Chapter 207: Apprentice

He won’t bow his head, and Qin Liang’s couple wouldn’t bow their heads either.

Speaking harshly, the eldest brother has two sons and a daughter, all of whom have grown up. Nowadays, not to say that each of them has great achievements, but earning wages by working in the factory is already much better than the average person.

Although Qin Wen has job security, he’s been married for two years without a child. For farming, he always relies on Qin Liang’s family’s help.

In the village, manpower is strength.

Moreover, the couple’s temperaments are both somewhat...

Even if the eldest brother still cares about brotherly affection, I estimate the eldest sister-in-law would never easily let go.

Lin Chuxia guessed that this matter wouldn’t be settled lightly, but it had nothing to do with her.

"Lihua is resting these days, tell the others not to take time off either, I have announced there will be overtime pay at the end of the month."

After she finished with this matter, her gaze was drawn to a young man with a scruffy beard in the corner.

The man had not only a half-grown beard, but his skin was also darker than average.

What attracted Lin Chuxia’s attention was not his appearance, but the fact that this man sat in the corner without eating anything, always watching the customers in the lobby, even her and Zhang Guilan.

Zhang Guilan, following her gaze to the man, lowered her voice a bit.

"It’s that person, he came to our bun shop asking if we’d take apprentices; before, your elder brother shunned him, but who knew he’d be so persistent, coming again today and has been sitting here for half the day already. Both your brother and I suspect he’s a spy sent by some other bun shop, just trying to get our steamed bun recipe..."

Lin Chuxia smiled and gave Zhang Guilan a reassuring look, "It’s not that exaggerated, let me go take a look."

The man straightened up subconsciously when he saw Lin Chuxia approaching, his dark eyes sizing her up.

Lin Chuxia let him look, and said only when she was close, "I hear you want to be an apprentice at our bun shop?"

The man stood up, speaking with a strong Northwest accent, "I heard from my brother that the steamed buns from Qin’s Buns Shop in Ancheng County are delicious. I plan to open a bun shop, and my brother recommended me to come here to learn the craft. He said this place takes on apprentices, but when I came here yesterday to ask, the boss said they don’t."

He referred to Qin Han as the boss.

"What’s your brother’s name?"

The man looked at Lin Chuxia, recalling the female comrade his brother met on the train.

On a sudden inspiration, he said, "My brother is Jia Yuanliang, and I’m Jia Yuanliang."

......

Qin Han saw his sister-in-law chatting with that spy-like man for a couple of hours, and in the end, she even brought the man before him.

"Big brother, this is Jia Yuanliang, he’s come to learn the craft at our bun shop; arrange something for him. These days he’ll follow and learn how to make buns in the kitchen, and take care of his accommodation too, it’s too expensive to stay in a guesthouse."

As soon as Jia Yuanliang heard Lin Chuxia was also taking care of his accommodation, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Truthfully, he had been hesitant before coming here, which was why his brother had to talk to him so much before he finally came.

Once in Ancheng County, he eagerly inquired about Qin’s Buns Shop, and when he found out there really was such a famous bun shop, he was somewhat relieved.

However, after questioning the boss at the bun shop yesterday, he felt like he had a bucket of cold water poured on him.

Fortunately, he didn’t give up easily; he guessed correctly that this woman was the real boss of the bun shop, and the one who had shared a train journey with his brother.

Over these two days, he not only tasted the flavor of the buns but also observed the operational process of the bun shop, and saw that the customers filled the hall.

Jia Yuanliang felt like he was on a roller coaster ride.

If he also opened such a bun shop, would he even have to worry about not making money?

Yet Qin Han pulled Lin Chuxia aside, "Sister-in-law, who is this person? Are you really letting him learn the craft of our bun shop?"

Whether it was the ready-to-eat products from Xiyang Food Factory or the buns from Qin’s Buns Shop, both had secret recipes, even their employees were not clear about the specific components; it was Lin Chuxia who distributed the prepared spice packs to the bun shop and the food factory.

It was also because of this, Qin Han knew the importance of the secret recipe.

Thinking back, the food factory offered three full-time positions to trade with Lin Chuxia, but she didn’t make the swap, and now she readily took on an apprentice?

Learning their craft of making buns, wouldn’t that mean even the secret recipe would have to be passed on?

Qin Han glanced again at the man nearby; if not for the man’s short stature and dark skin, if he wasn’t so scruffy-looking and didn’t have any particular advantages, Qin Han might have thought that way.

Lin Chuxia gave him a reassuring smile, then turned to Jia Yuanliang first, "Go tidy up your luggage first, the shop will be less busy shortly, I’ll have someone take you to the staff dormitory to settle in."

Jia Yuanliang’s luggage was all still at the guesthouse; he immediately responded loudly, "Alright."

"By the way, you look travel-worn; when it’s convenient, clean up a little, it’s important to maintain personal hygiene at all times since we’re in the food business, it’s unacceptable to let yourself be so disheveled."

Jia Yuanliang grinned, his white teeth striking against his dark skin, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"I was in a hurry; I didn’t tidy up after getting off the train. Don’t worry boss, I’ll take a bath and shave when I get back."

Lin Chuxia nodded and watched him leave, then called over Qin Han and Zhang Guilan to discuss the apprentice matter.

Initially, she thought of spreading Qin’s Buns Shop across the country via franchising but considering the current societal situation, high franchising fees were completely unworkable, and without charging franchising fees, her interests couldn’t be protected. So, Lin Chuxia thought of a compromise.

Those who come to learn the craft at their bun shop must pay tuition fees, this income is solely for learning the art of wrapping buns and corresponding management measures.

As for the issue of their core seasoning, Lin Chuxia planned to sell spice packs, and the price of these packs would be set very high.

Upon hearing this, Qin Han slapped his thigh in excitement, "This is a great idea, if they pursue the flavor of Qin’s Buns Shop, they can only buy our spice packs. If they find it too expensive, they can make their own filling, so how the bun shop business turns out is entirely up to their own skills."

Zhang Guilan added, "Since he’s staying, he must agree with sister-in-law’s plan. We’ve been in the business for so long, and we know that to do bun business, you need good taste. It’s not enough to just make them look good, customers won’t stay. As long as they use Qin’s secret formula, even if the spice packs are priced high, it’s an absolutely profitable business."

Lin Chuxia nodded, "Indeed, but for now, I’m not planning to let them use Qin’s brand name. It’s just a business transaction for now. If they use our Qin’s spice packs, we’ll establish a long-term cooperation, even send someone to guide them when they open their shop. After a period of satisfactory inspection, then they can carry the name."

Qin Han and Zhang Guilan both thought the idea was good, to avoid tarnishing their bun shop’s reputation.