Chapter 151 Charcoal Burning
Jiang Mi listened quietly with a faint smile on her lips, offering no comment. She knew that if she said anything more, it might be twisted later, so it was best to remain silent.
"Don't be angry, everyone. I will keep the heat on here, so you can eat and drink warmly whenever you come."
Hearing Jiang Mi's words, the others were also led astray from the topic.
"I love coming to Jiang Ji Restaurant. The water outside is frozen, and Jiang Ji Restaurant is the only place that's warm. I don't even want to go home anymore."
"Me too, I wish I could live at Jiang's Restaurant, haha..."
Seeing that everyone was very happy, Jiang Mi was also very happy, at least her method was worthwhile.
Liu He, calculating on the side, said with concern, "How much money will it cost to make so much charcoal every day? Won't we not be able to recoup our costs? This is not worth it."
Jiang Mi glanced at the customers who were eating and said, "It's about the same, but we're earning a little less than before. It's okay. Our goal in the early stages is to attract customers and build a good reputation. Only when people know our benefits will they be more willing to come. Some customers come to warm up and also take care of their meals and drinks. Some people feel embarrassed and will spend some money."
Liu He glanced around the lobby, her expression softening considerably. Indeed, there were quite a few people eating there because of this. Some felt embarrassed and just grabbed a bite, while others ordered tea and snacks. After all, they had paid for the food. Even those who didn't pay just sat on the benches and didn't bother the other diners.
"So that's why you had so many stools bought earlier. I was wondering why you bought so many stools and put them in the corner. That's the best spot for warmth, as it's close to the charcoal fire."
Jiang Mi smiled and did not deny it. She had indeed planned to do so for a while. When summer came, she would have someone put more ice in the restaurant to attract customers.
Someone then asked, "Miss Jiang, aren't you angry about that person's behavior?"
Jiang Mi said calmly, "What good would it do me to be angry? This person has nothing to do with our Jiang family anymore. Besides, the recipe for Peach Blossom Wine is not something that just anyone can steal. He only learned the superficial aspects. He can't make our Jiang family's secret recipe. People always have to pay the price for their choices."
Everyone present nodded in agreement after hearing Jiang Mi's words. Compared to them, the Jiang family was a truly magnanimous and generous family, while Zhao Laosan was nothing at all and didn't even deserve to be compared with them.
Although Jiang Yan was a bit slow on the uptake, he had figured out the trick. Jiang Mi's actions seemed to have improved the customers' impression of Jiang Ji and made them feel more sympathetic towards the restaurant. Although he had vented his anger by hitting people, he didn't seem to have gained anything. Instead, he had made a spectacle and a laughing stock for outsiders. In this way, he had gained a good reputation and made more people like to come to Jiang Ji.
"I understand."
Liu He glanced at him and couldn't help but complain, "You understand? What could you possibly understand? With your blockhead like you, if you understood, then everyone else would understand too."
Jiang Yan retorted with dissatisfaction, "I don't understand, but do you? Didn't Honey explain it to you just now? Otherwise, would you have thought of it? You're still worried about the cost of charcoal? You really have no foresight at all."
"You..." Liu He was speechless, glaring at him angrily.
Jiang Mi found the bickering between the couple quite amusing, smiled, and went to the backyard.
The new recruit Jiang Yan had arrived; he was a young man who seemed not much older than Jiang Mi, which puzzled her.
"Are you an apprentice? I don't recall asking my elder brother to take on any apprentices."
The boy had delicate features, fair skin, and a slender figure, but his clothes were rather shabby.
“I’m not an apprentice, I’m a master brewer. Don’t let my young age fool you, I’ve been doing this for many years. I’ve been learning from my father since I was a child, so don’t judge me as an apprentice just because of my age.”
She spoke with quite a bit of confidence, but Jiang Mi wasn't angry. She didn't think age was a problem either, and said, "Since that's the case, then brew some wine for me to see your skills. Since you've been brewing for so many years, what's your best wine?"
"Daughter's Red wine." The man's face was expressionless, and he didn't fawn over Jiang Mi like a typical worker would towards their boss. He glanced around and asked, "Can I use anything here?"
"Of course, I'm just testing your skills. After all, I'm short-handed here, but I have plenty of apprentices. If you can get up to speed quickly, that would be ideal. However, there's one more thing: to work for my Jiang's company, you must be loyal. Skill is important, but character is the most important."
The man had a knowing look on his face: "I've heard about it. Don't worry, I won't learn your family's techniques and secretly sell them. I've taken your family's money and eaten your family's food, so naturally I have to be loyal to your family. I know this principle of being a decent human being."
Seeing how serious he was, Jiang Mi, for some reason, began to trust him completely.
"Okay, you go ahead and do it. Just let me know when you're done, and I'll taste your wine."
The man paused for a moment, then asked, "Aren't you going to watch me do it?"
Jiang Mi smiled and said, "No need. I don't know much about these things. Although I brewed peach blossom wine, I only know a little bit about it. As for the Daughter's Red wine you made, I've never even touched it before. Just let the other masters watch over you."
After Jiang Mi finished speaking, she went upstairs. The man stared at Jiang Mi's departing figure for a while, and only came back to his senses after being called twice by Master Liu.
Jiang Mi encountered Jiang Yan coming downstairs and stopped him, asking, "Brother, where did you recruit this person from?"
Jiang Yan glanced downstairs and asked, "What's wrong? Do you also think he's too young? I told him I didn't want him back then, but he kept pestering me, telling me he'd been brewing wine for many years and asking me to trust him this once. I couldn't resist his pestering anymore. I'll let him go once he's finished brewing."
Jiang Mi said thoughtfully, "What if he does a good job?"
"What? Just a little kid like him? We have so many master chefs here, why would it be his turn? Judging from his shabby clothes, his family must be short of money. We'll just give him some silver to get rid of him."
Jiang Yan didn't mean to insult anyone. He also came from a poor background and subconsciously thought that the child had come to beg for money. However, even though they were rich, they couldn't support an idle person for nothing.
Jiang Mi didn't say anything. She went to the private room to rest. There was a room upstairs specifically for their own people to rest in.
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