Chương 44: I Can't Hold Back Any Longer!

All eyes turned to the corner, where Xiao Lei sat leisurely on a bench. The cooks and kitchen helpers' facial muscles twitched slightly, struggling to suppress their laughter. Master Xiao's mouth was truly venomous; his insults were incredibly harsh. He showed absolutely no mercy to Huang Fusheng and Wang Defa. Outside the door, Wang Defa was red-faced with anger, his fists clenched tightly.

"Xiao Lei, you... you're simply lawless!" Huang Fusheng stomped his foot in anger, pointing at Xiao Lei, "Do you have any discipline? Do you have any conscience? Do you even care about our Director Wang?!" After saying that, he didn't forget to address the crowd, "What do you all say, isn't that right?" The kitchen remained quiet; no one responded to Huang Fusheng's words.

Master Xiao had worked in the kitchen for over ten or twenty years, a genuine Level Two Chef, his culinary skills were undoubtedly the best in the factory canteen. Which cook or kitchen helper present hadn't received his guidance? They wouldn't do something like eating from a bowl and then cursing the cook. Huang Fusheng might want to flatter Wang Defa, but they didn't. Besides, what Chef Xiao said was absolutely right.

Ever since Huang Fusheng became head chef, the stir-fries he was in charge of had gotten worse day by day, and even the canteen cooks were being cursed by the workers so badly they couldn't hold their heads up high. Back when Chef Xiao was head chef, they were showered with praise.

"Ducks complain about steep slopes, crabs complain about narrow paths," Xiao Lei sneered.

"Zhou Yan learned his skills in the canteen; his skill is getting customers to come to his openly run restaurant. If you put half the effort you put into flattering Wang Defa into cooking, the workers wouldn't be cursing so harshly."

"Xiao Lei, you…" Huang Fusheng gritted his teeth.

"Alright, it's almost time to leave work, get the food ready!" Wang Defa walked into the kitchen and said in a deep voice, "Huang Fusheng, come out here for a second."

"Director..." Huang Fusheng quickly put on a fawning smile and followed him out of the kitchen, immediately complaining, "That bastard Xiao Lei, his attitude is undisciplined, he openly insulted you, I think we should find a way to fire him!"

"Fire him my ass, he's been with us longer than me, and he hasn't done anything wrong, how can we fire him?" Wang Defa rolled his eyes at him, "I heard that Zhou Erwa's restaurant is starting to sell braised and stir-fried dishes today, they're going to compete with our stir-fry restaurant, today is crucial, you have to stand up for me."

"I promise I'll stand up!" Huang Fusheng immediately stood up straight.

"... Wang Wei, isn't Zhou Yan's cooking notoriously bad? How come his reputation has suddenly reversed? These days, everyone's talking about Zhou Erwa's restaurant every mealtime."

"Yeah, just two months ago everyone was cursing his stir-fries, saying they were worse than the cafeteria food. I never thought the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute students would eat there twice in a row." Two female accountants from the finance department walked towards the factory gate with Wang Wei, their faces full of curiosity.

"I think Zhou Yan just didn't find his niche before. How could one person manage all those dishes?" Wang Wei flicked her short hair and smiled, "He's changed his strategy now, only making noodles and braised beef, and they taste even better than state-run restaurants. I heard they're starting to sell stir-fries and braised dishes today, let's go try them and keep up with the trend."

"We should try them, otherwise we won't be able to join the conversation with those women in the workshop." Wen Ling nodded.

"I haven't seen Zhou Yan in a long time since he stopped working in the cafeteria. Is he still as handsome as ever? Wang Wei, do you know who you see him in the morning?" Zheng Xiuhui asked with a gossipy look.

"Yeah, the same as always," Wang Wei said with a smile. She had seen Zhou Yan at the noodle shop the day before yesterday. His appearance hadn't changed, but his aura was different. He had gone from being dejected and confused to confident and composed. This improvement in his demeanor made him look more charming, like a young man with a light in his eyes. The three of them chatted and laughed all the way to Zhou Erwa's restaurant. They had just finished work, and several tables were already occupied.

"Little sister, be good, come inside and sit down," Zhao Tieying greeted them with a smile.

"Okay, Aunt Zhao," Wang Wei replied with a smile, leading the two to an empty table. She looked up at the menu hanging on the wall.

"These prices! A serving of beef with bamboo shoots costs one yuan, which is more expensive than the cafeteria stir-fries."

"Yeah, the braised pork ribs cost one yuan and sixty cents, which is equivalent to my daily wage." Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui were a little shocked, stunned by the prices of the stir-fries and braised dishes. The customers who came in one after another hesitated after seeing the prices on the sign. Zhao Tieying was anxious. She opened her mouth, but couldn't explain. If it were her, she would have turned around and left after just one glance at the price.

No matter how good the food was, it wasn't something she could afford.

"The price isn't actually that expensive. Our canteen uses ration coupons, so the prices are almost half the price of the farmers' market," Wang Wei explained with a smile.

"For small restaurants like this, beef costs two yuan per pound. A serving of braised or stir-fried beef is at least three ounces, which means the cost of the meat alone is six mao (0. 6 yuan). Not to mention the side dishes, seasonings, oil, and the rent and labor costs of this shop. We barely make two or three jiao (0. 2 yuan) per serving, which is less than the profit from a bowl of noodles." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Wang Wei didn't lower her voice, so everyone heard her. Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui were both accountants, and they understood what Wang Wei meant.

"That makes sense. If we prepare fewer dishes and sell less, we might even lose money," Wen Ling nodded. The customers nodded in agreement. As expected of the factory canteen accountant, she explained things simply and clearly. This was a clear calculation; meat prices were already high, so the vegetable prices seemed quite reasonable.

"Shall we order a couple of dishes to try?" Zheng Xiuhui asked.

"How about a plate of braised beef with chili peppers and another dish? We can split the bill," Wen Ling suggested. Wang Wei said, "How about double-pepper minced beef? Last time I saw them eating noodles with it, it looked so appetizing."

"Sure," Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui nodded with smiles." Aunt Zhao, let's order some dishes," Wang Wei called out, ordering a plate of double-pepper minced beef with chili peppers, a plate of braised beef with chili peppers, and three bowls of rice.

"Great! I'll cook it for you right away," Aunt Zhao beamed, her eyes practically drooling over Wang Wei. This girl was too kind; without her words, they wouldn't know how the lunch would have gone. Seeing this, the other customers began ordering. Braised beef with bamboo shoots and double-pepper minced beef with chili peppers were the most popular, spare ribs received few orders, and the two-yuan serving of crucian carp with mint was completely ignored. The freshly stir-fried minced beef was served in no time.

The bell peppers were bright red, the beef was slightly charred and coated with a glossy red oil, and the fragrant, spicy aroma wafted up with the steam, making all three of them's eyes light up.

"It smells so good! This portion is really generous, at least three ounces of beef, quite a lot!" Wen Ling exclaimed.

"This minced beef looks so appetizing, freshly stir-fried." Zheng Xiuhui swallowed hard.

"Here you go, my dears, your braised beef." Zhao Tieying brought over a plate of braised beef, along with three dry dipping sauces, three small bowls, and two dishes of pickled radishes, smiling as she said, "Just let me know when you've finished the soup, I'll refill it for you, there's plenty."

"Aunt Zhao, if we order a serving of braised beef, can we have unlimited soup? Wouldn't that be a loss for you?" Wang Wei asked somewhat embarrassedly.

"What loss? Unlimited soup is our rule. You can drink as much as you want," Zhao Tieying laughed, raising her voice slightly.

"Everyone's the same, the braised beef soup is free refills, don't be shy."

"Okay," the guests replied with smiles.

"Aunt Zhao is so kind. Compared to those swearing waitresses in state-run restaurants, she's a world apart. She's even better than the cafeteria ladies," Wang Wei remarked.

"Yes, this food is so comforting," Wen Ling nodded, glancing at Wang Wei with a smile.

"She's even better as a mother-in-law; she seems very easy to get along with."

"That makes sense," Zheng Xiuhui nodded, looking at Wang Wei.

"Wang Wei, we're both married and have kids, so we don't have a chance anymore. You should seize this opportunity."

"What are you talking about? Eat your food!" Wang Wei retorted angrily. These two office ladies always liked to tease her.

"Come on, remove your individual beef slices first, two slices each, just right." Zheng Xiuhui smiled, picked up her chopsticks, dipped a slice of beef in the dry dipping sauce, and then put it in her mouth, immediately surprised. The large, thin, and tender slices of beef were more tender than she had imagined, with a faint milky aroma that collided with the spicy dipping sauce on her tongue. Delicious!

"Let me try this minced beef first." Wen Ling picked up a small ladle, scooped a ladleful of minced beef with double peppers onto her rice, stirred it slightly with her chopsticks, and then took a big bite. The crispy on the outside and tender on the inside minced beef, fragrant and spicy, oily and moist, chewed together with the fragrant rice, a strong sense of satisfaction arose spontaneously.

The beef was very fragrant, with a strong wok hei (wok aroma), and the combination with green and red peppers was not only a clash of colors, but also a perfect combination of aroma and spiciness. She had eaten minced beef in the factory canteen last month, and the texture and taste were far inferior!

"The minced beef with rice is so good, it's simply amazing!" Wen Ling exclaimed enthusiastically, looking at the two sisters. Wang Wei, who was sipping her soup, chimed in, "This soup is so delicious! You should try it, the hotter it is, the more flavorful it is. I heard it's been simmering for eight hours!" The customers' satisfaction was undoubtedly the best advertisement. However, most customers opted for the braised beef. At six cents a serving, it included meat, soup, and rice—enough for one person to enjoy.

If you had a dining companion, you could order another dish to share, making it quite affordable. As the dishes arrived, praise poured in. The customers were extremely satisfied. Zhou Erwa's restaurant had taken its first step in preparing stir-fries and braised dishes.

"... What kind of 'Gongbao Chicken' is this? It tastes burnt! The peanuts aren't crispy at all!"

"Is this how you cut garlic pork belly? It's thicker than my shoe insole!"

"Damn it, I can't take it anymore!"

"Huang Fusheng, come out and try it yourself! Is this food for humans?" In the dining area in front of the stir-fry section of the factory canteen, Zhao Dong slammed his fist on the table and cursed angrily. The workers eating all looked at him as if they were looking at a hero who had stood up.