The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 817 - 816: Rectifying the Canteen

"By the canteen’s serving standards, this pot of pork and potatoes can make fifteen portions, and each sells for forty cents, so this pot of vegetables can sell for six dollars."

"One pound of pork belly and four pounds of potatoes, based on the current market price, potatoes are forty cents per pound, and pork belly is two dollars fifty cents. However, from what I understand, Boss Lin has a long-term partnership with wholesale suppliers, and the average price of meat and vegetables is about 20% lower."

"The cost of a liter of cooking oil is around five dollars, and this dish used fifty milliliters of oil. Adding spices and gas costs, let’s round that up to fifty cents, so the cost of this pot of vegetables is three dollars eighty cents."

"A cost of three dollars eighty cents, with a sale price of six dollars, yields a profit margin of 36%. Boss Lin, you’re earning much more than us restaurant owners." freewebnoveℓ.com

Listening to Shen Mingzhu’s calculations, Lin Wu began to realize what she was getting at.

"President Shen, that’s not quite how the accounting works. I also have rent, utilities, and labor to pay for."

Shen Mingzhu nodded, "Then let’s cut that in half to account for rent and labor costs, and you still have a net profit of 18%. In the fast-food industry, that profit margin is already quite decent."

Lin Wu offered a forced smile, "My small business can’t compare with yours, President Shen."

Shen Mingzhu said, "No matter the size of the business, there is a universal principle: integrity is the foundation, quality is paramount. Skimping on work to chase after excessive profits will only lead to a narrowing path. Don’t you agree, Boss Lin?"

After hearing this, Lin Wu understood everything.

Shen Mingzhu had come specifically to give him a warning.

As soon as Shen Mingzhu left, Lin Wu went to Du Juan to complain, "There are things President Shen doesn’t understand, but Director Du, you know the situation. The costs of gifts and maintaining relationships aren’t small for my shop here. According to her calculations, I might as well go home and rest for all year—it would be more relaxing."

Du Juan was not easily persuaded, "Boss Lin, I can understand your difficulties, but you can’t blame Mingzhu for picking on you. The quality of the canteen’s food really does need to improve. I’ve received quite a few complaints and grievances. Even if you hadn’t come to me, I was planning to have a serious talk with you."

Lin Wu smiled insincerely, "Director Du, as a fellow boss, you should know that you can’t have good quality for cheap, and what’s good isn’t cheap. Sixty cents for a meat dish, a vegetable dish, two liang of staple food, plus a free soup. Try asking around and see how many canteens can match that standard?"

"Boss Lin, don’t try to vent your frustrations on me. When problems arise, we need to think of solutions. Maybe I can call a few employees over and you can listen to their thoughts?"

"If you want better meals, no problem, but the price definitely can’t stay the same. I’m not asking for much, just an increase of ten cents, to seventy cents. If Director Du agrees, I can start the improvements right away."

In the end, it all came down to wanting a price increase.

With a calm smile, Du Juan replied, "Boss Lin, you might not fully understand Mingzhu’s character. She seems easy to talk to, but she really doesn’t tolerate even a speck of dust in her eyes. If you really annoy her and she decides to forcefully change contractors, there’s nothing I can do. After all, she is the major shareholder."

Lin Wu said, "But we’ve signed a contract. She can’t just stop cooperating on a whim."

"Considering the sanitary conditions of your kitchen and the quality of the food you serve, finding faults would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Boss Lin, we just want our workers to have enough to eat so they can work with vigor. That shouldn’t be too hard for you, right?"

Lin Wu retreated in defeat.

Once he left, Mai Qiu couldn’t help complaining, "What does President Shen mean by this? You’re the General Manager now, Director Du. She didn’t even consult with you and just went straight to Boss Lin. To the uninformed, it looks as if she’s dissatisfied with your management."

"Don’t overthink it. The issues with the canteen aren’t new. If it weren’t for the fact that Lin Wu has a good relationship with the leaders in the development zone, and we don’t want to spoil those relationships, I wouldn’t have tolerated him until now. Now that Mingzhu has stepped in, she’s saved me the trouble."

Mai Qiu was still dissatisfied, "Even so, she should have discussed it with you beforehand. The way she did it, it’s like she’s not taking you seriously as the General Manager."

Seeing her silent, Mai Qiu couldn’t resist bringing up past grievances, "We refused Luo Sen, and he immediately partnered with Hui Kang instead, investing fifty million to build them a new factory. Now Hui Kang’s people walk around with such aplomb."

Speaking of Luo Sen, Du Juan couldn’t help feeling gloomy too.

Like them, Hui Kang was one of Fengcheng’s local food brands and a formidable competitor to the food factory.

However, Hui Kang’s brand influence and market share had always been weaker than that of the food factory.

But that might change in the future.

Hui Kang had reached a cooperation with Luo Sen with an initial investment of up to fifty million.

It’s worth noting that the market value of the food factory, including its subsidiaries, was less than fifty million.

...

The first snow of winter arrived unexpectedly.

It happened to coincide with Pei Wenping’s thirty-ninth birthday. Shen Mingzhu bought twenty pounds of plump lamb and invited relatives and friends from both the Pei and Shen families to enjoy hotpot together, celebrating Pei Wenping’s birthday.

Although it was a workday, Pei Wenping finished work early and went home right after lunch to help Shen Mingzhu and the housekeeper wash vegetables and cut meat.

"This lamb is really nicely picked, with the perfect balance of fat and lean meat. Just swish it in the broth and dip it into sesame sauce, hiss — it’ll be intoxicatingly delicious."

Hearing Pei Wenping’s mouth-watering description, Shen Mingzhu couldn’t help but laugh, "Really? Has the food at home not been good lately?"

"Perhaps I didn’t eat enough at lunchtime."

Upon hearing that, Shen Mingzhu casually inquired about the cafeteria situation.

Pei Wenping said, "After you gave them a talking to, Boss Lin did make some improvements. The quality of the meals has gone up a bit, but it’s still no match for when we ran the cafeteria ourselves."

"Back then, we’d have drumsticks every so often, and there were fruits after meals. I didn’t dare eat too much for fear of gaining weight. Now that I think about it, I didn’t know how fortunate I was."

Shen Mingzhu laughed, "If it’s really unbearable, sister, you should just bring your own lunch to work. Buy a microwave for the office; it would be useful for heating up food and milk."

"That’s a good idea. I’ll discuss it with my department tomorrow, and we can pitch in to buy one to share."

As evening approached, the guests began to arrive one after another.

When Shen Chaobei’s family came, they brought two children but Du Juan was not with them.

"She had a dinner appointment with some out-of-town dealers today and couldn’t make it. She asked me to wish Big Sister a happy birthday and good health."

Shen Chaobei explained while stuffing the prepared red envelope into Pei Wenping’s hand.

Pei Wenping accepted the red envelope without pretense, "Thank you. Please, go take a seat outside; we’ll be starting the meal soon."

Once Shen Chaobei had left, perhaps worried that Shen Mingzhu might be concerned, Pei Wenping told her, "The factory’s business has taken quite a hit recently; she’s been under a lot of stress."

Learning of the difficulties faced by the factory, Shen Mingzhu naturally showed concern, but with so many people around, it wasn’t convenient to ask more details, so she had to leave the matter be for the time being.