Chapter 91 Opening a shop next to a high-end residential area
The carpenter has already been hired. Song Xinran not only plans to build some wardrobes and cabinets to store miscellaneous items, but also wants to build a bookcase in the room.
In her past life, she also had a large bookcase in her house, filled with all kinds of books. When Song Xinran had nothing to do, she would randomly pick a book, sit on the balcony, drink coffee, and read while holding her phone. Of course, she spent most of her time playing on her phone, but she felt that such an atmosphere and scene was very relaxing.
Now a bookshelf is needed even more, because Song Yu loves reading more than she does at home.
Sure enough, upon hearing her say that, Song Yu became happy: "So we have a bookshelf at home now?"
Song Yu had visited other children's homes. Yuan Yuan and Wu Yaoxuan's homes both had study rooms and bookshelves. Song Yu was always amazed by the rows of neatly arranged books.
Song Xinran: "Yes."
The stack of papers in her hand were the blueprints for a bookcase she had gotten from the carpenter; they were all things the carpenter had made before.
Song Yu stood beside her, carefully examining the blueprints, and finally solemnly selected the largest bookcase.
After dinner, Song Xinran took Song Yu to the shop. She found it a bit strange: "Didn't Xiao Yu love going to the shop to play when she wasn't in school? Why is she home alone today?"
Song Yu's voice was still childish as she said matter-of-factly, "My mom used to work at the shop, but now that she's not here, I'm home all by myself."
The shop was full of adults. Although they came and went frequently, and Song Yu greeted everyone warmly, he was still a child and preferred to play with his peers.
Song Xinran understood. She had originally planned to leave tomorrow, wanting to go and see if the renovation could be finished as soon as possible, but now she felt there was no need to rush. Song Yu would probably feel lonely at home alone. It was okay when he was at school, as he wasn't home much, but once he was on vacation and his friends weren't in town, he would have to play by himself.
Song Xinran first went to the snack shop. While walking down the street, she saw a shop under renovation. They were currently demolishing walls, which was noisy and dusty. The snack shop was about a hundred meters away, so it wouldn't be affected too much.
As soon as she entered the door, Chen Jingfang saw her and stood up in surprise, asking hurriedly, "Xinran, why did you suddenly come back? How's the renovation of your house going?"
"Everything is fine," Song Xinran said. "How have you been this week?"
Chen Jingfang pulled her hand and sat her down beside her. Today was Saturday, and the students were on holiday, so business was a bit slow. "I was a little worried for the first two days, but it got better as I kept going. Xiaoqin is very hardworking, and having her around makes things much easier for me!"
“I understand you better now. When there are few customers, you worry that there might be something wrong with the food and people don’t like it. When there are many customers, you worry that there isn’t enough food to sell and people won’t come next time.” Chen Jingfang quickly opened up and said in a low voice, “When you came over, did you see that shop on the right that was under renovation? It also sells snacks. These days, the competition in business is really fierce. Seeing that our business is doing well, others also want to get a share of the pie.”
Chen Jingfang had encountered this kind of thing before. When they were still selling Bobo Chicken and Oden at a stall, there were countless imitators. However, at that time, Chen Jingfang was just an employee. She had scolded them and worried about them, but she never got any more.
At that time, Song Xinran comforted her and told her not to worry, that's how business is, we just need to win with quality.
But now that Chen Jingfang is the store manager, her bonus is directly linked to the profits, and she also has a salesperson under her. So she has more to think about than just these things. She couldn't sleep for the past two nights. She told her husband, and he was worried too.
Chen Jingfang's current job is an excellent one. Others work in restaurants in town and remain employees their whole lives. No one is as lucky as her. Not only did her salary increase after three years, but she was also promoted to store manager and can receive profit sharing every year.
Now Chen Jingfang can be said to be the pillar of the family, but the pressure is also greater. She is very afraid that she will not do a good job and will ruin the store, then she will be too ashamed to face anyone.
Song Xinran couldn't help but laugh as she listened to Chen Jingfang's rambling: "Back when we were setting up stalls, there were other stalls selling the same things as us, and we all managed to get by."
“That’s different,” Chen Jingfang said. “With you around, although I was angry when I saw those who followed us, I was generally at ease and felt that they were not to be feared.”
Chen Jingfang thought Song Xinran's cooking skills were amazing; others tried to learn the dishes from her, but they couldn't quite capture the flavor.
She felt uneasy sometimes because she didn't have any unique skills.
Song Xinran said, "Xiaoxia is about the same as me. Her pot-boiled chicken soup base tastes good too."
Chen Jingfang nodded: "That's right. I was worried at first that the taste might have changed, but after asking the students, they all said it hadn't changed and was as delicious as ever, so I was relieved."
However, Chen Jingfang's brow remained furrowed. She thought to herself that Ge Xia and Song Xinran were different. Although Ge Xia would come to make the chicken soup base and the taste was the same, Ge Xia's focus was on the mala tang restaurant.
Song Xinran noticed her anxiety and gently comforted her, "That's good. Students still really enjoy the snacks in our shop. Don't worry about what other shops are doing; we can't control those things. All we can do is defend our 'city' more firmly. Besides, I think you've done a great job. When I came in, the shop was clean and tidy. Students are the most practical and nostalgic group. As long as we stick to the taste and quality, the business won't change much overall. Every year, new students from No. 3 Middle School and the primary school come in, which means our shop has a constant stream of new customers."
This is also why Song Xinran initially arranged for Chen Jingfang to be in charge of the snack shop, and Ge Xia and Song Xinwen to be in charge of the mala tang (spicy hot pot) shop.
Snack shops have a constant stream of new customers. As long as you make good Bo Bo Chicken, even if the previous year's students have had enough, the next year's students will still find it a novel dish.
The customers of Malatang are mainly residents of the town and people who come to the market. The flow of people is relatively small, so it is necessary to constantly innovate to attract customers. Ge Xia is also someone who likes to work hard on her cooking skills. Song Xinran felt at ease leaving the Malatang shop to her and Song Xinwen.
After listening to Song Xinran's words, Chen Jingfang looked thoughtful. Finally, her furrowed brows smoothed out, and she nodded: "Okay, then I'll just do my best in the shop."
Song Xinran's lips curved into a smile.
Just then, two girls who looked like students came to buy something, their voices clear and loud: "Auntie, we want two servings of five-yuan pot-boiled chicken."
As we sat down inside, a girl wearing glasses said, "This is the place. Their 'Bo Bo Chicken' is the best. My cousin loved it when she was studying at No. 3 Middle School. It's been open for several years now."
Another short-haired girl remarked, "That's an old shop."
"Yes, business is booming. It's busiest when students come to eat. Today is a holiday, so I brought you here to try it."
The pot-boiled chicken was served very quickly. Chen Jingfang placed two portions of pot-boiled chicken in front of each girl.
The girl with glasses said enthusiastically, "You should try it! Several of my friends have come to eat here, and they all say it's delicious!"
The short-haired girl picked up a skewer of potato chips and put it in her mouth. Her body jolted, and then she nodded quickly, ate two more large chips in one bite, and said in a muffled voice, "It's so delicious!"
"Hahaha, right!"
The girl with short hair said, "I really envy that you have such delicious food at the entrance of No. 3 Middle School. At our school, we only have fried potatoes and cold noodles."
The short-haired girl felt tears welling up inside. She used to think that fried potato salad with cold noodles was good enough, hundreds of times better than the cafeteria food. But now that she had tasted this pot-boiled chicken, she realized what a difference it was. It's true what they say, comparisons are odious, and the same goes for school.
"Eat more if you like it!" Seeing that her friend loved the food she was introducing, the girl with glasses happily raised her hand and picked out a few more skewers of Sichuan-style boiled chicken.
While they were eating, more customers arrived. They looked like students from the Third Middle School, standing at the shop entrance with trays, selecting their dishes.
Chen Jingfang had just said there was no one, but now business has come in. She put on a smile, a very friendly one, and treated all students equally well.
The shop assistant, Xiaoqin, followed suit, her smile never stopping.
Seeing that they were busy, Song Xinran said goodbye to Chen Jingfang and prepared to leave. Chen Jingfang could do a good job even without her.
Chen Jingfang nodded: "Okay, take it easy when you're working alone in the city, and take care of yourself."
The moment she spoke, the little customer in the shop recognized Song Xinran and exclaimed in surprise, "Aunt Song, you're back! You haven't been to the shop in so long!"
Surprisingly, they were regular customers.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Although I'm not here, Aunt Chen is here and the shop is open. You can come and eat Bobo Chicken anytime you want."
"Aunt Song, the food at your shop is the best!"
The girl with glasses pointed at Song Xinran and said to her friend, "This auntie is the founder of Bo Bo Chicken. My cousin saw them grow from a small stall to a shop! My cousin said their Bo Bo Chicken simply saved the mouths and stomachs of all their classmates in that year!"
Upon hearing this, the short-haired girl's eyes instantly lit up as she looked at Song Xinran, conveying a sense of anticipation and envy.
I wish there was an auntie like that at the entrance of their school.
Song Xinran smiled, waved to them, and left with Song Yu in her hand.
That's the good thing about doing business near a school: students are inexperienced and their emotions are so genuine and abundant, like a basin of water about to overflow. They won't hesitate to praise the food they like and will keep coming back to eat there.
Back when Song Xinran was alive, the previous graduates would sometimes come back to town on weekends just to eat Bo Bo Chicken.
Song Xinran went to the mala tang restaurant again. It was late afternoon, and there weren't many customers in the restaurant. Song Xinwen and Ge Xia were eating and chatting, and Ge Xia was adding something to her bowl.
As soon as she opened the door, Song Yu greeted them, "Sister Xia, Auntie."
The two looked up at the same time and saw Song Yu and Song Xinran. Their faces immediately lit up with surprise.
"Sister Xinran, you're back!"
"Xinran, you've come at the right time! Come and try Xia's non-spicy mala tang. Xia has been researching it these past few days and said she'd like to ask for your suggestions when you come back," Song Xinwen said.
Song Yu's nose twitched. He felt that it didn't smell like traditional mala tang. It was milder and had a very special aroma, somewhat like... sesame paste.
Song Yu used to think sesame paste was delicious, but now there are so many delicious foods that he doesn't have time to eat sesame paste anymore. The smell of this sesame paste is making him a little hungry again.
When Song Xinran saw the hot pot in the bowl, she was surprised to find that it was sesame sauce hot pot. The thick sesame sauce covered the ingredients, making it look sticky and smelling rich and mellow, which greatly increased her appetite.
Ge Xia was a little embarrassed: "I saw this kind of spicy hot pot on TV, so I bought the seasoning to try it out. This is my first time making it, and I wanted Sister Xinwen to try it too."
At that time, there were many TV programs that taught people how to cook, such as Everyday Kitchen and Chinese Delicacies. Ge Xia liked to watch such programs at home. When she saw a different flavor of mala tang on the program, she wanted to try making it herself.
Song Xinran praised, "It smells wonderful!"
She took a bite of the instant noodles and found the sesame sauce to be rich, creamy, and flavorful. Every noodle was coated with the sauce, smooth and chewy, and one bite was very satisfying.
This is a completely different taste experience from the traditional spicy flavor in the same store.
"It tastes great." As she spoke, Song Xinran took a small bowl and put some food on Song Yu's plate.
Song Yu sat down next to her and started eating heartily. When she heard her mother's words, she didn't forget to look up and say, "Sister Xia's cooking is so delicious."
Ge Xia smiled with her eyes crinkling, and said modestly, "I just made something casually, to change things up for myself."
Song Xinran said, "We can also put sesame sauce hot pot on the menu so that customers who are used to hot pot can try something different."
Ge Xia's eyes lit up. She had thought about it too, but she was still hesitant, worried that it would affect the store's business.
Song Xinran told her that opening a shop requires innovation, and that her idea was good; they could research other flavors in the future.
Song Xinwen tried it and gave it a thumbs up: "I've never had this flavor before. Putting it on the signboard means people can order it if they want, and if they don't want it, they can still have the old flavor. The business will only get better."
Song Xinran nodded, feeling that Song Xinwen's ideas had become much more open-minded.
I chatted with the two of them and learned that there had been no problems at the mala tang restaurant this week.
"Even after the braised meat stall disappeared, many customers still came specifically to ask about it." Song Xinwen was a little regretful, as the braised meat stall used to do quite well.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "We're trying our best to convert customers who come to ask about braised meat into customers of our mala tang restaurant."
"By the way, Xiaoxia," Song Xinran turned and asked, "Have Chef Fang from the guesthouse and Boss Gu from Tangjia Town contacted you?"
When Song Xinran was leaving, she told the two of them that she could no longer provide them with brine.
The guesthouse has been shut down, and Chef Fang now works in a government canteen. He was very upset when he learned that he would no longer be able to eat braised beef, wondering why he hadn't made more back then.
However, Chef Fang understood that Song Xinran had a better place to go.
Seeing Chef Fang's reluctant expression, Song Xinran offered him another suggestion. Although she would no longer be in town, Ge Xia could make braising liquid with a similar taste. If Chef Fang was willing, he could work with Ge Xia in the future.
Chef Fang was both surprised and hesitant, worried that Ge Xia's skills were not as good as Song Xinran's, but in the end he said he would ask Ge Xia.
As for Gu Tao, he said that he couldn't rely on Song Xinran forever. Since she was leaving Lingde Town, he also needed to develop his own core competitive products.
After asking Ge Xia again, Song Xinran gave them both her contact information, which could be considered as leaving some connections for Ge Xia.
Ge Xia said, "I haven't been in contact with Boss Gu, but I've already made arrangements with Chef Fang to continue getting braising liquid from me at the same price. Sister Xinran, I'll give you the money for the braising liquid."
Song Xinran refused, saying, "This is money you earned through your own labor. What's the point of giving it to me? This is your own extra income."
Song Xinwen laughed and said, "Xiaoxia, I already told you to keep it to yourself, but you insisted on telling Xinran. See if the result changes?"
Ge Xia said, "These are different."
Having worked for three years, she was more worldly-wise and knew how important Chef Fang's connections were. Even if she didn't have to pay for the braising liquid, many people would still want to get on his good side.
Sister Xinran specifically reserved her connections, which would benefit not only the mala tang restaurant but also herself.
*
Having learned about the current situation of the mala tang (spicy hot pot) restaurant and the snack shop, Song Xinran felt completely relieved and extremely satisfied. She stayed in the town until Monday, and after sending Song Yu to school, she went to the city herself.
"Boss, how about checking out the most upscale residence in Yongyan? Limited to only thirty-eight owners!"
Forced to hold the fan in her hand, Song Xinran looked down and her first thought was that the fan was quite high-end, with a sturdy handle and the words "At the pinnacle of the city, only the elite are permitted to associate" written on the front.
Below is a schematic diagram of the residential area.
The back is full of gimmicks, such as being the first work by a foreign master, having a pure European style, and having a private elevator in the unit.
Although no price was listed, Song Xinran knew at a glance that she couldn't afford it; she might have been able to if she hadn't bought a school district property.
The well-dressed, clearly trained young man said, "Boss, would you like to learn more? It's a ready-to-move-in property, a rare opportunity!"
Song Xinran said directly, "I can't afford it."
The young man hesitated for a moment. "How could that be? They're handing out flyers around the biggest shopping mall. They're using their ability to spot people; those handing out fans are all potential customers. Look, his colleague is introducing them to another gentleman right next to him."
However, the young man was quick-witted: "Boss, the down payment is only 200,000. We can live in a high-end mansion and associate with celebrities from all walks of life. It's a family heirloom that will benefit our descendants!"
Song Xinran glanced at the salesman, then suddenly smiled and asked in a very experienced tone, "You seem to be working very hard, so let me test you. Do you know where the most upscale residential area in the city is?"
Although she can't afford to buy now, she can rent. She can rent shops next to high-end residences and use them as upscale restaurants, directly targeting her specific customer group.
Now that someone has offered it to me, I might as well ask.
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