From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

After leaving Jiang Chengzhe's restaurant and coming downstairs, it was indeed a bit chilly outside.

Feng Zhengming couldn't help but sigh, "Why does Shanghai feel colder than where we are?"

As a result, Feng Nuanyou immediately exclaimed, "Daddy, aren't you cold?"

Hearing his daughter's words, Feng Zhengming looked down and saw that his daughter was already wrapped up tightly by her maternal grandmother and great-aunt.

"Haha, you must not be cold looking like that."

Feng Nuanyou: "I feel so hot."

Grandma held down her granddaughter's little hand as she tried to pull off her hat.

"No, you can't. You'll get cold if you take off your hat."

My great-aunt also advised, "We can take them off when we get home."

The restaurant staff all came forward to say goodbye to Feng Zhengming and his group.

Feng Zhengming told Xia Hui and the others that they should return to Jinan together.

"Don't forget the flight time tomorrow, and make sure you're not late. Also, be careful on your way back tonight, don't wander around, just go straight home."

Everyone readily agreed, and then the others left first.

Xia Hui stayed behind; she was going to stay at Feng Zhengming's house for the night and would go back with her master and the others the next day.

In fact, it wasn't necessary for all the staff to buy plane tickets to return home.

But Feng Zhengming felt that over the course of a year, both the people from Jinan and those who came to Shanghai with him had worked very hard.

Making everyone take the train back would be too much of a waste of time.

So we simply bought plane tickets together so that everyone could go home as soon as possible and the journey home would be easier.

Moreover, Feng Zhengming always brought back a lot of things whenever he returned to his hometown.

This time, for example, he and his wife each bought quite a few things.

He had packed some of them up and mailed them back in advance.

The rest I need to take back with me when I fly.

If there are many of them, everyone can help share some of the weight.

Feng Zhengming watched the restaurant staff leave, and then they all went home together.

Back home, Xia Hui finally couldn't help but share some of her thoughts with her master.

"Master, do I think Jiang Chengzhe's actions were somewhat inappropriate?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhengming smiled and looked at Xia Hui.

"Tell me, what do you think is wrong with it?"

Xia Hui: "I admit that he uses very good ingredients, but he cooks those high-end ingredients in a very simple way. He just makes money by relying on the premium of the ingredients themselves. Doesn't that seem a bit too low-class?"

Feng Zhengming: "Hahaha, are you saying he deliberately piled on materials to cheat people out of money?"

Hearing Feng Zhengming say that made Xia Hui a little embarrassed to continue.

Feng Zhengming: "I think Jiang Chengzhe did the right thing. As the saying goes, those who are willing will take the bait. His ingredients are indeed worth the price. Just purchasing those ingredients took a lot of effort."

Although he only does some light cooking because the ingredients are good enough, he still needs to cook.

Therefore, even with such a high premium, those wealthy individuals are not losing out.

Besides, the location of his shop is much better than my old villa restaurant, with a direct view of the river below.

The scenery alone justifies its price.

After listening to Feng Zhengming's words, Xia Hui still couldn't quite understand.

"Master, but if he does that, wouldn't many shops follow suit?"

Feng Zhengming: "I have already reminded him to make a few dishes that others cannot learn, so as to retain customers who are willing to patronize his restaurant."

Xia Hui suddenly looked at her master with a strange expression.

"Master, are you doing this on purpose so that their shop will attract wealthy people?"

Feng Zhengming: "Yes, not everyone is willing to pay for a chef's skills. Some wealthy people simply prefer dishes with lots of ingredients."

Rather than giving this market to someone else, it's better to let Jiang Chengzhe handle it.

Xia Hui looked surprised; she hadn't expected her master to say such a thing.

But after thinking about it carefully, she quickly realized that her master was right.

Xia Hui is now in charge of the restaurant on the street. She has also encountered some people who don't understand food at all. They would deliberately make things difficult by thinking that the ingredients used in the restaurant are very ordinary and that the prices are too high.

So, as Master said, it seems that having Jiang Chengzhe's restaurant make dishes that pile up high-end ingredients is indeed not a problem.

Moreover, Jiang Chengzhe has a wealth of experience in this area, after all, he has received training in Western cuisine in the past.

Just like the dishes tonight, in addition to the generous use of ingredients, Jiang Chengzhe's subtle cooking techniques were also excellent.

Xia Hui thought for a moment and said, "Master, shouldn't Jiang Chengzhe also keep moving forward? He should still try his best to make good food with good ingredients."

Feng Zhengming: "I reminded him of this as well, and I believe he will make adjustments on his own."

Before Xia Hui could speak again, Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Not bad. You're already showing the qualities a head chef should have. You're daring to put forward different ideas and opinions. Maybe you'll even have a chance to become the champion in the next national cooking competition."

Xia Hui felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this.

“Master, I’m still not very good at it. There’s still a lot I need to learn from you.”

At this moment, Feng Nuanyou moved closer to Xia Hui.

"Hehehe, Sister Huihui, you can definitely do it! Dad said you can be the top scholar. Sister Huihui, you will definitely be the top scholar. Then you will be the top female scholar!"

Xia Hui saw Feng Nuanyou approaching and reached out to hug the little girl.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, little boss. I'll definitely work hard to become the top female scholar."

Feng Zhengming then said with some regret, "However, the National Culinary Competition no longer selects a champion, but that's okay. You can lead the people in the kitchen to participate in the team competition."

Xia Hui: "Master, aren't you going to participate in the team competition?"

Feng Zhengming: "If I go and participate, wouldn't that be bullying them?"

Xia Hui laughed: "Yes, Master, if you participate, it would be a bit unfair to them. You should be a judge instead, otherwise they won't dare to participate in the competition."

Feng Zhengming: "Even if I wanted to participate, the organizers wouldn't let me. After all, I'm already the champion of the third National Culinary Competition. No chef in the National Culinary Competition has ever participated in two sessions."

These words made Xia Hui laugh.

Laughter echoed throughout the house.

Feng Zhengming let his daughter and Xia Hui play together for a while before going upstairs to help his wife put the two little ones to sleep.

Then we went downstairs again, and my daughter was still in high spirits, having a great time playing with Xia Hui.

Feng Zhengming could also tell that Xia Hui really liked Feng Nuanyou, her little sister.

In terms of age, Feng Nuanyou could call Xia Hui "Auntie".

But Xia Hui was Feng Zhengming's apprentice, and a formal apprentice through a formal apprenticeship ceremony.

Therefore, Xia Hui is of the same generation as Feng Nuanyou.

Xia Hui also felt it was good to be on the same level as Feng Nuanyou.

She felt that playing with Feng Nuanyou made her feel like she was still the little girl who was pampered by her grandparents. Feng Zhengming simply played with his daughter and Xia Hui in the living room for a while.

They played around until quite late, when Luo Qing upstairs finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright, isn't it time to sleep? We have to catch a flight tomorrow. You tell others not to be late, but you yourselves are still not up."

Seeing her mother come downstairs, Feng Nuanyou immediately rushed to her mother, ready to play with her for a while longer.

As a result, her mother grabbed her and picked her up to take her upstairs.

Feng Nuanyou was a little crazy: "Oh no, Daddy, save me! Mommy's going to take me away!"

Feng Zhengming looked at Xia Hui and gave her a wink.

Taking the opportunity, Xia Hui yawned and walked towards her room on the first floor.

"Okay, I'm sleepy, I'm going to bed now."

Feng Nuanyou watched as her sister Xia Hui went to sleep, and she quickly tried to call out to her.

But Xia Hui seemed too sleepy to hear anything, and went back to her room and closed the door.

Feng Zhengming walked up to his wife and daughter with a smile.

"Look, Sister Huihui is sleepy and has gone to bed. You should come upstairs with us to sleep too."

This time, Feng Nuanyou had no choice but to obediently go upstairs to sleep with her parents.

Nothing happened that night, and the next day Feng Zhengming and the others went to the airport to meet up.

A group of people boarded a plane back to Jinan.

After takeoff, Feng Zhengming looked out the window at the city of Shanghai below and felt quite emotional.

Another year has come to an end, and I have truly gained a lot in Shanghai this year.

As soon as the plane landed and Feng Zhengming and his group stepped out of the airport, they saw a banner.

"Welcome back home Chef Feng Zhengming, one of the world's top ten restaurant chefs of the year, and his kitchen team."

Seeing such a banner really surprised Feng Zhengming and his team.

Soon, they saw the people holding the banner.

Feng Zhengming's eldest, second, and third senior brothers were all present.

There were also the apprentices of the senior apprentices, as well as the kitchen staff of several restaurants in Jinan.

Besides the people in his own shop, there were also Tao Jingwen, the second brother of the Tao family, and Chen Zhiheng.

Upon seeing Tao Jingwen and Chen Zhiheng, Feng Zhengming immediately understood that the arrival to greet him must have been arranged by the province.

Soon, the provincial television station's cameras moved in, followed by the appearance of a famous female host from the provincial television station.

"Welcome back, Feng Zhuangyuan. You have vindicated Shandong cuisine, enabling it to spread beyond Shandong and reach the whole country and the world. Is there anything you would like to say?"

Facing the camera and looking at the microphone in front of him, Feng Zhengming was momentarily stunned.

After a moment's hesitation, Feng Zhengming still smiled at the camera.

"Thank you so much, thank you everyone for coming to pick us up and take us home. I really didn't expect you all to welcome us home like this."

I have indeed achieved some success, enabling Shandong cuisine to once again step out of our Shandong region and gain recognition from many people. I think this is what a Shandong cuisine chef should do.

Moreover, this is not my achievement alone; it is because my master taught me this excellent skill.

And my senior classmates also helped me; without them, I probably wouldn't have been able to grow so quickly.

I especially want to thank everyone in my kitchen who were willing to follow me, leave their hometown, and work hard with me in Shanghai.

After Feng Zhengming expressed his gratitude, the camera panned across his senior apprentice and the people in his kitchen.

Everyone had smiles on their faces. They all really admired Feng Zhengming and liked him very much.

The TV host then asked, "Feng Zhuangyuan, you are now a world-renowned chef. What would you like to say to our Shandong cuisine, and to the young people in our hometown who want to learn Shandong cuisine?"

Feng Zhengming thought for a moment: "There's a lot to say, but we can talk about other things later. There are some things we need to say first."

After a slight pause, Feng Zhengming suddenly couldn't help but laugh.

"What I really want to say is that you young chefs should all master the basics so that you don't bring shame to Shandong cuisine. If anyone says that Shandong cuisine chefs don't have good basic skills, I'll revoke all your chef's licenses."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present was stunned.

This was followed by a burst of laughter from the audience.

Everyone was amused by Feng Zhengming's impromptu speech.

The senior students who came to pick them up were especially laughing.

The kitchen staff who returned with Feng Zhengming all had smiles on their faces.

At this moment, the airport was filled with laughter and joy.

After that, Feng Zhengming said a few more words, and then everyone boarded the bus that had come to pick them up, and they all returned to the city of Jinan from the airport.

On the way, Feng Zhengming couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you give us any advance notice before launching this surprise attack?"

Tao Jingwen and Chen Zhiheng exchanged a glance, and then they both laughed.

Chen Zhiheng spoke first: "We just wanted to give you a surprise. You probably don't know, but your restaurant has become one of the world's top ten restaurants of the year. It really brings honor to Shandong cuisine."

Tao Jingwen: "Yes, the province was really happy when they heard the news."

Feng Zhengming: "My success actually involved a certain amount of luck, and it was also because our country successfully bid for the Olympics and joined the WTO last year, which showed the world the strength of our country."

Therefore, the International Gastronomy Association also wants to find a restaurant in our country to promote.

It just so happens that I have a good relationship with Kaufman, and it was he who recommended my restaurant to the food critics' association.

Then an old man from Shanghai helped me by telling me in advance that there might be judges from the Food Association coming.

I did some preparation beforehand, which allowed me to perform exceptionally well and win them over.

After hearing Feng Zhengming's words, Tao Jingwen and Chen Zhiheng were also deeply shocked.

It seems to go very smoothly, but the actual process is not so easy.

After all, no one can say they won't make mistakes when cooking, which is why many restaurants try to avoid making dishes that are technically difficult to prepare in order to reduce errors.

Moreover, when it comes to food, the judging process can often be quite subjective.

Some dishes are loved by some and hated by others.

In particular, there are significant differences in tastes between people both domestically and internationally.

However, even under these circumstances, Feng Zhengming was still able to win over the judges of the International Gastronomy Association with his culinary skills.

This made everyone admire him.

Chen Zhiheng: "Zhengming, now that you have such a reputation, have you ever thought about reopening Yanxilou?"

Tao Jingwen chimed in, "That's right. If you want to open Yanxilou, the province will definitely give you support."

Listening to Chen Zhiheng and Tao Jingwen, Feng Zhengming seemed to realize some of the province's expectations of him.

It seems the province hopes that Feng Zhengming can stay in Shandong for longer.

Or rather, the province hopes that Feng Zhengming can also create a top-tier restaurant in Shandong that can be recognized by the International Gastronomy Association. (End of Chapter)