Siheyuan: Starting from 1958

Bao Tieshan is a sixth-level forger in a steel rolling mill, and his monthly salary plus subsidies exceed 70 yuan.

Over the past few decades, I have saved about two to three thousand yuan.

Upon learning that the largest private restaurant on the street had opened, Bao Tieshan brought his family over to watch the fun and compare the differences between the private restaurant and the state-owned restaurants he usually ate at.

While standing at the door watching the excitement, Bao Tieshan was shocked by the grand display of noodles at Dongjun Restaurant.

In addition to the hotel's powerful backstage, there are also waiters in uniform at the hotel entrance.

Whether it was the security guards or the waiters, they all stood at the door looking at everyone with smiles on their faces.

This is almost impossible to encounter in state-owned restaurants.

In state-owned restaurants, even the lowest-paid waiters and kitchen helpers are formal employees, which is commonly known as a "iron rice bowl".

They totally ignore the guests.

If you really go to a state-owned restaurant to eat, regardless of whether the food tastes good or not, you will definitely be given a cold shoulder by the restaurant waiters.

It was nothing like the big hotel in front of me, where all the waiters greeted everyone with smiles on their faces.

Entering the Datang Hotel, Bao Tieshan was shocked again.

Although the decoration inside is not luxurious, it is very neat.

The walls and the roof were all painted white, the floor was covered with bright tiles, and the windows were also wiped clean.

Each table is covered with a tablecloth of the same color, and the dishes and chopsticks are neatly placed on it, giving people a bright feeling.

This is rarely seen in state-owned restaurants.

In Bao Tieshan's memory, the two state-owned restaurants under the street were almost unhygienic.

Not only was the floor dirty, but there were also various marks on the walls, and even some spider webs could be found in the corners.

The table is engraved with various historical traces and is shiny.

Forget about the tablecloth, you should be thankful if the waiter can clean the table for you.

Before Bao Tieshan could recover from the shock in the hotel lobby, a waiter came towards him with a smile on his face: "Brother..."

"Welcome to our restaurant for dinner...How many people are you with? I'll help you arrange a table."

Bao Tieshan was very pleased to see the other person looking at him with respect. It was the first time he felt respected while eating in a restaurant.

Immediately replied: "There are five of us in total..."

The waiter immediately replied: "Five people can sit at a small round table... Please follow me over here..."

Bao Tieshan and his family had just sat down when another waiter brought over a teapot filled with hot tea. He carefully poured a cup of tea for each person and took away the extra tableware.

Seeing Bao Tieshan looking at the tea on the table with a vigilant look on his face, fearing that he would also be charged for drinking tea in the restaurant, the waiter who brought them over quickly said, "Uncle..."

"All tea in our restaurant is free, and rice and steamed buns are charged at 1 cent per person. You can eat as much as you want, there is no limit..."

"Here's the menu...you can order now."

In less than fifteen minutes, the five dishes ordered by Bao Tieshan were delivered to the table one after another, along with a wooden barrel of rice...

Half an hour later, the family had eaten and drunk their fill. The meal was originally going to cost three dollars and fifty cents, but because of the discount, they only spent three dollars in the end.

Bao Tieshan was just about to leave with a satisfied smile when the waiter who had greeted him at the beginning appeared out of nowhere and walked up to Bao Tieshan and said.

"Uncle..."

"Our hotel not only accommodates individual guests, but also banquets..."

"There are various types of private rooms upstairs. The larger ones can hold eight or even ten tables of banquets, and the smaller ones can hold two or three tables of banquets." "If you want to hold a banquet at home, you can come to our restaurant."

"Because today is the first day of the restaurant's opening... our boss has specially launched a membership system."

"As long as you become a member of this hotel, you will get a 10% discount on all dishes when you eat at the hotel or hold banquets in the future."

"I see that you are someone who often takes your family out to eat. Would you like to apply for a membership?"

“And this membership doesn’t cost you a penny more.”

From the moment Bao Tieshan entered the restaurant, he was impressed by the services and environment. In addition, the food tasted better than what he had eaten in the state-owned restaurants before. He had already made up his mind: if he wanted to bring his family out to improve the meals in the future, they would definitely come to the newly opened Dongjun Restaurant.

When Bao Tieshan heard that he could get a discount by becoming a member of the hotel, he was immediately attracted.

In addition, his eldest son was getting married soon, and although making banquets at home could save some money, it would be laborious and time-consuming.

If I could hold my son's wedding banquet in this hotel right down the street, it would not only save me trouble and effort, but would also be very grand.

He just looked at it while eating.

There is a podium designed at the front of the lobby, which is obviously prepared for people who host banquets.

His eyes lit up, and he chased after the waiter and asked, "This lady..."

"My son is getting married soon, and we need to have at least ten tables for the banquet. Does your hotel have such a large private room?"

"If I apply for a membership card, can I get a discount on the money for my son's wedding banquet?"

The waiter didn't expect that he would encounter a big customer just by asking a casual question, so he quickly responded.

"Our hotel actually has such a large space, and it's especially suitable for wedding banquets. It's on the second floor."

“It’s a lobby just like the first floor, but there’s a movable grille in the middle that can divide the lobby into two.”

"There is also a podium in the lobby, which is perfect for holding wedding ceremonies."

"And our hotel has also launched a special banquet menu."

"Chicken, duck, fish and meat are all available."

"The cheaper ones are eight yuan per table, and the more expensive ones are ten yuan per table, twelve yuan per table, and fifteen yuan per table..."

“The quality of the dishes is very good, and it is definitely cheaper than ordering a la carte. If you have a membership card, you can get a further discount on top of the list price.”

"If you have any ideas, uncle... I can take you to the second floor to have a look... and introduce you to the menu."

"Our restaurant will definitely have very good business in the future, and we will host more and more banquets, but there are only a few large private rooms that can host more than a dozen tables of guests at a time."

"If you really plan to hold your wedding reception at our hotel and set a date, it would be best if you could pay a deposit in advance."

"To prevent the box from being occupied by others."

“It’s easy to become a member…”

"As long as you top up your membership card with fifty yuan in advance..."

"From now on, any amount you spend at the restaurant will be deducted directly from the stored value on your membership card."

"And our membership cards are all numbered. If you lose them, you can just bring your ID and reissue them."

Bao Tieshan didn't expect the other party's service to be so good, and his face was immediately filled with joy: "Then please take me to the second floor to have a look..."

"If there's really no problem, I'll book the wedding banquet right now and get a membership card at the same time."

(End of this chapter)