Chapter 31
There are so many customers today that we simply can't keep up with the demand for steamed buns and dumplings.
Chen Lie and the others worked quickly and efficiently, but they also felt a lot of pressure. They had never seen anything like this before at Fumanju, because there you had to reserve a room in advance, and if you couldn't get a room, you wouldn't go.
Therefore, Yu Wan temporarily changed her strategy.
She walked out of the restaurant, first thanking everyone for their support, then explaining her current difficulties, and finally proposing a solution.
"Everyone, thank you for coming. We have enough ingredients, but I feel bad about making you wait in line for too long. We have some dumplings in the shop that can be cooked and eaten right away, so you can have something hot as soon as possible. If you agree, I will cook them right away, and I will also make other things at the same time. If you don't want dumplings, you can continue to wait. I will try my best to make sure everyone gets something to eat before leaving. I apologize for not thinking things through today. Everyone will get a 20% discount."
She was prepared to be scolded, but these people didn't complain at all; instead, they comforted her.
"Madam Yu, don't worry, we're not in a hurry either. Dumplings will do. You're such a great cook, we're confident you can make anything delicious. I love dumplings, I love all kinds of fillings. Go and cook them!"
"Yeah, I don't have any other plans for today anyway. I was pretty farsighted to guess that the queue would be long today, so I just cleared out the whole day. After breakfast, I can queue for lunch."
Yu Wan asked curiously, "Why did you all guess there would be so many people today? I didn't expect it myself."
It's important for a store to operate stably. While it's possible to maintain a good reputation even with a relaxed approach to business, Yu Wan doesn't want to be a laid-back store owner. If she's going to do something, she wants to do it to the best of her ability.
A few days ago, she was suddenly imprisoned, and her shop was closed. Most importantly, she was worried about public opinion; she feared that people who didn't know the full story would develop a bad impression of her and her restaurant, causing them to stop patronizing her establishment.
It is undeniable that herd mentality is a terrible thing; if one person tells ten, and ten tell a hundred, then her newly improving reputation will be ruined.
Whose good person will be arrested and thrown in jail?
However, the reality wasn't as bad as she thought, which puzzled her.
A middle-aged man laughed and said, "To be honest, we didn't know the truth at first. But when we heard that you were in court with Mr. Qian from Fumanju Restaurant, and that the county magistrate's daughter got food poisoning after eating your kebabs, I was really hesitant."
Another woman continued, "But yesterday, the county magistrate's daughter personally went to Zuixianlou and recounted the whole story in a storytelling style. She said that survival in this world is already difficult, and it is even more difficult for women. She has witnessed how you have grown up and does not want you to suffer more injustice because of this matter, so she personally clarified things for you and even helped promote your name."
An old man stroked his beard and laughed, "Speaking of which, with Fu Man Ju going down, Zui Xian Lou has indirectly become a winner. The two companies used to be irreconcilable enemies."
Yu Wan felt even more grateful to Zhu Zhifeng, never expecting that this young lady would provide her with such great support.
They were even first in line early on.
"Thank you all for your help. I'll go cook dumplings right away."
There are two large pots in the kitchen. Yu Wan's dumplings are not very big. Each pot can cook a maximum of 500 dumplings, which takes about 15 minutes. Each person eats about 15 dumplings.
In this way, in just half an hour, more than 300 people were able to enjoy hot food to their hearts' content, and they praised it repeatedly.
"Both the vegetarian and meat dumplings are delicious. I really don't know what kind of skillful hands Madam Yu has that can make any ingredient taste so good."
"It was worth the wait just for these dumplings! Heaven knows I originally came for their red bean buns."
After finishing serving one group of customers for breakfast, they immediately started preparing for the next, cooking various stir-fries, noodles, rice noodles, and grilled skewers. It was quite a busy time before they finally saw off the last group of diners, even though it was already dark.
Chen Lie, Zhu Da, and the others were all easygoing people. After a day of getting to know each other, they quickly became familiar with each other and started calling each other brothers, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
"This is the first time in so many years that I've been so happy to be at work. Before, at Fu Man Ju, I was always either watching out for their attitude or being careful not to be sabotaged by someone. It was so frustrating. But there was no other way. We had to earn money to support our families. We didn't have any other skills. We couldn't write or draw, we couldn't fight on the battlefield, and we didn't have the brains to do business. We were just ordinary people. I never expected that Madam Yu's place would be so comfortable."
Zhu Da laughed and said, "That's right. I used to go to the back door of Fu Man Ju's kitchen to collect leftovers, and I saw Chef Chen discussing with a few people how to deal with you. But I only heard the names and didn't know who they were. By the way, where is Chef Chen? Where did he go?"
Chen Lie snorted: "That guy, he got humiliated by Madam Yu last time, and we saw it. After we got back to Fumanju, he kept causing trouble for us, complaining to Boss Qian and trying to deduct our wages. When he heard that Boss Qian was in jail, he ran away faster than anyone else, and even pried open Boss Qian's money box, taking away a lot of silver notes and jewelry. He's long gone now."
Although the group chatted idly, they didn't neglect their work. They did a great job clearing the dishes, washing the dishes, wiping the tables and floors, preparing food, and so on.
After everything was finished, everyone had a staff meal together.
During the meal, Yu Wan talked about their benefits: 300 wen per person per month, with room for improvement in the future. There would be extra bonuses at the end of the month if the performance was good, and year-end bonuses for those who could work until the end of the year. Salaries were paid on the ninth day of each month.
No one objected; everyone was overjoyed.
They admired and trusted the girl, completely believing in her character.
Because we had so many people, we finished work earlier than usual.
He Jing first sent Aunt Li and the others back to the village, and then sent Chen Lie and the others back to the county town.
Zhu Da's relative had a small, dilapidated house in town. Not wanting to go through the hassle, he simply brought along a few others who also didn't want to travel far, and they all squeezed in together.
Yu Wan herself never expected that the team would grow so large.
After calculating today's accounts, I found that I had earned five hundred taels more than usual.
That's great!
My gaze fell on the boy closing the door, his long, high ponytail swaying in the air with his movements.
This person hasn't said much all day, has he?
"He Suzhi, you've had a busy day too, go and rest. I'll take care of the rest."
He Jing paused in closing the door, but still closed it properly and went straight to her.
Yu Wan noticed his gloomy expression, as if he had something to say, and asked:
"What's up?"
He Jing asked coldly, "Are you still going to kick me out?"
Yu Wan was both amused and exasperated: "What makes you say that?"
What is this boy thinking?
She really needs more manpower; she can't just exploit this one person for their labor, can she?
He Jing pulled over a chair with one hand, sat down opposite her, stared at her intently, and his eyes revealed a hint of grievance.
"I know you're short-staffed, but you're almost taking over all the work I'm responsible for. Isn't that just leaving me with nothing to do? Isn't that just trying to get rid of me?"
Yu Wan lowered her eyes to look at the ledger, pondering her next plan.
She needs to open a shop in the county town as soon as possible, where there is a larger population.
But this would mean the whole family would have to move there. She was worried about leaving her mother and younger brother in town, especially since there weren't any decent schools there.
Even if we move to the county town, we can't give up the restaurants here; we still have to keep them open.
Therefore, she needs to train someone to succeed her and help her manage this place.
She raised her eyes and looked at the boy's face. "He Suzhi, I have an idea."
He Jing scrutinized her intriguing gaze, which seemed to carry a hint of calculation, making him feel that it must be a bad idea.
I disagree.
Yu Wan was amused. "I haven't even explained my thoughts yet, and you're already saying you disagree. Why don't you listen to what I have to say before you decide?"
He Jing sat there sullenly, not saying a word.
Yu Wan began to speak on her own, "I'm planning to open a shop in the county town, but this place can't be left unattended. You've been here for a long time and have learned a lot. I'm thinking of handing this place over to you once I get to the county town. You'll be the manager here from now on, and you don't need to worry about wages; I definitely won't treat you unfairly. What do you think? Anyway, you're injured and don't want to leave here anytime soon. I'll find someone to replace you during this time, so that when you want to leave someday, I won't be caught off guard."
He Jing's face turned ashen. "You're going to open a shop in the county town all by yourself? Wouldn't that require even more manpower? What, you want to ask that guy surnamed Jin for help?"
Yu Wan laughed and said, "Why would I ask him for help? He's just a rich young master, what kind of background does he have? He's not capable of doing this kind of hard labor."
Something he said angered the boy, and his expression turned even uglier.
Yu Wan changed the subject, "Actually, even if you didn't say it, I knew you had an extraordinary background. You definitely didn't come from an ordinary family, and you might even be more noble than Young Master Jin. Most importantly, you are very hardworking and not afraid of dirty or tiring work. Perhaps it's because you've studied martial arts and endured even more hardships than that that you have such perseverance. In short, I really think you're amazing."
The boy's tense features relaxed a little, and he seemed to enjoy the praise, with a slight smile playing on his lips.
Yu Wan continued, "So, I think I don't need to force you to leave. You'll definitely leave here one day to do something more important to you. You're a very capable assistant to me, so I don't want you to leave. But many things are unpredictable. Just consider it a favor to me; it's very important to me."
The boy's eyes sparkled as he stared intently at her pink lips as they parted and opened.
"Okay, I'll help you, but I don't want any wages."
Yu Wan looked surprised: "Huh? You don't want wages? Then what do you want?"
The boy stood up and said, "I don't want anything." Then he went upstairs.
Yu Wan always kept a clear eye on money and favors. She would pay back any debts she owed and repay any favors she owed. But this person didn't want anything in return, which made her a little worried.
How is she supposed to repay that?
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