Chapter 257: Yang Yixue’s 4th Store Opens
Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Yang Yixue’s 4th Store Opens
"Alright, let’s watch for a little while,"
Jiang Liu felt it was still early. No need to rush.
"Yay!"
At this moment, a light rain was pattering outside the shop.
Hundreds of customers were miserable.
But they were unwilling to go inside to take shelter, worried they would disturb Boss Jiang’s rest.
In the kitchen, Jun Qingmeng had made a bed in a clean corner.
Thick cardboard lay underneath, with a quilt on top.
The three of them sat on the bed, leaning against the wall.
Tongtong sat between the other two, holding a tablet.
She giggled as she watched.
After watching for a while, Jiang Liu got up and started working.
...
At three o’clock, Li Xiaoyan walked out of their third store, carrying an expensive, imported designer bag.
Their current stores had been rebranded as Yang’s Breakfast.
Beneath the main sign were smaller markers: "Stir-fry," "Buffet," and "14H."
Just as she settled into her little Mercedes-Benz,
Yang Yixue sent her a message.
"Mom, the fourth store is on track. All preparations are complete."
Li Xiaoyan’s cross-eyes lit up with excitement.
Her manicured nails tapped away at the screen as she typed, "How much have you made? Are there a lot of customers?"
Yang Yixue: "There’s hardly anyone. We only opened a few hours ago, so nearby customers don’t know about us yet. I’m planning to invest 300,000 in advertising."
Yang Yixue: "How are things at the third store?"
At the mention of the store she was managing, Li Xiaoyan’s mood instantly soured.
She replied angrily, "It’s so-so. This area is full of poor slobs. They can’t even afford five-yuan buns, only buying them two or three at a time. The total revenue for this morning and noon was just a little over 20,000. After costs, that’s only 10,000 yuan."
Even though she was making around 10,000 a day,
Li Xiaoyan was still not satisfied.
Jiang Liu, after all, was making 100,000 a day.
They needed to be making at least 200,000 a day.
Yang Yixue wasn’t concerned. "It’s fine. I’m about to mortgage my other beauty salons, and the final payment for the old one I sold is coming in soon. We can open several more stores then."
She had originally planned to sell off her remaining three beauty salons.
But looking at the business she had run for so many years,
she couldn’t bear to part with it.
So, she decided to mortgage them for a bank loan instead.
If she made money in the restaurant business and quickly recouped her investment,
she could get her salons back. But if she lost money and couldn’t repay the bank loan, she’d be in a world of hurt.
As the saying goes, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
This time, Yang Yixue was investing with a gambler’s mentality.
"Jiang Liu’s recipe is really something. I’ve realized now that the buns from his recipe sell much better than the ones we developed!"
Li Xiaoyan scoffed. "It’s our management that’s making it work. We’re giving his recipe the stage. You think it would be this successful without us?"
"It pisses me off just thinking about Jiang Liu making 100,000 a day."
"Once we’re making 200,000 a day, we have to find a way to rub it in his face and piss him off!"
Yang Yixue replied confidently, "Don’t worry, Mom. 200,000 a day is a piece of cake. We have three stores now, clearing 50,000 a day. Once business picks up, we’ll open a few more, and we’ll surpass Jiang Liu in no time."
The two of them fantasized about a future where they earned hundreds of thousands a day, imagining the envious look on Jiang Liu’s face when he found out.
An excited smile unconsciously spread across Yang Yixue’s face.
Her fists clenched.
’Just you wait, Jiang Liu. One day, you’ll regret losing me. I’ll make you come crying and begging for my forgiveness...’
...
Jiang Liu was in the kitchen, making buns.
Outside, the rain had stopped. A damp wind was blowing, and a few grape leaves had fallen.
Jun Qingmeng was helping him wash vegetables while Tongtong was bottling juice.
The draft beer didn’t need bottling; it came pre-packaged in plastic bottles.
Jiang Liu had even taken the time to study the bottles.
They seemed ordinary, with no labels.
Jiang Liu cut the yak meat into chunks and placed them in a basin to soak, drawing out the blood.
Ever since getting the [Bone Knife] and [Meat-Carving Knife], his speed at processing beef and sashimi had increased significantly.
And he no longer had to worry about cutting his hands.
DING!
Hu Yongfa sent a WeChat message: "Master, the egg-fried rice recipe you gave me is fantastic, very authentic. I just made some with the seasonings you provided, and it tastes even better than what they serve at those famous, big-name restaurants!"
Hu Yongfa: "[Photo]"
Hu Yongfa: "What’s a good price to set?"
Jiang Liu looked at the picture.
The golden-yellow fried rice was dotted with finely chopped shrimp, carrots, potatoes, and chives.
The ingredients were all ordinary; Jiang Liu would never provide ingredients from the [Gourmet Album].
But with the use of [Premium Seasonings], the flavor would undoubtedly be top-notch.
Jiang Liu: "Looks good. You have to control the salt. It can’t be too salty or too bland. You can pre-salt the carrots, potatoes, shrimp, and egg. Use less salt on the rice."
"Also, make sure everyone gets enough rest. Don’t overwork them. Making money is a marathon, not a sprint."
Hu Yongfa: "Got it, Master! The brothers are all fired up to work for you."
At Jiang Liu’s restaurant, not only were the wages and benefits good, but there was also delicious food to eat.
Hu Yongfa: "Master, this recipe is seriously incredible. I just devoured a whole plate in one go. It’s so fragrant! Even the oil tastes like shrimp!"
Jiang Liu gave a few more casual instructions.
He put down his phone and got back to work.
He was still as meticulous as ever when he worked.
Even though he had already built up a large customer base,
Jiang Liu maintained a spirit of unique craftsmanship. He wanted to ensure that every dish that left his hands would earn praise from his customers.
Once Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong were more or less finished with their tasks, they sat down next to Jiang Liu and played a little game.
From time to time, they would look at Jiang Liu and giggle.
By 5:30 PM, the number of customers in front of the shop had reached a thousand.
Only a little over three hundred of them were actually able to get in line.
The rest were simply there to watch the excitement.
Traffic officer Li Bo gave a wry smile. "Boss Jiang’s shop is really something else. It’s completely blocked off an entire road."
His own mother was in the line right now, and she always shared the food she bought with him.
Sometimes, he would even bring some to the detachment to share with his captain.
He had reaped a lot of benefits thanks to Jiang Liu’s food.
Li Bo’s colleague, Yu Qimin, said, "Nothing to be done about it, but I think it’s great. With Brother Jiang’s shop open in our neighborhood, you have no idea how many people are jealous of us."
"The police squad from Qinghe District has to come all this way to eat. They don’t have it as easy as we do."
"Yeah. We need to help Boss Jiang maintain order and make sure no trouble breaks out."
The two of them stood by the roadside, chatting.
The old uncles in line had already set up a few tables.
"Checkmate! HAHA! A tiger in front, a wolf behind! Let’s see where you’re gonna run, you old turtle!"
Uncle Liu was beaming.
Today, in front of more than a dozen old aunties, he had utterly decimated Xia Changzhi.
It felt so good.
Xia Changzhi’s face was covered in drawings of turtles.
He was even wearing a helmet.
He had been playing all afternoon, and he had been ganged up on all afternoon.
Flicked on the head, then a turtle drawn on his face.
It was pretty intense.
It was a killer!
Xia Changzhi tossed the chess piece in his hand. "I’m done, I’m done! You guys are always ganging up on me!"
"Don’t go! Let’s play a few more rounds. How about you set the rules?"
Uncle Liu didn’t want to pass up the chance to punish Xia Changzhi.
That guy was too flamboyant all day long, running amok and taking advantage of his connection to Boss Jiang!
Xia Changzhi waved his hand and stood up, using a wet towel he had brought to wipe the water-based drawings off his face.
"You guys go ahead and play. I’m going to Boss Jiang’s shop to get something to eat, I’m a bit hungry. You all carry on, I want to watch you play while I eat!"
The crowd of uncles and aunties: "..."