Zhou Yan immediately beamed and nodded. "You bet! Which cold dishes would you like to order, Uncle?"

"The same ones you had today. Just handle everything for me, and have them delivered before lunch the day after tomorrow, ready to serve."

"I’ll make sure they get there!"

In just a few moments, several people had gathered around to order braised dishes and cold-dressed chicken from Zhou Yan. They were all for small, private banquets of three to five tables.

For events like these, people usually didn’t hire a professional caterer. Instead, they’d find the best cook among their relatives to take charge of the kitchen and supplement the meal with some store-bought braised meats and cold dishes. This kept costs down.

Zhou Yan took out a small notebook and jotted down the times and locations.

Not that he delivered every order, however.

"Sir, for these two plates of pig ears, how about you swing by the shop to pick them up when you’re in town buying groceries? A round trip to South Village takes over half an hour," Zhou Yan said with a smile, politely declining a delivery request.

’If there’s no delivery fee, having a minimum for delivery is perfectly reasonable, right?’

They were all friends or relatives, so everyone was understanding.

For any order of more than five tables within Suji Town, Zhou Yan would provide delivery. Those were considered large orders.

’You have to be flexible when you’re running a business.’

After the crowd dispersed, Zhou Yan walked back over to Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang.

The two of them were holding a piece of paper, grinning from ear to ear.

"How many orders did you book?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.

"Six," Zheng Qiang said, holding up his fingers. He looked at Zhou Yan with admiration. "Junior Brother, you’re incredible!"

"It’s the three of us who are incredible. This is the reputation we’ve all built with our skills," Zhou Yan said with a dismissive wave.

"Three orders for this month, two for next month, and one for the month after that." Zheng Qiang handed the paper to Zhou Yan and said with a smile, "Two of this month’s orders want you to deliver the cold dishes, same quality as today’s. You should jot down the dates and table counts for now. I’ll get in touch two days before each event to confirm the final numbers."

"That’s fantastic! These are huge orders." Zhou Yan gleefully took the paper and copied the details into his small notebook.

One was on the 8th, and another on the 16th. Both were in Suji Town—one for twenty tables, the other for thirty-eight. This was big business!

’See? This is what you call a win-win situation through mutual support.’

Xiao Lei added, "You should make the cold dishes for the other four jobs, too. I’ll cut you in on the profit."

"If the hosts didn’t specifically ask for me, I’ll pass. Master, your braising skills were top-notch back at the canteen. By the time the third banquet comes around, your master stock will be well-seasoned. You two should earn this money for yourselves." Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile. "Besides, I have to focus on the restaurant. I just don’t have the time."

"Alright." Xiao Lei nodded and didn’t press the issue.

Zhou Yan set up a card table for them, then rode his bike back to the restaurant.

Zhou Yan didn’t involve himself in how his master and Zheng Qiang would split the money. His master was a veteran with decades of experience, and he was also Zheng Qiang’s senior. He would certainly divide the money fairly.

At three yuan per table, split between the two of them, the income was quite respectable.

’Once those two get their coordination down, it’ll be no problem for one of them to handle the cold dishes. If they cut me in on that, we’d be splitting a few dozen yuan three ways. How much would that really amount to per month?’

’My restaurant is already clearing over a hundred yuan in profit a day. Once I start selling braised dishes, there’s even more room for that to grow.’

’Focusing on my own restaurant is what I should be doing now. I can’t expect to pocket every single cent to be made in this market.’

’If my master and Zheng Qiang ever decide to open a proper restaurant for banquets, I’d definitely be interested in investing.’

’In a few years, when living standards are better and people start caring more about making a splash, a banquet hall would be extremely profitable.’

Back in the restaurant’s kitchen, Zhou Yan used a slotted spoon to skim all the meat dregs out of the master stock. He then wrapped the spoon in cheesecloth and strained it a second time to ensure not a single particle remained. After that, he replenished the water, coloring, and salt, then brought the stock back to a rolling boil.

A master stock had to be carefully maintained. This process needed to be repeated every time after braising meat; otherwise, the stock would turn sour by the next day.

The guests’ feedback today had been overwhelmingly positive, giving Zhou Yan a profound new appreciation for the value of this pot of master stock.

As long as he maintained this pot of stock properly, it alone could guarantee he’d live a comfortable life.

[Ding! Side Quest triggered: The Legacy of Zhang’s Braised Shop.]

[Suji’s Zhang’s Braised Shop was founded by Zhang Shufen in 1930 and, over the decades, became a cherished culinary memory for Suji’s older generation.]

[The Player has successfully become an apprentice to Zhang Shufen, triggering the legacy quest: Sell 500 portions of braised dishes to reawaken the culinary memories of Suji’s older diners and restore the fame of Zhang’s Braised Shop in Suji. Quest Reward: Unknown. Accept: Yes/No]

Zhou Yan, who was tending the fire, raised an eyebrow. ’A system quest! It’s been a while!’

’Five hundred portions. That’s a medium-difficulty quest. It’s doable, but it’ll take some time.’

He decided to start selling the braised dishes tomorrow, beginning with the braised pig’s head and cold-dressed chicken. He would limit the quantity of braised beef shank for now, sticking to his usual method of gradually increasing supply to minimize waste.

While the master stock simmered over low-medium heat, Zhou Yan took out a pen and paper, calculated his costs, and started setting prices.

The raw, deboned pig’s head meat cost sixty cents a jin. After braising, it would shrink by twenty to thirty percent. Each cooking session also used up a significant amount of master stock, which was another added cost.

Braised pig ears and snouts were scarcer, and people preferred them as snacks to go with drinks, so their price should be higher—he’d set it at 3 yuan per jin.

Braised pig’s head meat would be 2.5 yuan per jin. Cold-dressed chicken, also 2.5 yuan per jin.

Braised beef had a higher cost, so he priced it at 4 yuan per jin.

The gross profit margin on the braised beef was only about 30%, and Zhou Yan suspected it wouldn’t sell very well anyway.

The price was undeniably steep. For a snack to go with drinks, the pig’s head meat and cold-dressed chicken offered much better value.

None of the three braised dish stalls at the factory entrance sold braised beef.

This pricing was twenty to thirty cents per jin more expensive than the stalls at the factory entrance. Calculated on a per-pig’s-head basis, after deducting all costs, his gross margin would be around 55%.

There was a reason for the higher price. The caramelized sugar and spices he used in his master stock were top-quality, and Zhou Yan was confident his braised dishes would taste better than his competitors’.

When the old woman had been giving him pointers earlier, they had discussed pricing. Back when she sold her braised dishes, her prices were always thirty percent higher than any other shop in Suji Town.

Even so, her braised dishes were always in high demand, and she would sell out by noon every day.

This pricing strategy, on one hand, allowed him to earn more from the same hundred jin of meat. On the other hand, it was a way to leave some room for his competitors to survive, saving him from their envy and resentment.

Zhou Yan’s pricing was already quite conservative, all things considered.

Next, Zhou Yan set the prices for his dine-in portions.

A portion of pig ears and snout would be three liang of meat, sliced thinly to fill a plate, for 1 yuan. A portion of pig’s head meat or cold-dressed chicken would be four liang of meat, also for 1 yuan. The per-portion price was basically the same as the by-weight price.

A four-liang portion of braised beef would be 1.6 yuan.

If the braised beef didn’t sell well, Zhou Yan considered making it a pre-order item. He would only prepare it for customers who ordered a day in advance; otherwise, it would just be listed as sold out.

After finalizing the prices, Zhou Yan took some pre-cut wooden boards from a cabinet and began writing out the menu. He made sure to list the exact portion size for each dish so customers knew precisely what they were getting.

’Running a restaurant was never simple. There were so many little details to handle.’

Once he started selling braised dishes, the kitchen would become even busier.

The pig’s head meat, ears, and snout would have to be sliced to order, and the cold-dressed chicken mixed fresh. This would guarantee the best texture.

Zhou Yan wondered if he should hire a prep cook with good Knife Skills, who could be responsible for slicing the braised meats out front. That would be the only way the kitchen could keep up during peak hours.

Alternatively, he could focus on the one-hour rush after the textile factory shift ended. He could pre-slice the pig ears, head meat, and chicken, and have Mrs. Zhao just handle weighing and packing. Zhou Yan himself could manage the slicing and mixing for dine-in orders in the kitchen. That way, he wouldn’t have to hire anyone new just yet.

With five new boards hung on the wall, the menu looked significantly more robust.

Most of the braised dish sales would likely be for takeout. In addition to expanding the menu, this would also broaden his customer base and directly boost revenue.

Once the master stock was boiling, he removed the heat source. Zhou Yan covered the pot, locked the lid, and headed out.

The textile factory was closed today, but a few vendors had still set up their stalls by the entrance.

The workers who lived in the dormitories would still wander over for a bite on their days off, so there was always some business to be had.

"Boss Zhou, you came in on a Sunday?" someone called out to him.

Zhou Yan squeezed his brakes and looked back. It was the owner of the sweet-skin duck stall, smiling at him. He had a round face, a slightly chubby build, and was about thirty years old. He wore a gray smock, and his thick, naturally curly hair looked so much like a heavy wig that if you weren’t paying close attention, you might mistake him for a kindly aunty.

This was Zhao Minghui, a man from Jiajiang Mucun Town, who came from a long line of duck chefs.

He’d eaten at Zhou’s restaurant a few times when it first opened, and they’d gotten to know each other. They were on pretty good terms.

Behind the stall was a lounge chair where a short-haired, slightly plump woman was napping, a smock covering her as she held a little girl in her arms. It was his wife and young daughter.

"Yeah, just came by to grab a few things. You’re out here selling today, Old Zhao?" Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Yep. I only made two today. Just have half a duck left to sell, then I’m heading home." Zhao Minghui nodded and pointed to a plate on his stall. "I’ve also got two braised duck heads left. Want one?"

Zhou Yan followed his finger with his eyes.

[Two unremarkable braised duck heads]

[Half a decent sweet-skin duck]

"No, thanks. I ate at that banquet today, and I’m still stuffed." Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile. ’Old Zhao is a pro when it comes to duck, but his braised duck heads are a little lacking.’

"Then have some of these salt-braised peanuts. I made them for myself this morning as a snack; they’re not even for sale." Zhao Minghui walked over and pressed a handful of peanuts into Zhou Yan’s hand. "Your business has been doing so well lately," he said with a smile. "I’m really happy for you. Looks like you’re on solid ground now, huh?"

"Business is okay. At least I don’t have to shut down now." Zhou Yan put his kickstand down, shelled a peanut, and popped it into his mouth. The braised flavor was rich, the salt level was perfect, and it was wonderfully aromatic.

[A decent braised peanut]

"These braised peanuts are tastier than your braised duck heads. Why don’t you try selling these instead of the heads?" Zhou Yan suggested in all seriousness.

"Really?" Zhao Minghui’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. "I was thinking the same thing! I’ve tweaked this peanut recipe dozens of times to get it just right. This is the final version. I wanted to sell them, but my wife said no one would buy them."

"They’re perfect with drinks, why would no one want them?" Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Here’s what you do: for the next week, every time a customer buys a duck, give them a few peanuts to try. If someone just stops to look, give them a few, too. Build up your reputation first. Let people know you’ve got braised peanuts for sale and that they’re delicious."

"Even if you give samples away for a whole week, you’ll go through ten jin of peanuts at most. It won’t cost you much. Then, the week after that, you can start selling them. Put them somewhere prominent on your stall with a clearly marked price. They’re sure to sell."

The more Zhao Minghui listened, the brighter his eyes shone. He couldn’t help but clap his hands. "That’s a brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of that? Zhou Yan, you’ve got a sharp mind!"

"Just give it a try. I think these peanuts will sell better than your duck heads. Peanuts are cheap, and they even gain weight after you braise them. Sell them for forty cents a jin—a fifty percent profit margin sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?" Zhou Yan ate another peanut and pocketed the rest to take back to Zhou Momo.

"You bet! I’ll start giving out samples tomorrow." Zhao Minghui nodded, his face beaming, and asked casually, "I saw you came by this morning, too. Were you moving some things?"

"Oh, my cousin’s getting married, so I braised some pig’s head meat and beef for him." Zhou Yan kicked up his kickstand, ready to leave.

"Braised dishes?" Zhao Minghui froze for a moment, looking at him in surprise. "You’re going to start selling braised dishes, too?"

Zhou Yan smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry. I’m not doing duck."

Zhao Minghui: ...