pjbooks Chapter 33 Making Money Without Forgetting Your Roots
Chapter 33 Making Money Without Forgetting Your Roots
Although the diners in his small restaurant were all enjoying themselves, Xu Liang also managed to make enough money during this period.
Next, his guests would finish lunch and go back for a nap to ensure they had enough energy for work in the afternoon.
Xu Liang counted the money, and it was three times more than before.
This may be the reason for the large number of diners.
Including his previous operating capital, he should have had close to a thousand yuan.
After seeing off the last group of diners, the first thing he had to do was return the tables and chairs he had just borrowed.
First, attach the large trolleys to the two tables, and then tie the chairs together as well.
Then they picked up the plates from the restaurant tables and put them into the kitchen sink.
Pour dish soap into the sink and place a dishcloth on it.
Putting on yellow rubber gloves, Xu Liang began to scrub the bowls.
Because Mapo Tofu has a lot of chili oil inside, it is difficult to wash off the plate, so Xu Liang needs to take some measures.
So Xu Liang boiled some water, mixed it with cold water, and poured it into the sink after it reached the right temperature.
Water that's been boiled for a long time gets colder when you drink it, and it's not good for washing dishes.
Dishwashing liquid is essentially an emulsification process in chemistry; its effectiveness is maximized when the temperature is within a suitable range.
After washing the dishes, Xu Liang staggered out.
Looking at those two large carts.
He decided to tie the two carts together with a rope, so that he could pull both carts by himself, which would mean that the combined force of both carts would be pulled by him alone.
When Xu Liang arrived at Zhou Yan's dessert shop, he stopped.
He went inside the shop and found Zhou Yan still sitting there leisurely.
Upon seeing Zhou Yan, Xu Liang greeted him.
"Hello Mr. Zhou, I'm here to return the car."
Zhou Yan was leaning over the chair reading a newspaper. He straightened the newspaper and put it aside.
Xu Liang's figure appeared in their line of sight.
There were also tables and chairs on his trolley.
Zhou Yan saw it all.
"Okay, just leave it there!"
Xu Liang nodded, gave his final thanks, and then returned to the small restaurant.
Back at the small restaurant, Xu Liang first opened the drawer to look at the money and sorted all the money by face value.
There's not much to categorize.
Because they are all RMB banknotes with a face value of 1 yuan, and they are different from the RMB banknotes he received before his rebirth; in 1995, the RMB banknotes were still the old-style ones.
Only when you count money until your hands cramp.
Only then will he know how much he has earned.
He sorted through the money; some bills were dirty, some had missing corners, and some were folded and crumpled.
Xu Liang needed to deal with all of these.
After a short while, Xu Liang sorted out the money, counted it all, and found that the total income for the past few days was less than 1000 yuan.
There is only 977 yuan.
We're still 23 yuan short of the 1000 yuan victory.
Of course, Xu Liang also needs to work hard.
He thought for a moment, realizing it had been a long time since he had opened the game panel.
With so many diners just now, the level of approval I've gathered must be even higher than before, perhaps even reaching 100%.
Then you can start moving on to the next goal.
If you think this way, you must take action.
Therefore, he opened the game panel with his mind.
I noticed a big red dot on the approval rating button.
It seems that the requirements have been met and the company is ready to gain recognition.
The panel displays this.
The player has successfully collected approval from 100 diners.
[Progress approved: 100%/100%, Phase 3 goals achieved]
[Reward: Operating capital + 500 yuan]
He checked and saw that the rewards for the third phase had been successfully distributed. Now, Xu Liang just needed to confirm whether he had them in his pocket.
Immediately afterwards, he rummaged through his pockets.
But they found that there was an extra 500 yuan.
That makes things much easier.
The bonus from operating capital, plus the money I've earned in the past few days.
That should be enough for him to live on for the time being.
But that's far from enough.
Because Xu Liang's parents initially invested in the business, and his uncle rented the small restaurant to him, he was able to open for business and achieve the level of popularity he has today.
He must be grateful to his parents and his cousin for renting him his own restaurant.
So when Xu Liang got home that evening, he called his parents together.
My father had just finished get off work at the Foxconn factory, and my mother had just returned from the mahjong parlor.
Xu Liang came home exceptionally early today, intending to give his parents a surprise.
While creating surprises, he was also calculating how to give his parents a share of the profits.
Because his parents taught Xu Liang to be diligent and thrifty from a young age, he was told to never forget his roots when he grew up.
Previously, Xu Guisheng used some of his private savings to support Xu Liang in opening a restaurant. Now that Xu Liang's business is booming, he will surely repay Xu Guisheng.
Then, the extra commission would have to be given to Xu Guisheng, but at the same time, his mother Zhao Hongzhi couldn't find out.
If Zhao Hongzhi finds out, not only will the money be confiscated again, but Xu Guisheng's life will also be in danger, and he will probably have to kneel on a washboard again.
"Liangwa, why are you back so early?"
"It's good that you're back early. I'm tired from playing mahjong today. Go to the kitchen and make me some food, okay? My money was stolen by someone who won by cheating."
Upon hearing this, Xu Liang realized that since he had opened a small restaurant and learned cooking skills, he wanted to come and work as his laborer.
This made Xu Liang somewhat disgusted.
But there was nothing they could do; Zhao Hongzhi was, after all, the person with the highest status in the family.
Even his own father, Xu Guisheng, couldn't do anything to him.
You have to obediently listen to her.
Xu Tian returned from her classmate's house at this time.
She didn't go straight home after school today; instead, she played at a classmate's house for a while before returning home.
When I went home, I was still carrying that pink backpack.
It's understandable that elementary school students are like this.
Seeing that Xu Liang had already returned home early, Xu Tian asked curiously, "Guo, why are you back so early? Aren't you going to work at the restaurant anymore?"
Xu Liang responded to his sister's words.
"That's right, today's task has been successfully completed. I finished my early shift and plan to come back and get some rest."
The moment Zhao Hongzhi heard Xu Liang mention the word "rest," her expression changed instantly.
"You can't rest now. You can rest after you finish preparing and eating."
She urged Xu Liang on.
"Hurry up and go to the kitchen to cook! Your dad, your sister, and I are all hungry!"
Xu Liang had mixed feelings. Since opening the small restaurant, the family had changed. The family meals were no longer what they used to be, and Zhao Hongzhi was now the sole provider of them.
But it's actually a good thing, it can help him improve his cooking skills, though it's not very useful, just treat it as a training exercise.
The cheat code is to add those attributes.
Whether you do it or not, as long as you complete the task, your proficiency in various cooking skills will increase.
Perhaps new skills will be unlocked in the future.
Right now, I need to go into the kitchen and look for ingredients in the refrigerator.
Upon entering the kitchen, everything remained the same!
The kitchen in the house is much smaller than that in a small restaurant.
But cooking a few home-style dishes is a piece of cake, and the taste is just different from that of a small restaurant.
The cooking methods for home-style dishes are similar to those of farmhouse cuisine. They may not be considered gourmet food, but the dishes prepared in small restaurants are geared towards the market and are quite sophisticated.
Afterwards, he looked around the kitchen and found that the cabinet was completely empty.
Xu Liang's first thought was that Zhao Hongzhi hadn't bought any groceries today, and he wondered if she had only bought the groceries for this morning and earlier.
Although it's not on the cabinet, it should be in the refrigerator.
If there's nothing in the refrigerator, then we can't have dinner; we'll have to go to the market to buy something.
But at this hour, most of the vegetable markets are closed.
He turned toward the spot in the kitchen where the refrigerator was.
Xu Liang opened the refrigerator and saw that there were still a few eggs inside.
There were also two tomatoes that weren't rotten.
There was a bag of pork in a plastic bag, and a red bag containing three bell peppers.
There were also a few salted fish, and next to them were dark, black fermented black beans in a glass bottle.
At that moment, an idea came to his mind.
Tomatoes and eggs make a healthy and nutritious combination.
The long, fibrous strands of lean pork, stir-fried with shredded bell peppers, not only showcase the charm of this classic home-style dish but also make it more enjoyable for the whole family.
Stir-fried fish with fermented black beans involves frying salted fish and beans together to bring out the aroma of fermented black beans, which is mixed with the aroma of fish.
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with green peppers, and steamed fish with fermented black beans—three dishes are just the right amount, enough for a hot meal for the whole family.
He quickly got caught up in the process of chopping vegetables, heating the pan, and pouring oil.
During this process, the fragrance quickly filled the small house.
Hearing the noise from the kitchen from the living room, Zhao Hongzhi stopped muttering and felt a little more at ease.
She thought to herself that once her son's cooking skills improved, she would have less to worry about when it came to meals at home.
Before long, three dishes were served.
When the family saw the three dishes, which were brightly colored and fragrant, they came over to take a look, their eyes lighting up.
"Wow, the food you made tastes even better than what you get at those small restaurants!"
Xu Tian, in particular, was the closest of the three dishes, with her face almost touching the plate.
Zhao Hongzhi didn't hesitate to pick up her chopsticks and try a bite of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
After finishing her meal, she stretched out and said something in a low voice.
"Not bad, it wasn't a waste of money to open that little restaurant!"
Xu Guisheng also tried it and nodded repeatedly.
"It's delicious, much better than what we get in the factory canteen."
After the family finished dinner, Zhao Hongzhi asked Xu Liang to clear the chopsticks.
After Xu Liang finished clearing away the dishes and washing them, he went to the living room and took out a neat stack of one-yuan bills from his pocket, placing them on the table in the living room.
Zhao Hongzhi caught a glimpse of it, and her eyes flickered.
"What are you doing? So much money?"
"Mom, the restaurant has been doing well lately, we're making money."
Xu Liang smiled and pushed some of them over first.
"This is for you. It's enough for daily household expenses and your tips when you play mahjong."
Zhao Hongzhi was secretly delighted, but she pretended to be serious.
"You kid, you're already wasting money as soon as you start a business. Don't you keep any for yourself?"
Although he said that, his hands betrayed him by taking the money.
She weighed it in her hand, and couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Then, while Zhao Hongzhi was weaving, Xu Liang saw that she had finally gone to work. Taking advantage of Zhao Hongzhi's inattention, Xu Liang went to his parents' bedroom.
I saw Xu Guisheng processing paper documents.
She crept in from behind and gently patted his shoulder.
Next, Xu Liang quietly slipped some money into Xu Guisheng's hand and whispered something in a low voice.
"Dad, I owe you so much for supporting me with your secret stash of money back then. That's why I'm able to earn money today. This is for you. Keep it and have some fun. Just don't let Mom find out."
Xu Guisheng was startled upon seeing this.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she hugged Xu Liang tightly before clutching the money in her hand.
He nodded repeatedly, his heart filled with satisfaction.
"Okay, as long as you don't tell him, he won't find out, hehe."
Xu Guisheng's lips curled up slightly, it seemed he had reverted to his original form.
After giving Xu Guisheng the money,
Turning his head, Xu Liang walked towards Xu Tian's bedroom and took out a few more brand-new one-yuan bills.
Xu Tian noticed and watched longingly from the side. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Liang covered her mouth.
Because he knew that Xu Tian's voice was loud, after all, this matter was kept secret.
It would be bad if Zhao Hongzhi found out, and besides, this is a brother's love for his sister, which cannot be known to outsiders.
"Sweetie, take this to buy snacks and stationery. Remember to study hard."
Seeing this, Xu Tian had an idea: normally, her brother wouldn't have that much money.
If there is so much money, there must be two possibilities: either it is Xu Guisheng's private savings, or it was stolen by Xu Liang from somewhere.
In short, Xu Tian would never accept money of dubious origin.
In her mind, she had no idea that this was money her brother Xu Tian had earned over many days, mornings, and noons.
It's normal that she doesn't know, because Xu Tian rarely lingers in Xu Liang's small restaurant. Most of the time, she goes to school in the morning and comes back in the afternoon, passing by Xu Liang's small restaurant, and then goes in to sit for a while and rest.
Moreover, the moment Xu Liang covered Xu Tian's mouth with his hand, Xu Tian's intelligent mind felt an ominous premonition.
Xu Liang doesn't seem like an upright person.
After Xu Liang released his hand from Xu Tian's mouth, Xu Tian wanted to shout, but Xu Liang stopped her.
Xu Liang kept his index finger in front of his mouth, his facial expression like he was begging his grandmother, as if he was protecting some secret.
Xu Liang shushed him softly twice.
This prevented Xu Tian from making a loud noise.
However, Xu Tian did not accept the money.
Then Xu Tian, with a serious expression, spoke to Xu Liang in a low voice: "Brother, where did this money come from? Your behavior this year doesn't seem like that of a good person, but more like that of a bad person. You did bad things but won't admit it."
"Tell Tian Tian that she won't tell anyone if you stole the money, and where you stole it?"
Good heavens, my own parents, one is Zhao Hongzhi, a miser who plays mahjong and wins or loses entirely by luck, and the other is Xu Guisheng, a money-grubbing rat who hides and goes drinking with his usual buddies.
Both of them in the family are interested in money, yet Xu Tian doesn't say anything to them. Perhaps she's too young to understand, or perhaps she hasn't discovered these things yet.
Xu Liang whispered, tapping Xu Tian's forehead, and said to her, "Little brat, is this how you always think of me? You know what kind of person I am. I made you breakfast a few times before, and you've completely forgotten about it!"
"Don't make wild guesses without knowing the details. I didn't steal this money, Sweetie. Have you forgotten what I do for a living?"
Xu Tian stroked her chin, thought for a moment, and then said to Xu Liang, "Tian Tian remembers now, Guo runs a small restaurant."
"So, when people come to eat at my little restaurant, doesn't that mean I can make a lot of money?!"
These words suddenly opened Xu Tian's mind, and she opened her big, round eyes wide.
"Yeah, I run a small restaurant, I'm not short of money! Yay!"
Just as Xu Tian was about to cheer, Xu Liang quickly stopped her, so she could only give him a thumbs-up.
After hearing what she said, Xu Tian finally felt comfortable accepting the gift.
He stuffed the money into his pocket and clung to Xu Liang's arm affectionately.
"Thanks, pot!"
"You're welcome, it's all I should do!"
Xu Liang replied to her.
However, he opened his own small restaurant and showcased his culinary skills at home.
After making money, he didn't forget his roots and shared some with his mother, father, and sister.
At that moment, he felt unusually happy.