From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

I made a phone call to my daughter, and it went on until my wife's phone died.

Actually, Feng Zhengming's phone was also about to run out of battery.

Fortunately, he wasn't busy in the kitchen, otherwise his daughter might have delayed many things.

However, before his daughter started chatting with him, she asked if her father was busy.
After realizing that her father wasn't busy, Feng Nuanyou started chatting with him on the phone.

Feng Zhengming was also somewhat impressed with his daughter, who could chat with him on the phone for so long, and talk about all sorts of topics without repeating herself.

The daughter doesn't just talk to her; she also lets her uncle say a few words over the phone.

At first, the uncle didn't quite know what to say.
Then Feng Nuanyou taught her uncle how to say it.

Even through the phone, Feng Zhengming could almost see his daughter teaching her uncle like a little teacher.

That adorable scene might only exist among innocent children today.

As the children grow older and are exposed to different environments, their personalities will change.

At that time, the uncle might not be willing to let Feng Nuanyou give orders so casually.

After chatting with his daughter, Feng Zhengming was in a very good mood.

Then he went down from the upper floor of the old house to the restaurant below.

All the young chefs in Shanghai, including Jiang Chengzhe, were waiting for Feng Zhengming.

Today, Feng Zhengming specifically notified everyone to come to the old house for a meeting.

Feng Zhengming instructed Xia Hui to be in charge of receiving everyone, and told them to sit down on the first floor and have something to drink while they waited.

Seeing Feng Zhengming come downstairs, everyone immediately stopped talking, put down what they were doing, and stood up.

Feng Zhengming laughed: "What? Are you all being too polite with me?"

These words immediately bridged the gap between him and everyone else.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Feng Zhengming: "Sit down, everyone. We don't need to stand on ceremony between us. Just be obedient in the kitchen."

These words put everyone at ease, and they all sat down again.

Feng Zhengming pulled up a chair and sat down in the middle of the group.

"Alright, the reason I called everyone here today is simple: to ask about the recent situation of each store, as well as your experiences and thoughts on working in Shanghai recently."

Everyone can speak freely; there's no need to be shy. Say whatever you want.

After Feng Zhengming said that, everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Feng Zhengming had no choice but to set an example for everyone.

"Okay, let me explain first. The reason why we were delayed for so long in Beijing this time was mainly because we were dealing with the acquisition of some old shops in Beijing's tourist attractions."

During my recent trip to Beijing, I discovered that many of the small shops near tourist attractions were essentially selling something else entirely.

Those famous snacks and old shops that we remember from Beijing in the past no longer have the same craftsmanship.

So in Beijing, I bought up all those small shops, reassigned staff, consulted with experienced craftsmen and artisans, and reorganized them before reopening them.

Feng Zhengming's words stunned everyone present.

They knew that Feng Zhengming had lingered in the capital for a while.

But I just found out that he did something really big in the capital.

This is related to the fact that most people spend their time busy in the kitchens of their respective stores and don't have much time to pay attention to the news.

After listening to Feng Zhengming's words, everyone thought about it carefully.

Jiang Chengzhe spoke first: "Great job, you've done something big again, you top scholar."

Jiang Chengzhe's opening remarks naturally set an example for everyone, letting them know how to speak.
Sun Hai then said, "Uncle-Master, what you've done is truly a great thing, and a very great thing at that. It will allow the craftsmanship of those old shops in the capital to be better preserved."

Feng Zhengming: "Don't flatter me. I was even sued because of the acquisition."

This statement surprised everyone once again.

Zhu Xu asked in surprise, "Why are we being sued?"

Feng Zhengming: "Because some people felt that I was meddling in other people's business and stealing their business, they sued me."

After hearing this, everyone was both amused and exasperated.

To say that Feng Zhengming is stealing business? That just means your store isn't doing a good job.

If you managed things even slightly better, how could you possibly have absolutely no business?

Feng Zhengming opened branches all over Shandong Province, in Shanghai, and even in Hongcheng, Jiangxi Province, but he never claimed that he could steal business from all the other stores.

It does make it harder for some other shops in the area to operate.

However, Feng Zhengming's appearance raised the average level and eliminated those who tried to take advantage of the situation.

Do you want your store to have business?
Then we must make sure the dishes are cooked well.

This has now become an ironclad rule for restaurants, hotels, and even street food stalls.

Therefore, it is indeed laughable that Feng Zhengming was sued in Beijing.

Feng Zhengming: "Fortunately, the people in Beijing were quite supportive of my approach, so I was able to complete the acquisition smoothly."

However, it was difficult to find suitable personnel, so I transferred some people from Jinan to Beijing.

I didn't inform you about these things because I didn't want to affect you, and I also didn't want to transfer personnel from Shanghai, since Shanghai also needs manpower.”

Feng Zhengming's words were accepted by everyone.

While he was away from Shanghai, the others in Shanghai were indeed under considerable pressure.

You must always be careful and meticulous in preparing the dishes.

Therefore, the stores were indeed unable to spare any manpower to go to the capital to help.

After Feng Zhengming started, the others also shared their experiences, gains, and thoughts during this period.

Xia Hui probably reaped the most rewards.

After all, after Feng Zhengming left, he handed over the old villa restaurant to Xia Hui.

Despite the help of Sun Hai and Zhu Xu, Xia Hui was still under immense pressure.

She's almost always the first one to arrive, and she's always busy until very late before finally locking up and leaving.

Fortunately, Sun Hai stayed with her the whole time, otherwise Xia Hui would have really had a hard time.

Thanks to Xia Hui's hard work, the restaurant's quality was finally guaranteed.

Xia Hui tried her best to make the classic dishes created by Feng Zhengming very similar to his own.

This point is also agreed upon by most restaurant connoisseurs.

Especially those few gourmets from Shanghai, they didn't stop coming to the shop just because Feng Zhengming wasn't there.

This already demonstrates their appreciation for Xia Hui's craftsmanship.

Of course, while ensuring the dishes on Feng Zhengming's menu were prepared well, Xia Hui also worked hard to manage the kitchen effectively.

The most crucial aspect, of course, is the management of the five individuals: Deng Huaichuan, Wang Hanwen, Huang Yunliang, Li Yao, and Han Rui.

The five of them originally came to seek refuge with Feng Zhengming.

Although Feng Zhengming warned the five of them before he left.

But Feng Zhengming's absence this time was indeed quite long.

So naturally, the five of them also had some ideas. They provoked Xia Hui several times.

Despite the provocation, Xia Hui remained calm and used her skills to keep the five of them in check.

Most importantly, with the help of Sun Hai and Zhu Xu, the five of them were indeed able to avoid causing any trouble due to their skills.

Of course, in the end, it was Jiang Chengzhe who stepped in to keep the five of them working together.

Feng Zhengming knew all this, and he had originally wanted to hear Xia Hui say these things today.

But Xia Hui didn't say that; instead, she said that the five people were quite cooperative with her.

Xia Hui's words made the five people feel a little embarrassed.

Then Wang Hanwen spoke up directly and voiced some of his questions.

“I admit, head chef, after you left, I felt somewhat resentful towards Xia Hui. I felt she was not qualified to be head chef, let alone to direct and manage us.”

However, Xia Hui's performance later really impressed me. She was able to recreate your dishes as accurately as possible, which was something I didn't expect.

So I didn't completely provoke her, and later I tried my best to cooperate with her.

Wang Hanwen's words made Feng Zhengming look at him with new respect.

The other four people saw that Wang Hanwen had already spoken.

They naturally took turns admitting their own mistakes and even apologized to Xia Hui.

But after they finished speaking, Feng Zhengming suddenly spoke up.

“I know that it’s a bit of a waste for the five of you to stay in my shop.”

Hearing this, the five people were stunned.

Even the others were stunned.

At that moment, almost everyone thought that Feng Zhengming was going to drive the five people away.

Xia Hui quickly said, "Master, they are actually very skilled. Without their help, I wouldn't be able to support the restaurant so well. Please don't blame them."

Jiang Chengzhe also helped to persuade them: "They don't have to be kicked out. Everyone has their own pride."

Sun Hai also spoke up: "As for our martial uncles, they only made a small mistake, it's not enough to warrant expulsion."

Zhu Xu: "Uncle Feng, they are actually really good chefs."

The five people looked at each other, and then all looked at Feng Zhengming.

They almost simultaneously asked to plead for permission to stay.

Feng Zhengming laughed: "You guys are quite united at this time, aren't you? But I didn't say that I wanted them to leave. I just felt that it was a waste of their talents to keep them in the store."

What I mean is that they each have their own specialty cuisines, which cannot be well showcased in the restaurant.

During my trip to Beijing, I thought about whether it would be possible to support them in opening a restaurant in Shanghai, representing their respective culinary specialties.

Everyone was stunned by what Feng Zhengming said.

Jiang Chengzhe was the first to understand.

"Haha, so you really do want to open a restaurant specializing in a different cuisine, don't you?"

Feng Zhengming nodded: "I do have this idea. After all, although the old-style restaurant has various cuisines, I am famous for Shandong cuisine, so people mainly eat Shandong cuisine or the new style dishes I designed."

Leaving the five of them in the restaurant, or even having you, Zhe, come to the restaurant, would probably be of little use.

Then Feng Zhengming shared some of his thoughts.

“I thought, instead of letting them stay in the restaurant and have to cooperate with Xia Hui and the others most of the time, why don’t I fund them to open a restaurant in the cuisine they studied?”

Just like how I acquired those small shops in Beijing, I can open restaurants serving different cuisines in Shanghai.

Upon hearing Feng Zhengming's words, Deng Huaichuan, Wang Hanwen, Huang Yunliang, Li Yao, and Han Rui were all stunned, and a hint of joy quickly appeared on their faces.

Aside from Li Yao and Han Rui, the two of them, who were learning local Shanghai cuisine, had always stayed in Shanghai.

Deng Huaichuan, Wang Hanwen, and Huang Yunliang all came to Shanghai with the intention of opening a restaurant there.

Later, they joined Feng Zhengming's team, hoping to learn more about kitchen management and his business and culinary philosophies.

It would be great if I had the chance to open my own restaurant in the future, where I could cook the dishes I'm good at.

They never expected that Feng Zhengming would now be helping them fulfill their wishes.

Feng Zhengming saw the smiles on the faces of the five people.

He then poured cold water on the situation as well.

"Don't be too happy yet. Have you thought about it? What is the biggest challenge for you in opening a restaurant?"

The five people were taken aback by what they heard, and then looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.

In the end, Jiang Chengzhe still brought up the problems of five people.

"Your biggest problem is that there are only five of you. Do you think you'll open a restaurant and cook all the food by yourself in the kitchen?"

Upon hearing Jiang Chengzhe's explanation, the five people suddenly understood the problem.

The five of them had always been studying and researching on their own, and they came to Shanghai to become Feng Zhengming's students.

During this time, they were all busy with their own work at Feng Zhengming's shop.

However, no other people ever gathered around them.

So now they have no one to help them open a restaurant.

Just like Jiang Chengzhe asked.

Does that mean that after we open a restaurant for them, they'll be cooking all by themselves in the kitchen?
That's simply impossible, especially if you're opening a large restaurant.

Even if they run a small, privately-run shop, it would be impossible for just one person in the kitchen to keep up with the workload.

Feng Zhengming: "So you need to start building your own team. What you should be thinking about now is who you can trust to join your team and help you run the restaurant well?"

These words caused the five people to look at each other in bewilderment once again.

Li Yao and Han Rui exchanged a glance. They quickly realized that they could rely on each other, and they also had fellow disciples in Shanghai that they could look for.

Therefore, they can assemble a good team and run the restaurant.

As for the other three, they were indeed in a bit of a predicament.

Wang Hanwen faced the most difficulties because he studied Sichuan cuisine, and his fellow apprentices lived quite far from Shanghai.

Although Huaiyang cuisine is not far from Shanghai, Deng Huaichuan couldn't figure out how to find suitable helpers.

Huang Yunliang quickly realized that he could invite some of his fellow disciples to join him.

Seeing the troubled look on their faces, Feng Zhengming smiled and encouraged them.

"Don't rush, think it over carefully. You can make a plan. Once you have a suitable team, I will start helping you prepare for your restaurant."

In addition, you also need to consider what size your restaurant should be.
Are you aiming for the high-end, mid-range, or low-end, more affordable market?

Feng Zhengming's series of questions left the five young chefs truly speechless.

Feng Zhengming then began chatting with the staff of his several branches in Shanghai.

We learned about the situation of the other stores besides the one managed by Jiang Chengzhe in Shanghai, and also made some new adjustments to the three stores, preparing to transfer some people to the kitchen of the Old House Restaurant.

Feng Zhengming was more adept at adjusting the personnel of his branch stores.

As for Jiang Chengzhe's shop, Feng Zhengming felt perfectly comfortable leaving it to him. (End of Chapter)