Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Spicy Braised Delicacies
"What's Boss Chen cooking that smells so delicious?"
An elderly man was pressed against the display window, almost sticking his head inside.
"The store is introducing sauce-flavored pig's head and knuckles!" Chen Yu replied with a smile.
"How much per pound?" the old man asked urgently.
Chen Yu thought for a moment, "Fifty yuan per pound!"
The old man hesitated, as the price was indeed more expensive than the marinated delicacies outside.
But the aroma was simply too tempting.
"Half a pound of pig's head, half a pound of knuckle, and two vegetable dumplings, please!"
Chen Yu quickly brought out the kitchen's specialized electronic scale, weighed half a pound of each, and handed them over.
The old man paid the money, then found a table with delight and began to devour the marinated treats.
This made the other customers nearby envious.
They rushed to the display window to buy some for themselves.
At six ten in the morning, Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan walked down slowly from upstairs.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, this was Tong Ya's first time sleeping in.
Yet, as she came downstairs, all her emotions were overtaken by the fragrance that pervaded the lobby.
Tuan Tuan, with her little nose working overtime, trotted all the way into the kitchen.
"Daddy, what delicious food are you making that smells so good?"
Chen Yu laughed and took out a large piece of pig's head meat from the pot.
He then split it into two pieces, and gave them to Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan respectively.
After gobbling down their shares, their eyes suddenly lit up.
"Oh my, this is so tasty!" Tong Ya exclaimed without thinking.
She had tasted many marinated foods before, but what Chen Yu made was the tastiest she had ever had.
Tuan Tuan was so excited she couldn't even speak, her little hands trembling as she held her bowl.
"How much are you planning to sell this per pound?" Tong Ya asked with expectant eyes.
Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Fifty yuan per pound, the price is already put out there."
Tong Ya became anxious, "Such delicious marinated food, and you're selling it for so little?"
The best marinated food she had eaten could sell for two thousand yuan per pound.
The marinated food made by Chen Yu was even tastier. Even if it were sold for three thousand yuan, it wouldn't be overpriced.
"It's not too little!" Chen Yu smiled, "After all, the cost is there. To price it at fifty yuan, I'm already making a handsome profit."
Tong Ya was stunned and found herself admiring the man in front of her more and more.
He was doing business honestly, not fixated on profits, a rare and excellent man in the world.
After having another small piece of the knuckle, Tong Ya reluctantly put down her bowl.
She knew these marinated delicacies were for sale, not just for her to eat.
"Then I will take Tuan Tuan to kindergarten first. You must save some marinated food for me when I come back in the evening."
Chen Yu smiled slightly and nodded.
Tong Ya picked up Tuan Tuan's backpack, ready to leave, then suddenly ran back to Chen Yu.
"I haven't even left yet, and I'm already missing you!"
With that, Tong Ya ran off with Tuan Tuan, her cheeks flushed with joy.
Chen Yu stood frozen for a long time before he could react. That girl was getting more and more brazen with her sweet nothings.
Three pig's heads, three knuckles, totaling twenty-five pounds, sold out in less than half an hour since they came out of the pot.
Chen Yu didn't dare to slack off and quickly took out five large cylindrical pressure cookers from the storeroom.
He also set up a huge pot at the same time.
What he had made earlier was just a test. Now that he had the hang of it, he could use the pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time.
Chen Yu poured water into that huge pot, adding white vinegar and ginger slices.
After using this pot to remove the blood foam from the heads and knuckles, he placed them in the pressure cookers to stew.
Chen Yu roughly calculated the ratio of stewing time between the pressure cooker and a regular pot.
With bold strokes, he set to work.
The whole process took nearly half an hour to stew a pot.
Each of the five large pressure cookers could stew forty pounds of marinated delicacies at a time.
That is to say, in half an hour, two hundred pounds of marinated delicacies could be produced.
When the first batch of five pots of marinated delicacies was ready, the entire shop instantly buzzed with activity.
"Young Boss Chen, quickly sell me three pounds; I'll take it home to eat,"
"I'll have two pounds!"
...
In turn, no one was interested in the fried pastries and cakes anymore, with everyone's attention now focused on the marinated delicacies.
By noon, the shop was still swamped with people.
Usually, at this time, the flow of customers would have died down.
With the introduction of marinated delicacies, it was as if the shop had launched a lunch service.
However, the shop did not offer staple foods like noodles or pancakes, so many people were eating the pastries with marinated delicacies.
As a result, the sales volume of pastries greatly increased today.
Chen Yu thought about whether he should collaborate with other businesses outside to bring in some noodles or pancakes.
The bustling scene continued until five in the afternoon.
The previously popular pastries and cakes had already accumulated a large flow of customers for the shop.
Hence, the marinated delicacies were an instant success when launched.
Up to now, the fourth batch of marinated delicacies was about to sell out.
After one more round, the five hundred pounds of pig's heads and five hundred pounds of hocks that came in last night would be sold out.
Just as Chen Yu was busily preparing for the fifth round, Tong Ya suddenly called.
"Do you need me to bring some vegetables back for you today?"
One couldn't tell if Tong Ya was doing it on purpose or not, but she deliberately spoke in a coy, high-pitched voice.
Chen Yu cleared his throat, "Then when you come back, bring fifty pancakes."
"Okay, wait for me."
Chen Yu quickly hung up the phone, as just those last few words made him feel as if he had been electrocuted.
If she continued like this, he would be numbed to death.
At that moment, a large number of customers rushed to the display window, afraid that they would not get their chance at the marinated delicacies.
Su Qing, Han Cai, and Zhao Meng were frantically trying to maintain order.
The kitchen on the first floor had stopped the production of pastries and cakes and became completely dedicated to marinated delicacies.
Up to now, the last batch, weighing one hundred and ninety pounds, had all been reserved and sold off.
Those who couldn't get in line could only leave in disappointment.
"Boss Chen, make more marinated delicacies tomorrow; many of us didn't manage to buy any,"
"This is too delicious, much better than the marinated delicacies from the shop on East Street,"
"Boss Chen's culinary skills are truly beyond compare,"
...
When Tong Ya arrived with Tuan Tuan, the last batch of marinated delicacies was just ready.
The enticing aroma made them rush into the kitchen involuntarily.
But soon, as the crowd dispersed, the last batch of marinated delicacies also sold out.
Fortunately, Chen Yu had the foresight to set aside nearly ten pounds of marinated delicacies.
However, coinciding with the peak of the evening rush hour, there was still a large influx of customers entering the shop to buy pastries and cakes.
It wasn't until eight o'clock in the evening that the flow of customers finally began to diminish.
Chen called over his staff and brought out the ten pounds of marinated delicacies they had set aside.
The wafting aroma instantly made everyone salivate.