Zhang Hulan said to Shopkeeper Hao, "Shopkeeper Hao, please ask the waiter to bring me a plate."
Shopkeeper Hao immediately asked the waiter to get a plate for Zhang Hulan.
"Manager Hao, please wait a moment." Zhang Hulan got up and went out, and soon came back with a plate of meat.
Zhang Hulan placed the plate in front of Shopkeeper Hao. Shopkeeper Hao and Ye Hongyun had similar expressions at first. They were stunned at first, and then they smelled the aroma of the braised meat.
Ye Hongyun smiled and said, "Manager Hao, don't underestimate these foods. They taste very unique. You can try them."
Zhang Hulan handed over a bamboo stick. The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, but still picked up a piece of pork head and put it in his mouth.
After chewing for a while, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up and he nodded in praise, "It really tastes unique, very different from the pig heads I've eaten before."
Shopkeeper Hao also tasted pig large intestines, sausage rolls and tripe strips, and thought they all tasted very good.
Shopkeeper Hao asked, "These foods are really good. How do you plan to sell them, Madam Zhang?"
Zhang Hulan said, "Pig heads are 40 wen per pound, pig ears are 60 wen per pound, and pig tongues are 80 wen per pound. Large intestines are also 80 wen, and the sausage rolls and pig stomachs are 50 wen each."
Zhang Hulan raised her price by five cents. This was not something she had never seen before, so she couldn't raise the price too high. If the shopkeeper bargained, she would lower the price by five cents.
Shopkeeper Hao pondered for a moment and kept looking back and forth between Ye Hongyun and Zhang Hulan.
Zhang Hulan said, "Manager Hao, you don't have to consider Madam Ye's face. Let's just talk about business as usual."
"You've also tried a few things and seen how they tasted. You should have a good idea of whether customers like the dishes after they're served."
"Don't think my price is too high. The cost of the pig head and offal may not seem high, but the loss is huge."
"You can only get a few pounds of meat from a pig's head, and all the bones have to be thrown away. It's very troublesome to clean the pig's offal, and a lot of it has to be thrown away as well."
"After cooking, the pork will shrink. A pound of pork will only weigh a little over 11 ounces after cooking. It should be at least 30% less."
"You don't need to process the meat once you buy it. Just cut it and put it on a plate. It can be served hot or cold, depending on the customer's request."
"Slice the pork head and add some side dishes, and one pound can be used to make at least two plates. One pound is 40 wen, so you can get at least 80 wen."
"I just do the job of a chef in your restaurant. We also have to deliver goods to your door every day. In fact, I just earn hard-earned money."
Manager Hao naturally knew what Zhang Hulan said.
He looked at Ye Hongyun again. The county magistrate's wife brought him here personally, so he had to make a decision carefully.
He tasted the food and it was indeed delicious. Even if the county magistrate's wife hadn't come with him, he would still buy it, but he would have to lower the price.
After a while, Shopkeeper Hao asked, "How much meat did you bring?"
Zhang Hulan said, "I just started, so I don't bring much. There are four pig heads, about 20 pounds. There are only three pig tongues, about 2 pounds. The ears are only 6 or 7 pounds. The large intestine is about 10 pounds, and the intestine rolls and pig stomach are only 6 or 7 pounds each."
Shopkeeper Hao nodded. "Well, the price is what you said. I want all your things, but I have a request."
"Please speak, Manager Hao."
Shopkeeper Hao said, "From now on, you can only sell this meat to me at Manfulou."
"That won't do." Zhang Hulan shook her head and said, "If Manager Hao wants to sell it to you in the short term, I can agree, but if he asks you to sell it to you in the future, that won't do.
I understand what you mean. A business that's yours is definitely easier to run. But how much can your family sell in a day? I can't just sit there and do nothing, right?"
Manager Hao also knew that Zhang Hulan would not agree to his request, so he asked, "How many pounds of pig head meat can you make every day?"
Zhang Hulan replied: "At present, we should make ten pig heads a day. The number to be made in the future will depend on the actual situation."
"Ten pig heads? I really can't eat that."
Zhang Hulan thought for a moment and said, "Manager Hao, it's not impossible for you to eat it all."
Manager Hao waved his hands, "It's too much. I can't eat it. If it's under 20 kilograms, it should be fine. Ten pig heads should weigh 60 to 70 kilograms. It's impossible for my restaurant to only sell your pig heads, right?"
Zhang Hulan said, "Manager Hao, you can open another shop that specializes in selling braised meat. If so, I can promise you that in Changning County, I will only sell my braised meat to you."
"This..." Shopkeeper Hao's eyes turned rapidly.
If a shop specializing in braised meat was opened as Zhang Hulan said, those who are reluctant to spend money to eat in a restaurant could spend a few dozen coins to buy a pound of braised meat to take home and eat.
They were all ordinary people, and they all lived frugally. Going to a restaurant to eat would cost at least 100 or 200 coins per meal, and if they just bought some braised meat to take home, it would only cost a few dozen coins.
Zhang Hulan originally wanted to set up her own stall and then open a braised meat shop after saving enough money.
But this way she would be trapped and unable to do other things.
Moreover, if you open a shop in the city and your business is good, people might become jealous and then someone will definitely cause trouble for you.
If she was just supplying goods, she wouldn't be afraid even if others knew that she had a good business; but if they dared to find the village, she wouldn't be afraid. There were Zhang Hujun and Zhang Hubing at home, as well as the villagers. How could she let outsiders bully her?
Shopkeeper Hao thought for a while, then made a decision and said, "Madam Zhang, your idea is good. Just as you said, I will open another shop specializing in braised meat.
But this shop can't be opened right away. Don't send me too much meat in the meantime, just enough for my restaurant. How about you supply more meat when I get the shop ready?"
Zhang Hulan nodded, "Okay."
"Manager Hao is decisive and can seize opportunities to make money. He will definitely make a fortune in the future."
Shopkeeper Hao said with a smile: "I'll borrow your good words!"
Manager Hao did not tell Zhang Hulan that she had to sell all the braised meat to him, as long as he was the only one in Changning County.
Shopkeeper Hao was very prompt and signed a contract with Zhang Hulan immediately.
He was not worried about whether the braised pork would sell well. He owned a restaurant and had some understanding of the tastes of the customers who came to the restaurant. The taste of the braised pork was sure to sell well once people had tasted it.
Zhang Hulan went out and brought in all the braised meat with Zhang Hujun and weighed it. Manager Hao also paid the money on the spot.
The pig head weighed 18 catties, a total of 720 coins; three pig tongues weighed 1.5 catties, a total of 120 coins; pig ears weighed exactly 7 catties, 420 coins; pig large intestine weighed 6.5 catties, a total of 520 coins; sausage rolls and pig stomach weighed 12 catties, a total of 600 coins. All together, it was 2,380 coins.
Zhang Hujun was very surprised. He didn't expect that the restaurant would sell out all the braised meat in one go.
Moreover, the cost was less than 500 coins, and it was sold for more than 2,000 coins, earning nearly 2 taels of silver. Zhang Hujun thought his elder sister was amazing.
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