In her previous life, Lin Wei ran many small businesses to make ends meet. She was very good at speaking in a flattering way. Even though the meatballs were not cheap, everyone felt comfortable listening to her. In addition, the taste was impeccable, and soon a long queue formed.
Aunt Liu had never seen anything like this before. "There are way too many people here."
Don't blame her for being ignorant; it's just that in all her years of running a stall, this is the first time she's ever seen such a long queue at a stall.
However, since they had only just started setting up their stall, the number of people in Aunt Liu's eyes was completely different from the number of people in Gao Huifang's and Zhang Min's eyes.
Zhang Min immediately said, "We've only just started setting up our stall, and no one has come yet. Last year, we were so busy we didn't have time to breathe, and we had to ask for help to get to the Lunar New Year. By the time of the Lunar New Year, I was so tired I didn't want to move."
Last year, only Lin Wei and Zhang Min did the work, and Gao Huifang's two children came to help. This year, everyone is working together, so it definitely won't be as tiring as last year.
"There are more people this year, so it will definitely be much better if everyone shares the burden."
Most importantly, Lin Wei is still a young girl, and we can't let her get too tired. What if she doesn't want to work with them anymore in the future?
As soon as the meatballs started frying, the aroma wafted further and further, attracting people just as they had expected.
But this is the first batch of the year, and there's still some time before the Lunar New Year. Everyone just bought some to try. Real business won't start until about a week later, which is the week before the Lunar New Year.
Unexpectedly, after working at the stall for only three days, a group of officials carrying briefcases approached them.
"Excuse me, who is in charge here?"
Zhang Min turned around and glanced at them. "What person in charge? Who are you? What do you want?"
"Here's the thing, we're in charge of the exhibition, and we'd like to hold a special food fair on Hanlin Road during the Spring Festival, which is from the first to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. It will be a place for tourists to sample local delicacies and for locals to enjoy themselves."
"Actually, we've been following you for a long time. Usually, the things you sell are pretty ordinary, and your business is just so-so. But during the Chinese New Year and summer vacation, you make some seasonal products to attract people, and they taste really good too."
"So we'd like to have a talk with your manager."
Zhang Min was stunned as she listened to the cadres' explanation.
"Ah, we don't have a leader. We're just neighbors who get together to do things. But if you're talking about the Lunar New Year and summer vacation... it's always my kids who lead us. Why don't you have her come and talk to you?"
Without any hesitation, Zhang Min threw Lin Wei, who was squeezing meatballs into the oil, out of the pot.
At this moment, Lin Wei was still holding a lump of meat in her left hand and an enamel bowl in her right hand. For the sake of cleanliness, her hair was all tied up on top of her head, and she was also a bit sloppy, looking quite disheveled.
But someone recognized her at a glance.
"Lin Wei, you're the designer academy student, Lin Wei."
"Ah, it's me."
While Lin Wei was still in a daze, the cadres once again explained the purpose of their visit.
Lin Wei was genuinely surprised, and at the same time felt that she had been very impolite.
"Wait for me, let me tidy up first, then we'll find somewhere else to talk."
Lin Wei quickly tidied herself up, gave some instructions at the stall, and then left with Zhang Min.
There was no other way; she was the youngest, and they couldn't just let her make all the decisions without the adults' consent.
So calling someone "adult" is definitely the right thing to do.
"We'll be there in a bit. You guys go ahead with your work for a bit. The kids can help collect the money and keep an eye on food hygiene."
Lin Wei's explanation was not superfluous; sure enough, when she turned around, she saw the approving looks in the eyes of the cadres.
"There's a teahouse nearby, why don't we go there to chat?"
Lin Wei's group was larger and quite familiar with the area, so she turned around and led everyone there.
Teahouse prices in the 1990s were not low.
Sure enough, once the tea menu was received, the prices of those pots, ranging from several hundred to over a thousand yuan, immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"What kind of tea do you usually drink? How about a pot of Da Hong Pao? If you drink tea often, you should like the taste."
Actually, it's because it's the most expensive, at 1299 yuan, and it even comes with a hostess to brew tea for them.
Lin Wei felt that since she had already treated the person to drinks, she shouldn't be stingy with such a small amount of money.
Moreover, Lin Wei herself has some understanding of the exhibition. If she can secure a booth at the exhibition, she might be able to make a fortune during the Chinese New Year.
However, we still need to discuss the cooperation methods in detail before making a decision.
"You decide, we don't know much about tea," the officials said politely.
Lin Wei turned and handed the tea menu to the waiter, "Just one pot of Da Hong Pao."
The officials did not introduce themselves until they sat down.
“We are from the Publicity Committee of Jiangdu District. This time we were given a last-minute task from above to cooperate with the boss of Hanlin Road to organize an exhibition on their premises.”
The exhibition mainly showcases local delicacies. During the day, there are lion dances at different times, and at night there is a lantern festival. They also invite people to perform operas.
In short, the entire 7 days will definitely be filled with excitement and excitement.
The businesses invited will be responsible for the venue and its decoration. If they come from out of town, they will also be responsible for accommodation.
Lin Wei sensed something was wrong.
"Then how do you make money? Since there are people from other places, the site must be quite large. You can't just lend such a big piece of land to others for nothing."
Sure enough, the officials said, "We will charge a portion of the venue fee, but the higher-ups will subsidize most of it. It's only 300 yuan for 7 days, which isn't expensive."
"We will also take care of the hygiene of the exhibition. You just need to bring your own ingredients, cook them on site, and sell them on site."
Lin Wei did the math and realized that a 7-day exhibition costing 300 yuan was definitely not expensive. People in this era don't have much entertainment, so if they knew that such a large exhibition was being held here, they would definitely come to see it. But if they wanted to make money, it still depended on what they were selling.
"Then my meatballs won't be suitable either."
“I remember you sold braised food last year. Actually, meatballs are also an option. If you like, just buy them and cook them at home. It’s all about having fun.”
Lin Wei then asked, "Do you have many empty seats right now? Can you give us a few?"
The cadre asked in confusion, "There are plenty of empty seats, but one should be enough for you, right?"
"No, since we're here for entertainment, the main focus will be on snacks and treats, like kebabs and candied hawthorns. Drinks are also essential. If you want me to sell meatballs, I might want another stall to sell other things."
The cadres listened with their eyes lighting up.
“Yes, we were thinking too narrowly before. We only thought about the vegetables in the market and didn’t realize that there are so many things to eat in our country.” The cadre gave her a praising look. “You’re a smart young woman. Our unit should bring in more fresh blood.”
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