Meng Zhao not only invested in the academy, but also had a cooperative relationship with it. She always remembered her goal of opening a restaurant. Although both are food businesses, a braised pork shop and a restaurant are completely different.
The braised meat shops have now basically evolved into standardized products, with a full range of spice packets for braising meat. As long as the cooking time and temperature are strictly followed, the braised meat will taste basically the same.
Even the cold pot skewers and potato noodles in the shop are similar, just with different seasoning packets and different side dishes, and prepared in different ways. It doesn't require high cooking skills from the maker.
Moreover, thanks to Meng Zhao's long-term efforts, the supply chain for the meat and vegetables needed by the shop every day has been perfected, and the accounts are simple and easy to manage.
Restaurants are quite different. Because of the variety of dishes, the supply chain is very complex and management is very difficult. They also place more emphasis on the chef's skills. Even with the same recipe, different chefs will produce dishes that taste very different.
Therefore, Meng Zhao had to prepare in advance. Whenever she had free time, she would go to the academy to teach a few classes, regardless of the content. One day she might be teaching arithmetic, and the next day she might be teaching cooking skills. She observed how well the students understood the material and actually discovered a few talented students. She then noted their names and prepared to pay special attention to them in the future.
Before she knew it, the last day of October had passed. Meng Zhao put on another layer of clothing. Seeing that the weather was getting colder and colder, and that the river would freeze in a few days, she knew it was time to go home. However, before leaving, there were still many things to arrange.
That day, Meng Zhao came to the braised pork shop. Inside, Fang Xiaohua and Aunt Li were busy. When they saw Meng Zhao come in, they quickly put down their work and came to greet him.
"Shopkeeper, you've arrived!" Fang Xiaohua greeted him with a smile, her face showing a touch of naivety.
Meng Zhao looked around the shop and nodded. "Yes, it seems you've managed the shop quite well."
Aunt Li smiled and said, "We've followed your rules exactly, without the slightest carelessness. Don't worry, we'll take good care of the shop."
Meng Zhao had others take over the work the two women were doing and called them to the backyard.
"Xiaohua, Aunt Li, I will be going back with Xiaoyun for the Spring Festival this year, so I will be leaving the braised pork shop to you."
"Ah! Didn't Manager Yun say she wasn't going home for the New Year this year?" Aunt Li asked in surprise.
“Xiaoyun is worried about things here. She did tell me she wanted to stay this year, but I didn’t agree. She spent the New Year away from home last year, and we can’t let her do that again this year.”
Before leaving, Shen Yun paid a neighbor's aunt to take care of her grandmother's daily life. Sister-in-law Yu Mei also agreed to take better care of Shen Yun's grandmother. Although there was no problem with safety, the grandmother and granddaughter had not seen each other for so long, and Meng Zhao couldn't bear it, so he decided to let Shen Yun go back with him.
She paused for a moment and then continued, "Besides, you two have been with the shop since it opened. I have complete confidence in you."
Neither of them had expected Meng Zhao to trust them so much, actually allowing them to manage the shop. Their faces flushed slightly, and they were both somewhat excited. Then Meng Zhao took out two keys...
"These are the keys to the two shops, and I'm handing them over to you starting today. Also, I've left three pigeons. If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, just write to me. If you're really in a hurry, you can also go to the Hundred Crafts Academy to find Lady Wei; she'll help you."
Aunt Li was the first to pick up a handful. "Thank you, shopkeeper. Don't worry about entrusting the shop to me. I will definitely manage it well and it will be no worse than before."
Fang Xiaohua picked up another one, "Me too! Boss, I'll definitely work hard!"
Seeing their confidence, Meng Zhao nodded. "It's good that you're confident, but I also have to be upfront about this. You two, like the other employees in the shop, started from the same point. The reason I chose you is simply because I have high hopes for you."
After saying that, he glanced at the two of them with a cold expression, "However, I can keep an eye on you, and I can also keep an eye on others. The manager's wages are different from the employees' wages. You want to earn this money, and others want to earn it too. I hope you can supervise each other and do everything according to the shop's rules. Do you understand?"
The two women pursed their lips and nodded, understanding in their hearts that the shopkeeper was not entirely at ease entrusting the shop to them and must have arranged for someone among the staff to keep an eye on their every move.
After saying what needed to be said, Meng Zhao's smile returned, and she gave some other instructions, "The braised meat shop always gets better business towards the end of the year. If the weather is good, you can stay open later during the New Year. The employees' monthly wages will also be paid as previously agreed. If there is heavy snow or something, you can close earlier. Anyway, you two can discuss it together."
The two people Meng Zhao chose were Fang Xiaohua and Aunt Li. Although Fang Xiaohua was sometimes a bit slow on the uptake, she was obedient, serious, and meticulous in her work. Aunt Li, on the other hand, was eloquent and quick-witted. The two complemented each other perfectly and were a good match.
On the day she left, Gu Changwu and Wei Jinglan both came to the city gate to see her off. Gu Changwu said, "Zhaozhao, the journey is long, so please be careful."
"Second Uncle, don't worry. We've been taking the official roads all the way. It's slower, but it's still very safe. I'm really grateful to you this year for keeping watch over things here for me."
The end of the year is the peak season for greenhouse vegetables. Xiaoyu and her friends are good at growing mushrooms and vegetables, but they are not very good at business negotiations and socializing. They need to keep someone in charge.
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