Chapter 127: Taking Initial Shape
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With her first bite, Gao Yun’s eyes widened.
A rich fragrance burst across her tongue, savory and tingling. The wheat gluten actually had the texture of meat.
Chewing it more carefully, she found it fragrant, crisp, and wonderfully springy. Its rich aroma lingered in her mouth long after she swallowed.
Gao Yun instantly fell in love with the food, though she cast Zhang Bao a suspicious glance.
Was this really wheat gluten? She had eaten wheat gluten before, but why did this kind taste like meat?
What she did not know was that this was all thanks to Chen Huajiang’s seasoning. In later generations, wheat gluten would even earn the reputation of being vegetarian meat.
Next came the lamb skewers. They were delicious as well, but Gao Yun preferred the grilled wheat gluten she had just eaten.
“Boss, give me two more skewers of grilled wheat gluten.”
Gao Yun walked over to Zhang Bao.
“Miss, could you please show some consideration? Haven’t you heard of the rule of first come, first served?”
“Get in line, all right? Can’t you see there are four of us waiting here?”
Before Zhang Bao could answer, several customers gathered around the snack cart turned toward Gao Yun in displeasure.
Embarrassed, Gao Yun stuck out her tongue, then went to stand at the back of the line.
Zhang Bao swiftly brushed on the seasoning, turning the wheat-gluten skewers over and over until both sides were golden brown. He then brushed them with another layer of oil before handing them to the customers.
This time, Gao Yun bought five skewers in one go, spending one yuan.
She felt a little pained by the expense. A single massage at her family’s bonesetting clinic cost only two yuan.
This small amount of food had cost the equivalent of half a massage.
But once the food reached her mouth, Gao Yun was satisfied again. For such a delicacy, twenty cents a skewer was practically a bargain.
From then on, Gao Yun became a regular customer at Zhang Bao’s snack cart. The next day, she even dragged Liu Xiangyang and Ma Liangping along.
She claimed she was bringing them to taste something delicious, but in truth, she wanted them to pay.
Thus, business on the tree-lined path grew better and better, and the people in the alley naturally took notice.
“The business over there has really taken off. You have no idea—I stood beside their snack stall for more than an hour yesterday and watched them sell at least several hundred skewers of food.”
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“Seriously? They sold that much? I’ve been busy at work these past few days. Are there really that many people buying?”
“Of course. Gao Yun from the Gao Family Bonesetting Clinic alone bought more than a dozen skewers. And every customer buys several, sometimes more than ten at a time. Saying several hundred is an understatement. They may even have sold several thousand.”
The more they talked, the more excited they became. When it came to making money, whether in the past, the present, or the future, it was always a subject of fascination and gossip.
“Even if they make only five cents per skewer, a hundred skewers would bring in five yuan, and two hundred would bring in ten. Good heavens, they could earn at least ten yuan a day!”
“Five cents is an underestimate. I think they could even make ten cents a skewer. There’s not much wheat gluten or oil involved, so the costs can’t be high. This is a fine business. My boy still hasn’t found a place yet, and I don’t even know whether he can get into a factory. Maybe I should have him learn a trade first. He might even earn more this way than by working in a factory.”
“That’s not the same. Factory work is secure—a guaranteed job that can feed you for a lifetime. Who knows whether this business will still make money later? I think your boy should wait and try to get into a factory when the opportunity comes.”
Everyone discussed the matter animatedly, and quite a few began making plans of their own.
Before long, the Kunlun Catering Free Training Center became extremely busy. Neighbors from all around flooded in, bringing along relatives, sons, and daughters.
“Master Chen, are you still taking people here? Please take on my boy.”
“This is my nephew. He’s eighteen, and he does nothing useful all day long—either chasing birds or catching fish. Let him learn a skill from you, Master Chen. It’ll save us a lot of worry in the future.”
“We’re all neighbors, Master Chen. Please take my nephew under your wing. If you ever need anything, we certainly won’t refuse to help.”
Most of those speaking were middle-aged or elderly. Carrying fruit, sweets, and similar gifts, they hoped Chen Huajiang would accept their relatives or children as apprentices.
Some of the older applicants had also noticed the business opportunity and intended to learn the trade so they could work for themselves.
Chen Huajiang accepted everyone without exception, but he also laid down three rules: after completing their training, they had to follow his arrangements.
Everyone naturally agreed, and the training center once again became lively.
Among them were several members of the first group of apprentices who had quit halfway through. They returned to Chen Huajiang, hoping to start over.
Chen Huajiang did not refuse them, but they would no longer receive the generous terms offered before. They had to purchase their own food carts in advance, and they also had to pay upfront for the seasonings and secret sauces.
They were reluctant, but they had been the ones to quit in the first place. After some discussion, they ultimately agreed to Chen Huajiang’s conditions.
As a result, more stalls appeared along the tree-lined path, and the area increasingly took on the scale of a snack street.
Days passed. In the blink of an eye, a week had gone by, and the second group of trainees had completed their apprenticeships as well.
Chen Huajiang took down the signboard of the training center and arranged for Zhang Bao and the others to explain that anyone wishing to become an apprentice in the future could learn from them instead.
However, they would now have to pay a training fee. Whether or not they would charge one would depend on whether the first and second groups of graduates were willing to do so.
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This sparked heated discussion, though everyone could understand.
Deep down, no one believed Chen Huajiang would provide free training forever.
Besides, everyone had their own little calculations. Just as in later generations, those who had already boarded the train were unwilling to let others crowd aboard. Some would even maliciously slam the doors shut behind them.
At the entrance to the alley, a group of people wandered back and forth, their faces full of regret.
“We shouldn’t have left in the first place. Business is so good over there now, and Zhang Bao and the others are making a fortune.”
“That’s right. Zhang Hao, you have to take responsibility for this. You were the one who talked us into it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have refused to work with Master Chen and gone wandering around with you.”
“Yesterday, I was beaten up downtown. They said I had stolen business from a food stall near the China Construction Bank employees’ compound. Damn it, how was I supposed to know that was their territory?”
These were the people who had left with Zhang Hao and taken their own snack carts downtown to seek their fortunes.
They had thought matters were far too simple. They assumed that having the necessary skills would be enough to make money, not realizing that the market had long since been claimed by others.
At that time, the market was essentially divided among employees’ residential compounds. Without the consent of the local compound, anyone trying to do business there would naturally be met with hostility—or even beaten.
“Let’s go find Master Chen. If the people who never left are allowed to return, then naturally we can return too.”
“At worst, we’ll pay upfront for the cart and the ingredients. Besides, we don’t even need new carts—we already have our own.”
Zhang Hao swept an unhappy glance over the speakers, inwardly furious as well.
In the end, however, he gritted his teeth and said they would return to the training center to find Chen Huajiang.
“Wait.”
“Gao Yun, could you help us put in a good word?”
As they passed through the alley, Zhang Hao happened to see Gao Yun setting someone’s bones. Remembering how she had helped them last time, he decided to ask for her assistance again.
Moreover, Zhang Hao and the others knew that Chen Huajiang wanted to become apprenticed to Gao Yun’s grandfather. With Gao Yun speaking on their behalf, perhaps their chances would be better.
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