In the early 1950s, coal prices varied from place to place, and the quality of coal also varied greatly. For ordinary people like them, coal cost about two thousand yuan per kilogram. Tao Changyi bought 100 kilograms to keep on hand, and would buy more later, since buying more would take up space.
Moreover, the coal is all loose, requiring 80% coal + 20% yellow mud and water to be mixed together, and then made into honeycomb briquettes using special tools.
However, honeycomb briquettes only came into existence in the 1970s and 80s; those were more conducive to combustion. Nowadays, they are still made into blocks and dried.
After buying the coal, Tao Changyi cooked it in his yard, dried it, and then transported it to the county town by cart.
The so-called flatbed cart has a square loading tray at the back and is similar to a modified bicycle in the front. It has three wheels in total: two under the flatbed and one large under the seat. This type of vehicle is the predecessor of the tricycle. Tao Changyi had someone specially modify this vehicle, and he usually relied on it to travel around the county town, which was quite convenient.
The kitchen appliances were all bought from when we used to make snacks for drinks at the tavern. The bowls and plates were all ready-made. You know, old ginger is spicier. Making snacks really does require less investment.
The 30-square-meter space has four square tables in the middle and two long tables on either side. It's a small business, just starting out, so it can't be too crowded.
The table against the wall was custom-made; it was just a matter of nailing a few boards together, sanding them smooth, painting them, and adding a few stools.
After finishing all that, it will be almost the end of January.
The children have already started school, and after the Dragon Head Raising Festival, Tao Family Snack Shop will officially open for business.
On the opening day, a dragon and lion dance team was hired to perform at the store entrance, and two strings of firecrackers were set off. For the first three days after the opening, customers who ate a bowl of wontons would receive a free steamed bun.
No wonder their ancestors were all businessmen; look at this setup, they're very experienced in the business!
The pork, scallions, eggs, and tofu were all bought from the surrounding villages. The pork was freshly slaughtered. Tao Changyi paid great attention to this, since it was something that would go into his mouth, so how could he not be careful?
The tofu was bought from a family that has been making tofu for generations, and it was all made with spring water from the mountains; it was delicious.
The eggs were purchased door-to-door. That's how running a snack shop is all about the hassle. Tao Changyi is perfect for this kind of work.
Tang Cuihua is a very capable assistant, and Zhao Lingli is also efficient. The two work together very well. With the promotion of the new store opening, people will come to eat. As long as your food tastes good, you can keep customers coming back.
A bowl of wontons costs 1,000 yuan because it contains meat, and 2,000 yuan if you add an egg or bean curd sheets.
Besides meat wontons, there are also vegetarian wontons. The vegetarian filling is made with vegetables, eggs, and vermicelli. Anyway, these are seasonal vegetables, whatever vegetables are in season. As long as the flavor is good, there is a market for them. These are half the price, only 500 yuan, since they contain eggs.
A vegetarian steamed bun costs 500 yuan, while a meat-filled steamed bun costs 1,000 yuan.
Of course, these prices are all based on white flour, which is the cheapest type of white flour because it is slightly dark in color.
High-quality flour like enriched flour is practically unavailable in these kinds of snack shops; the cost is too high, and nobody would want it.
There are also cheaper multigrain buns; you can buy four vegetarian buns or two meat-filled buns for 1,000 yuan, though they will be a little smaller.
This was the price Xiaojiu heard them set when she was doing experiments at home, and she thought it was very reasonable.
Wonton is a snack suitable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It's best to eat wontons with either sesame flatbread or steamed buns, otherwise you won't feel full.
So Zhao Lingli and Tang Cuihua got up at four in the morning every day to work and didn't close until eight or nine at night, which was very hard work.
After spring arrives, wild vegetables become plentiful. Every day, the old man and woman would lead Pandi and Zhaodi, and carry them on their backs, to dig for wild vegetables everywhere.
They couldn't bear to eat the wild vegetables they dug up, so they cleaned them all and had Tao Changyi deliver them to the county town as a limited supply of steamed wild vegetables.
Originally, it was just one of the many varieties of seasonal wild vegetables, but unexpectedly, it sold quite well. So, when Tao Changyi was running around buying ingredients every day, he would also buy some. Of course, the price was very cheap, only three or four hundred yuan.
Of course, doing business is very difficult, especially small businesses. Xiao Jiu heard his father talk about it every day when he came home, and he sighed at how hard life was for people at the bottom of society.
Because they work from dawn till dusk, more than ten hours a day, their profit is only a meager 50,000 yuan (five yuan for the second set of coins).
This profit came from the free steamed buns they gave away during the first three days of the promotion, and it was so low that they even suspected it was because their buns weren't tasty enough.
Fortunately, they were business people and knew that everything is difficult at the beginning. In addition, the shop had just opened, and many people may not have been here before and did not know about it.
Another reason is the current shortage of supplies, which means not everyone has the opportunity to eat out.
Their shop is located in a small alley near the hospital. The location isn't remote, but the competition is fierce because it's a food street with restaurants everywhere. There are several wonton stalls, but each one has its own unique features, so there's a chance for them to stand out.
Little Jiu was growing up diligently every day, and finally, when she was 10 months and a few days old, she took her first steps in life.
Grandma also felt that she left too early and was worried that it would affect her bone development in the future, so even if she staggered and ran towards them, she would force her to crawl on the ground or use the strength of adults to support her.
She actually felt that she was in good physical condition, but the older generation had strong ideas and were all doing it for her own good, so she had no choice but to compromise.
It wasn't until March, when she turned one year old, that her grandparents finally let her take her first steps. After a little over half a month of stumbling and wobbling, she was able to maintain her balance and go wherever she wanted.
To prevent her from bumping into things all the time, her grandmother thoughtfully sewed cloth bags out of old cotton and tied them to her arms and knees to avoid injury. It was so heartwarming!
Now she spends half her day sleeping and the other half figuring things out. Of course, she also takes this opportunity to replenish the family's food supplies, including eggs and vegetables. If it weren't for the fact that meat is so eye-catching, she really wanted to prepare more for them and give them a good boost of nutrition.
When the older brothers were resting, they would run to the small shop to help their mother wash dishes, pick vegetables, and wash vegetables. Their father would also knead and roll out dough, all of which were physically demanding tasks.
They don't believe that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen just because they are men. On the contrary, they believe that people can only talk about other things after they are full.
Earning money is about ensuring the family's basic needs are met. The idea that men should behave a certain way and women should behave a certain way should all be based on the premise of having enough to eat and wear.
The family business has fully motivated them. Even the youngest son now knows that the first thing he should do after school is to collect firewood and dig for wild vegetables. It is said that poor children learn to be independent early. In fact, all working people who are busy making a living enter the survival stage early. No one has it easy.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com