Chapter 68: Offering Food
"Master, please calm down. Yifan has never managed a restaurant business before, so it's normal that he can't think of a good solution for the time being. As long as you let him gain some experience, he will be able to develop our Chu family's business in time." Aunt Wang hurried forward to comfort Master Chu.
"A loving mother often spoils her son. It's you who has spoiled him to be like this now. You better get out of here right now." Master Chu not only did not calm down, but became even angrier.
Aunt Wang could only leave quickly. When she returned to her room, she looked at her useless son and said angrily, "I finally managed to get you an opportunity, but you didn't perform well and made your father so angry."
"Mom, that damn old man is biased, so no matter what I say or do, he thinks it's wrong. In his eyes, Chu Yichen is his only good son." Chu Yifan said with a sinister look on his face.
"Don't say such things carelessly. Be careful that someone hears and tells your father. Then we, mother and son, will have a hard time." Aunt Wang looked out the window in panic, then closed all the windows.
"Humph, one day, I will definitely take back all the family property."
In the front hall, Mr. Chu asked, "Chen'er, have you come up with any way to save the business?"
"Dad, I've asked Lao Zhou to lead the chefs to research new dishes. As long as the new dishes are developed, we can win back some of the lost customers."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Dad is getting weaker day by day. Your younger brother doesn't have much brains, and Dad can't rely on him for our huge Chu family business. This burden can only be placed on you. When you become the head of the family in the future, just make sure that the mother and son will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives." Master Chu patted his eldest son's shoulder and said.
"Dad, I know. As long as they don't make big mistakes, I will make sure they have enough food and clothing for the rest of their lives. But if they do something that harms the family, I will never let them off easily."
"Okay, it's getting late. Your mother and I will go back to our room to rest. You should go back and rest as well."
"Yes, Dad."
Mr. Chu went back to his room with the help of his wife. When he was young, Mr. Chu was busy doing business and making money. He got married when he was about 30 years old. Now he is already 45 or 46 years old.
In addition, when he was young, he drank and socialized for business and did not take good care of his body, which resulted in his health getting worse and worse and he has no extra energy to manage the business, so he let his eldest son take over the family business at a young age.
After Chu Yichen returned to his room, he instructed Yuan Ji: "Send someone to check what happened between my father and Boss Ma."
"Yes, young master." Yuanji received the order and went out.
On the second day, the master and servant went to Zuixianju early in the morning. In the past, Zuixianju's business was very stable every day, and he usually just went to the shop to take a look at it at noon.
Ever since the opening of Jixiang Restaurant, their business has been getting worse day by day. He has come to the restaurant early these past two days to see what needs improvement.
Yuanji told Chu Yichen the information his men had found out. No wonder his father was hesitant and refused to explain the reason that day.
It turned out that his father had taken a group of old friends to Yichunyuan to drink and have fun some time ago. His father and Master Ma both asked Yichunyuan's top girl Sisi to perform a dance in the private room. The two refused to give in, and finally Sisi went to his father's private room to perform first.
Mr. Ma lost face in front of his friends and was furious. He felt that the Chu family did not take their Ma family seriously. He could not swallow this humiliation and threatened to destroy their Chu family.
From then on, the Ma family began to purchase shops near their restaurant and convert them into restaurants, with the intention of replacing all of their restaurants in various counties in Lingzhou.
"Young Master, the master of the Ma family is extremely narrow-minded and vindictive. The master has only offended them because of such a small matter, but they actually want to destroy our Chu family's business. This is too cruel." Yuanji complained dissatisfiedly.
"Humph, it's not that easy to bring us down. The financial and human resources invested in opening a high-end restaurant are enormous, and we opened so many branches one by one. The Ma family opened so many high-end restaurants in different counties at once, and the risk is very high. As long as our restaurant develops new dishes and wins back all the customers, their Jixiang Restaurant will lose its revenue. No matter how rich the Ma family is, they can't support the expenses of so many restaurants at the same time. By then, it's hard to say who will bring down whom."
Although Chu Yichen is young, he has actually been working in the business world for several years and a temporary setback will not make him lose his composure.
"Yuanji, inform everyone that the chef who develops a new dish first will be rewarded handsomely. I want to see whether it is the Ma family that ruins us, or we make their store go bankrupt first."
Chu Yichen has been actively trying to save his business these days. He launched a gift-giving campaign for customers who dine in the restaurant. The number of customers who come to eat has indeed increased a little, but he knows that these measures can only work temporarily and are not a long-term solution. The most fundamental solution is to have new dishes.
"Yes, Master, I will go to the kitchen and tell everyone."
Qianhuan saw that the young master had already come to the restaurant, so she told Liu: "Mother, the fire has just been lit, and it will take at least two quarters of an hour for your pot of chestnuts to be cooked. I will go to Zuixianju first to present the recipe of chopped pepper fish head to their young master. You go ahead and do your thing, I will be back as soon as possible."
"Okay, go quickly." Liu was heating the sand in the pot.
After entering Zuixianju, Qianhuan explained her purpose to Shopkeeper Zhou: "Shopkeeper Zhou, I know that the Jixiang Restaurant across the street has had a significant impact on the business of Zuixianju. I have a recipe that I researched myself, and the dish it makes is very delicious. I would like to present this recipe to your young master. I wonder if Shopkeeper Zhou can pass it on for me?"
Shopkeeper Zhou was overjoyed. He had been worrying about new dishes these days, but he didn't expect that the small vendor would say that he had a recipe for their young master. This was like a gift to him, just what he wanted.
He nodded and agreed quickly: "Of course, please wait a moment. I will report to our young master right away."
Shopkeeper Zhou immediately ran upstairs to report the news to Chu Yichen. Upon hearing this, the young man in white immediately ran downstairs.
As soon as he saw Qianhuan waiting in the lobby, Chu Yichen couldn't wait to ask directly: "What's your name, little brother? I heard from Shopkeeper Zhou that you have a dish you want to serve us?"
Chu Yichen still had some impression of this small vendor. He had sent chestnuts to his home several times, and he admired this clever young man very much at that time. However, Chu Yichen had never asked for his name.
"To answer the young master's question, my surname is Liang." Qianhuan answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"I wonder what recipe Brother Liang wants to give us?"
"My dish is called chopped pepper fish head. I wonder if there are any fresh fish heads in the restaurant? I'll go to the kitchen and make it for you to try and you'll know."
Chu Yichen looked at Shopkeeper Zhou, who immediately replied, "Young Master Liang, we have fresh fish in the kitchen. I'll take you there now."
Shopkeeper Zhou led his people to the kitchen as he spoke.
Qianhuan has made this dish of chopped pepper fish head at home several times, and now she is very skilled in making this dish. Today she also brought a can of chopped peppers that she had pickled at home a few days ago. The pickled chopped peppers are paired with freshly cut chili peppers, which makes the steamed fish taste even better.
He asked the restaurant's chefs to cut some red peppers, shredded ginger and garlic for her, and asked them to make some handmade noodles.
The chefs are really good at knife skills. The ginger shreds they cut are of even thickness. Even the chili peppers and garlic look much better than when she cuts them. She believes that if the chefs learn how to cut this dish, they will be able to make it look better and taste better than she does.
Everything was ready. Qianhuan spread the fried chopped pepper on the fish head and started to steam it in the pot. At this time, the chefs had already woken up the dough and were rolling it out.
"Use another pot to boil water and cook the rolled noodles, then scoop them out with a bowl." Qianhuan instructed.