CH 62

Sleeping Together?

After finishing their meal, the Cai family didn’t stay for long. With so many customers in the shop, they didn’t want to occupy the seats for too long. They bid farewell to Yu Qingze and prepared to go back.

Cai Yunwei didn’t want to go back yet. He wanted to play a little longer, but seeing Chang Hao and Jiabao busy with their work, it was impossible for them to accompany him. So, he looked at his brother with hopeful eyes, hoping that his brother would take him out to play.

Cai Chenxi also felt sorry for his younger brother, who had been confined at home for more than ten years. He discussed with his grandfather and uncle, and then took his brother for a stroll before returning.

After seeing off the Cai family, Yu Qingze noticed that the shop had become livelier than before.

Yu Qingze chuckled. He presumed that the customers who were familiar with Old Master Cai and Old Master Zhao subconsciously lowered their voices while dining in the same hall as them, so as not to disturb their tranquility.

Now that they had left, the customers relaxed, and the volume of their conversations increased.

Yu Qingze listened to their discussions, which mostly revolved around Old Master Cai and Old Master Zhao. Some were planning to come to the restaurant for breakfast in the future, impressed by the delicious food.

The unexpected visit of the two elderly gentlemen today pleasantly surprised Yu Qingze. It was indeed a good thing.

The prestige of the Cai Family in Tongshan City went without saying, and the Zhao Family was also a renowned aristocratic family in the city. Many shops on the street belonged to them, and they were either the richest or the second richest family in Tongshan City.

Today, the two elderly gentlemen not only participated in the shops’s opening lion dance performance but also unveiled the signboard, which was clearly showing their support. Moreover, there were Old Master Cai’s grandson, Cai Chenxi, and Old Master Zhao’s grandson, Jiang Tianrui, both newly appointed jurens.

In the future, within Tongshan City, other aristocratic families would have to consider the face of the Cai and Zhao Families and show them deference. Even those who were dissatisfied and wanted to interfere with his small shop would have to carefully weigh their own influence and consider whether it was worth risking the wrath of these two prominent families.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

It can be said that the two elderly gentlemen have provided him with a protective umbrella. Although he didn’t know why Old Master Zhao from the Zhao Family also came, it was definitely more than just making longevity peach buns for him at the birthday banquet. Yu Qingze pondered and speculated that it was probably related to the Cai Family.

Just as he was thinking, a customer approached to settle the bill.

“Boss Yu, are you not making Liangpi anymore?” a regular customer who operated a snack stall asked Yu Qingze while paying for his snacks.

Yu Qingze shook his head and replied, “It’s getting colder now, so we’re not making it for the time being. The restaurant is too busy.”

It was already late September, and the weather was changing every day. In a little while, people would have to start wearing two layers of clothing.

The customer expressed some regret and said, “I really liked eating it.”

Yu Qingze smiled and said, “You can buy dried liangpi at the West Street market and make it at home. It will satisfy your craving.”

Previously, when they were hiring, Wen Li wanted him to hire his younger son Brother Yue to work at the restaurant. However, Yu Qingze firmly rejected the idea. He had decided not to make Liangpi in the restaurant anymore because he was afraid Wen Li would bother them every day. Instead, he allowed Wen Li to make and sell Liangpi in the city, but he was not allowed to reveal the recipe.

Wen Li was also worried. When he made Liangpi before, he promised to supply only to Yu Qingze and not sell it in the city, and he kept his word. But now that Yu Qingze’s snack shop no longer served Liangpi, wouldn’t they revert back to square one?

Upon hearing that Yu Qingze permitted them to sell on the street, Wen Li stopped mentioning Brother Yue’s matter and happily went home. If they could sell Liangpi, they would still have income. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to sell the recipe. If everyone knew how to make it, how would they make money?

Upon hearing Yu Qingze’s words, the customer was pleasantly surprised and asked, “Really? Liangpi is available in the market?”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Yes, you should be able to find it if you go to the market tomorrow morning.”

“Great!” The customer settled the bill and went off to find a seat.

During lunchtime, the snack shop experienced a peak in customers.

Some passing merchants noticed the crowded shop and assumed that the taste must be good, so they decided to eat there. They traveled extensively, facing hardships along the way. The only consolation in each city they visited was the local delicacies. They needed to reward their stomachs so that they would have the motivation to continue their arduous journey.

Yu’s Delicious Delights truly lived up to their expectations by serving incredibly delicious snacks and dim sum. Having traveled to many places, they could confidently say that this was the best they had ever tasted.

After finishing their meal, they packed some snacks for the next two meals. Having too many would cause the snacks to spoil.

On the long journey, only good food could ease their worries.

As for the locals who didn’t enter the shop in the morning because they weren’t hungry or were still hesitant, they immediately decided to come and try the food after hearing the feedback from those who had already eaten.

After tasting the food, they couldn’t help but praise it. Boss Yu’s creations never failed to impress! They quickly bought more to take home and share with their families.

The advantage of these snacks compared to Yu’s Delicious Delights’ previous dishes was that they could be easily packed. Previously, whether it was cold noodles, Liangpi, or Guandong style hot pot, it was inconvenient to pack as they needed a bowl. Now, most of the dishes were snacks, so as long as they didn’t pack congee or Guandong hot pot, they didn’t have this worry. A package of oil paper was enough.

The buns here were tastier than the ones outside. How could they not buy some to take home for their families to try!

As a result, Yu Qingze’s initial estimate that the oil paper for the day would be enough was proven wrong as it was used up by late morning. He had to go to the storage room to get more.

As for the helpers, after a busy morning, they had become quite proficient in their respective positions.

Although they had rehearsed before, facing actual customers, especially such a large number, brought about different pressures and situations than during the rehearsal.

Initially, they were a bit nervous and made some mistakes or became flustered. These were inevitable problems that arose at the beginning. Yu Qingze observed and didn’t blame them. Instead, he reassured them not to worry, take their time, and make sure they got the right snacks or bamboo tags.

In the kitchen, it was equally busy. Grandpa Chang, Brother Le, and Brother Chang’s mother had been working non-stop, making dim sum. They took turns having lunch in the afternoon.

It wasn’t until Yu Qingze noticed that it was around 3:30 PM that he told them to stop making more. By the time they sold the remaining snacks and the ones still steaming, it would be close to closing time.

Grandpa Chang and the others finally took a break. After resting for a short while, Brother Le and the others went outside to help clean the tables, serve food, and wash dishes.

After a busy day, they sold out all the snacks in the afternoon, and the sun hadn’t even set when they closed the shop.

After seeing off the last customer, Yu Qingze gathered everyone together and they ate the reserved snacks to fill their stomachs. Then, Yu Qingze began the meeting.

“Today was our first day of business, and I want to thank you all for your hard work! We had more customers than I expected, which is a good thing. Everyone performed well today, although there were some minor issues in the beginning, things went smoother by noon.”

Everyone was pleased to hear this. They had been busy and on edge all day, and now they could finally relax.

Seeing that everyone was in good spirits, Yu Qingze continued, “In order to make our work smoother in the future, I want everyone to reflect on today and share your thoughts. Talk about where you did well, where there are still problems, and how you plan to solve them. Let’s discuss and learn from each other.”

Nobody had much experience speaking openly about their thoughts and problems in front of others, so they felt a bit embarrassed and no one spoke up at first.

Yu Qingze anticipated this and knew that it wasn’t easy for individuals to change their mindset.

He encouraged them, saying, “Don’t be shy, this is work. We can only help you solve the problems if we identify them together. By doing so, we can avoid making the same mistakes and facing the same issues in the future, don’t you think?”

With his words, everyone felt more comfortable.

Yu Qingze then said, “I’ll start with an example.”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at him curiously and with anticipation. After all, Boss Yu was the big boss. Could he have problems too?

Yu Qingze cleared his throat and said, “On our first day of business, I didn’t expect there to be so many customers, especially during lunchtime. It caused some of you to have lunch late, and that was my mistake. From now on, we will take turns having lunch during noon and make sure we don’t upset our stomachs.”

Upon hearing this, everyone was touched. The fact that Boss Yu’s first concern was about their lunch was heartwarming.

After Yu Qingze finished speaking, Brother Le gathered the courage to be the second one to share his summary. He wanted to support Brother Yu.

Under Yu Qingze’s encouraging gaze, Brother Le gestured and explained his points, which Yu Qingze then translated for everyone.

Brother Le pointed out that there were times when the kitchen didn’t coordinate properly with the front of the shop. Sometimes, they didn’t start steaming certain types of dim sum even though they were already sold out, while in other cases, they made too much of a certain type that didn’t sell well. He concluded by saying that tomorrow they should carefully observe the sales situation and make timely adjustments to ensure a seamless supply, avoiding any disconnects between the kitchen and the front of the shop.

After Brother Le finished speaking, Brother Chang followed and shared his own issue with welcoming guests and the remedies he thought of.

With someone taking the lead, everyone started speaking one by one, and even Chang Hao shared his own problem.

Yu Qingze listened and felt pleased. The problems they spoke of were the practical issues he had observed throughout the day.

Finally, Yu Qingze summarized their discussions and further optimized the solutions they proposed, providing them with more effective ways to address the problems.

Everyone agreed and was convinced by Boss Yu’s suggestions. They unanimously decided to make efforts to rectify the issues they encountered today and make their work smoother.

After the meeting, they tidied up and locked the door before heading home together.

Yu Qingze and Chang Le accompanied Jiabao home as usual, and then the two of them slowly walked back.

When they reached the city gate, Yu Qingze said to Chang Le, “Brother Le, starting tomorrow, I plan to stay at the shop. There’s a resting area in the shop where I can stay overnight.”

Chang Le was surprised and looked at him in astonishment.

Yu Qingze turned around, looked at him, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chang Le hesitated and gestured, asking why and if Yu Qingze wasn’t comfortable living at home.

For so long, Yu Qingze had been sleeping on that makeshift wooden bed and never changed it.

Yu Qingze walked back, tapped his forehead, took his hand, and said, “What are you thinking? What I meant is that if I stay at the shop, you and Brother Chang don’t have to come so early in the morning. I can wake up early and prepare the dim sum.”

The shop opens at 7:30 am, and Brother Chang and the others are supposed to come to work around 7 am. If they want to sell breakfast, the few of them who make dim sum need to prepare at least two to three hours in advance and then spend an hour commuting. They would have to wake up in the middle of the night every day, or they won’t make it in time. After thinking it through, Yu Qingze decided to stay at the shop so he could start working earlier.

Also, from tomorrow on, after finishing the afternoon dim sum, he would let Brother Chang and the others go home and rest. Otherwise, if they work for too long, their bodies won’t be able to handle it. It’s reasonable for those who start working in the morning to finish early.

Upon hearing this, Chang Le pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, and then gestured, saying, “Then, I’ll stay at the shop too and make dim sum together.”

Yu Qingze blinked and said to Chang Le, “Brother Le, there’s only one resting area in the shop with a single bed. Are you saying you want to sleep together with me?”

Sleep together…

Chang Le’s face turned red upon hearing that and he quickly withdrew his hand, walking ahead.

Sleeping together… He hadn’t even thought about it. They weren’t married yet, it’s too embarrassing…

As he was thinking, a thought crossed Chang Le’s mind, making him flinch: Could it be that Brother Yu has been thinking about that for a long time? But they haven’t married yet, so it’s not right, that thing…

Yu Qingze chuckled lightly, catching up to him in a few steps and reaching out to tease him.

Blushing, Chang Le quickly opened his hand and walked forward, afraid that Brother Yu would notice what he had been thinking just now. How embarrassing! How did he even let his mind wander in that direction?

After walking for a while, Chang Le suddenly stopped and turned to look at Yu Qingze.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Qingze asked when he suddenly stopped.

Chang Le gestured, saying, “There’s also a storage room! Just add another bed!”

Yu Qingze: …How did he suddenly become so clever? Not fun at all.