Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 87

"Okay, I'll quit."

He Yuzhu studied Sichuan cuisine, and with Hong Henian around, there was no problem with Sichuan cuisine.

However, the cold dishes are not good enough.

Shopkeeper Hu asked, "Zhu Zi, could you transfer your recipes for cold dishes and braised dishes to us?"

"I'm sorry, Manager Hu, that's a family recipe, and it can't be transferred," He Yuzhu refused directly.

It's a joke; even if he offered a lot of money, he wouldn't sell the formula.

Manager Hu was well aware of He Yuzhu's skill in making braised meat. He was better than the other chefs at the beginning, and the taste would improve even further after a while.

He Yuzhu's braised meat can now be considered a unique delicacy in Beijing.

It is also a signature dish of Taifenglou.

At this moment, he regretted agreeing to resign.

Unfortunately, they underestimated He Yuzhu's skills. Although they increased his salary, they did not sign a contract.

He Yuzhu can refuse to come to work at any time if he disagrees.

This is why Manager Hu readily agreed to He Yuzhu's resignation.

Manager Hu said with difficulty, "But after you leave, the taste of our restaurant's cold dishes and braised dishes will drop significantly, and we won't be able to explain it to our customers."

He Yuzhu had already planned it out; Taifenglou would consume two to three hundred catties of braised dishes every day.

If someone is hosting a banquet, especially on auspicious days, even more braised meat will be used.

He Yuzhu said, "Shopkeeper, how about this: every morning, could you send someone to pick up goods from my shop?"

This is the solution He Yuzhu came up with: after quitting his job, he would continue to run the braised meat business, acting as a manufacturer and then wholesaling to Taifenglou.

I only earn 40 yuan a month at my job. If I switch to this wholesale method, I can earn more than 40 yuan.

"this..."

Manager Hu was undecided for a moment and frowned as he pondered.

He Yuzhu has actually taken his business to the kitchen of Taifenglou Restaurant.

Taifenglou now has two options: one is to find a new chef to be in charge of the braised dishes.

In addition, we source our products from He Yuzhu, buying his pre-made braised dishes.

Manager Hu quickly made a decision; when adults have to make a choice, they naturally want both.

First, we need to get supplies from He Yuzhu, and then we need to find a replacement chef as soon as possible. At the very least, the taste of the dishes he makes shouldn't be too much worse than what He Yuzhu makes.

"Sure, that works, but you have to give us a discount."

"No problem, of course the price for the former employer can't be too high."

This is a long-term business; as long as I can make a little profit, that's fine.

What we want is a steady, long-term relationship.

Besides, this business can only last for five years. While we can make some money now, we should do so now, so that we won't be unable to make money later.

He Yuzhu discussed the details with Manager Hu and confirmed that there were no problems. He Yuzhu went to the accounting office to settle his previous salary and received brand-new banknotes. He then greeted his master and walked out.

"He Yuzhu, where are you going if you're not going to work?" Zhang Zusheng shouted from behind.

Without turning his head, He Yuzhu said, "Is it any of your business?"

Seeing He Yuzhu leave the kitchen, Zhang Zusheng was furious. He was fuming and said to Hong Henian, "Old Hong, keep an eye on your apprentice."

"Hehe, you mean the pillar?"

"What else? If he continues to be so disobedient, I'll fire him."

"No, you don't need to fire him, Zhu Zi has already quit."

"What? You're quitting?"

Zhang Zusheng was dumbfounded. He was trying to figure out how to get He Yuzhu to agree to take his nephew as an apprentice and trick him into giving him the recipes for cold dishes and braised meat.

Who knew that He Yuzhu would quit his job so easily after just one night? Was his intention so obvious yesterday?

He Yuzhu walked out of Taifenglou's kitchen and glanced back. He had been in the kitchen for more than five months. From a novice who knew nothing at the beginning, he now had cooking skills comparable to top chefs. This was all the result of his hard work and serious practice.

Now it's finally time to reap the rewards. I've opened my own braised meat shop and have several helpers. As long as I master the ingredients, I can relax and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Xu Hui is a very busy person who can't sit still. As soon as she finished selling all the buns for the day, she took a rag and started wiping the tables and chairs.

Suddenly, the light in front of me dimmed, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walk up to me and say, "Sorry, we're out of steamed buns for today."

"Do you still have spicy soup?" The customer's voice was a little hoarse.

Xu Huizhen said, "There are still some, but we're out of steamed buns."

"Then give me half a pound of mutton cheek meat."

Xu Huizhen had just finished wiping the table when she looked up, about to agree, when she saw He Yuzhu's smiling old face.

Her face flushed red, then turned ashen with anger: "You stinky Zhu Zi, you bad guy, you're always playing tricks on me, I'll beat you to death!"

He Yuzhu hurriedly ran in circles towards the kitchen, calling out, "Didn't you call me Brother Zhu? Why are you calling me Stinky Zhu now?"

"Pah! You stop right there! Let me hit you a couple of times!" Xu Huizhen was so angry that she grabbed a feather duster from the side and chased after him.

The master's wife and the others chuckled on the sidelines, offering no advice or attempt to break up the fight.

Xu Huizhen chased He Yuzhu like a gust of wind, from the front of the store to the back yard, and finally caught up with him. Pointing at him with the feather duster in her hand, she asked, "You bad guy, will you play tricks on me again?"

As she spoke, she slapped He Yuzhu's buttocks twice, then He Yuzhu snatched the golden blanket away. He Yuzhu then raised the feather blanket, intending to hit Xu Huizhen.

Xu Huizhen puffed out her breasts, glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes, and shouted, "You dare?"

Then he chuckled and said, "Brother Zhu, why are you back at this hour?"

Xu Huizhen was genuinely afraid that He Yuzhu would hit her a couple of times, so she immediately softened and called him "Brother Zhu".

It's no wonder that Xu Huizhen was momentarily confused by He Yuzhu and didn't look up to see who it was. After all, He Yuzhu should have been working at the restaurant at this time and shouldn't have come back.

He Yuzhu said with a smile, "Didn't we discuss quitting yesterday? So I resigned today."

"You really resigned? I thought we'd have to wait two more days before they let you leave."

He Yuzhu was naturally reluctant to actually hit her. He returned to the front cashier with Xu Huizhen and said, "There's one more thing I need to tell you. Starting today, Manager Hu will send someone to come and get braised dishes. Every day after weighing them, he will issue two receipts, and we'll settle the accounts at the end of the month."

Xu Huizhen said "Oh," initially finding it a little strange, but then she realized it wasn't so strange after all, since He Yuzhu's braised meat was exceptionally delicious.

I can't get it right no matter how I mix the same recipe myself, I don't know why.

Suddenly, an idea struck him: "Brother Zhu, what do you think about us wholesaling?"

He Yuzhu asked, "You want to open a meat processing workshop?"

“Yes, is that not allowed?” Xu Huizhen asked.

He Yuzhu hesitated, knowing full well that this line of work was not easy.

Previously, I only bought raw meat, braised it myself, and sold it in the shop, so it didn't arouse jealousy or cause trouble among some workshop owners.

But it's different if you're doing wholesale.

In the capital, there are not many shops now, and it is inconvenient for some residents to buy goods. As a result, there are all kinds of peddlers carrying loads on their shoulders and walking through the streets and alleys to sell goods.

From daily necessities to kitchenware and even needles and thread, there are all kinds of peddlers, and of course, all kinds of food are no exception.

The most common braised dishes sold are pig's head meat, sheep's head meat, sheep's tripe, donkey meat, horse meat, and dog meat.

Each workshop would only braise one type of product, and then some people would buy the products from them, pack them in a wooden box, carry it around the streets and alleys, and sell it by shouting.

The workshops all had their own channels and peddlers under their command, and through long-term struggles, they had formed territories, and very few people sold outside their boundaries.

He Yuzhu only runs a braised meat stall here, and they don't have much interaction, so it didn't attract their attention.

If I also do wholesale, I will compete with the workshops and cause unnecessary trouble.

After all, they have been in this business for decades or even centuries; it's a family tradition.

If He Yuzhu were to directly interfere and steal their business, it would definitely provoke a counterattack from them.

He Yuzhu said, "You're from out of town, you don't know the ways of doing business in Beijing."

He Yuzhu explained to her the working methods of meat processing workshops in Beijing.

Xu Huizhen suddenly realized: "There are people who do business like this? But I've only ever seen butchers, never a storefront like this!"

"This practice is usually hidden in the alleys. They set up their shops in their own courtyards, and then peddlers come to their shops to buy the goods. They don't need a storefront at all."

"So that's it!"

He Yuzhu said, "Besides, they've been friends for years, and none of us go out to sell our goods!"

After finishing discussing the workshop, He Yuzhu saw that it was almost time, so he quickly went out for a walk and bought some more meat.

We hadn't planned to do business with Taifenglou before, since we hadn't finalized the arrangements, so we need to buy more meat today, otherwise we won't have enough to sell tonight.

Around 10 o'clock, Manager Hu brought Wang Song over: "Zhu Zi, your business is doing well!"

"Oh, not at all, just an ordinary job, barely making a living."

He Yuzhu invited the two of them to the backyard, then weighed some cooked meat. When they came to the counter, he took a piece of blue paper and sandwiched it between two pieces of paper.