... These sensitive topics are analyzed and exposed every day, prolonging the hype endlessly.

The young master had originally considered doing some online promotion, but now, pressured by the sheer volume of online traffic, he felt like slapping himself in the face!

What's with all this internet stuff! He should just stick to his old ways and live off his past achievements!

Sanjin reassured him: "It's starting to look promising... They said they can do a complete turnaround marketing campaign for us. If it's done well, we can take it to the next level. It's just a matter of the cost..."

The young master hurriedly transferred money to him.

After taking the money, Master Sanjin left without lingering, saying that he had other things to do.

He left, but the shop is even more chaotic now.

Half of the waiters left, and some of the remaining staff resigned in disappointment. Suddenly, even the remaining 30% of customers began complaining about the declining service quality. The restaurant was already facing criticism for its poor food, and the remaining customers were all business travelers who might not care about the taste of the food, but certainly valued the service.

However, in order to save money, Jin Yu Lou has greatly reduced its service, and these customers have chosen not to come back after complaining.

The endless stream of problems left the young master exhausted.

The eve of the Lunar New Year arrived quickly.

Heavy snow fell that day, and the weather forecast said it would be the heaviest snowfall foreseeable this winter.

In addition to weather forecasts and reminders to stay home, the news also reported on the arrangements for the Spring Festival travel rush.

"All departments have already made preparations to cope with the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush..."

Master Jin hasn't been going out much lately. He just stays home watching TV and has Xiao Ge buy him food from Wenji twice a day.

As more and more people flock to Wenji, Wenfan's menu seems inexhaustible.

Chef Da Jin is still savoring the braised pork slices and sauerkraut and pork soup that Xiao Ge brought back tonight.

The vegetables were a bit cold when I brought them back, but they still smelled delicious after I heated them up in the pan.

The braised pork slices are coated in a glossy sauce, almost like a mirror. The perfectly fried slices are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an extremely thin crust and smooth pork tenderloin inside. The savory sauce has a hint of sweetness, unlike the sweet and sour taste of sweet and sour pork. The savory flavor of the braised pork slices makes them so delicious that you can eat them for a long time without getting tired of them. A few pieces of green and red peppers in the slices add a bright touch of color. The sauce coats the slices evenly, making this dish an undisputed accompaniment to rice.

Master Da Jin couldn't eat any staple food, but Xiao Ge ate mouthfuls of rice, then a bite of braised pork, then a few bites of rice, as if he was choking, and quickly took another sip of the braised pork broth to soothe his throat.

Stirring with a spoon, the rich, tangy aroma of the pickled cabbage and pork soup wafts into your nostrils along with the rising steam.

The rich and flavorful bone broth base is perfectly balanced with the delicate sourness of the pickled cabbage. The sliced ​​meat is coated with a thin layer of sweet potato starch, making it smooth and tender. The tenderloin is juicy and soft, and the aroma is not overpowering.

Then, take another sip of soup. The pickled cabbage, which has been stewed until it is barely recognizable, slides into your mouth along with the soup, bringing a gentle warmth that is irresistible.

After finishing his meal, Master Jin asked his apprentice, "After eating this tender meat soup, do you have any thoughts?"

This has become a daily routine for the master and his apprentice.

Just like testing students, Master Jin used Wenji's excellent products to guide his apprentices.

Xiao Ge: "Hmm... the pickled cabbage seems to be very well made, not from a regular supplier... there seems to be some fruit vinegar added to the soup?"

Master Jin nodded: "It's not bad that you can taste that much."

When asked to specify what kind of vinegar it was, Xiao Ge didn't know.

Master Jin thought to himself that it was probably apple cider vinegar or pomegranate vinegar... What was rare was that this vinegar was not one of the kinds he had ever tasted before, and it even seemed to be homemade.

Thinking about this possibility, Master Jin couldn't wait for spring to arrive so he could pack up his apprentice and send him to Wen Fan.

He'd even give you money, let alone pay you!

The master and apprentice were watching TV in a warm room when the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" Xiao Ge wondered to himself, as it was still snowing heavily outside.

When the door was opened, a person with snow-white hair and eyebrows and a pale face was standing in the doorway.

"Little Ge, who is it?" Master Da Jin asked when he saw his apprentice remain silent for a long time.

The man opened his mouth, and finally uttered a hoarse "Master Chef".

The person came in, but stood at the door, too afraid to come closer.

Master Da Jin also remained silent.

After a long while, the other party finally knelt down.

"Master chef... I was wrong."

"I shouldn't have disobeyed you, I shouldn't have messed things up on my own."

"Master Master... Master Sanjin... he swindled all my money. I can't find him now."

"The shop is completely empty now, I don't know how to tell you..."

In just a few days, the young master seemed like a completely different person; his former high spirits had turned into utter dejection.

Even he himself didn't expect that Master Sanjin would lie to him.

He claimed he was using the store's money to find someone, but after using various excuses to scam people, he ended up swindling several million yuan. Then he said he needed various licenses and official seals from the store, and the young owner, without thinking twice, gave him everything.

For more than a week, he never doubted the other party at all.

Until someone came knocking on my door.

The other party made it clear that Master Sanjin had mortgaged the shop to them and borrowed a seven-day high-interest loan from them. Now that the loan was due, they couldn't find him and were coming to take over the shop.

The young master cried uncontrollably; overnight, it seemed as if everything had changed.

Although he wasn't completely destitute, Jin Yu Lou was something his father had built up over a lifetime, and he had given it away with just a bit of gullibility and a few hasty decisions.

How can he proceed from here?

Master Jin's face was ashen. He had expected Jin Yu Lou to be smashed, but he thought it would be a slow, dramatic fall, not something that happened in an instant!

The heartache he felt now was completely different from when he sold his shares. Master Jin suddenly stood up, pointed a finger at the other party, and cursed inwardly, but in the end, nothing came of it.

This is the child he watched grow up, but now he's left with such a mess.

Xiao Ge quietly slipped outside the door, letting Master Da Jin sternly question the young master about the details.

Looking at the snow falling heavily outside the door, Xiao Ge thought to himself, "Master said he would never care about Jin Yu Lou again. How could that be?"

...

Xiao Ge waited for an hour before going in when he heard no more noise from inside.

The young master had stopped crying and stood silently to the side.

Master Da Jin rubbed his temples: "Go back and think about my suggestion yourself. Once you've thought it through, tell me."

After saying that, he sighed and sent the person away.

Xiao Ge quietly asked his master what to do, whether he should go back to work at Jinyulou.

"Go back my ass!"

Master Da Jin was a little irritated.

If he hadn't recently been eating Wenji's food, he might still have thought that way.

But now...

He had come to the painful realization that the era of Jin Yulou was completely over.

“I made him pay back the loan shark money, then called the police to arrest the third brother, and kicked the second brother out this time as well. I bought the Jin Yu Lou signboard and trademark in full. He can keep the shop; he can be a second-generation landlord collecting rent in the future.”

“I’ll choose another location and open a small shop under the name Jin Yu Lou. I’ll do it myself when I’m able, and you can do it when I’m not.”

Whether the Jin Yu Lou brand can survive depends entirely on the future.

Xiao Ge didn't dare to speak. He vaguely sensed that his master had other plans for him, but he never expected that his master would want him to pass on the Jin Yu Lou!

But Master Jin didn't feel there was anything to be happy about.

Overnight, Jin Yu Lou reopened, and no one knew what the future held.

The second and third sons are no good, and the young master is hopeless. At his age, why would he want to cause any more trouble?

But this is the culmination of my master's hard work!

Master Jin looked dejected. He was destined to leave Jin Yu Lou, so he had no choice but to do it himself!

*****

Wen Fan drew back the curtains, and the first thing that caught her eye was the various items placed on the security window.

A layer of cardboard was laid under the security window, on which were piled several cabbages, large chunks of frozen tofu, and various sausages and cured meats...

Wen Fan took a breath of the biting cold wind and suddenly remembered that today was the day she was going out to get her nails done.

She quickly changed her clothes. Wen's parents were watching TV in the living room with the volume very low. When they saw Wen Fan get up, Wen's mother poured her a glass of hot water.

"Why are you up so early? Sleep a little longer."

After working so hard for so many days, not only Wen Fan, but the two of them were exhausted.

Fortunately, the pig-slaughtering feast finally ended, just before the heavy snow began.

Wen Fan: "Have you slept enough... Is there anything to eat?"

"Your dad made hot and sour soup."

The last time she went to pick up the pigs, Feng Huijuan specially brought a sack of dried goods.

Black fungus and daylily are perfect for making hot and sour soup.

Wen Fan felt lazy and didn't want to lift a finger, so he ate steamed buns with the hot and sour soup his father made.

The steamed buns were made fresh this morning with a water-filled filling. The filling consisted of one pound of meat and eight ounces of water. Water was added to the meat filling in small amounts several times. Chopped green onions, eggs, and sesame oil were added to the water-filled filling. The dough was semi-fermented. After filling the buns with the water-filled filling, they were steamed. The steaming hot buns had a little oil seeping through them, and they burst with juice when you took a bite.

Unlike soup dumplings made with unleavened dough, semi-leavened buns have a soft and fluffy dough, and the filling inside is also fresh and fragrant.

Wen Fan rarely gave his father praise: "The filling is quite good."

Another sip of hot and sour soup, perfectly smooth and refreshing.

After breakfast, Wen's mother and Wen Fan went to get their nails done, while Wen's father went to Zhang Hainiu to order seafood. With the New Year approaching, how could the family be without seafood?

When the two sides met, Mr. Wen was dumbfounded.

My wife's nails were just a basic bright red, with a little bit of reflective shimmer, like cat's eyes, which looked quite nice.

But my daughter's nails...

Wen Fan was still enjoying herself, completely oblivious to the somewhat troubled looks in her parents' eyes.

Wen's father quietly asked Wen's mother, "Did she think of that herself?"

Wen's mother nodded.

"This is too much..."

Mother Wen: "Don't tell!"

As long as the child is happy.

As they entered the mall, the family began picking out clothes. Several children darted among the clothes racks. Suddenly, a little girl noticed Wen Fan's fingernails and curiously and enviously approached him.

"Sister, your nails are so pretty!"

Wen Fan was overjoyed to be praised! She reached into her pocket and found some pork jerky, a homemade snack, and gave a few pieces to the little girl. She couldn't wait to go and show it off to her mother.

After she left, the little girl behind her pestered her mother to do her nails too.

The parent found it somewhat amusing: "So what kind of person do you want to be?"

"I want to be ten different!"

She's already planned it all out: each nail will be a different color, and they'll all be decorated with her favorite cartoon characters!

"...That doesn't look good."

"Who said that! It's beautiful! That lady just now had ten fingers that were all different colors!"

Parents: ...