From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

When Feng Zhengming led his team to Shicheng to see the opening of the new store, he allowed his chefs and apprentices to exchange ideas.

Jiang Chengzhe was quite busy in Shanghai, as many bosses specifically sought him out.

These business owners who came to his door included not only Zhejiang and Jiangsu businessmen in Shanghai, but also businessmen who came all the way from Guangdong Province to Shanghai specifically to find him.

Several Hong Kong businessmen also approached Jiang Chengzhe, hoping to cooperate with him.

Even well-known overseas restaurant groups have sent people to him hoping to cooperate.

After exchanging ideas, Jiang Chengzhe quickly discovered...

These big bosses all sought him out because of Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming's fame is indeed too high now.

Not only in the country, but also overseas, there are many rumors about him.

This is simply because Feng Zhengming has not yet participated in any competitions or exchanges overseas.

If he were to travel overseas, the international acclaim for Feng Zhengming would likely only increase.

But even before he went abroad to compete and exchange ideas.

There are still many rumors about Feng Zhengming overseas.

These rumors were largely spread by Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant in Shanghai and by some foreign guests who had been invited to state banquets in China.

Jiang Chengzhe understood that the reason why Feng Zhengming's skills had spread overseas was because they were so unique.

He can cook dishes that suit many people's tastes, and he always has many ingenious ideas, making people taste delicious food that leaves a deep impression on them.

As a result, many tycoons, both domestic and foreign, will unconsciously investigate Feng Zhengming.

Furthermore, Feng Zhengming has never been afraid of any investigation.

He believes he is upright and has nothing to hide or fear of investigation.

This means that there are so many domestic channels to obtain information about Feng Zhengming that there is no need to send someone specifically to search for him.

The news of Jiang Chengzhe leaving Feng Zhengming's shop spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of many people.

Then the tycoons took the initiative to approach Jiang Chengzhe.

Their words implied a willingness to invest in him to open a shop.

However, at the same time, everyone had high expectations for Jiang Chengzhe.

“You must surpass Feng Zhengming, and ideally be able to rival Feng Zhengming’s old-style restaurant.”

This situation really left Jiang Chengzhe at a loss as to how to deal with it.

Should we let him surpass Feng Zhengming?
Jiang Chengzhe felt that with his current culinary skills, especially his vision, concepts, and creativity, it was really impossible for him to surpass Feng Zhengming.

To outsiders, Feng Zhengming's successful business on Shanghai's Western restaurant street was due to Jiang Chengzhe's supervision.

But Jiang Chengzhe knew that even without him, Feng Zhengming could arrange for someone to run the store very well.

The reason behind this is actually quite simple: Feng Zhengming's skill is not simply due to his own good craftsmanship.

He has a complete design. It can be said that as long as the head chef doesn't always try to show off, none of Feng Zhengming's restaurants will ever fail.

Therefore, Jiang Chengzhe really didn't think he could design a dish as meticulously as Feng Zhengming.

Moreover, he himself prefers a more freehand cooking style.

To put it bluntly, Jiang Chengzhe prefers a cooking style that allows him to cook as he pleases.

This was the real reason he left Feng Zhengming's shop.

Feng Zhengming broke down the cooking steps in too much detail, making Jiang Chengzhe feel like a supervisor on a machine production line, with no opportunity for him to use his own creativity.

But Jiang Chengzhe also knew in his heart that he wanted to run a restaurant as well as Feng Zhengming.

His method is the best way.

Therefore, Jiang Chengzhe felt that it would be difficult for him to surpass Feng Zhengming.

He never thought of surpassing Feng Zhengming.

As for the idea of ​​competing with Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant?
Jiang Chengzhe had considered it, but he felt that if he accepted the investment from those tycoons, he might not be able to do it.

After all, when someone invests in you, it's not that they don't want to make money; it's just so you can realize your dreams.
If you want people to get a return on their investment, you obviously can't run the restaurant like Feng Zhengming's old villa restaurant.

Others may not know, but Jiang Chengzhe knows very well that the Old House Restaurant is the least profitable of all of Feng Zhengming's restaurants.

If it weren't for Feng Zhengming having so many stores to support him, he wouldn't be where he is today.

Jiang Chengzhe even thought that Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant would have a hard time making a profit.

The initial investment in that restaurant was substantial, along with the daily costs of purchasing large quantities of high-quality ingredients and the salaries paid to the kitchen and service staff.

Most importantly, the maintenance costs of that old villa also need to be taken into account.

With all these expenses, if it weren't for Feng Zhengming managing the business, the other chefs would probably have had a hard time making a profit.

Therefore, Jiang Chengzhe had no intention of opening a restaurant like that.

But Jiang Chengzhe couldn't possibly tell those tycoons these things.

Because those tycoons only compare themselves to Feng Zhengming.

Jiang Chengzhe decided to clear his mind for the time being. He brought his parents back to Shanghai and took them on a trip, visiting several cities around Shanghai.

During the trip, Jiang Chengzhe's parents also asked him about his situation.

Jiang Chengzhe did not hide anything from his parents and explained the whole story to them.

The father did not speak immediately after hearing this.

The mother somewhat disagreed with her son's choice.

“Ah Zhe, you really shouldn’t leave. Chef Feng is a very easy person to get along with. You two can complement each other in many ways, and you can also make the most of your abilities in his restaurant.”

Jiang Chengzhe did not respond immediately after hearing his mother's words.

After a moment of silence, the father finally spoke.

“Zhe, Mom is right. If you don’t leave Zhengming’s shop, you can get more opportunities. You and he complement each other very well. You may never meet such a capable partner again.”

But if you really want to leave and do it on your own, Dad will support you, because Dad believes you have the ability.

Hearing what the father said, the mother was still worried about her son, so she still wanted to persuade him.

However, Jiang Chengzhe saw that before his mother could speak, his father interrupted her.

“We should trust our son. He has been with Zhengming for so long, and he should try to do some things on his own.”

After her father's persuasion, her mother didn't say anything more.
Jiang Chengzhe took his parents north from Shanghai and traveled to some places in Jiangsu Province.

He also took the opportunity to learn about the different dishes from various parts of Jiangsu Province.

They also visited the local museum dedicated to the history of Huaiyang cuisine.

However, Jiang Chengzhe discovered that people in various parts of Jiangsu Province seemed to be completely ununited.

It seems that each region has its own ideas.

Moreover, they often seem to be competing with each other.

Just like Huaiyang cuisine, there are several places in Jiangsu Province vying to claim who is the most authentic.

Then, after arriving in Nanjing, it became clear that Nanjing cuisine is essentially Huaiyang cuisine.

However, Jinling still emphasizes that they are Jinling cuisine, and even launched a series of "Dream of the Red Chamber" dishes, claiming that "Dream of the Red Chamber" dishes are the representative of Jinling cuisine. This series of experiences reminded Jiang Chengzhe of Deng Huaichuan.

He seemed to understand why Deng Huaichuan had difficulty opening a shop in Shanghai.

It's all too chaotic; it seems like there's no consensus at all.

It's not that there aren't unified standards for cooking.

This refers to a situation where, when a store is open, there is no standardized menu to present.

Even Jiang Chengzhe himself was a little confused after walking around.

I'm a bit unclear about which region's cooking details and flavor preferences Huaiyang cuisine should be based on.

Of course, Jiang Chengzhe also gained a lot of knowledge and experience in various parts of Jiangsu Province.

I experienced the beauty of the so-called Suzhou gardens.

Moreover, he and his parents quite like some of the dishes here.

After touring Jiangsu Province, Jiang Chengzhe returned to Shanghai with his parents.

He invited Liu Fangyou out to have dinner with his parents.

During the meal, the mother also chatted with Liu Fangyou, hoping that Liu Fangyou would not stop dating Jiang Chengzhe just because Jiang Chengzhe chose to leave Feng Zhengming's shop.

Liu Fangyou smiled and said to Jiang's mother, "Auntie, don't worry, I will support him, and I also hope that he can have his own shop."

Hearing Liu Fangyou's words made Jiang's mother very happy.

"Good, good, you support him. That's really lucky for him."

Jiang Chengzhe was very happy to see his mother smile.

Jiang's father was also very happy.

After all, Jiang's father and mother really liked Liu Fangyou. They thought she was beautiful, well-educated, and reasonable, which really matched their ideal of a daughter-in-law.

Of course, there's another point: Jiang's parents felt that their son didn't have a high level of education.

Having such a highly educated daughter-in-law means that the next generation can be educated even better.

Therefore, for Jiang's parents, Liu Fangyou's support for Jiang Chengzhe is what they most want to see.

Liu Fangyou also reminded Jiang Chengzhe.

"Don't rush into opening a shop. If there's anything you need in Shanghai, I think you should discuss it with your brother-in-law."

Jiang's mother found it strange that Liu Fangyou called him "brother-in-law".
"You mean your brother-in-law? Oh, is he also a chef?"

Liu Fangyou explained with a smile: "No, Auntie, the brother-in-law I'm talking about is Feng Zhuangyuan. Because his wife and I are like sisters, I call him brother-in-law."

Jiang's mother suddenly realized: "Oh, that's good, it will make your relationship closer."

Jiang's father also agreed with Liu Fangyou's words: "Yes, A-Zhe, you should really consult with Scholar Feng more. Since he is Fangyou's brother-in-law, even though you don't work together anymore, you can still be considered relatives."

I believe that Scholar Feng is a kind person and would be willing to help you, at least giving you someone to talk to in Shanghai.

After listening to his father's words, Jiang Chengzhe nodded in agreement.

"Dad, don't worry, I definitely won't be polite to the head chef. In my heart, he will always be my head chef. We are not only friends, but I also regard him as my teacher."

Jiang's father nodded: "Very good, he can indeed be considered your teacher, and there are many things you can learn from him."

After having a meal with Liu Fangyou, Jiang Chengzhe's parents became much happier.

After dinner, Liu Fangyou accompanied the two elderly people to stroll along the pedestrian street at night and also visited the Bund.

Seeing his parents beaming with joy as Liu Fangyou accompanied him, Jiang Chengzhe felt that winning Liu Fangyou's favor was a stroke of good luck.

The parents also created some opportunities for the two young people to spend time alone together.

When they were alone together, Jiang Chengzhe took the initiative to express his gratitude to Liu Fangyou.

"Thank you for your support, and thank you for being there for my parents."

Liu Fangyou: "Don't be so polite with me. I've said before that I will definitely support you if you want to open your own store. But let me make it clear first, I am still Sister Qing and her husband's lawyer."

Jiang Chengzhe smiled: "I know, of course you are still their lawyer, and I can't possibly poach you."

At this point, Jiang Chengzhe looked helpless: "Besides, I don't have the money to treat you right now."

Liu Fangyou: "Then if you need to deal with legal issues, I will help you."

Jiang Chengzhe: "Haha, thank you again. I feel much more at ease knowing you said that."

Then Liu Fangyou asked, "So where do you plan to open the restaurant? Have you decided yet?"

Jiang Chengzhe glanced back at the Bund and then at the World Trade Center building behind it.

"I want to open a restaurant on these buildings."

These words surprised Liu Fangyou.

"You want to drive here?"

Jiang Chengzhe nodded: "Yes, you may not know this, but I came here with Brother Feng before. He told me that he wanted to open a restaurant here in the future."

Liu Fangyou was somewhat surprised: "My brother-in-law also said he wants to open a restaurant here?"

Jiang Chengzhe: "Yes, but it seems he no longer needs to open a restaurant here."

Liu Fangyou: "If we were to open a restaurant here, wouldn't the rent be very expensive?"

Jiang Chengzhe: "That's for sure, but it's okay. I believe that with my skills, customers will still be willing to come and eat, and it will be worthy of the view here."

"If you're opening a shop, are you planning to serve Cantonese cuisine?" Liu Fangyou then asked.

Jiang Chengzhe: "I will definitely go back to the Cantonese cuisine that I am good at. I can't possibly cook Shandong cuisine, because I am really not good at that."

Liu Fangyou: "Then I believe you can run the new restaurant well."

Staring at Liu Fangyou, Jiang Chengzhe sensed that she truly believed in his abilities.

This touched Jiang Chengzhe deeply.

He reached out his hand to Liu Fangyou, and the two walked hand in hand to the roadside.

Standing on the embankment of the Bund, I looked across the road at the tall buildings on the other side.

"The view from here must be beautiful. I want to make some dishes that match the view. Although it may not be comparable to Brother Feng's old villa restaurant, as long as I create my own unique style, I believe I will have customers."

Liu Fangyou was also very confident in Jiang Chengzhe: "It will definitely work. Customers also need to change their tastes."

Then Jiang Chengzhe looked at Liu Fangyou and said, "Do you think it's possible to let Brother Feng and the others invest?"

Liu Fangyou looked surprised: "You want Sister Qing and her husband to invest?"

Jiang Chengzhe: "Brother Feng reserved 10% of the shares of the store on the Western restaurant street for me. I think I can also give him a portion of the shares of my new store, 20%."

"Giving so many gifts?" Liu Fangyou blurted out almost instinctively.

However, Liu Fangyou then realized that what she said was incorrect.

"No, it doesn't seem like that much. Given my brother-in-law's current fame and status, 20% really isn't much."

Jiang Chengzhe: "We'll have to talk to Brother Feng and Sister Qing about this later. Even if we're willing to give it up, they might not necessarily want our shares."

Liu Fangyou: "Does investing in this business mean that you haven't completely separated from your brother-in-law?"

Jiang Chengzhe: "Hahaha, we weren't really separated in the first place." (End of Chapter)