bookbashuk Page 249
Page 249
Although it's called a braised meat shop, it's actually a food factory that produces two to three thousand kilograms of braised meat every day, supplying most of the market in Beijing.
Both the street and district governments are taking this matter very seriously and want to make it a benchmark, ensuring that nothing goes wrong.
On the second day, He Yuzhu got up at 4 a.m. to personally oversee the production of the first batch of 2 jin of pig's head meat.
The staff were all veterans; the only difference was that the production location had been moved from the backyard of Yandaixie Street to this place. They were a little unfamiliar with the area at first, but there were no major mistakes on the first day, and the project was completed smoothly.
The large-scale move was arranged in the afternoon, and production began the next day.
For several days in a row, He Yuzhu stayed here every morning to direct operations and ensure that no accidents occurred.
Cui Xiangjin watched He Yuzhu mingling with the workers and secretly groaned. He was the manager, but these workers were all old hands of He Yuzhu. They only had eyes for He Yuzhu and listened to whatever he said.
Even if the factory manager himself makes the arrangements, they still need to consult He Yuzhu and wait for his approval before the workers can start working.
Because there were already enough workers, there was no way to place them if he wanted to. The only good accountants and clerks were those he brought with him, but they didn't understand the technology.
"Manager Cui, the workflow has been streamlined, so I won't be coming tomorrow morning."
"What? You're not coming to work?"
"Yes, I've already spoken with the neighborhood committee. Under normal circumstances, as long as there's no problem with the braised meat, I won't come to guard it."
Cui Xiangjin was somewhat confused. Before he took office, Director Li of the street had spoken with him, only asking him to cooperate with He Yuzhu in production and to follow his opinions.
But it didn't say that He Yuzhu could skip work!
Just as she was about to object to He Yuzhu's suggestion not to come to work, she swallowed her words.
Wouldn't it be better if He Yuzhu didn't come to work?
To avoid getting annoyed by seeing him, the workers don't respect me as their manager when he's around, and my words have no effect.
But if He Yuzhu is gone, how dare these workers disobey him?
"Alright, Director Li already told me that he wants me to cooperate with you. Since you don't want to come, that's fine too."
Cui Xiangjin then asked, "But what about the ingredients?"
He Yuzhu said, "This is simple. I have all the necessary supplies at home. I just need to have Eryong get them."
"Okay, I know."
After He Yuzhu left, the clerk asked, "Manager, this guy surnamed He is too lawless. How can he skip work?"
“No, just record it when you take attendance,” Cui Xiangjin said.
"Okay, we'll deduct his wages for absenteeism."
When the clerk checked the records after starting work, he discovered that He Yuzhu was actually a first-class cook, earning a staggering 89.5 yuan a month.
I'm a high school graduate, but I'm only getting a salary of 28 yuan. This month I only make 27 yuan and 5 cents, which makes me unhappy.
He Yuzhu is blatantly absent from work. He'll have his wages deducted, and we'll see if he's still so arrogant then.
He Yuzhu left the courtyard directly and went to the neighborhood committee.
"How's work going? Is everything normal?" Tian Zao asked.
"It's alright. The same people are still making the braised meat, just in a different place. I'm the one who works the hardest, getting up at 4 a.m. for several days in a row."
Tian Zao laughed and said, "You have the nerve to say that? Which of those workers didn't arrive at the shop at 4 o'clock?"
The meat wasn't braised the day before; it had to be braised in the early morning, so you had to get up very early to start working.
So the working hours are from 4 a.m., and the white and red boxes from the taverns and restaurants will come to pick up the goods when it gets light.
They sell their braised meat to ordinary residents by going door-to-door, and fresh braised meat can be found at various braised meat stalls.
He Yuzhu said, "They are them and I am me. I can't get up this early every day."
Tian Zao laughed and said, "It's all because you're lazy."
“If I say I’m lazy, those devices will be gone,” He Yuzhu threatened.
"Have we arrived yet?" Tian Zao asked happily.
He Yuzhu nodded and said, "We've arrived."
“That’s great! We’ve been waiting for this. I’ll call Director Li to let him know.”
After He Yuzhu and Tian Zao made the phone call, they asked, "Do you accept cash?"
"No," Tian Zao replied confidently.
"Still haven't gotten any money?" He Yuzhu was surprised. He had previously instructed them to prepare some cash, but they hadn't managed to get any money at all.
"No, there isn't." Tian Zao said somewhat guiltily.
Then he said, "Pillar, don't worry. Although we don't have money, we have things!"
What do you have?
Tian Zao said, "You still want the courtyard, right?"
"Yes, but I already have two courtyards."
"It's alright, this is a replacement, and besides, you can register it in your daughter's name."
"One courtyard isn't enough."
"We also have some confiscated antique furniture, jewelry, rosewood furniture, porcelain, and calligraphy and paintings that we can use to offset your debt."
With each item mentioned, He Yuzhu's eyes lit up a little more; these were all good things!
"Sure, that can be used to offset the debt."
The two exchanged a few words, then got up to find Director Li, who then led the two men to the courtyard prepared by He Yuzhu.
All the machinery we brought from Moscow is stored here.
He Yuzhu explained, "This small one is for making candles, the equipment next to it is for printing books and exam papers, the big one over there is for milling rice and rolling flour, and there's also equipment for producing glass bottles and jars, and inside there's more..."
He Yuzhu used the rubles he obtained to buy a lot of equipment, and he released it all this time, wanting to exchange it for money. However, it would be even better if he exchanged it for antique furniture.
The two men that Director Li brought were both mechanical engineers. Upon seeing the machinery, they confirmed that it was all a product of Russia.
Director Li was relieved. He then had the two of them check the machinery. Once they confirmed it was in good working order and could be used normally, he said:
"Okay, let's go back and discuss the price."
The two people stayed behind to be in charge of transporting the machinery, which meant they had sold it to the neighborhood.
He Yuzhu initially planned to build his own factory, but Xu Huizhen disagreed.
They said that they already have enough money at home, and that they should keep a low profile and not try to show off by becoming capitalists, because that would be too conspicuous and not a good thing.
He Yuzhu readily agreed and, following his wife's advice, sold all the items.
They left the two of them to handle the transportation, and the three of them went to the street to discuss the matter. They quickly set a price for the goods.
"Do you want a shop or a courtyard house?"
"Where are the shops? How many are there?"
Compared to a courtyard house, He Yuzhu prefers a shop. If he keeps the courtyard house and doesn't sell it, it's just a place to live. A shop is better because he can do business there later, and its appreciation potential is greater than that of a courtyard house.
“There are five storefronts on Gulou East Street.”
He Yuzhu lives in Nanluoguxiang Hutong. To the north of Nanluoguxiang Hutong, there is another hutong called Beiluoguxiang Hutong. Between the two is Gulou East Street.
This is a relatively prosperous area in the capital. He Yuzhu was overjoyed. As long as he could get his hands on these 5 storefronts, they would be valuable real estate in future generations.
"Yes, of course I want it."
"Okay, let's go look at houses first and finalize this one."
This shop is not far from the Drum Tower, facing south, and is right next to Baoshan Hutong.
Upon entering, the room was filled with furniture. Tian Zao said, "This place was originally intended to be converted into a furniture store, but the local authorities simply couldn't afford it, so they gave you this house as collateral."
It is also a courtyard with two sections, but it is a medium-sized siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). The main house has five rooms, and the houses in front and behind are intact. The area is much larger than the courtyards in Qianmen Hutong.
Courtyard houses also come in different grades. Smaller ones typically have three main rooms, while larger ones have five, seven, or nine rooms.
This is the standard layout of the main house, which has five rooms. Although the storefront has five rooms, there are still many areas on the left and right sides that have been enclosed by courtyard walls and have not been converted into shops.
If it were all demolished and rebuilt, it could be a seven-room building.
He Yuzhu immediately took a liking to this two-story shop, which was suitable for both business and personal residence.
Moreover, the location is excellent, close to the square of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, making it a prime location for any business.
"Okay, I want it."
"Then let's go back and sign the transfer agreement."
The three of them went back and completed the transfer procedures, registering the house under He Yuzhu's name. Then, the remaining payment was offset by antiques, calligraphy, paintings, furniture, and other items.
The prices of these items were all set by the district, and there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
Tian Zao said, "Zhu Zi, don't think we're forcing you to buy or sell. After all, we can't decide the price."
"It's okay, I don't mind."
According to Director Tian Zaoli, the prices of these goods are about the same as the actual market price, and there are no discounts. This time, the prices are too high, and he is worried that He Yuzhu might have some thoughts about it.
However, in He Yuzhu's view, the current prices are negligible and cannot reflect the true value of these antiques and paintings.