Chapter 96: Opening a Braised Meat Shop During Summer Vacation
Soon, Jiang Ruoxi will end her first semester of study. The campus was filled with a relaxed atmosphere as the holidays were approaching. Students gathered in groups of two or three to discuss their holiday plans, and Jiang Ruoxi was also looking forward to reuniting with her family.
However, the military academy where Lu Tingxiao was studying was not so pleasant. After the first semester of the military academy is over, they cannot completely relax even when summer vacation comes.
During the summer vacation, they may receive tasks at any time, and even if they don’t have any tasks, they only have one to two weeks of rest time.
Before this, Lu Tingxiao and Jiang Ruoxi had already agreed that if he had no tasks during the holidays, he would accompany Jiang Ruoxi and the children on a trip to see the outside world, see the beautiful mountains and rivers of the motherland, and leave behind beautiful memories.
But plans cannot keep up with changes. Just after the exam, Lu Tingxiao received an urgent task. The duration of this mission is uncertain, the shortest being one week, and the longest perhaps being half a month or even a month.
The moment he received the mission notification, Lu Tingxiao dialed Jiang Ruoxi's phone with a feeling of helplessness and guilt. When the call was connected, he said apologetically, "Wife, I'm sorry, I received an emergency mission. The mission came too suddenly, so I have to cancel my vacation trip!"
Although Jiang Ruoxi felt a little disappointed, she still responded gently: "It's okay, just focus on your mission, I'm at home!"
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Ruoxi quickly adjusted her mentality. She thought, even though Lu Tingxiao couldn't be with her, she couldn't waste this vacation.
So, she began to plan to spend a good time with her children and the parents and elders of both families. She plans to take the children to visit their grandparents first, so that the elderly can enjoy the happiness of playing with their grandchildren.
Afterwards, look for some places nearby that are suitable for the whole family to visit, such as a quiet ancient town where everyone can relax in an antique atmosphere; or go to the scenic suburbs to have a warm picnic, breathe fresh air, and feel the beauty of nature.
Jiang Ruoxi believed that even if Lu Tingxiao was not around, this holiday would still be full of laughter and warmth. When Lu Tingxiao completed his mission and returned, they could make up for this unfinished trip together.
During this holiday full of hope and change, Jiang Ruoxi's life is filled with companionship and exploration. She spends a lot of time enjoying the laughter of her children and the family happiness with her parents on both sides, but in her spare time, she always likes to wander around the streets and alleys of the city.
With the resumption of the college entrance examination, the whole country seemed to have been injected with a shot of adrenaline. Signs of economic recovery were everywhere. The newly opened shops on the streets and the busy crowds showed the vigorous vitality of the times. All of this deeply touched Jiang Ruoxi's heart.
She felt more and more that she couldn't just rely on Lu Tingxiao to support the family, and she should also open up a new direction for the family in this wave.
Once this idea was born, it took root in her heart. When Jiang Ruoxi told her family about her plan to start a business, she unexpectedly received unanimous support. The elders gave their own experiences and suggestions, and the children also cheered her on in their baby voices, which made her more determined.
The family sat together, and after a heated discussion and careful negotiation, they finally set their sights on the area near the school - where there were many students and no shortage of customers.
Jiang Ruoxi began the intensive preparations. She went out early every day and ran around various schools, not missing any possible housing.
The sun was scorching and her clothes were soaked with sweat, but her eyes were full of determination.
After comparing many options, she found a store that could be rented or sold near Beijing University. Although the store is not particularly large, it has large windows and provides excellent lighting.
This store is located near the school, has a usable area of approximately 60 square meters and a very reasonable space layout. The kitchen and cashier area are well planned, and the remaining space is ample, which can easily accommodate 6 to 8 tables.
If you choose to rent, the monthly rent is only 15 yuan; if you intend to buy, the total price is 15,000 yuan. For the braised food store that Jiang Ruoxi is planning, whether it is rented or purchased, such store conditions are very suitable. It can not only meet daily operating needs, but also has certain development potential.
Jiang Ruoxi silently calculated in her mind and felt that the price was within an acceptable range, but as a businessperson, she believed in saving every penny, so she decided to try to bargain with the landlord. There was a back and forth exchange of words, and every round was a carefully calculated contest. In the end, with her persistence and sincerity, she successfully bought the store for 13,500 yuan.
Jiang Ruoxi chose to buy instead of rent because of long-term and comprehensive considerations. She knows very well that the most dangerous thing in doing business is instability. Once the business becomes prosperous, if the landlord suddenly changes his mind and takes back the house, or significantly increases the rent, all your hard work may be wasted. Only when the house is under your own name can you feel at ease. When you run the braised food shop in the future, no matter how prosperous the business is, you don't have to worry about these worries and can focus on making the business bigger and stronger.
Jiang Ruoxi personally decorated the house simply but carefully, and then the braised food shop that she had high expectations for started its trial operation.
On the day of the trial operation, the rich and mellow aroma was like a lively elf, drifting impatiently through the streets and alleys, attracting the attention of passers-by.
Inside the store, the temptingly colored braised food glows charmingly under the light and is neatly and orderly placed on the counter, like carefully crafted works of art.
Braised beef was sold at two yuan per pound, other braised meats were sold at one yuan and fifty cents per pound, and braised vegetables were sold at one yuan per pound. If you eat in the restaurant, a serving of braised pork rice is one yuan and fifty cents, and a serving of braised vegetable rice is one yuan and two cents. Although these prices were not cheap at the time, Jiang Ruoxi was fully confident in the quality of her own food.
Outside the store, passers-by were attracted by the aroma and walked into the store curiously. But the road to entrepreneurship is bumpy. At the beginning, many customers frowned slightly after asking about the price, thinking it was a little expensive. This also caused the customer flow to fluctuate and be extremely unstable.
But Jiang Ruoxi firmly believes that as long as the taste is good enough, there is no need to worry about losing customers. The fact is just as she expected, anyone who has tasted her braised food will be conquered by the unique flavor.
The beef is chewy and full of braised aroma, the other braised meats are tender and tasty, and the braised vegetarian dishes are refreshing and delicious. Every bite shows her ultimate pursuit of ingredients and craftsmanship. These customers often say they will come again next time when checking out, and some even recommend the restaurant to their friends on the spot.
Faced with the difficulties in the early stages of business operations, Jiang Ruoxi was not at all panicked. She actively communicates with regular customers, humbly asks for advice, and listens carefully to their opinions.
Based on everyone's feedback, she constantly adjusts the taste of the dishes to make the taste of the braised food more layered and richer to meet the taste buds of different customers.
In order to cater to the different appetites and consumption habits of customers, she carefully introduced small-portion combination packs so that customers can taste a variety of delicious foods at a lower cost.
Taking into account the needs of school students and teachers, she also thoughtfully added a service of delivering goods to the school gate. This move was very popular, and many students and teachers became loyal customers of the store.
After a week of trial operation, Jiang Ruoxi's braised meat shop attracted many repeat customers with its unique flavor and enthusiastic service.
Seeing the gradually stable customer base, Jiang Ruoxi was filled with joy and made a decisive decision to officially open the store on the auspicious day of August 8.
However, the joy did not last long, as a thorny problem was placed before her. School was about to start in September, and Jiang Ruoxi knew that she could not neglect her studies and had to focus back on the classroom. But if she did so, the braised meat shop would face the dilemma of no one to take over the management.
These past few days, Jiang Ruoxi was in a gloomy mood, often staring at the accounts of the braised meat shop in a daze. Lu Tingxiao has not returned from his mission yet, and she is isolated and helpless. She can only sit down with both sets of parents and express her worries one by one.
The four old men felt sorry for Jiang Ruoxi and offered suggestions. After some discussion, Father Lu and Father Jiang took the initiative to use their connections to find some reliable veterans to help.
"Don't worry, my daughter. Veterans are highly disciplined and reliable. Your father-in-law and I will help you find a few people with good cooking skills. You just need to prepare the ingredients for the braised meat in advance and teach them how to braise the dishes!" Father Jiang promised, patting his chest.
After hearing this, Jiang Ruoxi nodded slightly, a glimmer of hope ignited in her heart, "Dad, thank you for your hard work. My store is not big now, so it will be enough to find five veterans. Two will be responsible for the kitchen to control the quality of the braised meat; two will be responsible for sales and dealing with customers; and one will be left to clean up the store, keep it clean and deliver the goods!"
Soon, with the efforts of Mr. Lu and Mr. Jiang, five veterans came to the store. Zhang Bin, Zhao Qiang, Wang Dong, Wei Jun and Song Yu, who were recommended by Father Lu and Father Jiang, were all veterans who had retired from the army due to injuries. When Zhang Bin walked, his left leg had a slight limp, and every step bore traces of the glorious years of the past.
After the five of them were discharged from the army and returned home, due to poor health and unwillingness to ask the organization for special care, they chose to go home to farm and make a living on the few acres of land at home. However, the income from farming alone was so meager that it was often difficult to even support their families, and they lived a very tight life.
Fortunately, a turning point in fate came quietly. With the help of Lu's father and Jiang's father, they became connected with Jiang Ruoxi's braised meat shop.
Jiang Ruoxi received them warmly, took them to familiarize themselves with the environment and equipment in the store, and patiently explained the production methods and precautions of each kind of braised food. The five soldiers studied hard, and in less than a week, they had mastered the techniques of braising meat and all the work processes in the store.
Zhang Bin and Zhao Qiang had worked in the army's kitchen squad and had acquired solid cooking skills. They were well versed in food processing and cooking techniques. Jiang Ruoxi saw their advantages at a glance and arranged them to the kitchen without hesitation to be responsible for the preparation of braised food. Jiang Ruoxi sent them braised meat seasoning packets once a week.
Wang Dong is cheerful, eloquent, and has a pair of clever eyes; Song Yu is also good at communicating with others, and always has a warm smile on his face.
Jiang Ruoxi saw their strengths and arranged for them to sell braised meat and dishes in front of the store. With their excellent eloquence and thoughtful service, the two of them quickly became friends with the customers and brought in many repeat customers for the store.
Wei Jun is an honest and simple man. He is usually taciturn, but he is serious, responsible and meticulous in his work. Jiang Ruoxi gave him the tasks of cleaning the store and running errands and delivering goods.
He comes to the store early every day, wipes the tables and chairs spotlessly clean, and mops the floor to a shine, so that customers can feel the clean and comfortable environment as soon as they enter the store.
Jiang Ruoxi was full of trust and expectations for these five veterans. She knew very well that they had the responsibility and duty of a soldier, so she did not make too many strict demands, but only emphasized two points.
First, it is imperative to ensure hygiene and food safety in the store. In her opinion, this is the foundation of a restaurant. Whether it is the key link of making braised meat and dishes in the kitchen or the process of selling in the front, masks must be worn throughout the process to prevent droplets from contaminating the food. Especially when selling braised dishes and meat in front, you must never grab them directly with your hands. You must use tongs. Every detail concerns the health and trust of the customers and cannot be taken lightly. Second, always pay attention to store safety, whether using fire or electricity, or dealing with emergencies in daily operations, you must remain vigilant.
Taking into account that they had just arrived and might have many inconveniences in their lives, Jiang Ruoxi rented a house near the braised meat shop as a dormitory for them so that they could have a warm and comfortable place to live.
At the same time, in order to deal with the store's nighttime safety and some emergencies, she also placed a camp bed in the store and arranged for five of them to take turns on duty every day.
In the days that followed, the five veterans always kept Jiang Ruoxi's request in mind. They strictly abide by hygiene standards. The kitchen is clean and tidy, the ingredients are arranged neatly and orderly, the production process is rigorous and standardized, and they will never use inferior ingredients as good ones. The sales area is also spotless, the tongs are used skillfully, and corresponding tongs are placed on each plate to prevent the flavors of each dish from mixing. Moreover, if the braised meat and stewed dishes made on the same day are not sold out, they cannot be sold the next day. The five people can use the braised meat and stewed dishes that have not been sold on the same day as employee meals and just record them in the book. Customers will feel particularly at ease when they see such a clean and hygienic environment.
On duty nights, they guard this small shop and listen to the occasional night sounds coming from outside, with their hearts full of peace and responsibility.
On stormy nights, the people on duty will carefully check whether the doors and windows are closed; if they hear any unusual noises, they will quickly get up to check the situation.
They knew very well that this shop not only carried Jiang Ruoxi's dream, but also provided them with hope in life, so they must protect it well.
As time went by, their relationship with Jiang Ruoxi became closer and closer, like a family. Together, they witnessed the growth of the braised meat shop, and together in this era full of opportunities and challenges, they worked hard to write their own wonderful chapters.
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