Free Web NovelChapter 40: Chapter 34: The 1950s’ Wife of Chaff and Bran (34)
Before long, Director Wang returned excitedly with two young workers. "Everyone in the office building got a popsicle. They couldn’t stop praising us."
"Even the simplest sugar-water popsicles cost two cents each, and the mung bean or red bean ones are five cents. But if we make them ourselves, what’s the cost? The biggest investment is just the freezers."
"Just now, the factory director even asked if we had enough freezers. I seized the opportunity and told him we definitely don’t. To make one batch of popsicles, we have to rotate them through three freezers. It takes over six hours per batch, which means we can produce three batches at most per day, for a total of fifteen hundred popsicles."
"The office building alone just used up four hundred. And don’t all the factory workshops have several hundred workers each? Aren’t we also supposed to make cold drink vouchers for the convenience of their families?"
"The director just waved his hand and approved twice as many for us. I’ve already brought the approval slip back."
He flashed the slip in front of Zhu Yun. On it were a staggering six freezers and four refrigerators!
"To give Chef Zhu room to work her magic, the two-hundred-square-meter warehouse on the east side of the first floor has been allocated to you. The small room next to it can be your break room and office!"
"Chef Zhu, the cold drinks and desserts you make will, on one hand, be used as one of the rewards for competitions between department and workshop teams. On the other hand, they’ll be sold at the supply and marketing co-op."
"Of course," he leaned in and lowered his voice, "the more you make, and the better they sell, the bigger your bonus will be."
Zhu Yun smiled and nodded. Her eyes twinkled as she said, "Director Wang, Mr. Chu and I are participating in the factory’s collective wedding, which is next Saturday, on the Dragon Boat Festival."
Director Wang chuckled. "Congratulations, congratulations! I heard about that. The factory director even said the wedding will be held in our Cafeteria Number One. We’ll definitely make it a lively and grand event for you and Mr. Chu."
’And we’ll have to give a hefty cash gift, too!’
Zhu Yun smiled, pressing her lips together. "I was thinking we could use the next few days to plan the menu for the wedding. It should be both affordable and presentable."
"I know the factory leadership wants to reward the hardworking employees in every way possible. So, we should help ease their burden. The collective wedding needs to be an event that truly touches everyone’s hearts."
Director Wang looked at her expectantly. "Chef Zhu, if you have any good ideas, please don’t hesitate to share them."
’Everyone said he was the most skilled at handling people, but in his opinion, Chef Zhu was the true talent—not only did she have real skills, but she also knew how to make things happen.’
"I heard from Mr. Chu that the friends and family attending the wedding will be using meal tickets to pay for the banquet. In that case, we need to consider the needs of guests from different wage brackets."
"We should put a lot of effort into the menu, aiming for dishes that are inexpensive but also nutritious and delicious." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"The hosting duties aren’t our responsibility, but I was thinking we could make a large, multi-tiered cake..." frёewebnoѵēl.com
She explained her idea. A cake that was delicious, beautiful, and full of ceremony would surely convince the leadership to pay for it from the company accounts.
’Desserts are just a small-time venture. The real money is in all sorts of birthday and wedding cakes.’
’However, people’s spending power and mindsets are limited right now, and the situation will change in a few years. She would try her best to have the leadership take the lead on this. She was just a small fry responsible for doing the work.’
’The leaders were dedicated to seeking benefits and development for the employees. They had ability and connections. As long as their backgrounds were clean, they could likely stand firm during the tide of the next ten years.’
Director Wang said directly, "Chef Zhu, make a sample first."
"Alright," Zhu Yun nodded and gestured with her hands. "I’ll make a single, twenty-inch layer for the leaders to try. For the collective wedding itself, there will be a lot of people, so it would be best to make a nine-tiered cake, symbolizing ’forever and ever.’ A ten-tiered one would also work, implying ’perfection.’"
Naturally, Director Wang had no objections.
Making a birthday cake wasn’t difficult. Unlike traditional pastries, it didn’t require fermentation. As long as all the ingredients were available, it could be done in an hour or two.
Zhu Yun had a complete set of custom-made molds, including ones for cake bases ranging from four to twenty inches. This was to account for various factors, such as spending levels and the large family sizes of the time.
She didn’t like to procrastinate. The lunch rush had just ended, and everyone was idle.
Zhu Yun started making the cake base and cream with her own hands. This was where all those recipe-memorization crash courses the Space-Time Administration Bureau supervisor had dragged her to by the ear came into play. Combined with her ’Excellent Cooking’ attribute, she actually managed to whip up a fresh cream cake in just two hours.
Due to the limited ingredients, the texture and delicacy of the cake couldn’t compare to those of later generations, but in the current era, it was a heaven-defying creation.
Zhu Yun had said she would make a twenty-inch one, but since she was already at it, she might as well make a few extra for her colleagues and the handsome young men to try, right?
