Chapter 196: Spring Is Here
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Our master has a good temperament, but he is too quiet. Give him more things to do and he will slowly become eloquent.”
“I understand your good intentions.” Han Qiao smiled.
“When you have the time, tell him. He is kind and will help you.”
Shopkeeper Zhu agreed.
He and Heng Yi had gone on a mission before, and he knew Heng Yi was indeed a kind person.
Whether it was doing things for others or with his words.
He was just a little quiet.
After sitting in the fast food restaurant for a while, the kitchen made some dishes for her to try.
“This is something 1 recently made. Some people like to eat on New Year’s Eve. This sweet potato cake is very good. Mix it with glutinous rice flour and knead it well. Fry it until both sides are golden.”
Han Qiao tasted it and found it quite delicious.
Duan Yue and Shulan had a taste as well.
“Shulan, bring it over for the Second Master to have a taste.”
“Yes.”
Shulan immediately carried the plate outside.
Bai Cha knew that Han Qiao was going to the restaurant later, so he waited at the entrance.
When he saw Shu Lan bring the food over, he also tasted a piece, “This tastes good.”
“Madam asked me to bring it over for the Second Master to taste.”
“It’s good. You can take it back.”
“Alright,” When Shulan returned, Han Qiao was tasting other dishes.
Stir-fried pork with spring sprouts.
“The taste of this spring sprout stewed egg is also very good, but only those who like it will like it. Those who don’t like it won’t be used to it.”
“This sweet potato cake can be used to make pumpkin pie when the pumpkin comes out.”
The steamed buns in the fast-food restaurant were steamed almost all day long, and they were quickly snatched away by her customers.
The buns and mantous at Qiaoyi Fast Food Restaurant were big, soft, and sweet. The buns were fleshy, and the mantous were mixed with brown sugar. They were not very sweet and were delicious.
The coarse grain steamed bun was also ground very finely, so it did not get stuck in the throat at all.
If the price was right, many people would buy it.
They could save time to cook and work more to earn money to buy meat. The adults and children could also eat a bite and have the strength to work.
Han Qiao looked through the new dishes for a while. Her day had just started to become busier.
In the early days, she braised a pig for a day. Now, she wanted to braise it for one and a half days. By the time dinner time comes around, they would be sold out, and there would not be any soup left.
Some customers who bought braised pork wanted more soup. Han Qiao had already instructed her chefs to give more spoonfuls if the customers requested it. If the customers were happy, they would become repeat customers, and business would naturally come.
Han Qiao had her own requirements and standards for doing business.
She even went to the kitchen to take a look.
Everything was cleaned up, and even the corners were wiped clean.
There was no trash or bones thrown anywhere in the vicinity of the customer’s eating area.
A few teenage girls were very nervous when they saw Han Qiao.
“Are you new here?” Han Qiao stopped and asked the girls.
“Yes, Madam.”
“Okay. Work hard, but you must also pay attention to your safety. If the soup is too hot, let the lads do it. Remember to use a tray.”
Han Qiao was still very willing to give these poor children a chance to work.
If they worked here, they would have an income. When they went home, they would not be scolded by their parents. In the future, they could also choose their own marriage.
“Work hard.”
Han Qiao was gentle and kind.
After she left, the girls gathered together, “Madam is so gentle. I’ve never seen anyone speak so gently to me.”
“She still cares about us. Let’s do our best!”
When she walked by Yihe Restaurant, Han Qiao lifted a corner of the curtain and peeked inside.
It was empty, and the workers were sitting at the door listlessly.
Some people even stole glances at Qiao Yi’s fast-food restaurant from another window.
One of the workers found out that the workers in their rival restaurant had received a few taels of silver last month. They heard that chefs had received fifteen taels of silver each. How many days had it been since the opening?
How much silver would they earn in a month?
The chefs who had been poached at Yihe Restaurant felt their hearts floating. It was rare for them to have customers these days, and whenever they did come by, they complained that their food was either too salty or too bland.
Their hearts were no longer in Yihe Restaurant.
Someone went to find Gong Bing and asked him to talk to Han Qiao about them. They also wanted to go back to Qiaoyi Fast Food Restaurant.
But they were immediately rejected by Gong Bing.
Gong Bing wasn’t stupid. With one more chef, he would get less share of the monthly profit.
Moreover, he and his fellow chefs all had little disciples with them. The little disciples could also work and share some of the food. They were also paid, so they were all very diligent.
Despite being tired and bitter, everyone was willing to put in the extra work. There was no need for others to come.
Han Qiao lowered the curtain.
She chuckled faintly.
Qiao Yi Restaurant’s business was even better than she imagined. Sometimes, they would be busy until midnight.
There was no curfew in Puyi County, and it was always very lively at night.
When Han Qiao came to visit the hotpot restaurant, the place was still very lively.
When Shopkeeper Liao saw Han Qiao, he hurried forward, “Boss.”
Now, there were six chefs in the hotpot restaurant. Each of the six chefs had three little disciples, so they were really busy, but they were all full of energy.
She now had twelve waiters.
Just like Qiao Yi Fast-Food Restaurant, 20% of the net profit was given to everyone.
They had secretly asked Shopkeeper Liao about his daily income, capital, and so on. They knew that every day, the chef would get a tael of silver, while the others would get a few hundred copper.
This bonus was much higher than their salary.
How could he dare to slack off? If he was fired by the boss, where could he find a better job than this?
Over at Qiao Yi Fast Food Restaurant, the news of the chef getting more than ten taels of silver spread for over ten days last month. Now, everyone was working hard, hoping that the restaurant’s business would be even better.
Han Qiao nodded slightly.
She entered the small room behind the counter.
This was deliberately separated so that they could take a break when they came over and see the situation outside.
At this time, many people came to eat. The grilled fish in the restaurant was usually served at night, but the hot pot business was very good at noon and evening. In addition, other stir-fried vegetables, steamed vegetables, stewed vegetables, and wine were all good.
The shopkeeper, the chefs, and the waiters did their best. It would be strange if the business was not good.
When the waiters heard that Han Qiao had come over, they all peeked inside, wanting to perform better and get a compliment.
A few chefs took turns to say a few words before they went back to work.
Han Qiao and Shopkeeper Liao chatted for a while. Shopkeeper Liao was also very busy. He had to settle accounts, ask the waiters to bring wine to the customers and keep an eye on the customers so that they could not escape the order.
In short, there were many things to do, and Han Qiao couldn’t stay long and disturb them.
“Slowly go to the boss.”
Shopkeeper Liao watched as Han Qiao boarded the carriage and left.
He sighed in his heart.
They were both doing business and running restaurants. He was doing it half-dead, while Han Qiao’s restaurant was doing very well.
He was a little tired now, but there were fewer things to worry about. Moreover, according to the current calculation, the annual income was probably much more than the restaurant he opened before.
The more you try your best to do your own thing…
One had to know that as long as Han Qiao opened her mouth, there were plenty of people willing to be her shopkeeper.
Han Qiao thought that since spring had arrived, the children would also need to make spring clothes and summer clothes. She had to go to the cloth shop to choose fabrics for them.
The adults had to do it, and the servants had to do it.
The shop assistants also needed to do it.
Although her daily expenses were high, the business of her fast food restaurant and hotpot restaurant was very good. She did not have to worry about money as she had a lot of money coming in every day.
When choosing the fabric, Han Qiao looked at the two pieces of fabric that were darker in color and suitable for her grandparents.
Then her heart sank at the thought.
‘I wonder how Grandpa and Grandma are doing in Xishan Village?’
Were they used to the life there?