Chapter 107: The Culinary Tycoon

Grand Opening of the Restaurant

Two days after posting the job advertisement, several experienced waiters came one after another. Yu Qingze interviewed each of them in the backyard and selected one.

That morning, when Boss Qin came to have some dim sum, he saw Yu Qingze hiring waiters and recommended someone to him. It was Xiao Cong, a former waiter at his teahouse.

“Xiao Cong is a smart and diligent boy with a strong sense of loyalty. He only has an elderly parent at home. I felt sorry for him before, so I let him work as a waiter at my teahouse. He was only ten years old at that time and has been working there for seven years. Now he’s seventeen. In the past two years, my teahouse hasn’t been doing well, and the other waiters left after losing their tips, but he stayed. He said he would work for me for as long as my teahouse remains open.”

Yu Qingze had some recollection of the waiter he saw at the teahouse that day and asked, “What is he doing now?”

Boss Qin replied, “There haven’t been many restaurants in the city hiring waiters recently, so he started selling hawthorn candy gourds on his own.”

If Boss Qin gave such a recommendation, the person must be reliable. Yu Qingze said, “Could you please ask him if he is willing to come and work here?”

Boss Qin exclaimed with surprise, “You agreed?”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “You recommended him, so he must be good.”

“In that case, I’ll go and ask him right away.”

It didn’t take long for Xiao Cong to arrive.

“Boss Yu, I heard that you are hiring waiters here. I’ve been working as a waiter at a teahouse for seven years. Could you take a look and see if I’m suitable?” Xiao Cong entered and saw Yu Qingze without any hesitation. He didn’t mention that he was recommended by Boss Qin, and he directly spoke with a smile.

Yu Qingze nodded inwardly and said, “I’ve seen you at the teahouse. I heard that you’re selling hawthorn candy gourds now?”

“Boss Yu has a good memory. It’s hard to find opportunities in the city recently, so I’m just making a living by selling hawthorn candy gourds.”

“I heard that you’ve been working as a waiter at the teahouse since you were ten?”

“Yes, I was young back then and didn’t know anything. It was Boss Qin’s kindness that gave me a job. Boss Yu, I heard that you’re opening a new restaurant? I haven’t worked at a restaurant before, but I have a good memory and learn quickly. I don’t know if I meet your requirements?”

“That’s not a problem. Have you encountered many troublemaking customers?”

“Quite a few. Most of the teahouse customers are elderly people, idle young masters, and some businesspeople discussing matters. Some customers have short tempers and can get into arguments with their companions. I’ve even witnessed several fights…”

Yu Qingze chatted with Xiao Cong for a while and then decided to keep him. Xiao Cong was clever, quick to react, and had experience in handling unruly customers. The customers he had served before were from affluent families, so Yu Qingze assigned him to work as a waiter in the private rooms on the second floor.

Over the next two days, Yu Qingze met several more candidates and finally chose the older ger, Da Hui, to stay.

With the team assembled, Yu Qingze immediately rented a four-room house based on the number of villagers needing accommodation. He then placed the bunk beds that they had previously arranged with the village chief inside, and they could move in right away.

Afterward, he gathered all the employees and conducted training for them in the backyard of the snack shop.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

A total of thirteen people, including three villagers, were exchanged with the snack shop. Xiao Shu, Brother Qing, and Xiao Hai were transferred over.

Yu Qingze hung a large wooden board on the osmanthus tree, on which he wrote the menu for the opening. There were a total of thirty dishes, including six cold dishes, fifteen hot dishes, three soups, three main courses, and three desserts.

These were the dishes he selected after combining the cooking skills of Chang Le and Jiabao. They would need someone to handle the cash register at the counter, and at least two people to cook in order to ensure the speed of serving. All three of them had learned both cooking and cashier duties, so they could take turns resting at the counter when they got tired from cooking.

Yu Qingze required all the employees to memorize the names and features of each dish, the main ingredients, whether it was salty or sweet, spicy or not, and approximately how long it would take to prepare.

He also asked the two uncles responsible for cleaning and washing dishes to try their best to remember. He told them that if they did well, they might be transferred to the front to work as waiters.

There was a difference in monthly wages between waiters and those responsible for cleaning and washing dishes. The two uncles in charge of cleaning and dishwashing were quite enthusiastic and listened carefully to Yu Qingze’s explanations.

Every day, he would describe the characteristics of four dishes and even show them the actual dishes to help them memorize.

After finishing the menu, he began to train them in some knowledge required by hotel waiters in his previous life. For example, taking orders—reminding the staff to inquire about the customers’ preferences, guiding them to choose dishes with shorter preparation times if they order dishes that take a long time to make, coordinating hot and cold dishes, and paying attention to the timing to avoid keeping customers waiting at empty tables.

Yu Qingze trained them on everything he knew and could think of, conducting practical exercises to ensure that everyone had a basic understanding.

After completing the training for the entire team, Yu Qingze provided special training to two recruits specifically hired for washing and cutting vegetables. These were honest young men whom he planned to groom as future chefs, if all went well.

After more than twenty days of training, the employees had passed the basic requirements, and the renovation of the new establishment was also completed.

Yu Qingze led the team to clean the new premises, arrange the tables and chairs neatly, ensure that all utensils were in place, decorate with some potted plants, tidy up the interior, hang the signboard, and cover it with a red cloth. With everything in order, they selected an auspicious day and prepared to open.

On the 15th day of the ninth month, at the hour of snake (between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM), Yu Qingze’s first restaurant, Yu’s House of Prosperity, officially opened.

As usual, Yu Qingze invited a lion dance troupe to perform, and he also invited the Cai and Zhao families, as well as Madam Zhao, to attend the opening. Many loyal customers of the snack shop also came to join the celebration, along with passersby, making the opening ceremony lively and bustling.

To celebrate the opening, there was a three-day period during which customers could enjoy a 20% discount on their meals.

After the conclusion of the opening ceremony, around noon, some customers decided to sit inside the restaurant, enjoying tea and chatting.

They were attracted by the reputation of Yu’s brand and Yu Qingze’s culinary skills.

The people from the Cai and Zhao families gathered at a large private room and sat together. Some of them had tasted Yu Qingze’s dishes at the gratitude banquet held at the Cai residence. Upon hearing about the opening of his restaurant, they brought their families to dine there, indirectly giving face to the Cai family.

Yu Qingze and Chang Le went into the kitchen to start their work after the customers had placed their orders.

In terms of ordering, Yu Qingze didn’t follow the old-fashioned method prevalent in Tongshan City, where the menu was solely reliant on the memory of the waitstaff and chefs.

He numbered each dish on the menu and displayed it on the wall behind the counter and in the kitchen. He also bought some inexpensive paper and cut it into small pieces.

After customers finished ordering, the waitstaff would inform Jiabao at the counter. Jiabao would write down the table number and the corresponding dish number on a small piece of paper and pass it to the kitchen through the waitstaff. Yu Qingze and Chang Le would then refer to the menu while preparing the dishes, avoiding confusion or mistakes caused by relying solely on memory.

Each dish was presented one by one, and when the customers took their first bite, they were once again amazed.

The flavors were extraordinary!

They were already familiar with the several cold dishes and steamed dishes in the snack shop, but now they tasted the stir-fried dishes and found that the flavors seemed even better than those of the snack shop’s dishes.

There were also many unfamiliar dish names. Dishes like “Fish Head with Chopped Chili,” “Fish-Flavored Eggplant,” “Boiled Sliced Pork,” “Ants Climbing a Tree” – they had never heard of these before!

And most importantly, they were all incredibly delicious!

Look at this Twice-Cooked Pork. It glistened with oil, had a rich meaty aroma, and the meat itself was fatty but not greasy. The slightly spicy flavor also had a hint of sweetness.

Now try this Braised Lion’s Head Meatball. The fragrance wafted up, and with one bite, it revealed a fresh and savory taste. The broth was full-bodied, and the vibrant green vegetables on the side absorbed any excess oil, making it not the least bit greasy, only fragrant!

The customers who were already enjoying their meals couldn’t stop praising the food, while the customers who were still waiting for their dishes could only long for the tantalizing aroma and listen to the compliments of others.

At noon, a few esteemed guests arrived at the restaurant – Luo Mingda and his family.

The staff at the entrance didn’t recognize Luo Mingda, but when Jiabao saw him, he quickly went up to greet him.

“Lord Luo, Madam Luo, young master, welcome.”

Luo Mingda had met Jiabao before, and he immediately smiled and said, “I heard about Boss Yu’s restaurant opening, so I came to taste it. Do you have a private room available?”

“There happens to be one vacant upstairs. Lord Luo, please follow me upstairs.” Jiabao led them upstairs, made arrangements, instructed the waiters to serve them well, and then quickly went to the kitchen to inform Yu Qingze that County Magistrate Luo’s family had arrived and were in the Ink Plum Pavilion upstairs.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow, not too surprised. For the past few months, Luo Mingda’s servants would come to the shop every day to buy takeout dim sum. Their demands for food were exceptionally refined.

“Alright, make sure the staff on the second floor takes good care of them,” Yu Qingze replied.

“I’ve taken care of it. Should I inform the people from the Cai and Zhao families?”

“Just quietly mention it to Master Luo, remind him, and he’ll know what to do.”

“Alright, then, Big Brother, I’ll go now.”

“Good.”

Meanwhile, in the Xiang Man Yuan, half a street away, Shi Sheng poured a cup of tea for Jia Xiaoren and said, “Husband, Yu’s new restaurant opened today, and it’s quite lively. I sent someone to take a look, and it’s completely full. I heard that County Magistrate Luo’s family also went.”

Jia Xiaoren took a sip of tea, set down the teacup, pulled Shi Sheng into his lap, pinched his waist, and playfully lifted his chin, saying, “What’s wrong, my dear? Are you anxious?”

Shi Sheng hugged Jia Xiaoren’s neck and tenderly replied, “I’m not anxious at all. I trust you, my husband. I’m just a little worried about whether it will affect our restaurant’s business.”

Jia Xiaoren smiled and gave him a kiss on the lips, saying, “Don’t worry. When a new restaurant opens, it’s always lively for a while. Besides, he has connections with the Cai Residence and Zhao Residence, so the business won’t be bad. But anyone who dares to compete with me for business will have to go home and grow sweet potatoes.”

“I trust you, my husband. You’re the best,” Shi Sheng chuckled softly, kissed Jia Xiaoren’s face, and then nestled on his shoulder, his eyes immediately turning cold.

Yu Qingze, Chang Le, and that waiter, he wouldn’t let any of them go.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Author’s Note: Shi Sheng is Jia Xiaoren’s concubine.

As for how they got together, there’s a story behind it.

The story is not over yet. He still has a role to play in driving the plot.

In any case, he will have his own ending.

Thandar: Thank you, author. I thought he was the main wife. On the side note, who would marry him as a main wife with his reputation of stealing someone else’s fiance in public.