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The conflict between the two sides has not been resolved to this day.
Hung Kam-tung's master worked at Fung Chak Yuen, so he stayed at Fung Chak Yuen to work.
After three years of apprenticeship and two years of service, they had long been accustomed to Fengzeyuan and worked together in the kitchen.
As they talked, the three of them arrived at the Military Control Commission. Hong Jindong went first to find an acquaintance, and then took He Yuzhu to complete the rental procedures.
The rent here is a bit higher, at 30 yuan a month. He Yuzhu paid a year's rent upfront, and both parties agreed that the rent would be negotiated based on the actual value.
Prices have been extremely unstable in the past two years, especially last year when the price of grain increased tenfold, causing many ordinary people to go bankrupt.
Nowadays, the first thing many people do after receiving their salary is to exchange it for supplies, such as food or other items that can be traded.
Therefore, it is necessary to agree on the method for calculating the rent when renting the house next year.
At 30 yuan a month, that's 360 yuan a year, which is already quite a high price.
He Yuzhu casually asked how much it would cost to buy the house, and then learned that the house would cost more than 7000 yuan.
Yandaixiejie is relatively small, and although it is quite bustling, it cannot compare to this area.
He Yuzhu bought a house over there for 4000 yuan, which is bigger than the house here, but the price was 3000 yuan less.
Even with so much money on hand, He Yuzhu has no plans to use it to buy real estate.
Buying a shop now is definitely not a good deal. The main reason for this is that the big yellow croaker was taken from an antique shop in full view of everyone, so they quickly switched to a house to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
On the way back, Hong Jindong said goodbye, and He Yuzhu thanked him repeatedly and invited him to have a drink together.
They then returned to their newly rented storefront, where they opened the door to clean the place and discuss the layout.
Are you new tenants?
He Yuzhu turned his head and saw Chen Xueru standing at the door asking a question.
"Hello, we just rented this place today."
"Hello, please take care of me in the future," Xu Huizhen said with a smile.
"You're too kind. Hello, my name is Chen Xueru. My home is right next door. We sell silk fabrics. What kind of business do you need?"
"My name is He Yuzhu."
"I am Xu Huizhen."
Xu Huizhen gave an introduction, and then said, "We are going to open a braised meat shop."
"Oh, braised meat? You two must be a couple. Running a husband-and-wife shop is great."
"No, we're not a couple yet."
Xu Huizhen quickly denied it.
Chen Xueru said apologetically, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was being presumptuous. We're not a couple anymore."
Xu Huizhen blushed deeply, realizing that her words were becoming increasingly inappropriate. He Yuzhu, standing beside her, simply suppressed a laugh and didn't respond.
I felt very strange. Logically speaking, the two of them should have met and become friends in 1953 or 1954. I didn't expect that they would meet earlier because of me.
It seems that the two of them can still be friends.
Although they are friends, they are also business rivals. Chen Xueru always wants to be better off than Xu Huizhen, so she targets her, imitates her, and wants to surpass her.
Unfortunately, each attempt ended in failure.
The two chatted for a while and got happier and happier. Chen Xueru invited Xu Huizhen to come and take a look at his shop.
"It's not cleaned properly!" Xu Huizhen said hesitantly.
"Go ahead, I'll handle the rest myself. I'll also take your measurements and make you a cheongsam."
"No way, I already bought clothes a couple of days ago."
He Yuzhu said, "How can you be such a good neighbor and patronize their business like this?"
"It's alright, there's plenty of time ahead," Chen Xueru quickly replied.
He just felt that he could get along with Xu Huizhen, so he wanted to go over and chat with her. He didn't mean to recruit her to patronize his business.
"I'll also get a suit made later, and buy two pieces of fabric for my teacher's wife and senior sister."
He Yuzhu saw the two out and then cleaned up in his own way.
This is a two-courtyard house, with a layout similar to the storefronts on Yandaixie Street, but without a rear building.
The living facilities are relatively well preserved, and there are separate toilets and heated brick beds.
However, a lot of things still need to be added, especially the front shop needs to be renovated.
After cleaning up, He Yuzhu went next door, where Xu Huizhen and Chen Xueru were chatting. They greeted him when they saw him coming.
He Yuzhu walked up to them, greeted them, and asked, "Have you chosen the fabric yet?"
"Not yet, it's up to you to decide."
"Okay, what did you choose?"
Xu Huizhen took He Yuzhu to see two pieces of fabric, one brighter and the other more subdued.
Which one do you think looks better?
"They both look good, I'll just make two sets."
"Why do so much? I don't want to. I'll just get a full set done first."
As they talked, He Yuzhu finally helped them choose the brightly colored fabric.
Then they measured my body, made me a set of clothes, and bought two bolts of fabric, but when it came time to pay, they paid for them separately.
"Why did you make a separate payment?" Chen Xueru asked.
“We are partners, and we keep our own accounts.”
He Yuzhu made a lot of money selling braised meat, but Xu Huizhen also made a name for herself selling alcohol and earned quite a bit of money.
When you're out in the world, you should keep your finances separate and maintain your individual economic independence.
Chen Xueru was puzzled. Looking at the two people in front of her, who seemed like a perfect couple, she didn't expect that they weren't in that kind of relationship.
The two went straight back to Yandaixie Street. He Yuzhu didn't stay idle; he bought some wood, took some woodworking supplies, and went to the shop outside Qianmen again.
They completed the storefront and counter in just three days and quietly began their trial operation.
Although the shop is located here, initially it mainly focused on Yandaixie Street, only bringing in a small amount of braised meat for retail.
He Yuzhu only made the front display cases first, and then built furniture in the backyard while taking care of the store.
A series of footsteps approached, and He Yuzhu looked up to see Chen Xueru walking in.
"You can do carpentry?" Chen Xueru asked in surprise.
"Yes, I had nothing to do, so I studied it for a while."
"I heard from the guy in front that you made that braised meat too?"
"Yes, my main job is as a chef. I run a braised meat shop on Yandaixie Street in the north of the city. They already call me Braised Meat He."
"Braised meat box?"
He Yuzhu knew she had misunderstood, and said, "My surname is He, so of course it's He the braised pork."
"Oh, is that so? It smells quite nice. I'll buy some to try later. If it's good, I'll recommend it to my friends."
Chen Xueru was very curious. She had asked He Yuzhu's age before, and he wasn't much older than her. He had excellent cooking skills and could also do carpentry. Judging from his technique and demeanor, he was very experienced and his skills were not bad.
The two chatted for a while, and Chen Xueru bought some braised meat to take home. After tasting it, she was very surprised, not expecting it to taste so good.
He, the nickname "Braised Meat He," is truly fitting.
It took He Yuzhu half a month to finish making all the furniture needed for the new store. At this time, the paint was not mixed with any chemical raw materials and was pure and natural. It could be used after being left to stand for a few days.
The braised meat itself has a top-notch flavor, and after so much time and word-of-mouth, its sales have gradually expanded.
Besides Taifenglou, which still needs to restock every day, many small and medium-sized restaurants also get their goods from here and then sell them in their shops.
Of course, they never use the front door; they always get their goods through the back door.
Having established himself, He Yuzhu chose an auspicious day to hold an opening ceremony, setting up two tables to entertain relatives and friends.
As a neighbor and a loyal foodie, Chen Xueru naturally couldn't miss it. After eating the food cooked by He Yuzhu himself, she praised it highly, saying that it was a real pity that He Yuzhu wasn't a chef.
He Yuzhu smiled but didn't say anything more.
Upstairs on Yandaixie Street, there are three private rooms that can provide catering services. After a while, He Yuzhu found it troublesome, and only familiar old customers would come to book a table.
Outsiders have no idea that you can book a banquet.
There's no space prepared in Dashilan, and we won't be getting into the catering industry in the future, since we've already made enough money just selling braised meat.
There's plenty of experience to be gained, so why bother focusing on the stove?
After opening, business got better and better, and soon it surpassed the income of the area on Yandaixie Street, making He Yuzhu's pockets even fuller.
However, He Yuzhu also encountered more trouble.
Just as they sat down to have a sip of tea, Chen Xueru came in carrying a large piece of lamb chop and said, "Zhuzi, I bought a piece of lamb. Can you make me some lamb soup?"
Now that winter has arrived, Chen Xueru has been bringing various ingredients to He Yuzhu for help every few days. Although she pays him a processing fee, even the waiters can tell that Chen Xueru has other motives.