Everyone's gaze turned to the corner, where Xiao Lei sat on a stool, looking completely relaxed.
The chefs and kitchen assistants' facial muscles twitched slightly, trying hard to suppress their laughter.
Master Xiao's mouth was truly venomous; his insults were incredibly harsh.
He didn't give Huang Fusheng and Wang Defa any face at all.
Outside the door, Wang Defa was furious, his face red with anger, his fists clenched tightly.
"Xiao Lei, you... you're completely lawless!" Huang Fusheng was also stamping his feet in anger, pointing at Xiao Lei, "Do you have any discipline? Do you have any conscience? Do you have any respect for Director Wang?!"
After saying that, he didn't forget to ask the others, "Tell me, isn't that right?"
The kitchen remained silent; no one responded to Huang Fusheng.
Master Xiao had worked in the kitchen for ten to twenty years, a formal second-level chef, and his culinary skills were undoubtedly the best in the factory canteen.
Which of the chefs and kitchen assistants present hadn't received his guidance?
They wouldn't dare to eat the food and then criticize the chef.
Huang Fusheng wanted to flatter Wang Defa, but they didn't need to.
Moreover, what Master Xiao said was absolutely correct.
Since Huang Fusheng became the head chef, the quality of the stir-fried dishes he was responsible for had been declining day by day, and as a result, they, the canteen chefs, were constantly being cursed by the workers, unable to hold their heads up.
Back when Master Xiao was the head chef, they were often praised.
"The duck blames the steep slope for its difficulty climbing, and the crab blames the narrow road for its difficulty walking." Xiao Lei sneered, "Zhou Yan learned his skills in the canteen, and he opened a restaurant legitimately. It's his skill that attracts customers. If you put half the effort you use to flatter Wang Defa into cooking, the workers wouldn't curse you so harshly."
"Xiao Lei, you..." Huang Fusheng gritted his teeth.
"Alright, it's almost quitting time, hurry up and prepare the dishes!" Wang Defa walked into the kitchen and said in a deep voice, "Huang Fusheng, come out for a moment."
"Director..." Huang Fusheng quickly put on a fawning smile and followed him out of the kitchen, immediately complaining, "That bastard Xiao Lei, his attitude is lax, he lacks discipline, and he openly insulted you. I think we should find a way to fire him!"
"Fire him? He's been working here longer than me, and he hasn't made any mistakes, how can we fire him?" Wang Defa glared at him. "I heard that Zhou Erwa Restaurant is going to start selling stir-fried dishes today. They're going to compete with our stir-fry dishes. Today is very crucial, you must perform well for me."
"I guarantee I'll perform well!" Huang Fusheng immediately straightened up.
...
"Wang Wei, isn't Zhou Yan's cooking notoriously bad? How did the reputation suddenly reverse? These days, everyone is talking about Zhou Erwa Restaurant during meal times."
"Yes, for the past two months, everyone's been complaining that his cooking was even worse than the cafeteria's mass-produced food. I can't believe the students from the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts would eat there twice in a row."
The two female accountants from the finance department walked towards the factory gate with Wang Wei, their faces full of curiosity.
"I think Zhou Yan just didn't find his niche before. How could one person manage to cook all those dishes on the menu?" Wang Wei brushed her short hair back and smiled, "He's changed his strategy now, only making noodles and cross-legged beef. The taste is even better than state-owned restaurants. I heard he's starting to sell stir-fried and braised dishes today, let's go and try them, keep up with the times."
"We should definitely try it, otherwise we won't be able to join in the gossip with those women in the workshop." Wen Ling nodded.
"I haven't seen Zhou Yan since he stopped working in the cafeteria. Is he still as handsome? Wang Wei, you see him often, you know, right?" Zheng Xiuhui asked, gossiping.
"Hmm, he's still the same." Wang Wei smiled.
She had seen Zhou Yan at his restaurant two days ago. His appearance hadn't changed, but his demeanor was different. He had gone from being dejected and confused to confident and composed.
The improvement in his temperament made him look even more charming, like a young man with a sparkle in his eyes.
The three of them chatted and laughed all the way to Zhou Erwa Restaurant. It was just after closing time, and several tables were already occupied.
"Little sister, be good, come and sit inside." Zhao Tieying said with a smile.
"Okay, Aunt Zhao." Wang Wei replied with a smile, leading the two to an empty table and looking up at the menu board on the wall.
"These prices... a serving of beef with bamboo shoots costs one yuan, it's even more expensive than the small dishes in the cafeteria."
"That's right, braised pork ribs cost one yuan and sixty cents, that's almost my whole day's wage."
Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui were a little stunned, shocked by the prices of the stir-fried and braised dishes.
The customers who came into the shop one after another also hesitated after seeing the prices on the board.
Zhao Tieying was anxious, she opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't explain. If it was her, she would turn around and leave after seeing these prices, regardless of how delicious the food was; it wasn't something she could afford.
"The prices aren't actually that expensive. Our factory canteen buys ingredients with coupons, so the price is almost half of what it is at the farmers' market." Wang Wei explained with a smile. "For individual restaurants like this, beef costs two yuan a jin (approximately 500 grams). A serving of braised or stir-fried beef probably contains three or four ounces of beef, so the cost of the meat alone is sixty cents. Not to mention the cost of side dishes, seasonings, oil, and the rent and labor costs of the restaurant. They barely make two or three cents profit per serving, which is even less than the profit from a bowl of noodles."
Wang Wei didn't deliberately lower her voice when she said this, and everyone else heard it.
Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui were both accountants, so Wang Wei's explanation made sense to them.
"That's true. If they prepare fewer dishes and sell fewer servings, they might even lose money." Wen Ling nodded.
The customers nodded in agreement. She was indeed a factory canteen accountant; her explanation was simple and easy to understand.
This was a clear calculation. Meat prices were already expensive, so the price of the dishes seemed quite reasonable in comparison.
"How about we order two dishes to try?" Zheng Xiuhui asked.
"How about we order a serving of cross-legged beef and another dish, and we'll share?" Wen Ling suggested.
Wang Wei said, "How about the beef with double peppers? Last time I saw them eating the noodles with this, and it looked really appetizing."
"Okay." Wen Ling and Zheng Xiuhui nodded with smiles.
"Aunt Zhao, we'd like to order some dishes." Wang Wei called out, ordering a portion of beef with double peppers and a portion of cross-legged beef, along with three bowls of rice.
"Okay, dears, we will fry it for you right away." Aunt Zhao said happily, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Wang Wei.
This girl is so nice. If it wasn't for her words, she didn't know how they would have managed the situation this lunch time.
Seeing this, the other customers also started ordering.
The braised beef with bamboo shoots and the beef with double peppers were the most popular dishes, while few people ordered the pork ribs, and the crucian carp with perilla leaves, priced at two yuan per serving, was completely ignored.
The freshly stir-fried diced beef with double peppers was served in no time. The peppers were brightly colored, the beef was slightly browned on the surface, coated in a glossy red oil, and the spicy aroma wafted through the air, making all three of them's eyes light up.
"It smells so good! And the portion is quite generous, there's at least three taels of beef, so substantial!" Wen Ling exclaimed.
"This minced beef looks so appetizing, freshly stir-fried." Zheng Xiuhui said, swallowing hard.
"Here you go, girls, your cross-legged beef." Zhao Tieying brought over a serving of cross-legged beef with chili sauce, along with three dipping sauces, three small bowls, and two plates of pickled radishes, smiling and saying, "If you finish the soup, just call me and I'll give you more. There's plenty for everyone."
"Aunt Zhao, if we order one serving of cross-legged beef, can we still have unlimited soup refills? Won't you be losing money?" Wang Wei asked, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Losing money? Unlimited soup refills are our rule. You can drink as much as you want." Zhao Tieying laughed, raising her voice slightly, "It's the same for everyone, free soup refills with the cross-legged beef, don't be shy."
"Okay." the customers replied with smiles.
"Aunt Zhao is so nice. Compared to those rude waitresses in state-owned restaurants, she's absolutely wonderful, even better than the cafeteria ladies." Wang Wei remarked.
"Yes, this meal feels so comforting." Wen Ling nodded, glancing at Wang Wei and smiling, "She'd make a great mother in law, she seems so easy to get along with."
"That makes sense." Zheng Xiuhui nodded, looking at Wang Wei and saying, "Wang Wei, neither of us has a chance anymore as we get married and have children, but you can seize the opportunity."
"What are you two talking about? Just eat your food." Wang Wei said playfully, annoyed that these two office colleagues always liked to tease her.
"Come on, let's each take some of the beef first, two slices each, that's just right." Zheng Xiuhui said with a smile, picking up her chopsticks, dipping a slice of beef in the dipping sauce, and then putting it in her mouth. She was immediately surprised.
The large, thin, and tender slice of beef was incredibly soft, far beyond her imagination, and it had a faint milky aroma, which collided with the spicy dipping sauce on her tongue.
Delicious!
"I'll try this minced beef first." Wen Ling picked up a small spoon, scooped a spoonful of the minced beef with peppers onto her rice, stirred it slightly with her chopsticks, and then took a big bite.
The beef mince, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, was fragrant and spicy, oily and moist, and when chewed together with the fragrant rice, a strong sense of satisfaction arose.
The beef was very fragrant, full of wok aroma, and the combination with the green and red peppers was not only a collision of colors but also a perfect combination of aroma and spiciness.
Last month, she had eaten minced beef at the factory canteen, and the texture and taste were far inferior!
"The minced beef mixed with rice is absolutely delicious, simply amazing!" Wen Ling said to the two sisters, enthusiastically recommending it.
Wang Wei, who was scooping up a bowl of soup, said, "This soup is so fresh! You should try it; the hotter it is, the fresher it tastes. They say it's been simmering for eight hours."
Satisfied customers are undoubtedly the best advertisement.
However, most customers still chose the cross-legged beef.
At sixty cents a serving, it includes meat, soup, and order a portion of rice – enough for one person to enjoy a satisfying meal.
If you're eating with someone else, ordering a few dishes to share makes it even more affordable.
As the dishes were served, compliments poured in.
The customers were very satisfied.
Today marked the first step for Zhou Erwa Restaurant in serving stir-fried and braised dishes.
...
"What kind of Kung Pao Chicken is this? It tastes completely burnt! The peanuts aren't crispy at all!"
"Is this how you're supposed to slice the garlic pork? It's thicker than my shoe sole!"
"Damn it, I can't take it anymore!"
"Huang Fusheng, come out and taste it yourself! Is this even fit for human consumption?"
In the factory canteen, in the dining area in front of the stir-fry section, Zhao Dong angrily shouted, banging his fist on the table.
The workers who were eating all looked at him, as if he was a hero who had stood up for them.