Chapter 240 - 153: The Sensation of Braised Vegetables
Before, female workers had only accounted for about forty percent of the customers buying braised meat.
The more affordable price had clearly succeeded in attracting more of the female workers.
Word-of-mouth spread remarkably quickly.
Some workers had even made a special trip to buy the braised vegetables after tasting some that a coworker had brought back to the factory.
People weren't treating it as a side dish anymore, but as a snack.
After being rehydrated and braised, the tofu skin and kelp swelled to more than double their original size. The braising liquid they soaked up was pure profit.
If this whole pot of braised vegetables sold out today, the revenue should hit thirty yuan, with a profit of about fifteen.
And this was just the first day, with only four vegetable dishes on offer.
'Once the dried tofu is ready tomorrow, I can think about adding dried bamboo shoots. With more variety, sales will probably be even better.'
...
"Braised vegetables! Made by Zhou Yan? Oh, this is fantastic! Just fantastic!"
In a small private room at Feiyan Restaurant, Huang He gazed at the two plates of braised vegetables, clapping his hands in approval. His expression was one of pure excitement.
Zhao Shulan studied them for a moment before nodding. "These vegetables do look quite good."
"They don't just look good, they taste amazing," Huang Ying said with a smile, handing over two pairs of chopsticks. "Want to try some?"
"You don't know this, but when I was a child, my favorite thing was going with your grand-uncle to Suji to pick up braised meat. I did it just for these vegetables. I'd buy half a jin every time, and I'd cradle the bag and eat slowly on the way back. The horse-drawn carriage would sway along, and I'd finish the last bite just as we arrived at the restaurant. Ah, those were the days." Huang He took the chopsticks, his face filled with nostalgia, and popped a piece of tofu skin into his mouth.
The tofu skin was saturated with braising liquid. With one bite, his mouth filled with a rich, meaty aroma. It was soft but not mushy, with a subtle, springy bite. Chewing it even gave the illusion of eating meat.
In fact, it was even more fragrant than meat.
It was the perfect fusion of savory, meaty fragrance and the aroma of soy. Even the texture of the tofu skin was just as he remembered.
That was more than thirty years ago. Many of the details had faded, but he could still remember the carriage, filled with the rich scent of braised meat. He remembered the little boy clutching a bag of braised vegetables, his hands and face shiny with oil, so carefree, with his heart and soul focused on nothing but that one bag of food.
They only went once every five days, and it became one of his happiest childhood memories.
He tried the braised lotus root, potato, and kelp one by one. Except for the kelp, the potato and lotus root tasted just as he remembered.
Putting down his chopsticks, Huang He sighed wistfully. "Braised beef is the signature dish of our Feiyan Restaurant, but for me, the memory of these braised vegetables is far more profound and nostalgic."
"Dad, should we start selling braised vegetables, then? I think this tofu skin and kelp are excellent. They'd make for a great vegetarian dish," Huang Bing suggested.
Zhao Shulan, who was still eating a piece of lotus root, looked over at Huang He.
Huang He considered it for a moment before shaking his head. "We won't sell them."
"Why not?" Huang Bing asked, confused.
Huang He's expression grew serious. "Zhou Yan mentioned that he might open a restaurant here in Jiazhou in a year. With his culinary skill, business is bound to be good."
"With the braised beef and braised pig's head, we can differentiate ourselves through slicing techniques and presentation. We can insist that ours comes from Feiyan Restaurant's century-old master brine, and just say that delicious braised meats are bound to have similarities."
"But if we start selling every single thing Zhou Yan sells, with the same dishes and the same flavors... our customers aren't fools. You think they wouldn't notice?"
"A reputation is built over generations. We have to be cautious with every decision. For Feiyan Restaurant, these braised dishes are just the icing on the cake. We can't put the cart before the horse."
Huang Bing grew pensive.
Huang Ying, however, asked curiously, "Dad, is that what Grandpa told you back in the day?"
Huang He's expression froze for a second, and he gave a slightly awkward smile. "Yes. When I first tasted Mrs. Zhang's braised vegetables, I thought they were heaven-sent. I presented them to your grandfather like a precious treasure. He happily finished every bite... and then gave me pretty much the same speech."
"To run a restaurant, you have to have your own identity and principles. If you could build a successful restaurant just by taking a little from here and a little from there, then you're thinking about it far too simply."
...
"This lotus root is so crisp and refreshing! Forty cents a jin, and it's braised in such a high-quality brine that it even has a meaty flavor. This owner is way too decent, isn't he? I thought people said Zhou Yan Restaurant was super expensive! That a bowl of noodles costs sixty cents!"
"That's right! I also heard them say the braised pig ears are three yuan a jin! Tsk, for that price, you could buy three jin of pork belly. Why are the braised vegetables so cheap?"
"The five-spice one is delicious. My kids don't like spicy food. I'll have them weigh out a jin for me to take home tonight. The three of them will be thrilled."
"Director Zhao, our team won Outstanding Production Unit last month, and you're just rewarding us with a bag of braised vegetables? You should've at least thrown in some meat."
"Yeah! Director Zhao is still too stingy."
During their break, seven or eight female workers sat on a long bench by the workshop entrance. They gathered around two bags of braised vegetables, eating with gusto and occasionally teasing Zhao Dong, who stood off to the side.
"Hey now, this is a bonus from my own pocket. The factory paid you every cent of your bonus money," Zhao Dong said with a laugh. "But I'll make you a promise: if you can win Outstanding Production Unit again this month, I'll buy you braised pig's head next month."
"Deal!"
"That's what we like to hear, Director Zhao!"
The women laughed in agreement, the atmosphere lively and cheerful.
"Enjoy, you all. I'm going to do a round in the workshop." Zhao Dong didn't dare to linger and turned to walk back inside.
'These women,' he thought. 'When they get to chatting, nothing's off-limits. Even a guy like me can't handle it sometimes.'
In the entire textile factory, the women far outnumbered the men. They didn't just hold up half the sky; they held up a good seventy percent of it.