From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

After the New Year, their daughter, Feng Nuanyou, seemed to have grown up quite a bit.

Moreover, little girls nowadays don't like being carried by their parents; they prefer to walk on their own and have their parents hold their hands.

After getting off the plane, Feng Zhengming wanted to hug his daughter, but she refused.

The little girl happily ran forward on her own.

However, after running a short distance, the little girl would stop and wait for her parents.

"Hehehe, Mom and Dad, come quick! Youyou isn't waiting for you anymore."

Luo Qing felt helpless at her daughter's appearance.

"Look at your daughter, she's getting more and more out of control. She's only four years old (by Chinese reckoning). If she keeps going like this, how will you be able to manage her in the future?"

Feng Zhengming smiled: "Children don't need to be controlled too much. They should be allowed to express their nature freely."

Luo Qing rolled her eyes: "You really dare to say that? She's acting crazy, like a silly girl, and that's just her letting loose?"

Feng Zhengming: "Of course, don't you see our daughter is happier than other children?"

Luo Qing: "She must be even happier. Other children her age are all being sent to kindergarten, but you, not only do you not let her go to kindergarten, you also take her everywhere."

Feng Zhengming: "As the ancients often said, it is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books."

Luo Qing: "But we can't just let her play around like this, can we?"

Feng Zhengming: "Think about it, if your daughter loves you to play more, won't she know more than her classmates when she goes to kindergarten and school?"
"Won't it be easier for her to connect the people and things she encounters now with the knowledge she gains from books in the future?"

Luo Qing was somewhat surprised by her husband's words.

"It seems like you didn't go to school much when you were little. How do you know so much?"

Feng Zhengming: "Hey, hey, hey, isn't that a personal attack?"

Luo Qing smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I was just curious."

Feng Zhengming: "Although I was an orphan before, during the years I worked in the kitchen of Yanxilou, I learned to read and write with my master and fellow apprentices. In particular, my master had me read a lot of books."

Luo Qing asked curiously, "Why does Master make you read so many books?"

Feng Zhengming: "My master said that to cook, you must first be a good person. To be a good person, you must first read books. If you read more books, you will understand the principles of being a good person."

Luo Qing couldn't help but feel that what her husband said made sense.

Just as the couple were walking slowly, their daughter ran back from the front.

"Oh dear, you guys are so slow! I've been waiting for you for ages!"

Luo Qing looked at her daughter and said, "You've really had to go through a lot. You don't need to wait for us; we can walk by ourselves."

When Feng Nuanyou heard her mother say this, her little mouth immediately pouted.

"Mom is really something, she walks slowly but doesn't let people say anything."

Luo Qing: "Mom just doesn't want to walk fast, she wants to walk slowly, and Mom won't let you say it."

Feng Nuanyou: "Mom, you walk slowly by yourself. Youyou and Dad go first."

As she spoke, the little girl reached out her hand, took her father's hand, and wanted to lead him away first.

As a result, Luo Qing grabbed her husband's arm.

"No, Daddy is Mommy's husband, I want to go with Daddy."

When Feng Nuanyou saw her father's arm being held by her mother, the little girl became even more unhappy.

"Mom, you're cheating! How could you steal Youyou's dad?"

Luo Qing said proudly, "Mom will take it, because Mom and Dad are husband and wife."

Feng Zhengming was both amused and exasperated. The way the mother and daughter bickered was giving him a real headache. He didn't even dare to imagine how many more days the mother and daughter would bicker in the future.
But on second thought, this bickering actually shows that the mother and daughter have a very good relationship.

Feng Zhengming picked up his daughter and said, "Alright, why do you always like to bicker with your mother these days? The three of us should get along well."

Feng Nuanyou was picked up by her father, and this time she didn't struggle. She looked at her mother next to her and smiled at her.

Luo Qing was amused by her daughter's smile.

She reached out and gently pinched her daughter's cheek: "You little rascal, you've grown wings now, and you don't listen to your mother at all when you argue with her."

Feng Nuanyou's cheeks were pinched by her mother, and she finally smiled and moved closer to her mother.

"Hehehe, Mom, don't be angry, Youyou will be good."

Feng Zhengming held his daughter and had his wife hold his arm. The three of them went to get their luggage and walked out of the airport.

Outside the airport, Cao Zhiguo, the fifth senior brother, knew that Feng Zhengming was coming, so he drove over to pick them up.

Upon seeing Cao Zhiguo, Feng Nuanyou greeted him warmly and proactively.

Hello, Fifth Uncle.

Cao Zhiguo immediately laughed: "Oh, Youyou is so sensible, she's already a grown woman."

Feng Nuanyou: Really? Fifth Uncle, Youyou is a big girl now.

Cao Zhiguo nodded: "Yes, Youyou is a big girl now."

At Feng Nuanyou's age, she especially likes it when people say she's a big kid.

"Thank you, Fifth Uncle. Youyou will be good now."

Cao Zhiguo: "Great job, Zhengming. You've really taught this kid well."

Feng Zhengming immediately said, "It's all thanks to Mom's good teaching. I'm usually quite busy and don't have much time to teach my child. Youyou is so sensible, all thanks to Mom."

Luo Qing: "You're doing this in front of Fifth Brother. Everyone knows our daughter only listens to you."

Cao Zhiguo chuckled: "Alright, alright, you two stop praising each other. When you get back, talk to your sister-in-law about it. She's having a headache over the kids' education right now."

Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing both found it strange.

"Fifth Brother, what happened to the child?"

Cao Zhiguo: "It's not that I'm busy every day and don't have time to go home. Your sister-in-law is clearly having a hard time managing that boy at home by herself. He doesn't listen to her."

Feng Zhengming: "How about I keep a closer eye on things at the shop while I'm here? Fifth Brother, why don't you go home and visit your family more often?"

Cao Zhiguo: "No need. Actually, when I go home, I can only keep the kid in check. If I really want to discipline him, I can only hit him, but I can't watch him all day long."

Feng Zhengming thought for a moment: "Fifth Brother, have you talked to the child? Don't treat him like a child, talk to him like an adult?"

Cao Zhiguo shook his head: "I really don't have that. I'm quite busy, how could I have the time?"

Feng Zhengming: "How about this, one weekend, you and your sister-in-law bring the kids to the shop. We're opening soon, right? The kids can help us out in the kitchen then."

Fifth Senior Brother was somewhat surprised: "Let him work with us in the kitchen?"

Feng Zhengming: "Yes, sometimes letting children see their parents' hard work can be a good way for them to grow."

Luo Qing nodded: "Yes, Youyou has been playing in the kitchen with her dad since she was little."

Feng Nuanyou: "Yes, yes, Uncle Wu really likes to play in the kitchen."

Hearing this, Cao Zhiguo thought it might be worth a try: "Okay, I'll talk to my family later and ask that kid to come and take a look in the kitchen sometime this weekend."

Cao Zhiguo drove Feng Zhengming and his family of three to the hotel they had booked.

The hotel staff already knew Feng Zhengming.

When Feng Zhengming came to Beijing after the Chinese New Year, he also stayed at this hotel.

The hotel facilities were quite good, and the hotel owner was very considerate, proactively arranging a VIP card for Feng Zhengming.

Furthermore, it was stated that in the future, Feng Zhengming could check into the hotel without paying in advance.

The hotel staff greeted Feng Zhengming and his group with smiles as they checked in.

After watching them go upstairs, the receptionist immediately called the manager from the phone booth. Upon receiving the call, the manager first arranged various services for Feng Zhengming.

At the same time, the manager also notified the hotel's owner.

The hotel's owner also has some connections in Beijing. When Feng Zhengming came to Beijing last time, he inquired about Feng Zhengming's purpose for coming.

Upon learning that Feng Zhengming was planning to open two branches of his dry rice shop in Beijing, the hotel owner couldn't help but wonder if Feng had received some advance notice.
There have been rumors circulating among hotel owners that the 2008 Olympics will be held in Beijing this year.

The news hasn't spread yet, but some people who have gotten a little bit of information have already started making plans in advance.

The hotel owner clearly felt that Feng Zhengming might have also received some information.

That's why he opened two branches of his dry rice shop in Beijing at this crucial juncture.

The hotel owner also used his connections to learn about Feng Zhengming's branch of his rice shop.

This understanding is not important.

The hotel owner was genuinely shocked.

He never expected that Feng Zhengming would turn his rice shop into a fast food restaurant.

They even opened stores all over Shandong Province and even in Shanghai.

The key point is that Feng Zhengming managed to establish his restaurant branch in a place like Shanghai.

The hotel owner also learned that a single restaurant in Shanghai had managed to carve out its own reputation amidst a cluster of Western restaurants.

That shop is no longer a dry rice stall, but a rather unique restaurant that combines Chinese and Western styles.

You could say that restaurant is a fast food place, but it's also a popular spot for white-collar workers to gather and dine.

Under Jiang Chengzhe's management and design, the store has recently launched some late-night snack sessions, giving it a feel of a Western-style private night shop.

It has become a favorite store for many foreigners in Shanghai.

According to information obtained by the hotel owner.

That shop has a unique style that attracts everyone.

As for Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant in Shanghai.

That needs no further introduction.

Almost everyone in the country knows that restaurant is a true top-tier Chinese restaurant.

If a foreigner is visiting China for the first time and wants to have a Chinese meal, most people would probably recommend that restaurant.

The most crucial point is that restaurant's menu design and plating design.

They are all designed in a very Chinese style, not in the form of Chinese food prepared in a Western style.

In the minds of Chinese people who have eaten there, that is authentic Chinese food.

So it's natural that that store would become the top choice for domestic customers recommending it to foreigners.

Hotel owner He Lingfeng has been in Beijing for many years.

I have also traveled and seen all over the country.

In Shanghai, he even tried to challenge some people there, but as someone born in Beijing, he still couldn't beat those guys from Shanghai.

He Lingfeng always felt a mixture of awe and resentment towards Shanghai.

It is understood that Feng Zhengming has gained a foothold in Shanghai and has suppressed the city's culinary and catering industries.

He Lingfeng actually felt a little bit pleased.

Therefore, He Lingfeng had a very good impression of Feng Zhengming.

Especially after our last meeting, I felt that Feng Zhengming was a very capable guy. His ability was not only due to his culinary skills as the national culinary champion, but also because he was a very good businessman.

During their interactions, He Lingfeng sensed that Feng Zhengming was more like a businessman.

He will make no attempt to hide his own interests and put them first.

Of course, he also possesses a strong sense of brotherhood and loyalty.

He cannot be considered a pure businessman.

Therefore, he expresses many things quite directly.

This suited He Lingfeng's taste even better.

Because he is also the kind of person who values ​​loyalty and brotherhood more.

He dislikes collaborations that are purely business-like and only concerned with interests.

It was precisely because of this that he suffered a loss in Shanghai back then.

However, he was not greatly affected and was still able to open his own hotel in Beijing.

For He Lingfeng, what his hotel really lacks now is some improvement in its catering.

He also considered finding some master chefs in Beijing to help him run the hotel's catering department.

However, after trying many people, He Lingfeng was ultimately not very satisfied.

He himself is a foodie and is considered a connoisseur of food within his own circle in Beijing.

Therefore, he still has some requirements regarding how much he eats.

He hadn't expected the hotel's food and beverage department to reach the level of a high-end restaurant in Beijing, but at least he needed to ensure consistent quality control and avoid drastic differences in quality.

However, He Lingfeng has not yet found a suitable chef to take charge of the hotel's catering department.

He knew in his heart that the biggest problem was that he hadn't given enough money.

But if he were to invest more money in the food and beverage department, his overall hotel investment would increase.

Besides, his hotel's location isn't bad; there are plenty of places to eat in Beijing nearby.

Therefore, He Lingfeng still felt that it was not worthwhile for him to increase his investment in the catering department.

When Feng Zhengming stayed at the hotel last time, He Lingfeng had talked with him and thought about asking him for some guidance.

When Feng Zhengming came again, He Lingfeng felt he had to seize this opportunity.

He Lingfeng felt that if Feng Zhengming could provide some guidance to the catering department, the department could improve significantly.

With that thought in mind, He Lingfeng quickly decided to visit Feng Zhengming.

Upon entering the hotel room, Cao Zhiguo asked somewhat strangely, "Zhengming, it seems like everyone at this hotel knows you? And they're all being very polite to you?"

Feng Zhengming: "Last time we came to Beijing, didn't we stay here? I met their boss."

Cao Zhiguo suddenly realized: "So that's how it is. No wonder you're staying here again this time."

Feng Zhengming: "This hotel is located between our two stores. It's not too far from either store, and it's convenient to stay here. The surrounding area is also quite bustling, so you can have some fun."

Cao Zhiguo: "Now that you mention it, this hotel really does have a great location."

Feng Zhengming wanted a suite, and Luo Qing and her daughter were tidying up in the inner room.

Feng Nuanyou was very happy, and she leaned against the large French windows in the room, looking outside.

"Wow, Mom, look! There's a street outside, and lots of people on it."

Luo Qing walked to the bedside and looked outside.

“It really is a street. I’ll have Dad take us there for a stroll later.”

Feng Nuanyou nodded happily: "Okay, okay, I'll go tell Dad."

Watching her daughter run out happily, Luo Qing smiled and continued packing. (End of Chapter)