Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Braised Food Stall
It was the first time that Old Man He returned to Kang He and Fan Jing's shop. He had heard from He Xiaoqiu before that the Fan family shop not only sold pork, but also some dry groceries.
Their bamboo tofu is well made, and the salted duck and preserved eggs are also delicious. People have sent them back several times.
When I got to the shop and saw it with my own eyes, I thought it was really good.
Apart from other things, the shop is very clean. In the summer months, there is a lot of dust, and there is not a speck of dust on the shelves and counters in the shop. If they are not wiped every day, they will definitely not be so clean.
Besides, the pork stall outside is the greasiest place and attracts flies and insects. People don’t dare to stay in the butcher shop for a long time in summer.
The two sides of the Fan family's meat stall were sewn with breathable white gauze, which not only prevented the smell from spreading, but also prevented flies from biting the meat.
It's no wonder that the Fan family stall is so clean. Kanghe and Fan Jing have to clean it during the day. Every two or three days, when Chen has free time, she will come to the shop and bring her two maids to clean the shop carefully.
Just the towel used to wipe the knife required several washes with soap. No ordinary shop would be willing to do that.
Old Man He felt that the reason the Fan family could run the shop so well was, firstly, because they were hardworking and secondly, because they ran the business seriously. He thought such people were great.
"I'm not sure if what Master Xiaokang said earlier still holds true. We discussed it with our family and only came to see Master Xiaokang today. I'm sorry for the delay."
When Kang He saw that Old Man He was willing to come in person despite his sick body, he knew that he was sincere in discussing this business.
He was so polite: "Business matters should be handled with care and caution. If Dad is willing to come, it's never too late."
The two exchanged a few polite words and then started talking about business.
When they went to the He family, Kang He had actually made it clear what each of them would provide, and the amount would be based on what each of them had, and both parties knew it clearly.
In fact, it was just a small business that didn't even rent a shop. It was simple as long as we agreed on how to divide the profits.
After a lot of shirking of responsibility on both sides, neither side felt comfortable bringing it up, and finally it was He's father who suggested that they each take 50% of the profits.
The He family is responsible for making the braising sauce and providing the goose, which requires a considerable investment. However, Kanghe provides the shop and also provides the pork, and is the main seller. Both sides contribute money and effort, and it is not an easy job for anyone.
Kang He felt that the He family's secret recipe was the biggest part, and since they had the skills, they could actually find other families to do this business, not just the Fan family.
If they had wanted to, they could have cooked the goose and hired someone to sell it on the street, rather than using their own family. But they didn't do that, probably because they had no such plans. Moreover, they didn't have anyone they could trust, probably because of their past experiences.
For this reason, Kang He felt that it was very rare that the He family was willing to do this business with them and trust them, so he was willing to give up 10% of the profit.
But Old Man He was honest and said that although they had skills, they had not yet made a big and famous sign.
In the past, I was just hawking from street to street. If it had become a famous brand, the split wouldn't be 50-50. But now it's just a small skill, not worth much, and the profit is uncertain, so a 50-50 split is best.
Seeing that He Lao's mind was made up, Kang He said, "Let's settle it this way for now. If there are any changes when we come, we can discuss the profit sharing again."
Then, Kang He talked about the accounting issue. Although the braised pork and goose meat were handled by the He family each time, the weight was fixed and the price was set in advance. The profit could be roughly calculated based on how many kilograms were sold.
Kang He was good at keeping accounts, but he also made it clear in advance that business was a dynamic thing, and the price was not fixed at a certain amount when buying and selling. It was common for customers to bargain for a few cents less, and it was also common to give some extra money as a gift.
"I've done some small business before, so I know all this. Minor discrepancies are normal, just note them in the account."
He Lao said, "Xiao Qiu can read and has studied arithmetic for two years. He can understand the accounts. I am worried."
"This is excellent."
The two parties discussed the meat supply issue in detail and drafted a contract according to the agreement. After three revisions, the contract was finalized. Both parties put their thumbs-up on the contract and the deal was done.
Kang He quickly got a new stall from the carpentry shop, and the He family was also busy buying ingredients to make the marinade.
In mid-June, there was a new stall in Fan's pork shop. This time, there were stalls on both sides of the shop door.
The cold brine has no odor, and Kang He and Fan Jing hung a breathable gauze curtain on the outside of the stall. Although it is inconvenient for customers to see what is sold on the stall from a distance, it can best prevent flies and insects and does not disturb the business of other shops.
Early that morning, Kang He and Fan Jing came to the shop and set up the pork stall. When it was daybreak, He Xiaoqiu and his mother Ye came over with the freshly braised meat on their backs.
"Originally, we only braised goose, rarely other meats. You should try the pig's head first, it's braised well."
He Xiaoqiu quickly took out the braised meat in the basin from the backpack. Pig ears, pig trotters, pig noses, walnut meat, and all the parts of a pig were braised in a large basin.
Kang He and Fan Jing tasted a piece of walnut meat. They were both cooked in the same brine, so the meat was different and the taste was different.
But the He family's cooking skills are indeed quite good. They control the heat very well, and the braised pig parts are very fragrant.
"It's springy, rich and fragrant without being greasy, and tastes delicious."
Kang He hadn't taught the He family how to make braised pork before because he was confident in their braising liquid. It came from the same recipe, so no matter how strange the taste was, it wouldn't be a big deal.
Although Fan Jing didn't say anything, he ate two more pieces.
When Madam Ye and He Xiaoqiu heard that they said the food tasted good, they felt relieved.
Several people quickly set up the braised food stall.
The morning market is the busiest time for customers to buy pork. When regular customers come and see that the Fan family has a new stall, they will inevitably come over to take a look at the novelty.
There was no need to set off firecrackers or bang gongs and shout to attract customers like the pork shop did when it opened before. This time, there were customers on their own.
"This cold stew is made with pork from our shop. Our signature dish is the braised goose, which is made from free-range geese raised at home. This is the first time we've set up a stall to sell it, so ladies and husbands can enjoy it often."
Kang He cut the braised pork into thin slices for a plate, and chopped the braised goose into small pieces. Regardless of whether they wanted to buy it or not, he gave it to the customers who came to buy pork and asked them to try it.
Bai tasted the meat, which was so delicious and warm that everyone reached out to take it.
This small piece of meat tastes amazing when it falls into your mouth. It is soft, chewy and fragrant, and you can savor the flavor all the time.
"Your cooking is so good, it tastes better than the one on Xiaohuai Street. Why don't you get up early and go to this braised food stall? I don't want to go all the way there."
The lady tasted the goose meat so good that she couldn't help but pick up a piece of it with a bamboo stick. She wanted to say something nice and take advantage of the situation, but she didn't expect that after tasting it, she couldn't walk anymore.
"This braised goose tastes so delicious! It's so fresh and fragrant."
Kang He laughed and said, “How dare you call it a signature dish if it doesn’t taste good.
Madam, please tell the other men and women nearby to come and try it. Otherwise, they might just listen to your praise and think you are my hired help.”
The people around her burst into laughter, but the woman took out her purse and said, "I don't care what others say. Give me half a braised goose. I've called my sisters to come over for a snack in the afternoon."
"My wife, you are very calculating. In hot weather, meat will spoil easily. I haven't braised many of my signature braised geese yet. If you come too late, they will be gone."
After saying that, he took out a greasy braised goose, and with his excellent knife skills, he split the goose into two halves, chopped it into even pieces of meat, and wrapped it in a large bag with oil paper.
This made the lady greedy, and she couldn't help but eat two pieces when it was chopped.
When people outside come to see it and see people enjoying it so much, they can't help but come over to try it. After eating it, few of them shake their heads and say it tastes bad.
It became lively all of a sudden.
"What's the price of braised goose?"
"Eighty coins a pound. Today is the first day of business. Buy three pounds and get two ounces of walnut meat free."
Those who come to buy fresh pork can't help but be shocked when they hear the price. One pound of braised goose can buy three or four pounds of pork.
"It's not worth eating this. It's better to eat pork. The money you spend on braised food can feed the whole family with pork, but braised food is just a snack."
Not to mention braised goose, even braised pork, pig heads and pig trotters are much cheaper than boneless meat when put on the stalls.
A pig's head weighs more than ten pounds. Although you can only buy it as a whole or in half, it only costs a few dollars per pound.
After the bones are removed and the meat is put into brine, the price increases two or three times. Even the most affordable walnut meat costs more than ten or twenty coins per pound, and pig ears and pig noses are even more expensive.
Eating braised meat is a good deal!
"My husband is right. Braised food is cooked food after all, and it's made with a lot of spices. Not to mention how much money a bag of ingredients costs, braised meat takes so much effort, how can it be priced the same as fresh pork?"
Kang He listened to the customer's rants to the onlookers, but he remained calm and said, "Whether it's fresh meat or cooked or braised food, we have them all in our shop. It's no trouble for you to go out and buy them. If you like fresh meat, buy a few pounds to fill your stomach. If you're tired of it and want a change of pace, you can spend a few coins to try some braised food, which is a real treat."
The one who complained about the expensive braised food, seeing Kang He like this, couldn't say anything more and said, "You are the only one in your family who has a good mouth."
Kang He laughed and said, "That's because the braised meat tastes good. The pork in the shop is fresh, and it becomes greasy as you eat it."
Everyone laughed again.
He Xiaoqiu did not leave. He was a little afraid of the male and female visitors, so he retreated to the shop inside and watched Kang He and Fan Jing doing business from afar.
I thought to myself that Kang He was really good at speaking and was not afraid of people or things at all. Even when faced with such difficult situations, he treated them with a calm face and did not get angry.
He made a gesture to Ye and said: The Fan family is good at management, so the business will definitely be good.
Madam Ye also smiled and nodded.
Fan Jing was guarding the pork stall and turned to glance at He Xiaoqiu in the shop.
He was silent for a moment, waved to the man, took out a pen and paper from behind the windowsill and handed it to him.
“This…I…”
He Xiaoqiu took the paper and pen. He knew that Fan Jing wanted him to keep accounts, but seeing people coming and going, he felt a little uncomfortable and resisted in his heart.
Fan Jing said, "I'm here, you don't need to be afraid."
He Xiaoqiu hesitated for a moment, but nodded and went to help collect money and keep accounts.
He had a turban on his head, with half of his face hidden inside. This attire attracted people to look at him frequently.
Seeing this, Fan Jing moved sideways to block the man. The man looked at Fan Jing's physique and cold expression, and honestly retracted his gaze.
He Xiaoqiu felt a little relieved, but he held himself together, lowered his eyes and wrote the accounts, trying his best not to look at anyone.
The mother and son helped in the shop for some time, and before noon, all the braised food they had prepared were sold out.
He Xiaoqiu couldn't help but be a little surprised. In the past, his family made braised geese and sold them. Two or three geese a day were enough to sell. If he could make three geese, his father would have to sell them until at least the afternoon before he could go home.
Today was the first time the stall was opened, and Kang He asked in advance to prepare more braised food, so the family prepared ten braised geese.
He Dad and Mrs. Ye were a little worried at first. They thought it would be a waste if they got too many geese at once and couldn't sell them, and they couldn't keep them for long and would go bad. After all, these geese were fed with food every day at home.
I didn't expect that there would be any waste. All the early ones were sold out, and the later ones haven't been bought yet.
He Xiaoqiu worked with great anxiety for the whole morning, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when all the goods were sold out.
He wiped the sweat from his face and forehead, looked through today's accounts with his sweaty fingers, made a hasty calculation, and his mind was broadened to the current business.
Today, I made more than five strings of cash from the braised goose and the braised meat!
Of course, this is only the gross profit, but if you take into account the cost of the pork and goose that we provide, there is still two or three strings of cash.
With a 50-50 split, each household can get at least one string of silver, and this is only one day's income, which is really considerable.
He Xiaoqiu thought that the same thing would sell differently when sold by different people.
Although his father was also in business before, he was a sincere and honest man, and his business was decent. If he worked hard, he could earn three to five strings of cash a month.
But compared with Kanghe, it seemed to be doing very little business. This goes to show that in business, good products are one thing, but a good mouth can make it even better.
Not to mention the other guests, even he himself, even if he didn't know Kang He, would be happy to buy things from him after hearing his flattery and jokes.
Fan Jing wiped the sweat off his face with his sweatshirt. He was a little tired today. The business in the shop hadn't been so good for a while. Besides, Kang He was looking after the braised food stall. He was the only one running the pork stall, so it was inevitable that it was busier than usual.
The braised meat stall and the pork stall both attracted customers. Those who came to buy fresh pork saw that there was braised meat, tasted it, and took away a bag of braised food if they liked it; those who came to buy braised food thought the fresh pork was good, so they also bought a piece of pork.
After the two sides, pork sold well, at least 20 to 30 kilograms more than before.
At noon, Kanghe ordered food and everyone ate together.
The braised food business is booming, everyone is happy, and the food tastes delicious.
He Xiaoqiu said to Kang and Fan Jing, "If we prepare ten fat geese every day, I'm afraid the big geese at home won't be enough for a few days."
"We just opened our braised food stall today. People are looking at us because it's new and exciting, so our business is booming. But after a while, people get used to it and business will slow down. By then, we won't be able to sell this much braised food."
Kang He had sold pork in this way before and had gained some experience.
"Tomorrow, we'll braise seven or eight large geese, and then gradually reduce the number. When business stabilizes, we can make about four or five a day."
Kang He said, "If you've sold all your geese, you can go get them from other houses and spread the word. If you still have geese at home, tie them up and sell them. If you still can't get any, come and tell me and I'll buy some from the market and send them to you."
He Xiaoqiu nodded.
After lunch, the mother and son went home.
When I got home, I talked about today's business with He's father who was at home. He's father was surprised to hear that all ten geese had been sold out.
I originally thought that these would be enough to sell for two days, but I was worried that the weather would be bad and they wouldn't be able to be kept overnight. I never thought that business would be so good.
He Xiaoqiu then told He's father how Kang He promoted his business today, which made He's father laugh and feel ashamed that he was not as good at business as others.
Later, Kang He and Fan Jing also packed up their stalls and went home.
The whole family couldn't help but ask whether Jin Chao's braised food business was doing well. They had just set up a new stall, and Chen Sanfang had wanted to go and help, but when he heard that the mother and son of the He family wanted to take a look at the stall, he didn't follow them and went.
Having more manpower would be helpful, but the shop is so small, and having four or five people to look after it would be a bit too crowded.
By then, there will be more people selling things in a shop than buying things. Not only will it be laughable, but I'm afraid that young ladies and young men will not dare to enter the shop.
Kang Hetong's family said, "Business is booming! Everyone praises the taste of our braised goose, and we've sold out all the braised dishes we prepared."
Chen Sanfang was delighted to hear this and said, "You're the one with the most ideas. Let's invite the He family to work with us. They have great craftsmanship."
Kang He nodded: "It's also because Da Jing has face. He is good friends with the He family. Otherwise, he has the skills, so why would he do business with our family?"
The whole family talked for a long time and were all happy.
Kang He talked for a long time, then felt thirsty and went to get some water. When he turned around, he found that Fan Jing was gone.
He went after him and saw that the man had returned to the house without him noticing. He had taken off the clothes he had worn when selling pork during the day and was lying on a mat in only his undershirt.
Kang He saw that the man had his eyes closed, so he walked over slowly and wanted to pinch him, but he thought that this man did not accompany him in the main room to talk, but sneaked into the room to hide away.
I didn't want to get any closer, the person's breathing was steady and he actually fell asleep.
Fan Jing was full of energy, rarely like this, and Kang He was a little surprised. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently touched his forehead. It didn't feel hot, so he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was not sick.
Kang He looked at Fan Jing who was sleeping peacefully, and leaned over to kiss his cheek.
Business is busy during the day, but running a business isn't just about showing up at a shop and expecting business to happen. Eyes, ears, mouth, and heart all have to be working simultaneously, as the saying goes, "keep your eyes open and your ears alert in all directions." It's no easier than hunting in the mountains.
Now that they are young, he always wants to do more business now and save some money so that he can live a better life in the future.
But now seeing that Fan Jing was exhausted, he thought about waiting until the business was stable and he had more money, then he would hire some workers to help with the work.
Seeing that Fan Jing was sleeping soundly, Kang He took off his shoes and lay down next to him to sleep for a while.
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