Chương 50: Labor and Capital on the Shu Road!

The guests had all left, and Zhao Hong had also gone home. In the empty restaurant, Old Zhou was sweeping the floor. Aunt Zhao leaned against the doorpost, rubbing her back. She hadn't felt it while she was busy, but now that she was resting, she felt a bit sore.

"Mom, sit down, Momo will give you a massage." Zhou Momo brought over a small stool, pulled her down to sit, and gently patted her back with her little fists.

"Does it feel good?"

"Yes, my daughter is really capable, she can even massage Mom's back now." Zhao Tieying nodded with a smile, "It feels good." Hearing this, Zhou Momo massaged even more vigorously. Zhou Yan simply stir-fried some greens and stir-fried beef with two kinds of peppers, and then heated up the remaining beef intestines and beef tendon, and that was dinner. He had specially saved three liang of hanging tenderloin; the guests were satisfied, and he couldn't skimp on his own people.

"Many customers wanted to order the double-pepper minced beef, how come you hid a portion for yourself?" Aunt Zhao said with a smile, looking at the minced beef Zhou Yan brought out from the kitchen.

"If the customers want to eat it, we should eat it too," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Isn't the point of earning money to live better? Eating well is very important."

"We'll just stir-fry some vegetables and heat up the soup, no need to be so fussy," Aunt Zhao stood up and led Zhou Momo to sit down.

"How can that be? Momo is growing so much, and you work so hard every day, she definitely needs to eat well," Zhou Miao said, washing her hands.

"I think Zhou Yan is right."

"Okay, okay, we'll listen to you two," Zhao Tieying nodded.

"Okay, okay, we'll listen to you two," Zhou Momo echoed in her childish voice. Everyone laughed. Each person filled a bowl of rice and ate their fill.

"I didn't expect business to be so good on the first day. The two factory managers have been a great help." Zhao Tieying said halfway through her meal, "That Deputy Factory Manager Lin is truly our benefactor, helping us open up sales channels time and time again."

"Yes, we should thank him properly when we have the chance." Zhou Yan nodded. Today, Uncle Lin invited Factory Manager Wang to dinner, clearly intending to promote him, which surprised and touched him. They were not related, but Xia Yao had saved his life, and they had already given more than enough. He didn't feel that they owed him a favor.

"How about we send him something? We shouldn't keep owing him favors." Zhao Tieying asked Zhou Yan.

"Next time, I'll get him some pickled radishes. His two sons seem to like them. He probably won't accept anything else." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "It's alright, there's plenty of time. We can repay him when we have the chance. Favors are reciprocal."

"Okay." Zhao Tieying nodded, agreeing with Zhou Yan's reasoning.

"Dad, I need 12 jin of beef brisket and 17 jin of hanging tenderloin for tomorrow. If you don't have enough hanging tenderloin, I just talked to Brother Fei, and he'll save some for me..." Zhou Yan ordered beef and offal from his father.

"So much?" Zhao Tieying was a little surprised.

"This will definitely spread throughout the textile factory tomorrow. We've made a name for ourselves, so we need to seize the opportunity and take over all the customers for the factory canteen's stir-fries." Zhou Yan said with a smile. He guessed that Wang Defa must be furious right now, and who knows what he's up to. But it doesn't matter.

Thanks to Lin Zhiqiang's introduction, he had already made contact with Wang Hongliang, and they would be dining buddies from now on, exchanging ideas and learning from each other. Zhou Yan could tell that Wang Hongliang genuinely loved cooking and highly praised his dishes; this kind of relationship wouldn't be tiring.

"Okay, whatever you say." Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile. The factory manager said that Zhou Yan could be a good boss, and she was sure he could; she had always believed that. Zhou Momo, head down, ate three bowls of rice and drank a bowl of soup while mixing the minced beef, finally putting down her chopsticks with a satisfied burp. The special little bowl made eating so satisfying.

"The food you made was so delicious! I'm so full!" The little one chuckled, a dimple appearing on her chubby cheeks, her eyes curving into crescents, two grains of rice still clinging to her lips—cute and endearing.

"Good girl~" Zhou Yan reached out and brushed the rice off her lips. Zhou Momo leaned closer to him, asking curiously, "Brother, you just asked me why the beef has its legs crossed? Does beef get tired?" Zhou Yan couldn't help but chuckle, nodding with a smile, "Yes, cattle get tired standing all day, so they like to cross their legs to rest when they have a chance."

"Ah, I understand!" Zhou Momo nodded thoughtfully. Aunt Zhao and Old Zhou also smiled. The little one was truly a source of joy in the family. Zhou Momo lay on the stool, carefully placing her left foot on the ground first, making sure her toes touched the ground before putting her right foot down. She walked to Zhou Yan's side and took his hand: "Brother~ take me to play, I want to play on the shuttlecock." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road.

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"It's almost dark, what's the point of playing on the shuttlecock? We'll play tomorrow morning!" Comrade Zhao Tieying issued a divine decree.

"No, I want to play, just for a little while..." Zhou Momo shook Zhou Yan's hand and pleaded.

"I'll play on the Shu Road! One, two..."

"Okay, okay, we'll play tomorrow..." Zhou Momo pouted, ultimately giving in. Zhou Yan smiled without saying a word, afraid of getting into trouble. Aunt Zhao wasn't going to spoil the fun, but she didn't indulge Zhou Momo in everything. It would be completely dark soon, and riding her bike home wouldn't be safe or convenient. Kids, if you ask for something, a little crying might make them agree. Zhou Momo wasn't strong; it was the kind of tantrums that were truly troublesome.

Zhou Yan volunteered to wash the dishes. As he saw them off, he noticed a pedicab parked across the street, with Zhou Liangliang and his wife dejectedly loading things onto it.

"You hand out toilet paper when others poop, you lick the plates when others eat. The stall looked decent enough, but it went bankrupt in a day—that's incredibly fast," Aunt Zhao said with a smile. Zhou Liangliang and Wu Guihua's faces darkened further; they wished they could disappear. Zhou Miao pedaled away with the mother and daughter, a smile on his face. Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile; when it came to being sarcastic, Aunt Zhao's sarcastic remarks were the most lethal.

Locking the door, he still ran a lap along the riverbank, working up a sweat before returning. The stall in front of the door was back to its original state, empty except for two piles of ashes. The couple had come and gone in a hurry. Actually, Zhou Yan quite admired their efficiency. The latest novel is first published on 69shu. com! Discovering a business opportunity at the textile factory entrance, he immediately moved his stall there and even added noodles to his menu.

Finding the money hard to earn and struggling to even open a shop, he packed up and left overnight. His action speed surpasses 90% of people; his only flaws are a lack of foresight and a bit of a lack of common sense, making business decisions too naively. After taking a shower, Zhou Yan recorded the accounts. Today, he sold eighty bowls of noodles, one hundred bowls of braised beef, plus stir-fried and braised dishes, totaling 160. 8 yuan.

This is a new record high, even higher than last Saturday when the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute students had their group meal. The profit margin for stir-fried dishes is relatively low, but the profit margin for braised beef is high, with a total profit of about 86 yuan, which is about 50%. He tied the ten-yuan bills together with a rope and put them all into the money box. He had already paid off 180 yuan of the debt, and still owed 678. 52 yuan. He currently had 144. 24 yuan in cash.

If business met expectations tomorrow, Zhou Yan estimated that he could pay off all the debts this week. Sunday was his cousin Zhou Hao's wedding banquet, where the Zhou family and the elders of Zhou Village would gather together. He wanted to pay off the debts so that Aunt Zhao and Old Zhou could stand tall in front of others and enjoy the banquet. Running this restaurant had made them the subject of much gossip. Now the restaurant was thriving and had established itself through word of mouth.

As long as they could gradually take over the stir-fry market share from the factory canteen, their family could have a prosperous year.

"... We've sold at least 150 today, and many customers still wanted to try it but didn't get to. Even the two-yuan crucian carp with mint was in high demand. How did business suddenly become so good? I feel like I'm dreaming!" Aunt Zhao said with a smile, her arm around Old Zhou's waist.

"It shows that Zhou Yan has grown up under your guidance," Zhou Miao said with a smile.

"Hmm, that makes a lot of sense. He's already capable of handling things on his own now." Aunt Zhao nodded, her smile growing even brighter.

"You didn't hear it today, but the factory manager praised Zhou Yan so highly, even calling him 'Little Master Zhou.' The workers in the shop were all stunned." As she spoke, her mood dipped again, and she sighed, "This kid must have suffered a lot while learning to cook, otherwise how could he make such delicious dishes?"

"He learned your spirit of hard work and perseverance. You've set a good example as a mother." Zhou Miao said with a smile, "Boys should endure some hardship, otherwise they won't amount to anything."

"Oh dear, how can you say such nice things? You never speak up in front of strangers." Aunt Zhao patted Zhou Miao's stomach and giggled.

"I only say nice things to you, I don't need to care about others." Old Zhou said seriously.

"Hmm, you're perceptive. Why don't you go fishing tomorrow?"

"Okay." (End of Chapter)