Chapter 479 - 228: Master’s Obsession! Completed

Chapter 479: Chapter 228: Master’s Obsession! Completed

Zhou Yan wasn’t just trying to flatter Mrs. Zhao. With the restaurant now running smoothly, making it bigger and better was only a matter of time.

As for who had the best management skills at the restaurant, it was undoubtedly Mrs. Zhao.

Over twenty years of running a household had given her the calm, composed air of a seasoned commander.

If Zhou Yan opened a branch or had to travel for business in the future, someone would need to manage the restaurant. That heavy responsibility would undoubtedly fall to Mrs. Zhao.

Literacy, bookkeeping, and arithmetic were the basic skills required.

While the town still had literacy classes, she could shore up her weakness in reading and writing. In the future, she would surely be his capable right-hand woman.

After their foot soak, Comrade Zhou and Mrs. Zhao took Zhou Momo and went upstairs to bed early.

"Zhou Miao, do you think I can actually learn it? I was never good at my studies as a child, and when I was younger, I slipped through the cracks of the literacy programs. I’m forty now... isn’t it a little late to start?" Lying on the bed, Zhao Tieying spoke softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"You’re so smart; it’s never too late for you to learn." Zhou Miao wrapped his arms around her from behind and said gently, "You used to think reading and writing were useless, so you didn’t put your heart into it. But now that you’re going to be a manager, I’m sure you’ll learn quickly and well. You even took first place in marksmanship, and that’s much harder. You’re brilliant."

"Zhou Miao, you’re so good to me."

"Of course I am. It’s what I should do. Hey, wait a second. I’m feeling a bit tired today. How about we just get some sleep?"

"No way. I must repay you."

"That sounds more like revenge than a reward..."

...

The day’s revenue was 662.6 yuan. After deducting the cost of ingredients, seasonings, and a rough estimate of various other expenses, the profit was around 360 yuan.

Zhou Yan placed the bundled stacks of cash into a box and updated the ledger.

The increase in revenue wasn’t huge, but thanks to the drop in meat prices, the profit was quite substantial.

At this rate, the monthly profit could reach nearly 10,000 yuan.

For a small restaurant in a rural town, this performance was already quite impressive.

The potential from the textile factory was nearly tapped out. It was safe to say that most of the workers willing to spend money on a meal or on braised dishes had already visited the restaurant.

Moreover, after the initial novelty wore off, the regulars weren’t visiting as frequently.

This was understandable. After all, his prices weren’t low. Even when dining with colleagues, the average cost per person was at least 0.6 yuan, which was considered high-end for Suji.

Their visits were less frequent, but the customer base was stable. People would still come once or twice a week to treat themselves at a restaurant with such good food.

Once customers learned the restaurant was generally closed on Sundays, many chose to have their group dinners in the evenings instead, which somewhat offset the impact of their less frequent visits.

Then there was the expansion of the customer base beyond the textile factory. Thanks to the publicity from *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine and the *Jiazhou Daily*, the effects were gradually starting to show.

Zhou Yan glanced at his quest list:

[Side Quest: Zhao Shulan’s Troubles! Progress: 28%]

[Side Quest: Master’s Obsession! Progress: 99%]

[Main Quest: Breakout Plan! Progress: 136/200]

The Breakout Plan quest was clearly progressing; it was already more than halfway complete.

Aside from the elementary schoolers lured in by our little sales champion, Comrade Zhou Momo, with her braised vegetable snacks, about half of the new customers were drawn by the restaurant’s reputation. Some of them had made a special trip all the way from Jiazhou, saying they had read about the place in the magazine and newspaper.

These customers generally had good spending power. A trip to Suji was a time investment, so they would often buy some of the braised dishes they enjoyed to take home, which helped maintain the restaurant’s revenue.

For example, Director Wu and the reporter, Shen Shaohua, who came to present the award today, bought half a pound of braised pig’s head and a pound of braised vegetables when they left, spending two yuan each.

They didn’t just give Zhou Yan an award; they gave him their business too.

You couldn’t underestimate customers like them. A good reputation is built one person at a time.

Daily newspaper reporters in this era had incredible promotional power.

Moreover, Director Wu and his circle were precisely the people in Jiazhou City with the most spending power and the most discerning palates.

If he built a good reputation now, it would naturally pay dividends when he eventually opened a restaurant in Jiazhou.

At this rate, he should be able to complete the Breakout Plan quest next week.

His master wasn’t catering a banquet tomorrow, so he’d likely come to the restaurant to practice. Zhou Yan knew he had to teach him properly.

’What is the deal with this? It’s been stuck at 99% for half a month! Master Xiao really isn’t taking this seriously at all!’

’Right now, the quest closest to completion was his master’s ’Perfect Hot and Spicy Pork Liver’ quest.’

’They’d been on the verge of a breakthrough for ages. If this last step took any longer, he was going to kick his master instead of the door.’

Over the last few days, his cash on hand had grown to over a thousand yuan. He still had the seven hundred left from buying the house. Tomorrow, he would pay his parents’ wages, and then sometime in the next couple of days, he’d find time to go into Suji and buy a gift for Xia Yao to return her favor.

Mrs. Zhao had already mentioned it to him twice.

Zhou Yan already had a rough idea in mind. He’d check out the department store when the time came.

He closed his eyes and was asleep in an instant.

...

Early the next morning, Zhou Yan went out to buy ingredients as usual. Today, he ordered two extra steamer baskets of pork intestines, doubling his supply for the braised version.

This would likely be his supply limit for braised pork intestines for a long time to come. He didn’t dare increase the quantity any further unless he prepared a separate, potent brine just for them. Otherwise, he risked ruining his master brine.

"Looks like those braised pork intestines are selling well. It’s only the second day and you’re already doubling your order," Zhang the Third said as he finished getting the intestines for Zhou Yan and helped load them onto the bicycle.

The corners of Comrade Zhou’s mouth turned up. He nodded. "Of course they are! Tender yet chewy, rich but not greasy... absolutely perfect. I only got to try two pieces myself."