When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 426: Chapter 153: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (40)

”Mmm, Auntie Little Jiang made spicy chicken today. I can smell it! Man, even the stir-fried peppers at Auntie Little Jiang’s house are tastier than the meat my mom makes...”

”It’s scallion oil pancakes! Uncle Jiang was born at the right time. If I’d been born about ten years earlier, there’s no way he’d be the one living this comfortable life...”

”Ooh, ooh, ooh, and fried meatballs...”

The kids were squatting under the kitchen window, whispering amongst themselves. But when children try to whisper, they only *think* they’re being quiet.

Inside, the couple, who had been affectionately cooking together, felt a little awkward. This was especially true for Jiang Yihua, who had never imagined his rivals in love could be a decade younger than him.

Chi Yun’er pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh. ”Here, Uncle Jiang. Hurry up and take a bowl of fried meatballs out to them.”

”Once they’re full, they won’t be thinking about Auntie Little Jiang anymore.”

Jiang Yihua shot her a look, picked up a plate, and headed outside. He didn’t forget to peck her on the cheek, muttering with rare childishness, ”Dream on! Auntie Little Jiang can only be mine!”

Chi Yun’er was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Still, she understood the powerful allure food had on children.

’Sigh, so many ideas for making money, but I just want to politely decline...’

People were very efficient back then. In about half a month, the east wall had been moved inward by the width of a room, and a row of beautiful, brand-new gray brick buildings rose up in its place, complete with half-meter-high white wainscoting.

The overall effect was particularly beautiful. The layout and furnishings of each shop were identical, with black signs featuring red-painted lettering for the shop names, natural wood frames for the doors and windows, and tables and chairs of a matching color scheme inside.

After airing out for just a week, the chefs and waiters that Xu Chengfang had painstakingly recruited were trained by Chi Yun’er and already at their posts.

On the special occasion of August 1st, red silk ribbons hung from the newly erected stone archway at the entrance to East Street. The hospital leadership and some district officials were all in attendance for the opening ceremony.

After two strings of firecrackers exploded with a deafening roar, the director and the district official pulled down the red silk ribbon together, revealing the name ”Zhaoyang Food Street” in large, bright red characters.

The local people, drawn over by the sound of firecrackers and the buzz of the crowd, were endlessly curious.

They didn’t know when this row of food stalls had appeared along the hospital’s east wall. It was just after six in the morning, and a slight chill still hung in the air, but all sorts of overpowering aromas were already making everyone’s stomachs rumble with hunger.

”Get your buns here! Authentic Jiangnan soup dumplings...”

”Savory sauce pancakes, delicious and cheap...”

”Meat pastries...”

”Fried dough sticks! Authentic old Capital City-style fried dough sticks... Freshly simmered old douzhi...”

As the large bell at the entrance rang, the loudspeakers at every shop began blaring in unison.

The volume of the loudspeakers had been adjusted and tested. Their range was limited to the two adjacent shops, allowing passersby to hear clearly without creating too much noise.

The alley, already rich with the atmosphere of daily life, was now even more bustling and vibrant. Most importantly, the locals drawn in by the commotion were captivated by the dazzling array of food and couldn’t help but turn and walk inside.

Rather than calling it a food street, it was more like the hospital cafeteria had been opened to the public, just with a different business model.

But in an era of conformity, this was undoubtedly like dropping water into hot oil—it instantly exploded.

The country was growing more prosperous by the day, with agricultural achievements surpassing one another in quick succession.

You could buy food here with money and ration coupons, or with just money, though the price was slightly higher and not as good a deal as using coupons.

Nearby residents quickly got the news and came over carrying their food containers. They wandered back and forth two or three times, unable to decide what to buy. The main problem was that everything looked delicious!

So, some people decided to start at the first stall and try them all one by one. At that rate, they could have a different breakfast every day for a month without any repeats.

But this was Shengshi Street, and it didn’t just sell breakfast. There was malatang, barbecue, fast food, rice noodles, guokui, ”dirt-flaking” shaobing, and more. The variety was immense, with something to satisfy the tastes of almost any customer!

One could imagine the endless crowds at authentic restaurants in later generations; the scene here was no less impressive.

Everyone except Chi Yun’er was stunned by how popular Shengshi Street became. On weekends, especially, it was truly shoulder-to-shoulder.

Fortunately, the east side of the hospital faced the wall of a residential compound, so it didn’t block anyone’s comings and goings.

In just half a month, before Chi Yun’er could even bring it up, the director and the others began urging her to develop the other three sides of the hospital into the same commercial shop model.

The director even specifically called her into his office. ”My girl, our hospital has changed so much recently, and it’s all thanks to you.”

”I don’t know how that little head of yours holds so many strange and wonderful ideas.”

”I suspect a single hospital is hardly enough for you to work your magic on, is it?”

Chi Yun’er smiled and nodded candidly. ”You’re right. Once the other three walls of the hospital are up and running, there won’t be any more room for me to stretch my wings.”

”My partner’s work unit accepts transfers for spouses who already have jobs, so I plan to apply for a transfer after all the shops are set up.”

As expected, the director nodded, his heart filled with emotion.

’This girl has only been at the work unit for a short time, yet her contributions are more than what many people achieve in a lifetime.’

”Alright, we’re not so unreasonable as to force you to stay,” the old director said with a smile. ”But, if the hospital needs anything, we’ll still have to trouble you for help.”

Chi Yun’er hummed in agreement, then hesitated before saying softly, ”Director, it’s actually easy to start a commercial street and the profits are substantial. But whether it can last long-term and whether there will be conflicts of interest—those are the critical issues.”

The old director gestured for her to continue.

”I think in the short term, the shops can imitate the model of state-run restaurants or supply and marketing cooperatives. But because there are many shops and they are spread out, it’s hard to guarantee that some people won’t become greedy, causing a profitable shop to gradually become mediocre or even start losing money.”

”So, opening the shops is just the first step. Afterward, we need to establish rules that benefit both the hospital and the individuals.”

”The simplest way is for the hospital to assess each shop’s profitability and set a benchmark. Any profit exceeding that benchmark would go entirely to the individual.”

”With such a huge incentive dangling in front of them, I’m afraid many people will put all their effort into working and managing their business.”

”Who would do something unconscionable when they have a chance to earn money legitimately through hard work?”

”In truth, no matter which method is used, the ownership of the shops must belong to the hospital. The hospital can’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

The old director nodded. The shops were too spread out, making them difficult to manage and supervise. If a little money or a few coupons went missing, it would be almost impossible to notice.

But this would plant a very serious hidden danger for the future development of the commercial street.

’Rather than letting the employees’ greed grow bit by bit while they cover for each other, it’s better to establish the rules from the very beginning. The sales quota doesn’t need to be set too high; reaching sixty or seventy percent of the recent average would be enough.’

’However, if we do that, the other family members who don’t work in the shops will be unhappy.’

Chi Yun’er had raised this possibility to get the old director to think long-term. Foresight was necessary to cope with the economic development of the next twenty years.

The old director lowered his eyelids in thought for a moment, then tapped the table and said, ”My girl, you haven’t applied for housing yet, have you?”

Chi Yun’er nodded. ”I’m transferring to the agricultural institute soon. Even if I applied for housing, the hospital would take it back after I leave, so I didn’t submit an application.”

”How about you just pick out two or three of the commercial shops? We’ll base it on the housing allowance for a department head; whatever size house you’d be allotted, we’ll compensate you with shops of equivalent value.”

”Our hospital is rapidly accumulating funds right now, and it’s all thanks to you. We can’t disappoint our greatest contributor. Given the profits you’ve generated for the hospital, a few shops—heck, even a whole row of them—wouldn’t be enough to repay you.”