Starting a new chapter in life

He Zhijun replied to her: "Because he has already guessed that you want to do business. Asking too many questions is a big taboo. At his age, he has reached the position of section chief. He is definitely a master of interpersonal relationships. As long as it is not illegal or criminal, having an additional sales channel is a small problem for him."

Jing Yan was a little excited: "You mean he knew I was going to engage in speculation and profiteering, yet he still made things easy for me? Does that mean the policy is going to change? Hmm, maybe the regulations on speculation and profiteering will be relaxed?"

He Zhijun shook his head: "It's impossible to loosen restrictions all at once, as that would cause chaos. It's possible to loosen restrictions gradually, but it's not obvious yet. You should still be careful and not be careless."

"Hmm, you really don't seem like a soldier. I thought you would stop me and not let me cross the line. I didn't expect you to be so supportive. What if I slip up and get caught? Would you come to my rescue?" Jing Yan was genuinely curious.

"Yes, I will try to get you out. I'm just a technician, my moral standards aren't that high. As long as you don't do anything like treason, murder, or harming national interests, I will naturally protect my wife."

"Hehe, you're so nice."

Back home, Jingyan started cleaning the bones and meat and preparing the braising sauce. He Zhijun took over the task of cooking at home. Since they would be using the stove later, this meal was very simple: noodles in a soup.

After a quick lunch, I started blanching the ingredients, cleaning them, and then braising them. I simmered them over low heat for more than two hours before removing them from the heat to cool and let them absorb the flavor.

"When can we eat?" He Zhijun had been smelling the aroma all afternoon and was really getting hungry.

"I'll put a few pieces on your plate for dinner later. They won't be really flavorful until tomorrow morning. This stuff needs time to develop, you can't rush it."

“Okay, I’m not in a hurry. How do you plan to make this business a success? After all, it’s not allowed to do business privately these days.” He Zhijun was a little worried.

"Well, I don't plan to sell this time. Tomorrow I'll cut some and send it to my neighbors, saying it's a new dish I made myself, and let them try it. Also, Sister Gao, she's helped me a lot and can give me some suggestions on the taste."

What I want to participate in is that monthly market where people can reasonably sell their own produce. I'll try it out and see how well I can sell it. It's just a stall fee. What do you think I should price it if I sell it? Jingyan was indeed having a headache over the pricing issue.

"How about we raise the price by 30% based on cost?" He Zhijun suggested.

"Based on the price of pork belly, the weight after braising will be 70% of the weight of the raw meat. Adding the cost of seasonings, with a profit margin of 30%, it would need to be at least 2.6 yuan per jin. Isn't that too expensive?" After doing the math, Jing Yan felt a little uncertain.

“Those who are willing to spend money on this kind of cooked food are not short of money. As long as the price is not outrageous, there should be no problem. But you don’t have a scale, how can you sell it? We still need to buy a scale first.”

Jing Yan nodded: "I'm a little panicked and unsure of myself because we've already spent so much money without even starting anything."

"It's okay. As for money, spend more if you have more, and less if you don't. My allowance can support you, so don't worry. Do whatever you want. Even if you lose everything, it's not much money. We'll still have enough to eat, so it's not a loss."

"But where can I buy a scale? I didn't see any for sale at the supply and marketing cooperative." Jing Yan was a bit worried.

"Let's ask around some more. If all else fails, we can sell them by the piece," He Zhijun suggested, and surprisingly, it was a good idea.

No matter what happens later, at least this favor can be done first. The next morning, the couple ate millet porridge with cold cabbage hearts and sliced ​​braised meat. Mmm, it smelled so good! Each of them also gnawed on a big bone. It was a perfect and luxurious breakfast.

After finishing her own meal, Jingyan first packed the portion for Battalion Commander Gao into an aluminum lunchbox before starting to distribute the rest. No pork belly was included; only braised pork ribs were provided, one plateful for each family, about a pound or so.

First, they went to Chen Xinyue's house. Gong Haibo opened the door and was a little surprised to see He Zhijun: "What a rare guest! You rarely have time off and never go out. This must be your first time visiting my house. Please come in."

He Zhijun chuckled: "I'm not as much of a homebody as you think. I just got here and have a lot to do. Once this busy period is over, I'll have more time to rest, and then I'll come find you for drinks. Just don't find me annoying, haha~"

As they chatted, Jingyan followed them into the house. Chen Xinyue looked at her with surprise and delight: "Sister Zhang, it's rare to see you come out for a visit. You're a real seldom-visited guest. Come, have a seat."

Jingyan casually took the plate from the basket and placed it on the living room table: "I made these at home. I brought them over for you to try. I'll also give you some suggestions and see if there's anything that needs improvement."

The family of three stared speechlessly at the large plate of pork ribs. Chen Xinyue swallowed hard and said, "Sister, this gift is too much. I can't possibly accept it. How much does this cost? I'll pay for it."

Jing Yan smiled and shook her head: "I really don't need the money. I'm here to give it to you sincerely, not to sell things under the guise of giving something away. Of course, I'm not giving you food for free either. You'll have to give me feedback on the taste and texture. Also, I'd like to buy a scale, but I haven't seen any for sale at the supply and marketing cooperative. Do you know where I can ask?"

Seeing that Jing Yan was genuinely sincere in giving the gift, Chen Xinyue didn't hesitate any longer. She went to the kitchen, cleared out the plate, and handed it to her, saying with a smile, "Are you planning to start a food business? But the current policies don't allow it."

“I know, I plan to get a pot of these at the market to test the waters. If they sell well, I can get some every month. It’ll be some income, and I’ll have something to do at home,” Jingyan explained.

Gong Haibo had just smuggled two pieces of pork ribs from the kitchen. He kept one for himself, and Qi Qi kept the other, stuffing one into Chen Xinyue's mouth as well. He then said, "You can try it, but what price are you planning to sell it for? This meat isn't afraid of being eaten cold, and it tastes pretty good. It's perfect as a snack with drinks, so it can't be too cheap."

“One pound of meat can yield six to seven ounces of finished product. In addition, the price of braising spices is not low, and there are also ingredients such as soy sauce, salt, and sugar. If I add a 30% profit, it will cost about 2.6 or 2.7 yuan per pound. I am still hesitating because this price is too high, but if the price is lower, there is no need to bother.” Jing Yan expressed her dilemma.

Gong Haibo laughed: "Do you know how much these braised pork ribs would sell for in a state-run restaurant?"

"These, three yuan?" Jing Yan asked, her voice lacking confidence.

“If it’s a third less than this, it can sell for three yuan, and you’ll need two jin of meat coupons,” Gong Haibo said with certainty.

"So expensive? But it's a restaurant, so it's normal for it to be a bit pricey." Jingyan understood this principle.

Gong Haibo nodded in agreement, “So I think it’s okay for you to sell it for three yuan a pound. There are plenty of people in Jiang City who love to eat meat and have the money to eat it. Don’t think that everyone is poor. There may not be many people with ration coupons, but there are plenty of people who have money. Every household has two pounds of meat coupons every month. It’s perfectly normal for people who crave meat to come to you to buy it. You can try it at the price I suggested. Hmm, if you make braised beef or something, you can raise the price further. In short, set the price according to the ingredients, no problem.”

"So the most urgent thing is to find a new pan scale, otherwise if we really sell by the pan, it will be troublesome if there are too many people or too few people." He Zhijun was thinking about where to find one.

Gong Haibo laughed and said, "You two came to deliver meat so early in the morning, weren't you just after my idea? There's a bunch of junk in the Revolutionary Committee's warehouse, and they should have a scale too. I'll go and run a errand in a bit and buy you a scale. Five jin should be enough, right?"

Jingyan felt the surprise was too sudden. She originally just wanted to ask where she could buy it, but she didn't expect to be able to buy it directly: "Then brother-in-law, you have to bring a gift when you go to see people, right? I'll pack some braised pork ribs for you later. You can take them with you when you go drinking with people. Of course, you can't not accept the money for the scale. Let's keep things separate."

Gong Haibo smiled and nodded: "You can pay for the scale when I get back. You can take the ribs. Zhang's daughter is so sensible."

Chen Xinyue was speechless and glared at him: "Jingyan, your ribs do taste good, but you may not know that men in the Great Northern Wilderness have a strong palate. This is salty enough for normal meals, but people who drink alcohol may find it too bland. If you want to sell it, you should make it a little saltier."

Gong Haibo nodded in agreement: "Yueyue is right. I don't usually drink much, so I don't find it salty on its own. But people who drink a lot will find it too bland to go with their drinks. They can add more salt."

Jing Yan humbly accepted the instruction. After returning home with He Zhijun, she quickly filled a lunchbox with more than half a rib and handed it to him, saying, "Go and deliver this to Brother Gong."

He Zhijun didn't say much and obediently went to do the errand. In the evening, Gong Haibo came with a delicate pan scale in his hand. The small weight and small copper pan were clean and very cute.

He handed it to Jingyan: "Sister-in-law, how about this? I went to their warehouse today and found this to be the newest one. When you're in the food business, clean products give customers more peace of mind. Some scales aren't dirty, they're just old, which affects the perception. This one is a little small, but it's perfect. I've tested it for you, and it's quite accurate."

Jingyan accepted it with delight. It was indeed very delicate and cute. She smiled and thanked him, "Thank you, Brother Gong. This scale is very beautiful. I like it very much. I sell cooked food and pure meat. Nobody has a mountain of gold and silver. This scale is perfect for me. It weighs half a jin to five jin. Thank you for your trouble. How much is it?"

"I don't know how much this is worth, and the man didn't know either, but seeing that the scale pan and weights were made of pure copper, he asked me for ten yuan," Gong Haibo replied.

Jing Yan went inside to get money, and He Zhijun invited him, "Brother Gong, let's eat here tonight, and have a drink later?"

Gong Haibo was somewhat tempted. "Well... I have to go back and ask Yueyue." After saying that, he awkwardly touched the bridge of his nose and tried to save face: "Well, I'm just afraid that she made my portion of dinner, and she'll be unhappy if I don't go back to eat it, haha." He felt that no matter how he explained it, it didn't seem quite right, so he simply shut up.

Jingyan handed the money to Gong Haibo, and He Zhijun said to her, "Jingyan, how about we invite Brother Gong and his family over for dinner tonight? I'd like to have a couple of drinks with him."

Jing Yan nodded: "Sure, I'll go tell Sister Chen. I'll come back and cook later. You can sit with Brother Gong for a bit." After saying that, she walked out. Gong Haibo sat down a little embarrassed: "I'm so sorry, I've already had two meals at your house."

"Brother Gong has helped us a lot this time. I feel it's a bit too much to just treat you to a meal. You go ahead and cook. I'll start steaming the rice first. When Jingyan comes back later, I'll ask her what dishes she wants to make. Come and try my cooking today."

"Brother, you can cook too? Wow, you really dote on your wife. I sometimes cook at home too, and to be honest, my cooking skills are better than Yueyue's..." The two men found common ground and busied themselves in the kitchen. When Jingyan returned with Chen Xinyue and Qiqi, she was a little bewildered to see the two men in the kitchen.

“This… how can you let guests cook for themselves?” Jing Yan was about to speak up to stop them when Chen Xinyue pulled her away: “Let them do it. They usually come home late, so we prepare the food in advance so they can eat it when they get home. Now that they’re on holiday at home, it’s only right that they cook more.”

But Zhang, you're quite something too! Your husband cooks at home, that's great! I thought only my husband, Lao Gong, could cook, so I was always afraid to tell people outside, worried they'd think I wasn't a good wife or mother. Now we have something in common, haha~”

Jingyan smiled and replied, "My third sister can't cook. Even when my third sister is idle at home, my brother-in-law cooks when he gets home. My fourth brother-in-law can also cook, but he can't cook as well as my fourth sister. Zhijun is better at stir-frying than me. I'm better at cold dishes and stewed meat, but I'm not good at stir-frying."

"You sisters are all so lucky! You chose wives who can cook and are kind to their wives. You know how to pick them." Although Chen Xinyue said this, she wasn't envious. Her husband, Lao Gong, was perfect, and she was very satisfied and liked him very much.

Jingyan leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I heard that the men in the Great Northern Wilderness are all chauvinistic outside, bossing their wives around, but when they come home and close the door, they're all tough men who can bend and stretch, can be beaten and punished. They're tough on the outside but not on the inside. Did you know that?"

Chen Xinyue immediately perked up when the topic of gossip came up: "You can hear about this from so far away? I only overheard some of our teachers saying a few things, like her husband has big ears that are easy to twist or something. I thought it was just bragging. You don't know, when we had a dinner party before, her husband was drinking and she was serving him tea and water. I thought she was just trying to save face. Could it all be true?"

Jingyan smiled at her, and the two exchanged a glance, everything understood without a word.

After their evening conversation, Jingyan mentioned the Chen couple to him: "You two cooked together today. Is Brother Gong a skilled cook too?"