Chapter 66
Jiao Huilan took Song Xiaohong to the staff dormitory and settled her down. "Tell me if you need anything and I'll buy it for you."
Song Xiaohong nodded, and when she saw Meng Daguo passing by the door, she felt a little embarrassed, thinking that she once had a secret crush on him and had been attracted to him.
I was young and ignorant at that time, luckily Jiao Huilan didn't take it seriously, otherwise I really don't know what to do.
Zhen Zhen originally planned to have the employees eat alone, but now there is only one employee, Song Xiaohong, and he can't just leave her aside while the whole family eats, so he asked Jiao Huilan to call people over.
Song Xiaohong felt a little restrained sitting in someone else's house to eat, but fortunately the Meng family was warm and welcoming, and Meng Eryong took the initiative to pass her the chopsticks.
"You're welcome, Xiaohong." Meng Eryong said.
Song Xiaohong relaxed a little. It was not the first time that she knew that the Meng family ate well, but the four dishes and one soup on the table still made her astonished. Being willing to eat is one thing, and knowing how to eat is another. There are really few families who are willing to eat, know how to eat, and are willing to use oil.
Zhen Zhen handed Song Xiaohong a cake and announced that he would cooperate with Zhou Shufen on the pork head matter.
Supply and marketing cooperatives didn’t sell cooked food these days, and the food varieties in state-owned restaurants were even more limited, mainly noodles and stir-fried dishes. There really weren’t many people selling these on the market.
"Mom, the price of pork head is not low, right?" Meng Daguo said while eating rice.
"Didn't we make pork heads when we slaughtered pigs before? A 20-pound pig can produce about 8 pounds of pork heads. Pork heads are 20 cents per pound, and the cost of 8 pounds of pork heads is 4 yuan. Add in the sauce, firewood, labor, and garlic, and the cost of a pound of pork heads is at least 60 cents. Pork at the food station is 80 cents and you need a receipt. I think our pork heads are priced at 90 cents. Taking into account the cost of the shop, the profit of a pound of meat is only a little more than 20 cents."
Although two cents is not much, if you sell ten kilograms a day, you can earn two yuan, and one hundred kilograms is twenty yuan. Zhen Zhen can get twelve yuan, which is three or four hundred yuan a month. This income is quite good.
Moreover, if the sales really start, the daily sales will be more than a hundred kilograms. In Zhen Zhen's previous life, a neighbor sold pork heads and was very famous locally. He could sell one to two thousand kilograms a day. Before the Chinese New Year, he could sell several thousand kilograms every day. Although he looked greasy and not decent, he made a real high income.
Meng Eryong pondered: "90 cents is a bit expensive. It would be better if the cost can be controlled at around 80 cents."
To control costs, one has to work on pig heads, so Zhen Zhen asked Meng Eryong to go to the food station to discuss the pig heads.
This was the first time Meng Eryong received a job assigned by his mother. Before leaving, his mother secretly pulled him aside and said that only he could do it. Meng Eryong then rode his bicycle to the food station with full confidence.
The person who received him was the clerk of the food station. When she heard that he wanted to buy pig heads in bulk, she put down her work and asked, "How many do you want?"
“I’m not too sure in the early stages, but we will definitely come to purchase goods every day. Dozens or even hundreds of pig heads a day will not be a problem.” Meng Eryong dared to boast.
He handed the clerk a cigarette, and when the clerk saw the hard box of the cigarette, he immediately became much more polite.
"If you buy a small amount of pig heads, it's 20 cents per pound without a ticket."
Once the pig's head is bled, the bones are removed, and the ears are cut off, there won't be much meat left, so two cents is not cheap.
Rural people only buy it when they have sacrifices or banquets. In the past few years, when the four olds were destroyed, no one bought it for sacrifices anymore.
The pig heads at the food station will be sold if they can be sold, and if they cannot be sold, they will be distributed among the families in the district. The problem is that by the time it is determined that they cannot be sold, the pig heads are often no longer fresh.
Besides, things are strictly controlled these days. We can’t just divide pig heads every day. What would that look like if it got out?
If the blame is put on him, not only will he, a small clerk, but also the director of the food station will be in trouble.
When the clerk heard that someone had been buying pigs for a long time, he was very happy. "We can only sell about 30 pigs a day. If you are sure you want them, I will keep them for you and give you a discount. The price is 1.5 cents per pound, including skin and bones."
More than thirty pigs can produce more than two hundred kilograms of pork head meat.
In the past, Meng Eryong thought this was an unattainable number.
But in recent years he has come to understand that his mother will not do anything without confidence. He has also tasted Zhou Shufen's pork head. A few years ago, when the family slaughtered pigs, it was Zhou Shufen who helped to make the pig heads. It was really delicious!
Everyone who has eaten it will miss it.
Pork heads do not require tickets. If they really sell well, all the rich men in the city will have to buy them to go with their wine. Two or three hundred kilograms is really no big deal.
Meng Eryong stuffed the pack of cigarettes into his hand and said with a smile, "Okay, brother, if I need them, I'll come to you in advance to order them."
Promises are very important these days, and the clerk did not ask him to leave a deposit but agreed directly.
After returning, Meng Eryong told his mother about this. Zhen Zhen thought that more than 30 pig heads were definitely not enough, and the pork head meat would sell quickly. However, she planned to do some hungry marketing in the early stage to promote the reputation of the pork head meat first, and then expand the sales later.
Zhen Zhen asked Sister Qian to find a house for her, and Sister Qian gave her a reply that day.
It is said that there are a few old houses of an old cotton textile factory at the back, which were originally used as warehouses. Later, the old cotton textile factory moved and this piece of land became vacant.
The advantage is that it is empty and the rent is cheap, but the disadvantage is that it is far away.
Zhen Zhen wondered how remote it was, and when she got there, she discovered that it was just across a bridge from her home and only a few minutes' walk away.
But it's no wonder that Sister Qian thinks so. There are no various types of commercial housing these days. The urban area that the old county residents think of is the family areas south of the bridge. As for the land north of the bridge, it is the countryside in the minds of the old county residents. There were graves there in the early years, and no one wants to go there.
Zhen Zhen didn't care about these taboos. The house was spacious and could be used after a little tidying up. The yard was also spacious. There were not many residents around, so even if the food she cooked smelled good, it would not bother others.
However, the house belongs to an old cotton textile factory, so I have to sign a contract with the factory and go to the Housing Authority to handle formalities.
She asked Meng Daguo to take care of this matter when he had time.
Two days later, Meng Daguo signed the contract.
He and Meng Eryong tidied up the place, patched up two holes in the roof and a hole at the foot of the wall, drove away the rats and caught two, and set up two large pots. The desk and cabinet were second-hand items he bought from Zhao Meilan's husband.
When Zhen Zhen arrived, the house had been cleaned up. Zhou Shufen and Meng Dajian were also busy. They were wiping and cleaning with rags, and both had smiles on their faces.
Pan Di Xiang Di also came, and when they saw Zhen Zhen, they both came up to her and called her aunt and grandma.
Zhen Zhen showed them the way and asked them to go play with Daya.
Meng Eryong had already brought the pig heads, but fearing that he would not be able to sell them all, he only ordered thirty.
Zhou Shufen worked efficiently and had a lot of strength, and she quickly cleaned the pig head. However, in order to make the pork head without any peculiar smell, she could not save any steps. The two of them went back and forth several times before they finished processing the pork head. It was a hot day, so it was no exaggeration to say that they were sweating like rain.
Fortunately, everything has been cleaned up and all that’s left to do now is to blanch it.
The brine was also prepared. Zhen Zhen thought that adding some coriander and garlic would make it more fragrant. However, coriander was difficult to buy and the price was not low. Adding coriander would increase the selling price, which was not cost-effective. After much deliberation, he only added garlic.
Meng Dajian helped to peel and crush the garlic.
After returning, Zhen Zhen saw Meng Pandi from a distance, looking at the clothes dripping on the clothesline in the yard. He was a little surprised:
"Brother Pan, did you wash all of them?"
The family has been busy lately. Jiao Huilan is busy with the clothing store, Zhen Zhen is busy with the pork heads, and Tao Aihong is looking after the store at the front. The housework and cleaning are done after the handicrafts are done in the evening.
Some time ago, Zhen Zhen wanted to buy a washing machine and asked Zhao Meilan to keep an eye out for it. Zhao Meilan knew that Zhen Zhen had money, so she helped her find out about the best brands, and they had to be large-capacity. She heard that the market price of a 2KG semi-automatic twin-cylinder machine made by Toshiba in Japan is 470 yuan, but it sells for more than 500 yuan outside.
Zhen Zhen didn't mind the price, but she complained that the capacity was a little small and not enough to wash clothes for the whole family.
The Meng family has many people, so they need to buy at least two units.
Meng Pandi was a little embarrassed, "Daya took Xiangdi to see a movie, I have nothing to do, so I just helped out."
"Why don't you go to the movies?"
"Sister Zhaodi asked me to look at it last time."
Zhen Zhen lowered her head and crawled under the clothes. "How can I ask you to do such rough work? Put it aside and let grandma wash it herself."
"It's okay, auntie, I'm used to doing it at home, and I'm free anyway," Meng Pandi smiled.
Before Meng Nanlin left, he gave her a big bag of snacks. Meng Pandi seldom ate these at home, so she ate a lot in one breath. She felt a little embarrassed and thought about helping her aunt and grandmother clean the house.
But she is a hard-working person and she can't stop once she starts working. She originally wanted to just sweep the floor, but after sweeping she wanted to mop the floor. After mopping the floor, she was not happy with the dirty clothes. She only felt at ease after finishing all the housework.
After Zhen Zhen entered the house, she found that it was much brighter. Even the pot of sunflowers in her room had just been watered.
Meng Pandi has a handsome appearance, a good stature, looks capable and smart, and most importantly, he can endure hardships.
Zhou Shufen said that she could cook five large pots of pig heads by herself without affecting her farming at home, but her cooking skills were just average. Using the same recipe, Meng Pandi's pig heads were not as delicious as Zhou Shufen's.
Zhou Shufen didn't dare let her interfere.
Zhen Zhen had watched this girl grow up and knew her temper. It just so happened that she wanted to find a girl to look after the shop and do the accounting. She originally wanted to find a proper person, but there were not many educated women these days, and those who could write and do accounting all tried to get a job in the factory.
Some of the educated ones are too opinionated. As soon as they enter the shop, they look around and ask about the formula and sales amount. It is obvious that they are not looking for a serious job.
I'm afraid he has set his eyes on Zhen Zhen's shop and wants to come here to learn how to open his own shop.
Zhen Zhen interviewed several people but was not satisfied with any of them. Now, she, her daughter-in-law and her two daughters-in-law are still looking after the shop. Jiao Huilan is about to move to the clothing store and Tao Aihong is about to give birth to a baby, so the family is really in need of a decent person.
Zhen Zhen took a watermelon from the water tank and cut a piece for her. "Pan Di, your mother asked me to find a way for you last time."
Meng Pandi stood up nervously and said, "Auntie, I'm not helping you for that. Although my mother asked you to help, it's okay if you can't. I'm not as hardworking as my younger brothers and sisters, so it's normal for you not to help."
Meng Pandi felt that he was stupid. He had just come from the countryside and he smelled like a country bumpkin with a heavy accent.
Sister Zhaodi said that there was a city girl in her class who looked down on country people every day. Meng Pandi felt that he would be laughed at if he came here.
Zhen Zhen smiled and asked her to sit down. "Don't be nervous. You are my family member. I will definitely help you if I can. But now that I have given you the opportunity, whether you can stay or not depends on your ability."
Meng Pandi nodded.
"Your aunt Huilan needs an apprentice to learn how to use a sewing machine to make clothes. I also need someone to look after the store. I need someone who can do math and read. Where do you want to go?"
Meng Pandi summoned up his courage and said, "I am clumsy and I can't operate a sewing machine. I am also afraid of the needle. How about I help my aunt to look after the shop? You can leave all the chores to me."
"It's easy to help me run the store. The monthly salary is only ten yuan, but there are commissions. The commissions are determined by the daily sales. The more you sell, the more commissions you get. How much you sell depends on your ability. But we are family and we don't talk behind each other's backs. I have to say this first. If you don't do a good job, I will still fire you."
Meng Panddi was made nervous by what she said. She also knew that the food store had no shortage of business, and part of the commission that her aunt mentioned was a gift to her.
“So how can I sell more stuff?”
Zhen Zhen hesitated for a moment, then asked her to watch from the side and explained everything to her in detail, starting from clothing, service attitude, marketing methods, etc.
In the afternoon, the pork head was ready and served. Zhen Zhen asked Meng Pandi to stand in front of the table and cut the pork head for people.
Zhen Zhen posted a notice two days ago, saying that pork heads would be available for sale in two days and free tasting. In the past two days, customers have come to inquire about the pork heads.
As soon as the pork head was brought out, customers started lining up.
The man standing in front was an old man. He wanted to buy a few pounds of meat to go with his wine.
"Madam, your pork head smells strange."
Isn't it fragrant? The aroma is so tempting that it goes straight into your nose. What's more, the proprietress even brought a fan to blow away the flies. This blew the aroma of meat towards the queue of customers. Who can resist this?
Zhen Zhen smiled and asked Meng Pandidi to cut a small plate of food, each cut into thumb-sized pieces. She picked up some with chopsticks and let people taste it. There were no toothpicks, so she could only pinch it with her fingers. Fortunately, people these days are not so particular.
"Master, please taste it."
Zhen Zhen specially picked up two big ones for Da Ye. Who asked Daya to line up two hours in advance? As a merchant, you have to accept this favor, right?
The eldest master pinched the pork head and stuffed it into his mouth. Wow, it tasted better than it smelled. In recent years, everything has been supplied by tickets, and his stomach is really empty.
"The boss lady's cooking skills are amazing! I think your food store is planning to empty the pockets of people in our county city!" The eldest master joked.
Zhen Zhen laughed, "How can I spend all this money? In order to open this food store, I also took great pains to go out of town to find sources of goods, seasonings, and recipes. Don't think that I'm making money now, but I invested a lot in the early stage. Otherwise, how could I get so many ideas to make these snacks and halals?"
When everyone heard this, they realized that there was an initial investment.
Since many people came to buy halogens, they all brought lunch boxes. Those who originally wanted to buy chicken feet and kelp shreds also took pork heads back to try.
Those who are willing to spend money buy one kilogram, and those who are reluctant to spend money buy three or five taels. Zhen Zhen will sell any less.
Many people passed by here after get off work, saw people queuing, came over to ask, and then quickly went home to get their lunch boxes.
Before five o'clock, more than 100 kilograms of pork head were sold.
By six o'clock, more than 200 kilograms of pork heads were almost sold out. Most of the customers were old men who loved drinking. The old men loved meat and were willing to buy it. They would buy a kilogram at a time, and they would also buy some peanuts and kelp shreds and a little wine, which was quite delicious.
Finally, there were some scraps and pig ears left, so Zhen Zhen asked Meng Pandi to cut them up and keep them at home for dinner.
Zhou Shufen was washing the blood from a pig's head in the yard. When she heard Meng Pandi say that all the pig's head meat was sold out, she was stunned for a long time.
"Sold... sold out? All the more than 200 kilograms sold out?"
"Mom, my aunt's shop is doing really good business. She never has to worry about customers. Selling our pork heads in her shop is like making money from the sky!" Meng Pandi said excitedly.
She was not a child anymore and knew that firewood and rice were expensive. The pork heads from her aunt were cheap, only 1.5 cents per pound. So, she could make 30 cents per pound in profit. With more than 230 pounds of meat, she could earn more than 20 cents a day.
If this isn’t money falling from the sky, then what is?
Zhou Shufen was nervous, "So... how much money? Do you think we won't get caught?"
"No, mother, most of the money we sell comes from my aunt, and our braised pork here sells well, so her braised vegetable sales are actually affected. This house, pots, and furniture were all purchased by my aunt, and she never asked us for any money from the beginning to the end. Do you think we should pay the money?"
Zhou Shufen is an honest person. She felt a little guilty when she saw that the sales of other halved dishes were affected by the pork head.
Besides, she and the man can earn more than 20 dollars a day, which is 600 to 700 dollars a month. The high salary is one thing, but after the salary is high, will her aunt stop working for them?
After all, they took a full 40%!
In the final analysis, all you have to do is pay them twenty dollars a month to work, and they will be willing to do it.
Meng Pandi laughed again and said, "Mom, my aunt asked me to help out in her store. She said she would give me a base salary of ten yuan a month, plus commission."
Zhou Shufen's eyes lit up. After the eldest daughter, Meng Zhaodi, was admitted to university, she hoped that her own daughter would also have a bright future.
"What is commission?"
"The more I sell, the more money I get. My aunt told me a number, and I roughly calculated that if I work hard, I can make at least 20 yuan a month, and maybe 30 or 40 yuan."
Meng Pandi's words made Zhou Shufen even more uncomfortable. It was indeed not right for her to take 40% and still have to earn a salary. So Zhou Shufen discussed with Meng Dajian and decided to reduce the share by 10%.
"If we lower it a bit, her aunt and grandmother will also be able to let us do it longer." Zhou Shufen thought so.
How could Meng Dajian not agree? Three percent a day is twenty dollars, and in one day you can earn as much as a regular worker's monthly salary.
Meng Dajian mentioned this to Zhen Zhen, who also lamented that the couple were simple and honest. However, the sales of other halal dishes were indeed slightly affected. Besides, Meng Pandi would also be paid a salary when he came in, so she agreed.
The pork head meat shop made a profit of fifty dollars on the first day of opening. With snacks and other salty dishes, the total profit exceeded a hundred dollars for the first time.
On the second day, Zhen Zhen asked Daya to send a pound of pork head and a pound of halved vegetable platter to Sister Qian.
Meng Nan pouted and said, "Grandma, I've told you so many times not to call me Daya. It's so unfashionable."
Zhen Zhen raised an eyebrow, "I know, Meng Daya."
These words made Daya so angry that she grimaced, but she still sent the salted meat.
Sister Qian came over immediately and said, "It's just a matter of helping you find a house, and you're still being polite to me."
This Qian sister is a retired accountant in the factory. It would be inappropriate to give her money directly as she would not accept it as she is too proud. So Zhen Zhen thought about sending some meat to her from time to time.
These old employees all feel honored when receiving gifts. Zhen Zhen gave two kilograms of brines at the first try, which was extremely respectable.
"We just came from the countryside. Thanks to your help, we will have to trouble you in the future." Zhen Zhen was also very polite.
Sister Qian didn't say anything, but smiled and said, "If you need me in the future, just ask!"
Zhen Zhen originally wanted to go to Yangcheng or Hai City to see what the situation was like outside, but Tao Aihong gave birth to a little boy at the end of August.
Although there were already four children in the family, Zhen Zhen was still very busy after Shuiwa was born. There was no other way; she couldn't let her daughter-in-law suffer during her confinement. She slaughtered all the chickens she bought early in the morning, and made pig's trotter soup and ginseng soup from time to time. The family was always eating and drinking, and she finally finished taking care of Tao Aihong's confinement.
Before we knew it, chestnuts are on the market again. This year, Zhen Zhen has harvested quite a lot of them, storing half of them in warehouse inventory and the other half in space.
She also restocks sunflower seeds, wax gourd seeds, and peanuts from time to time.
In November, Zhen Zhen had already started planning the New Year's goods for the shop. The shop's business was good, and it would surely be even more popular during the New Year. She couldn't miss this good opportunity to make money, so she planned to launch several new products this year.
Zhao Meilan came over on her bicycle again and said anxiously, "Sister, something terrible has happened."
Zhen Zhen asked curiously, "What's the matter?"
Zhao Meilan pointed to a shop across the street and said, "Did you see that? I heard that the two shops on the corner have been rented out. The left one sells chestnuts and melon seeds, and the right one sells brine. It's obvious that they are copying your business!"
Zhen Zhen heard some banging sounds these past two days and thought someone was building a house, but it turned out to be a new store opening.
However, chestnut seeds and brine are small businesses, anyone with the skills can make them, and it is not a monopoly industry, so it is normal for people to follow the trend. You can't allow only her to make money and not allow others to drink the soup, right?
"Sister, aren't you angry? That store is obviously copying you. The shelves are made the same as yours."
Zhen Zhen smiled and said, "It's impossible to stop this kind of thing. Besides, the threshold for running a snack shop is already low. There are only two of them now, and there will be more in the future."
Zhao Meilan felt a sense of crisis after hearing what she said. Her snack bar could earn several hundred yuan a month, and her whole family was very happy. She was just afraid that the business would be snatched away by someone one day. But her elder sister Zhen was so calm.
"Sister, what should we do if someone else starts driving it?"
"It's hard to prevent this. They do business honestly, without stealing or robbing. Even though they are following the trend, they still make money based on their own abilities. We can't control this. What we can do is to improve the quality of our products, ensure good taste, good service, and cleanliness... Isn't this what customers buy things for?"
After hearing this, Zhao Meilan was not so angry anymore. According to what Sister Zhen said, supply and marketing cooperatives would be replaced in the future, let alone a shop.
"My mother-in-law's breakfast shop has just started making money, and I want to make money for a few more years."
"As long as your family does a good job and has repeat customers, you can still make money," Zhen Zhen asked about the New Year's goods of the supply and marketing cooperative in previous years, "I plan to make peach cakes, chestnut cakes and the like."
Zhao Meilan said, "During the Chinese New Year, the best-selling items are cigarettes, alcohol, and candy. Peach cakes are also selling well. If you can make them, you will definitely have no problem selling them."
Zhen Zhen is currently thinking about how to make peach cakes. "I also want to make some nougat. Nougat has simple ingredients: sugar, peanuts, maltose, egg white and water."
Zhao Meilan said that nougat would definitely sell well, as would anything dipped in sugar, but the raw sugar was hard to buy. There was still some left in Zhen Zhen's space, and it would definitely not be enough to sell. However, nougat was difficult to shape in the summer, and it was also seasonal, so she thought about selling it first.
In a few years, supplies will no longer be so scarce.
Sell whatever you have!
Two days later, a shop selling chestnuts, melon seeds and pickles opened across the street. Not only did these two shops follow suit, they also copied the shop’s decor, name and shelf placement. The shop selling dry goods was called “Good Grandma’s Food Store” and the shop selling pickles was called “Good Daughter-in-law Pickle Store.”
This name shocked Zhen Zhen greatly.
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