The fabric and new cotton that Aunt Zhao bought in Jiazhou last time were taken to tailor Jia after she returned. After waiting for more than a week, it was finally finished today.
These days, Aunt Zhao goes to tailor Jia's shop everyday, sometimes bringing three liang of unsold pig's head meat, using subtle pressure to get the tailor to accept it, thus successfully cutting in line.
For a typical customer, it would take at least a month to receive this stack of clothes.
"New clothes!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. She jumped out of Zhou Yan's arms and ran towards Aunt Zhao, calling out, "Mommy! Mommy! Do I have any? Do I have any new clothes?"
"Yes, I've made you a set. I'll knit you another set of sweaters and pants, that'll be enough for this winter." Aunt Zhao replied with a smile, walking into the shop.
As Zhou Yan entered, Aunt Zhao had already untied the ropes, and the unfolded clothes covered the counter.
"Fourth Aunt, you've made so many clothes!" Zhao Hong exclaimed, stepping forward.
"Last time the house collapsed, we couldn't even salvage winter clothes for the father and daughter. With the weather getting colder everyday, I definitely have to make sure they get some." Zhao Tieying said with a smile. "And Zhou Yan, he can't find a decent outfit either. He's a restaurant owner now, so there are occasions when he should dress presentably."
"That makes sense." Zhao Hong nodded.
Aunt Zhao first took out a small red floral-patterned jacket and helped Zhou Momo put it on. The sleeves were a little long, and the jacket was thick, making her look chubby.
Zhou Momo twirled around, smiling proudly, "Little floral jacket, so pretty!"
"Hmm, the sleeves are a little long, but it fits perfectly. She can wear it for another year next year." Aunt Zhao rolled up the sleeves and nodded with satisfaction.
She then picked up a pair of floral cotton trousers and compared them; the length was just right, and with a couple of rolls, they could last for two years.
Making clothes in these days wasn't easy, especially for children. They usually wore hand me downs from older children.
Zhou Yan was much older than Zhou Momo; his childhood clothes should have been given to Huihui and the others.
The Zhou family has quite a few children, but they are all boys. Except for some nicely knitted sweaters, Aunt Zhao generally doesn't let Zhou Momo wear old clothes.
Comrade Old Zhou said that he could have more patches on his clothes, but his daughter and wife had to be dressed beautifully.
Then came Comrade Old Zhou's new clothes: a thick indigo cotton-padded coat, simple in style but very sturdy, and a pair of thick black suit trousers.
Comrade Old Zhou put on his cotton-padded coat, tugged at the hem, and grinned, revealing eight teeth: "Perfect! It fits perfectly, very warm!"
Aunt Zhao had only made herself a short floral-patterned jacket, the same color as Zhou Momo's—a perfect matching set for mother and child. The style was simple and elegant, with a slightly fitted waist. It was probably a design created by the tailor, and the color was well chosen, making her look radiant.
"Here, Zhou Yan, this is for you." Aunt Zhao said, handing Zhou Yan a stack of clothes.
A white cotton-linen chef's uniform, black suit pants, and a corduroy cotton jacket on the bottom.
"You can wear this new chef's uniform depending on the occasion. If that editor-in-chief comes again, it will be presentable. I didn't make wide leg pants for you. Boys should dress more formally and look more sunny. Just being fashionable isn't enough." Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan and said with a smile, "I saw this corduroy jacket at the department store last time. I didn't expect that the tailor Jia also happened to be learning pattern making, so the tailor agreed to make one for me. Try it on and see if it fits. If it doesn't fit, I'll take it to the tailor to have it altered."
Zhou Yan held the clothes, feeling a warmth in his heart. Although they weren't made by his mother, each piece contained her deep affection and love, a feeling he had never experienced in his previous life.
"Okay, I'll try it on." Zhou Yan's voice was slightly nasal as he took the clothes upstairs to change.
The chef's uniform fits perfectly; the cut is quite slim, and it allows for easy arm movements. The cotton and linen material is cool and breathable, making it ideal for working.
The fabric of the black suit pants was much better than his previous pants. It had a good drape, the legs were straight, and it made his legs look particularly long. The waist size was also just right, and he could wear them without anything in the pockets or a belt.
His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his watch, and his shirt was tucked into his trousers, making him look clean and sharp.
He then put on the brown corduroy cotton jacket, which fit him perfectly and made him look much more stylish and energetic than the old-fashioned cotton-padded jacket. He really looked quite presentable.
This small-town tailor has skill!
Zhou Yan came downstairs, and Aunt Zhao circled him twice, nodding with satisfaction. "Great! Looks good! You look like a boss now."
"Last time at the department store, a corduroy cotton jacket like this cost fifty five yuan! I bought the fabric myself, stuffed it with the best cotton, and even with the tailor's fee, it only cost fourteen yuan and fifty cents! A great deal!"
"The suit pants are new too. This material is soft and smooth, and the pants are very crisp and straight. You look so smart and confident in them."
Aunt Zhao looked down at the liberation shoes Zhou Yan was wearing and said with a smile, "Next time we go to the department store, I'll buy you a new pair of leather shoes. You have to pay attention to matching your clothes, otherwise people will laugh at you."
"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. Aunt Zhao was indeed at the forefront of fashion in the town, even knowing how to dress.
"You're so good at managing money. You saved over a hundred yuan this time, and the clothes are both nice and warm." Zhou Miao praised with a smile.
"Of course!" Aunt Zhao smiled with a hint of pride, and looked at Zhou Yan, adding, "If I make money during the Chinese New Year, I'll get you a leather jacket too. That'll be really stylish."
"I won't wear the leather jacket. You can get one for Dad later." Zhou Yan said with a smile. He had seen leather jackets in the mall last time, but they were all for middle-aged men and didn't suit a young and handsome guy like him at all. This jacket was much more refreshing and neat.
As the weather grew colder, the family, dressed in their new clothes, felt warm both physically and emotionally.
"Life is getting better and better." Aunt Zhao said with a smile as she carried the clothes upstairs.
...
For the next few days, Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang came every noon to practice making spicy stir-fried pork liver, and also helped Zhou Yan by serving as his chopping board operators.
Zhou Jie's daily sales of braised pig's head meat had exceeded ten jin (5 kg), and he had successfully stabilized his reputation. He planned to start increasing the amount by one or two jin next week, to find the upper limit.
Selling ten jin a day can earn a net profit of five yuan, which is one hundred and fifty yuan a month.
This extra income made both his and Zhou Jie's families quite happy, and they received strong support from his two sisters in law.
Yesterday, Zhou Jie even came to Zhou Yan to write a signboard, which read "Zhou Erwa Restaurant Braised Food", directly driving customers to Zhou Yan's restaurant.
What does it mean to exchange sincerity for sincerity?
Brother Jie is a good person to get along with!
After three consecutive days of rising sales of braised vegetarian dishes at the restaurant, sales have declined and stabilized.
Potatoes and lotus root are produced at a rate of 50 jin each per day. Grandma Sun and Laifu can only provide 6 jin of dried bean curd sticks per day, and production is unlikely to increase significantly in the short term.
Dried tofu has increased from 5 jin to 10 jin, becoming very popular due to its delicate texture and flavor.
The braised bamboo shoots were cancelled. He couldn't find suitable small bamboo shoots in Suji, and the large bamboo shoots were too old, so the taste after braising was not quite right. Although they sold well, but they did not meet Zhou Yan's own requirements and were temporarily removed from the menu.
Kelp sales remained stable. Aunt Zhao and Zhao Hong tied ten jin of kelp knots a day, their skills becoming increasingly proficient.
The sale of braised vegetarian dishes was a major success, with sales exceeding 80 yuan and successfully driving a 10% increase in braised meat sales.
The low-price strategy was executed very successfully, attracting a wider range of female workers in the textile factory.
"Half a jin of plain braised dried tofu, and another jin of plain potatoes and lotus root mixed together."
"I want three liang of five-spiced dried bean curd sticks and three liang of spicy dried bean curd sticks, plus four liang of spicy dried tofu. I'm not working tomorrow, so I definitely need to make something good tonight!"
"Are you sold out of dried bean curd sticks? Oh, boss, could you please make more? I've come twice and haven't been able to buy any. Then I'll take half a jin of dried tofu and three liang of braised pig's head meat."
On Saturday evening, after get off work, the workers lined up in three long queues in front of the braised meat stall.
After a busy week, the day off finally arrived, and consumer enthusiasm was high.
Comrade Old Zhou was incredibly busy, cutting braised meat and packing braised vegetables.
The confident Comrade Old Zhou came up with an idea: he wouldn't weigh any of the braised food, relying entirely on his experience to judge the weight.
However, there is a scale next to it, so if the customer suspects that the weight is short, they can weigh it again on the spot. If the weight is less than one qian (a unit of weight, about 5 grams), the order will be free.
At first, customers lined up to have it weighed again, but after three days without a single mistake—vegetarian dishes often even weighing two or three qian more—slowly, fewer people wanted to have it weighed again.
Comrade Old Zhou's reputation as a "human electronic scale" was firmly established in the textile factory.
Not weighing did significantly improve efficiency.
Comrade Old Zhou managed to sell over a hundred jin (approximately 50 kg) more braised vegetables without hiring more staff.
This greatly shocked Zhou Yan.
Without Comrade Old Zhou, the restaurant would truly fall apart.
Looking at the long queue outside Zhou Erwa Restaurant, Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng squatted by the roadside, smoking one cigarette after another, their faces as black as the bottom of a wok.
Both braised food stalls had new signs: Braised vegetables 30 cents a jin! Free samples!
But still, no one was buying.
"How can we even make a living like this? We can't compete with him even if we sell cheaper!" Yang Laosan sighed.
"Braised meat was already hard to sell, and now with the introduction of braised vegetables, it's completely impossible to sell them. I only made five yuan yesterday, which wasn't even enough to cover my costs." Zhu Feng said, scratching his head.
During this period, the two of them have been scheming and devising all sorts of tricks, including lowering prices, following trends, hawking their wares, and offering free samples.
This business, it seems, is getting worse everyday.
It's not about how much money they make anymore. It's about how to break even everyday.
"Forget it! I'm not selling anymore! I'll move my stall to the stone bridge tomorrow. I'm too lazy to put up with his jerk here!" Yang Laosan threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it hard.
"If you leave, I'll leave too! We just can't sell anything at the textile factory gate." Zhu Feng spat, glancing at the three long lines with nothing but envy in his eyes.
Holy crap, how much money do they make in a day?!
Envy is burning hot!
They initially joined forces to try to drive Zhao Minghui away, but they never imagined that one day Zhou Yan would steal all their business, leaving them with no choice but to find another way to make a living.