dmims Chapter 32 Low Profit, High Volume
Chapter 32 Low Profit, High Volume
"Old Zhang, how do you manage to keep this business going?"
None of these things cost more than the base price. Does your child's schooling not cost money?
Zhu Gan took a sip of baijiu, his eyes fixed on the menu on the wall.
Most of them cost three to five yuan. There's a sign at the entrance that says "one yuan a bowl of noodles," and the one next to it with vegetables and an egg is probably the one.
"How much can you earn by staying near a hospital?"
"That kid can go or not, it's up to him. If he doesn't study hard, he'll be a porter at the docks!"
"You have such a kind heart. After you die, I'll have someone erect a monument and write your biography."
Zhu Gan tilted his head back and drank the last mouthful of baijiu. There was still half a beef shank left on the table, but he didn't think about taking it.
The three people outside the door were still chatting, and Zhang Yuanchao could see the shy look in his apprentice's eyes.
This, of course, did not escape Zhu Gan's notice.
"Does this mean he's tacitly agreeing? Should we tell his parents?"
"There aren't many rules back home; as long as the child is well-behaved, that's fine."
"Then I'll be waiting to attend the wedding!"
He kicked the bottle back into his arms, then popped a peanut into his mouth before leaving.
At the beginning of the new millennium, Jinchuan City was full of vitality, with everything flourishing.
People on the road have switched from bicycles to cars, and workers can now add a side dish to their noodles.
"Zhang Cheng! You brat, you stole money, didn't you!"
The child kneeling on the ground was crying loudly. He had just returned from swimming at the beach with his classmates, and the sand in his flip-flops was making Zhang Chengzhi itchy.
"What money did I steal!"
There were three hundred-yuan bills in the drawer, but now there's only one left. If you didn't touch it, who did?
"If Brother Fan isn't in the house, who else could it be?"
The rolling pin left three red marks on Zhang Cheng's leg, and even the other diners couldn't help but come over to advise him.
Even the nearly eighty-year-old customer's attempts to mediate couldn't stop the fourth red mark on Zhang Cheng's buttocks.
"Just kill me! Then who'll carry your banner after that!"
"You little brat, you're threatening me now!"
Just as the rolling pin was about to come crashing down, Fan Qiusheng, who had just rushed back from outside, ran to the two of them and snatched the rolling pin away.
"Master, what are you doing!"
"Don't stop me! This brat dared to steal money from home today; tomorrow he'll go out and kill someone!"
"What the hell? Stealing money? I took the two hundred yuan from the drawer!"
"After you finished your work at noon, didn't you ask me to go and get four bags of flour?"
Fan Qiusheng had a large white stain on his shoulder, and a 50-kilogram bag of Fuqiang flour lay at the door.
At this point, Zhang Yuanchao remembered mentioning it before, but he had completely forgotten about it after waking up.
But since the child has already been hit, you can't just deny your mistake.
"That number isn't right either. Last time, a bag of flour only cost sixty. I saw they took all the change, so the rest must have ended up in this kid's pocket!"
He was about to raise the rolling pin again, but Fan Qiusheng snatched it away and threw it at the door.
"Master, the price has gone up!"
A bag of Fuqiang flour has gone up to 80 yuan; it's been on the news these past couple of days!
Wei Min, who was standing at the door, was pulling a cart and staring blankly at the three of them. Just now, someone threw a stick at him and almost hit him.
Fan Qiusheng also heard the creaking sound of the cart stopping and hurriedly shouted:
"Weimin, tell me how much I spent on these four bags of flour!"
"The total is 320. Brother Qiu Sheng only gave 281. Uncle Zhang, will you pay the rest in cash or put it on your tab?"
With the corroboration of a second person, Zhang Cheng, who was kneeling on the ground, cried even more vigorously.
Perhaps because of the pain in his back, he lay on the ground and wailed.
"I told them I didn't take the money, but they still beat me!"
"Stop howling! There are still so many guests! Go back upstairs and do your homework!"
Fan Qiusheng hurriedly pulled Zhang Cheng up from the ground. At this moment, he dared not say another word.
Zhang Yuanchao returned to the kitchen, washed another cucumber, and sat on a small stool, looking sullen.
He still couldn't remember why he got angry whenever he saw his son, as if he had a knot in his stomach.
In his middle age, he replaced his old black factory chef's uniform with a white apron, which Qiu Sheng bought for him, saying it would look cleaner.
"Qiusheng, when your aunt comes back, you must put in a good word for me."
"Master, may you have good fortune."
"You silly child!"
03 was a special year, and the usually bustling noodle shops were much less crowded than usual.
But the hospital was still bustling with people, though they were all wearing cotton masks.
Zhu Gan has started selling steamed buns from a paper bag at the door, but most people still choose to go home to eat them.
"Old Zhang, aren't you going to raise the price of your noodles? It's been this price for three years, and now I'm selling vegetarian buns for 80 cents each."
With flour and labor costs rising, thankfully we both own our own houses, otherwise we really wouldn't be able to make ends meet!
"What's the point of raising prices? Profit margins are thin, so be it. The economy's bad right now. Smoke less; it's bad for your health."
Two shop owners squatted on the street, watching the passersby.
Zhang Yuanchao was still squatting in the upwind position. Ever since he quit smoking, he had hated secondhand smoke.
"Why would anyone want to open a shop when the economy is so bad?"
Zhu Gan pursed his lips and gestured for Zhang Yuanchao to look across the street, where a shop was undergoing final renovations.
"I've inquired about it, and they say it's a fast food restaurant, probably selling hamburgers. I doubt it'll last long."
Last year we were able to save some money, but since grain prices went up this month, I think we won't have any money to go home for the New Year this year!
"Why don't you do what I did? A smaller profit margin might make things much better."
"fart!"
Zhu Gan straightened his back and stomped out the cigarette butt with a heavy step.
"Go and be a living Buddha!"
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked south. Zhang Yuanchao could still hear the guy cursing and swearing.
There's no point in squatting here. The mother and daughter standing at the entrance of the noodle shop cautiously peering into the house also piqued Zhang Yuanchao's interest.
"Auntie, what would you like to eat? Come in and have a bite!"
"No, no, I don't need it. I still have a pancake in my bag. I'll just get my daughter a bowl of noodles. The owner can give me a bowl of noodle soup if he wants."
"Mom, let's each have a bowl of discounted noodles. I'll feel awkward going in if you don't eat."
The old woman was hunched over, her sallow eyes sunken inwards. Her hand, which was about to take a pancake out of her bundle, was covered by Zhang Yuanchao, but the smile on her face did not look like that of a good person.
"Auntie, come in and have a bite! The pancakes are waiting for you to eat tonight!"
Despite Zhang Yuanchao's aggressive sales tactics, the mother and daughter followed him into the house.
There weren't many people around at this time. The old woman sitting on the chair lowered her head nervously. Even if it was just a bowl of plain noodles with thin broth, it would still hurt her heart to spend a dollar.
But the owner had already ordered two bowls of discounted noodles from the kitchen, so she couldn't bring herself to go out.
"Here you go, two bowls of noodles, enjoy!"
Two bowls of thin noodles were served, with no scallions on top, only half a layer of green vegetables.
The old woman stared in shock at the shredded chicken floating in the large bowl, which was covered in noodles and glistening with oil.
"Auntie, I don't have time to chop the scallions, so just eat these two scallions!"
Unpeeled scallions were placed on the corner of the table. Zhang Yuanchao took two yuan and turned to walk towards the kitchen, leaving only the mother and daughter eating noodles in the front hall.
"Mom! There's meat inside!"
"Oh? You ate it all up, don't leave any. I'll give you what's in my bowl too."
"No, it's a big piece, you'll have to eat it yourself!"
The old woman ate slowly, and just as she was about to take her second bite, a huge piece of meat rib floated up from the bowl.
With slightly red eyes, I was just about to get up to thank the somewhat fierce-looking boss when I felt a gust of wind blow past me.
"You bastard, surnamed Zhang, did you break my son?!"