Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 384 A Trivial Matter

In the office of the Political Work Section of the Health Department of the Prefectural Committee, Section Chief Zhou leaned back in her chair, looking at Chen Fan with curiosity, and asked, "So, the three delicatessens sold nearly ten thousand yuan today?"

Chen Fan quickly waved his hand, "It's only 8000, not 10,000 at all, far from it."

In the morning, a total of 300 chickens, ducks and geese were sold, along with vegetarian dishes, for a total of over 2400. In the afternoon, Secretary Yang and his team organized the delivery of another 200 chickens, ducks and geese. The workers at the cooked food workshop were busy working non-stop, and even the members of the transport team who came by boat helped with the slaughtering and plucking. In the end, they sold out completely, and today's turnover was just over 8000.

"That's still a lot, okay?"

Sister Zhou tasted another piece of braised chicken and said, puzzled, "This stuff is delicious, but are there really that many people buying it?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "It's just that today is the first day of business, so most people came to join in the fun. Also, our main store is located in front of the dock, so many tourists also come to buy things."

Passengers on ships, especially those on long-haul ferries, have a half-hour break, so many disembark to stretch their legs. Think about it, what kind of people travel on long-haul ferries during holidays or festivals?

Sister Zhou chuckled and said, "What else could they be? At least half of them are on business trips."

Chen Fan nodded, "That's right. These people receive subsidies every day, so they're not short of money. Our braised dishes, while not exactly rare, are indeed not commonly seen. Plus, they're meat that doesn't require ration coupons, so overall they're slightly cheaper than restaurant dishes. It's no wonder so many people buy them."

He paused for a moment, picked up his cup, took a sip of water, and sighed with feigned melancholy, "But I estimate this good business will only last three to five days at most. Once the novelty wears off, I'll be grateful if I can make two thousand yuan a day!"

That's the truth, but it's also a bit exaggerated.

Even in later generations, when a new restaurant opens, it will have a period of popularity. After the regular customers have eaten there once, whether they are satisfied with the taste or not, the number of customers will usually decline for a period of time.

However, if the taste is excellent, the decline will be less and the period will be shorter. Otherwise, it will be a boom period of one or two months, followed by a decline period of three months. If the customer flow is not stabilized during this period, it will enter a period of loss, and then go out of business.

Many small restaurants disappear in this short-lived way.

The Luwan Delicatessen opened much the same way. It was very popular at the beginning, but after the initial boom, the local residents of the county lost their initial enthusiasm. They would be lucky to buy from it once a month, so it was impossible for it to have such high sales again.

On the contrary, the passenger ships that dock regularly every day are more worth looking forward to.

So when he left, he repeatedly told Luo Haixia, the team leader of the cooked food workshop, that they could make a little more the first time tomorrow, but the total amount should not exceed today's. He also told them to summarize and analyze the sales situation every day, especially the sales of the two stores in the county, and to be prepared to increase or decrease the amount of goods at any time, just in case the customer traffic suddenly dropped one day, causing a lot of waste.

However, this is the possible outcome if the delicatessen does not have any countermeasures.

But does Chen Fan not have a backup plan?
This hidden agenda is the exaggeration in his words.

Every now and then, they'll launch new products, run promotions, or offer membership cards, firmly securing their place at the top of the trending topics list in Gufeng County. Even if sales decline, it should be limited.

At the same time, he will take advantage of this period to actively expand the market in the prefectural committee and surrounding counties. Once he has more stores, he will only be worried about whether there are enough ingredients, rather than the problem of declining sales.

However, he came here today seeking cooperation, so of course we need to play the emotional card. If he is too confident, who will go out of his way to help him?

Before Chen Fan could even speak, Sister Zhou frowned slightly and looked at him, saying, "So, you're under a lot of pressure too. With so many chickens, ducks, and geese to sell, how long can you keep going with just these three stores and a few purchasing units?"

Chen Fan gave a wry smile and was about to speak when Sister Zhou lightly slapped the table and looked at him reproachfully, "What can I say to you? You turned down the cadre job that was offered to you and insisted on sticking to your post in the production team. Do you think you're so capable?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan just grinned foolishly and didn't respond at all.

Sister Zhou pointed at him angrily, paused for two seconds, and then said, "I can't help you with anything else. The canteen in the health department is too small. It can only serve 20 jin of cooked food a day at most. However, I can put in a good word for you with the several directly affiliated hospitals in the region and the School of Health."

"Before we get off work, I'll call them in a bit. Go directly to their vice president in charge of logistics tomorrow and see if we can open a window service in their cafeteria, or set up a shop near their entrance, so we can also cater to the local residents."

Chen Fan was overjoyed and quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Sister Zhou."

Although he was confident that he could negotiate on his own, he knew that even if he did negotiate, the final result would definitely not be as good as if Sister Zhou had just given him a heads-up.

Otherwise, wouldn't she have wasted her favor?!

However, Chen Fan was insatiable. He grinned and said shamelessly, "Sister Zhou, can I ask you something?"

Sister Zhou picked up her teacup, took a sip, and glanced at him at the same time. "Speak."

Chen Fan pointed in the direction of the Yangtze River and asked curiously, "Do you know any leaders at the dock? Or Yunhu Shipping Company would also be fine."

Sister Zhou couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Should I introduce you to the leaders of the three bus stations in Yunhu as well?"

Chen Fan's eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Okay, okay."

However, he had some doubts. Did the health department really have that much influence? Did they even have connections with leaders in both water and land transportation?

If they were just acquaintances, they wouldn't say something like that.

Sister Zhou glanced at Chen Fan, a strange smile suddenly spreading across her face. "I'm not very familiar with the leaders of the passenger terminal, the shipping company, and the passenger station..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan was stunned and blinked involuntarily. What did that mean?
Sister Zhou continued, "However, we have people in our office who know them well, it just depends on whether you dare to go to them."

Chen Fan's eyes darted around twice. "Who is it?"

Sister Zhou coughed lightly and smiled, "One is Xiao Lin, Lin Liwen, whose father is the deputy director of the passenger terminal; the other is Xiao Xia, Xia Yuping, whose grandfather is a leader in the traffic management department, her father is the director of the No. 1 passenger station, and her mother is..."

Before she could finish speaking, Chen Fan decisively raised his hands in surrender, "Sister Zhou, please let me go!"

There's nothing else to it. Every time Chen Fan comes to see Sister Zhou, she encourages him to go on blind dates with the girls in her department, and it's always these two.

The most awkward thing is that they seem to have actually taken a liking to him, and now with this whole mess, it's no wonder Chen Fan is in a real bind.

It's easy to understand why the two young women chose to work at the health department instead of their own workplaces. Just like in later generations, it was a long-standing consensus that women either became teachers or nurses. The transportation system was dirty and tiring; how could it compare to the health system?
However, medical care is ultimately a business line, and the political work department, which specializes in logistics, is more suitable for them.

So it's easy to understand why they're here.

Sister Zhou laughed a few times, waved her hand and said, "Alright, alright, I see you really don't have that kind of interest, so I won't make things difficult for you." Then she shouted towards the door, "Xiao Lin, Xiao Xia, come in for a moment."

The two girls immediately ran over, greeted Sister Zhou, and then their eyes involuntarily wandered to the side.

Chen Fan sat stiffly with a rigid smile, silently lamenting to himself, "Looks like I'm still too young and can't let go."

Sister Zhou glanced at him, then got straight to the point, "Xiao Chen is here to find a market for the chickens, ducks, and geese for his production team. He's looking for a shop near the passenger terminal and the entrance to the passenger station, to sell the braised food we just had..."

Lin Liwen immediately raised her hand, "That's easy, I'll just go back and tell my dad."

She only said half of what she wanted to say before turning to Chen Fan and laughing, "Should it be located outside or inside? There's a whole row of houses outside that sell souvenirs, which is not interesting at all. They happen to have extra space, so they can set up a braised food shop in one of them."

"You can open it inside the waiting room if you want; you don't even need a storefront, just a stall will do, it's very simple."

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, "But there aren't many people in the waiting room, just a few, so business probably won't be very good. Why don't we set up one inside and one outside?"

Chen Fan opened his mouth wide and couldn't help but swallow. Yunhu Passenger Terminal waiting room, then one inside and one outside?
The waiting room is the entrance, the souvenir shop is at the exit, and of course, people outside can also come in here to pick up passengers. This is equivalent to taking all passengers entering and leaving the passenger terminal into one place.

Is there such a good thing? !
Before he could react, Xia Yuping quickly said, "The bus station is fine too. Although there are no buildings outside, there is vacant land where you can build your own. You can have one inside and one outside. Oh, I mean, all three bus stations are fine. We can also set up a kitchen for you."

Lin Liwen quickly added, "There's an empty room on the ground floor of the waiting room that you can use as a kitchen."

After they finished speaking, Chen Fan snapped his mouth shut and blinked twice dryly. Was it really that simple?
Then he quickly stood up and stretched out his hands, saying, "Thank you, thank you! On behalf of all the members of the Lujiawan Production Brigade, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you."

Both girls blushed as they shook hands with Chen Fan.

One said, "It's nothing, it's no big deal."

The other said, "It was nothing, no need to thank me."

The two voices overlapped, and they couldn't help but glare at each other, both friends feeling somewhat indignant.

Chen Fan gave a stiff smile, inwardly wondering how he could possibly repay this favor.

I have someone I love, and I will never succumb to favors!

So, you don't want it?
How can it be? !
As many people in later generations know, by the 80s, with the increasing activity of social and economic activities, transportation was the most profitable business at that time, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as robbery.

In the Yunhu area, anyone involved in transportation can be connected to these two young ladies. Even if it's not for Lujiawan, but just for himself, how could he let this opportunity pass him by?

It doesn’t make sense!

At worst, I'll find a way to repay the favor later.

……

The next day, September 2nd, Friday.

In the morning, Chen Fan first went to the traffic management office with Xia Yuping, and then went to three different bus stations. He didn't know what Xia Yuping had told her family, but as soon as Chen Fan arrived there, he was warmly received, as if he were not there to ask for favors, but to give them benefits.
Anyway, the matter of opening shops at the three bus stations has been finalized.

There's no need for either an inner or outer house. Just give them a separate plot of land in the courtyard at the station entrance, and let Lujiawan build their own houses against the courtyard wall. The depth should not exceed 3 meters, and the length should be as long as the courtyard wall allows.

Of course, there are conditions. Once the building is completed, it will belong to the passenger station. Lujiawan will only have the right to use it, not the right to own it.

What kind of condition is that?
The land belongs to someone else, and the rent is only a symbolic 50 yuan a year. Do you really think that once you build a house, it will be yours?
Without hesitation, he immediately agreed.

After confirming his intention, he quickly called Lujiawan.

In the brigade headquarters office, four leaders, the security director, the women's director, and the stationed cadre, a total of seven people, squeezed into the office, passing around a savings book.

Secretary Yang looked at the five-figure sum in the bankbook and his face stiffened with a smile. "Yesterday's sales of over 8000 yuan, plus the money we received from delivering live poultry to the county a few days ago, it's almost 20,000 yuan. When has our Lujiawan ever been so wealthy!"

Xiao Liewen sipped his tea and laughed heartily, "This is nothing! Xiao Chen has already gone to the prefectural committee, and he certainly won't come back empty-handed. From now on, our production team's money will increase day by day!"

Anquan, puffing on his cigarette, coughed lightly and said to Secretary Yang, "Uncle Yang, didn't Xiao Chen mention before that we should separate breeding, processing, and sales?"

Secretary Yang looked up at him and nodded. "That's right, and we've already done it. Now the staff and accounts are kept separate."

Anquan pointed to the passbook and laughed, "Since the accounts are all separate, shouldn't we also sort out this money?"

Secretary Yang frowned slightly, "We're all family, is this really necessary?"

Captain Zhang, Ye Shubao, and Xiao Liewen all nodded in unison, clearly indicating that they shared the same idea.

Anquan smiled and was about to explain the necessity of separating accounting.

At this point, Secretary Yang added, "If we split them up, those three notebooks wouldn't even cost tens of thousands of yuan."

The safety situation suddenly went black, and it turned out to be because of this reason?
He covered his forehead helplessly, "Then let's wait until there's more money, and then we'll divide it up. Each family will have tens of thousands of yuan."

Secretary Yang grinned and chuckled, "We certainly understand the principle of separating accounts when dividing the family property. Don't worry, once we have more money, I will definitely have Accountant Li open two more accounts and separate the accounts."

Anquan smiled and nodded, then said, "I wonder how things are going with Xiao Chen?"

Just then, the phone on the table suddenly rang.

Secretary Yang glanced at the phone and grinned, "No need to ask, it's definitely Xiao Chen calling."

He picked up the phone and said, "Hello, this is Lujiawan, who is this?"

(End of this chapter)