Boss Du couldn't refuse and casually drew one. At the very bottom of the stick was a black circle.
"One circle means one Roujiamo," Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile. "Boss Du has good luck, drawing a Roujiamo. We sell them for six wen each in our shop, and it's one of our signature dishes. You can't get it anywhere else."
Boss Du's interest was piqued. "To be honest, this is the first time I've heard of a Roujiamo."
As they were talking, someone else walked in, holding a red flyer.
"Can you really draw something?" the person asked suspiciously. "Is this a scam?"
"Uncle, drawing lots is all about luck. Today we have sixty sticks, and thirty of them are prize winners," Qi Zhenzhen explained with a smile.
"Give me a bowl of Youpo Sazi Noodles. I like it spicy, make it extra strong," the uncle said.
Just then, Yingzi brought the Roujiamo over to Boss Du. The uncle looked at it with curiosity and asked, "What is this? I've never seen it before."
"This is Roujiamo. It's a flatbread baked with white flour, filled with our special braised meat and pork skin jelly," Qi Zhenzhen introduced.
Boss Du took a bite, his face full of enjoyment. He nodded as he ate and gave a thumbs-up.
Seeing this, the uncle said, "Give me one of these Roujiamo too."
Yingzi scurried off to the kitchen to deliver the order. The uncle decided to sit at Boss Du's table, and they chatted idly.
Boss Du was enthusiastic and offered the uncle some braised meat. There wasn't much left. The uncle thought for a moment, picked up a slice of the braised meat, and ate it delicately, chewing carefully.
"How is it? Good, right? I'm from the tavern across the street. I originally came to support you, but after eating, I realized you have real skill. The braised meat is authentic, and this Roujiamo is also good. If my wife doesn't cook in the future, I know where to get a meal," Boss Du said contentedly after finishing his last sip of wine.
"It is good. I walked two streets over. A young man gave me this flyer, and it looked interesting, so I came to see," the uncle said.
Qi Zhenzhen let the uncle draw a stick, but he didn't win. The uncle looked a bit dejected, then his eyes lit up. He pulled out two copper coins. "Didn't you say you could draw again for two copper coins? I drew once when I ate, can I draw again by paying?"
"Uncle, that won't do. Each person only has one chance to draw," Qi Zhenzhen refused seriously. "We have sixty sticks in total. If someone bought them all for one hundred and twenty wen, it wouldn't be fair, would it?"
Boss Du chimed in, "That's right. This young man, they came up with this method to attract customers. Please be understanding. You didn't come in vain, the taste is good, isn't it?"
The uncle was also easygoing and nodded.
Their noodles were served together: one bowl of braised meat noodles and one bowl of Youpo Sazi Noodles.
The braised meat noodles came with broth, meat, and green vegetable leaves. The Youpo Sazi Noodles were glistening with oil, the spicy sauce and minced meat exuding a rich aroma.
"It's got a good bite. This chili is flavorful, delicious, delicious," the uncle's forehead was sweating, and his face was flushed. "It's been a long time since I've had such flavorful chili."
Boss Du also ate with gusto, praising it from time to time.
Those who were gathered at the entrance also started coming inside. Qi Zhenzhen greeted them with a smile.
Yingzi ran back and forth. Lin Ruixue and Zhang Erniu in the kitchen couldn't hide their smiles. The more times the little girl ran, the more people there were outside.
Some sat down and ordered noodles, while others paid two copper coins.
"Four circles, that's today's grand prize. You can come to our shop and eat a bowl of our signature noodles every day for fifteen consecutive days," Qi Zhenzhen announced loudly.
The person who drew the grand prize had paid two copper coins to buy a chance. He was a young man, and at that moment, he looked excited, his hands trembling slightly.
"Young man, come over here. Let's register and have you make a handprint," Qi Zhenzhen called out.
After it was done, the young man still looked a bit dazed. "I can come and eat noodles every day? Can I just eat one bowl today?"
"Of course, you can," Qi Zhenzhen nodded with a smile.
This grand prize instantly made the atmosphere more lively. Yingzi was practically running her feet off.
The noodles were delicious, no doubt about it. Those who sat down to eat were all satisfied. Those who initially thought it was expensive now felt it was worth every penny. The broth was milky bone broth, the noodles were springy, and the meat was solid. It was truly a good deal.
Qi Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they were willing to eat the noodles, they would come back after tasting them. Once they had a stable customer base, the business would be established.
Customers started arriving from the early morning hours, and it wasn't until the late morning that the shop finally quieted down.
Qi Zhenzhen let out a sigh of relief and sat down on a stool, feeling utterly exhausted.
"Sister Zhenzhen, we sold a total of fifty bowls of plain noodles, eighty bowls of meat noodles, thirty portions of braised meat platters, fifteen plates of braised meat, and twenty-six Roujiamo. In addition, five people won noodles, six people won Roujiamo, two people won braised meat platters, and two people won half-month coupons," Yingzi said, counting on her fingers.
Qi Zhenzhen went through the accounts. Yingzi's count was perfectly accurate.
Normally, remembering these things wouldn't be a big deal, but Yingzi was helping to serve customers, deliver dishes, and serve food, all while being incredibly busy, and she remembered everything clearly. That was true skill.
Qi Zhenzhen quickly wrote up the ledger. The profit from the noodles was two hundred and sixty wen. The braised meat platters and braised meat had a larger profit of two hundred and seventy wen, and the Roujiamo contributed fifty-two wen. The total profit was five hundred and eighty-two wen. The cost of the lucky draw was calculated separately. Was the income acceptable?
Lin Ruixue and Zhang Erniu came out one after the other. Hearing Qi Zhenzhen's account, they both grinned.
They had agreed yesterday that Aunt Lu would help wash dishes for twenty wen a day, and Yingzi would help out front for twenty wen as well. Aunt Lu had initially disagreed, but Qi Zhenzhen said that if she didn't agree, they wouldn't ask the two of them to help. Aunt Lu couldn't refuse and finally agreed.
"You two should rest quickly. We still have to be busy tonight," Qi Zhenzhen urged them to go back to their rooms to rest.
Lin Ruixue found a stool and sat down. "I'm not tired. Erniu did all the kneading and rolling of the dough. I just boiled the noodles and added the various ingredients. Let him go back to his room to rest. I'll sit here for a bit and then go help Aunt Lu wash dishes." Lin Ruixue said.
Zhang Erniu raised his hand to lift the curtain but then put it down. "Sister Lin, you can't touch cold water right now. I'll help Aunt Lu wash dishes. You go rest. I'm not tired. I used to do much more tiring work than this."
With that, he went into the kitchen. Lin Ruixue felt a bit helpless. "Kneading dough is physical labor, how can you not be tired? I won't touch cold water, washing with warm water is fine too. He makes it sound like I can't do anything. This person is really something..."
Qi Zhenzhen smiled meaningfully. Lin Ruixue felt a little uneasy and lifted the curtain to enter the kitchen.
With them living and working together from now on, and Brother Zhang Er being so considerate, their relationship was sure to blossom.