"Hey, what does this store sell?"
"Didn't you see? It says so on the label: braised pork, noodles, dumplings, and wontons."
"Hey, braised meat! What kind of braised meat is it? Wow, it smells so good!"
"No, I have to go check it out. This braised meat smells good, it's quite fragrant, and it'll definitely be a great accompaniment to drinks."
When Jiang Ruyu served her braised pork, the aroma was so strong that the neighbors on both sides could smell it in no time.
There are also those who don't want to eat home-cooked meals early in the morning and go out to find something to eat. They see this newly opened store and come in to take a look.
"Comrade, besides braised meat, what else is in this?"
The few people who came to help then became waiters: "Comrade, we have noodles, wontons, and dumplings. See what you want to eat." This was Uncle Liu Yuanchao.
Jiang Hui and Zheng Yang are inside helping Jiang Ruyu make dumplings and wontons. The fillings are ready, but they haven't wrapped them yet.
There are now places selling dumpling wrappers, wonton wrappers, and noodles, but they're not open shops; they're small family workshops, and the business is only available in a small area.
Jiang Ruyu inadvertently found out about the price and, after asking about it, felt it wasn't expensive, so she ordered at least five jin every day, and would buy more if needed.
Someone came up and ordered a bowl of wontons, and Jiang Ruyu's restaurant finally opened for business.
People have a tendency to follow trends. As soon as someone takes the lead, others immediately follow suit: "Comrade, can I try a piece of your braised meat?"
Jiang Ruyu thought for a moment, took out a piece of pig's head meat, sliced it, and added her own dipping sauce: "Comrade, you can try it. If you don't like it, you don't have to pay."
The man only mentioned it casually, but Jiang Ruyu actually did it. He was a little embarrassed, but he still picked up the chopsticks Jiang Ruyu had prepared, took a piece, and tasted it.
After finishing his meal, he gave a thumbs up: "Comrade, great skill! This braised meat is excellent. I'll have the pig's snout part, a pound, please. How much is this braised meat?"
"The price of braised meat is different; pig's head meat is 1.2 yuan per jin."
Jiang Ruyu weighed it for him, wrapped it in oil paper, and said, "Comrade, here's some vegetarian food for you to try. Vegetarian food isn't bad at all."
"That's great, thank you." Nobody would refuse something they get for free.
With the free samples available, quite a few people came to try them. The product isn't expensive, so buying a pound to try is a good idea.
Before long, a long line of people came to buy braised meat outside the window. Ren Min was cutting it, Zheng Yang was packing it into oil paper, and Jiang Hui was helping her.
If anyone wants noodles, wontons, or dumplings, Jiang Hui can make those too. Jiang Ruyu prepared several soup bases herself, which surprised those who came to eat noodles and dumplings. They looked no different from what they made at home, but the taste of the fillings and soup bases was something they had never tasted before.
Jiang Ruyu smiled as she heard the discussions outside. Since she dared to sell food, she must have been quite confident in her skills. When she visited Jiang Hui in the countryside before, she ate the wontons and dumplings there and paid special attention to the soup base. After returning, she put in a lot of effort to study it. All her hobbies back then were preparations for this moment.
The first day of business was a success. Although it wasn't overcrowded, there were always people coming. By 4 p.m., all the braised meat and vegetables for the day had been sold out.
"Sorry, everyone, we've sold out for today. Come back tomorrow."
Upon hearing Zheng Yang's words, the people waiting outside to buy braised food became somewhat dissatisfied: "We heard that a new store opened here, so we came specifically to buy it. Why is it sold out?"
Zheng Yang smiled good-naturedly and offered cigarettes to the people around him: "We remember your support, brothers. Come back tomorrow and we'll give you a discount. Here, have a cigarette."
And so, they sent the people who had gathered around away. The people inside were exhausted, especially Jiang Ruyu, Zheng Yang, and Jiang Hui in the kitchen. They hadn't rested much except for eating and going to the toilet. Their legs ached and their feet were swollen from standing all day.
Dinner consisted of several large dishes bought from a state-run restaurant, and the celebration was held at home. My uncle and the others were happy that Jiang Ruyu was having a prosperous year.
"Ruyu, business is good today, so I can rest assured."
Liu Yuanchao also smiled and said, "Ruyu has been steady and reliable since she was a child. She always knows what she's doing."
Indeed, Jiang Ruyu has left a deep and positive impression on both sets of elders over the years. This girl is sensible and has never done anything to disappoint the adults.
The celebration banquet didn't last very late, as they had to work the next day. So, Jiang Lin's uncle and aunt stayed in his room for the night. After washing up, they were so tired that they fell asleep as soon as they lay down on the bed.
After Jiang Ruyu and Zheng Yang finished washing up, they took out the box containing the rent. Their price was a little higher because they had to consider labor, water and electricity. Although the house was purchased, the cost of the rent still had to be factored in.
A bowl of wontons comes in large and small portions. The large portion contains thirty small wontons and costs two cents a bowl, plus one ounce of grain coupons. The small portion contains twenty wontons and costs twelve cents. A large portion of dumplings contains twenty-five dumplings and costs two cents. The small portion contains eighteen dumplings and costs fifteen cents, plus one ounce of grain coupons.
A normal bowl of vegetarian noodles only contains green vegetables and costs only 12 cents. This is because the soup is made from pork bones. If you add braised meat, it will be more expensive.
Most people said the braised meat was the biggest seller. Jiang Ruyu and Zheng Yang counted it twice before their eyes were practically grinning from ear to ear. Today, despite being unprepared, they made 137.86 yuan. If they had been better prepared and managed things properly, this business would have been incredibly profitable.
The couple smiled happily at the sight of so much money, feeling that all their hard work had been worthwhile. Even in her sleep, Jiang Ruyu would occasionally chuckle, showing just how happy she was.
Jiang Ruyu woke up again around 4 a.m. the next day. Still half asleep, she got up to brush her teeth and wash her face. Her uncle and his family were going back home today, and Zheng Yang and Jiang Hui were going to work or school. Her father-in-law could no longer help her.
Fortunately, she had thought about the manpower issue beforehand and asked her uncle to help find a few clean and tidy aunties and grandmas in the village who could cook. She told everyone that they were her relatives who came to help.
Although buying and selling are now permitted, hiring workers is still not allowed because it is considered oppression. However, since the workers are all relatives who come to help, no one says anything.
My uncle is reliable; he found four women from the same clan—sisters-in-law, brothers' wives, nieces, and nephews—who will arrive at nine o'clock this morning.
Yesterday was the first day of trial operation, and today she will announce the opening hours. From now on, they will not sell braised meat in the morning; they will only sell braised meat from noon onwards. In the morning, they will only sell wontons and dumplings, and they will gradually add other items in the future.
This way, she wouldn't have to get up so early. She could also have some of the important spices from the spice packet ground into powder and handed over to the people hired by the shop to make the spice mix. This way, once the shop stabilizes, she could have some free time and wouldn't be tied to the shop all day long.
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