The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 346 Setting the Rules and Introducing the Brand

Ma Dafu was handcuffed on the spot.

Meng Ru'en's situation wasn't much better; he was the one who started the fight, and he too had to be taken to the police station for investigation.

But the crowd still felt it wasn't enough:

"Although we did see a fight, it wasn't very exciting..."

"Old Meng is all talk and no action, but he's no good in a real fight. Look at him, he got beaten up..."

"Damn it, keep hitting me..."

Security personnel dispersed the crowd, and the intersection returned to calm.

The farce at the entrance of Taixiang Hotel has come to an end.

But the locals all know that there's plenty of fun to be had later.

The People's Canteen and Taixiang Restaurant, representing the newly formed collective force versus the rigid state-owned system, are bound to engage in a life-or-death struggle.

The locals will definitely support the People's Canteen, and Qian Jin certainly has more influence than Meng Ru'en and others.

However, Taixiang Restaurant is backed by state-owned restaurants. Can the people's canteen compete with state-owned restaurants?
No one dared to draw a conclusion.

So this is going to be interesting.

By this time, the sun had fully risen above the horizon, casting its golden rays across the earth.

Surrounded by the assault team members, Qian Jin turned and walked towards the People's Canteen.

Today's incident was both hilarious and meaningful; the reputation of the People's Canteen has at least been established in the neighborhood.

The next step is to capitalize on this reputation and make a resounding success with the grand opening!
He wanted the entire coastal city to see what a hotel should be like in the new era!
What truly constitutes a canteen that belongs to the people?

Qian Jin's foray into the catering business wasn't simply about making money. With his influence, connections, and grasp of future policy trends, making money would be too easy for him.

He genuinely wanted to do something serious.

The incident caused quite a stir, and all the regular employees of the People's Canteen came, led by Lou Xiaoguang, who had been sent by Qian Jin to the State-run No. 2 Restaurant for further training.

He sent Lou Xiaoguang to the state-run No. 2 Hotel as a preparation for opening his own restaurant.

So now that everything at the People's Canteen is ready, he went to tell Lou Xiaoguang to come back and be the boss.

Lou Xiaoguang entered the state-run No. 2 Restaurant in the winter of 1977, and it has been two and a half years since then. He is almost ready to graduate.

The main reason is that his master is Guan Dabao, who is one of his own. Unlike other masters who teach apprentices to sweep the floor for three years, do odd jobs for three years, and cut vegetables for three years before they can be served at the table.

He went there and started cutting vegetables, then learned to cook. With his talent, he can now cook home-style dishes very well, and he would be a good fit to be the head chef of a local restaurant.

As for how to retain high-end clients?
Very simple.

The technology and cutting-edge skills that Qian Jin has prepared are specifically for high-end clients.

We don't cheat ordinary people, and we especially don't cheat the poor.

That's it.

Qian Jin had said in advance that he would come to inspect the preparations for the People's Canteen before its opening, and Lou Xiaoguang and the others came in work clothes.

Lou Xiaoguang was wearing a brand-new white chef's coat and a tall chef's hat, similar to the chef from Taixiang Restaurant earlier. The difference was that he was wearing non-slip water boots.

The kitchen is a wet and oily area, so be sure to take precautions to prevent slipping.

A slip in the kitchen can easily lead to a major accident.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man and gold makes the Buddha. Lou Xiaoguang was dressed in a brand new outfit from head to toe, and he became exceptionally confident.

He's gotten a bit chubby now, which proves the saying that even in a famine year, the cook won't go hungry. Tian Tian's current appearance is quite different from the skinny young man he used to be.

With a confident smile on his face, he looked much more energetic than the young man who had worked odd jobs at the service station a few months ago.

Behind him followed several equally energetic young men, dressed similarly in brand-new white coats and white caps. These were the young kitchen helpers selected by Qian Jin.

There are also more than twenty waiters.

There are both men and women, quite a lot.

But Qian Jin had planned to open a chain of People's Canteens, so training talent early was definitely the right thing to do.

The waiters were wearing matching new uniforms.

The male waiters wore dark blue polyester Zhongshan suits, which were well-tailored and made the young men look tall and straight.

The waitress wore a light blue polyester collared top paired with dark blue polyester trousers, which made her look clean, neat and elegant.

Qian Jin made them custom-made plastic badges with the words "People's Canteen" printed on them.

This outfit and appearance were incredibly fashionable in 1980.

This year, the civil aviation industry underwent restructuring and began equipping flight attendants with uniforms that are in line with international standards. However, since the senior management of the civil aviation industry is still dominated by conservative old leaders, the uniforms of the flight attendants are not as stylish as the uniforms of the service staff.

"Chief Qian!"

"Chief Qian!"

Everyone greeted him warmly, their faces beaming with anticipation for their new job and satisfaction with their uniforms.

"Chief Qian, your restaurant is so bright and clean, I think it's even more impressive than a state-run restaurant!" A waitress named Niu Xiaofang smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. "And these clothes are nice too, they look so smart on you!"

“Yes,” Lou Xiaoguang pointed towards the kitchen, “Shall we go check out the kitchen first?”

"The stoves are all built, with five large iron pots and five small iron pots. They'll be more than enough for stir-frying, steaming, and stewing."

"And that hair dryer inside is really amazing. It buzzes when you plug it in, much more powerful than the hair dryer at the Second Hotel."

One of the kitchen helpers said, "The exhaust fan works very well; the airflow is really strong, and the fumes just won't stop in the kitchen."

Qian Jin spoke with a smile and followed Lou Xiaoguang into the kitchen.

This place was also very well organized.

The stove was covered with white ceramic tiles, which was quite a luxury these days, and the iron pots and pans of various sizes were polished to a shine.

The walls were plastered with white putty, and the floor was specially covered with non-slip red bricks.

There are rows of solid wood shelves against the wall, all of them for vegetables.

This was also made by carpenters, and it's very well done.

Several large vats were placed in the corner, used for pickling vegetables.

Not to mention the various kitchen utensils such as chopping blocks and knives, there were several sets, more complete than those in state-run restaurants.

Plates, bowls, chopsticks, and spoons were the most abundant items prepared; there were over a thousand pieces of porcelain alone…

Qian Jin took out a piece of paper and checked each item he had registered in advance:
"Okay, the place is nice, and everything is ready. However, I still need to arrange for Master Guan Dabao to come and do a professional inspection when I have time."

Guan Dabao is away on a business trip to Tianjin to participate in a food competition; otherwise, he would have come to check on things today.

Qian Jin looked around the kitchen, then returned to the living room with satisfaction, before his expression turned serious.

He called all the employees together for a meeting and said:

"Our place is nice, and our clothes are new—that's all about appearances. But for our People's Canteen to stand out in the seaside catering industry, it's all about substance!"

"What is substance? It's the taste of the food, but even more so, it's the attitude of the service!"

He walked up to the "Code of Conduct" and pointed heavily at the words "enthusiastic service" with his finger.

"The focus here is on the service staff. You all need to remember this: when customers come in, treat them like you're welcoming a family member home."

"Greet people with a smile, take the initiative to greet them, be quick to serve tea and water, and be efficient in taking orders and serving food. Speak politely, answer all questions, and be responsive to requests."

"The 'cold, rigid, and condescending' attitude of state-run restaurants is absolutely unacceptable here!"

The female foreman, Cao Huili, said crisply, "Chief Qian, don't worry, we've already discussed this matter in an internal meeting."

"From now on, we will hold a short meeting every morning before opening and every evening after get off work. In the morning, we will remind each other to provide enthusiastic service, and in the evening, we will summarize the gains and losses of the day's work."

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes, Supervisor Cao is right, your idea is very good."

He then looked at Lou Xiaoguang: "Chef Lou, the requirements for the kitchen are just as strict."

"You don't need to provide enthusiastic service, but cleanliness and hygiene are the bottom line."

"The portions must be generous, and the food must taste great. Don't be afraid to put in the effort; make sure customers feel they're getting their money's worth. We're a newly opened restaurant, and our reputation is more valuable than gold. If anyone tarnishes the 'People's Canteen' brand, I'll be the first to object!"

Lou Xiaoguang nodded solemnly: "Chief Qian, you can rest assured, I will definitely manage the kitchen very well."

“This people’s canteen is the result of our commando team’s hard work. If anyone ruins our reputation, not only will you be in trouble, but I, Lou Xiaoguang, will also have a hard time getting past you.”

"If I, Lou Xiaoguang, mess things up, I won't have a good time in front of our 500-member commando team!"

Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder, satisfied with his attitude: "Good, it's good that you know what you're doing."

He then said to the others, "Everyone needs to be aware of this!"

Everyone was in high spirits and eagerly took turns speaking:

"understand!"

"Don't worry, Chief Qian!"

"We will definitely do our best!"

After finishing the short meeting, Qian Jin took Lou Xiaoguang and the kitchen helper to the back kitchen to check on the machines:

"What does this machine do?" a young man asked curiously.

The machine needed to be assembled. Qian Jin, following the instructions, led Lou Xiaoguang and the helpers to work on it, and it took them a while to finish assembling it.

This machine is relatively small, and the main body is divided into two parts: a large smokehouse and a small semi-automatic sausage filling machine.

Qian Jin clapped his hands and laughed, "So, can you guess what it's about?"

Lou Xiaoguang touched the sausage stuffer and said, "I've seen this before. It's used to stuff sausages, right? The Chunguang Hotel in our city has a machine like this. Master Guan took me there to see it."

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes, this is a sausage-making machine. I plan to use it to make red sausages."

A cook named Zhou Yixing, who was standing nearby, asked in confusion, "A sausage-making machine? I've seen those before, aren't they all hand-cranked?"

As he spoke, he shook his wrist to demonstrate.

Qian Jin laughed and said, "It's different. This one is electric and more automated. You just need to put in the main ingredients and seasonings according to the ratio, then install the sausage casings, and it will automatically stuff the sausages in after you turn on the power."

"Come on, find a few enamel basins. Today, let's taste what the sausages we made ourselves taste like."

The group of people gathered around laughed excitedly: "Can we eat it today?"

“Definitely.” Qian Jin opened the booklet he had brought and began studying it with Lou Xiaoguang.

This machine can not only smoke red sausage and sausage, but also smoke fish and cured meat.

However, Qian Jin mainly uses it to make sausages; he wants to make starch-based red sausages...

Starch sausage is one of the restaurant's flagship products in his plan. It's all about the taste; the main ingredient is cheap starch. As long as the flavor is right, it can become an affordable and delicious food.

And affordability will be extremely important in the next twenty years.

The restaurant had already prepared the basic ingredients, and several large bags of starch were placed in the back warehouse.

At Qian Jin's command, he ordered the sausages to be moved over and handed the registered recipe for the starch sausage seasoning to Lou Xiaoguang.
"You must memorize this and not reveal it to anyone."

Lou Xiaoguang nodded vigorously: "Chief Qian, don't worry—thank you for trusting me so much."

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin nudged him with his elbow and laughed, "What are you talking to me about? From now on, you'll be in charge of the food in our cafeteria, and you'll have to know all the recipes."

Lou Xiaoguang chuckled, then asked in a low voice, "Chief Qian, the recipe says to cut this fat into two-millimeter cubes and freeze it until it's solid. Shall I go get this ready?"

Qian Jin waved his hand: "This is for better taste. Today we're just trying it out for ourselves, there's no need to be so formal."

To make starch sausages look appealing, you need to use both cornstarch and red yeast rice powder.

These days, red yeast rice powder is hard to find in Haibin City, so Qian Jin has to get it from the mall.

This isn't a lot of pressure.

Red yeast rice powder is mainly used to enhance color, so it's used relatively infrequently. He has to buy red sausage seasoning from the mall anyway.

We can buy them all at once then, killing two birds with one stone.

In addition, there are things like sugar, strong liquor, and MSG, which don't need to be sold in the mall; the cafeteria has them.

Some people went to clean the machines, while others began preparing materials.

Qian Jin directed the instructions according to the recipe: "Dissolve the starch first. This step is crucial. It must be dissolved in ice water and mixed in three times. This will make the meat filling sticky and elastic."

"Come on, let's begin..."

The kitchen was immediately transformed into a busy and well-organized food processing workshop.

On the cutting board, pork hind leg meat and diced fat were quickly sliced, the blade flashing and making a series of rapid "thump-thump-thump" sounds.

Two cooks stood around a large basin, following Lou Xiaoguang's instructions, pouring the diced meat and fat into the enamel basin to prepare the ingredients.

Lou Xiaoguang personally added minced garlic, refined salt, white sugar, and high-proof liquor in the correct proportions, resulting in a large bag of five-spice red sausage seasoning that exuded a rich aroma of spices.

He poured it all in at once, and the smell of sausage began to spread.

The cooks took a deep breath, their faces full of agreement: "It smells delicious."

Qian Jin secretly said that this seasoning was indeed overpowering.

The flavor of red sausage relies entirely on it and garlic.

"Ice water, add ice water, quick!" Lou Xiaoguang called out.

Zhou Yixing brought over a basin of icy water, carefully poured it into the cornstarch, and quickly stirred it with chopsticks into a smooth starch paste.

With a focused expression, he strictly followed Qian Jin's instructions, pouring the starch paste into the minced meat in three batches.

"Go clockwise and pound it hard. It has to be pounded until it becomes sticky to taste good," Qian Jin supervised from the side.

Several young and strong cooks immediately rolled up their sleeves, surrounded the large basin, and began to vigorously stir and beat the minced meat clockwise.

Their arm muscles were bulging, and although it was already a bit chilly early in the morning, sweat quickly seeped from their foreheads.

As the minced meat in the bowl was continuously pounded, its color gradually became uniform, and its texture changed from loose to sticky, eventually achieving the stringy consistency that Qian Jin had described.

Lou Xiaoguang scooped up a spoonful of minced meat, and it could be stretched into long strands.

"Chief Qian, I think it's a good idea!"

Lou Xiaoguang wiped his sweat and a smile of excitement appeared on his face.

Qian Jin tested the stickiness and nodded: "Then let's do an enema. This will make things easier. Just attach the casing."

Sausage casings are available on the market, but require special supply.

For Qian Jin's current network of connections, it's simple. He's already told Lou Xiaoguang that he'll find someone to purchase sausage casings in the future.

As long as there is no problem with market supply, he will not buy sausage casings from the mall; there is no need.

The sausage casings this time were produced by the mall. They were just soaked in high-proof liquor for a while, so they had no odor and were extremely resilient.

Zhou Yixing carefully slipped the tube onto the metal opening of the enema machine, pressed the switch, and the enema machine began to hum.

The pink starch filling slowly pushes through the sausage casing, gradually becoming plump and round.

Each time a section about 15 to 20 centimeters long is filled, Lou Xiaoguang ties it tightly with cotton thread, and then uses a toothpick to poke numerous small holes in the casing to release air.

"The venting must be complete, otherwise it will explode when it's cooked in the machine later," Qian Jin emphasized again.

This is a crucial point. Lou Xiaoguang and the others had no prior experience with this, and if we didn't remind them, problems would definitely arise.

Soon, one by one, red sausages of uniform thickness were tied with cotton thread and neatly stacked in a large bamboo tray lined with a clean cloth.

The young men put their arms around each other's shoulders and leaned in to smell it, then smiled at Qian Jin: "It smells so good."

Qian Jin said, "We'll steam mooncakes again in the future; they'll be even more fragrant."

Upon hearing this, the cooks became very interested: "Our canteen even produces its own mooncakes?"

"This requires a large stove. I've seen them in food factory workshops, but we don't have one..."

Qian Jin said, "No need. Actually, there are machines for baking mooncakes. The baking machines in Europe and America are already very advanced. I'll get two of them at a low price, and then we can make pastries and cakes."

This made everyone laugh.

If the cafeteria could also produce pastries and snacks, the business would be booming!

There's a serious lack of sweets in society right now.

Mooncakes are available every year!

Qian Jin has plans to produce sweets, but not actually in the People's Canteen; he wants to open a pastry shop.

The steaming and smoking oven has finished preheating.

Following the instructions in the manual, Lou Xiaoguang set the furnace temperature to a constant temperature steam mode of 90℃.

He carefully hung the raw sausages on the rack inside the oven using clean hooks, leaving at least two centimeters between each one.

"Close the door, 40 minutes!" Lou Xiaoguang said, glancing at his watch. Steam filled the furnace, and the temperature steadily rose.

The observation window on the furnace door was quickly covered with a layer of water mist.

Qian Jin and Lou Xiaoguang opened the oven door every ten minutes and quickly poked holes in the sausages again with long needles. Watching the oil and juices sizzle out of the holes, the cooks felt sorry for them: "Don't waste it."

At this moment, the machine began to emit a rich aroma of meat and garlic.

The aroma forcefully penetrated the oven door, permeating the entire kitchen, and soon drifted out onto the street through the back window and exhaust fan, causing early risers to stop and stare.

People outside were asking where the fragrance was coming from.

Qian Jin was very impressed with the seasoning of the red sausage; the flavor was just too strong.

I should eat less of this stuff in the future.

After 40 minutes, the furnace door was opened.

The moment the steam bursts out, an even richer aroma of sausage wafts over.

Lou Xiaoguang took a deep breath and exclaimed, "Chief Qian, your idea is brilliant! If our canteen can produce and sell this stuff ourselves, we'll definitely become famous throughout Haibin City!"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Last month, didn't I import a hydraulic drilling rig from the Soviet Union to drill deep wells? Then I just imported this machine as well."

"The Russians love to eat red sausage. The officials and the rich eat meat sausage, while the poor eat starch sausage."

"Those guys have strong tastes, so smell this, isn't it amazing?"

Everyone nodded without suspicion.

Zhou Yixing exclaimed, "Chief Qian, it's so great that you're doing foreign trade work. You'll always be able to get in touch with these advanced things from abroad right away."

Others echoed this sentiment:

"Who says it's not?"

"I heard on the radio that those Westerners love to eat cakes and bread; they eat bread like it's their main meal. Their machines must be amazing..."

"Once we get our own bread-making machines, we'll eat them too..."

Lou Xiaoguang, wearing cotton gloves, took out the red sausage.

The raw sausage, which was originally pink, has now turned into an enticing deep red, with its skin slightly contracted, making it appear firm and elastic.

"Beautiful!" Qian Jin exclaimed. "Prepare for smoking!"

The tray at the bottom of the oven is already prepared. Line it with aluminum foil, and then mix in white sugar and dry tea leaves.

The furnace temperature was quickly raised to 150°C for preheating.

"Watch the smoke." Qian Jin kept his eyes fixed on the stove.

This was also his first time using this machine to produce sausages. He had never seen the sausage-making process in his previous life, so he had to keep a close eye on it.

When the furnace temperature reaches the set value, the mixed smoke material begins to heat up, first emitting wisps of white smoke. After a few seconds, the color of the smoke begins to darken, gradually turning into a light yellow.

"The smoke is turning yellow, lower the temperature to 120℃!" Qian Jin immediately gave the order.

Lou Xiaoguang followed along and became his assistant, quickly lowering the furnace temperature.

Inside the oven, pale yellow smoke swirled, gently enveloping each and every red sausage.

The smoking time doesn't need to be too long, because the sausage is already cooked during the steaming process.

The oven door was opened a crack, and a unique smoky aroma, a blend of caramel, garlic, and meat, burst out.

The sausages inside the oven had already developed a mouthwatering, glossy, date-red color.

This is similar to how fine mahogany furniture is polished and given a sense of luxury.

It's pleasing to the eye when placed on furniture, and makes food look mouthwatering when placed on it.

"It's done. Turn off the heat and let it simmer for three more minutes." Qian Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

Three minutes later, the furnace door was fully opened.

As the smoke cleared, rows of glistening red sausages, emitting an enticing aroma, were revealed before everyone's eyes.

The color, the shape, the aroma—Qian Jin felt that this was much better than the starchy red sausages he had eaten in his previous life.

At this point, the sausage is ready to eat and sell, but you can also brush on a layer of sesame oil to enhance its flavor.

Qian Jin handed over a small bowl containing sesame oil that had been prepared in advance.

Lou Xiaoguang carefully brushed the surface of the red sausage with a clean brush dipped in sesame oil.

When sesame oil meets hot food, it makes a soft "sizzling" sound, and its aroma is instantly enhanced, becoming even richer and more enticing.

Whether they were cooks or waiters, they were all led into the kitchen.

Outside on the street, someone was shouting, "Whose house is this? How shameless! What are you making that smells so good? Don't you know to bring it out for the men to try?"

"Let's try some. Come on, it's even better when it's hot." Qian Jin waited for the sausage to cool down a bit, then picked up a piece and cut it into thick slices.

The cross-section of the red sausage is a beautiful pink color, with diced fat evenly distributed like sparkling jade. The addition of starch makes the meat texture more delicate and firm.

Qian Jin thought that they could add some chicken breast to it in the future.

This stuff is really cheap, but it can enhance the texture of the meat when put in sausage.

And it absolutely does not affect the taste.

The biggest problem with chicken breast is that it lacks oil, while red sausage has lard inside and sesame oil brushed on the skin, so it's not lacking in oil.

Lou Xiaoguang, as expected of a renowned chef trained in a state-run hotel, presented the red sausage in a beautifully arranged platter.

good looking.

Qian Jin invited everyone to try it, and then picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

The moment you take a bite of the sliced ​​sausage, you can immediately taste the unique smoky flavor that comes from the smoking process.

Following that is a rich aroma of garlic, a mellow meaty fragrance, and a complex blend of seasonings.

Of course, there's also the umami flavor from the large amount of MSG.

The complex flavors exploded in the mouth like a bomb, adding a touch of goodness to this era of scarcity.

Following the recipe was fine; the red sausage was perfectly balanced between salty and sweet, and very juicy.

Although it has a high starch content, after being pounded and kneaded to develop its elasticity, its taste and texture are not much different from meat sausages. Moreover, the starch can better lock in moisture, making it softer and more moist.

In addition, the smoky flavor is still the key point.

Even after swallowing the sausage, Qian Jin felt a lingering smoky aftertaste on his lips and teeth.

Lou Xiaoguang also cut a slice, and after tasting it, he kept nodding: "It's good, this recipe is good. It's just a starch sausage, but it tastes even better than the pure meat red sausage from our state-run No. 2 Restaurant."

“Every December, my aunt sends some Harbin sausages from Harbin to my home. I think these taste better than those famous brand Harbin sausages, really.” Zhou Yixing nodded.

“I’m definitely not doing this because Chief Qian is here and I want to flatter him. You know me, I just love to tell the truth.”

"Ha, the red sausage is chewy, but it doesn't smell as good as our red sausage."

Qian Jin knew he wasn't lying.

The red sausages that were mailed in the twelfth lunar month had their aroma locked in by the low temperature, so they weren't very fragrant.

Their starch sausages are fresh out of the oven, filled with lard and diced fatty meat, they must be delicious!

Most importantly, they are willing to use high-quality ingredients.

Red sausage seasoning is very expensive.

The group shared the food, their faces beaming with joy.

"Delicious, so delicious!"

"Chief Qian, if we take these red sausages out to sell, they'll be snapped up!"

"I've never eaten such delicious sausage before, I almost had to snatch it myself..."

After everyone tasted it, they felt reassured.

The quality of their homemade red sausage far exceeded their expectations.

Qian Jin said, "Then why don't we just start a trial operation? Let's not cook any dishes yet, just sell red sausages."

Lou Xiaoguang nodded: "That will definitely work. The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and every family needs to prepare some good dishes."

"Our red sausage is definitely a great dish, but how should we price it?"

Qian Jin said, "The price of pork is 87 cents now. Our red sausage is priced the same as pork, so we'll sell it for half the price of pork. How about that?"

Zhou Yixing said, "This price is cheap."

"Starch costs 10 cents a pound, and we've used so much lard and seasonings, and we're going to bake it with electricity and a machine. It's not worth 44 cents. We won't make much money."

Lou Xiaoguang shook his head: "I think the price that Chief Qian mentioned is acceptable. Old Zhou, the price of red sausage is not up to us, but up to the local price committee. If you set it at one yuan per kilogram, the city's price committee will not approve it."

Qian Jin said, "It's not about that. We're in the catering business, so we shouldn't go too far in the future. The price committee won't interfere; they don't have that kind of reach."

"The main thing is that we are a people's canteen. The money we earn is enough to pay your salaries and taxes."

He didn't elaborate on the topic.

Because the People's Canteen and the People's Mobile Canteen are different, they are no longer small collective enterprises.

He has always paid close attention to various policy trends.

In fact, in February of last year, 1979, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce submitted a report to the Central Committee, suggesting that local governments, based on the needs of the local market and with the consent of the relevant competent authorities, allow some unemployed laborers with formal household registration to engage in individual labor such as repair, service and handicrafts, and prohibit them from hiring workers.

The report was eventually approved by the state, and according to Qian Jin, it was the first report on the individual economy after the reform and opening up.

However, after those ten years, no one dares to think about making money on their own, so individual businesses have been slow to emerge.

Qian Jin knew that being self-employed was no longer a problem.

But the local leaders didn't know that the reason his restaurant hadn't opened yet was because there was still a key hurdle that hadn't been overcome.

Business license.

But it can be done soon.

During his trip to the capital, he made a special trip to Cuihua Hutong.

Yuebin Restaurant has opened for business.

This is the first individually owned restaurant in China.

The smokehouse isn't big, but it can produce forty or fifty sausages in a batch, and we still have plenty in stock.

Qian Jin asked Lou Xiaoguang to cut two more plates: "Eat up, these are homemade red sausages. They're free for tasting, so everyone can eat them without worry."

Lou Xiaoguang casually remarked, "Actually, starch costs money, oil costs money, and electricity costs money—hey, Chief Qian, can you approve the quota for our restaurant?"

Qian Jin said vaguely, "Yes, you just need to cook. Someone will come and deliver meat, seafood, vegetables, and grain."

We are still in the tail end of the planned economy era. Restaurants need to be approved and given quotas for how much grain, meat and vegetables they use.

The hotel manager went to make purchases with the quota in hand.

When Qian entered the Yuebin Hotel, he heard the hostess sighing and lamenting that she didn't know where to solve this quota problem.

They couldn't solve it either, so the owners of Yuebin Restaurant, a couple, would seize any opportunity to go to the countryside and to the market, with the aim of buying ingredients from rural areas that didn't require quotas.

Qian Jin doesn't have this concern.

Want vegetables?
Xiping Production Brigade supplies year-round!

Do you want seafood?
The Liu family production team in Hongxing had made preparations early on; even if the Liu family wasn't enough, there were several other fishing villages nearby that could be used.

As for food?

The commune where Xiamapo is located, the commune where Xiaochenzhuang is located, the commune where Xiaomapo is located, and the commune of Daliushu, etc.

He has an excellent reputation in these areas. When the time comes, he will arrange for people to bring money and coupons to these communes to buy grain at high prices. The people will be happy to sell their reserved grain to him.

Now that the household responsibility system has been implemented, farmers in these areas will soon have surplus grain in their hands...

With the preparations complete, we now need to wait for the right time to open for business.

As Qian Jin was pondering, Lou Xiaoguang suddenly asked him, "Chief Qian, do you think it would taste good if we put fish meat into starch sausages and grilled them?"

"How can that taste good? It'll be too fishy," someone immediately remarked.

Qian Jin snapped out of his daze and said, "It's alright—oh, fish and starch sausage?"

Lou Xiaoguang said, "Yes, I think there are plenty of broken fish and shrimp at the port and dock. Those things are worthless. It would be great if we could make them into sausages."

"Pork is so expensive, and you need quotas for it. How many quotas do we have? Fish is different, especially those pieces of fish, shrimp, and crab. Anyone can buy them, and they're cheaper."

Qian Jin said, "No problem, as for the fish and sausage, I'll look for it..."

He was indeed prepared for this.

Fish sausages have never had a high market share because they don't taste as good as regular red sausages.

But there must be a market for it.

Qian Jin handed the fish sausage recipe to Lou Xiaoguang: "This requires a special seasoning. You take some people to prepare it first, and I'll go home to find the seasoning. I had someone buy a batch from Guangzhou before."

Lou Xiaoguang looked down and said, "Yellow croaker minced meat? Oh dear, this fish isn't cheap..."

The problem of artificial breeding of large yellow croaker has not been solved, but the amount of marine catch is very small, so the price is much higher than before.

Qian Jin said, "We don't need large yellow croaker. We'll use the most common local fish, like mackerel or sea bass. We'll debone and skin them and grind them into a fine paste. Actually, we can do this by machine, but you guys can cut it by hand first. I'll import a meat grinder from abroad later."

Meat grinders are readily available in China.

However, regardless of its design or efficacy, it differs greatly from the products sold in the mall.

Qian Jin simply used the term "imported" to solve the problem of where the goods came from.

He went home and bought some seasoning for fish sausages to take back with him.

Fish sausages don't use diced fat, and much less lard is used.

But more seasonings are used.

Instead of garlic, use ginger to remove the fishy smell, and add more sugar to enhance the flavor.

Compared to pure starch sausages, fish sausages also use a significant amount of starch because fish has a high water content, and starch is needed to lock in the moisture.

By the time he returned, all the preparations were almost complete.

The fish meat was carefully deboned and skinned, then chopped into a fine paste using the back of a knife.

Then, using the same method, mix, beat, enema, and release gas...

Let's go through the process again.

When the fish sausage is ready, it doesn't look as good as the red sausage. It doesn't use red yeast rice flour, only starch, so it's white and looks unappetizing.

Qian Jin thought for a moment and said, "We should add corn kernels to the fish sausages in the future, make them into corn fish sausages, and turn them yellow."

After the fish sausage is sliced, the cross-section is snow-white and delicate, and it looks quite appealing.

Additionally, it is also garnished with a few glistening pieces of fatty meat.

This was Lou Xiaoguang's idea. He explained, "I thought adding a small amount could give it a richer, oilier texture."

Qian Jin tasted one piece.

Compared to red sausage, it has a completely different flavor.

The natural sweetness of the fish is perfectly brought out, the ginger juice just right neutralizes any potential fishiness, and the subtle smoky flavor and seasonings give it a unique flavor profile. In fact, it doesn't taste bad at all.

In particular, the fish meat is delicate, and its texture is even more tender and smooth than that of red sausage, offering a unique flavor.

"Hey, Xiao Guang, it was the right thing to send you to the state-run No. 2 Restaurant for training. Your brain is really sharp now." Qian Jin exclaimed in admiration, "Pork sausage, fish sausage, both are very good, very good!"

Lou Xiaoguang smiled shyly after hearing this.

But I was truly proud.

Zhou Yixing and others also tasted it and praised it highly:
"This fish sausage doesn't taste very fishy at all. It tastes quite fresh to me, mmm, really fresh!"

"I never imagined that fish could be made into such delicious sausages!"

"Actually, it's because the fish sausage is still warm, so it doesn't taste as fishy. I think it probably won't taste as good once it cools down..."

Qian Jin nodded.

This is the truth.

No problem, we can just have the customer buy it and heat it up before eating...

Anyway, the cafeteria mainly sells red sausage, so fish sausage can just serve as a side dish.

(End of this chapter)