Chapter 420: Definitely Packs a Punch

Chapter 420: Chapter 420: Definitely Packs a Punch

It’s true what they say: getting started is the hardest part. Once you’re over that hurdle, everything else is easy.

Compared to the cool reception at the initial opening, selling the braised foods this time was also quite rushed. They had no name and no slogan, just a string of firecrackers and a single pot. Even so, they sold out before noon.

They had originally planned to sell for a day or two, but who would have thought... This was probably the bandwagon effect at play.

And then there was the brand effect.

Once the shop’s reputation was established, it didn’t matter what new products you launched. As long as they were high-quality and fairly priced, there would be no shortage of customers.

"HAHAHA! Let me tell you something funny. You know how we’re supposed to pour the garlic-vinegar sauce over the platter before packing it up? An old lady actually asked me if the little dish came with it! HAHAHA, I almost burst out laughing..."

After the busiest period ended, everyone could finally sit down and catch their breath.

They were all exhausted. Only Ping’an was still full of energy, with enough left over to tell jokes.

Ping’an had seen his fair share of bizarre customers, but that was always at the clinic. This was the first time he’d met someone who wanted to take the dish home with their purchase.

One of the attendants from Hongfu Building, who knew him well, heard this and deliberately teased him.

"That’s because you’re at Yide Hall, where Doctor Xin spoils you. If we were counting on you in our line of work, you’d go out of business sooner or later."

Ping’an stubbornly retorted, "What did I do? I didn’t laugh in her face..."

"You were trying so hard not to laugh, you think no one could tell? The lady’s face fell right then and there. You’re lucky Manager Xu was there to clean up your mess."

So how did Xu Laifu clean up the mess?

He first let the woman have a taste, then told her the recipe for the sauce. After that, the woman happily bought a bottle of vinegar and even added a bottle of soy sauce to her purchase.

Hearing this, Ping’an laughed even harder.

Even Ji Huan couldn’t help but chuckle.

"But you can’t blame them for wanting to take the whole plate and dish. The presentation was just too beautiful," another attendant chimed in with praise. He felt that even Hongfu Restaurant wasn’t this meticulous with its plating.

Ji Huan said, "No matter how delicious the food is, we can’t change the fact that the ingredients themselves aren’t considered presentable. To get customers to accept them psychologically and be willing to pay, we have to find ways to dress them up and make them seem more high-end. After all, presentation is a form of value."

Xu Laifu asked, "Do we have to do this every time?"

Putting aside whether there was enough space, it was mainly just too time-consuming. Besides, it wasn’t like they could let customers take the plates home. They still had to pack everything up in the end. ’Isn’t this... a bit superfluous?’

Ji Huan waved her hand. "Only at the beginning. It’s a new product. How can you attract people without a little flair? Once they get used to eating it and accept these ingredients from the bottom of their hearts, no longer thinking of them as off-cuts or whatever, we won’t need to do this anymore."

"Then..."

"At that point, we’ll just need to prepare a few sample platters for display. All the other braised foods will be cut, chopped, and sorted into basins. Customers can choose based on the samples, and after they’ve chosen, we can just grab the ready-made portions from the basins and pack them up."

Xu Laifu breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that’s good, that’s good. I thought we’d have to keep..."

"We’re not running a restaurant. There’s no need to spend too much time on this. Otherwise, I would have just bought our own plates instead of borrowing them from Hongfu Building."

"Speaking of which, Miss Ji, your food smells incredible! Just looking at it almost made me drool..." Ping’an pretended to wipe his chin.

"Don’t worry, I saved some for all of you."

Before they started selling, Ji Huan had deliberately set aside some of the braised foods. She divided it in two, having Ping’an take one half back to Yide Hall and letting the two attendants from Hongfu Restaurant take the other half.

After a simple lunch, Ji Huan took Guan Shan and went with Manager Hong to purchase more ingredients.

The reason they finished early today wasn’t just because of the large number of customers, but mainly because they had prepared too little. So, for the next batch, they would definitely have to increase the quantity—in fact, they would have to double it.

One downside of ancient times, however, was that butcher stalls and meat shops were quite scattered. Even if there was a small market, the stalls were all over the place, and it was rare to see them clustered together.

They ran all over town for the entire afternoon before they finally managed to buy everything they needed.

"I’ll take you to all the spots once so you’ll know where to go for future purchases. However, I suggest you arrange for the shop owners to set the ingredients aside for you in advance. Then you can tell Manager Xu to come pick them up every morning before opening..."

The more one got to know Manager Hong, the more one realized how kind and honest he was.

For this braised food venture, he had provided both manpower and effort—it could be said he helped in every way he could.

Of course, he wasn’t entirely without his own motives.

"Mr. Ji, about that braised food platter of yours, could we possibly..."

Manager Hong rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Of course you can."

Ji Huan’s reply was crisp and direct. She appreciated people like him, whose "schemes" and "motives" were written all over their faces.

Manager Hong laughed heartily.

"I get to be the first to partner with you again! Our two businesses are truly fated to work together."

He had pretty much figured out Ji Huan’s way of thinking by now, so he no longer harbored any hopes of an exclusive deal. Just getting a head start was good enough.

Look at Yeyang City now. Whenever anyone mentioned the seasonings from Ji’s Flavor Industry, right after Liuxian Building and Quanju Xuan, their Hongfu Restaurant was always ranked first, wasn’t it?

Their status had more than just doubled! This was something they couldn’t have even dared to imagine before.

"How about we start tomorrow? I know you’re too busy, so we won’t ask you to deliver. I’ll have my manager pick it up personally. We might have to reference your platter’s presentation, though... But don’t worry, we won’t try to take credit for the name. We’ll call the dish ’Ji’s Braised Platter’ in our restaurant."

"No problem."

The two of them chatted as they walked, followed by a young attendant pushing a flat-bed cart.

Guan Shan walked by Ji Huan’s side, subtly shielding her from passersby.

"By the way, Manager Hong, I have to trouble you with something else. Do you know where I can find some especially spicy chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns?"

The braised foods were a huge hit. Whether it was Widow Xie, Ji Xuelan, or today’s customers, no one had anything bad to say about them.

However, that old gourmand who had been the most vocal on the day of the cooking competition had given Ji Huan some feedback.

He thought everything was great, but it would be even better if it were spicier.

This was something Ji Huan wholeheartedly agreed with.

There was nothing wrong with the previous brine recipe. It was suitable for braising most ingredients and could serve as their signature brine.

She decided to make another batch of spicy brine, specifically for braising chicken and duck parts, with duck necks being the main item.

"See if this place will do."

The group turned onto a side street and stopped in front of a shop.

"I heard the chili peppers from this shop are some kind of ’Chili King’..."

Seeing potential customers, the shop owner hurried over to give his pitch.

"A customer with a discerning eye! The chili peppers in my shop are all shipped from Guangzhou Prefecture. They’re the authentic Chili King—not only are they incredibly hot, they also have a rare, fresh fragrance that even peppers from Dian Nan can’t match. And take a look at these Sichuan peppercorns in the bag! Richly fragrant and powerfully numbing. Paired with my Chili King peppers, TSK TSK, the kick is absolutely incredible!"

Ji Huan smelled and tasted each one, then nodded.

The shop owner might have been laying on the praise a bit thick, but the products were indeed high-quality.

"We’ll take these."