Chapter 65 Chapter 65 New Opportunity
Xie Xiaoju was stunned. "Jiang Xi, you're amazing! You convinced her with just a few words. Looking at her like this, she'll definitely contact everyone she knows even if she doesn't sleep tonight."
Jiang Xi smiled. She didn't have many people available at her disposal right now. If she wanted to expand her business, she would need a lot of people who could help her. Now that she had met a promising talent, Jiang Xi would never hesitate.
Having successfully persuaded another non-staff salesperson, Jiang Xi was still thinking about another one. It had been several days since Zhou Jiangang had agreed to help her sell her braised pork, and she had to go and ask him how things were going.
After Jiang Xi handed the stall to Xie Xiaoju, he went straight to Zhou Jiangang's house.
Jiang Xi was very curious. The security guard had sold more than twenty copies, so he wondered how many Zhou Jiangang could sell.
As soon as Jiang Xi walked to the gate of Zhou Jiangang's house, he saw Zhou Jiangang.
Zhou Jiangang was very surprised to see Jiang Xi: "Why are you here? I was just about to look for you!"
Jiang Xi smiled and said, "I came to see how you were doing, but judging by your condition, I think there should be good news."
Zhou Jiangang chuckled and took out a notebook: "That's good news."
Zhou Jiangang flipped through a few pages of the notebook and showed them to Jiang Xi. "I've been busy with work these past few days, so I only started looking for people to sell it to after work. I don't have any sales skills, so I just said a few simple words. Maybe it's because I know a lot of people, but I've probably ordered over a hundred copies in the past few days."
More than a hundred copies! This was beyond Jiang Xi's expectation. Wu Youli only sold two or three hundred copies a day at his stall, and Zhou Jiangang only did it for two or three days, and he didn't put too much effort into it. If he promoted it more effectively, it would definitely be more than a hundred copies.
Jiang Xi knew that Zhou Jiangang had a wide network of contacts, but he didn't expect that he could sell so many. Jiang Xi's unconcealed surprise made Zhou Jiangang very proud.
"Actually, I just briefly introduced them. Everyone who knows me knows I love to eat and I'm quite picky, so they buy whatever I introduce, and some even recommend it to others. As a result, I've placed over a hundred orders."
Jiang Xi's eyes curved into crescents: "Brother Zhou, you are really amazing. You can secure so many orders with just a few simple introductions."
Zhou Jiangang scratched his head: "Hehe, no, no, if I work harder, maybe I can sell more."
Jiang Xi didn't think Zhou Jiangang was bragging. Everyone Zhou Jiangang knew was interested in food, and he himself was a person who liked to eat and had a very picky taste. If he started selling snacks, it would be too easy.
Zhou Jiangang said, "I remembered something that might interest you."
Jiang Xi asked hurriedly: "What's the matter?"
Zhou Jiangang said: "I often eat at Shiquanzhai. Last time I went there, I brought some braised pork with me. I'm familiar with the chef at that restaurant, so I gave it to him to try, and he said it was good."
Shiquanzhai is the largest restaurant in town except for the state-owned restaurants, and it is also a time-honored brand. Jiang Xi's eyes lit up. The chefs of Shiquanzhai all praised the taste of her braised pork.
Then Jiang Xi thought of something and asked impatiently, "Does Shiquanzhai have any fermented vegetables?"
Zhou Jiangang shook his head. "The most famous dishes at Shiquanzhai are boiled pork slices and pepper fish. They don't have much of a braised taste, let alone a pickled braised dish."
Jiang Xi's heart was burning with excitement, and he quickly came up with a plan: "Brother Zhou, can you take me to Shiquanzhai to have a look?"
Zhou Jiangang was a little confused. The stall owner was a little too excited. Even if the chef praised the braised food, there was no need for him to come in person to thank him.
Jiang Xi realized Zhou Jiangang had misunderstood and hurriedly explained, "Brother Zhou, most restaurants wouldn't complain about having too many dishes, right? Do you think it's possible for Shiquanzhai to purchase our braised pork stew?"
Zhou Jiangang didn't expect Jiang Xi to have such an idea. "I don't know about that. They usually buy some ingredients. I've never seen them buy cooked food."
Jiang Xi was not discouraged: "You have to give everything a try. You won't know until you try."
Seeing Jiang Xi's enthusiasm, Zhou Jiangang couldn't help but get excited. Although there had never been such a precedent before, if it succeeded, it would be because of his contribution.
Zhou Jiangang was originally a lively person. He worked and lived in a routine manner in the factory. Although everyone envied him for being an employee of the steel plant, this kind of life was not what Zhou Jiangang wanted. He met the stall owner several times. Every time the stall owner gave him something new, Zhou Jiangang became more and more excited. This kind of life was interesting.
"Small stall owner, I'll take you to see him right away. Don't worry about me. I have a very good relationship with him. I'll also help you talk to him when the time comes."
Jiang Xi's cheeks flushed as she said, "Thank you, Brother Zhou. If we can reach a cooperation agreement, I will give you a commission based on the proportion."
Zhou Jiangang quickly waved his hand: "That's not necessary. Let alone whether the negotiation can be successful or not, even if it is successful, it will be because of you. I am just playing the role of go-between. We are all friends, so it is my duty to help."
However, Jiang Xi didn't think this was right. If she wanted to cooperate with Zhou Jiangang for a long time, she had to formulate a long-term cooperation plan. She couldn't let Zhou Jiangang suffer losses just because he was straightforward and generous.
As the business grows bigger, we must be more cautious in not compromising on such matters of principle. Brothers should be clear about their accounts; only in this way can we establish the foundation for long-term cooperation.
Jiang Xi did not answer Zhou Jiangang immediately, but he had already made up his mind that if the cooperation was successful, he would not reduce Zhou Jiangang's commission by a single cent.
Zhou Jiangang brought Jiang Xi to Shiquanzhai. He led Jiang Xi into the kitchen of Shiquanzhai as if he knew the place well and called out, "Guangfa, come out for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."
The man called Guangfa was not very tall, had a baby face, fleshy cheeks, and strong arms, and looked like a chef.
Chen Guangfa heard the voice and saw Zhou Jiangang grinning: "Old Zhou, you are here, I will make you something to eat today!"
Zhou Jiangang smiled and said, "I'm not going to eat today. I came to see you for something. Are you busy now?"
Chen Guangfa felt a little strange. Zhou Jiangang always came to Shiquanzhai to eat. Even if they had a private gathering, Zhou Jiangang would not run to Shiquanzhai to call him. They would always make another appointment.
But today Zhou Jiangang came to Shiquanzhai not to eat but to find him for something. Although Chen Guangfa felt strange, he still washed his hands, said hello to his apprentice and left the kitchen.
Several people were standing in the alley behind the kitchen. Zhou Jiangang introduced them to Chen Guangfa: "Old Chen, this is Jiang Xi. She came to see you today for something."
Chen Guangfa saw that she looked like Jiang Xi, a very pretty little girl. Chen Guangfa was even more puzzled and wondered if she was the apprentice introduced to her by Zhou Jiangang. Chen Guangfa observed Jiang Xi and found that her arms and legs were too thin to carry the big pot.
Jiang Xi didn't know what Chen Guangfa was thinking. She smiled brightly and said, "Hello, Master Chen. I often hear Brother Zhou mention you."
Chen Guangfa nodded.
Zhou Jiangang continued, "Do you remember the braised pork stew I gave you last time? It was sold by this little girl."
Chen Guangfa hummed again and felt even more puzzled. Since he was selling pickled vegetables, that didn't mean he wanted to be his apprentice. So why was he looking for him?
Zhou Jiangang had just started a conversation when Jiang Xi naturally continued, "Master Chen, I heard from Brother Zhou that you praised the deliciousness of my braised pork. I'm especially grateful to you."
Chen Guangfa remembered that Zhou Jiangang had indeed taken a bag of glutinous rice last time. He tasted two pieces and found them quite good. "Your glutinous rice tastes pretty good, and it's also clean."
Jiang Xi smiled and said, "Thank you, Chef Chen, for the compliment. Actually, this is why I came to see you today."
Chen Guangfa said, "For this matter? What do you mean?"
Jiang Xi said bluntly, "Our Wuji Braised Lu has been a craft passed down from our ancestors for over a hundred years. Although we only recently started selling it on the market, we've already received a lot of praise and have accumulated many repeat customers. Everyone who has eaten it raves about it. You've had it before, so you should be familiar with it. I came to you today to discuss cooperation."
Chen Guangfa raised his eyebrows: "Talk about cooperation, what cooperation do you and I have to discuss?"
Jiang Xi asked, "Can you sell our braised dishes in your restaurant? I heard from Brother Zhou that Shiquanzhai has many specialties, but it doesn't have any braised dishes. Would you like to add our braised dishes to the menu to give customers more choices?"
Chen Guangfa didn't expect Jiang Xi to make such a suggestion. It was really unexpected. "I'm just a cook. I can't be in charge of purchasing. Besides, as far as I know, the things we purchase in our store are just some ingredients. You mentioned purchasing other dishes, which has never happened before."
Nowadays, all the dishes in restaurants are cooked and served on the spot, and the dishes on a restaurant's menu are determined according to the chef's skills and abilities. It is rare to purchase some dishes from outside and then add them to the menu.
Jiang Xi had anticipated that things wouldn't be easy before she came, so she didn't panic when she was directly rejected. "Chef Chen, I've heard of Shiquanzhai before. They have many specialties, and even people from the city come to eat there. That's why they have very strict requirements for their dishes. All the dishes that can be written on the menu have been strictly selected."
Jiang Xi continued, "I can make this suggestion largely because I have great confidence in my family's zaolu. It's not just any snack, but one with a century-old history. We are meticulous in selecting ingredients and craftsmanship, and it's worthy of the name Shiquanzhai. I'd like to ask you to give me a chance."
Jiang Xi was apparently praising Shiquanzhai, but in fact he was praising Chen Guangfa. Chen Guangfa heard the implication of Jiang Xi's words, and his expression was not as ugly as before, and his attitude also softened.
Zhou Jiangang also chimed in, "Old Chen, I know you're not in charge of purchasing, and we're not trying to make things difficult for you by asking you to make the final decision right away. You're the head chef at Shiquanzhai, so you have a say. Could you introduce us to the boss?"
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