Luh Kai had been there for a while before he left. Qi Fenglian walked over to Cheng Su and asked, "Taiguo daughter-in-law, who is that guy?"
"A friend, he’s the one who introduced me to this shop, it used to be his uncle’s." Cheng Su explained with a smile.
Qi Fenglian made an understanding noise, just as she was about to continue inquiring, Cheng Su said, "Where were we just now?"
Qi Fenglian’s attention was immediately diverted, "It’s about selling the meal coupons."
"Oh right, let’s continue, these coupons..." Cheng Su walked with her to the counter and started showing the various meal coupons to Qi Fenglian.
Cheng Su had hired three waitstaff for the new shop, responsible for serving food, collecting meal coupons, selling meals, and cleaning. There were also two dishwasher aunties, who not only washed dishes but also helped clear the plates after customers had finished eating. In the kitchen, there were three people, two of whom were chefs and one was an assistant. As for Qi Fenglian, she was the supervisor, handling the cash register, balancing accounts, management, and had to be there to open and close the shop morning and evening, so she needed to be the first to arrive and the last to leave.
Of course, since it was just opening, Cheng Su also had to help out so she could quickly learn the ropes.
The kitchen was busy with washing, cooking, and stir-frying until after eleven o’clock before they packed the food into insulated barrels and arranged the hot dishes onto the food carts successively.
At the entrance of the shop, Xiaoying and Jin Zhi were distributing flyers to the passersby, some of whom took a flyer and peeked inside curiously.
The food cart was placed near the entrance, separated by glass, visible from the roadside, showcasing the fresh and spicy dishes. On a cold day, just looking at a pot of spicy chicken or green pepper beef, who wouldn’t salivate?
One meat dish and one vegetable, two meats and one vegetable... the choice was yours, with soup and tea both offered free of charge.
People started walking in, one by one, and gradually, the shop started to fill up with customers.
Cheng Su called Xiaoying and the others back to help sell food, and she also directed on the side. It was a bit chaotic at first, but gradually everyone’s hands and feet became faster and steadier.
Those who came to eat were mostly travelers, carrying large and small bags to Qing City for work, and as they all came into the shop to eat, placing their bags at their feet, the shop quickly became crowded.
Cheng Su watched the weathered faces eating heartily, moved by their satisfied expressions, she couldn’t help but smile too.
It was still the mid-1980s, yet the number of people going out to find work was increasing, and with the advance of the era, it would only continue to increase and not decrease.
It was all for a warm meal and warm clothes, to secure a bit of savings for the family.
After being busy all morning, once past the lunch rush, around one-thirty, the customers started to dwindle, and the food prepared for the day had mostly sold out.
Cheng Su checked the time on her wristwatch and called the staff to eat.
Like the main store, the branch shop’s staff also benefited from provided meals, and they would get bonuses at the end of the year. The meals here were also two dishes and a soup, cooked by the main chef, and staff could dish out as much as they wanted.
Seeing the crumpled banknotes in the drawer, Cheng Su was delighted, so she sent Xiaoying to buy a couple bottles of soda from next door to celebrate the shop’s opening.
"You’ve all worked hard. As long as we work together, our shop will thrive and I won’t let you down with the year-end bonus. This is to everyone," Cheng Su said, raising her glass.
"Thanks, President Cheng."
Laughter filled the shop, and even in the chilling cold, it was warm with good cheer. The laughter attracted the attention of people passing by, who occasionally stopped to watch, their faces showing envy at their joy.
Someday, they too, would be able to smile like that.