Chương 14: The Supreme Salesman

The Saintly Body of the Conqueror "Understood." Zhou Yan replied with a smile, putting the cigarettes away in the cabinet. He didn't smoke, but they were indeed good gifts; they could even fetch over twenty yuan on the black market. Carefully placing Zhou Momo on the bed, Zhou Yan noticed she was wearing a blue sweater today, the sleeves rolled up three times, the hem almost reaching her knees—clearly a style for little boys.

It wasn't strange that she wore her older siblings' clothes; Zhou Yan's clothes had never fit properly when he was in the orphanage. But the Zhou family wasn't poor, and Zhou Momo, their youngest daughter, was the most pampered. Her father was a doting father, even if his own clothes were full of patches, he would still give his daughter new clothes. Young Master Zhou opening this restaurant had indeed caused a sharp decline in the family's quality of life. His parents' clothes also had many patches.

Pulling the blanket over Zhou Momo, Zhou Yan secretly resolved as he went downstairs that once he paid off the debts, he would first get his family a complete makeover! Zhou Yan asked for a few extra beef bones today. He split them open to expose the marrow, soaked them in cold water to remove the blood, and then lit a separate coal stove to simmer a pot of beef bone broth for making "Qiaojiao Beef." The essence of Qiaojiao Beef lies in this broth; as long as the broth is well-made, the beef will be excellent.

Besides the beef bones, beef intestines and oxtail are also added to the broth and simmered together, allowing the rich fats to infuse the soup and make it even more flavorful and mellow. Spices and Chinese herbs are wrapped in gauze and added to the pot to continue simmering for a full eight hours, and the broth is ready.

"You're quite particular about making this broth," Zhao Tieying said, watching from the side. She had also sold soup pots at a stall, learning the technique from her mother-in-law. She would just throw bones and spices into a pot of water, cover it, and leave it. A bowl of soup costing only two or three cents wasn't worth the fancy preparation; dockworkers just wanted a hot bowl of food, and no one would complain if it was a little soft or firm.

"A skilled chef pays attention to the details. Brother Jie and his team can sell over a hundred bowls a day, while you can only sell twenty or thirty. That's the difference," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"If you want to learn, you'll have to put in some hard work. I'll be busy making noodles and stir-fries inside, and you'll have to watch over the pot of Qiaojiao Beef. Let's try to sell a hundred bowls a day."

"A hundred bowls!" Zhao Tieying perked up.

"Really?" Her best business in winter was only fifty or sixty bowls, and that was during festivals when there were many people.

"I'll make some for you to try at noon, and let the old pot master give his opinion." Zhou Yan said while skimming off the foam.

"See this foam? Take a ladle and skim it off. This will make the soup clearer and taste better…" The method for making Qiaojiao Beef is actually very simple. It's a technique passed down from ancestors, and even the butchers in Zhou Village know how to make it. The difference lies in the packet of spices and Chinese medicine. The difference in the amount and the different choices of ingredients give the final pot of soup a different flavor.

Of course, attention to detail during the cooking process also greatly enhances the flavor of a pot of soup. While the soup simmered slowly in the pot, Zhou Yan began stir-frying the toppings and kneading the dough, preparing the noodles for today's sale. Currently, the best-selling dish at the shop is the double-pepper beef noodles. Yesterday, several customers wanted to eat it, but the toppings were sold out, so they had to order other noodles instead.

Therefore, today Zhou Yan added an extra pound of pork tenderloin, which is equivalent to ten extra bowls of double-pepper beef noodles. After finishing the preparations, it was already bright outside. Zhou Yan and his mother ate a simple bowl of noodles, opened the shop, and Zhou Momo missed the mealtime today; she was the only one in the family who could leisurely sleep in.

As Zhou Yan opened the shop door, he saw that Wang Laowu's noodle stall across the street had changed its signboard, which read: Large Braised Beef Noodles 4 mao! Large Rib Noodles 4 mao! Large Minced Meat Dry Noodles 4 mao!... Wang Laowu stood in front of the noodle pot, shouting loudly, "More for the same price! More for the same price! A bowl of noodles with a little over an ounce of meat, only four cents a bowl! Four cents a bowl!"

His call drew some customers who were originally heading towards Zhou Erwa's restaurant to Wang Laowu's noodle stall. A bowl of noodles with a little over an ounce of meat—that's no less meat than at Zhou Erwa's restaurant, and it's two cents cheaper! Worth a try. Affordable prices are always a killer move. Wang Laowu's noodle stall had customers again.

"What's Wang Laowu up to now? Is he not making money?" Zhao Tieying stood at the door, hands on her hips, watching Wang Laowu.

"Judging from his attitude, even if he's not making money, he doesn't want us to either," Zhou Yan said with a smile. The noodle-selling business war was escalating, entering a price war phase.

"That bastard's a scoundrel, chasing a tiger with his pants down—shameless and reckless! I'll tear his mouth apart!" Zhao Tieying rolled up his sleeves, like a general about to go to war.

"Garlic bird, garlic bird, low prices can attract some bargain hunters, but taste is what keeps people coming back and makes the business last." Zhou Yan smiled and pulled Old Zhao aside.

"We win with taste. If he keeps doing this, he'll go under in a couple of days." As they spoke, a customer came in. Zhao Tieying put on a smiling face again and ignored the person across the street. Wang Laowu had been watching closely and, seeing Zhao Tieying's exasperated expression, his smile grew even brighter. This was the idea Wang Defa had given them after they consulted Director Wang last night. Zhou Yan attracted customers with his generous toppings, right?

Then he would increase the amount too, even more than Zhou Yan! With a lower price than Zhou Yan, customers would naturally come to their place. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. It didn't matter if they didn't make a profit, as long as they broke even. But if Zhou Yan's restaurant lost customers, how long could he hold on with the 15 yuan monthly rent, various management fees, and the debt he owed?

Once Zhou Erwa's restaurant went bankrupt, he could simply change the noodle price back and continue making money. He had earned some money in the past two years; he had enough to keep Zhou Yan going. Just as Zhou Yan was about to enter, he saw a bald, stout middle-aged man with a receding hairline stop in front of Wang Laowu's noodle stall on a bicycle. He paused. He recognized the bald man; it was Wang Defa, the factory canteen director, the one who had fired Zhou Yan.

Besides the pressure of debt, the incident the previous day, where this bald man had verbally abused him, was the trigger for Zhou Yan's suicide attempt.

"Director Wang! A rare guest! A rare guest indeed!" Wang Laowu immediately shouted as he greeted Wang Defa, his face plastered with a fawning smile. His shout attracted the attention of many workers, who became more interested upon seeing the sign.

"Old Wu, I heard your noodles are delicious, so I came here specifically to try them today," Wang Defa said with a hearty laugh.

"Then please come in and have a seat. Your presence is truly an honor for my humble noodle stall," Wang Laowu continued, flattering him.

"Alright," Wang Defa replied, glancing back towards Zhou Erwa's restaurant. He caught sight of Zhou Yan turning and entering the shop, and frowned. Why wasn't this kid impulsive today? Zhou Yan wasn't that hot-blooded kid from before; life had worn down his youthful passion, and he wouldn't easily break down over an old man like Bi Deng. A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, and he remembered this grudge for Zhou Erwa, making him pay the price sooner or later.

Wang Laowu's low-price strategy had significantly boosted the business of his struggling noodle stall, and had also stolen half of Zhou Erwa's restaurant's customers. The latest novels are first published on 69shuba! However, Zhou Erwa's restaurant has already made a name for itself these past two days. Customers who have tried the noodles have spread the word, whetting the appetites of other diners.

With more and more workers arriving for work, there are still quite a few bicycles parked in front of the restaurant. [Ding! Side Quest Issued: Wang Laowu has launched a business war against you. The true culinary master is not afraid of challenges. Accept the challenge and destroy Wang Laowu's noodle stall! Quest Reward: Unknown; Accept Quest: Yes/No] Zhou Yan was making noodles when he saw the pop-up system quest. A thought struck him, and he chose to accept. Wang Laowu and Wang Defa were clearly in cahoots.

Since the other side had made the first move, he naturally wouldn't back down. Besides, the system offered rewards; so far, the system's rewards had been excellent. How could he miss out? The chatter of the customers in the shop woke Zhou Momo. The little one rubbed her sleepy eyes and came to the kitchen door, looking up at Zhou Yan and saying in a childish voice, "Brother, I'm hungry, noodles."

"Okay, I'll make them for you right away," Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. Zhou Yan made Zhou Momo a bowl of pork rib noodle soup. Zhao Tieying wiped her face with a hot towel, rubbing her chubby little face until it was distorted. A stool was placed at the door for her to sit on and eat her noodles. The little one's face was flushed from the hot towel, and two stray hairs stuck out of her untied hair. Her chubby little hands gripped chopsticks as she buried her head in her noodles, slurping them down with gusto.

Even passing workers couldn't help but glance at her. The little one was so cute, and her eating manners were incredibly tempting. The braised pork ribs practically fell off the bone, and she slurped down the rich broth with gusto. Originally, she hadn't planned on eating noodles, but somehow her bicycle had veered to the shop's entrance.

"Sister, want some noodles?" the little one asked, looking up as she ate. Meeting her innocent gaze, the customer couldn't bear to leave and reluctantly went inside. Seeing the customers slurping noodles, she couldn't resist ordering a bowl herself. Mmm, so delicious! Zhou Momo sat down to eat noodles at the shop entrance and made several sales, a natural sales champion. Xia Yao, carrying her sketchbook, came out to find inspiration.

Passing by the factory gate, she saw Zhou Momo sitting at the restaurant entrance, holding a large bowl of soup. Passing workers couldn't help but turn their heads to look at her. Xia Yao's lips unconsciously curled up, feeling that she had found the perfect subject for the day. She immediately set up her sketchbook and took out her brush. Zhou Momo finished all the soup before putting down the bowl, patting her slightly bulging belly and letting out a satisfied burp.

"I'm full~" She quickly spotted Xia Yao, her eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped up from the stool and ran towards Xia Yao, calling out, "Sister Yao Yao!" Xia Yao put down her brush, which had only just begun to sketch on the paper. Seeing Zhou Momo running towards her, a smile appeared on her face. She opened her arms and hugged her tightly, smiling sweetly, "Momo, did you miss your sister?"

"Yes," Zhou Momo nodded repeatedly.

"Good girl." Xia Yao released her, took a glass bottle from her pocket, and smiled, "Have you ever had cola?"

"Cola?" Zhou Momo tilted her head, looking at the glass bottle, and shook her head.

"Sister will open a bottle for you. You sit back down obediently, and sister will draw you a picture, okay?" The glass bottle shimmered in the sunlight, bubbling, as if possessing a mysterious magic that made Zhou Momo nod without hesitation. Sizzle! Xia Yao took out a bottle opener, the bubbles rising to the bottle neck with a hissing sound, and handed it to Zhou Momo. Zhou Momo held the bottle with both hands, brought it to her lips, took a sip, and her eyes lit up: "So many bubbles, sweet, delicious!"

Then, holding the cola, she obediently went back to sit by the door.