Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 173 The graduation banquet ended perfectly.

After closing time in the evening, someone asked Jingyan, "Boss lady, I heard that someone is having a graduation banquet at your shop on Saturday, is that true?"

Jing Yan nodded: "It's true. My nephew's classmate got into the Naval Academy and scored over 550 points on the college entrance exam. His family is overjoyed and wants to have a big celebration for his graduation. Since they can't afford it at home, they booked our restaurant. The banquet will be held on Saturday noon so it won't interfere with our evening business."

"You also cater banquets? What are the prices?" someone asked curiously.

"They booked a table for thirty yuan, ten dishes, excluding cigarettes and alcohol," Jingyan quoted the price.

Upon hearing this, the diners couldn't help but click their tongues and say, "It's not cheap."

"Ten dishes: four local Shanghainese dishes, three Hunan dishes, three Northeastern dishes, six purely meat dishes, three mixed meat dishes, and only one purely vegetarian dish. Do you think this price is expensive?" Jing Yan tilted her head and smiled at them.

Everyone...

Someone couldn't help but exclaim, "That's quite a generous gesture! By the way, how did your nephew do on his exams? Which university did he get into?"

Jing Yan smiled and said, "You did well on the exam, over 500 points. As for university, the acceptance letter hasn't arrived yet. I'll show off when I receive it."

Everyone smiled and agreed, then finished their meal and left one after another.

Dou Zhixiao leaned closer to Jing Yan: "Sister Yan, why did you talk so much about banquets with them today? Are you planning to take on banquets in the future?"

Jing Yan nodded: "I don't have the energy to cook for everyday meals, so we can just run this small shop. But nowadays, there are more and more opportunities to hold banquets. Our shop is big enough and has a good reputation. If we can occasionally host banquets, our income can increase significantly, and our reputation can also grow. Even if there is competition for barbecue and braised meat ingredients in the future, at least we can make up for some of the losses from banquets. We can't keep living off our past achievements."

“But Sister Wang is not young anymore. If she really has to take on the banquet, will her body be able to handle it?” Dou Zhixiao expressed his concern.

Jingyan sighed, "Of course we can't handle it all, but these opportunities only come occasionally right now, and Sister Wang can manage. We'll find a head chef when we have more banquet bookings. Word will come, we'll just take it one step at a time."

No matter what happens in the future, at least this feast must be perfect. Saturday arrived quickly, and Sister Wang got up early in the morning to cook sweet potato porridge for her family. She also heated up some of the steamed buns from the day before and prepared a side dish, which she then placed on the table.

When the two were about to leave, their family members had just gotten up. Grandma and He Zhijun also wanted to go to the store to help out, but Jingyan persuaded them not to: "There are still three children at home. There are too many people in the store today, and it's not convenient for the children to go. There should be adults at home. It's better for you to stay at home."

He Zhijun thought about it and didn't say anything more. His grandmother was already over eighty years old, and in the last two years, her physical functions had visibly deteriorated compared to a few years ago. There really couldn't be no one at home. If she bumped or fell, no one would feel at ease leaving her unattended.

Jingyan told him to bring a lunchbox to the shop to get some food so he wouldn't have to cook at home. Then she and Sister Wang came to the shop to help out. The other employees arrived early too, and everyone worked together – washing vegetables, cutting meat, steaming rice – all doing a great job.

The kitchen's large stoves were being used simultaneously for the first time, and the restaurant was bustling with activity. Before long, the aroma of stewed dishes began to waft out, and you could smell the meaty fragrance even while walking down the street.

At 10:30, Shen Aiguo and his family, along with their relatives and friends, stepped into the shop. The guests were all surprised: "Is this the shop you mentioned that hosts banquets? This doesn't seem to be a restaurant. Can the banquet food they serve be good?"

Shen Aiguo smiled and nodded: "We tried the dishes and I think they tasted very good. The main thing is that there are Hunan and Northeastern dishes. We usually eat local Shanghai cuisine here, so it's nice to try something different. The portions are also quite large, so it's a good deal. You'll know once you try it."

Upon entering the restaurant, Dou Zhixiao and Chen Qing skillfully led everyone to the tables. After everyone was seated, Dou Zhixiao took the opportunity while checking the tables for melon seeds and tea. He then walked over to Shen Aiguo and asked softly, "Seventeen tables are already full. Are there any other customers? Approximately when will the food be served?"

Shen Aiguo thought for a moment: "The people should be almost all here. If possible, it would be best to start the banquet at 11 o'clock. If not, before 12 o'clock is also fine."

Dou Zhixiao nodded: "Then I'll go check the kitchen."

Upon entering the kitchen, he saw Jingyan and Sister Wang busily working. Jingyan's cold black fungus salad was almost ready and she was plating it. When she saw him come in, she handed him the plate and said, "One serving per table, please. Also, could you tell me when the hot dishes can be served?"

Dou Zhixiao took the plate and quickly replied, "The guest said that any time between 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock is fine."

Jingyan looked at Sister Wang and said, "There's only one more stir-fry dish left to finish. The stews can be served gradually. The 'Family Reunion' dish should be served in a soup bowl. These soup bowls have different patterns. Use the yellow enamel bowls for the eight tables upstairs and the white enamel bowls for the downstairs tables. That way, at least it will look presentable. Use a porcelain bowl for the 'Stewed Pork and Bamboo Shoots' dish, and use the new plates we bought this time for the rest." Sister Wang instructed.

Everyone quickly got to work. Dou Zhixiao and Chen Qing were in charge of serving the dishes, Chen Tiezhu and Xiao Jinhua were helping to serve the food, Feng Cailian and Li Zhaodi were setting out bowls and chopsticks for each table, and Huo Benqin stayed at the cashier without moving. She would make a note of anyone who wanted to take beer or something. Although her body was relatively idle, her eyes were very busy.

As the dishes were being served one after another, someone couldn't resist picking up their chopsticks and dipping them into the dishes to see what was inside. Afterward, they pulled their chopsticks back and discussed with those around them in astonishment: "The portions are really big. The food on the plates is so generous. Old Shen was right. At least the owner of this restaurant is honest. Are all Northeasterners this honest?"

Once all the dishes were served, Dou Zhixiao ran downstairs and nodded to Shen Aiguo: "The dishes are all ready."

Shen Aiguo nodded: "Thank you for your trouble. Please keep an eye on everyone. If anyone wants alcohol, please give it to them and make a note of the amount. We'll settle the bill for the drinks after the banquet."

Dou Zhixiao readily agreed. Every time he got someone a drink, he would rush to the cashier to tell Huo Benqin the amount, which Huo Benqin would write down. The meal lasted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the table was a complete mess, littered with bones and fish bones.

There wasn't much food left on the table. Shen Aiguo whispered to his wife with some relief, "Thank goodness it's Aunt He Ci'en's restaurant. They give us generous portions. Otherwise, with the usual portion sizes here, we would have had to order more dishes at least once. This saved us a lot of money on food. If we ever have another banquet, we'll definitely come back."

His wife smiled and nodded: "Okay, whatever you say."

Shen Rongrong was also very happy: "Dad, I'm so proud in front of my friends. They all said our family's banquet was very good, with lots of meat dishes. I wonder if Auntie's family can make a profit from this banquet. It's so generous."

After seeing all the guests off at the front door, the family turned back into the shop. Everyone inside was busy clearing the tables; all that remained were meat broth, bones, and the like. Two trash cans were on the floor, into which they had thrown away the broth, bones, fish bones, and other garbage.

The plastic crates of apples and oranges that Jingyan bought during the Lunar New Year in previous years were too precious to throw away, so they were stacked in the basement of the house. This time, they were all moved over to collect the dishes, and the crates saved her a few trips to the kitchen.

Many hands make light work, and the table was quickly cleaned up. Li Zhaodi returned to the kitchen, sat on a small stool, and began washing the dishes. After washing them, Feng Cailian dried the dishes with a cotton cloth and put them in a basket. Once the basket was full, she carried it to the storage room and placed it on the shelf. Surprisingly, it looked quite neat when arranged like this.

Dou Zhixiao and Chen Qing moved all the chairs upside down and placed them on the table. Once everything was in place, Xiao Jinhua and Huo Benqin started sweeping the floor, while Chen Tiezhu followed behind, carrying a mop and bucket. Shen Aiguo's family stood at the door watching the people inside busily working on their own. They couldn't help but say to Jing Yan, "You arrange all the work for your shop assistants? They seem to work together very well, and they clean up really quickly."

Jing Yan was at the cashier calculating the bill with the amount of drinks Huo Benqin had recorded. Hearing this, she slightly raised her head and glanced at it: "Oh, I don't need to arrange these. They can do it themselves. See, they're doing a good job." Her words were casual, as if she were used to it.

Shen Aiguo... He can say that he only does chores when his wife tells him to. Has he never seen someone so proactive before?

His wife was winking and making faces at Shen Rongrong, her expression clearly showing she was happy that her husband had been humiliated. Neither the mother nor the daughter spoke up to help Shen Aiguo out of the predicament, and Jing Yan herself didn't realize that her casual remark had been a bit too blunt, still focused on the accounts.

After finally settling the bill, she looked up in surprise: "You guys drank 180 bottles of beer today! Wow, that's quite a lot! That's half a month's supply for our shop! Three jin of baijiu and ten bottles of Shaoxing rice wine, totaling 99.2 yuan. Let me round it down to 99 yuan."

The banquet had 18 tables in total, costing 540 yuan. We initially paid a 100 yuan deposit, so you owe me a total of 539 yuan.

Shen Aiguo was a straightforward person and paid the money in full right away: "Thank you so much this time. My family is very satisfied with this banquet. They kept saying that it was very high-class, and the bowls and plates were also beautiful. They looked like a matching set. Do you take on various banquets in the future? If so, I can recommend your restaurant to the people around us."

Jing Yan smiled and nodded: "I do host occasional banquets, but I don't plan to take on too many. I'll only set aside one day a week for banquets at most. My sister Wang can't handle more than that. Of course, I'm very grateful for your help in introducing me to some. Thank you for your help. The dishes for that table are in the preparation room. Xiao Dou will help pack them up later. I'll go with you and bring back the lunch boxes and other things while I'm at it."

Shen Aiguo thanked him with a smile. Dou Zhixiao had just finished turning all the chairs upside down on the table. When he heard Jing Yan call his name, he rushed over. When he saw Jing Yan pointing to the preparation room, he realized what was going on, quickly went in, and started packing.

Shen Rongrong looked shocked: "Auntie didn't say anything to him, how did he know what to do? He must be very perceptive."

Jingyan looked at her and couldn't help but laugh: "After working together for a long time, everyone knows what to do. As for how to do it, that depends on each person's ability. Xiao Dou is quick-witted and observant. She is indeed a talented person. You don't need to be so surprised."

After seeing the Shen family off, the shop was quickly cleaned up. Once the finishing touches were done, everyone started their work for the day. Jingyan then distributed bonuses, ten yuan to each person. Everyone was all smiles as they received the money.

Sister Wang was a little excited when she received the hundred yuan. Jing Yan smiled and said, "You were the main person in charge of this banquet, so it's only right that you get more."

Then she went outside, clapped her hands, and said, "Everyone worked hard today. I made extra of each dish. We'll bring them to the lobby later and have lunch together. Well, it's a bit late for lunch."

Chen Tiezhu is usually an honest and unassuming man, but today he was in a good mood after receiving his bonus and couldn't help but say, "With a bonus in my pocket, I don't even feel hungry if I don't eat." Everyone burst into laughter.

Everyone was seated and ready to start eating when Jingyan suddenly remembered something and turned to look at them: "Did He Zhijun come to the store to pick up lunch today?"

Sister Wang covered her mouth and laughed: "He came. Everyone was busy at that time, and I was resting in the kitchen. I was the one who served him lunch and brought it back. Don't worry, it's enough for the family to eat their fill and won't go hungry."

Jingyan was finally relieved. She hadn't felt hungry because she was busy, but she realized how hungry she was once she started eating. All ten dishes at the banquet were on the table, and all nine of them had finished them. Looking at the empty plates, Jingyan realized that everyone was indeed hungry.

After the meal was finished and the restaurant was cleaned up, the two of them sat in the lobby watching TV and skewering meat. Everyone else went about their business. Before long, customers started arriving, and almost every customer who came in would ask, "What's this? It smells so good!"

Some people, knowing there had been a banquet here today, would ask a few more questions, and others would ask if there would be any hot dishes on the menu, which Jingyan declined: "There isn't a suitable chef right now to manage the kitchen, and Sister Wang isn't young anymore; it's not suitable for her to be stuck in the shop every day."

"We're already quite busy with just these things; if we added home-cooked meals and such, we'd be completely overwhelmed. Currently, we only occasionally take on banquet bookings, but the regular work schedule remains the same."

Many people expressed disappointment: "If you added home-style dishes, I wouldn't have to worry about what to eat when I'm on vacation. I can eat my fill here. Right now, there aren't enough variety of dishes. It's okay to eat here every few days, but it's not suitable to eat here every day."

The busy day finally came to an end. When she got home, Jingyan felt like her back was about to break. She collapsed on the kang (a heated brick bed) as soon as she entered the room and didn't want to move. He Zhijun brought the washbasin into the room, poured in a hot towel, and handed it to Jingyan: "If you don't want to wash your face, then wipe your face first."