It was evident that he was highly motivated, as within a few days, he had already made arrangements for the store staff.

He also brought out an abacus and used it to calculate the investments and expenses for Jiang Zhou: “I spent several days finding these employees. I guarantee they are all skilled and have clean backgrounds.”

Then he emphasized: “The most important thing is that we could pay them cheaply.”

Jiang Zhou nodded: “Employee benefits should not be overlooked. In addition to wages, we should also consider annual bonuses during holidays and offer annual leave.”

He also insured each of them with modern insurance. If they fell ill, Jiang Zhou would cover half of their medical expenses.

Jiang Zhou’s approach became known to outsiders, earning him praise for his generosity. If the hot pot restaurant hadn’t stopped hiring, many would have sought employment there, despite being busy.

However, some astute individuals saw an opportunity to learn from Jiang Zhou’s experience and inquired about how to promote this idea. Jiang Zhou explained the concept of modern insurance. Soon, a town insurance business could be opened.

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Xia Dong responded affirmatively, but then brought up something with a hint of embarrassment: “Brother Jiang, I’d like to renovate the attic upstairs and set up a bed there.”

He meant that he wanted to live there, in the attic.

Jiang Zhou frowned: “Is your relationship with your family that strained?”

Xia Dong smiled bitterly. How could it be otherwise? Although most people in town didn’t harbor much prejudice against shuangers, there were always outliers, and Xia Dong’s family was one of them.

Since Xia Dong started working, they often criticized him, which annoyed him. They were all using Xia Dong’s money, yet they felt ashamed to say anything in front of him. Regardless, it hurt Xia Dong, so he thought about moving out.

Since the attic was unused, it was reasonable to put a bed there. Jiang Zhou naturally agreed: “That’s fine, just be cautious when you sleep at night and remember to lock the door tightly. Also, make sure to lock the stairway door during the day.”

“Okay.”

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The barbecue restaurant renovation progressed quickly, and soon it was opened for business.

Jiang Zhou deliberately placed brewed wheat wine in the barbeque restaurant’s most prominent location, atop a tall three-dimensional cabinet, attracting inquiries from nearly every customer who entered.

Familiar patrons, especially old drinkers, frequented the barbeque restaurant to purchase the wine. They claimed it was stronger than rice wine but gentler than fiery liquor, making it a perfect complement to the barbecue.

Especially when the food was hot, enjoying a glass of wheat wine mixed with ice cubes was particularly satisfying.

Some came specifically for the wine, while others came solely for the barbeque.

Jiang Zhou taught Xia Dong his culinary skills, and Xia Dong’s favorite dish quickly became a signature item in the restaurant, almost a compulsory order for every guest.

Xia Dong also lived up to Jiang Zhou’s trust. Besides sleeping, he spent every day wandering around the restaurant, brainstorming ways to boost its business. The small stock of meat he had raised in the hot pot restaurant quickly diminished, but he didn’t mind. He enjoyed the challenge.

Additionally, Jiang Zhou introduced the spicy crayfish, a killer dish.

Though fishermen in the Xihe area primarily caught various fish, they often discarded lobsters due to their unfamiliarity with them and their unattractive appearance. This presented an opportunity for Jiang Zhou.

He arranged for fishermen to gather crayfish in abundance and began selling spicy crayfish in the barbeque restaurant.

Initially, no one dared to try it, dismissing it as strange. However, when Liu Buping and his group indulged in a crayfish feast at the cramped restaurant, their mouths and hands were soon drenched in red oil. Despite the intense spiciness, they couldn’t resist. Following this “celebrity effect”, more customers in the store began to sample the dish, quickly becoming addicted to its flavor.

Pairing wheat wine with lobster and barbecue became the most sought-after combination in town.

Conversations among locals gradually shifted to questions like “Where shall we eat? The hot pot restaurant or the barbecue restaurant?”

Jiang Zhou’s consistently successful ventures earned him widespread praise.

With the popularity of the small barbecue restaurant, numerous imitators sprung up in town. However, most lacked Jiang Zhou’s signature wheat wine, relying instead on less popular rice wine. As a result, Jiang Zhou’s establishment continued to attract more customers.

Interestingly, many single men frequented the store, supposedly drawn by Xia Dong’s presence. However, they didn’t dare to make advances; they simply wanted to engage him in conversation.

Focused on managing the shop, Xia Dong paid them little attention, much to their disappointment.

Later on, Xia Dong introduced a self-service barbecue option, but that was a tale for another day.

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Eventually, another barbecue restaurant opened in town, claiming to brew wheat wine. Some patrons found the taste comparable to Jiang Zhou’s and appreciated the lower prices, leading them to switch their patronage.

Xia Dong grew angrier when discussing this: “They’re just trying to compete unfairly! I’ve tried their wine, and it’s nowhere near as good as ours! How dare they claim they’re on par with us?”

Jiang Zhou sighed: “It’s all right. It’s just business. There are many imitations out there, but people know which one is the best. Don’t worry about them; let’s focus on running our own restaurant well.”

Wasn’t it Liu Lin who opened it to intentionally trouble him? There were plenty of people like him in the town!